This is your daily news rundown for Monday, June 30. In this edition:
- When and where fireworks are permitted leading up to Fourth of July
- Utah is suing Snapchat for allegedly harming children
- The Wasatch Front accounted for 70% of Utah's growth from 2023 to 2024
Here’s when and where fireworks are permitted this week under higher restrictions
With the Fourth of July this weekend, many Utahns are gearing up for fireworks — but wildfire danger means they’re more restricted.
Fireworks are permitted this month from July 2-5 and July 22-25 from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., with extended hours for Fourth of July and Pioneer Day. Outside of those dates and times, they’re illegal throughout the state.
They’re always banned on federally owned land, but with all of Utah also under Stage 1 Fire Restrictions, that ban now extends to all land outside city limits.
Under Utah code, “fireworks” refers to not just the big flashy spectacles, but any Fourth of July goodies except snake or glow worms, party poppers, and wire sparklers under twelve inches long.
According to a study from 2022, the Fourth of July brings twice as many wildfires to Western states as any other day. On Wednesday, a wildfire sparked by fireworks forced more than 100 people in Utah County to evacuate.
Utah sues Snapchat, claiming harms to children
The state of Utah is suing the parent company of Snapchat, claiming it harms children by being intentionally addictive and enabling illicit activities.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday in Salt Lake City’s 3rd District Court, accused the company Snap Inc. of creating design features that facilitate illegal drug sales, sexual exploitation, and distribution of pornography.
It also alleged that Snap Inc.’s AI chatbot, “My AI,” pushed drug and sex-related content on undercover state investigators posed as children.
Snap Inc. disputed the claims, saying it has safety tools and guardrails in place, and suggested the lawsuit was politically motivated.
This is the fourth lawsuit Utah has filed against a social media company, with the other three — two against TikTok and one against Meta — currently proceeding in court.
Wasatch Front accounted for over 70% of Utah's growth from 2023 to 2024
Wasatch Front communities accounted for almost three quarters of the state’s growth between 2023 and 2024, according to new data.
The research, released on Monday by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute and Utah Population Committee, found that Salt Lake, Utah, Davis, and Weber Counties added almost 37,000 new residents in that time.
Just ten communities in those counties were responsible for half of the state’s growth, most in Utah County.
Salt Lake City had the most growth for the third year in a row, adding over 4,400 new residents.
