Katharine Biele

1 month ago | cityweekly.net | Katharine Biele

Hit: Power CorruptsWhen it comes to energy, it's hard to know where Utah's head is. But we'll take a win, no matter how small. Utahns are consuming more electricity than ever—but in the same breath, they're not generating as many emissions. In the early 2000s, coal accounted for almost 60% of total energy production. Because coal-fired plants continue a death spiral—despite the Legislature's attempts to resuscitate the industry—coal now accounts for only 47%.

1 month ago | cityweekly.net | Katharine Biele

Miss: Crime PaysAmmon Bundy is on the run, but hardly scared. He talked about his fugitive status and his good standing with the LDS church in an exclusive report in The Salt Lake Tribune—"exclusive" in that other news outlets haven't tracked him down. Apparently, it's easy. The Bundys are the cattle barons who flaunt the federal government and, you'll recall, ran a huge publicity standoff-stunt at Oregon's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

2 months ago | cityweekly.net | Katharine Biele

Hit: Getting SchooledIt's not over till it's over. But for now, education in Utah can bask in a win or two. First, let's talk about vouchers. A judge ruled that the Utah First All Scholarship is unconstitutional because it doesn't "fit all." Of course, the ruling will be appealed, as legislative leadership thinks it takes away parents' ability to seek the best outcomes for their kids. Voucher advocates say students have already had transformative experiences—although there is no data to prove it.

2 months ago | cityweekly.net | Katharine Biele

Miss: College TrySometimes you have to lose to win. But when money's involved, humanity gives way to institutions. We are seeing this now more than ever as the president wields his tariff gun, as he threatens law firms with stripping their access and, of course, as he bleeds universities of their very essence. The lobotomizing of education may be the most serious peril we face.

2 months ago | cityweekly.net | Katharine Biele

Miss: Freedom of AssemblyIn Utah, it's a matter of church and state—and the dichotomy was evident last weekend. The semiannual LDS General Conference saw throngs of modest followers converge on the Salt Lake Temple, while thousands of sign-toting protesters marched to the Capitol. While the Mormons called for charity and even "reverence for sacred things in an irreverent world," protesters were showing irreverence to call attention to the Trump administration's scorched-earth policies.