Salt Lake City

Researchers are calling on organizers of the 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, to use the Games as a catalyst for improving the region's air quality. Utah's valleys regularly suffer from pollution inversions, and scientists want the Olympic spotlight to drive lasting clean-air policy rather than temporary measures that fade once the event ends.

A judge in Salt Lake City has ruled that the man accused of murder in a shooting at an LDS church may argue self-defense at trial. The decision allows the defense to present that claim to a jury, shaping how the high-profile case will unfold. The ruling is drawing attention given the religious setting of the alleged crime and the unusual legal posture.

Researchers at Utah State University have outlined opportunities to improve air quality ahead of the 2034 Winter Olympics, which Salt Lake City is set to host. The work frames cleaner air as a lasting legacy of the Games, with proposals aimed at reducing pollution in northern Utah's notoriously poor-air-quality valleys ahead of and beyond the event.

International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry is visiting Utah, a trip that US Olympic and Paralympic leaders view as significant given Salt Lake City's role as host of the 2034 Winter Games. The visit is being read as a signal of the IOC's engagement with local organizers as planning for the Games moves forward, and Utah officials are highlighting the state's Olympic legacy and readiness.