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Good morning!

Here's today’s forecast:

⛈️ 61 – 83 F in Logan |💧 70% chance

⛈️ 72 – 88 F in Salt Lake City💧 50% chance

🌤️ 76 – 98 F in St. George | 💧 10% chance

Does anyone else get really sleepy with all this summer heat? 🥱 August is supposed to be pretty hot, so I’m trying to find ways to keep myself awake during the hottest parts of the season.

Tell me: Any tips for dealing with this oppressive summer heat?

Also on our minds: Parechovirus is on the rise in babies, Americans are overleveraged but still spending and Olympic medalist MyKayla Skinner discusses her “pure silver” anniversary.

3 practices to improve your mental health, according to a BYU public health professor

BYU Public Health professor Carl L. Hanson wants people to know the difference between mental illness and mental health and give people the strategies to improve their emotional resilience. In this article, he gives three practices that anyone can use to improve their mental well-being:

Say something.
Know something.
Be something.

Learn more about these lifechanging (and potentially life-saving) practices here.

Opinion: Is a third national political party possible?

With more people feeling politically homeless, a third party — like Andrew Yang’s Forward Party — is looking more appealing. However, Richard Davis, the founder of the Utah United Party, who believes the success of a third party requires more than just an appeal to centrists.

Do third parties stand a chance? Read Jay Evensen’s opinion here.

Health

After Paxlovid, what’s a COVID-19 rebound? (Deseret News)
Health officials advise precautions after West Nile virus found in 2 more Utah counties (KSL)
23 infants have been infected by the parechovirus in Nashville and it’s spreading (Deseret News)

Faith

Catching up with Latter-day Saint medalist MyKayla Skinner on anniversary of her ‘pure silver’ Olympics (Church News)
Brad Wilcox and Riley Peterson: Don’t believe the headlines. Few people suffer trauma from religion in childhood (Deseret News)

Business and the Economy

Latest inflation report explained: Americans are overleveraged, and still spending (Deseret News)
The strangest tech to come out of Utah: August edition (Utah Business)

Wasatch Front

Matthew Givens: Why the Rio Grande Plan could solve Salt Lake traffic (Deseret News)
Salt Lake City breaks all-time hottest July record for 2nd-straight year (KSL)

Central Utah

Suspect sought for ‘suspicious livestock killings’ in Juab County (ABC4)

Southern Utah

Officers recover more than 100 pounds of marijuana during stop on I-15 in Washington City (St. George News)
‘We want to give Swig a run for their money’: Thirst Drinks and Wetzel’s Pretzels open in St. George (St. George News)

Sports

Sports provide ‘social identity’ we thrive on, despite off-the-field drama (Deseret News)
Deshaun Watson suspended six games for violating NFL’s personal conduct policy (Deseret News)

Thanks for reading Utah Today! If you have any comments, questions or suggestions we’d love to hear them — just reply to this email or send an email to newsletters@deseretnews.com.

Now I’m off to… 😴

— Kathleen