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Good morning! Here are today’s temperatures:

⛅ 18 – 34° Logan | 🌤️ 23 – 39° Salt Lake

🌤️ 12 – 33° Manti | ☀️ 20 – 39° Moab

☀️ 13 – 38° Cedar City | ☀️ 26 – 49° St. George

Reading the news can get exhausting. When the headlines are dominated by war and strife, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

It sometimes takes a little more effort to find uplifting or inspirational stories, but it’s absolutely worth the work — they remind us that, at its core, humanity is good and the world can get better.

I compiled a few of my favorite articles from Deseret News colleagues and other news outlets from last week. These are stories of courage and community, from strangers saving a man from a burning car to a Uyghur activist reuniting with his mother after 20 long years.

Read more about five inspirational stories I loved reading last week.

Also on our minds:

Why eliminating Utah’s tax on Social Security is a big deal
How Juan Soto’s record-breaking contract compares to the highest-paid athletes
Report: Suspect charged in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing

Utah audit finds problems with county clerk compliance to election laws

Brigham Tomco reports:

An audit of Utah elections found a lack of compliance among county clerks in conducting post-election audits, ensuring adequate surveillance and maintaining proper ballot controls.

The 82-page report called on county clerks to bring their procedures in line with state code and urged the Lieutenant Governor’s Office, which oversees elections, to update their guidance for county election offices and to improve the accuracy of state voter rolls.

According to the audit, 17 of 29 county clerks failed to conduct proper post-election audits, and ballots were likely sent out to 700 deceased voters.

“While we did not find significant fraud in Utah’s election system, the recommendations and findings in this report are needed to ensure continued election integrity,” the report said.

Another audit found low-performing students in Utah need earlier intervention.

Read more here about the audit’s findings regarding election laws. Read more here about the audit’s findings on Utah students.

‘There are no awkward people, only awkward situations’ — How this theory may help at your next holiday party

It’s the holiday season, and that means it’s time for hot cocoa, cozy sweaters, gift exchanges, gingerbread cookies, twinkling lights — and awkward social events.

Maybe you’ve never had an awkward moment at a party, in which case I applaud you. I’ve had my fair share, including one just last week in which I inadvertently insulted a stranger’s boyfriend. (Don’t ask.) Luckily, my colleague Mariya Manzhos has some suggestions to make my next party go more smoothly.

Awkwardness occurs when you are unprepared or uncertain, so gather information about a situation in advance.
Comedy helps ease uncomfortable situations, whether as an icebreaker or as a cover after an awkward moment.
As author and philosophy professor Alexandra Plakias says, “There are no awkward people … there are only awkward situations.”
Uncomfortable moments offer opportunities for growth and empathy, both collectively and individually.

Read more about why we feel awkward and how we can reframe awkwardness.

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Politics

The Supreme Court’s internal battle over gender-related laws (Deseret News)
Liz Cheney responds to Trump saying Jan. 6 committee members should face jail time (Deseret News)

The U.S.

Report: Suspect charged in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing (Deseret News)
Daniel Penny found not guilty in chokehold death of Jordan Neely (NBC)

The World

A nightmare ends for the people of Syria (Deseret News)
Netanyahu corruption trial: What you need to know (Reuters)

Sports

BYU players eager to face Colorado’s superstars in 33rd-annual Valero Alamo Bowl (Deseret News)
Juan Soto is getting paid how much to play baseball? (Deseret News)
The overarching reason why Bronco Mendenhall is Utah State’s new football coach (Deseret News)
Report: ‘Expectation’ is that Cam Rising won’t return to Utah (Deseret News)
How the Jazz are keeping Taylor Hendricks feeling like he’s part of the team (Deseret News)

Opinion

Valerie Hudson: The endgame in Ukraine is coming into view (Deseret News)
Justin Collings: Andrew Jackson’s finest hour (Deseret News)

Health

Influencers selling fake cures for polycystic ovary syndrome (BBC)
Winter can be a time of culinary abundance. Experts share tips on eating nutritiously (The Associated Press)

🗓️ Events Calendar

We put together a calendar list of events and activities going on around the state of Utah the next month. Check it out and let us know if we are missing anything!

Here are some highlights for events in Utah today:

Dec. 1-23, 26-30 — Zoolights at Hogle Zoo | Salt Lake City
Dec. 1-23 — Christmas in the Canyon at Tuacahn | St. George
Dec. 6-14 — Living Bethlehem and Christmas Market | American Fork
Dec. 10 — Utah Hockey Club vs. Minnesota Wild at home | 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 10 — BYU men’s and women’s track and field December Invitational at home

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

And reply to this email or email newsletters@deseretnews.com to tell us what you think of Utah Today.

Thanks for reading!

— Ariel