Back in 1979, Utah joined the ranks of professional sports’ hosts when the upstart New Orleans Jazz moved to the Beehive State just a few years after the team entered the NBA as an expansion franchise.

Just over a quarter of a century later, Real Salt Lake joined Major League Soccer, calling Rice-Eccles Stadium its home pitch until the purpose-built Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy opened for business in 2008. A year later, the scrappy RSL club won its first (and so far, only) league championship, knocking off the Los Angeles Galaxy to snag the 2009 MLS Cup.

Both franchises have proven out that even in a Utah market that was once widely deemed too small to support even a single pro-level team, Utahns are ready, willing and able to actively support their local teams and, as it turns out, are some of the most devoted and engaged fans in the country.

The hope is that with those proven successes, Utah could expand and host a Major League Baseball team and even a National Hockey League team. 

It was a historic year in the U.S. House — not in a good way

The U.S. House of Representatives made plenty of headlines but not much legislative progress in its first session since Republicans regained control of Congress’ lower chamber. 

2023 by the numbers: 

• The House of Representatives took 724 votes in 2023 — mostly for bill amendments — the most in over a decade.
• But only 34 of the 329 measures advanced by the House became law, the lowest number in almost 100 years, rating poorly even when compared to unproductive Congresses during the presidencies of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, which both saw around 70 laws passed.
• In a sign of protest against House leadership, some GOP lawmakers torpedoed four procedural votes to bring bills to the floor. This is the most rules to fail ever in a single year.
• The House was in session 174 days this year, which is fairly normal.
• All 435 seats were filled, and members present, during 89 days of the year.

Read more about how the U.S. House of Representatives under two different Republican speakers passed less legislation than any other Congress in history.

More Politics:

• Barack Obama’s 2023 favorite movies list includes 3 films made by his family’s production company (Deseret News)

• Mitt Romney and his moderate friends plan to leave Senate or face an uphill battle for reelection (Deseret News)

FROM VOICES

Carlos Boozer is back!

Join us Jan. 31 for an exciting evening featuring Carlos Boozer. Hear his captivating story and a lively Q&A session, as well as a memorable photo opportunity. Purchase tickets today.

Health

• Opinion: How are these banned products getting in the hands of Utah youth? (Deseret News)

• The sweets on ‘Great British Bake Off’ may be healthier than you think (Deseret News)

Science & Tech

• Chemical in female tears lowers male aggression, study finds (Deseret News)

• Science editors pick their most memorable stories of 2023 (Science)

• Humanoid robots in space: the next frontier (KSL) 

Entertainment

• The right time for silly shows is the holidays (Deseret News)

• Naomi Schaefer Riley: What 'Migration' says about parents, children and risk (Deseret News)

Environment

• Climate change: How Christmas tree growers are responding (BBC)

• California dazzled by ‘extremely rare’ killer whale sightings off southern coast (The Guardian)

The Nation

• Top 10 U.S. food festivals to visit in 2024 (Deseret News)

• Massive waves on California coast cause flooding, force evacuations (Reuters)

• A look back at US climate solutions this year (Grist)

• New data projects a historic decline in murder rate in 2023. Experts explain why the rate is expected to drop (Deseret News)

The World

• Israel-Gaza war: Displaced Gazans 'living in the open', UN says (BBC)

• What China’s new defense minister tells us about Xi’s military purge (The Washington Post)

The year in sports, from the inexplicable to the silly to the sublime (a commentary)

Doug Robinson walks back through the last year in sports and what had sports fans confused, frustrated, laughing and joining the message boards in 2023. 

Here are some of the notable things he mentions: 

• Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.
• Coach Prime.
• NIL (continued).
• Andy Reid. 
• Super Shoes.
• The sinking of the S.S. Pac-12. 
• The nonsensical College Football Playoff election committee.
• The Nuggets (not the chicken).
• Puka Mania.
• Red Rocks upheaval.
• Utah distance runners.
• BYU's conference debut/flameout.

Read more about the many events that happened in the world of sports in 2023. 

More in Sports:

• Utah responds to being challenged in its Pac-12 opener before blowing out Washington State (Deseret News)

• Jaren Hall will share history with Jim McMahon and Steve Young following his 2nd NFL start (Deseret News)

• A frigid fourth quarter and turnover troubles doom No. 12 Utah in loss at No. 8 Colorado (Deseret News)