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Utah Business

On any given weekend, it's likely that a group of bird-watchers can be found roaming the Utah trails seeking a glimpse of the feathered creatures.

A study in 2022 revealed that one-third of Americans older than 16 have participated in some type of birdwatching.

One birdwatcher observed that the more she learns about birds, the more she notices them all around her even more.

“It’s like a whole different world that was there all along, and you’re discovering it,” Alysia Watanabe said. “They are just so intricate, too, it’s very complex.”

Utah has a wide variety of bird habitats and many of those habitats happen to be close to the state's cities and communities. There have been 472 species of birds recorded in Utah.

Here are three key points, reported by Caitlin Keith:

California fires aftermath: Finding a place for faith when the buildings are gone

The Pacific Palisades wildfires in Los Angeles County in January resulted in significant destruction, with over 55,000 acres burned and more than 16,000 structures claimed.

This included the loss of 14 churches, synagogues, and other places of worship, deeply affecting religious communities such as the Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church and the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center.

Faith Leaders' Challenges and Responses

Faith leaders are focused on rebuilding their communities and have strived to maintain a sense of community and connection with the loss of physical spaces. Some of those efforts include temporary worship arrangements and offering online services.

Saving symbols of faith

Despite the devastation, faith communities found symbols of hope in recovered religious artifacts, like the charred but intact cross from the Presbyterian Church, and the rescue of all 13 Torahs by Robert Brown III from the Pasadena Jewish Temple.

The art of giving

The impacted communities received widespread support. The Jewish community and Calvary Church raised significant funds to assist displaced and affected congregants.

Read more about the aftermath of the California fires.

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Utah

Utah experiences steady employment growth amid a national downturn (Deseret News)

Water commission members hear the saga behind a water fight in Garfield County (Deseret News)

What Utah’s water situation looks like as drought spreads to start summer (KSL.com)

18 buildings destroyed as southern Utah blaze continues to burn amid windy conditions (KSL.com)

USBE seeks public feedback on math standards (Utah Policy)

Building for the future: Ground broken on new high school in Saratoga Springs (Daily Herald)

Utah Avalanche Center report recounts a winter of fatal slides and unpredictability (The Park Record)

Twice in a lifetime: Utah’s Olympic history (Deseret News)

Health

You probably don’t need foods with added protein, nutritionists say (The Associated Press)

Correct way to carb load and common mistakes (Healthline)

Faith

25 years ago, a stunning announcement began Ricks College’s transformation to BYU-Idaho (Deseret News)

At BYU, leaders say the religious should learn the believer-friendly term ‘human flourishing’ (Deseret News)

Miracles in missionary work rely on faith, Elder Andersen says (Church News)

Politics

Utah lieutenant governor confirms labor union referendum will go on the state’s ballot (Deseret News)

U.S. Supreme Court rules that there’s no immunity for terror (Deseret News)

Trump administration to international student visa applicants: Switch your social media profiles to ‘public’ (Deseret News)

The Nation and the World

U.S. bombers strike Iranian nuclear facilities (Deseret News)

Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil returns home to New York area (NBC News)

At least 3 dead in North Dakota after severe weather swept across region (ABC News)

Sports

Dear MLB, please honor ‘The Sandlot’ by playing a specialty game in Utah (Deseret News)

American Fork’s Lewis Knecht ends storied high school career, named first-ever two-time Mr. Soccer (Deseret News)