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Good morning, Utah Today readers! Here’s the forecast:

⛅ 15 – 29° in Logan

⛅ 25 – 38° in Salt Lake City

☀️ 30 – 50° in St. George

There are days I have no idea what to write about in this opening blurb, so I asked Sarah Gambles and Hanna Seariac what they thought:

🥓 Ever the foodie, Hanna said I should write about Pork Rind Appreciation Day. Depending on whom you ask, it’s either the first Sunday of February (i.e. two days ago) or Super Bowl Sunday, so unfortunately, it is as untimely as it is tasty.

☀️ Sarah said I should write about how we are getting several more minutes of sunlight every day this week. I couldn’t be more thrilled, so here I am writing about it.

Tell me: If you had control of this opening blurb for one morning, what would you write? Reply to this email with your blurb — about 200 words — and I might include it in a future issue of Utah Today!

Looking for something? Anything related to the 2023 legislative session will have a bee emoji next to it. 👉 🐝

Also on our minds: Violent earthquakes rock Turkey and Syria, lawmakers and LGBTQ advocates reach a compromise on conversion therapy bill and equal opportunity offender.

‘A really important moment’: Ryan and Ashley Smith share their hopes for All-Star Weekend

NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City is right around the corner, and Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith are hoping to highlight the best Utah has to offer.

Ryan Smith remembers the last time an All-Star Game was hosted in Utah 30 years ago and being unable to go — the ticket prices were outside the average NBA fan’s price range. For the Smiths, creating an accessible experience for everyone was an important component. From the Salt Palace Convention Center to The Gateway mall, there will be pop-ups and events lining the streets of Salt Lake City, and the Smiths plan to be a part of it as much as they can.

Read the full story here.

Did U.S. House speaker election change Utahns’ view of GOP?

Rep. Kevin McCarthy became Speaker of the House after clawing his way to victory through a daunting 15 rounds of voting and making concessions to a small group of Republican holdouts.

How did this affect the way Utahns feel about the GOP?

52% of Utah voters very or somewhat closely followed the House speaker’s race.
11% of Utah voters say it made them view the GOP somewhat or much more favorably.
37% viewed the GOP somewhat or much less favorably than before.

FROM OUR SPONSOR UTAH BUSINESS

30 Women to Watch: Submit Your Nomination Now

Utah Business magazine is honoring women who are on their way to truly amazing things. These are our state’s next legislators, CEOs, entrepreneurs, authors and arrivistes — and they’re all congregating in Spring 2023. Nominations close Feb. 10. Submit your nomination now.

Wasatch Front:

Opinion: It solves traffic, pollution and avalanche concerns. It’s time to move forward on a gondola (Deseret News)
2nd man arrested in connection to fatal Palmer Court stabbing (KSL)
Elk have Salt Lake City in a tizzy. Here’s why they’re here (KUER)

The West:

As regional hubs grow, airports—especially small ones—play a crucial role in planning (Utah Business)

The Nation:

Biden’s 2023 State of the Union Address: How to watch and what to expect (Deseret News)
New York City is getting 2 new beaches. One opens this summer (Deseret News)

The World:

Why Ukraine wants big Olympic sponsors to take sides in Russian athlete controversy (Deseret News)
Multiple earthquakes rock Turkey, Syria, killing more than 3,000 people (Deseret News)

Faith:

The Translator: America’s equal opportunity offender on the power of protest (Deseret Magazine)
How a painting of Jesus ended up behind a curtain at this military service academy (Deseret News)
Pope and Protestant leaders denounce anti-gay laws (BBC)

Culture:

Iranian singer wins Grammy while facing prison time for protest anthem (Deseret News)

Economy:

As gas prices jump at the pump, Gov. Spencer Cox says he’s feeling your pain (Deseret News) 🐝

Technology and Business:

Dell plans to lay off nearly 5% of its workforce (Deseret News)
AMC Theatres rolls out ticket pricing based on seat location (The Hill)

Family:

Perspective: Parents, it’s time to talk to your kids about marriage (Deseret News)
Perspective: How to vaccinate your family against TikTok (Deseret News)

Health:

How a Utah nonprofit is using tattoos to help cancer warriors (KSL)

Police and Courts

Senate passes bill to name law enforcement scholarship after retired Sen. Karen Mayne (KSL) 🐝
Governor claims investigation into Utah prison assaults underway (FOX13) 🐝

Check your inbox tomorrow morning for more news from the Beehive State and beyond!

Hit reply or send a message to newsletters@deseretnews.com to tell us what you think of Utah Today!

— Kathleen 🐝