Good morning! Here’s today’s forecast:

🌥️ 24 – 37° in Logan | ❄️ 10% chance

🌨️ 33 – 42° in Salt Lake City | ❄️ 40% chance

🌥️ 44 – 56° in St. George | 💧 10% chance

December is a special time for me.

I love Christmas and my birthday is the week before, so it’s usually a fun month for me. I’ve also experienced some of the most difficult challenges and personal growth in December. In recent years, the month has been more somber. I’m coming up on the first anniversary of the death of a good friend, and this morning, I’m headed to the funeral of a dear family friend’s daughter.

As sad as I feel today, I’m amazed at what a hopeful time of year this is. It’s the darkest, bleakest month of the year, yet — cross culturally and throughout history — it’s filled with festivities and light. Every few days someone in the world is celebrating with candles, bright lights and fireworks and is looking forward to a brighter future.

Tell me: What makes you feel hopeful this month?

Also on our minds: The jury is out on whether Biden is “pro-union,” SCOTUS is hearing another case about LGBTQ rights and religion and what Kyle Whittingham says about returning to the Rose Bowl.

11 Utah-themed gifts to get your out-of-state relatives

Whatever you’re doing, stop. You’re going to want to read this article.

For your friends and family who have moved away from Utah and are feeling homesick, here’s your definitive gift list for them. Among these ideas are Aggie Ice cream — which can be shipped — fry sauce and Wild Rose beauty products.

Take a look here.

The Way Home: This is one Ukrainian family’s story of finding a new home

“The explosion cut through the storm like a clap of thunder, drowning out the rain pattering against the windows of Elvira Karnaukh’s fifth-story apartment.

“‘Don’t be afraid, it’s just the thunder,’ residents of Pavlohrad, a small, working-class city in eastern Ukraine, wrote on Facebook.

“But Elvira knew. Thunder doesn’t shake an apartment building like that. A missile exploding a few thousand yards away does. She dropped to her knees and screamed to her kids, ‘Go to the hallway!’ as she crawled through the apartment.”

A Ukrainian family was forced out of their home when conflict broke out. This is the story of how they connected with a family in Utah and found a new home.

This morning in politics:

Perspective: Joe Biden says he’s ‘pro-union.’ Labor may disagree (Deseret News)
The Supreme Court is hearing a case on LGBTQ rights and religion (again). Here’s what you need to know (Deseret News)
Republican leaders mostly silent over Donald Trump's call to suspend the Constitution (USA Today)

Health:

Perspective: The connection between COVID-19 and home births (Deseret News)
Not just a man’s disease: Making a place for women with hemophilia (Deseret News)
Why is medical marijuana so expensive in Utah? (Utah Business)

Money:

IRS: Your tax return could be smaller in 2023 (Deseret News)

Crime:

Mysterious Idaho student killings compounded by police contradictions, experts say (USA Today)

Culture:

11 p.m. in Lviv: A city rich in culture and history transformed by war (Deseret News)
A nonprofit’s relatively simple answer to America’s complex immigration system: Be a neighbor (Deseret News)
Diné teenager using Q&A series to highlight Indigenous leaders (KSL)

Faith:

Watch the First Presidency’s Christmas Devotional (Church News)
Why Latter-day Saints were invited to host a booth at the Sikh festival in Yuba City (Church News)

Wasatch Front:

Midvale students are afterschool quilting for the Homeless Memorial Blanket Project (KUER)
22-year-old man arrested, found hiding in trash can in SLCPD pursuit (ABC4)

Southern Utah:

Utah Tech student dies after fall from 5th-floor balcony (KSL)
‘This means a lot’: Santa Clara-Ivins police officers get a raise (St. George News)

The West:

Utah’s population boom could further strain its limited water (KUER)

The World:

Iranian official signals possible suspension of morality police (Washington Post)

Sports:

What Utah coach Kyle Whittingham says about returning to the Rose Bowl, facing Penn State (Deseret News)
‘These kids never blinked:’ Amid injuries and adversity, Utes’ resolve and depth came through (Deseret News)
BYU football: Cougars will face SMU in New Mexico Bowl (Deseret News)

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!

— Kathleen

Give Deseret Magazine

This holiday give the gift of Deseret Magazine, showcasing the unique perspective of the West as part of the national conversation.