Jared Hess, the filmmaker who made the surprise hit "Napoleon Dynamite," is back with another movie he says will bring the same "dorkiness" and "Napoleon Dynamite" vibes.
"A Minecraft Movie," directed by Hess, premieres today with a reported budget of $150 million and boasts an all-star cast that includes Jack Black, Jason Momoa and Jennifer Coolidge.
The offbeat humor and overall character of “Napoleon Dynamite” that won Sundance over, Hess says, is alive and well in “A Minecraft Movie," Lottie Johnson writes.
Utah delegation heads to Canada amid escalating trade war
Gov. Spencer Cox is leading a trade mission to Canada next week amid escalating tariff policies to identify business opportunities.
He will be joined on the trip by former ambassador Jeff Flake, state agency heads and local company executives.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced the most expansive tariff regime in over a century with a blanket 10% tariff on most countries and rates of up to 50% on imports from places with significant trade barriers, Brigham Tomco reported.
Canada was excluded from the list but was subject to Trump’s first tariff increase on day one of his second term.
Here are four key points:
Canada is Utah's second biggest trading partner in terms of exports and imports.
In 2023, Utah exports to Canada totaled $1.7 billion and Utah imports from Canada totaled $3 billion.
Utah’s top exports to Canada in 2024 were plastics products, motor vehicle parts and non-iron metals for processing.
Utah’s top imports from Canada in 2024 were processed non-iron metals, items that were initially exported to Canada and then returned after minor changes like packaging, and cattle.
Multiple foundations and sportsmen's groups are teaming up to help restore Utah landscapes.
The Mule Deer Foundation, Sportsmen for Fish and Wildlife, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, along with other sportsmen's groups pledged a record $6.6 million as part of Utah's unique Watershed Restoration Initiative.
It's a project that has been held up as a model for other states to engage in unique private/public partnerships to improve habitat for native wildlife, Amy Joi O'Donoghue reported.
Where does the money come from?
Funding for the initiative mainly comes through the auctioning of tags awarded for big game hunts.
What have they been able to conserve?
It has worked to conserve or enhance more than 22 million acres and open up more than 700,000 acres for hunting.
“I think Utah has a long history of working together with partners to help improve the landscapes, and I think that history was reflected in this meeting. This group has come together and funded projects like this for almost two decades now. And I think our sportsmen care about wildlife,” Tyler Thompson, director of the Watershed Restoration Initiative, said.
One of the earliest goals of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was to build a modern Zion — a community where people would share one heart and one mind. That vision raises questions. Ryan Davis explores these questions by reflecting on personal stories from his life and work in the present-day Latter-day Saints faith community.
Utah
These St. George dino diggers are in a race to save fossils from development (KUER 90.1)
How Peter Murray used his landscaping career to take on plastic bag consumption (Utah Business)
Over a dozen weather-related crashes reported as spring snowstorm hits Southern Utah (St George News)
New program aims to help area restaurants reduce food waste (The Park Record)
Mystery still surrounds identity of remains found in Brigham City (Fox 13)
Utah Board of Education rejects measure targeting lingering diversity programs in schools (KSL.com)
Here's what roads Salt Lake City will work on this year — and what's on pause (KSL.com)
Health
Sugar substitutes can cause brain changes that increase appetite, study says (Fox News)
RFK Jr. wants to stop people using SNAP benefits to buy soda. Will it help? (NPR)
Salt Lake City's allergy season is getting longer (Axios)
Faith
78 new Area Seventies sustained during April general conference leadership session (Deseret News)
See how a new disaster relief tool enables missionaries, other volunteers to help wildfire victims (Deseret News)
What’s the current status for each of the 185 temples announced by President Nelson? (Church News)
Politics
What’s in Republicans’ latest budget blueprint? (Deseret News)
Is Trump’s border security plan working? Here’s illegal migrant crossings by the numbers (Deseret News)
Doctor with St. George ties helps rep pass bill restricting harmful food dyes in public schools (St George News)
The Nation and the World
What you get: $700,000 homes in Utah, Alabama and the District of Columbia (🔒 The New York Times)
Dow Jones plunges more than 1,600 points as stock market recoils from Trump tariff shock (CBS News)
'Life-threatening, catastrophic' flash floods and tornadoes hit Midwest and South (NBC News)
Sports
How this 'rascal kid' from Hawaii feeds his spirit through volleyball (Deseret News)
AJ Dybantsa and Kevin Durant sat down for an interview together. Here’s what they talked about (Deseret News)
Why this transfer receiver could become one of Utah's 'go-to' guys (Deseret News)
The Houston Rockets are the tanking blueprint for the Utah Jazz (Deseret News)
Elaine Michaelis: A legacy of leadership in women’s athletics at BYU (The Daily Universe)
🗓️ Events Calendar
We put together a calendar list of events and activities going on around the state of Utah during this month. Check it out and let us know if we are missing anything!
Here are some highlights for events in Utah today:
Salt Lake City Gem Faire | Mountain America Exposition Center, Sandy
Ophir, Tintic & Western 2025 Spring Train Show | Spanish Fork Fairgrounds
Kansas | Tuacahn Amphitheatre
Russell Dickerson | Union Event Center
“The Pajama Game” | Terrace Plaza Playhouse, Ogden
“Titanic the Musical” | On Pitch Performing Arts Center, Layton
BYU men’s volleyball vs. Stanford | 7 p.m.
USU women’s tennis vs. Wyoming | 11 a.m.
USU women’s soccer vs. Weber State | 5 p.m.
UVU softball vs. Abilene Christian | 2 p.m.
UVU volleyball vs. Weber State | 3:30 p.m.
SUU women’s gymnastics regional championship
Utah Tech women’s tennis vs. Weber State | 2 p.m.
Utah Tech softball vs. Tarleton State | 2:05 p.m.
Utah Tech baseball vs. UVU | 6:05 p.m.
Please reach out to me at sgambles@deseretnews.com if you have any thoughts, feedback or ideas you would like to share!
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