The NFL Conference Championships are tomorrow! The two games will feature three of this season's MVP candidates: Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts. Offensive Rookie of the Year finalist Brock Purdy will also be playing. As much as I hate the 49ers as a Cardinals fan, I'm rooting for Purdy. If San Francisco wins, Purdy would be the first "Mr. Irrelevant," which is the nickname given to the last pick of the NFL draft, to start in the Super Bowl. It would also mean that former Cougar Fred Warner would be one step closer to winning a Super Bowl ring. I'm hoping the results of this weekend will give us a Bengals-49ers Super Bowl.
Federal child care funds are running out. These parents are looking to Utah lawmakers for help
Child care funding from the Stabilization Grant is running out, leaving many Utah parents wondering how they'll be able to afford child care. Some of these parents gathered at "Child Care Day on the Hill" on Friday to let lawmakers know the challenges they face in paying for child care.
Three bills could help parents when the Stabilization Grant funding ends in September.
What are the bills and what do they do?
HB167: allows for an on-site child care facility to be created for some state agencies
HB170: provides nonrefundable tax credit per child to assist with the cost of child care for families with incomes between $60,000 and $94,000
HB282: creates sales tax exemptions on materials used for expanding a child care program
On Friday, the Utah Senate approved SB16, the bill banning transgender surgeries, puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors, and sent the bill to Gov. Spencer Cox's desk after the Utah Senate approved the bill on Friday. Cox previously said he would not veto the bill.
The moratorium on treatments such as puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones is indefinite. The earlier version of the bill specified the moratorium would end in four years.
The bill would be effective immediately once signed by the governor.
Frank Pignanelli & LaVarr Webb: What Utah’s top leaders revealed in their opening speeches to the legislature (Deseret News)
Ronna McDaniel, niece to Mitt Romney, elected to lead the Republican Party for a historic fourth term (Deseret News)
The National Archives asks 6 past presidential administrations to hand over lingering documents (Deseret News)
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Tech:
Is Twitter fair? Elon Musk meets Kevin McCarthy, Hakeem Jeffries (Deseret News)
Rise of the bots? Buzzfeed to adopt artificial intelligence for some content after slashing 12% of its workforce (Deseret News)
Environment:
With Covid subsiding, air pollution is back (Utah Business)
Family:
Perspective: What we all have in common with Prince Harry (Deseret News)
Health:
This trendy medication being used for weight loss might lead to weight gain, doctors say (Deseret News)
Not vaccinated against COVID-19? Here’s how the federal government hopes to make it easier to get the shots (Deseret News)
Film:
‘Judy Blume Forever’ paints a tender portrait of the beloved author at Sundance (Deseret News)
Where to watch the movies up for best picture at the Oscars, in case you missed them (Deseret News)
‘Theater Camp’ — starring Ben Platt from ‘Dear Evan Hansen’ — just won an award at Sundance (Deseret News)
Faith:
GM for Tabernacle Choir retires after 21 years (KSL)
Church announces changes to seminary credit requirements, updates to the official seminary objective statement (Church News)
Northern Utah:
What's behind northern Utah's 'brown clouds'? New study pinpoints a major source (KSL)
Wasatch Front:
Advisories issued as Utah's snowy winter continues (KSL)
Kidnapped teen girl is rescued using SafeUT app (KSL)
Southern Utah:
Despite recent rainstorms, deciphering impacts to Washington County reservoir levels is ‘complex’ (St. George News)
The West:
Arizona’s Kari Lake hasn’t conceded and has raised millions of dollars since losing (Deseret News)
12 hot springs in the West to visit (Deseret News)
The Nation:
All 5 former Memphis cops charged with murder in Tyre Nichols’ death (Deseret News)
The World:
Russian missiles kill at least 12 throughout Ukraine (Deseret News)
At least 7 people killed in a Jerusalem synagogue shooting (NPR)
Former BYU Cougar Fred Warner is one win away from going to the Super Bowl for the second time in his career. Deseret News columnist Doug Robinson looks at what makes Warner the best linebacker in the NFL ahead of Sunday's NFC Championship.
"If you were to select the best pure football players in the league — players who transcend position and can just flat out play all aspects of the game (Troy Polamalu, JJ Watt, Bobby Wagner being the standards) — Warner would be high on the list, along with Travis Kelce and Josh Allen (yes, a quarterback)," Robinson wrote.
The praise doesn't stop there. The linebacker has been praised by former and current head coaches, teammates and even opposing quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers.
BYU Cougars: There’s a lot at stake, again, as No. 22 Saint Mary’s invades the Marriott Center for the final time (Deseret News)
Utah Jazz: Lauri Markkanen’s belated breakout for the Utah Jazz busts a myth about NBA development (The Salt Lake Tribune 🔒)
Utah Utes: Runnin’ Utes prove their defense travels, rout Oregon State 63-44 to remain in second place in Pac-12 (Deseret News)
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