A Utah state employee accused Republican Governor Spencer Cox of engaging in &#8220;reprehensible censorship” for ordering a review that included flagging content related to radical gender and racial ideology in state documents, according to emails viewed by The Daily Wire. 
An employee with the Utah Department of Health attacked Cox, accusing him of &#8220;dehumanizing&#8221; minorities and saying more should be done to “push back” against the review, emails obtained by Do No Harm show. The employee made the comment amid a sensitive content review that directed officials at Utah’s Department of Health to go through content and watch for words like “anti-racism,” “environmental justice,” “gender identity,” “LGBTQ(IA+),” “Racism,” “transgender,” “white privilege,” “white fragility,” abortion, and more. 
The call to &#8220;push back&#8221; was apparently made during a staff meeting and passed along by public information officer Charla Haley, whose job is to communicate with the public about what’s happening at the health department, to other employees in the Utah Department of Health in an email on January 10, 2024.
&#8220;Why isn&#8217;t more being done to push back against the Sensitive Content Assignment issued by the governor&#8217;s office?&#8221; the quote shared by Haley read. &#8220;This effort to remove references to health equity, race, gender identity, ethnicity, and sexual orientation is reprehensible censorship that invisibilizes communities who have already experienced disproportionate negative health outcomes from systemic oppression. It is dehumanizing and will further marginalize diverse people in Utah, including employees and Partners.&#8221; 
Utah Department of Health and Human Services Director Mike Grass said in an email to The Daily Wire that Haley passed the message along to other employees &#8220;who had some questions.&#8221; It was not clear what the questions were.
&#8220;With respect to the comment sent by Charla Haley, this was simply a direct quote written by an employee made during a staff meeting. She passed it along to three staff members who had some questions,&#8221; the Utah Department of Health told The Daily Wire. 
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1017301" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-18-at-2.10.59-PM.png" alt="" width="1428" height="270" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-18-at-2.10.59-PM.png 1428w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-18-at-2.10.59-PM-300x57.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-18-at-2.10.59-PM-1024x194.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-18-at-2.10.59-PM-768x145.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1428px) 100vw, 1428px" /></div>
Kurt Miceli, the medical Director of Do No Harm, said the comment showed that there were political ideologues embedded in Utah&#8217;s Department of Health and Human Services. 
 “What Do No Harm has uncovered makes it clear that there are political ideologues in Utah’s DHHS who are interested in pushing an agenda, not science,&#8221; he said. &#8220;These activists within Utah’s DHHS should stop pushing their political agenda and spend more time helping the people of their state.”
A few hours after passing along the quote attacking the governor, Haley sent an email to another health department employee telling them to pull &#8220;concerning&#8221; handouts &#8220;for the time being.&#8221; 
“So, you might want to go through some of your handouts that might be concerning and pull them for the time being. Your disease reports should be fine for now and we can review them and rebrand them after the 15th,” she wrote. 
Grass told The Daily Wire that the reference to rebranding had to do with a merger, and the department was not trying to hide DEI-focused materials.
&#8220;DHHS is compliant with the governor’s directive. DHHS materials were not rebranded to hide references to DEI activities; however, materials were revised to comply with the governor’s directive and the department’s internal policies,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Additionally, the department’s efforts to rebrand and the references to rebranding were necessary due to the merger between the Utah Department of Health and the Utah Department of Human Services in July 2022. After the merger, the department’s website continued to contain documents with old logos. The rebranding comments simply referred to making sure they all had the new logo.&#8221;
Grass said those conducting the review were &#8220;instructed to watch for certain words&#8221; and &#8220;the context in which those words were used during the review process.&#8221;
&#8220;The use of those words alone did not necessarily result in revisions to particular materials,&#8221; he said. 
In another email sent to a health department employee in February 2024, Haley shared a rant from someone named “Mikey” who she said was “definitely in touch with his emotions.” In the rant, “Mikey” said that parents should allow their kids to identify as transgender. 
“The LGBTQIA+ community does not want your children. They want to give a safe space for your child when you decide they are no longer your child because they came out as gay or trans. YOU, as a parent, are a failure if you feel that is the only acceptable response to your child telling you what has been plaguing their minds the most,” the person wrote. 
In another email from April 16, 2024, obtained by Do No Harm, a then-health department employee, Andrea Hood, discussed editing an LGBT-focused resource to get it through the content review process. 
“I was wondering if we want to edit this resource for parents and submit it through the DHHS ‘sensitive topics’ review process,” she wrote. “What are your thoughts? I created it to go with Inclusive Spaces training but I think it could be useful on its own. I&#8217;m open to making adjustments to it if there are pieces that might be particularly scrutinized we can brainstorm how to do that.”
The resource pushed parents to get involved in politics and embrace their kids&#8217; gender expression.
The resource said that using “chosen name &amp; pronouns,” supporting “gender expression,” encouraging “inclusive practices,” and being “active in the legislative process,” would “increase the likelihood of your LGBTQ+ child having a healthy and happy future.”
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1017305" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-18-at-2.12.28-PM.png" alt="" width="1359" height="965" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-18-at-2.12.28-PM.png 1359w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-18-at-2.12.28-PM-300x213.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-18-at-2.12.28-PM-811x576.png 811w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-18-at-2.12.28-PM-768x545.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1359px) 100vw, 1359px" /></div>
The resource also said to “speak up when you hear stereotypes about LGBTQ+ people,” and “talk with your religious leaders to help your congregation become more supportive of LGBTQ+ people.”
The inclusive practices the resource said to support included “including pronouns on enrollment forms,” “name and pronoun change procedures,” “LGBTQ+ professional development for staff,” “sports participation for transgender and gender non-binary youth,” “inclusive curricula,” and “affirming clubs (Gender &amp; Sexuality Alliances).”
The resource told parents to use their children&#8217;s chosen pronouns, not their biological ones, and to &#8220;correct&#8221; themselves when they &#8220;make a mistake.&#8221; 
“Listen to your child to understand what being transgender or gender nonbinary means to them, and what it feels like,” the resource said, adding, “Try to use their chosen name and pronouns, and correct yourself in the moment when you make a mistake.”
The resource also claimed that studies “found that youth who have parental and school support to transition socially have significantly better mental health outcomes than youth without that support.”
Cox&#8217;s office did not respond to requests for comment on the emails. 
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-33447">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Utah’s Department of Health has<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/utah-lawmakers-are-getting-terribly-flawed-information-on-transgender-procedures-watchdog-warns?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Utah+Lawmakers+Are+Getting+%E2%80%98Terribly+Flawed%E2%80%99+Information+On+Transgender+Procedures%2C+Watchdog+Warns"> been criticized</a> for producing a “terribly flawed” report on the science behind transgender procedures for kids. The report, which was sent from the department to the Utah legislature, significantly misrepresents the scientific record and glosses over the danger of transgender procedures, Do No Harm said in a memo last week. 
The report also came alongside recommendations from the Utah Department of Health, which Miceli said silently supported undoing protections for kids from transgender procedures. 
The recommendations are all contingent on the moratorium being lifted, Miceli said. These included things like setting up a board to oversee the moratorium, creating specific standards of care, and limiting those who prescribe transgender procedures to “demonstrated experts.”
Utah’s Department of Health also <a href="https://dhhs.utah.gov/public-health-training-hub/self-paced-trainings/">maintains</a> a “self-paced” training page on the topics of “advancing health equity,” “an anti-racist imperative for public health data,” and “How to be Anti-Racist in the Everyday Practice of Public Health.”
“Each day, we have opportunities to fight racism and bias in our work in public health. From our hiring practices to microaggressions that occur in internal meetings to the data we collect to the policies we influence, enact, and enforce — racism and bias impact all facets of public health. Studies show that this ultimately causes a negative impact on health outcomes and hinders our efforts to reduce racial inequities in health,” the course description says. 
In January 2023, Cox signed legislation placing a moratorium on doctors giving kids cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers and banning transgender surgeries. That came after he previously vetoed a bill keeping males out of female sports.

Paris 2024 Olympic Games – Previews

Utah Health Employee Urged Others To ‘Push Back’ Against Review Of Trans Content

Utah Health Employee Called For 'Push Back' Against Trans Content Review, Email Shows

LGBT

Spencer Cox

Transgender

Utah

Erika Kirk

Why I Don’t Buy The Charlie Kirk Conspiracy Theories

Candace Owens

Charlie Kirk

Conspiracy Theory

Matt Walsh

Murder

Opinion

Cameras will be allowed inside the courtroom during the trial of alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson, Utah Judge Tony Graf, Jr. ruled on Thursday.
Robinson appeared in court in person for the first time since his arrest in September. The 22-year-old Utah man is facing a slew of charges related to Kirk’s murder, including aggravated murder, felony use of a firearm, and obstruction of justice. Robinson has not yet entered a plea.
The judge said Thursday that cameras will be allowed in the courtroom during the trial, though located away from the table of Robinson and his legal team.
“I find that excluding … the cameras from the courtroom would be disproportionate for this hearing. I find that making it very clear, first, that the transmission cannot begin until court is in session and must end as the court ends the session, and cannot be filmed before or after,” the judge said.
He emphasized that the court may order the cameras on and off at the court’s discretion.
“I simply want to put all parties on notice–to the press, to all parties–that this court takes this very seriously. While the court believes in openness and transparency, it needs to be balanced with the constitutional rights of all parties in this case,” he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The judge in Tyler Robinson’s case just ruled cameras will be allowed in the courtroom stating that doing otherwise would be &#8220;disproportionate for this hearing.&#8221; The people will get to see justice in action. <a href="https://t.co/hMhOWkLPkA">pic.twitter.com/hMhOWkLPkA</a>
— Chad Prather (@WatchChad) <a href="https://twitter.com/WatchChad/status/1999252868076085621?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Robinson’s attorneys <a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/judge-to-decide-degree-of-media-access-in-charlie-kirk-killing-case/4027110/">argued</a> against broadcasting the proceedings, voicing concerns that the flood of media attention and access to the courtroom could jeopardize Robinson’s right to a fair trial.
Friends and family of Kirk have argued in favor of broadcasting the trial. Kirk’s widow, Erika, said on Fox News last month that cameras are a matter of transparency.“There were cameras all over my husband when he was murdered. There have been cameras all over my friends and family mourning. There have been cameras all over me, analyzing my every move, analyzing my every smile, my every tear,” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UzqVlm8VXRI">said</a> Erika. “We deserve to have cameras in there. Why not be transparent?”

Tyler Robinson

Cameras Allowed In Court For Trial Of Accused Charlie Kirk Assassin, Judge Rules

Turning Point USA

The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trove-of-critical-minerals-uncovered-in-the-utah-desert-9bc509f9/">reports</a> that Ionic Mineral Technologies (Ionic MT) has recently uncovered what may be one of the most significant critical-mineral reserves in the United States while mining clay at Utah’s Silicon Ridge.
Originally leasing the land to produce nanosilicon for lithium-ion batteries, the company unexpectedly identified high-grade concentrations of 16 critical minerals, including lithium, alumina, germanium, rubidium, cesium, vanadium, niobium, and scandium. Independent testing confirmed the deposit is a halloysite-hosted ion-adsorption clay, similar to geological formations in China that supply a major share of global rare-earth output.
Because the deposit is shallow, accessible, and located on pre-permitted land with extensive infrastructure, Ionic MT says extraction could begin quickly. CEO Andre Zeitoun argues the find has far-reaching implications for national security, as these minerals are indispensable for advanced semiconductors, electric vehicles, fighter jets, and artificial-intelligence hardware.
The discovery comes amid heavy geopolitical tension over China’s control of critical mineral markets. China produces roughly 70% of the world’s rare earths and processes about 90%, giving it enormous leverage over global supply chains. Recent Chinese export restrictions have alarmed American industry and policymakers, though a temporary one-year delay won through recent trade negotiations offers a short window for the United States and allies to expand production and processing capacity.
It is this strategic vulnerability that has galvanized Marco Rubio’s leadership on the issue. In July 2024, in another move to counter Communist China, Rubio introduced the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/4702">Critical Mineral Supply Chain Realignment Act of 2024</a>. imposing aggressive, escalating tariffs on Chinese-controlled electromagnets, permanent magnets, batteries, solar components, and other key technologies. Tariffs would reach 800% on Chinese goods, while non-allied nations would face 25% duties, all designed to push supply chains toward American and allied producers.
<a class="c-link c-link--focus-visible c-link--underline" href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=christmas&amp;utm_content=christmassale25" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Christmas Sale – Get 40% off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Rubio argued that the United States must break China’s “critical mineral industrial monopoly,” warning that Beijing’s near-total control of end-to-end supply chains — mining, refining, and magnet production — posed economic and national-security dangers.
Rubio has also spearheaded bipartisan pressure — partnering with Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and others — <a href="https://www.warner.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/b/7/b77b564b-9f1b-47db-9d54-9d020d91ffc4/5FE33019DC7A2ED1E156EBA22FB39351.11.16.23-senate-critical-mineral-letter-to-amos-hochstein-final.pdf">urging</a> the White House and the Export-Import Bank to prioritize financing for domestic and allied processing, refining, and metallurgical capacity. Their joint letters emphasized that demand for critical minerals was soaring while the United States remained dangerously dependent on China, which often controls “nearly 100%” of the entire supply chains. They argued that only rapid investment, coordinated with allies such as Australia, could counter China’s dominance.
Utah’s newly revealed deposit — supported by the state’s already diverse critical-mineral portfolio — represents not just an industrial opportunity but a strategic asset. State leaders echo Rubio’s warnings: securing reliable domestic sources of these minerals is essential for U.S. energy independence, defense needs, and long-term technological competitiveness.

Robotic arm giving a CPU to another robot

Huge Utah Mineral Find Gives U.S. New Firepower Against China’s Supply-Chain Grip

Marco Rubio

rare earth minerals

Utah lawmakers will soon decide whether to keep laws in place protecting kids from transgender procedures. Their decision will be based in a large part on a report the Utah legislature commissioned — a report one watchdog says is &#8220;terribly flawed.&#8221;
Do No Harm on Tuesday released a memo highlighting the problems with a <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/report-2.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> commissioned by the Utah legislature on transgender procedures on kids. The <a href="https://donoharmmedicine.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Debunking-Utah-Report.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">memo</a>, first shared with The Daily Wire, says that the report significantly misrepresents the scientific record and glosses over the danger of transgender procedures.
&#8220;Its shortcomings include failure to adhere to the fundamental standards of a systematic review, prioritizing the quantity of evidence over its quality, uncritically relying on guidelines from purported experts, overlooking significant life-altering adverse effects, and consulting advisors, some of whom support &#8216;gender-affirming care&#8217; for minors,&#8221; Do No Harm medical director Kurt Miceli and gender ideology program director Michelle Havrilla write.
The May 2025 report, titled &#8220;Gender-Affirming Medical Treatments for Pediatric Patients with Gender Dysphoria,&#8221; was conducted by the Drug Regimen Review Center at the University of Utah and led by Dr. Joanne LaFleur. It was commissioned after Utah Republicans passed legislation in 2023 to shield kids from transgender procedures by putting a moratorium on puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones.
The purpose of the report is to guide the Utah Department of Health&#8217;s recommendations to the legislature about whether to keep the ban on hormonal procedures in place. After an in-depth review of the 1,000-page report, Do No Harm said that the legislature should ignore the Utah report, and instead rely on a Department of Health and Human Services review that found putting kids on puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones damaged their development and comes with serious health risks.
&#8220;The Utah Report asserts that puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones are safe and effective amid a sea of weak evidence, data extraction by a single reviewer rather than at least two, and conclusions based primarily on narrative summaries rather than quantitative synthesis – all despite reaching conflicting findings from well-established systematic reviews available prior to the Utah Report’s submission,&#8221; Do No Harm writes in its memo.
This portrayal comes from a reliance on anecdotal stories and studies, and not a systematic review of all relevant studies. Miceli told The Daily Wire that the Utah Report was &#8220;terribly flawed&#8221; and &#8220;anything but&#8221; a systematic review, and did not conduct a critical evaluation of the studies cited.
&#8220;Unlike true systematic reviews, it does not assess the reliability of studies and whether the research can provide guidance for weighing the risks and benefits of medical intervention for children with gender dysphoria,&#8221; the memo said.
Miceli and Havrilla write that the Utah report relied on observational studies as opposed to randomized control studies. The authors also pointed more to quantity over quality, they said.
At one point, the Utah authors wrote that “the amount of evidence available for treating pediatric [gender dysphoria] patients with [gender-affirming hormonal therapy] far exceeds the quantity that supported the use of [spinal muscular atrophy] gene therapy upon FDA approval.&#8221;
The gene therapy approval was based on objective testing, while the transgender studies were based on subjective methods, Do No Harm warned.
The Utah authors also accepted the guidance of radical groups like the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and the Endocrine Society. Both these groups downplay the risks of transgender procedures on kids and endorse things like cross-sex hormones and puberty blockers.
Miceli said that the Utah report treats the WPATH guidelines &#8220;as gospel&#8221; and offers &#8220;no critical evaluation.&#8221;
The Utah report takes &#8220;these guidelines at face value purely because they come from &#8216;organizations that are widely regarded as authorities in their given specialty&#8217; and state &#8216;a risk-of-bias assessment was not conducted on guidelines as part of the current work because [the authors] restricted inclusion to recognized medical authorities who published evidence-based guidelines,'&#8221; the memo noted.
Both WPATH and the Endocrine Society make the dubious suggestion that it&#8217;s possible to reverse the effects of puberty blockers. This contradicts evidence that puberty blockers stunt bone development and have unknown neurological impacts.
Other well-documented problems with transgender procedures on kids are also downplayed, Do No Harm notes. For example, the risk of sexual dysfunction from cross-sex hormones is not mentioned, and potential dangers to infertility are not included as an outcome of focus.
&#8220;They conclude that gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) is effective in improving mental health and psychosocial outcomes, whereas concerns related to bone health, cardiovascular risk, and cancer are &#8216;minimal and manageable.&#8217; The Utah Report neglects significant adverse effects that are associated with GAHT, including the life-altering effects of infertility/sterility and sexual dysfunction.&#8221;
While the <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/12/report-3.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommendations</a> added to the report claim that no position is being taken on whether to continue the moratorium on trans procedures, Miceli told The Daily Wire that it is a contradictory claim. The recommendations are all contingent on the moratorium being lifted, Miceli said. These included things like setting up a board to oversee the moratorium, creating specific standards of care, and limiting those who prescribe transgender procedures to &#8220;demonstrated experts.&#8221;
Do No Harm also flagged multiple doctors recommended by the Utah report&#8217;s amendments as advisors to lawmakers for potential conflicts of interest. This included Nikki Mihalopoulos and Brooks Keeshin.
Mihalopoulos <a href="https://www.academicpedsjnl.net/article/S1876-2859(20)30508-8/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">authored</a> a 2021 article discussing how “pediatric health care providers can play a critical role in building solutions in policy and advocacy…to improve the health of transgender/gender diverse youth. Many government entities, especially at the state and local level, actively resist efforts promoting equal rights.”
Keeshin has <a href="https://www.jaacap.org/article/S0890-8567(24)00521-5/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener">written</a> a “Clinical Perspective” highlighting Utah’s “potential pathway forward” for “open access to [gender-affirming] care” for adolescents and said that the protections created a &#8220;significant challenge to adolescents who would benefit from gender-affirming care as well as their healthcare providers.&#8221;

A girl holds the Transgender Pride flag during the pride

Utah Lawmakers Are Getting ‘Terribly Flawed’ Information On Transgender Procedures, Watchdog Warns

medicine

Utah is expected to get a Democrat-favored congressional district following a court ruling earlier this week on redistricting maps, adding yet another complicated layer to the nationwide gerrymandering battle.
Utah Third District Court Judge Dianna Gibson ruled on Monday in favor of a map that went against the map proposed by Republicans in the legislature, who are expected to appeal the ruling, which sides with the plaintiffs, Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG) and the League of Women Voters, <a href="https://www.ksl.com/article/51403648/utah-judge-selects-new-congressional-map-tossing-map-drawn-by-lawmakers">KSL</a> reported.
“In the coming hours and days, there will be many who will try to frame this victory through the lens of partisanship. Some will co-opt this as a win for their party, and others will see this as a loss and use it as a rallying cry for theirs. Let us be clear about what this case has always been about for MWEG: MWEG stands firmly opposed to gerrymandering, no matter which party initiates or benefits from it,” the Mormon Women for Ethical Government said in a statement.
Republican Gov. Spencer Cox said that he would back a legal appeal to the judge’s decision.
“The Utah Constitution clearly states that it is the responsibility of the Legislature to divide the state into congressional districts,” the governor posted to X on Tuesday. “While I respect the Court’s role in our system, no judge, and certainly no advocacy group, can usurp that constitutional authority. For this reason, I fully support the Legislature appealing the Court’s decision.”
In the meantime, Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson said that the process is kicking off to make sure candidates can file to run for the congressional seat properly early next year at the state level.
“There will likely be an emergency appeal, but the process of finalizing new boundary details will take weeks of meticulous work on the part of state and county officials,” Henderson posted Tuesday. “Barring an appellate court ruling, we must begin without delay to ensure that everything is in place for candidate filing in January. The people of Utah deserve an orderly and fair election and we will do everything in our power to administer one.”
Democrats in Utah are already chomping at the bit for a chance at the seat, as the Beehive State currently has four Republican representatives in the House, and the map the judge ruled on encompasses the Salt Lake City area.
“I’ve done it before, to stand up against Trump when it was hard, not just when it was expected,” former Rep. Ben McAdams said in a campaign launch video Thursday morning. McAdams was elected to Congress in 2018 by defeating late Rep. Mia Love, and then lost to Rep. Burgess Owens in 2020 – both of which were competitive races prior to the redrawing after the 2020 census. McAdams previously served as mayor of Salt Lake County.
In addition, Utah Democratic Sen. Kathleen Riebe also launched her bid for a seat this week.
The ongoing legal battle in the state is only one element of how the 2026 congressional maps across the country could end up looking very different in the coming weeks. Other states have taken major steps toward voluntary mid-decade redistricting, including in Texas and California, especially with the passage of Proposition 50 in the Golden State.
Red states and blue states are reworking their maps, which some say could benefit Republicans, whereas others caution it could just end up making the numbers look similar to where they are now, despite a potential party flip in the chamber. Republicans hold a narrow 219-214 majority in the House.
“The whole thing might come out to be a wash anyway,” Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americas-redistricting-battle-keeps-getting-messier">The Daily Wire</a> earlier this month.
“I am continuing to advocate for my legislation to stop this whole redistricting domino effect. I think it’s a really bad thing for the country. I think it is degrading democracy in every state where it happens. I think gerrymandering is wrong, and we need to just put an end to this,” Kiley added, explaining his proposal to create a federal law against mid-decade redistricting, as it&#8217;s typically only done each decade with new census data.

US President Joe Biden hosts governors and their spouses in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington

Utah Might Get A Democrat In Congress After Controversial Court Ruling

Congress

Politics

Redistricting

Republicans

Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer, Tyler Robinson, will be able to wear civilian clothes to court, a judge ruled on Monday.
Robinson will be allowed to ditch his prison garb when he appears in court, but he will have to stay shackled. Utah Judge Tony Graf ruled that the 22-year-old accused assassin must remain in chains for the safety of others in the courtroom, according to the <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2025/10/27/charlie-kirk-killing-judge-says/">Salt Lake Tribune</a>.
The defendant’s attorneys had asked the judge’s permission for Robinson to wear civilian clothing and appear unshackled in court, arguing that appearing like a prisoner would bias a jury’s perception. The defense team made special mention of the amount of attention the case has received.
The judge appeared swayed by the defense team’s argument, though Graf’s sympathy was limited. The judge said that the request to appear in civilian clothes would cause only “minimal inconvenience” to the Utah County Sheriff’s Office when compared to Robinson’s interest in a fair trial.
“The case has attracted extraordinary public and media attention,” <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/10/27/us-news/alleged-charlie-kirk-assassin-tyler-robinson-makes-same-court-request-as-luigi-mangione/">said</a> Graf, according to the New York Post. “Images of Mr. Robinson in jail clothing are likely to circulate widely and influence prospective jurors. Given the scale of that publicity, the risk of prejudice is significant.”
“Mr. Robinson’s right to the presumption of innocence outweighs the minimal inconvenience of permitting civilian attire and Mr. Robinson shall be dressed as one who is presumed innocent,” the judge added.
During Monday’s hearing, Graf was also asked to consider banning cameras from the courtroom. The judge put off the issue, but added that if prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed, they could file a joint request later to have cameras banned.
Join us now during our exclusive Deal of the Decade. Get everything for $7 a month. Not as fans. As fighters. Go to <a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire.com/Subscribe</a> to join now.
Robinson is expected to appear in court again on January 16. His next court appearance had been scheduled for Thursday, but his legal team <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1982889447881421218">joined</a> prosecutors in requesting that the court date be “vacated.”
The request by Robinson’s attorneys over the presentation of their client echoes a request made by the attorneys of accused UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione. Over the summer, Mangione’s legal team asked the judge in his case to allow the suspect to appear in court without handcuffs or a bulletproof vest.
At his most recent court appearance, Mangione appeared in prison clothes and handcuffs, though he was not wearing a bulletproof vest, according to the Post.
Kirk was assassinated while speaking at a college event in Utah in September. The Turning Point USA founder was shot in the neck before being rushed to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead. President Donald Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, on October 14, which would have been Kirk&#8217;s 32nd birthday.

Charlie Kirk’s Suspected Assassin Scores Shocking Win In First Court Appearance

Courts

Crime

U.S.

Anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ Rally Held In Cities Across US

‘No Kings’ Protest Turns Into A Rallying Cry For Political Violence

'No Kings' Protest Turns Into A Rallying Cry For Political Violence

Democrats

Donald Trump

Joe Biden

Leftists

Liberals

Protests

The same day that President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/donald-trump-honors-his-friend-charlie-kirk-with-the-presidential-medal-of-freedom?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Donald+Trump+Honors+His+Friend+Charlie+Kirk+With+The+Presidential+Medal+Of+Freedom">honored</a> the late Charlie Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, hundreds of Utah college students gathered in Salt Lake City for a memorial honoring the Turning Point founder&#8217;s life. 
Students from chapters of Kirk’s Turning Point organization from nearby universities like Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University, where Kirk was assassinated last month, gathered alongside Republican lawmakers at the Utah Capitol building on Tuesday to reflect on Kirk’s life. Rep. Brandon Gill, a Texas Republican, spoke at the event and urged young conservatives in attendance to carry on Kirk’s legacy. 
“One of the things that Charlie talked a lot about during his lifetime was the value of political debate,” Gill said.  “Whenever we win the debate we get to change policy. And whenever we change policy, we can start to take our country back. And we’ve seen that this year.” 
During his speech, Gill issued a warning about the rise of violence committed by the political Left. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s not just Charlie Kirk. Right now there’s an attorney general’s race in Virginia where the leading Democrat candidate just had some of his text messages released where he was saying he would celebrate the death of his political opponents, that he would celebrate the death of his opponents&#8217; young children,” he said, referring to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-how-jay-jones-text-scandal-may-blow-up-dem-chances-in-virginia">bombshell text messages</a> promoting violence from Democrat attorney general candidate Jay Jones. 
Gill told The Daily Wire that the students at the event were somber but “fired up.” 
“We heard from probably 20 or so student leaders from a few different campuses in the area,” he said. “And they were ready to take back our country. They saw what happened to Charlie. They remember the message that Charlie had been putting out there.”
Gill also praised the students in attendance for continuing Kirk’s legacy of engaging in civic debate. He said that respectful debate among two completely opposing ideologies would be one aspect of Kirk’s legacy that would live on. 
“The other thing that Charlie did was he was able to build a political movement and get young people involved in politics in a way you&#8217;ve never seen before,” he said. “ Charlie made it, and Turning Point has made it cool to be a conservative for a young person who&#8217;s in college.”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout!</a>
The Texas Republican also said that Kirk’s message of going to church, getting married, and having kids would continue to resonate with young Americans. 
Student leaders who spoke at the event called for young conservatives to carry on Kirk&#8217;s message. 
“Tonight we’re picking up the mic and carrying forward this message louder and bolder than ever before,” <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/president-trump-awards-charlie-kirk-221558652.html">said</a> Turning Point USA Provo chapter president Aubree Farmer. “We were born for such a time as this, and it’s time for people to start listening.”
Other speakers at the event <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/president-trump-awards-charlie-kirk-221558652.html">included</a> Utah Reps. Celeste Maloy and Mike Kennedy, Utah Attorney General Derek Brown, and multiple state lawmakers.

IMG_20251015_152544

‘Made It Cool To Be A Conservative’: Charlie Kirk’s Legacy Celebrated At Utah Capitol

Brandon Gill

Authorities issued an emergency evacuation order at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, on Tuesday after a &#8220;suspicious device&#8221; was found just hours before a Turning Point USA event was scheduled to take place on campus.
Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was supposed to speak at the event at Utah State before he was assassinated while speaking to students at Utah Valley University on September 10. The event is the first that Turning Point USA has hosted in the state since the assassination. Utah State University is around 120 miles north of Utah Valley University.
In a video posted on social media by local news outlet KSL TV, police are heard yelling &#8220;fire in the hole!&#8221; before a loud explosion is heard. The building that was evacuated was not where the Turning Point USA event was set to take place, KSL TV <a href="https://ksltv.com/local-news/building-on-utah-state-campus-evacuated-for-suspicious-package-ahead-of-tpusa-event/826344/">reported</a>.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Police just yelled “fire in the hole” three times before we all heard an explosion. <a href="https://twitter.com/KSL5TV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KSL5TV</a>
Courtesy Julie Carlton <a href="https://t.co/EzWhD4adzj">pic.twitter.com/EzWhD4adzj</a>
— Erin Cox (@erincoxnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/erincoxnews/status/1973135438073438541?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Authorities gave the &#8220;<a href="https://x.com/erincoxnews/status/1973147126562783570">all clear</a>&#8221; around an hour after it was reported that a &#8220;suspicious device&#8221; was spotted.
Utah State provided an update that the device wasn&#8217;t an explosive, but was detonated out of an abundance of caution:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
UTAH STATE: &#8220;A suspicious device was found near the exterior of Old Main. University and Local law enforcement were dispatched to the scene. A device was located and deemed to be a non-explosive device. Out of an abundance of caution, the bomb squad detonated the suspicious… <a href="https://t.co/XvesaB5aPA">https://t.co/XvesaB5aPA</a>
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/1973153323734933832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Fox News reporter Matt Finn posted a screenshot of an alert sent out by Utah State that read, &#8220;An evacuation has been ordered for the Old Main building on Logan campus. Leave immediately using the nearest exit. Use stairs, not elevators. Take only essential items.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Developing: building evacuated at Utah State University ahead of the Turning Point event tonight. <a href="https://t.co/xsIzlbh06x">pic.twitter.com/xsIzlbh06x</a>
— Matt Finn (@MattFinnFNC) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattFinnFNC/status/1973138318503387589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Following Kirk&#8217;s assassination, Turning Point USA, led by Kirk&#8217;s widow, Erika, has remained committed to holding campus events despite the continued hatred spewed by some on the Left. Kirk&#8217;s college tour, which he kicked off at Utah Valley University, is now being picked up by some of his fellow conservatives. Tuesday&#8217;s event at Utah State is set to <a href="https://www.wyff4.com/article/turning-point-usa-utah-charlie-kirk-assassination/68129603">feature</a> podcast host Alex Clark, along with a panel that includes Sen. Mike Lee, Rep. Andy Biggs, former Rep. Jason Chaffetz, and Gov. Spencer Cox.
Earlier on Tuesday, Utah State said it was taking multiple security precautions to ensure the safety of those attending the Turning Point USA event.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_campaign=fall40&amp;utm_content=fallsale&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial">Get 40% off new DailyWire+ annual memberships with code FALL40 at checkout</a>
“USU works diligently to protect the safety of our community and has a robust plan that is evaluated routinely,&#8221; <a href="https://www.abc4.com/news/charlie-kirk-shooting/usu-security-measures-turning-point/">said</a> Amanda DeRito, the Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications at the university. &#8220;Even during times without heightened safety concerns, Utah State’s Department of Public Safety collaborates with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to ensure security measures at campus events are planned and staffed according to industry best practices, including a thorough comprehensive threat assessment, detailed security planning, deployment of a diverse array of security assets, effective crowd management, close protection for the speaker, clear communication and coordination, and readiness for crisis response.”

Utah State University Building Evacuated Due To ‘Suspicious Device’ Ahead Of TPUSA Event

General

Law Enforcement

MixCollage-17-Sep-2025-05-14-PM-2304

We Aren’t Getting The Full Story About Charlie Kirk’s Assassination

We Aren't Getting The Full Story About Charlie Kirk's Assassination

assassination

Furries

LGBTQ

Social Media

Charlie Kirk&#8217;s assassination stands before a judge, President Donald Trump hit the New York Times with a hefty defamation suit, and he continues his big city crime crackdown in a new destination.
It’s Wednesday, September 17, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day.
Morning Wire is available on video! You can watch today’s episode here:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Kirk Investigation Expands &amp; Operation Viper Greenlit" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H9oow-_736U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kirk-investigation-expands-operation-viper-greenlit/id1576594336?i=1000727171096" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Prosecutors Seeking Death Penalty For Suspected Kirk killer</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-973217 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Kirks-alleged-killer-charged.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div>
Topline: 22-year-old Tyler Robinson appeared in a Utah court on Tuesday, where he was formally charged with seven counts, including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, witness tampering, and obstruction of justice.
Utah County District Attorney Jeff Gray determined that Robinson targeted conservative activist Charlie Kirk for his political beliefs and announced that he would seek the death penalty.
“I do not take this decision lightly, and it is a decision I have made independently as county attorney based solely on the available evidence and circumstances and nature of the crime,” <a href="https://x.com/realDailyWire/status/1968018720820981764">said</a> Gray.
The evidence: Prosecutors released chilling <a href="https://x.com/Breaking911/status/1968026479037747546">text messages </a>between Robinson and his trans-identifying boyfriend from the hours after the shooting. When asked why he shot Kirk, Robinson allegedly responded: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.” 
Robinson also appears to have confessed to the crime on Discord, an online messaging platform. Robinson allegedly wrote two hours before he was taken into custody: “Hey gurobinys, I have bad news for you all&#8230;It was me at UVU yesterday. I&#8217;m sorry for all of this.”
Stolen villainy: 71-year-old George Zinn was taken away in handcuffs immediately after the shooting. Reports circulated that he was the one responsible for shooting Kirk, but police later clarified that he was not the shooter and was being held on obstruction of justice charges.
Zinn, a well-known left-wing activist in Utah, prompted his own arrest by claiming to an officer on scene: “I shot him, now shoot me.” Only after arriving at the police station did Zinn confess he was not the shooter and was only trying to “draw attention from the real shooter.”
FBI agents who interviewed Zinn also discovered child sex abuse material on his phone, so he is now facing four additional charges.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump Sues The New York Times</h2>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-973219 aligncenter" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Trump-sues-the-Times.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div>
Topline: President Trump on Monday filed a $15 billion defamation and libel lawsuit against The New York Times. He has accused the newspaper of a years-long campaign to destroy his reputation and undermine his political success.
Trump filed the suit Monday in a U.S. District Court in Florida. The complaint targets four of the Times’ most prominent journalists — Susanne Craig, Russ Buettner, Michael Schmidt, and Peter Baker. It also names Penguin Random House, which published a book based on the Times’ reporting.
The evidence: An investigative series and book titled “Lucky Loser: How Donald Trump Squandered His Father’s Fortune and Created the Illusion of Success,” alleges that Trump committed tax fraud in inheriting his father&#8217;s real estate empire and built his wealth on deceptive practices. That series was written by Craig and Buettner, and Penguin Random House released it just before the 2024 election.
The suit also targets an interview by Schmidt with retired Gen. John F. Kelly, Trump&#8217;s former chief of staff, who said that the president met the definition of a fascist and posed a dictatorial threat.
Trump’s view: The president calls these claims &#8220;repugnant distortions and fabrications.” He also says the Times&#8217; reporting deliberately minimized his contributions to the success of his television show, &#8220;The Apprentice,&#8221; and instead solely credited producer Mark Burnett.
Trump argues that all these examples meet the legal definition of defamation because the paper&#8217;s coverage was engineered to inflict “enormous economic losses” on his businesses and personal brand.
The Gray Lady fights back: A spokesman for The New York Times said the lawsuit “lacks any legitimate legal claims and is an attempt to stifle and discourage independent reporting.” Penguin-Random House similarly called it meritless, arguing that the lawsuit is part of a broader effort to intimidate media organizations criticizing Trump.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Trump’s Crime Crackdown Moves South</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-973221" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/Operation-Viper-Strikes.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: President Trump has officially directed a crackdown on crime in Memphis, Tennessee, using a strategy similar to the one deployed in Washington, D.C.
Trump signed a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/restoring-law-and-order-in-memphis/">memo</a> Monday that establishes the Memphis Safe Task Force, whose objective is to “end street and violent crime in Memphis to the greatest possible extent” through hypervigilant policing, aggressive prosecution, and other efforts. Federal agencies such as the ATF, DOJ, HHS, HUD, and the Department of War will be involved and coordinate with local and state law enforcement. This will supplement “Operation Viper,” an FBI-led mission already working in Memphis to target violent offenders.
According to Trump, the situation in Memphis is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDIptQsoA48">dire</a>: “In 2024, Memphis had the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/12/trump-deploy-national-guard-memphis-crime-rate?utm_source=chatgpt.com">highest crime rate</a>, the highest property crime rate, and the third-highest murder rate of any city in the nation – other than that, they are doing quite well, thank you. A person is 4 times more likely to be murdered in Memphis, Tennessee, today than in Mexico City. There were 249 murders, 429 rapes, 5,616 burglaries, and 12,522 violent assaults in just the last little while in 2024 and pieces of 2025.”
Room for negotiation: Memphis Mayor Paul Young, a Democrat, said he doesn&#8217;t want the National Guard in his city, but understands that it’s not his call and will be working with authorities on this matter.
Other local Democrats have also expressed opposition to this intervention. That said, there appears to be considerable support as well. CBS spoke to some business owners in the area and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p22syVrpYOw">reported</a> that they welcome the National Guard and are excited to see some changes.
What’s next: Trump said on Tuesday that Chicago is “probably next” to get the D.C. treatment. He said it’s a “great city” and will be “great again.&#8221; He made these comments despite opposition from both Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Democrat Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Morning Brief: Death Penalty In Kirk Killing, Trump Sues NYT & Memphis Gets The Trump Treatment

Menu