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As judge decides whether to close the redistricting case, could lawmakers just make a new map?

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As judge decides whether to close the redistricting case, could lawmakers just make a new map?


SALT LAKE CITY — The judge overseeing the lawsuit over Utah’s redistricting process is expected to issue a ruling before Christmas on whether to grant the legislature’s request to close the case, sending it to the Utah Supreme Court.

Lawyers for the Utah State Legislature have urged 3rd District Court Judge Dianna Gibson to issue a final ruling, clearing their path for an appeal. They argued that the case effectively wrapped up once the judge issued a series of rulings on the legality of Proposition 4 and chose a new map for Utah’s congressional districts.

The League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government basically got what they wanted, argued Frank Chang, an attorney for the Utah State Legislature.

“What if I told you I disagree?” Judge Gibson said to him in the midst of arguments, asking for case law that even allows a case to be closed so abruptly.

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During a hastily called hearing on Monday, lawyers for the League and MWEG urged the judge to reject the request. They argued that the case is far from over with claims yet to be addressed and the legislature failed to seek the proper interlocutory appeals when the time was appropriate. The injunctions she entered on Prop. 4 and the new map are preliminary, they argued, and the legislature passed new bills rewriting some of the rules of redistricting, which keeps the case alive.

When Judge Gibson asked if the legislature was essentially right that the case is basically over with the 2026 election? The plaintiffs suggested lawmakers might still bypass the courts and pass a new map in the upcoming legislative session.

“That is sort of a question mark I have in light of some statements, the public statements that have been made by certain legislators,” said Mark Gaber, an attorney for the plaintiffs. “Sen. Weiler, on his podcast, suggested the legislature could pass a new map for the 2026 election if a permanent injunction had been entered. That’s a question I have: if it’s intended by the legislature. If that’s the case? Remedial proceedings could certainly not be done as there would need to be a proceeding as to that new map.”

When Judge Gibson asked Chang about it, he said it was what “one member said in a podcast.”

“If this court is seeking to find out what the intent of the legislature is, it’s the act of the legislature. The most recent one here was what the legislature did in the special session,” he said.

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In that special session, lawmakers voted to move the deadline for congressional candidate filings to March and pass a resolution condemning Judge Gibson’s ruling.

As the court hearing as going on, FOX 13 News texted Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, about his remarks. Sen. Weiler (who is an attorney in his day job), replied that he was explaining to listeners the difference between interlocutory and final appeals and just stating “hypotheticals” in response to any stay issued by the Utah Supreme Court.

“But I’m not aware of any plans to do that,” he wrote.

In 2018, voters approved Prop. 4, which created an independent redistricting commission to draw lines for boundaries in congress, legislature and state school board. When the legislature overrode the citizen ballot initiative and passed its own maps, the League and MWEG sued arguing that the people have a right to alter and reform their government. In particular, they alleged the congressional map that the Utah State Legislature approved was gerrymandered to favor Republicans.

The court sided with them, ruling that Prop. 4 is law and throwing out the congressional map. She ordered lawmakers to redraw a new one. They did, under protest, but she rejected their map for not meeting Prop. 4’s neutral redistricting criteria. Instead, she chose a map submitted by the plaintiffs that she declared met the tenets of Prop. 4. It has resulted in a Salt Lake County-centric district that Democratic candidates have rushed to enter, viewing it as more competitive for them.

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The Utah State Legislature has argued that it has the sole constitutional right to draw boundaries in redistricting, setting up a legal showdown that will go to the Utah Supreme Court and potentially the U.S. Supreme Court.

Judge Gibson said she planned to issue a ruling before Christmas on whether to finalize the case.





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Two killed, six wounded in shooting outside Mormon church in Utah

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Two killed, six wounded in shooting outside Mormon church in Utah


Two people were killed, and at least six were wounded when gunfire erupted outside a funeral at a Mormon church in Utah on Wednesday night, according to authorities and reports.

Eight people were hit by gunfire when shots rang out outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Redwood Road in Salt Lake City around 7:30 p.m., Salt Lake City Police Department spokesperson Glen Mills told the Salt Lake City Tribune.

Two people were killed, and six people were injured in the shooting that occurred outside in the church’s parking lot as dozens were attending a funeral service inside.

Of the six wounded, three individuals are in critical condition, the Salt Lake City Police Department posted on X. All of the victims were adults.

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Police stand outside the Salt Lake City church where at least eight people were shot, including two fatally on Jan. 7, 2026. AP
People hug outside the church after the shooting in Salt Lake City, Utah. AP

There were no suspects in custody as of late Wednesday night, and it is not immediately clear if there were multiple gunmen involved. A motive was also unknown.

However, police said they have obtained solid leads in the investigation and are working to locate individuals involved in the shooting.

“We believe this was not a random incident,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd told reporters. 

The shooting was not believed to be targeting a religion, Redd clarified. 

Roughly 100 law enforcement vehicles swarmed the area in the aftermath of the gunfire as helicopters flew overhead. 

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The area around the Mormon church remained closed into the evening as authorities urged the public to stay clear of the still active scene.

Funeral attendees walk out of the meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Jan. 7, 2026. AP

“This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life,” said Mayor Erin Mendenhall.

The Salt Lake City Police Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.

The incident remains under investigation.

With Post wires.

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Kevin Love Admits He Didn’t See Jazz Trade Coming

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Kevin Love Admits He Didn’t See Jazz Trade Coming


The Utah Jazz’s experiment to bring in 18-year league veteran Kevin Love thus far into the 2025-26 campaign has been a pretty solid success in the first two-plus months of the season.

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Love has been a positive voice in the locker room as the most tenured NBA veteran on the roster, he’s been vocal about enjoying his time and role with the organization, and for his time on the floor throughout the first 30 or so games of the regular season, he’s nestled into a consistent rotational player as the Jazz’s backup center as Walker Kessler has been out with a shoulder injury.

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But when he first arrived in Utah via a three-team trade from the Miami Heat, packed within the deal that sent John Collins to the LA Clippers, Love didn’t quite know what to expect out of his experience; he didn’t even anticipate being traded to the Jazz in the first place.

“I didn’t know what to expect when I got here, but I’ve been very pleasantly surprised from everything, from ownership, and Ryan Smith to the front office to the coaching staff, players all the way through,” Love said of the Jazz on The Old Man and the Three. “It’s been a blessing in my 18th year to be a part of this team and some place, I mean, you never know where you’re going to end up.”

“I did not expect to be traded but as far as a landing spot goes and just saying, yeah, so many people are saying ‘Oh what if it doesn’t work out? What if it doesn’t work out?’ I’m like ‘What if it does?’, right?And I think just adding value whether I’m playing or not is something that’s given me a lot of happiness and a lot of joy this late in my career. And I think that has allowed me to see a lot of the good and what this team has been able to bring and move forward.”

Kevin Love Settling in Nicely With Utah Jazz

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Love’s value stretches both on and off the floor for the Jazz, which makes sense for why the veteran big man has been loving his time since being on the roster. The 2016 NBA champion was vocal before the season about his desire to be a value add for wherever that may be, including Utah, and he’s been able to carve out just the right role for himself at this point in his career. 

During his 20 games played for the Jazz this season, Love has averaged 7.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and shooting 41.1% from the field in just over 17 minutes a night when he plays, and has proven he can still be a guy worthy of a few minutes down the rotation to fill out an NBA frontcourt, as he has for the year in Utah so far.

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Dec 15, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Caleb Martin (left) speaks with Utah Jazz forward Kevin Love (right) before the game at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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It remains to be seen just how long Love’s time in Utah will last. There’s not even a guarantee that the 37-year-old will finish the regular season on the roster, depending on how the next few weeks transpire around the trade deadline and as the buyout market begins to gain some traction. But, for the time that he is in Salt Lake City, he’s made it into a nice home for what’s now the fourth roster he’s been on through nearly two decades in the league.

Be sure to bookmark Utah Jazz On SI and follow @JazzOnSI on X to stay up-to-date on daily Utah Jazz news, interviews, breakdowns and more!



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Winter weather advisories issued for Utah valleys ahead of arriving snowstorm

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Winter weather advisories issued for Utah valleys ahead of arriving snowstorm


Utah has significantly benefited from this week’s series of storms.

Alta, Brighton, Snowbird and Solitude resorts in the Cottonwood canyons all received over 2 feet of snow between Sunday and Tuesday, while several other resorts across the state’s northern half gained close to or even over a foot to 1½ feet of fresh powder.

What turned into the biggest storm of the season so far was great for winter recreation and for the state’s water supply. Alta gained nearly 4 inches of water through the storm, which helped Little Cottonwood Canyon’s snowpack jump from 58% of its median average on New Year’s Day to 110% of its median average for this point in the year.

The state’s average snowpack jumped from 57% of its median to 74% in just one week.

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“(It) was some wet, water-logged snow,” said KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson, adding that many communities north of Salt Lake City were big winners, as Kaysville, the Ogden bench and Logan all ended up with over 0.75 inches of precipitation.

There’s at least one more storm before things begin to settle down, which this time includes more valley snow.

The National Weather Service issued winter weather advisories across the state’s mountains, which could receive another foot of snow or more by the end of Thursday. It also issued its first advisory of the season for the Wasatch Front and other valley communities, which could end up with a few inches of snow.

Storm timing

A pair of low-pressure systems — one off the California coast and another off the Alaska coast on Tuesday — are projected to collide over the Four Corners in the coming days, which factors into the forecast.

Some scattered snow showers ahead of the low are possible in northern Utah on Wednesday afternoon, before a mix of rain and snow arrives in more parts of the state later in the day, Johnson said. The rain is expected to transition into snow from Logan to central Utah by Thursday morning, possibly causing a slick commute.

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Additional showers could linger into the afternoon, with the Great Salt Lake playing a “wild card” role in potentially aiding snow totals on Thursday and potentially again on Friday morning, before drier conditions return by the weekend.

Potential accumulations

Another 6 to 12 inches of snow is generally expected across the mountains in Utah’s northern half, while 4 to 8 inches are possible in the central and southern mountains by the end of Thursday, according to the weather service’s advisories. “Locally higher” totals are possible in the upper Cottonwood canyons and Bear River range.

Lower elevations, including the Wasatch Back and valleys scattered across Utah’s northern half, could receive 1 to 4 inches of snow by late Thursday, with lake-effect snow potentially enhancing totals southeast of the Great Salt Lake.

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Salt Lake City has collected only 0.1 inches of snow so far this season, but one weather service model lists Utah’s capital city as having over a 70% chance of collecting 2 inches of snow.

“Slow down and use caution while traveling,” the agency wrote in its alert.

Rain is more likely closer to St. George, but Johnson said there’s a chance of some flurries. The weather service projects that the city could wind up with about a tenth of an inch of precipitation.

A cool and dry weekend

Cooler and drier conditions are expected this weekend, as the system clears out. High temperatures may only top out in the mid-to-upper 30s across the Wasatch Front and northern Utah this weekend, with overnight lows in the teens closer to Logan and in the low 20s elsewhere.

Hazy conditions may also return across the Wasatch Front by the end of the weekend, as another lull in storm activity moves into the forecast, Johnson said.

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High temperatures will dip into the 40s across southern Utah, but are forecast to return to the 50s by the end of the weekend. Full seven-day forecasts for areas across Utah can be found online at the KSL Weather Center.





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