Thanks for joining us on Election Day. You can find results and reporting here.
Presidential debate may not be coming to Utah
The scheduled presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump may not be coming to the University of Utah.
Last November, it was announced that three presidential debates would be hosted by the Commission on Presidential Debates from September through October, including one at the University of Utah.
On Wednesday, the Biden campaign sent a letter to the commission saying the president would not be participating in its announced debates. The letter argued the selected dates came after many Americans will have already started to vote in the 2024 election.
The Trump campaign issued a statement in early May objecting to the Commission’s schedule for similar reasons.
Biden’s campaign proposed two debates hosted by new organizations instead, one in June and the other in September. The Trump campaign has agreed to these debates.
Utah kids could get unlimited ride access with summer UTA pass
Utah youth could have unlimited access to various Utah Transit Authority services this summer with the UTA Rider’s License.
The license is a pass for children aged 6-18 that gives unlimited access to TRAX, S-Line, FrontRunner, UTA On Demand, and any bus route from June 1 through August 31.
The offer is valid in all areas UTA runs in Salt Lake, Utah, Weber, and Davis counties.
Passes are available to purchase online starting Wednesday.
Great Salt Lake’s south arm hits important elevation
The south arm of the Great Salt Lake hit a significant elevation this week.
Measured at 4,195 feet, the south arm has reached the low-end benchmark for what officials deem a “transitionary zone” for the lake’s ecosystem, where the lake only sees some adverse effects due to low water levels.
It’s still several feet lower than what’s considered optimal, but still much better than the lake’s low point in late 2022, when the south arm was on the verge of ecological collapse.
A report from the Natural Resources Conservation Service earlier this month said the Great Salt Lake could still rise another half foot this spring, which would bring the south arm to levels it’s not seen in a decade.
However, evaporation in the warmer months is expected to drop lake levels again, likely by about two feet.