Deseret News

Gearing up for a Fight Celebrating his 80th birthday and American’s 250th, President Donald Trump and Washington D.C. are getting ready for fight night at the White House and the Deseret News is there. Between the massive guest list, a potential diplomatic ticket crisis and unpredictable D.C. storms on the horizon, this weekend is shaping up to be absolutely wild.

U.S. Highway 50, “The Loneliest Road in America,” offers wide open spaces with few interruptions or distractions. In a rapidly developing and congesting world, that could be its draw. You can drive for hours on this blacktop connecting Nevada to California and Utah on either side and never see another car. That promise of isolation can spur a sense of freedom. Find out what draws people to "The Loneliest Road in America" at Deseret.com, found at link in bio. 📝: Natalia Galicza, Deseret Magazine 📸: Spenser Heaps, Deseret Magazine https://bit.ly/4xrTCpe

“That’s not really the point of organized religion.” When defending the benefits of faith to a secular world, it's easy to point out that churchgoers have lower divorce rates, stronger communities, or better well-being. But as McKay Coppins and Dr. Russell Moore discuss in this clip from “Deseret Voices,” those benefits only happen because people are devoted to something far more ultimate. If we make the side effects the main point, we end up losing both. Catch the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. 🔗: https://bit.ly/4eBaO41

Plenty’s been written in recent years about the struggles American kids are having in reading and math, particularly post-pandemic. Now here’s some measured good news. Average reading and math scores for American 9-year-old students increased from 2022 to 2025 — particularly among lower-performing students, according to long-term trend results released Wednesday by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in its “The Nation’s Report Card.” Read more at Deseret.com, found at link in bio. ✏️: Jason Swensen, Deseret News 🎨: Michelle Budge, Deseret News

Religion: When Second Things Become First Thing "When you make second things first things, you end up losing the first things." In this clip from the latest “Deseret Voices” episode with McKay Coppins, Dr. @russellmoore explains how easily a church congregation can lose its true purpose. Whether it’s using the church to point fingers at "the other side," or turning the gospel into a simple self-help seminar — when the church becomes a vehicle for our own tribalism, the true meaning of faith gets hollowed out. Listen to the full episode with McKay Coppins and Dr. Russell Moore on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or watch on YouTube. 🔗: https://bit.ly/4eBaO41

As Congress has failed to deal with the country’s growing debt, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said it’s up to the states to force Congress to balance the budget. At a recent conference in Washington, D.C., a bipartisan group of researchers and elected officials gathered at the American Enterprise Institute, where they all agreed that when it comes to the nation’s debt, something has got to change - and soon. As it stands, 28 out of the necessary 34 states have passed resolutions in favor of holding a constitutional convention, following Article V of the Constitution, to consider a balanced budget amendment. Once two-thirds of state legislatures pass resolutions, Congress would be required to call a convention to consider the constitutional amendment — something progressive groups, including Common Cause, have vowed to fight. Read more about how policy experts and ex-lawmakers are sounding the alarm on the nation's rising debt at Deseret.com, found at link in bio. ✏️: Lauren Irwin, Des

The rise of independent journalism — the risks and rewards. To understand independent journalism, its ethics and how it works, Deseret News spoke with two of the biggest players in the field: Nick Shirley and Andy Ngo. See what they said at Deseret.com, found at link in bio. ✏️: Eva Terry, Deseret News 📸: Michelle Budge, Deseret News / Source: Isaac Hale, Deseret News and Associated Press 🔗: https://bit.ly/445MPE1

Are Americans more likely to eat out the richer they are? A new survey of 44,000 Americans by YouGov gives some evidence they are not. America’s poorest generation — Gen Z — is the most likely generation to spend the most every month at restaurants. Read more at Deseret.com, found at link in bio. ✏️: Emma Neff, Deseret News 📸: Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

The Heritage Foundation was once a defining force in American conservatism. Now it is grappling with internal conflict and external challenges as populist movements reshape the right. A meeting at Heritage’s headquarters highlighted the conflict when tensions erupted over the foundation’s ties with controversial figures and sparked a debate over the future of conservatism. As old guard institutions lose influence, a new fight is unfolding over what, exactly, the label “conservative” means, and who has the authority to define it. Read more at Deseret.com, found at link in bio. 📝: Eric Schulzke 🎨: Pete Ryan 📸: Bettmann Archive, Getty Images; Will Oliver, Getty Images; Tom Williams, Getty Images; Olivier Touron, Getty Images 🔗: https://bit.ly/3RYqtll

With the majority of kids out of school for the summer, parents are tackling a generational dilemma that their parents may not have faced: How much screen time to allow the kids and what it should look like. When Deseret News asked parents who were pondering the benefits of banning screens for the summer, we were introduced to lots of approaches. It’s clear screens are a parenting concern with which families grapple. But approaches differ. See how parents manage kids’ screen time at Deseret.com, found at link in bio. ✏️: Lois M. Collins, Deseret News 📸: Tess Crowley, Deseret News 🔗: https://bit.ly/4vEt1DD

America is woefully behind China in mining and processing rare earth minerals, which are critical to modern life. Learn how this remote Utah mill aims to reduce U.S. dependence on China in this critical industry at Deseret.com, found at link in bio. ✏️: Kevin Lind, Deseret News 📸: Edward DeCroce 🔗: https://bit.ly/3QpBFqF

Magnitude 7.8 Earthquake Hits the Philippines A powerful 7.8 offshore earthquake rocked the southern Philippines Monday, causing widespread damage. At least 32 people have been confirmed dead, with over 200 injured as buildings collapsed in General Santos and surrounding areas. Rescue teams are searching for survivors as aftershocks continue. 🔗: https://bit.ly/4vsnLTm

Journalism's Trust Crisis: Political Influence and Media Missteps When it comes to the public’s plummeting faith in journalism, The Atlantic's Evan Smith joins McKay Coppins on “Deseret Voices” this week and says it's time for the press to take a hard look in the mirror. While opportunistic politicians have actively spent years undermining the news for votes, the media has handed them the ammunition. Smith breaks down why the industry partly owns its own trust crisis. Find the full episode on YouTube, Apple & Spotify. 🔗: https://bit.ly/3RNjaNm

The weather balloon that delayed D-day The world is no stranger to World War II cinema. The new historical drama “Pressure” features the untold story behind the weather forecasts of June 5 and 6, 1944. Deseret News talked to actor Brendan Fraser and director Anthony Maras, read more of what they said at Deseret.com, found at link in bio. 🔗: https://bit.ly/4er03RS

Searching for Trust: When Local Media Vanishes When local news vanishes, what rushes in to fill the void? This week on the “Deseret Voices” podcast, host McKay Coppins and The Atlantic’s Evan Smith reveal the dangerous reality behind America's growing news deserts. As local newspapers disappear, more and more communities are left at the mercy of algorithms, misinformation and cable news drama. Find the full episode on YouTube, Apple & Spotify. 🔗: https://bit.ly/4vrVdcP

How Rainmaker Is Changing Cloud Seeding in Utah Rainmaker has become a major player in Utah's cloud seeding efforts, using drones and new technology to target storms and boost snowfall. ✏️: Eva Terry, Deseret News 🔗: https://bit.ly/4dMUHAb

The beagle has become a poster dog for the animal-rights movement, and the focal point of a surprisingly diverse coalition that includes Lara Trump, the Fox News personality and daughter-in-law of the president, and Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, who frequently bashes Donald Trump on social media. Their politics may be different, but they are united in concern about the use of beagles in scientific experimentation, especially when it’s funded by taxpayers. Beagles are commonly used in research because of their temperament and size, said Ketty Hansen, co-founder of Utah Beagle Rescue, a nonprofit that finds homes for dogs that have been removed from laboratories, shelters or abusive owners. Delve into the politics of beagles at Deseret.com, found at link in bio. ✏️: Jennifer Graham, Deseret News 📸: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News 🔗: https://bit.ly/4formNG

Media's Coastal Elite Reality Check "You do not understand the country unless you go out into the country." This week on “Deseret Voices,” McKay Coppins and The Atlantic’s Evan Smith discuss the national media's biggest flaw — coastal bias — and explain what journalists discover when they finally leave their bubbles to talk to real Americans. Find the full episode on YouTube, Apple & Spotify. 🔗: https://bit.ly/3RNjaNm

U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens of Utah is not running for reelection this year. Neither are the other three Black Republican House members in Congress. That group includes Reps. Byron Donalds of Florida, John James of Michigan, and Wesley Hunt of Texas, most of whom left to run for other offices. In conversation with the Deseret News earlier this month, Owens reflected on Black conservatism, its future and the legacy he wants to leave behind. See what Owens said at Deseret.com, found at link in bio. ✏️: Gitanjali Poonia, Deseret News 📸: Scott G Winterton, Deseret News 🔗: https://bit.ly/3SktGvu

Signs of Faith Among Spanish Youth Young Catholics in Madrid gather for church celebrations and rehearsals ahead of Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Spain. Some faith leaders say they are seeing signs of renewed youth interest in the church.