Utah
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.
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.
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.
‘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.
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.
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.
UTAH COUNTY, May 11, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — Two males, ages 14 and 19, were transported to area hospitals Sunday after the side-by-side they were riding rolled down the side of a mountain.
Utah County Sheriff deputies and Santaquin police responded to the 6:07 p.m. call. Two medical helicopters were called to the scene, in the Pole Canyon area, as was a Department of Public Safety helicopter with a hoist in case it was needed, Sgt. Austin Edwards, Utah County Sheriff‘s Office, told Gephardt Daily.
“Eventually, rescue workers were able to make it to the spot on the hill where the vehicle had come to rest, and they were able to secure the victims, stabilize the victims, and get them back down the hill again to where the helicopters were waiting,” Edwards said.
“The 19-year-old male was transported to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, and the 14 year old was transported to Primary Children’s in Lehi.”
Both were said to have critical injuries, which were not considered to be life threatening, Edwards said.
“The cause of the rollover is still under investigation, so we don’t have that information available just yet.”
Photos: Utah County Sheriff
In what has a chance to be one of the most important nights in Jazz history, the Utah Jazz jumped in the NBA Lottery to the #2 spot for the upcoming NBA draft.
Here are the final results, which show all the movement.
Aside from it being a massive night for the Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies, and Bulls, it was a devastating night for a few teams, but no one more than the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers, in their trade for Ivica Zubac, had a stipulation on their pick that if the pick was top-4 they kept it. But if it fell below 4, they would give it to the Clippers which is exactly what happened. Now, the Clippers, who are without Zubac, find themselves with a #5 pick to build around.
For the Jazz this is a culmination of four years of rebuilding that ends with an extremely satisfying end. Utah will now have one of the tier-1 players from this draft: AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson. The player Utah drafts will be one of their cornerstone pieces and will have the chance to not only play, but be a part of a team that will be competing for the playoffs this season.
The Utah Jazz now have a Sinister Six core: Darryn Peterson (If AJ Dybantsa goes #1), Keyonte George, Ace Bailey, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler (if he signs). It’s quite the core with a mix of youth and veterans in their prime. With this group, the Jazz will have a chance to be one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Yes, the Thunder and Spurs are going to be difficult to beat, but Utah has the mix of talent, coaching, and depth that could absolutely do the trick.
Now the Utah Jazz look forward to the NBA Draft that be on June 23rd. Let the posturing begin!!
PROVO — An organization that has been a beacon of hope for Utah children and families just got a big upgrade in Provo.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County on Friday held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newest facility, marking the start of a new chapter in providing support for those who need it the most.
The new Kent B. Nelson Clubhouse, 131 N. Olympic Blvd., replaces the organization’s former Provo clubhouse, which had been in operation for more than 50 years. Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County leaders said they had outgrown the aging facility and needed a larger, more modern space to support more community members.
“This new clubhouse is more than a building — it’s a central place where we can coordinate programs, support our staff, and amplify our impact across the region,” said David Bayles, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County, in a statement.
The organization’s mission was something the late former Utah County Commissioner Tom Sakievich was passionate about. His wife Marji and daughter Emily Sakievich attended Friday’s grand opening ceremony just as if he would’ve wanted to.
“He loved this project, and it meant the world to him,” Emily Sakievich told KSL. “This was actually one of the last places he went before he passed. (He) and my mom stopped by to just see how progress was going; he would be so excited to see this come together.”
The former commissioner died last December at the age of 72. Tom Sakievich resigned from the seat in September 2024 after being diagnosed with glioblastoma brain cancer.
Emily Sakievich said her father was a big supporter of helping children in the Boys & Girls Clubs feel supported while he was in office.
“He would have all of them come to his office and talk about how government works and how they can be a part of it someday,” she said.
The new 20,000 square-foot facility expands on resources and programs offered at its previous site for community youth and families experiencing hardships.
The clubhouse will provide safe, engaging, and educational programs in a modernized building fit to serve more than 14,000 Utah children and teens.
A variety of programs including after-school, summer activities and STEM learning will be offered at the new facility. Other resources include internet safety programs, mental health support, nutrition initiatives, and housing assistance for families experiencing homelessness.
“We’ve been able to increase the capacity so much and add preschool and other things; we can even benefit more families — and we can benefit them for a longer period of time, from younger to older, where there are no gaps.” Provo City Council Chair Katrice MacKay told KSL. “So I’m really excited. It’s a fantastic thing for the city and for our residents.”
Leaders of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah County say the new $6 million Provo clubhouse was designed as a welcoming space where children and teens can explore new interests, build life skills, and receive mentorship from caring staff.
“The Boys & Girls Clubs have been a cornerstone of youth development in Utah County for decades,” said Janet Frank, board president, in a statement “This new clubhouse strengthens that mission, allowing the organization to extend its reach and impact across the entire region.”
Friday’s event took place while children who attend the Boys & Girls Clubs were in school, so another ceremony for kids and their families is planned for the end of the month.
“The Boys & Girls Club is for every kid out there,” Bayles said. “We want to accomplish what every parent wants for their kids — we want them to have a safe place to learn and grow, to be successful in school, to build social skills and to go on and be great members of society.”
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
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