KSL's Inside Sources

The number of Americans shoplifting is way up. But it’s not the kind of shoplifting you may have done as a teenager — most of the items being stolen off the shelves are everyday essentials.

In this segment, Greg and Holly break down a new Lending Tree study and share their own thoughts on why Americans are turning to crime for the basics.

The weather around much of the state looks pretty nice -- and warm -- for the long Pioneer Day holiday weekend. And that means many people are bound to get outdoors. Ahead of the long weekend, we take a few minutes to discuss outdoor safety with Major Steve Bullock with the law enforcement arm of the Division of Outdoor Recreation. He shares tips and guidance so that families can make sure preventable disasters don't come to fruition. Before you get outside for the three-day weekend... let's talk about outdoor safety again.

Clean-up efforts in rural Utah continue today as the town of Beaver works to get back up and running following some devastating floods. The images and videos that have come out of the area have been heartbreaking -- homes damaged, animals wading through high water, and swelling rivers -- it's been hard to watch. Beaver Mayor Matt Robinson joins Inside Sources to share updates on the recovery, where their drinking water issues sit today, and how people around Utah can help the town in the next steps.

If you're in the market for a new house, you may need to get a little creative to make the purchase and monthly payment work. Between record-high home prices and higher interest rates, you may still be in a challenge. But that doesn't mean buying a home is impossible -- it might just require you to get a little "scrappy."

If you've ever dropped some cash on the street and missed picking it up, whelp … you better kiss it goodbye. And if you find yourself the victim of a financial scam, should you also kill that money goodbye? Not necessarily! KSL Investigator Matt Gephardt looked into the process and timeline to get money back from scams or fraud; he explains what he learned to Greg and Holly.

A bit of a voter registration issue in New Jersey has been discovered, where thousands of non-citizens were incorrectly registered to vote. The governor there says some 6,600 people were inadvertently registered when they got their drivers' license. Of those folks, 400 of them ended up voting in elections. Inside Sources discusses how Utah's voter registration works and how the process differs from that in New Jersey.

The man accused of stabbing a mall kiosk worker in West Valley City was expected to be in court today for his initial appearance. Prosecutors say Peter Michael Larsen targeted the man purely because of his religious beliefs as a member of the Islamic faith. While he didn't appear in court after all, KSL Legal Analyst Greg Skordas breaks down the felony charges Larsen faces and what potential punishments he could see if convicted.

It was a solemn scene in Delaware this morning as the bodies of four service members killed in the Middle East came home. President Trump attended the dignified transfer, which included the body of 1st Lieutenant Tyler Feehan. He had strong ties to Cedar City, having graduated from both Cedar High School and Southern Utah University. We hear from SUU President Mindy Benson about the ways the university plans to honor Feehan. Greg and Holly also discuss the escalating costs of the war in general.

The Pioneer Day countdown is on! Fireworks are officially legal to light today, but it depends on where you live. The fireworks rules are different for this holiday than they were for Independence Day, so Greg and Holly explain the nuances. They also discuss ways – and hear from listeners too – with ideas of celebrating Pioneer Day without fireworks.

• Train suspected in causing Roy brush fire that destroyed several homes
• How volunteers can best assist in search and rescue operations
• Pres. Trump issues warning to Iran; SUU graduate student killed in Middle East conflict
• Utah mayors react to Governor's fireworks order for Pioneer Day
• Support continues to pour in for family of flash flood victims
• Helping Rural Utah: Bridging gaps in healthcare, food insecurity
• Ask the Attorney: Seizing a plane for carrying a six-pack of beer
• Utahns help translate kid's show "Cocomelon" into ASL

Holly absolutely loves this final story of the day -- The Salt Lake Tribune reports that one of the most popular children's shows on Netflix -- Cocomelon -- will soon be available in American Sign Language. And it's all thanks to two Utahns. Holly shares why she's excited for this story and then shares her fun facts of the day; Greg finishes with his closing arguments.

The Supreme Court will take up a case in the next term dealing with excessive fines. At the heart of the issue is this question: should transporting a six-pack of beer to a dry county via plane... result in the seizure of the plane? We know many of our listeners might not drink beer -- that's not entirely the point of this case. But it does bring up some really interesting questions about unreasonable seizures and fines. In this edition of "Ask the Attorney," KSL Legal Analyst Greg Skordas explains the case to Holly.

Utahns are trying to bridge the gaps often seen between rural and urban Utah, especially when it comes to things like healthcare and food. Yesterday, we learned about several programs aimed at helping improve and build up healthcare and emergency services in rural communities. Today, we're learning about an expanded program to help with food insecurity. We hear part of the announcement today, and Inside Sources Executive Producer Andy Cupp joins Greg and Holly to describe more of the issues that face rural communities.

It's a heartwarming development to such a sad story -- Utahns are stepping up to support the lone daughter left after five members of her family were killed in a flash flood in Wayne County. Donations have been pouring in for Lydia Vernon -- the daughter of Katrina Long, the woman killed in the flash flood incident. And today, the family of Katrina -- including her husband Provo Fire Captain Spencer Long -- will be transported from the Utah Medical Examiner's Office to the funeral home in Utah County. Greg and Holly share updates on both developments.

Fireworks restrictions are back on for the Pioneer Day holiday. Well... kind of. Unlike the 4th of July -- which saw a more blanket ban statewide -- Governor Cox says he'll leave it mostly up to the cities themselves this time around. However, the governor did say he thinks people in Northern Utah should avoid fireworks. But with each city left to do its own thing, could this spell some additional troubles? This fireworks season, we've been speaking with the President of the Utah League of Cities and Towns, Bountiful Mayor Kate Bradshaw, about the restrictions. She joins us again to react to this latest announcement.

President Donald Trump issued a warning to Iran following the deaths of three American servicemembers this weekend. One of those soldiers has been revealed to be a graduate student at Southern Utah University, 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan. Inside Sources spends some time talking about Feehan and how SUU will honor him. Retired Marine Colonel "Burner" Dunn also joins the show to share his own expertise on the escalations in the Middle East.

A man in Carbon County fell to his death while trying to find a woman who's been missing in the mountains for several months. Now, law enforcement is asking that people do not self-deploy to assist independently in search and rescue operations. And for Utahns -- who often want to step in and help -- this can be a hard ask. So how can people actually help in search and rescue missions? Scott Hammond, long-time member of the Utah County Sheriff's Search and Rescue team and Utah State University professor, joins the conversation.

Several families are out of their homes this morning, after a series of small brush fires spread into neighborhoods near the train tracks in Roy. Crews battled the flames -- which were spread out over a 1.5-mile stretch -- for several hours yesterday. Officials believe a passing train may have thrown off sparks from its brakes, causing the small fires that rapidly spread through the dry grass and brush.

Residents living near the Beaver River woke up to new flash flood warnings this morning, just a few days after devastating floods swept through the area. Mud and debris continue to make their way down from the Cottonwood Fire burn scar, prompting county officials to declare a local state of emergency. We hear the commissioners make the declaration, and Greg and Holly discuss the continued threat of floods and the way the community's already trying to rebuild.

• How one state program looks to help boost and support healthcare and emergency services in rural Utah
• Sen. Lee continues push to largely end mail-in voting
• Three Americans killed in Middle Eastern conflicts
• AI tech industry workers sound an alarm; Utah's human-first AI initiative rolls forward
• Gov. Cox announces new restrictions for Pioneer Day fireworks
• Ask the Attorney: Man sentenced for manslaughter due to girlfriend's suicide
• Visit Salt Lake launches new campaign rebranding the capital city
• Top-ranked Utah mac-and-cheese maker heads to national competition

Think you have a pretty good mac-and-cheese? One Utah woman thought so, and now she's competing on national TV. Inside Sources discusses the owner of Utah's "Hey Grill Hey" and her recent appearance on The Food Network's Pitmaster competition.

Is it time for Utah's capital city to get a new nickname? Some new branding to better promote the area? Visit Salt Lake thinks so, so now they're launching a new marketing campaign labelling Salt Lake City as "America's Mountain City." Take that, Denver -- aka the "Mile-High City!" Greg and Holly read listener suggestions on what nickname SLC should take for future marketing campaigns. Inside Sources executive producer Andy Cupp also joins the conversation.

It could be the very first case of its kind in the United States -- a BYU student's boyfriend has been sentenced for manslaughter after his abuse preceded his girlfriend's suicide. An article on the story caught Holly's eye over the weekend, so she sits down with KSL Legal Analyst Greg Skordas to discuss the nuances of the case.

Amid the annual Days of '47 cattle drive today, Governor Spencer Cox announced a new kind of hybrid fireworks restriction policy for the Pioneer Day holiday. The governor said there will be different kinds of restrictions depending on the area -- that some areas of the state have received enough monsoonal moisture to warrant easing restrictions. But in other areas -- like along the Wasatch Front -- the governor said stricter restrictions are necessary.

The tech industry is finding itself in a bit of a panic thanks to artificial intelligence. Some of the biggest winners in that industry say we may be in for a bit of a reckoning thanks to technology that's evolving way too fast. Amid all of that, the state of Utah is trying to take a more proactive approach to AI policy, making sure it protects our children while also ensuring that Utah stays on the front lines of technological advancements. Jefferson Moss and Margaret Busse, co-chairs of Utah's Pro-Human AI task force, join Greg and Holly for a discussion.