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Utah investigating bar run by failed mayoral candidate for implementing ‘no Zionists allowed’ policy

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Utah investigating bar run by failed mayoral candidate for implementing ‘no Zionists allowed’ policy


A Utah bar has implemented a “No Zionists allowed” policy, and is being investigated for alleged discrimination.

Failed Salt Lake City mayoral candidate and bar owner Michael Valentine announced the new policy for his newly opened bar on social media over the weekend — claiming the pro-Israel belief is hate speech akin to “neo-Nazis.”

“As many are, we are horrified by the ongoing genocide in Gaza and are even more horrified to see so many Americans ignore and rationalize ethnic cleansing,” he posted on the Instagram page for the Weathered Waves bar on Sunday.

“That is why we are pleased to announce we are banning all Zionists forever from our establishments,” wrote Valentine, who also owns the local Six Sailor Cider group.

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A Salt Lake City bar is under investigation after its owner posted that it has a “No Zionists allowed” policy. weatheredwavesbar/Instagram

“Zionism is hate speech. It is white supremacy and has nothing to do with the beautiful Jewish faith.”

In the days since Valentine made the incendiary post, the Utah Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services received “several comments from members of the public” and requested that the state Attorney General’s Office investigate whether the bar is violating anti-discrimination laws, a spokesperson for the agency told the Salt Lake Tribune.

The department is also reviewing its own legal options, after just granting the Weathered Waves bar its liquor license last Thursday, the spokesman said.

The Weathered Waves bar had just opened in the city, and was granted a liquor license last week. weatheredwavesbar/Instagram

Jewish Utahns claim the new policy is just thinly veiled antisemitism.

“I think it is a smoke screen for open Jew hatred,” Rabbi Avremi Zippel, of Chabad Lubavitch of Utah, told KUTV.

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He argued that there is no way for bar staff to distinguish between Zionists and Jews.

“When someone comes into your place of business to order food or beverage, how are you able to ascertain what their political ideologies are?” he asked the Tribune.

“Zionism is a political ideology. It’s a philosophy. How exactly is a place of business supposed to determine who is and who is not a Zionist.”

His conclusion, he said, is that “the emptiness of the policy and the inability to enforce that policy without openly discriminating against the religion shows what the real motivation behind that is.”

Bar owner Michael Valentine argues the new policy is not antisemitic and is just a response to the war in Gaza. punkrockmayorslc/Instagram

The United Jewish Federation of Utah also condemned the “biased policy,” and said it had reached out to local, state and federal leaders to investigate the watering hole, ABC 4 reports.

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It said the policy applies a “double standard to Israel” and the Jewish community, and could lead to the acceptance of discrimination and violence.

But amid the backlash, Valentine says he is the one being targeted.

He claimed the bar has received an arson threat and is the victim of “review bombing,” he told the Tribune.

Valentine has also denied that his new policy is antisemitic, writing in a follow-up Instagram post: “For the record, we are banning Zionists, not Jews. The exact same way we ban neo-Nazis and white supremacists, and not Christians.” 

In his Instagram post, Valentine declared that Zionism is “hate speech” akin to that of neo-Nazis. punkrockmayorslc/Instagram

“Being religious is not an excuse or open license for racism, hate speech, and xenophobia. [We] have zero tolerance for it and won’t abide,” he wrote.

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He claimed the policy is necessary to foster an inclusive environment, telling the Tribune how the bar is decorated with trans flags and Palestinian flags.

“I’m against hate speech of all kinds — against trans people, against queer people, against Palestinians, against Jews,” he insisted.

“I don’t perceive how this could be seen as discriminatory,” he added to KUTV.

“We’re advocating for an inclusive environment by rejecting hate speech, which is quite the opposite of discrimination.”

The Post has reached out to Valentine and the Utah Attorney General’s Office for comment.

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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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