Deseret News

What can be done? The who and why of teen death by suicide

Lois M. Collins — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Suicide is a leading cause of death among young Utahns, ages 10-17, and the state has spent years trying to figure out why teens choose to end their lives.

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services recently released its “Utah Youth Suicide Research Project,” looking deeply at actual youth suicides between 2016 and 2019 to offer insights and recommendations for families, communities, healthcare providers and educators. The goal is to pair data with the stories of those lost to suicide in hopes of crafting prevention that works, including recommendations from Utah’s Suicide Child Fatality Review Committee.

Both findings and recommendations, while based on Utah deaths, are expected to resonate across the nation, as suicide is consistently the second- or third-leading cause of death among young people.

The study identified factors loved ones can’t afford to ignore, including behavior changes that can signal something bad is brewing, relationship breakups, parental struggles, a history of abuse and feeling unseen. Severe mental health issues were not among the major factors.

“Feeling unseen, unlikeable, isolated, or like an outsider — even though many youth had friends they spent time with regularly — was a common theme described by families and peers,” per the report.

“For many young people, a bad argument or a breakup can feel like a disaster and lead to quick, life-altering decisions,” the researchers found, noting two-thirds of them had recently had such a rift or were worried about one. The report said those emotional moments are a time for adults to offer extra support and not brush the pain off as just part of life.

Michael Staley, suicide prevention research coordinator at the state health department’s Office of the Medical Examiner, said the study found parents often notice behavioral change and then “talk themselves out of assuming the worst or addressing it.”

There’s a common perception that friends are more aware when a child is struggling, he said, but in-depth interviews called psychological autopsies showed parents often really knew their children well.

“There were instances where families didn’t know that they were observing a warning sign of suicide, and we have got more public health education to do,” he said. “But in a lot of cases, they did see that things were changing, and they weren’t changing for the better. And either they didn’t know how to ask their child about this, or they just talked themselves out of the worst-case scenario.”

He added, “Nobody wants to think the people they love could possibly be thinking of ending their own life — it’s scary, unbelievable. How could my son or daughter possibly believe the narrative the world would be better off without them? We want families and friends to feel empowered to push through the awkward reaction of ‘Why are you asking me that?’ and have the hard, important conversations: ‘Have you thought of suicide? Do you really believe the world would be better off without you in it?’”

Those questions open doors to honest conversations and opportunities to save lives, said Staley, who also urged families to make an environment safe immediately at any hint of risk by removing means that might lead to impulsive action, such as guns, substances or even belts.

“It’s important not to freak out,” said Staley, who warned that escalates an already fraught situation. Better to respond with something like, “Thanks for telling me that. That probably took a lot of bravery.”

Addressing suicide directly, he said, lets loved ones talk about the child’s value and starts the journey to hope and finding help.

A psychological autopsy

The project has been underway for years, using psychological autopsies conducted by medical examiner staff. Utah’s youth suicides in the study period were 46.5% higher than the national average, per the report. The researchers conducted the “autopsies” through detailed interviews with those closest to the teens who died, including relatives and friends, to understand the “who” and ”why" of young people choosing death.

In a psychological autopsy, questions are asked of the person deemed closest to the one who died, then others who were as close or nearly so are asked the same question to validate findings, Staley said. Besides those ages 10-17, the study included suicides involving 18-year-olds if they had just graduated from high school very recently.

He saved a life with four words: 'I love you, bro'

All families with a young suicide in 2016 to 2019 were invited to participate; 108 of the 203 families did. The actual interviews were completed by about mid-2022, after some delays during COVID.

Demographics of teen despair

Here’s some of what the report shows about the youth who died by suicide:

Three-fourths were male.
Nearly 80% were ages 16-18.
Forty percent had an immediate family member die by suicide, often years before their own death.
One in four previously lost a friend to suicide.
Nine in 10 lived with parents or guardians and most lived in a middle-income household with adults who had jobs and health insurance.
Nearly half had been diagnosed with at least one mental illness and 63% of them had seen a therapist, many within two weeks before their death.
Thirty-seven percent had been disciplined at school, “some very near to the time they died,” and just over 4 in 10 had experienced at least one interaction with law enforcement or the justice system. But most of them had not had either experience.
A disproportionate number attended an alternative school. Those students had a significantly higher risk profile, Staley said.
Maltreatment of some sort was common, experienced by 80%, including physical, sexual or emotional abuse. Staley said families were candid about how learning of abuse changed family dynamics and even structure.
Two-thirds had experienced other types of trauma, too, often years earlier, such as witnessing violence or surviving a natural disaster or seeing grave illness or death in someone they cared about.
Bullying was “ubiquitous,” per Staley, who said more than 58% had been bullied and 1 in 5 were bullies themselves. But the psychological profiles suggested bullying didn’t appear to those asked to be a driving force in the death itself. Sextortion, on the other hand, while far less common, spiraled quickly and greatly raised the risk.
The report showed that many young people who died by suicide lived in homes where those around them faced complex mental health or substance use challenges or were grieving loss themselves. There were extreme levels of distress.

Some findings are more counterintuitive. Those who died by suicide were not usually disconnected from others or extremely disengaged, according to those closest to them. More than 90% had someone they could count on in a crisis and nearly two-thirds were said to be “happy with their friendships.” Fewer than 1% reported not having people they liked spending time with. In spite of all that, family members and friends reported that roughly 6 in 10 didn’t feel like they belonged in their community.

Warning signs were there

More than half of the young people showed frequent mood changes, while around 45% had at least one signal something was amiss: They were lonelier or said they felt like a burden or hopeless or trapped.

Some also had changes in sleep patterns and appetite.

Many had just undergone or were pondering a major life change, whether a move, the previously mentioned breakup or heading to college or career. The authors urge families and communities to help youth learn resilience and build social skills that help them handle emotional ups and downs.

The report is careful to note not all of them showed all the signs. It was the pattern of change that most strongly signaled a struggle. The report warns parents and other loved ones that “any noticeable change in a young person’s normal routine or reactions is a signal they may need extra support.”

Friends were more likely to see the small changes, leading the researchers to conclude that young people need to be taught both how to spot such signs, and also the importance of involving a trusted adult.

Change is hard, especially when lots of things seem to be going wrong. The report found that a collision of multiple issues at once — its examples were health, housing and money problems — can create crisis. Communities can step in and help families stabilize. That can save lives.

Many who die by suicide aren't depressed: study

What educators and clinicians can do

The interviews revealed missed opportunities in schools and primary care. Ninety-one percent had seen a doctor. Schools had tools the teens often didn’t use; just over 1 in 14 of the young people ever asked for help or called a suicide prevention lifeline though they knew about them.

“Our data leads us to believe that suicide prevention programs ought to be more expansive and create more opportunities for engagement, not less,” per the report.

“What we can’t do in a school system is say that, ‘Ooh, we have a suicide prevention program — it’s SafeUT.’ Because that’s only going to work for one segment of students. Schools have to deploy comprehensive strategies,” Staley said.

The report’s recommendations for educational settings include:

Help those working in schools know both signs of child maltreatment and how to report it.
Work with local behavioral health leaders to offer “wraparound” services for youth.
Watch for signs of disengagement or a sense of not belonging.
Have solid, evidence-based suicide prevention programs in place.
Provide support for bereaved youth, especially in the wake of a suicide death of a family member or peer.

The report said educators should foster a positive emotional bond for students with teachers and peers. Belonging also includes being invited into activities, rather than being on the sidelines.

Perspective: Relationship education as suicide prevention

“Do students feel they can be their ‘whole self’ without hiding parts of their identity?” the report asks.

The advice for clinicians in healthcare settings is similar, starting with recognizing child mistreatment, traumatic experiences and adversity.

Other recommendations include screening all youth for substance use and abuse and employing evidence-based interventions as needed. Every primary care and emergency setting should screen for suicide risk and if risk is seen, create a safety plan before crisis arises.

Children with significant mental health concerns should receive effective, evidence-based treatment.

Many of the youth who died could have benefitted from improved care coordination across systems. While acknowledging healthcare providers are pressed for time, Staley emphasized that health systems need to train providers to better recognize when young people are struggling with mental health.

Challenges don’t end after the teenage years

”Whatever issues existed when you were 16, 17, 18 don’t get somehow dropped on the floor at the graduation stage. They continue into college ... or on non-college life paths,” Staley said.

In an unrelated media briefing sponsored by SciLine last week, experts talked about suicide risk, disparities and suicide prevention aimed at those of college age.

Suicide risk is high in the young adult group, “among both college students and their same-age peers,” said Dr. Adam Horwitz, clinical psychologist and assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan. “It’s actually slightly higher among those who are not in college.”

Those in both groups might be undergoing major transitions, like going to college or getting jobs. He said as independence increases, some of the protective factors, like parents nearby or structure can decrease and create vulnerability. “That’s when we sometimes see first onset for different mood disorders come into play.”

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He added that student mental health problems surged in the pandemic and have not receded completely.

Suicide rates among young Black adults ages 20 to 24 are now higher than those of white peers, said Jasmin Brooks Stephens, assistant professor and clinical psychologist at the University of California Berkeley. She cited research indicating the lifetime history of suicide attempts are about 4% in the general population, 11% among sexual minorities and 40% among gender minorities.

“A lot of the reasons for this is when we think about our more known and traditional risk factors for suicide ideation, some of those can include what we call thwarted belongingness or this lack of belonging with other individuals,” she said.

She advocates for medical amnesty or similar policies in college to protect students from disciplinary action if they disclose they have suicidal thoughts or substance use during a crisis. Fear of “punitive consequences” can keep a young person from seeking help.

Dr. Christine Yu Moutier, psychiatrist and chief medical officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, said campus suicide prevention has long been reactive and needs to change so every person on campus at any level or position “knows what to do when they become concerned about a student.”

“Suicide prevention on college campuses, I think, in the past, was a bit of an afterthought. It was reactive in response to suicides or crises that were occurring, and we know that suicide is a complex health outcome,” she said. “A public health approach, when it is applied really robustly, means there will be a true prioritized strategic plan that’s sustained and measuring the impact of all of the multi-tiered approaches.”

Can manual labor shape America’s boys into men?

Mariya Manzhos — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Teaching teenage boys how to install a toilet is no small feat.

Chandler Whitney secured enough toilets for each boy in the group and mounted them on rolling platforms to mimic a floor. He drew the various components of a toilet tank on a chalkboard, then demonstrated how to assemble an entire toilet. Once the toilets were hooked up to water, Whitney would let the boys stuff them with paper towels and rocks — and then flush.

“They think it’s hilarious, because they’re boys,” said Whitney, who runs The Foundry in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where he teaches boys hands-on and life skills.

In Vicksburg, a city of about 20,000 perched on the bluffs above the Mississippi River, young boys are fighting the odds that are seemingly stacked against them. Nearly 1 in 4 residents live below the poverty line. Just two weeks ago, three teenagers — two of them were 15 years old — were injured in a shooting. Many boys are being raised by single mothers and have family members whose lives have been ravaged with addiction.

‘Deseret Voices’ Episode 23 — Men’s identity crisis: Education, mental health and the path forward

“The statistics are really terrible,” said Whitney, who started The Foundry in 2016. “There are so many unfathered boys who are statistically destined for prison or to be killed.”

Whitney, who grew up poor and was raised by a father who struggled with alcoholism, wanted to interrupt the cycle the boys had inherited and help give them a different path by teaching them what he knew well: how to work with their hands.

“When you take a boy like that, and you put a tool in his hand and show him that he can do something, he can manipulate something physical in the world, it’s like a switch gets flipped on,” said Whitney, who is an electrician and taught at a military school. “ It’ll make your hair stand up if you see this happen — it’s like they suddenly get some kind of an idea of what they are supposed to be in this world.”

The motivation problem

If you walk into a morgue and there are five people who are dead by suicide, four will be men, podcaster Scott Galloway likes to say. Men are graduating from high school and college in fewer numbers than women. The “addiction economy” has swallowed up young men: every day, 1 in 8 men turn to pornography, gambling and playing video games. About 1 in 5 young men aged 25–34 are living at home. The term “NEET” — not employed, in education or in training — has increasingly become a shorthand to talk about the crisis of men.

Some argue that the crisis is at least partly fueled by economic changes like the loss of blue-collar jobs that have historically offered men a clear path to work and economic independence. Richard Reeves, author of “Of Boys and Men,” has argued that the disappearance of these traditionally male jobs is a significant part of the problem facing boys and men.

Unanchored: Addressing the disconnect among American men

In more rural parts of America, including places like Vicksburg, where around 70% of the population is Black and economic opportunities are scarce, the challenges for young men are even more pronounced.

“Men at the top are still flourishing, but men in general are not, especially if they are Black,” Reeves wrote.

But the changes in the economy don’t explain the problem, argues Leonard Sax, a family physician and author of “Boys Adrift,” which was first published in 2007 and has been updated as a third edition to come out this fall. Sax cites findings from Alaska to argue that high-paying jobs in mining and construction are going unfilled.

“I don’t buy this notion that the switch to a service economy explains the fact that 10 million able-bodied men in the United States are not working and not looking for work,” Sax, who has visited over 500 schools over the years, told the Deseret News.

Boys are falling behind in school. What would help?

The core problem, Sax argues, is that boys and young men lack motivation. He lays out six forces that he believes have drained that motivation from boys; among them are schools that are poorly suited to boys, video games, “the devaluation of masculinity,” pornography, artificial intelligence and the manosphere.

The return of trade schools and shop classes in schools is a positive change: “We’ve had 30 years of systematically disrespecting the trades.”

But it’s a small part of the sweeping crisis.

“The bigger part of the problem is that boys are not motivated,” Sax said.

‘Do the job right’

For Connor Ashley, a 14-year-old in Vicksburg who studied at The Foundry, learning to work with his hands has been transformative.

For much of his childhood, his life lacked stability. He was raised by his grandmother, while his father was incarcerated and his mother battled addiction. After his grandparents died, his great-aunt, Rhonda Howard, took custody of Ashley and his younger brother.

“I thought: ‘Oh my gosh, what am I going to do?’” Howard, who is 62, told me. “And then when I found out about The Foundry, it was like an answered prayer.”

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Whitney could recognize that Ashley longed for mentorship and help, because he was once in a similar situation as a young man. Whitney grew up poor in Natchez, Mississippi. His father struggled with addiction. “He would not teach me things,” he said. “I’m not sure how capable he would’ve been to teach me.” When he was 16, his parents divorced. “I had to learn to be resourceful — I had to figure out how to keep our vehicles running and how to keep our house warm.”

Under Whitney’s instruction, Ashley learned how to grill, how to identify circuits and voltage, and how to put in an outlet. He learned the basics of plumbing. “They taught everybody, if you’re gonna do the job, do it right,” Ashley said.

When it first launched, The Foundry was so popular in the community that a few years ago, Whitney had to shut it down to figure out how to accommodate more boys. The program serves boys ages 9 to 17 and offers a six-week course — one beginner and one more advanced — in the fall and spring, with rotating workshops. The program has little funding, Whitney said, and runs out of a workshop space that he purchased about 10 years ago. The curriculum includes basic plumbing, electrical and some auto and home maintenance.

Ashley described feeling a sense of accomplishment when he was asked to help install an air conditioning unit. His favorite part of The Foundry classes was building an outlet and a light source with electricity. “Nobody really gets a chance to do stuff like that,” he said. “It takes skill.”

Plus, at The Foundry, Ashley could turn his focus to his work, leaving behind whatever was weighing on him. “This was something that he could do on his own,” Howard said. For his future career, Ashley is considering underwater welding or football.

When I asked Ashley if he felt that the new skills helped build character, he turned my question around: “I think it takes character to build something.”

‘Subdue the earth’

Without some kind of “code,” Galloway has argued, some set of principles to be guided by, young men are bound to drift. Religion, patriotism and even masculinity can function as that code.

For Whitney and his project at The Foundry, that code looks like a combination of Christian values and a responsibility learned through hands-on skills that men can contribute to the community around them.

A silent number of American men are struggling: Survey

Whitney, who described himself as a “conservative type of Presbyterian,” has thought a lot about the verse from Genesis where God commands Adam and Eve to “replenish” and “subdue” the Earth.

“We were told to go out and subdue the earth — suddenly I thought of it not as conquering the earth, but learning to build, fix, create and take responsibility.” He felt called to start The Foundry and views it as a ministry.

Although the instructors happen to be Christian, the religious part isn’t mandatory. Some students are Jewish or atheist. “Even if they’re never going to be Christian, it gives them a moral compass. It shows them that living for yourself is no way to live at all,” Whitney said.

Sax offers some advice in his book to keep boys motivated despite the cultural forces working to destabilize and derail them.

“As parents, we have to find ways to restore the bonds across generations,” he wrote. Houses of worship or even competitive sports are places where boys can be mentored.

Utah task force explores boosting well-being of men and boys

One way of getting the boys out of the online abyss of the manosphere with figures like Nick Fuentes and Andrew Tate spreading “toxic misogyny,” he wrote, is to restore romance. “The most effective way to get these young men out of the manosphere is not with feminism, but with chivalry.”

Sax continued, “These boys are hungry for a solid answer to the question, ‘What does it mean to be a real man?’ Here’s what we should tell them: Being a real man means being a good husband, a good father, a good servant to your community and to your nation.”

For Whitney, the hands-on skills he teaches lead to that same larger goal. They’re a vehicle for something deeper — cultivating character and instilling in young men confidence to work hard and offer something to the wider community.

“It’s more of how to be not just a man, but a responsible Christian man,” Whitney said.

Judge Tony Graf set to decide Tuesday if Tyler Robinson’s case goes to trial

Emma Pitts — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The decision on whether the case against Charlie Kirk’s suspected assassin will proceed to trial is scheduled for Tuesday.

23-year-old Tyler Robinson will be present as Fourth District Judge Tony Graf hears both parties’ closing arguments. The defense and prosecution will each get two hours to give their final arguments before Graf is set to make a decision.

Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, is expected to attend the hearing.

Robinson faces six felony charges, including aggravated murder, witness tampering and obstruction of justice. He also faces the Class A misdemeanor of a violent offense in the presence of a child. The prosecution is seeking the death penalty.

Could he find that the Utah County Attorney’s Office fell short of establishing probable cause? Yes, but it’s unlikely.

The hearing comes nearly two months after the case’s five-day preliminary hearing, where prosecutors were tasked with establishing probable cause that a crime was committed and that Robinson committed it.

Meanwhile, the defense used their witnesses and cross-examinations to try to convince Judge Tony Graf that there is insufficient evidence against the defendant.

What both sides are arguing

Rather than hear closing arguments in July, Graf granted a defense motion that allowed both parties to submit written closing arguments.

“The big question,” Attorney Katie Zacharia said, is whether or not the prosecution can “charge him on capital punishment.”

“I think that the state has really proven to be able to take this case to trial,” Zacharia said on Fox and Friends. “They’ve been able to prove that the shooter knew that he could harm other people in the crowd and around Charlie Kirk, and I think we’re going to see this play out.”

The prosecution said the case against Robinson is “as straight-forward a bindover decision as this Court will ever see” and argues the evidence clears the relatively low probable cause threshold on all seven counts.

The prosecution also stated that the “Defendant created a great risk of death to everyone who was in his line of fire, or who was near Mr. Kirk when Defendant pulled the trigger.”

In their briefing, Robinson’s defense attorneys argued that the state failed to make the case that he “knowingly created a great risk of death to another other than Charlie Kirk” because the shooter “hit its intended target,” and because of that “the single factor of proximity fails to permit an inference of a subjective knowledge of the shooter of a high probability of risk of death to others.”

His legal counsel also claimed the “line of fire” argument, which they accused the state of “broadly” using, does not hold up. Videos of the Sept. 10 event at Utah Valley University, they argue, undermine that theory because the shot came from an elevated angle and those standing in front of Kirk weren’t in the bullet’s path.

‘I would much rather our country look like this room’: Erika Kirk reflects on Robinson hearing

Salt Lake Temple Celebration theme announced Tuesday

Ariel Harmer — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will soon announce the theme for the upcoming open house and celebration of the historic Salt Lake Temple.

At a news conference Tuesday, church leaders will officially announce details about the celebration and explain how the public can make reservations. The program will also include a children’s choir performance.

The announcement will be the first event held in the new west entrance building for the Salt Lake Temple following its renovations.

The event will be livestreamed worldwide in English and Spanish on the Church News’ social media channels.

What’s new and coming to Temple Square

What is the Salt Lake Temple Celebration?

The Salt Lake Temple Celebration is a historic event taking place from April 5 through Oct. 1, 2027, to mark the temple’s reopening after years of renovations.

An immersive new visitors’ center opened earlier this year, allowing visitors to learn more about temples and walk through replicas of several rooms in the Salt Lake Temple. The Temple Square grounds have also reopened with new sculptures and other features as construction has continued on the temple.

In April, the finished temple will open to the public for guided tours. Temple Square will also feature a number of special experiences, including exhibitions and performances.

These new experiences were “designed to help all guests learn of Jesus Christ. He is the focus,” Elder Dale G. Renlund of the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said in a press release. “We hope and pray that the millions of guests who come to Temple Square every year and engage with these new experiences will be inspired and come to know their Savior better.”

Salt Lake Temple open house reservations are opening soon. Here’s how to get tickets

Volunteer scheduling options expand for historic Salt Lake Temple celebration

Open house tours are free but require reservations. The first batch of tickets for Salt Lake Temple tours will be released on Sept. 1 at 11 a.m. MDT on TempleSquare.org and the church’s Temple Square app. More tickets will become available in future releases.

Volunteer opportunities for the celebration are available to anyone age 16 and older, including those who are not members of the church.

Following the open house and temple celebration, the Salt Lake Temple will be rededicated as a house of the Lord and will reopen for temple worship.

A complete timeline of the Salt Lake Temple renovations

What Kalani Sitake said prior to first game of the season against FCS Utah Tech

Jay Drew — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Four days after BYU shook up its athletic department head football coach Kalani Sitake met with reporters via Zoom to discuss this week’s season-opening game against Utah Tech.

Not surprisingly, Sitake was not interested in talking about the restructuring or the fact that football will act independently of the other 20 sports in the department and he will now report to BYU advancement vice president Keith Vorkink

“Yeah, my job is to be the head football coach at BYU and take care of these young men, and try to give the fans what they deserve,” he said in response to a question about reporting to someone other than the second-year athletic director from the Deseret News. “That’s what I’ll be focused on. I’m not going to really worry about that stuff right now, and just focus on the team.”

The coach is 84-45 in 10 seasons as BYU’s coach, including a 23-4 record the past two years.

BYU athletic department changes come at a critical time

Longtime Kentucky athletics official Marc Hill was hired on Aug. 10 to be Santiago’s deputy AD, but BYU has yet to announce Hill’s specific responsibilities. Sitake said at photo day that he had never met Hill before the hiring.

Meanwhile, Sitake and the Cougars appear to be laser-focused on the season, which will be the popular coach’s 11th in Provo.

Senior defensive lineman Justin Kirkland also addressed reporters Monday, along with quarterback Bear Bachmeier and running back LJ Martin, and said the noise surrounding the program has not been a distraction throughout fall camp, which wrapped up last Tuesday.

BYU athletic department: Kalani Sitake will no longer report to Brian Santiago

“I think the coaches and the players, just in general, do a very good job at separating kind of the off-the-field stuff with on-the-field stuff,” Kirkland said. “So while we were in fall camp and preparing for Utah Tech, it was all focused on Utah Tech and what we have in front of us. That’s really our focus as a team — is just preparing for this Saturday. Whatever happens off the field, it can kind of happen off the field.”

Two weeks ago, BYU special teams coordinator Justin Ena, a former Cougar and one of Sitake’s best friends in the coaching business, was asked by the Deseret News about the possibility of the “issues” hovering on the periphery of the program affecting the team.

His response was somewhat telling:

“There’s some noise out there, for sure, no doubt,” Ena said. “But these kids are very, very focused. They know that they have to be ready to go, whether in the weight room, in the classroom, or on the field. It doesn’t matter. They know the drill.

“They are just working to make sure they get the very best out of themselves,” Ena continued. “And then us coaches hold them accountable. And then our players hold us accountable, too, because we want to make sure that we’re locked in and that we’re not wasting a day with things that don’t matter to us.”

What else did Sitake say Monday?

While BYU was enjoying its last weekend without football until the Sept. 26 weekend, Utah Tech was getting routed 54-0 in “Week Zero” by reigning FCS champion Montana State in St. George. Sitake called the Trailblazers’ blowout loss a “tough draw” and said he expects to see an “improved and motivated team” at LES this Saturday (6 p.m. MDT, ESPN+).

He also spoke at length about his friendship with Utah Tech coach Lance Anderson, a former Stanford assistant. Anderson’s daughter once worked in BYU’s football offices, Sitake said.

Next year, there will be no Week Zero because the NCAA approved moving the entire regular-season calendar up by one week to provide a more uniform start to the season.

“I do like that schedule. I think it gives opportunities for two byes throughout the year, and I think that would be best for these guys,” Sitake said. “If you look at the system and playing these games, it takes its toll on you. So anytime we can have a break, or two of them throughout the season, I think it would benefit the players the most.”

From the beginning of the Edwards Era, Dave Hanna watched a leadership guru at work

Lee Benson — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 02:51:54 +0000

Dave Hanna was there when it all began.

He’d just started his senior year at BYU in the fall of 1972, helping defray the costs of higher education by working for Dave Schultess in the sports information office, when an unproven assistant named LaVell Edwards took over as the Cougars’ head football coach.

Up close and personal, Dave watched Edwards’ inaugural season and then, after being accepted into graduate school, the next two seasons as well. His job with the SID department was to go to the BYU locker room after games to gather quotes for the media.

Thus he was there in the locker room at the old Cougar Stadium (capacity 30,000) on Nov. 9, 1974, after BYU defeated 16th-ranked Arizona State 21-18 — one of the biggest wins, if not the biggest, to that point in the Cougars’ rather meager football history.

He was gathering quotes when LaVell walked in and started addressing the players … and then stopped. The coach was unable to continue because emotion overtook him. All he could do as he struggled without success to gain composure was give the team a thumbs-up and stand down.

Then came what Dave describes as “the loudest ovation I have ever heard in my life. The lockers became kettle drums, the cheering, it seemed to me, was going to lift the roof right off the locker room.”

To Hanna, what he witnessed that day wasn’t just the reaction to scoring a major upset, it was a reflection of the way the players felt about their coach and the way he led them.

To say Dave was hooked on Cougar football, and its iconic coach, might be a tad understating it. He graduated with a master’s degree. in organization behavior and left Provo behind in 1975, but he didn’t leave the football program behind. His career, starting with Procter & Gamble and later as a consultant to numerous successful companies, took him around the world. He followed the Cougars religiously, including during the years he lived in Germany when BYU was a perennial entrant in the Holiday Bowl and he’d watch the game on Armed Forces Television — at 3 in the morning.

As much as he reveled from afar in BYU’s wins (and the 1984 national championship) throughout the Edwards Era, he was mesmerized by the way LaVell continued to lead the team in his unassuming, effective way. In his day job, Dave advised, consulted and observed many of the business world’s top leaders. In the BYU coach he saw their equal and then some, a man who not only adhered to recognized leadership principles, but added a few more that were all his own.

So when Dave retired in 2020 and moved back to Provo, he decided it was time to capture his observations for posterity.

The result is “LaVell’s Leadership Playbook,” the book Dave released this month, just in time for another football season. (You can find it on Amazon.)

In chronicling many of the biggest wins in the Edwards era, Dave assigns one of eight fundamental business principles he watched LaVell consistently employ. They include: 1. Compete using your unique strengths, 2. Instinctively follow the game plan, 3. Build new, consistent, and enduring capabilities, 4. Solve problems at their source, 5. Handle whatever the competition throws at you, 6. Develop true partnerships, 7. Adapt to changes in your world, 8. Never write off an individual.

“I saw him routinely living up to these eight points and what a difference it made with his players, on and off the field,” notes Dave. “Great leaders instinctively follow the game plan. I think that was true with LaVell. His leadership made such a huge impact on so many people.”

To help prove that point, Dave’s is one of two books released this month celebrating LaVell’s leadership. “The Leadership of LaVell Edwards,” by Mark D. Ogletree and Dave McCann, was released Aug. 3 by Cedar Fort Publishing. (Dick Harmon featured the book in his Aug. 16 Deseret News column. Twenty-six years after LaVell retired and 10 years since his death, the tributes, and the books, just keep coming.

McCann, the veteran sportscaster, Deseret News columnist and author, thinks he gets why: Because the coach never set out to have books written about him.

“He’d probably be embarrassed to have two books about him, and that’s part of his charm,” says McCann. “He did what he did because it was in his fiber, because that’s who he was, he didn’t do it for any other reason.”

For the definitive word about how LaVell would react to this latest flurry of attention let’s go to Ann Cannon, his daughter:

“I think he would be grateful his legacy is still there and important and affecting people,” she says, “but I think surprised is a good word for how he might react. He never did take himself too seriously. A long time ago he once told me it would be embarrassing for the football coach to make more than the president of the university. I remember one time we were eating in the food court at the mall and a man at another table kept looking at us. My dad assumed he recognized him as the coach. Then after a while the man came over and said, ‘I think you work for the grounds department at BYU, don’t you?’ He really got a kick out of that. He loved it when stuff like that happened.”

Correction: The lead photo of this story shows BYU football coach Kalani Sitake and George Rahlf. A different person was identified with Sitake in the original caption.

Minky Couture Week 5 high school star athletes of the week

James Edward — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 02:54:28 +0000

Football

Brighton Reutzel, Stansbury (Sr.)

It was a statement performance last week for Stansbury’s Brighton Reutzel.

The senior quarterfinal passed for five touchdowns and rushed for two more in leading the Stallions to an impressive 45-28 victory on the road at Woods Cross.

For the season he’s passed for 784 yards and 10 touchdowns while also rushing for two more TDs.

“He is one of the hardest workers I have ever seen and always putting in extra time with our offensive coordinator to make sure he knows what his reads and progressions are on each play. His love for football and desire to compete is next level,” said Stansbury coach Jason Walker.

Reutzel was a 4A second team all-state quarterback a year ago after throwing for over 3,000 yards and 42 TDs, and he’s on pace for similar production this season.

“He is also willing to do whatever it takes as a leader to make sure our team is doing what they need to do to be successful. His game at WX is so exemplary of the fact that he encourages everyone to do their part in making this team the best they can be. Excited to see what he continues to do this season as he continues to strive to be his best,” said Walker.

Girls Volleyball

Kambri Mecham, Delta (Jr.)

Delta ran its record to 8-3 on the season with a pair of wins last week, and at the center of that success is junior Kambri Mecham.

The setter has tallied 311 assists, 57 digs and 39 kills this season, including 40 assists against Ogden last week. She’s surpassed 1,700 assists in her career now.

“That is an incredible accomplishment, and she still has her senior year to achieve more. The assists not only show how well she can distribute the ball to her whole team, but that her teammates are helping by doing their best in putting balls away,” said Delta coach Kelbey Fisher, who added that Mecham’s athleticism, fundamentals and work ethic are big factors in her success.

Mecham was voted second team all-state last year.

“Kambri is a very kind and coachable athlete. She is a positive example to our program. She expects a lot of herself, which gives her a drive during games to help lead her team,” said Fisher. “Against Ogden, she stepped up her blocking and finished the night with a career-high six blocks.”

Girl Soccer

Macey Woolley, Crimson Cliffs (Sr.)

Senior forward Macey Woolley is on fire this fall for Crimson Cliffs.

The Weber State commit has notched 13 goals and six assists in eight games this season, highlighted by a massive four-goal performance a couple weeks ago in a win at Lone Peak.

“She is a serious attacking threat anytime she gets the ball near the goal. Her speed and strength are hard to contain,” said Crimson Cliffs. “Macey sets the tone for us every single day. Her work ethic, competitive drive, and willingness to learn are what set her apart. Macey is an outstanding athlete, but her character and support as a teammate are what make her truly exceptional.”

Woolley has been a four-year starter for Crimson Cliffs, and was voted 4A first team all-state last season after tallying 26 goals.

Boys Cross Country

Seamus Arndt, Juan Diego (Sr.)

Seamus Arndt made a splash at the Duchesne Invitational this week.

The senior won his first meet of the season in a time of 17:16.79, finishing 15 seconds ahead of the runner-up finish.

“Seamus has worked exceptionally hard the past four years to improve as a runner, and that hard work has paid off for him to start his senior cross country season,” said Juan Diego Andrew Zinman. “His dedication to the sport has set a great example for the rest of the team, and he is a great competitor and teammate. He has been pivotal to the progress of the Juan Diego boys program, and I can’t wait to see him compete and improve the rest of this season.”

Earlier this season Arndt set a new school record with his performance at the Premier Cross Country Invitational (4A division) finishing eighth with a time of 16:35.7 in the 2.95 mile course.

Girls Cross Country

Thea Sargent, North Summit (So.)

A sixth-place finisher at state a year ago, sophomore Thea Sargent is quickly establishing herself as one of the top young runners in 2A.

Sargent won the Duchesne Invitational last week with a time of 20:36.04 in the 5K race, finishing 62 seconds ahead of the runner-up finisher.

“Thea Sargent is a very dedicated and focused runner. She is always willing to do the extra work needed to reach her goals this year. Her family has been a wonderful support and has received much encouragement,” said North Summit coach Dave Peck.

“She is not afraid to speak up and let them team know of their commitment to do their best. As her coaches, we are excited about her drive to overcome any obstacles in her way to achieving her goals.”

Sargent was the highest-placing freshman at the state meet a year ago.

Girls Tennis

Lucy Nuttall, Timpanogos (Sr.)

Timpanogos senior Lucy Nuttall has enjoyed a perfect start to the season.

She upped her record to 9-0 with recent wins over top players from Mountain View and Westlake. She’s won all nine of her matches in straight sets so far.

A year ago, Nuttall qualified for the 4A state tournament as the No. 6 seed at first singles, advancing to the quarterfinals. The year prior she also advanced to the quarterfinals as a sophomore.

Boys Golf

Will Johnson, Bingham (So.)

Will Johnson is off to a flying start for Bingham’s golf team this fall.

Coming into the week, the sophomore had shot 67 and 68 in his two Region 2 meets to date, including a 68 last week at Mountain View Golf Course.

He leads Region 2 with a 67.5 scoring average, and owns a 3.5 stroke average over second place.

“When I think of Will Johnson, I think of hard work. He puts in the practice time and you can see the rewards in his game, no clear weakness to speak of. He is just a solid player all around,” said Bingham coach Sterling Jack.

Baseball

Camden Johnson, Tintic (Sr.)

Senior Camden Johnson’s quality at bats a week ago helped Tintic go 3-2 in a busy week in 1A baseball.

Johnson went 8 for 13 in five games, finishing with four RBIs. For the season, he’s batting .583 and has scored 16 runs.

He was just as strong defensively, throwing out the tying runner at the plate on a relay throw in Tintic’s 10-9 win over Wayne.

Johnson players shortstop, catcher and pitcher for the Miners.

“Camden is a smooth operator, a great captain, and a hard-nosed player who always finds a way to make an impact,” said Tintic coach Scott Haney.”

Think you’re too smart to get scammed? Utah’s attorney general says think again

Emma Pitts — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 01:16:28 +0000

Utah lost $23.9 million to scams five years ago. Last year, the total amount was $108 million. Just barely halfway into 2026, the amount currently sits at $59.8 million.

As artificial intelligence advances, scammers are becoming increasingly skilled at executing fraud, targeting people of all ages.

“The more people are aware of something like this, the more they understand what’s going on, and the more their guard is up,” Utah Attorney General Derek Brown told the Deseret News. “Victims of financial crimes have less to do with age and more to do with the level of vulnerability, he explained.

On the steps of the Utah Capitol, Brown and members of the state’s Utah Fraud Prevention Coalition announced the launch of Utah’s Financial Crimes Intelligence Center.

The statewide hub aims to bridge the communication gap between law enforcement, financial institutions and victims, enabling accountability for criminals and providing reparations to those who fall prey to scams.

“No one is too smart, too careful, or too experienced to become a victim of fraud. We have seen criminals prey on business owners, investors, even people who teach financial literacy for a living, only to lose thousands to schemes built to exploit trust. These criminals are sophisticated and organized. They’re counting on us not being either. They’re wrong,” Brown said.

He told the Deseret News his two priorities under the FCIC are bringing awareness to financial crimes and removing the stigma and shame that comes with falling victim to such crimes.

In his public remarks, Brown said fraud crimes are what he gets calls about most.

Fraud is a real problem in Utah, and it’s nothing to be embarrassed about

He said he recently heard from a friend who had fallen for a real estate scam.

“What made it unique is that he himself had talked about this very scam, and he was a very sophisticated lawyer who practiced real estate law,” Brown explained. “The reason I tell you that is because this is the kind of thing that literally can happen to anyone. If it’s happened to you, there’s no need to feel ashamed. I just want you to reach out.”

“I want you to report it, because a $30,000 fraud that takes place in Cache County and a $30,000 fraud taking place in Washington County may actually be connected. Our job is to identify that connection.”

In that case, Howard Headlee, president and CEO of the Utah Bankers Association, said timing was critical to serving justice.

“In these cases, time is of the essence. Time is critical,” he said during Wednesday’s press conference. “That attorney knew to call the attorney general. The attorney general called me. I knew to call the American Bankers Association, which got a hold of the bank in Texas where the money was wired to. We got that money back, but it only happened because it happened quickly. This attorney knew what to do.”

Texas was the first state to coin the idea of a statewide financial crimes center, but Brown told the Deseret News that Utah is taking it to the next level.

“We are now taking it and scaling it and making it something that other states like California have literally reached out and asked us, ‘How are you doing it? What kind of expertise are you bringing on? You know, what are the mechanics?’ And that sort of thing,” he said. “So we fully anticipate that this will be a long-standing division that only grows.”

Heavy rains, flash floods across southern Utah and the Grand Canyon leave 2 dead and others missing

Leah Bowers — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 21:06:36 +0000

Two people are dead and over a dozen remain missing after heavy rains and flash floods ripped through the Grand Canyon on Saturday — the deadliest incident in the park in nearly 70 years.

Severe storms continue to batter southern Utah and northern Arizona, turning neighborhoods and towns into arenas of crisis, including flipping over two dozen railroad cars in Millard County.

There was significant flash flooding in and around Zion National Park on Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

Heavy rain has caused the North Fork of the Virgin River to go from a normal flow around 35 cubic feet per second to a peak of 5920 cfs, the 5th highest peak at this gage on record. Here is a time lapse of water increasing at the gage. #utwx pic.twitter.com/ee44OuNoyk
— NWS Salt Lake City (@NWSSaltLakeCity) August 31, 2026

Heavy storm lifted the flow of the Virgin River Monday afternoon. Experts are warning locals to stay alert, as more rain may come.

Salt Lake City’s National Weather Service released a statement Sunday stating there was a moderate risk — Level 3 out of 4 — for excessive rainfall leading to flash flooding Monday in southeastern Utah. The highest risks extend from the Northern San Rafael Swell and into the Uinta Basin.

The NWS says the heaviest rain will be in the afternoon and early evening.

Monsoon season has arrived in Utah, bringing much-needed rain and new threats

The Grand Canyon

As of Sunday morning, two individuals have been confirmed dead and up to 20 others are missing or unaccounted for following floods that are shaping up to be the deadliest incident in the Grand Canyon since a midair collision in the 1950s.

The park is asking the public to provide information for the individuals who may be missing since the floods began Saturday.

Sixty-two other hikers have been airlifted and evacuated from Phantom Ranch and the lower North Kaibab Trail, according to the National Park Service, with more individuals scheduled to be evacuated.

About half an inch to an inch of rain fell within just half an hour in the canyon — where there’s a steep drop in elevation — CBS News reported. The floods resulted in significant impacts to infrastructure throughout the canyon.

“Nearly all footbridges spanning Bright Angel Creek were destroyed, eliminating hiker access across the creek,” the National Park Service said. “Grand Canyon National Park staff are continuing to assess damage to trails, bridges, utilities, facilities and other infrastructure.”

The flood also damaged the Transcanyon Waterline, leaving those near the canyon waterless, relying only on reserves. The park has asked residents and visitors to limit showers to five minutes or less, turn off faucets while shaving or brushing teeth and washing laundry in full loads.

The Colorado River is also currently closed until further notice — after it filled with metal structures and debris from the mudslides.

15-20 people possibly missing after Grand Canyon flooding; officials seeking information

Millard County

In Millard County in central Utah, storms, rains and hail ripped the roof off a resident’s house.

Some residents aren’t calling it a storm — they’re calling it a tornado.

Dan Wilde, a local resident, shot a video of the forming tornado or funnel cloud, just 15 miles west of Delta on Saturday.

“It’s spinning,” he noted, in awe at how fast the funnel was growing.

Millard County Sheriff Steve O’Camb posted on Facebook about the aftermath, walking around the town of Lynndyl. “We just had a crazy storm cell blow through here,” he said.

Following the severe windstorm that caused significant damage in Lynndyl, community members are gathering today at 1:00 PM at Lynndyl City Park (50 E Center) to help with cleanup efforts and come together in support of our neighbors. Sharing this so our neighbors in Millard…
— Rep. Celeste Maloy (@RepMaloyUtah) August 30, 2026

Panning his phone, O’Camb showed an entire row of railroad cars — what he said totaled about 34 — that were flipped on their sides off the tracks. The various trees and debris blown over in the storm onto state roads are making for a difficult medical response, he explained.

“We’re just in our assessment phase of this natural disaster that came through, so we’ll have more details that are coming up. We get medical, fire, deputies and highway patrol in the area,” he said. “So it’s all hands on deck here in the Lynndyl-Leamington area of Millard County.”

A tornado survey team visited Lynndyl Saturday morning to investigate. Community members gathered at Lynndyl City Park to help with cleanup efforts.

Emery County

In Emery County, the National Weather Service advised residents to prepare for storms throughout Monday — storms that have “the potential to be a once-in-a-lifetime event in magnitude with periods of heavy rainfall and flash flooding, possibly worse than what we experienced Saturday,” said county Sheriff Tyson Huntington.

He said the county had come together in solidarity.

“We have seen an amazing response to the flooding we experienced in parts of Emery County yesterday,” said Huntington, after community volunteers spent the weekend filling sandbags.

The Red Cross and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have also established shelters in the area — available to anyone who has been evacuated. The Emery County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Team are also on the scene assisting.

Floods strike homes in Emery County

Church wins unanimous federal ruling in tithing case appeal

Tad Walch — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 19:39:43 +0000

A three-judge panel of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals handed down a unanimous ruling Monday in a consolidated class-action tithing lawsuit involving The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The judges ruled for the church, affirming a 2025 district court ruling that dismissed a lawsuit in which nine people filed four lawsuits seeking the return of hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations they gave the church across a quarter of a century.

The decision handed the church a major victory in the last Latter-day Saint tithing case standing in federal court.

The 10th Circuit judges stated that their role was to determine if the Supreme Court would overturn the district court ruling that the plaintiffs sued the church after the statute of limitations had expired.

Federal judge dismisses another tithing lawsuit against the Church of Jesus Christ

“We see no reversible error,” wrote judges Harris Hartz, Gregory Phillips and Nancy Moritz, adding later, “We are not persuaded.”

Three plaintiffs — Daniel Chappell, John Oaks and Masen Christensen — filed a proposed class-action complaint in the United States District Court for the District of Utah in October 2023.

Other plaintiffs then filed similar cases in federal courts in California, Tennessee and Washington. A judicial panel consolidated the cases, which then were heard together in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City.

The plaintiffs alleged the church fraudulently induced donations, misused donations, concealed the alleged misuse, committed fraud when it said tithing funds would be used only for church purposes and engaged in illegal “enrichment” by retaining the funds.

Judge Robert J. Shelby ruled in April 2025 that all the plaintiffs should have been aware of the information that motivated their claims more than three years limit before they sued. The law bars such lawsuits when they are not filed within three years.

Shelby dismissed the case with prejudice, meaning the nine plaintiffs could not try again. Instead, they filed an appeal in the 10th Circuit.

“Tithing donations made by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are an expression of faith and allow the church to fulfill its divine mission,” church spokesman Sam Penrod said after Shelby’s ruling 16 months ago.

“These donations are carefully used and wisely managed, under the direction of senior church leaders,” he added. “The legal claims brought against the church were rightfully dismissed by the court.”

The Church of Jesus Christ has now won three major cases in 20 months involving claims about tithing.

In January 2025, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a lawsuit by James Huntsman, who sought the return of millions in tithing and other donations to the church. The court ruled that “no reasonable juror could conclude that the church misrepresented the source of funds for the City Creek project.”
In August 2025, a 10th Circuit panel of judges upheld a 2023 federal district court ruling that rejected a lawsuit brought by Laura Gaddy and others that claimed the church propounded false beliefs and misrepresented its history and practices to defraud members of donations.

Hartz and Phillips were judges in both the Gaddy ruling and the one handed down Monday in the consolidated case.

Despite the church’s winning streak, the win on technical grounds left meant the three-judge panel on Monday skirted the issue both sides wanted to address, the church autonomy doctrine that allows religious bodies to determine how their own doctrines, policies and use of donated funds.

The judges in the Huntsman and Gaddy cases also avoided deciding the tithing portions of their rulings on church autonomy grounds.

Many religions would like to see a high court precedent supporting church autonomy regarding religious donations. Plaintiffs hoped for a ruling striking it down, and their appeals provided an opportunity for both sides.

An attorney who filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of multiple religions in support of the Church of Jesus Christ had called the case a “brazen and dangerous assault on a church’s religious authority.”

10th Circuit Court rules for Latter-day Saints in tithing, fraud case

Gene Schaerr, a BYU law professor and partner at Schaerr Jaffe in Washington, D.C., hailed Monday’s ruling. His brief represented the National Association of Evangelicals, the General Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventists and many other religions.

“It’s another great victory for the church in this whole spate of cases that the church has faced,” he said. “Hopefully today’s decision will just further cement the idea that you can’t sue churches based on how they spend donated funds.”

The judges didn’t rule directly on the church autonomy doctrine, but Schaerr said the decision was helpful.

“It was also a broader victory for the concept of church autonomy, ecclesiastical autonomy,” he said. “This is part of an ongoing battle that we’ve been fighting on behalf of the church and a bunch of other religious organizations. All of them face these kinds of claims all the time.”

The churches use a constitutional argument rooted in the First Amendment’s protection of freedom of religion from government intrusion.

“These plaintiffs are trying to get a court to second guess spiritual judgments that were made by a religious body,” Schaerr said. “That kind of litigation is just foreclosed under the First Amendment. Courts have no business second guessing religious judgments about how a church should spend donations. It would be a violation of the First Amendment to even allow this case to proceed.”

While the Latter-day Saint cases are now at a seeming end, the issue continues in higher courts.

The U.S. Supreme Court recently shot down an effort by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to fast-track a similar class-action lawsuit filed by David O’Connell. The Catholic bishops had hoped to create a path to dismiss such suits before standard litigation takes place

The Supreme Court instead sent the case back to a lower court for continued litigation.

Trump touts new agreements to lower drug prices

Reagan Campbell — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:32:08 +0000

President Donald Trump held a press conference on Monday where he said that under the Most-Favored-Nation Initiative, the United States will save billions of dollars after nine more companies signed agreements to sell their drugs to state Medicaid programs at discounted prices.

The initial executive order, signed in May 2025, was a deal made with 17 pharmaceutical companies to lower drug costs.

Now, with nine more companies on board Trump said 90% of the domestic market for pharmaceuticals is covered.

Trump said, “These agreements are projected to save Americans more than $600 billion over a very short period of time.”

He noted, “drug prices have gone down and will go down 50, 60, 70, 80%.”

Trump tells drug makers to cut drug prices in U.S.

The latest companies to sign agreements include Alcon, Astellas Pharma, BeOne Medicines, BridgeBio, CSL, Kyowa Kirin, Sun Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals and UCB.

The companies have also pledged billions in spending to increase drug manufacturing in the United States.

In attendance from the Trump Administration was Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Kennedy described the goal of lowering drug prices and thanked the CEOs and “their vision for their commitment to something other than short-term profits, but a long-term commitment to our country, to patriotic values, and to human health.”

Lutnick focused on the national security and job benefits of the agreements. “We need our drugs made in America, and then that brings jobs and investment in America.”

Pharmaceutical executives at the press conference included Steve Schaefer, president of Kyowa Kirin North America, Julie Schiffman, senior vice president of CSL, and many others.

Schaefer explained his U.S. innovation commitment. He said, “right now, 5% of our drugs that are manufactured in the U.S. are for American patients. In the next two years, over 95% of drugs that are manufactured in the United States will be for American patients.”

“CSL employs nearly 19,000 Americans across 44 states,” Schiffman said, as senior vice president of one of the world’s largest plasma-derived biotechnology companies.

Trump said without his own announcement, these accomplishments won’t get covered, “but that’s why I speak up.”

Zach Wilson made it through cuts. Now the question is, who will be the Saints’ backup QB?

Brandon Judd — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

When the New Orleans Saints announced their roster cuts to get down to a league-mandated 53-man active roster by Sunday’s deadline, one of the names that didn’t appear on the transaction list was Zach Wilson.

The sixth-year pro — and former No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft — was one of three Saints quarterbacks to make it onto the team’s initial 53-man roster, along with starter Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler.

Second-year pro Hunter Dekkers ended up being the only quarterback New Orleans waived during cutdown weekend, and when the Saints announced their initial practice squad Monday, Dekkers was not on that list.

For now, that leaves New Orleans with Shough, Rattler and Wilson on the active roster, as the Saints prepare to open the 2026 regular season on Sept. 13 with a road game at the Detroit Lions at 11 a.m. MDT.

“I’d say they earned it. Those three earned it,” Saints coach Kellen Moore told reporters Monday, when asked if the plan was always to keep three quarterbacks on the active roster.

“Not every team carries three on the active roster and all three of those guys earned the opportunity to be on the 53. We’ve got three really good QBs.”

LIVE: HC Kellen Moore#Saints | @UberEats https://t.co/5ciborOQhM
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) August 31, 2026

While Shough is the unquestioned starter for New Orleans after taking over the QB position as a rookie last year, Moore left the door open on what the team will do in regards to its backup quarterback situation come game day.

“We’ll work through it the next few days but both of these guys are 2s in the NFL. We’re fortunate,” he said.

Wilson, the former BYU and Corner Canyon High star, is on his third team in three years after falling out of favor with his original squad, the New York Jets.

Two years ago, he made the 53-man roster with the Denver Broncos but was ultimately the third-string quarterback behind rookie Bo Nix and veteran Jarrett Stidham and didn’t play that year.

Last season, Wilson signed with the Miami Dolphins and earned limited time over four games, completing 6 of 11 passes for 32 yards.

Now, he’s on a one-year deal with the Saints, where he’s newest to the organization among the franchise’s three quarterbacks.

Rattler was a fifth-round selection by New Orleans in 2024 and was the team’s starting quarterback last season before Shough eventually took over as starter.

During the preseason this year, Rattler and Wilson took the bulk of the snaps under center for New Orleans, with mixed results.

Wilson’s best game came in their first contest, when he completed 11 of 16 passes for 145 yards and a touchdown in a 24-20 loss to Jacksonville.

Rattler had a few moments as well, and he started two of the Saints’ three preseason game, while Wilson started the other — a 34-0 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in their second preseason matchup.

The Saints received trade interest for Rattler from other teams, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. That included Jacksonville, NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill reported, but the Jaguars ended up trading for Quinn Ewers with the Dolphins.

NFL players with Utah ties who made it through cutdown day — and those who didn’t

Brandon Judd — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 06:01:00 +0000

The NFL’s cutdown day has come and gone — and with it, all 32 teams have their initial 53-man rosters for the 2026 season.

That is far from the end of transactions in the lead-up to the start of the season on Sept. 9 — on Monday, teams can begin to assemble their practice squads — but for more than 1,000 players, the reality this weekend was getting news they had been released or waived.

This reality hit a number of players with Utah ties. Over the weekend, 34 players who have played at either a Utah college or high school were cut, and four more were moved to a reserve list.

There were 54 players with Utah ties, though, who found a spot on initial 53-man rosters.

The University of Utah leads the way, with 23 former Utes making an initial 53-man roster. BYU followed with 12, while Utah State has four, Weber State has four, Snow College has three and Southern Utah has two, while 29 of those 54 played high school football in Utah (there is some overlap with those who also played college ball in the Beehive State).

There are seven rookies with Utah ties who made an initial 53-man roster, including six draft picks and one — former Utes offensive guard Tanoa Togiai — who made it as an undrafted free agent.

Here’s a full breakdown of these Utah ties who made the cut, those who didn’t and those who landed on reserve lists.