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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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How Big Was Jordan Clarkson’s Impact on Utah?

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How Big Was Jordan Clarkson’s Impact on Utah?


SALT LAKE CITY–Who knew that the number double zero would become so iconic in the state of Utah? Jordan Clarkson recently made his return home to Salt Lake City in a game against the Utah Jazz on March 11, 2026–His first time back at the Delta Center since being bought out by the team. 

“That’s a home for me,” Clarkson told the New York Post before his homecoming game at the Delta Center. “I loved the organization. I love the coaching staff. Yeah, I love the city. All I had was love there.”



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Utah mom accused of kidnapping autistic son’s 11-year-old bully until he apologized

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Utah mom accused of kidnapping autistic son’s 11-year-old bully until he apologized


A Utah mother allegedly kidnapped her autistic son’s bully and kept him at her home until he apologized — then threatened to have her husband beat him up.

Shannon Tufuga, 40, was slapped with kidnapping charges Monday after she rolled up on her son’s 11-year-old bully while he was riding his bike around his neighborhood in early September, according to charging documents obtained by KSL.com.

Tufuga was “driving around looking” specifically for the boy, whom she confronted and corralled into her car without his parents’ knowledge, the documents alleged.

Shannon Tufuga allegedly kidnapped her son’s bully and kept him at her home until he apologized — then threatened to have her husband beat him up. Facebook

She allegedly hightailed it back to her home in Provo, Utah, and kept the boy there until he apologized to her son.

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The boy readily apologized, but even then, the vengeful mom wouldn’t let up, according to the police report. She “threatened to have her husband beat up” the accused bully and sneered that he “was lucky she did not run over his bike,” the documents alleged.

Tufuga eventually drove the shell-shocked boy back to his home.

The alleged kidnapping caused the boy “serious emotional distress” over the following months, and he now suffers from “high anxiety and has had to alter his daily routines significantly,” according to the charging documents.


Tufuga was
Tufuga was “driving around looking” specifically for the boy, whom she confronted and corralled into her car without his parents’ knowledge, the documents alleged. Facebook

Tufuga was charged with child kidnapping and aggravated child abuse on Monday, both as second-degree felonies. The charges were lowered from first-degree felonies after the Utah County Attorney’s Office determined that a “reduction would be in the interests of justice.”

Tufuga’s son is on the autism spectrum, according to a post on her Facebook.

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Jazz Injury Report Rules Out 7 Players vs. Raptors

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Jazz Injury Report Rules Out 7 Players vs. Raptors


The Utah Jazz are set to face off against the Toronto Raptors to kick off their new week for their second of two meetings across this season, where the Jazz in particular have ruled out a total of seven names on their injury report.

Here’s what the injury landscape looks like for the Jazz and Raptors rolling into the night:

Utah Jazz Injury Report

OUT – Isaiah Collier (hamstring)

OUT – Keyonte George (hamstring)

OUT – Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee)

OUT – Walker Kessler (shoulder)

OUT – Lauri Markkanen (hip)

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OUT – Jusuf Nurkic (nose)

OUT – Blake Hinson (two-way)

QUESTIONABLE – Cody Williams (shoulder)

It’s much of the same from what the Jazz have been dealing with across the past couple of weeks.

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Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen still remain out with their minor injuries that they’ve suffered past the All-Star break, and Walker Kessler, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jusuf Nurkic remain out for the year with their respective season-ending injuries.

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However, the two names that stick out on this injury report against the Raptors in particular are their two first round picks from the 2024 NBA Draft; Isaiah Collier who’s out with a hamstring injury, while Cody Williams is the latest to be among those listed with a shoulder issue.

For Collier, it’s set to be a third-straight game that he’s been out due to what’s been labeled hamstring soreness, and thus leave the Jazz without both their starting and second-string point guard for the night.

That could lead to either two-way signee Elijah Harkless getting a starting nod for a second straight game following his elevation against the Philadelphia 76ers, or that spot could go to 10-day signing Kennedy Chandler, who played 35 minutes in that same game for a career-high 19 points in his team debut.

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Mar 21, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Kennedy Chandler (0) warms up before the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

As for Williams, he’s been downgraded to questionable for the action due to shoulder soreness; something that could leave him still able to go before tip-off, but remains to be seen based on how he feels before gametime.

The second-year forward has been on a hot streak as of late. In his past five games, he’s averaged an impressive 19.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.0 assists, shooting 50.0% from the field throughout.

If Williams is out of the mix, it’ll leave their frontcourt a bit more shorthanded from what they’ve been used to across the past couple of weeks, and might lead to even more minutes for guys like 10-day signee Bez Mbeng and two-way big man Oscar Tshiebwe to fill those minutes.

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Toronto Raptors Injury Report

OUT – Immanuel Quickley (foot)

OUT – Jakob Poeltl (rest)

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QUESTIONABLE – Collin Murray-Boyles (illness)

When it comes to the Raptors, they’ll be without a couple of guys on their roster, Immanuel Quickley who’s slated to miss out due to a foot injury, while Jakob Poeltl won’t be playing for Toronto’s second leg of a back-to-back following their previous battle against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.

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Collin Murray-Boyles, on the other hand, has been upgraded to questionable against the Jazz with an illness after previously being out against the Nuggets over the weekend.

Tip-off between the Jazz and Raptors lands at 9 p.m. MT in the Delta Center, where Toronto will have their chance at a 2-0 series sweep over Utah depending on the results.



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