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Editorial: Gov. Cox’s Pandora’s Box — Daily Utah Chronicle

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Editorial: Gov. Cox’s Pandora’s Box — Daily Utah Chronicle


 

According to Greek mythology, Pandora was a woman who had in her possession a box containing all misery and evil. Though warned not to, she succumbed to her curiosity and opened her box, releasing into the world all of the evils found here today. 

While Gov. Spencer Cox is not exactly the same as this curious woman from Greek mythology, he is in possession of his own box. As Utah’s governor, he ultimately decides which bills passed by the legislature pass into law and which bills receive veto.

Unfortunately for the state of Utah, he has decided to open his box. Cox has decided to push a variety of racist, transphobic and otherwise harmful legislation into Utah law.  

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We are in the midst of the busiest time for the Utah State Legislature. As the 2024 Legislative Session progresses, Utah’s politics regress to times gone by. To many, the actions of the legislature show that these lawmakers actively attempt to erase much of the well-meaning progress that has improved our state. 

Much like the opening of Pandora’s box, Cox’s actions release evil and misery into the state of Utah and into the lives of many of his constituents. 

The Right Kind of Conflict?

Cox is not shying away from passing legislation that many find offensive, harmful and hypocritical. He argues Utahns must learn to “disagree better.” In order to “disagree better,” he says we must embrace divisiveness in a respectful way. According to Cox, there is a right kind of conflict. 

It is becoming increasingly apparent that when Cox calls for Utahns to disagree better, he means one side should quietly succumb to the will of another. 

Among other laws passed, he has banned his transgender constituents from entering public restrooms and demolished diversity programs within public education. 

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Cox claims one thing but his actions speak to his true intentions. The governor who calls for his state to build bridges simply cannot be the same one to actively tear them down. His behavior is hypocritical and shameful. The types of conflict he allows within his legislature comes nowhere close to being respectful.

A Step Forward

Cox is not unaware of his position of power. For example, his recent call for the Utah School Board to hold Natalie Cline accountable is a step in the right direction. But Cox needs to hold himself just as accountable. If he wants to call out harm against children, he first needs to acknowledge the harm that he has caused children through the bills he’s signed. 

He can start by listening to the backlash from people across his state. His constituents are calling to him for change — constituents from all sides.

Cox’s actions make Utah a dangerous place for his marginalized constituents. We have to wonder how much he cares about the voices of constituents who disagree with him. 

Cox represents all of Utah. He needs to start acting like it.

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‘Both Sides of the Aisle’

“Reaching across the aisle” seems to be a favorite phrase of Cox. He dreams of a Utah where people on opposite sides of the political scale can “disagree better” and “stand united.”

Still, we must remember, both sides of the aisle are not made equal — and they never have been. 

One side perpetuates violence against transgender people. 

One side seeks to obliterate all progress made to diversify our public education system. 

One side continues to show over and over again how poorly they listen and how little they care. 

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We can’t reach across the aisle when one side seeks to tear down the other, silencing any voices that oppose it. 

Stand United

When Pandora opened her box, she shut the lid before one last concept could escape: hope.

As hope remained alone, locked inside Pandora’s Box, the world became swamped with misery, its literal only hope locked away. 

Utahns live in this miserable world. 

We live in a world where people in positions of power actively bar others “across the aisle” from entering public restrooms, from feeling welcome within educational institutions, from being treated like human beings. 

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Cox has the power to reopen his box. He holds the power to change Utah for the better. He can release hope back into the world and give us all a reason to push forward, reach across the aisle, and stand united. 

But right now, he’s not. Right now, Cox hides behind empty claims of asking his constituents to disagree better. 

We are not calling for him to step down. But we are calling for him to be better. 

 

The Daily Utah Chronicle Editorial Board is a group of senior opinion journalists who rely on research and debate to write staff editorials. Editorials represent the majority view of the editorial board and are written separately from the newsroom.

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Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon

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Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon


A man died after he was caught in an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon over the weekend.

A spokesperson for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Thursday that Kevin Williams, 57, had died.

He, along with one other person, was hospitalized in critical condition after Saturday’s avalanche in the backcountry.

MORE | Big Cottonwood Canyon Avalanche

In an interview with 2News earlier this week, one of Williams’ close friends, Nate Burbidge, described him as a loving family man.

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“Kevin’s an amazing guy. He’s always serving, looking for ways that he can connect with others,” Burbidge said.

A GoFundMe was set up to help support Williams’ family.

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911 recordings detail hours leading up to discovery of Utah girl, mother dead in Las Vegas

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911 recordings detail hours leading up to discovery of Utah girl, mother dead in Las Vegas


CONTENT WARNING: This report discusses suicide and includes descriptions of audio from 911 calls that some viewers may find disturbing.

LAS VEGAS — Exclusively obtained 911 recordings detail the hours leading up to the discovery of an 11-year-old Utah girl and her mother dead inside a Las Vegas hotel room in an apparent murder-suicide.

Addi Smith and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, lived in West Jordan and had traveled to Nevada for the JAMZ cheerleading competition.

The calls show a growing sense of urgency from family members and coaches, and several hours passing before relatives learned what happened.

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MORE | Murder-Suicide

Below is a timeline of the key moments, according to dispatch records. All times are Pacific Time.

10:33 a.m. — Call 1

After Addi and her mother failed to appear at the cheerleading competition, Addi’s father and stepmother called dispatch for a welfare check.

Addi and her mother were staying at the Rio hotel. The father told dispatch that hotel security had already attempted contact.

“Security went up and knocked on the door. There’s no answer or response it doesn’t look like they checked out or anything…”

11:18 a.m. and 11:27 a.m. — Calls 2 and 3

As concern grew, Addi’s coach contacted the police two times within minutes.

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“We think the child possibly is in imminent danger…”

11:26 a.m. — Call 4

Addi’s stepmother placed another call to dispatch, expressing escalating concern.

“We are extremely concerned we believe that something might have seriously happened.”

She said that Tawnia’s car was still at the hotel.

Police indicated officers were on the way.

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2:26 p.m. — Call 5

Nearly three hours after the initial welfare check request, fire personnel were en route to the scene. It appeared they had been in contact with hotel security.

Fire told police that they were responding to a possible suicide.

“They found a note on the door.”

2:35 p.m. — Call 6

Emergency medical personnel at the scene told police they had located two victims.

“It’s going to be gunshot wound to the head for both patients with notes”

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A dispatcher responded:

“Oh my goodness that’s not okay.”

2:36 p.m. — Call 7

Moments later, fire personnel relayed their assessment to law enforcement:

“It’s going to be a murder suicide, a juvenile and a mother.”

2:39 p.m. — Call 8

Unaware of what had been discovered, Addi’s father called dispatch again.

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“I’m trying to file a missing persons report for my daughter.”

He repeats the details he knows for the second time.

3:13 p.m. — Call 9

Father and stepmother call again seeking information and continue to press for answers.

“We just need some information. There was a room check done around 3:00 we really don’t know where to start with all of this Can we have them call us back immediately?”

Dispatch responded:

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“As soon as there’s a free officer, we’ll have them reach out to you.”

4:05 p.m. — Call 10

More than an hour later, Addi’s father was put in contact with the police on the scene. He pleaded for immediate action.

“I need someone there I need someone there looking in that room”

The officer confirmed that they had officers currently in the room.

Addi’s father asks again what they found, if Addi and her mother are there, and if their things were missing.

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The officer, who was not on scene, said he had received limited information.

5:23 p.m. — Call 11

Nearly seven hours after the first welfare check request, Addi’s grandmother contacted police, describing conflicting information circulating within the family.

“Some people are telling us that they were able to get in, and they were not in the hotel room, and other people saying they were not able to get in the hotel room, and we need to know”

She repeated the details of the case. Dispatch said officers will call her back once they have more information.

Around 8:00 p.m. — Press Conference

Later that evening, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police held a news conference confirming that Addi and her mother, Tawnia McGeehan, were found dead inside the hotel room.

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The investigation remains ongoing.

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Ban on AI glasses in Utah classrooms inches closer to passing

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Ban on AI glasses in Utah classrooms inches closer to passing


AI glasses could allow you to get answers, snap photos, access audio and take phone calls—and now a proposal moving through the legislature would ban the glasses from Utah school classrooms.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Kizzy Guyton Murphy, a mother who accompanied her child’s class on a field trip to the state Capitol on Wednesday. “You can’t see inside what the student is looking at, and it’s just grounds for cheating.”

Mom Tristan Davies Seamons also sees trouble with AI glasses.

“I don’t think they should have any more technology in schools than they currently have,” she said.

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Her twin daughters, fourth graders Finley and Grayson, don’t have cell phones yet.

“Not until we’re like 14,” said Grayson, adding they do have Chromebooks in school.

2News sent questions to the Utah State Board of Education:

  • Does it have reports of students using AI glasses?
  • Does it see cheating and privacy as major concerns?
  • Does it support a ban from classrooms?

Matt Winters, USBE AI specialist, said the board has not received reports from school districts of students with AI glasses.

“Local Education Agencies (school districts) have local control over these decisions based on current law and code,” said Winters. “The Board has not taken a position on AI glasses.

MORE | Utah State Legislature:

Some districts across the country have reportedly put restrictions on the glasses in schools.

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“I think it should be up to the teachers,” said Briauna Later, another mother who is all for preventing cheating, but senses a ban could leave administrators with tired eyes.

“It’s one more thing for the administration to have to keep track of,” said Later.

The proposal, HB 42, passed the House and cleared a Senate committee on Wednesday.

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