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City Weekly January 18, 2026

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CITY WEEKLY C I T Y W E E K LY. N E T J A N U A R Y 1 5 , 2 0 2 6 — V O L . 4 2

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UTAH' S INDEPENDENT NE WSPAPER

Sound Check

Utah’s public radio stations bet on new directions and old ideals after federal funding cuts. BY WES LONG

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CONTENTS

Cover Story

Sound Check Utah’s public radio stations bet on new directions and old ideals after federal funding cuts.

SAVE ON DINING ENTERTAINMENT NIGHTLIFE |CONCERTS

By Wes Long

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Cover art by Clint Burlap

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SLC FORECAST Thursday 15 43°/24° Mostly sunny Precipitation: 5%

Friday 16 41°/23° Partly cloudy Precipitation: 4%

SOURCE: WEATHER.COM Saturday 17 43°/25° Sunny Precipitation: 3%

Sunday 18 44°/27° Sunny Precipitation: 2%

Monday 19 43°/27° Sunny Precipitation: 2%

Tuesday 20 46°/31° Mostly sunny Precipitation: 1%

Wednesday 21 47°/34° Partly cloudy Precipitation: 2%

STAFF Publisher PETE SALTAS News Editor BENJAMIN WOOD Arts & Entertainment Editor SCOTT RENSHAW Contributing Editor WES LONG Music Editor EMILEE ATKINSON Executive Editor and Founder JOHN SALTAS

Editorial Contributors KATHARINE BIELE, ROB BREZSNY, MARK DAGO, BILL KOPP, MIKE RIEDEL, ARICA ROBERTS, ALEX SPRINGER, BRYAN YOUNG, LEE ZIMMERMAN Graphic Artists SOFIA CIFUENTES, CHELSEA NEIDER

Circulation Manager ERIC GRANATO Associate Business Manager PAULA SALTAS Developer BRYAN BALE Senior Account Executive KAYLA DREHER, DOUG KRUITHOF Account Executives KELLY BOYCE, KRISTA MAGGARD Display Advertising 801-654-1393 National Advertising VMG Advertising | 888-278-9866

Salt Lake City Weekly is published every Thursday by Copperfield Publishing Inc. We are an independent publication dedicated to alternative news and news sources, that also serves as a comprehensive entertainment guide. 16,000 copies of Salt Lake City Weekly are available free of charge at more than 1,000 locations along the Wasatch Front. Limit one copy per reader. Additional copies of the paper can be purchased for $1 (Best of Utah and other special issues, $5) payable to Salt Lake City Weekly in advance. No person, without expressed permission of Copperfield Publishing Inc., may take more than one copy of any Salt Lake City Weekly issue. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the written permission of the publisher. Third-class postage paid at Midvale, UT. Delivery might take up to one full week. All rights reserved.

All Contents © 2026

City Weekly is Registered with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Copperfield Publishing Inc. | John Saltas, City Weekly founder

Phone 801-654-1393 | Email comments@cityweekly.net Office address: 75 E. 400 South, Ste. 204, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER


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“Left in the Open,” Jan. 8 Cover Story

@SLCWEEK LY

Thank you to City Weekly for sending a reporter into the field, and to Zach Abend for walking the desert with us and documenting what he witnessed with care and integrity. In this small stretch of New Mexico desert, more than 100 women and young girls have been found in less than two years. The rate of female deaths here is nearly three times higher than in other border regions. Too often, these stories are discussed from a distance. This one

was witnessed—the terrain, the remains, the unanswered calls and the human cost. We are grateful for journalism that centers humanity and understands the weight of what it means when people are left in the open. Families are still waiting. BATTALION SEARCH AND RESCUE Via Facebook Silver City is my hometown—interesting because I hadn’t heard that they were doing this. But I’m not surprised, Silver City people take action, especially when it comes to the people who live and work near us! AMYE KAT Via Facebook Climate change aside, saguaro cactus grow in the Sonoran Desert, not the Chihuahuan Desert. Your cover this week depicts saguaros growing in New Mexico. KEN SANDERS

Salt Lake City Abandonments

In the state of Utah there are abandoned buildings, Many vacant dilapidated unknown strange things. They weakly stand alone in our mountains and fields, Along our rivers and lakes as forlorn battlefields, Struggling for another day the weather to survive, And keep the long-gone inhabitants’ memories alive. Mining and pioneer sites, barns, homes, camps and graveyards, All past histories fading forever picture postcards. Fancy the energy when ambitious and full of life, When young and spirited devoid of their current strife. There is soul in these abandoned we need contemplate, And for our lives today humanly appreciate. When happenstance upon one of our stressed humanities, Stop and fantasize its once life full of vibrancy. GEORGE KIBILDIS Sparta, New Jersey

Vote Now for Best of Utah: Body and Mind Editor’s note: The ballot for City Weekly’s 2026 Best of Utah: Body and Mind edition is now live, with readers able to nominate and vote for their favorite local businesses, clinics and individual practitioners in the state’s health and wellness sector. Don’t wait, voting closes on January 25, with the winners announced in March. Find a link to the ballot in the pop-out menu on the upper left hand corner of our homepage at cityweekly.net

Care to sound off on a feature in our pages or about a local concern? Write to comments@cityweekly.net or post your thoughts on our social media. We want to hear from you!

THE WATER

COOLER What’s an overused word or phrase you can’t stand? Katharine Biele

Make America Great Again.

Mike Ptaschinski

My ears are drowning in today’s “like”osphere. It’s bad enough listening to the younger generations use it three times in the same sentence. But when full-fledged adults manifest their similar addiction it’s more than bothersome. No. 2: “Obviously.”

Zach Abend Literally.

Wes Long

Among the contenders: “Toxic,” “clap back” and “influencer.”

Scott Renshaw

It’s probably overused even to note it’s overused, but if you actually use the word “woke” unironically to refer to anything, you are not a serious person.

Aimee Cook

I’m obsessed.

Carolyn Campbell

There’s a podcaster who keeps saying “gotcha.” I think “I get it” or “I understand you” both sound much better.

Benjamin Wood

“Cinema,” unless referring to films.


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PRIVATE

EYE BY JOHN SALTAS

Surely, Shirley

F

or many years, this newspaper published the humorous musings of Dan Sorensen, who wrote a column called “The Deep End.” Dan’s byline was simply D.P Sorensen. His father Parry was a well-beloved instructor in the University of Utah’s Journalism and Mass Communications Department, so it was an easy track for Dan to develop a yen for writing and reporting. Same for his brother Mike, who covered sports for the Deseret News. Dan, however, did more than news and used his incredible talent to make the seemingly unbelievable, very believable. Newspapers used to publish all kinds of columnists, including specialists covering fashion, society and food. Some, like Dan Valentine of The Salt Lake Tribune added wit and humor. And the Trib’s Paul Rolly and JoAnn JacobsenWells authored a must-read unveiling of insider goings on. Two columnists, Milton Holstein and Donna Evans, each a professor at the University of Utah, wrote about the media in the daily papers. But none came close to what Dan did. Do any among you recall that Dan delivered a many-years-long recollection of his time spent as Mitt Romney’s missionary partner in France, where wine may or may not have been consumed? Or that he often referenced Salt Lake City mayor Ross “Sparky” Anderson in every manner of pretzel logic imaginable? And how he untangled the 2002 Olympic Scandal in ways that made even the deepest insiders believe Dan’s farcical storytelling over their own eyes? One day, I was connected to bigtime PR fellas at the LDS church. We met for lunch at The Market Street Grill, and partway through they produced a manila folder. Inside was the collection of Dan’s columns about Brother Romney—a dossier, and they were curious about Dan Sorensen.

I didn’t have much to offer. I thought that was funny, but I also recall that in that moment I realized how words— even words so farcical as the ones Dan wrote—can be damningly believable. For satire to work, a reader must believe it or suspend belief regarding something that is otherwise patently false. Throughout history, great satirists revealed underlying, ugly truths, bending irony and hypocrisy into reader forms that were otherwise taken for granted. A great satirist foments societal change. The movie Dr. Strangelove, one of cinema’s great comedies, is a full-on jolt of satire—glorifying war to end it. Political cartoonists are a bastion of satire, certainly the case with Utah’s Pat Bagley. Three hundred years ago, the author Jonathan Swift set the standard with his novels Gulliver’s Travels and A Modest Proposal. Both could be useful re-reads as to why it is that a society’s ultimate demise begins with undervaluing the human side of the poor and uneducated in favor of the economic value derived from them. Swift correctly predicted that societies that lose their empathy will soon enough become monstrous. Seems familiar and contemporary, eh? Satirists draw ink upon a dangerous path. Mocking the monster has little reward. Remember the chubby guy in Jurassic Park who taunted the Dilophosaurus? It ate him. Same in real life, as it did to Juvenal in Rome, the Russian satirist Mandelstam and the recent—and murdered— French cartoonists of Charlie Hebdo. Push too far, scratch too deep, cause conscience to burn … there are consequences. Enter Nick Shirley. He’s the Utah boy and noisy Youtuber who blasphemed the Somali community of Minneapolis because he fancies himself as an emboldened reporter. Yet when confronted about his news chops, he claimed that his video was “satire.” Shirley knocked on the doors of day- and child-care facilities and insisted on seeing the kids. When none appeared, he cited that as evidence of widespread fraud in the Somali community and the hijacking of government funds

totaling in the hundreds of millions. When pressed, he declared that Somalis are known pirates and they brought their pirating ways to Minneapolis. That was music to the ears of Trump, Noem, Vance and the rest, who amplified Shirley’s musings into justification for sending additional ICE troops to a city that doesn’t need them, now outnumbering local police and law enforcement three to one. Shirley’s viral videos rocketed him farther into rightwing stardom. That he stood up for the man, and not against the man makes him an illegitimate satirist from the very start. He derided the very people that a true satirist would have helped. But Nick, where did all that money go if there were no students? Shirley didn’t bother with finding that out, as it would require actual “investigating.” Sniggling notions like that cannot deter an online star bent on further promoting his anti-immigrant positions. And yes, he has them. There is indeed fraud in some of those facilities. Nearly 100 arrests had already been made prior to Shirley adding gas to the political flame. Blame Joe Biden for those arrests, but don’t blame Biden for fanning the flames, nor exploiting the poor and the weakest among us. Those attributes are for the likes of Nick Shirley, who not only lack common sense, but also referential models—like books. May he read A Modest Proposal one day. May he understand that some things are not funny and that the outcomes of some jokes are severe. Shirley proudly says that he “ended Tim Walz.” Really? Then may he read about the French Revolution of 1789. May he always be reminded that he could have used his platform for a godly good, not for greater likes and shares. Nothing stains quite like blood on the hands. Shirley’s video, amplified as it was, led to the swarms of additional ICE agents that descended onto Minneapolis. A woman died in the aftermath of that butterfly effect. That’s not funny, Nick Shirley. CW Send comments to john@cityweekly.net


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HITS & MISSES BY KATHARINE BIELE |

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HIT: Book Worms

Banning books is an exhausting proposition, mainly because it relies on the moral repugnance of a few unidentified “readers.” There is no verifiable justification for the bans as long as a few school districts or charters agree to a virtual bonfire of literature. Now, Utah has the ignoble reputation as the state with the most banned books in the nation. All this is based on laws that attempt to define pornographic content. Sure, there was a Supreme Court case—Miller v. California—that called for three criteria to determine what’s porn. It’s not a word or a sentence that shocks. So now the Kurt Vonnegut estate, the ACLU and others are challenging Utah’s HB29 in court. That law might have been better had it required a public reason for the ban and maybe even evidence that the complainant had actually read the book. Meanwhile, students—particularly LGBTQ students—will be limited to bland books that stunt intellectual growth.

MISS: Internet Sleuths

Speaking of intellectual growth, it may be an antiquated concept in this era of misinformation and conspiracy. Let’s start with the mass shooting at the LDS chapel in Salt Lake City. A Youtuber known as Christian Warrior maintains that he has “reliable” information from “S2 Underground” who provided video of the funeral services. “Did the Crips take over an LDS Church?” he asks. Well, sure ‘nuf. Much like ICE officers, some were drinking alcohol and wearing balaclavas and “gang colors,” which looked like a pleasant tan and gold. He went on to blame the police chief, LDS leadership and the Catholics for not protecting their churches. On the national front, we don’t know if you’ve been to the scary White House website, but there you can find a list of “misleading, biased and exposed” media offenders. The list includes just about every media outlet, except those in adoration of MAGA.

MISS: Just Asking Questions

One of the most-read Deseret News stories this week was “Who is bankrolling protests in the U.S.? Investigations by the Washington Examiner and City Journal point to three U.S.-based nonprofits.” Great news sources, fersure! The News apparently uses reporters from something called its Politics and the West team. These are Utah-based reporters who focus on White House politics, seemingly from a right-wing viewpoint, if you’ve ever read their fare. They dug deep—sort of—into the financing of protests over the Maduro capture. One commenter opined: “Why do Republicans insist that people don’t just protest because they feel it’s the right thing to do? Is this just projection that Republicans are paid to protest? And of course, the claim that they’re pro-Maduro protests isn’t true. It’s anti stick your nose in other countries to steal their resources protests.” Another just asked if the News was worried that signs were printed at Office Depot. Readers will be waiting for such in-depth reporting on funding for Trump projects. CW

BY BRYAN YOUNG

Outraged by AI

I

’m constantly outraged by the use of generative AI. As a writer whose work has been stolen to train it, I’m personally aggrieved. As someone who believes art is a way to grow and learn empathy, I’m spiritually aggrieved. As a person who cares about the environment, the sheer amount of resources the plagiarism slop machine takes aggrieves me as a rational human being. Knowing it drives kids to suicide and people to psychosis, I’m aggrieved as a caring human. Knowing that it was created to put good people out of work and stuff money in the pockets of those who already have too much, I’m aggrieved morally and politically. AI is everywhere, though. So why am I harping on it here? Because, as they say, all politics is local, and Salt Lakers have a lot they can do for many different reasons. Obviously, you can (and should) stop using AI, because there’s no ethical way to do so. I know it sucks asking you to change behavior when the worst offenders won’t change theirs, but we have to start somewhere. Here’s the thing: our Great Salt Lake is drying up and every query into the plagiarism machine is the equivalent of pouring out an entire bottle of water. Techbros keep screaming that this technology is inevitable (like NFTs, remember those?). They’ll want to build data centers here, which will steal that water from the already dwindling supply. The lake is already threatening to turn into a cloud of toxic arsenic, adding to our plume of pollution. And the Legislature wants to add more coal fumes too, because they’re allergic to renewable energy for reasons one can only describe as partisan buffoonery. My suggestion is to refuse to patronize businesses using generative AI. Whether it’s in the conception of their products or the advertising of their services, generative AI steals from others, destroys the environment, kills jobs and puts money in the pockets of people who’ve done their best to make the world a worse place. But more than that, I’d like to see Salt Lake businesses and government lead by example with robust efforts and policies against generative AI use. Our city government has strong sustainability policies in place to ensure they don’t even allow bottles of water at city events or facilities, but is there a city policy yet to prevent a destructive technology that wastes the same amount of water every time a user asks it a question? How many city computers were forced to upgrade to Microsoft’s disastrous new Windows OS that includes their AI interface, allowing city workers to happily tap away, asking it questions (that AI overwhelmingly gets wrong), making the city we all love run less well and less sustainably? Is the city’s technology department utilizing this destructive force for coding? Let’s have government and business leaders pledge to keep our city free of this plague of climate-destroying, lake-drying, plagiarism tech. Or will we go down in history, like the writer Kurt Vonnegut predicted, as “…the first society that wouldn’t save itself because it wasn’t cost-effective”? CW


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VISUAL ART

A&E

“Before” and “After” images of a prompt-created image and Ben Bloch’s final painted version

Putting the “I” in “A.I.” Artist Ben Bloch feeds his own work into a program, and plays with the results.

T

he role of artificial intelligence in the arts has become a hot-button topic, with many artists resisting the use of their work in training large-language models. Ben Bloch has taken a different approach— to the extent of building an entire exhibition out of the result of deliberately training an A.I. program on his own paintings. Make Me a Landscape, Do Not Include Any Sky marks a collaboration between Bloch, a visual artist based in Utah and Montana, and programmer/software entrepreneur John Brownell. Introduced through mutual friends, Bloch and Brownell began a conversation about artificial intelligence in art that evolved into a very specific idea: Feed Bloch’s painting work over the past 10-15 years into an A.I. program, which Bloch would then prompt to create work in his style that he would expand on with additional painting. “Ben asked me about the possibility of training on a ‘style,’ and within a couple days I had a model trained on his paintings,” Brownell recalls. “I sent him a few examples, and he was blown away. He sent me prompts to generate with the model, and I eventually put an interface up for him to access so he could use it himself and prompt the model. Before long, he started using the outputs as source material for new paintings.”

BEN BLOCH

BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

“I’ve always been very interested in technology as it relates to art, in the sense that I think art is always exploring the new, things that are not yet known, and technology kind of reflects that,” says Bloch, whose artistic background has included multimedia and technology-based works in the past in addition to painting. “I’ve always been kind of more in the camp of, everything should be explored, and nothing is ever going to be all negative. A.I. presents a lot of open questions that I think are worth exploring.” As Bloch began to see the results of his prompts—sometimes hundreds of different ones in a day—he tried to see how much he could control the resulting images through the text requests. But what he found himself looking for were not images that felt like perfect representations of the kind of thing he would paint himself. “I wanted something I could have just the right battle trying to represent,” he says. “The images that it produced were … I would say, they lacked something. They tended to be missing some of the tension I would prefer to see in a painting—close, but not there. But at the same time, I’d say they presented some new things. There were some moments in the images that made something for me to

chase, taking these outputs and reinvigorating them. I felt kind of challenged by that.” For Bloch, one of the particularly fascinating considerations for this project was that the subjects for these works would be the natural world, as interpreted by A.I. to create landscapes that didn’t actually exist anywhere in the world. “Many people prefer to understand a painting through its representation of reality—if you make a landscape, what is it depicting, is it this or that spot,” Bloch says. “Just seeing how people are attached to being in that known reality. Whereas these are unreal places in a sense, but are an amalgamation of places I’ve painted, which are real places. Much of the resistance comes from that. For me, I care more that the painting be an interesting thing to look at, rather than what place it depicts.” Both Brownell and Bloch understand that resistance that many people have to the concept of A.I. applied to art, and have felt it themselves in various ways. “I understand why this makes people uncomfortable,” Brownell shares; “I am often uncomfortable thinking about what this all means!” And Bloch adds of this

project, “It was very strange, like hearing your own voice spoken back to yourself.” Yet for both of them, a blanket rejection of A.I. as an artistic tool feels unnecessary and often based on a misunderstanding of what the technology is and isn’t, beyond some of its worst abuses. “These models don’t copy, they learn,” Brownell asserts. “That alone is so strange. There is some weird magic happening during the training process that allows a relatively small model … to ‘understand’ a staggering chunk of human knowledge.” “I think a lot of people view A.I. as just a crutch, or just a thing that makes people lazy. In this case, I didn’t see it that way,” Bloch says. “I don’t think it necessarily has to diminish us, or what’s good about human creativity. I think it can be used wisely—used as a collaborative tool to reveal new things, depending on how we harness it.” CW

BEN BLOCH: MAKE ME A LANDSCAPE, DO NOT INCLUDE ANY SKY Finch Lane Gallery 54 Finch Lane Jan. 12 – Feb. 20 Opening reception Jan. 16, 6 – 9 p.m. saltlakearts.org


JULIA LYON

JEREMY DANIEL

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

Broadway at the Eccles: A Beautiful Noise It would be tempting to suggest that Neil Diamond is having a pop-culture “moment,” considering the emergence of this musical retrospective and the current film Song Sung Blue focusing on a Neil Diamond tribute act. The fact is, though, that the Neil Diamond “moment” seems to have been with us for decades, from the tunes he penned as a songwriter-for-hire, to his own successful performing career and the ubiquitous presence of “Sweet Caroline” among the most popular audienceparticipation tunes. It feels like the whole concept of a “jukebox musical” was meant for Neil Diamond. A Beautiful Noise does take that concept in a somewhat unexpected direction, as the framing narrative finds the singer reflecting on his life and career from a psychiatrist’s office, considering why he has often found himself dissatisfied in life. From there, the story tracks back to Diamond’s childhood in Brooklyn, his early days creating hits in New York’s legendary Brill Building, and the other steps on his road to fame. And of course that includes plenty of great tunes like “I’m a Believer,” “America,” “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” and, of course … BAM BAM BAM! Broadway at the Eccles presents the touring company of A Beautiful Noise at the Eccles Theater (131 S. Main St.) January 20 – 25, with performances Tuesday – Wednesday at 7 p.m., Thursday at 1 p.m. & 7 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m. & 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. Tickets begin at $100.76; visit saltlakecountyarts.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (SR)

JANUARY 15, 2026 | 11

Beethoven’s only opera, Fidelio, was first produced in 1805, and its story—of a woman trying to save the life of her husband from a political execution—has endured for more than 200 years. That’s one of the reasons why when director Tara Faircloth considers making unique changes for Utah Opera’s new staging, like adding English-language narration incorporating poetry and words of wisdom from over the years, she’s not concerned about “breaking” the work. “Opera was never designed to be set in stone, a museum piece that never changes,” Faircloth shares via email. “The composer himself re-wrote this piece three times (not to mention the many many iterations that came before publication). He was always trying to make it better. … This is the beautiful alchemy of our art form. ... the collective gathering of a group of artists around a particular work, and seeing the passion of each contributor shine through.” This interpretation includes new costumes by designer Fan Zhang (pictured) that shift the sense of whether this story takes place in a specific time. “I wanted to create a world that feels a bit familiar, but also slightly futuristic,” Faircloth says. “The fight for justice, protection of the innocent, and the boundless love of a wife for her husband in the face of horrific circumstances are universal ideas that speak to us now, and will certainly stand the test of time.” Utah Symphony’s production of Beethoven’s Fidelio comes to the Capitol Theatre (50 W. 200 South) Jan. 17 – 25, for five performances only. Tickets are $14.50 - $112; visit saltlakecountyarts.org for tickets and additional event information. (SR)

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Utah Opera: Fidelio

The title of Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company’s Traverse suggests a kind of journey—moving from one place to another—but in a manner of speaking it might be better to think of it as a change in perspective. On the one hand, you have the shift that comes from dancers in the company getting the opportunity to create their own original choreography; on the other hand, you have the differing points of view that come from audience members being seated on the stage and in the round. Four pieces make up the program, including three (as mentioned) created by company members: Fausto Rivera’s Sage Green presents, according to a press release, “a pairing of short dance stories that ask the audience to wonder how they would handle both large and small absurdities and to question whether they can trust what they see;” Miche’ Smith’s what I want is the ocean! investigates what it means to be in a state of potential; and Luke Dakota Zender & Cody Brunelle-Potter’s Mad at the foot of the ladder brings in University of Utah dancers to explore how to cope with an overwhelming world. Guest choreographer Annie Rigney rounds out the program with a piece developed as part of RWDC’s Choreographic Canvas Residency. Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company’s Traverse comes to the Rose Wagner Center (138 W. 300 South) Jan. 15 – 17 at 7:30 p.m. nightly, plus a “Moving Parts” sensoryfriendly performance Jan. 17 at 1 p.m. Tickets are $15 - $35 for the evening performances, $10 matinee; visit saltlakecountyarts.org to purchase tickets and for additional event information. (Scott Renshaw)

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Ririe-Woodbury: Traverse

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All You Need Is Kill BB1/2

Bill Skarsgård has proven that he’s a perfect fit for playing inhuman characters (It, Nosferatu); playing an Everyman, however, appears to be decidedly out of his wheelhouse. He stars in this fact-based drama as Tony Kiritsis, an Indianapolis man circa 1977 who takes as a hostage an officer of a mortgage company (Dacre Montgomery) he’s convinced cheated him out of a real-estate investment, setting off a multi-day standoff. It would be easy enough to point

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The Choral

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Dead Man’s Wire

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If you asked me what this movie was about, I’m not entirely sure that I could tell you, since it feels like an entire season of a serialized period-piece melodrama crammed into one 110-minute feature. I could certainly attest that it’s set in 1916 within a small mill town in Yorkshire, where the effects of the ongoing Great War impact everyone, including the town choral society having to replace their recently-gone-to-soldiers chorusmaster with the controversial choice of Dr. Henry Guthrie (Ralph Fiennes). There are, however, half a dozen other plot threads, including the mill owner and patron of the choral society (Roger Allam) dealing with his grieving wife; a young lad (Taylor Uttley) flirting with a girl (Emily Fairn) whose sweetheart is missing in action; a Salvation Army soprano (Amara Okereke); the decision by the choral society’s accompanist (Robert Emms) to register as a conscientious objector; the need to reject work by German composers and instead select one by Edward Elgar (Simon Russell Beale); and the various issues surrounding Guthrie’s history as both a recent resident of Germany and a closeted gay man. In theory, this could provide a wide-ranging picture of the era, its anxieties and its prejudices, but in practice, none of the individual characters are given enough time to make a real impression. As we lead up to a climactic performance that seems intended to have the kind of “are we hearing history being made” majesty of a clichéd music biopic studio-recording sequence, all these voices turn into cacophony rather than harmony. Opens Jan. 16 in theaters. (R) CW

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Dead Man’s Wire BB

The Choral BB

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Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s 2004 novel All You Need Is Kill has already been adapted once—as the 2014 Tom Cruise vehicle Edge of Tomorrow—and it turns out that returning the source material to its original setting and language doesn’t automatically improve things. This animated interpretation also switches things up by starting from the point of view of Rita (Ai Mikami), who finds herself caught in a time loop repeating the same day after dying during an attack by an invading alien entity. The narrative eventually focuses on the relationship between Rita and Keiji (Natsuki Hanae), who has been caught in the same Groundhog Doomsday cycle, and screenwriter Yûichiro Kido makes a game effort at building that emotional hook. But everything here feels sped up to accommodate an 83-minute running time, allowing too little time to build the story arc of setting the scene, establishing Rita’s character, conveying her experience of making sense of her dilemma, etc. And adding some rushed subtext involving the childhood traumas making Rita and Keiji the people they became doesn’t help matters much. The animation style provides a distinctive look that doesn’t feel like cookie-cutter anime, and there’s some clever editing along the way to make it clear where we are in Rita’s sequence of days. It simply turns out that doing this story justice maybe requires the extra 30 minutes that Edge of Tomorrow had at its disposal. Available Jan. 16 in theaters. (R)

All You Need Is Kill

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BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

SONY PICTURES CLASSICS

Three new features showcase protagonists in decidedly prickly situations.

to a lot of little things that don’t work: director Gus Van Sant’s fussy direction inserting black-and-white still images to give it some kind of 1970s grit; a subplot involving a Black television journalist (Myha’la) awkwardly shoehorned in, perhaps as another angle on an unfair system; Al Pacino Foghorn Leghorn-ing his way through a cameo as the mortgage company president, providing an unwise reminder of Dog Day Afternoon. But the biggest problem is Skarsgård, who plays every line reading and gesture way too big for a character who is meant to become a folk hero as a representative of put-upon common people. It’s miscalculated casting in any way, particularly juxtaposed with how effectively Montgomery plays the hostage, folding in on himself in fear. Movies of this kind shouldn’t be hard to make tense and fundamentally effective, but success absolutely demands an anti-hero that audiences might be able to connect with, rather than one who seems to come from an entirely different world. Available Jan. 16 in theaters. (R)

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CINEMA On the Edge


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14 | JANUARY 15, 2026

Sound Check

U TAH ’S PUBLIC R ADIO S TATIONS BE T ON NEW DIRECTIONS AND OLD IDEALS AFTER FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS.

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BY WES LONG WLONG@CITYWEEKLY.NET

O

n January 5, the directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced that the congressionally mandated nonprofit would be dissolved. Created in 1967 to oversee federal investments in public broadcasting on television and radio, the CPB functioned independently of the government but was funded like a government appendage. This structure made the agency a target of anti-public media attacks—dating back to its inception—and its dissolution further punctuated what had been accomplished with the passage of the Rescissions Act of 2025 in July. “For more than half a century, CPB existed to ensure that all Americans—regardless of geography, income, or background—had access to trusted news, educational programming, and local storytelling,” CPB president Patricia Harrison said in a press release. “When the Administration and Congress rescinded federal funding, our Board faced a profound responsibility: CPB’s final act would be to protect the integrity of the public media system and the democratic values by dissolving, rather than allowing the organization to remain defunded and vulnerable to additional attacks.” For Juliana Allely, president and general manager of KPCW, last summer’s funding cuts meant a release from ongoing suspense. “I was just relieved it was done and the decision was made,” she told City Weekly. “I don’t want to count on or even dream that federal funding will return. I’m not counting on that in our budgeting.” KPCW serves Summit and Wasatch counties from its station in Park City. By Allely’s estimation, roughly 14% of the station’s operating budget for the coming two years was lost by the actions of the current administration and Congress. “We are feeling that, but it’s not insurmountable,” she said. “Immediately after rescission, there was about eight to 10 days of tremendous financial support [from the public]. I think they do understand the importance of giving to public radio.” Allely is not alone in this experience, either. Gavin Dahl, executive director and general manager at KRCL in Salt Lake City, reported that their music-centric station lost about 10% of its budget from congressional defunding. But the subsequent public response, he said, more than made up the difference.

“We don’t want to rely only on generosity,” —KRCL general manager Gavin Dahl “We hit all of our fundraising goals as budgeted,” he noted, “and raised at least the additional $136,000 that we lost from CPB going away.” Tom Williams, program director and co-manager of Utah Public Radio (UPR) in Logan, voiced a similar chord when relating the 17% loss that their station sustained. “It’s a pretty big hit,” he noted. “There are some stations that are 30%-plus—that’s potentially fatal.” Williams expressed appreciation, however, for providers like NPR and their home at Utah State University for respective relief efforts. He especially gives thanks to the public for having made all of UPR’s post-rescission funding drives successful. The station has since made up for all the federal funds that were taken away, he said. “The response from listeners right now has been incredible,” Williams added. “What we and other stations around the country don’t know—and can’t know at this point—is what’s going to happen a year from now, or two years from now. Will listeners give at that same level? Will we be able to find other sources of funding? Will we have to curtail services? We just don’t know.” These disclosures of survival speak well of Utahns’ regard and hunger for public radio, even with the knowledge that the aforementioned stations are among the fortunate ones. Many public media outfits across the American media landscape—primarily those in smaller and tribal communities—do not have the wherewithal to absorb the loss of the CPB. And among stations that will carry on (like UPR, KPCW and KRCL), they stand to lose out on the future funding that might have otherwise increased, as Dahl pointed out. “We’re in growth,” Dahl said of KRCL. “That means corresponding federal funding goes up each year.” Naturally, public media stations across the United States will be asking themselves similar questions to those posed by Williams in the years to come. And go-

ing beyond longstanding attacks on the CPB, Dahl gets to the core of the larger problem. “We want to have a more robust source of funding,” he said. “We don’t want to rely only on generosity.” In a society dominated by commercial media, that kind of outcome will require both short- and long-term changes to be made—for public radio as a whole as well as for its listeners.

Signal Strength

One of the immediate byproducts of federal budget cuts was in its bringing Utah public media stations into nearer proximity, whether to share programs or just to serve as a sounding board to each other. Allely recalled a lunch summit that was held among representatives of Utah public media groups following the July rescission, where they could commiserate and get to know one another. “I knew of Utah Public Radio but now there’s much more communication,” she remarked. “There’s much more collaboration and support.” Allely considers such budding partnerships as opportunities for stations to reconsider their approaches and whether their resources are being used to greatest effect. That goes just as well for their pre-existing relationships, like their ties to KUER at the University of Utah and their national connections through NPR membership. Williams agreed. He believes that creating new programs and sharing existing ones will be essential in extending each other’s reach across the state. He cited KRCL’s creation of their “The Music Never Stopped” program for UPR as an example. “What listeners really want is the local programming, where they as a community can come together,” he said. Over at KRCL, regional associations have also been valuable. Dahl said that in the last decade, the station exited NPR membership and joined hands with both the


Tuning In

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Disclosure: The author is related to a regular UPR contributor who was not involved in this report.

JANUARY 15, 2026 | 15

To be sure, lofty principles require time to practice before an infrastructure can operate upon the norms that said practices create. And as Dahl pointed out, the United States was already far behind its global neighbors with regard to public media, even before the loss of the CPB. “Before these cuts,” he said, “we already had some of the lowest per-capita funding for public broadcasting in the civilized world. And so we were already abysmal—it’s gone from bad to even worse.”

Alongside traditional public stations, additional outlets have emerged in recent years, like the Salt Lake edition of the City Cast podcast as well as micro-level internet stations like Sugar House Community Radio, each seeking to fill their respective voids as best they can. All such ventures are reminders, in Dahl’s view, that the public “should control these airwaves.” And those airwaves indeed extend a long way, as Allely remarked of her experience at KPCW. “The station’s impact is felt mostly by this area of Utah. But with the digital presence that we’ve been focused on, our reach is felt nationally and internationally,” she said. “They don’t just listen and engage with our public affairs programs—they call in for song requests,” even from locations as far away as Tokyo. As for Williams, it’s the dissemination of knowledge and curiosity that remains public radio’s greatest value. And it’s in pursuit of that aim that keeps him and his colleagues motivated. “We realize we have to keep the quality of our programming high,” he remarked. “That’s not an onerous task—that’s an exhilarating task.” The same could just as well be said of the public to its democratic institutions, be they public media or otherwise. Keeping standards high and institutions healthy are not onerous tasks, but exhilarating ones. “The fight for public media’s future is a fight for democracy and against authoritarianism,” wrote media advocate Craig Aaron for the Pressing Issues newsletter on August 5. “Healthy democracies invest in public media—and right now ours is on life support. It will take years of organizing to rebuild what the Trump regime has demolished in just a few months. While I wouldn’t have chosen this path, we now have the chance to recreate something even better.” CW

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Looking beyond what local public radio stations are doing in partnership or how they are augmenting their current operations, there still remains the larger question of what the future of public media might look like. Now that valuable (if flawed) federal vehicles like the CPB are gone and fluctuating economies will not provide a fully robust funding base from individual listeners, perhaps the time is right, as some commentators have observed, to expand the national vision of what public radio is and can be. “U.S. society generally has an impoverished view of what its media could and should look like,” media scholar Victor Pickard told City Weekly via email. “The future of public media should include an expanded role for community engagement, especially around governance and programming decisions. Unhooking our local media from the market is a first critical step, but we also must democratize these institutions from the ground up.” That involves a mass re-learning of democracy, with all the rights and duties related thereto, as well as reacquainting citizens with the joint responsibility that the public shares with broadcasters and regulating bodies like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

“The air waves belong to the people,” wrote educator Charles Siepmann (1899-1985) in his 1950 book Radio, Television and Society. “Broadcasters have only temporary and conditional access to them. The primary condition of such access has reference to public interest. Both the extent and the limitations of the FCC’s powers likewise relate to considerations of public interest. Obviously the listener was meant to be ‘on top.’ But though the Communications Act [of 1934] puts him there, it unfortunately gives him no directions how to stay there.” To this, Siepmann offered several ways through which the public could be more actively involved with their public radio as individuals: exercising one’s franchise by listening; “Canvass[ing] others to vote” by audiencebuilding and sharing program recommendations; consistently contacting broadcast stations as well as the FCC; developing local Radio Listeners Councils to publish facts on broadcasting, encourage programs of quality, pressure stations to eliminate abuses and inform the press on the importance of radio as a social force; encouraging further research and substantive criticism of public media. “Our system of broadcasting is frequently described and justified as being democratic,” Siepmann wrote in his book. “If this is the fact, the broadcaster is accountable to the public and the public should have the final voice in radio’s operation.”

“Unhooking our local media from the market is a first critical step.”—Victor Pickard

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Thinking Bigger

“I don’t want to count on or even dream that federal funding will return.”—Juliana Allely

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Public Radio Exchange platform and the Rocky Mountain Community Radio coalition for the purposes of sharing content between associated stations. They have also expanded into video production and improved their equipment capabilities so that both they and the artists who perform on their premises can create material that will have “legs” on the Internet. “The improvements to our band room are a clear step that we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish without the response to rescission and the listeners saying, ‘They told us to go fund ourselves, so that is what we’re going to do,’” he added.

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UPR program director Tom Williams said that 17% of his station’s funding was cut.


DINE

ALEX SPRINGER

Burger Fusion’s Classic and Savannah Gold Rush

License To Grill

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Burger Fusion brings inventive hamburgers to Trolley Square. BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net @captainspringer

16 | JANUARY 15, 2026

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E

italianvillageslc.com

(801).266.4182 5370 S. 900 E. SLC

veryone who considers themself a foodie—I prefer “gastronaut,” but you do you—has a specific restaurant experience that set them on the path to culinary exploration. My own quest began at the long-gone Acme Burger Company, a gourmet burger restaurant where former Sundance Resort Chef Adam Kreisel experimented with proteins like grassfed beef and ostrich to create some truly special burgers. By showcasing non-traditional flavors and techniques through the medium of a hamburger, Acme Burger broadened my horizons for what local food could be, and I’ve always kind of missed the place. Maybe that’s why my visit to Trolley Square’s new dining darling Burger Fusion was a bit emotional. Trolley Square has always been a fantastic ecosystem for exciting local businesses, and Burger Fusion definitely fits that bill. Owned and operated by Mike Jardine—who cofounded the dirty soda concept Twisted Sugar with his wife, Tonia—Burger Fusion is a win for those who get weak in the knees at the mention of beef tallow. The restaurant’s interior is also a great mix of casual and chic. Upholstered booths with moody lighting and a rich black paint job contrast nicely with the exposed brick accent wall that proudly proclaims “we love burgers.” Duly impressed with the service and design choices, I looked over the menu. If the option for onion rings is on the table,

that’s typically what I go for as my side of choice. This usually makes me miss the classic pairing of fries, which is why I was glad to see a half-and-half basket of onion rings and fries ($6). I also needed to have an order of Cuban Cigars ($6) in my life, since it’s essentially a hybridization of egg rolls and Cuban sandwiches— and of course you should order these. Before we get to the burgers, I need to take a moment and gush a bit about the Cuban Cigars. I have long been an ardent believer in the spiritual power of a good Cubano. Everything one needs to sustain true happiness is contained therein, and stuffing all that power into an egg roll is pure magic. I admit, I was skeptical at first. I thought there was no way these little guys—pretty and golden brown as they were—could possibly capture the pure joy of a Cuban sandwich. But they pull it off, by damn! Each overstuffed egg roll is a Cubano unto itself, complete with roast pork, ham, mustard, pickles and melty Swiss cheese. The flavor combination comes through perfectly, and I wish I had a box of these with me right now. Admittedly, freaking out about the Cuban Cigars made me set the bar pretty high for Burger Fusion’s core menu. I ordered the Savannah Gold Rush ($15) and the Classic ($11), which were quite decently priced considering how insane fastfood burger prices have gotten lately. I tacked on the Classic because I’ve learned a thing or two about the world of gourmet burgers. A good burger place will try to rest its laurels on its fancier options, but a great burger place will truly reveal itself in its most humble of offerings. Also, I was pretty hungry and it sounded good. The Classic does indeed pass this burger litmus test. It’s the burger patties that really do it, each one made from the restaurant’s own blend of chuck and American wagyu beef from Idaho’s Snake

River Farms. On top of that, every other ingredient on the burger is well tended to. The caramelized onions make the burger patty sing and the fresh tomato, pickles and slaw all work together for a crunchy contrast to the velvety richness of the burger and onions. Once the initial burger test was complete, I moved on to the Savannah Gold Rush. It’s got a decent foundation with that signature beef patty, a thick slice of cheddar cheese and thick strips of candied bacon, but it’s the grilled peach that really sold me on this burger. I love peaches in all their forms, and adding a grilled peach to a burger is a whole mood. The lusciousness of the peach contrasts nicely with the spicy peach pepper jelly; both maintain a peachy sweetness, but the sharp hint of acid in the jelly makes your taste buds perk right up. Burger Fusion’s menu is packed with fun rabbit holes to tumble into, and the Savannah Gold Rush is only the beginning. From there it’s an easy leap to the Velvet Smoke Show ($15), which adds creamy peanut butter and berry jam sauce to the successful combo of bacon and cheddar. Or maybe the Chili Luau ($14), combining the pleasures of grilled pineapple with an herbaceous green chili sauce. Based on my experience at Burger Fusion, I think it’s safe to say that we have a solid contender for one of the best burger menus in town. Jardine and his team have laid a solid foundation with their burger preparation and have built upon that solid execution with some truly creative ideas. Next time you’re out window-shopping at Trolley Square, make sure you pop into Burger Fusion and treat yourself. CW

BURGER FUSION 490 S. 700 East 510-426-8440 burgerfusion.com


CRAFT NOODLE

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Burgers so good they’ll blow your mind!

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30 east Broadway, SLC


A list of what local craft breweries and cider houses have on tap this week Grid City Beer Works 333 W. 2100 South, SLC GridCityBeerWorks.com On Tap: Barrel-aged Imperial Brown Ale

Avenues Proper 376 8th Ave, SLC avenuesproper.com On Tap: Paradise - Green Tea Rice Lager

Heber Valley Brewing 501 N. Main Street, Heber City, UT hebervalleybrewing.com On Tap: Cöld Fusion - Kölsch Style Ale

Bewilder Brewing 445 S. 400 West, SLC BewilderBrewing.com On Tap: Pink Boots - Pink Pony Pilz

Helper Beer 159 N Main Street, Helper, UT helperbeer.com

Bohemian Brewery 94 E. Fort Union Blvd, Midvale BohemianBrewery.com NEW Releases: Kölsch, Dusseldorfer “Alt” Bier Bonneville Brewery 1641 N. Main, Tooele BonnevilleBrewery.com On Tap: Peaches and Cream Ale

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Chappell Brewing 2285 S Main Street Salt Lake City, UT 84115 chappell.beer On Tap: Pie Hole - Strawberry Rhubarb Tart Ale

Hopkins Brewing Co. 1048 E. 2100 South, SLC HopkinsBrewingCompany.com On Tap: Winter Ale Kiitos Brewing 608 W. 700 South, SLC KiitosBrewing.com On Tap: Nectaron Hazy IPA, Ube Fonio Kiitos Brewing Sugar House Bar 1533 S. 1100 East, SLC KiitosBrewing.com On Tap: Nectaron Hazy IPA, Ube Fonio Level Crossing Brewing Co. 2496 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake LevelCrossingBrewing.com On Tap: Hefe Goldbloom Hefeweizen

Craft by Proper 1053 E. 2100 So., SLC properbrewingco.com On Tap: Paradise Lost - dry hopped rice lager

Level Crossing Brewing Co., POST 550 South 300 West, Suite 100, SLC LevelCrossingBrewing.com On Tap: Vienna Lager

Desert Edge Brewery 273 Trolley Square, SLC DesertEdgeBrewery.com On Tap: Edge’s Special Bitter ESB

Moab Brewing 686 S. Main, Moab TheMoabBrewery.com On Tap: “Big Drop” West Coast Pilsner

Epic Brewing Co. 825 S. State, SLC EpicBrewing.com On Tap: Powder Panic IPA

Mountain West Cider 425 N. 400 West, SLC MountainWestCider.com On Tap: Juice Shot (carrot ginger hard cider)

Etta Place Cidery 700 W Main St, Torrey EttaPlaceCider.com On Tap: Legendary Cider, MangoHabanero Session Mead

Offset Bier Co 1755 Bonanza Dr Unit C, Park City offsetbier.com/ On Tap: DOPO IPA

Fisher Brewing Co. 320 W. 800 South, SLC FisherBeer.com On Tap: A rotation of up to 17 Fresh Beers!

Ogden Beer Company 358 Park Blvd, Ogden OgdenBeerCompany.com On Tap: 11 rotating taps as well as high point cans and guest beers

$5

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18 | JANUARY 15, 2026

2 Row Brewing 73 West 7200 South, Midvale 2RowBrewing.com On Tap: “Juicequake” Juicy Style IPA

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Park City Brewing 1764 Uinta Way C1 ParkCityBrewing.com On Tap: Jupe-Pow Rice Lager *Now available in cans togo* Prodigy Brewing 25 W Center St. Logan Prodigy-brewing.com On Tap: 302 Czech Pilsner Proper Brewing/Proper Burger 857 So. Main & 865 So. Main properbrewingco.com On Tap: Orange you Glad (Hazy pale ale) Proper Brewing Moab 1393 US-191, Moab properbrewingco.com On Tap: Orange you Glad (Hazy pale ale) Red Rock Brewing 254 So. 200 West RedRockBrewing.com On Tap: Gypsy Scratch Red Rock Fashion Place 6227 So. State Redrockbrewing.com On Tap: Grand Bavaria Red Rock Kimball Junction 1640 Redstone Center Redrockbrewing.com On Tap: Bamberg Rauch Bier RoHa Brewing Project 30 Kensington Ave, SLC RoHaBrewing.com On Tap: Bramble Brown Roosters Brewing Multiple Locations RoostersBrewingCo.com On Tap: Red Headed Stepchild Irish Red Ale SaltFire Brewing 2199 S. West Temple, South Salt Lake SaltFireBrewing.com On Draft: Hop Dew - Sparkling Hop Water Salt Flats Brewing 2020 Industrial Circle, SLC SaltFlatsBeer.com On Tap: OPEN ROAD SERIES #3 - Barrel Aged Grand Cru Scion Cider Bar 916 Jefferson St W, SLC Scionciderbar.com On Tap: Scion Cider Smoke Show 10.5% ABV Second Summit Cider 4010 So. Main, Millcreek https://secondsummitcider.com On Tap: Frost Top Orchard Blend Shades Brewing 1388 S. 300 West, Salt Lake City ShadesBrewing.beer New Batch: Raspberry Pistachio Sour Ale Shades On State 366 S. State Street, Salt Lake City Shadesonstate.com On Tap: Six Wheat Under Hefeweizen

Silver Reef 4391 S. Enterprise Drive, St. George SGBev.com Squatters Brew Pub Sugar House 2110 S. Highland Drive, SLC squatterspubs.com On Tap: Top of Main Yuzu Bruzu Citrus Wheat Ale Squatters Brew Pub West Valley 3555 Constitution Blvd, West Valley City squatterspubs.com On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co. Emigration Amber Ale Squatters Pub Brewery / Salt Lake Brewing Co. 147 W. Broadway, SLC squatterspubs.com On Tap: Salt Lake Brewing Co. Dog Lake Pale Ale Squatters Top of Main Brewpub & Brewery 250 Main, Park City, Utah squatterspubs.com On Tap: Top of Main Yuzu Bruzu Citrus Wheat Ale Strap Tank Brewery, Lehi 3661 Outlet Pkwy, Lehi, UT StrapTankBrewery.com On Tap: “Virgil the Guide” (Italian Pilsner); “Smiles und Sunshine” (German Leichtes Weizen) Strap Tank Brewery, Springville 596 S 1750 W, Springville, UT StrapTankBrewery.com On Tap: “Orange Hopsicle” Hazy Pale; “Trouble” American Sour with Mango and Passionfruit TF Brewing 936 S. 300 West, SLC TFBrewing.com On Tap: Twelve taps and high point cans available. Talisman Brewing Co. 1258 Gibson Ave, Ogden TalismanBrewingCo.com On Tap: Goggle Fogger - Hazy IPA; 12th St. Wheat Thieves Guild Cidery 117 W. 900 South, SLC thievesguildcidery.com NEW: Thunderclap - Juicy tropicalhopped cider | 6.5% Uinta Brewing 1722 S. Fremont Drive, SLC UintaBrewing.com On Tap: Was Angeles Craft Beer UTOG 2331 Grant Ave, Ogden UTOGBrewing.com On Tap: Bar Down IPA Vernal Brewing 55 S. 500 East, Vernal VernalBrewing.com Zion Brewery 95 Zion Park Blvd, Springdale ZionBrewery.com


MIKE RIEDEL

New Beers for the New Year. Cutting-edge ingredients and techniques to start off 2026. BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

R

Open Late

Gluten Free, Vegetarian & Vegan Options AREMPAS_BAR • www.arempas.com • Downtown • Midvale • Orem

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Kiitos - Fonio & Ube: Kiitos keeps rolling with the Fonio grain that’s putting them on the global beer map. This version also features ube, a vibrant purple yam from the Philippines known for its unique sweet, nutty, vanilla-like flavor and stunning color. It’s strikingly clear yet tinted a vivid, almost surreal shade of purple—not hazy, not opaque, just glowing with color. It’s the kind of beer that makes you stop mid-pour and say, “Whoa,” and that visual curiosity sets the tone for what turns out to be a genuinely weird—and genuinely delightful—drinking experience. The aroma is surprisingly restrained for something that looks so bold. There’s a gentle waft of vanilla right away, followed by a faint nuttiness that suggests something pastry-adjacent without ever becoming heavy or sweet. It’s clean, light and quietly inviting rather than explosive, which only adds to the intrigue. On the palate, that same soft nuttiness shows up first, followed closely by a smooth, creamy vanilla character. Then the Fonio takes the lead. Its subtle fruitiness blooms into something that feels like lychee or lightly tropical stone fruit, creating an unexpectedly elegant flavor arc. The result lands somewhere between dessert and refreshment—a vanilla-lychee dreamsicle mashup that manages to feel both playful and surprisingly refined. None of the flavors feel artificial or loud; instead, they layer gently, each one handing off to the next. The Ube plays two roles here. Visually, it’s responsible for that unforgettable purple tint, a color that feels more “cocktail” than “beer.” Flavor-wise, it stays in the background, reinforcing the vanilla and nutty tones without turning the beer into a sugary confection. The balance is key: the beer stays light on its feet, never cloying, never thick and never tiring. Verdict: In the end, this is a beer that succeeds by leaning into its strangeness with intention. It’s not a novelty for novelty’s sake; it’s thoughtful, creative and genuinely enjoyable—weird in the best possible way. Fonio & Ube is an Instagram darling, and dials in at 5.0 percent ABV on draft and in cans at both Kiitos locations. Chooglin’ on the other hand has much more “umph” at 7.8 percent, and is available at all Red Rock locations. As always, cheers! CW

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ed Rock - Chooglin’: Named for the Creedence Clearwater Revival song, “Keep On Chooglin,’” where it means “you got to ball and have a good time.” Red Rock’s latest double IPA makes a strong first impression before you even lift the glass. The aroma is big and expressive: a rush of ripe melon and fresh citrus zest that feels bright, juicy and almost sun-lit. Thanks to a double dry hop with Citra, Krush and Nelson Sauvin, the nose pops with modern hop vibrancy. On the palate, things get more layered and intriguing. The initial melon character carries through, but it’s quickly joined by chewy orange peel, a subtle diesel edge and a sticky, resinous quality that reminds you this is very much a double IPA. The hop profile is bold without being abrasive—saturated rather than sharp—creating a dense, almost plush mouthfeel where the hops feel “chewy” instead of piercing. The diesel note from the Nelson Sauvin adds a welcome bit of grit and complexity, preventing the beer from drifting too far into simple fruit-forward territory. Despite being heavily hopped, the finish is surprisingly smooth. There’s no aggressive bitterness crashing the party at the end; instead, the beer tapers off with lingering resin, soft citrus oils and a faint herbal echo. That restraint makes it dangerously drinkable for the style—a beer that feels big, but never heavy or fatiguing. Verdict: This Double IPA strikes an excellent balance between brightness and depth, juiciness and resin, freshness and intensity. It’s a hop-forward showcase that feels contemporary without being trendy, expressive without being chaotic. It marks another confident, well-executed release from Red Rock Brewing—and yet another reminder that they know exactly how to let great hops shine.

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Pinkbox Doughnuts Moves North

The Las Vegas-based Pinkbox Doughnuts (pinkboxdoughnuts.com) has had plans to break ground in the Wasatch Front ever since it opened its St. George location, and Pinkbox American Fork is a go. The doughnut bakery known for its Vegas-style penchant for going over the top–both with its doughnuts and its restaurant decor–will be hosting a grand opening celebration for the new American Fork location (610 W. Main Street) on January 17 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Not only will this be a good chance to snag one of these gourmet doughnuts firsthand, but guests can enjoy music from a live D.J. while checking out all kinds of family-friendly activities—there will even be a doughnut-eating contest for those looking to test their mettle.

Carson Kitchen Unveils New Seasonal Menu

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Chef Cory Harwell of Carson Kitchen (carsonkitchen.com) has long been a proponent of creative menus, which is why the new seasonal menu at the downtown restaurant is worth a look. Grilled oysters with white miso and pickled onion will be making an appearance along with a pork chop paired with apple chutney and a mortadella flatbread topped with a pistachio pesto. Those interested in seeing more of the restaurant’s Italian side will also want to check out the butternut bolognese made with pecorino and butternut squash. Chef Harwell is also taking a crack at fruitcake with the fruitcake buckle, a syrupy wonder made with amaretto and topped with a praline glaze.

Hash Kitchen Launches Wellness-Forward Beverages

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The brunch bros at Hash Kitchen also announced a few menu changes for the new year, many of which are focused on a wellness-centric vibe. First off are the new ube matcha lattes which combine the two earthy flavors into a soulful hot or iced beverage. The restaurant will also offer fresh-pressed juices like the Sassy Greens which blends apple, celery, cucumber, kale, collards and lemon. Juices can be requested with some immunity shots. If, on the other hand, you’ve already forgotten your New Year’s resolutions, you can check out a new sandwich called the Chick Magnet. It’s a fried chicken sandwich in which the protein has been coated with Frosted Flakes cereal. It’s grrrreat! Quote of the Week: “Good food ends with good talk.” –Geoffrey Neighbor


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Mark Dee, SA Lopez, Kip Congo, Furious Onions, Sheldon Priest. BY EMILEE ATKINSON eatkinson@cityweekly.net @emileelovesvinyl

A

t the top of a new year, many like to make resolutions to improve their lives or experience new things. If one of your goals is to listen to some new music, you’ve come to the right place. Here is a continuation of a list we posted last year of Ogden-based musicians you need to check out. Mark Dee: O-Town has no shortage of excellent musicians who play great acoustic tunes, and among them is singer/songwriter Mark Dee. He satisfyingly blends elements of classic and modern sounds to make his own unique style. Dee has been drawn to guitars for most of his life, playing in various bands over the past few decades, despite his busy life. His affinity for rock and blues shines through in his music, creating a fun soundscape for listeners. His 2021 album Buckle Up highlights his love for these genres while showing off his guitar-playing skills and great voice; Dee came in second place in Utah’s Best Male Vocalist competition in 2019, further emphasizing his excellent vocals. Buckle Up will take you on a bluesy cruise that will feel like it ended a little too soon. Dee is out playing shows around town regularly, so keep an eye on his events through his website and stream Buckle Up wherever you listen to music. SA Lopez: If you’ve spent any time at live music joints in Ogden, there’s a good

chance you’ve seen SA Lopez around, spitting bars and putting on a captivating performance. Lopez collaborates often with fellow rapper Resoncomics, and together they make up two-thirds of local hip-hop group Th3 Recipe. Lopez’s tracks are fun, upbeat and incorporate elements of several different genres, but his music has a definite ’90s/early ’00s feel to it—think classics like Nas and Biggie and Eminem’s work in the early aughts. You can also find retro/nerd references to Star Wars like in his track “Galactic Getdown,” or to video games of yesteryear in the track “Welcome to Th3 Recipe.” One of Lopez’s standout tracks is “Funk Files,” which cranks the funk level up to 10. It’s a track that’s probably a blast to see performed live, and it’s definitely a great track to have on while you’re hanging out with friends for the evening. Check out his music if you’re in the mood for some sublime rhymes. Kip Congo: Singer/songwriter Kip Congo recently released his first single as a solo artist, previously playing with Congo & Co. “Counting Sheep” dropped last October and is a pretty perfect way to start out a new project. The track starts slow and melodic, driven by Congo’s smooth voice. It has a lovely indie/acoustic sound that incorporates orchestral instruments to complement the acoustic guitar. This section is slow—as if you’re lying in bed falling asleep, then midway through the song, the pace picks up and becomes exciting and high-energy, like jumping into a crazy dream. “Counting Sheep” is a treat from beginning to end; it’s endlessly charming, fun and easy to listen to on a loop. The debut track is streaming everywhere now. Furious Onions: Furious Onions’ debut track “Working Title” is a fast-paced punk/ emo anthem that wastes no time getting

SA Lopez

MUSIC

down to business. It starts out with a voice that sounds like that of a radio host, saying, “Good morning, Ogden, today’s forecast is going to be cold with a high accumulation of work-related bullshit.” What’s more punk than that? From there, ripping rhythmic guitar comes in as the song builds with its all-too-relatable lyrics. The elder emo crowd will definitely be a fan, but the younguns who are getting out there into the world for the first time will also relate. That same punk-tastic energy can be found in all of Furious Onions’ music—it’s all high-energy and just good old-fashioned fun. Their most recent credit is on a collaboration track with Victims Aren’t We All and Sheldon Priest (see below), two other incredible acts. Check out Furious Onions if you need some dedicated head-banging time.

Sheldon Priest: Speaking of, Sheldon Priest and​The Lix is another group you’ll want to check out if you’re in need of more rock jams. The group’s debut EP And The Lix released last June and offers a delightful mix of rock/punk/reggae vibes. Sheldon’s voice has a satisfying rasp and tone that lends itself well to the instrumentation and he has enough power behind his voice to keep up with the snappy guitar, punchy bass and rhythmic drums. Tracks like “CHANGED” also incorporate wellplaced electronic effects, creating a satisfying sonic soundscape. If you’re curating a rock playlist and want to include more locals, make sure that Sheldon Priest and The Lix are not left off of the list.

Hopefully these will help you with any music-related new year resolutions; if not, new tunes are always great in general! CW

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Serbian-born guitarist Ana Popović is attractive, and makes no bones about leveraging her sexy, fashion-forward image. But looking past the arresting visuals, one finds a musician who truly knows how to shred and to do it with feeling. Having long since proven her bona fides as a fiery blues guitarist par excellence, Popović has set out on a path of musical exploration. She debuted as a solo artist with 2001’s well-received Hush!, a record she made while studying at the Utrecht Conservatory of Music in the Netherlands. After a run of blues-focused albums, she added jazz textures to 2013’s Can You Stand the Heat and dove into soul with 2015’s Blue Room. Her 2018 album Like it On Top was a concept album, while 2023’s Power was funky. In 2025 Popović toured festivals in the U.S. and Europe with an 11-piece big band. Her latest, Dance to the Rhythm showcases R&B and Latin textures. That’s some eclectic repertoire, but it’s all done with a rock-solid blues foundation. Popović comes to The State Room on Thursday, Jan. 15, doors at 7 p.m. Tickets for this 21+ show are $38 and up from axs.com. (Bill Kopp)

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KREWELLA

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KREWELLA @ Sky SLC 1/16

After a three-year hiatus, DJ and producer sisters Jahan and Yasmine Yousaf are back. Two new songs released in 2025, “Crying On The Dancefloor” and “Eternal,” bring the same level of pop-punk and rock-infused electronic music that we’ve come to expect since the duo first started in 2007 and exploded onto the scene in 2012 with their Play Hard EP. Hailing from Chicago, the Yousaf sisters run the label Mixed Kids Records, exploring themes of identity—especially prevalent in their albums zer0 and The Body Never Lies. They do not shy away from making music that confronts the complexities of being women in a male-dominated industry. For example, the song “Human” is a ballad that points to the universal need for support. The Yousaf sisters sing the recurring plea, “I could use a hand sometimes,” admitting the very human need for empathy and connection. Their music is also influenced by their Pakistani heritage, highlighted by their collaboration with Pakistani classical vocalists, Riaz and Ghulam Ali Qadri, on the song “Runaway.” During the hiatus, Yasmine Yousaf tells DJ Life Magazine that “Jahan was working diligently on her voice, working with a classical Hindustani coach, and writing beautiful music in solitude.” It’s exciting to see how this training will translate into their future music. Expect a live DJ set full of energy, rawness, and release. KREWELLA plays at Sky SLC on Friday, January 16. Doors open at 9 p.m. and general admission costs $29.35 at tixr.com. (Arica Roberts)


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Battle of the Bands 2026 @ Urban Lounge 1/16-17

“Battle of the Bands” events are central to local music scenes—they always seem to be the goal of musician characters in TV shows or movies, with players eagerly waiting for their chance to show off their skills and win the big prize. There are a few venues around that host their own competitions, and Urban Lounge is kicking theirs off this weekend. Events like this are a win-win: Folks get to see amazing performances by eager new artists and the artists get exposure to folks they may not have in regular everyday life. The battle will take place over several weekends, starting with preliminary rounds on Jan. 16 and 17, followed by Jan. 23 and 24, and then the big finale on Jan. 31. That’s three weekends packed with local music excellence. Night one and two features Soul Dye, Body Double, Snail Sex, The Madeline, Transmitter, Seeking The Sun, Bleu Grave, Sleep Cult, Glue Coast, Porq, Electricide, Lapdog, HOOCH, Muskies, The Lip and Gilded Lillies. Each show welcomes guests at the unbeatable price of $9, except for the finale, which is $12. You get your money’s worth plus some! You won’t want to miss the start of Urban Lounge’s BOTB starting weekend on Friday, Jan. 16 and Saturday, Jan. 17. Both 21+ shows start at 9 p.m.; grab tickets at 24tix.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

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The Ocean Blue draws on its retro roots in more ways than one. Their music boasts an ’80s indie-pop sensibility, but what’s truly impressive about it is the fact that they were still in high school when legendary music guru Seymour Stein signed them to a three-album deal with his upstart label, Sire Records. Notably, Stein—later a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee—was also responsible for signing The Ramones, Talking Heads and the Pretenders. Consequently, The Ocean Blue had a high bar to live up to, yet they managed to do just that when their early singles like “Between Something And Nothing,” “Drifting, Falling” and “Ballerina Out of Control” became Top Ten hits. They also appeared on one of the first episodes of Club MTV with Downtown Julie Brown,

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The Ocean Blue @ Egyptian Theatre 1/16-18

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Muskies

and received ongoing MTV video play, which eventually resulted in sales of over 150,000 copies of their initial album alone. Their final Sire Records release came in 1993 with Beneath the Rhythm and Sound, which sold over 100,000 copies, even as the single “Sublime” peaked at number three on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. Courtesy of a comeback that started in 2010, they’ve amassed a total of eight albums and a rebound that’s brought them to the peak of their popularity. Suffice it to say, The Ocean Blue finds smooth sailing. The Ocean Blue performs at the Egyptian Theatre in Park City on Friday and Saturday Jan. 16 - 17 at 8 p.m. and Sunday Jan. 18 at 5 p.m., respectively. Tickets are $40-$45 at tickets.egyptiantheatrecompany.org. (Lee Zimmerman)

The Toasters @ Urban Lounge 1/21

Established in New York City in the early 1980s, The Toasters were an explosive blur of rhythm and message, anger and euphoria, color and culture, great lyrics and smart moves. As one of the original American “third wave” ska bands, they spearheaded the heady days of two-tone-based fun, with a dose of anti-racism thrown in for good measure. The Toasters’ current line-up, featuring founding member Robert “Bucket” Hingley, is still going strong. “In 1981 I made the decision to start the band for real. But of course at that time I had no idea what was in store,” Bucket told Hardwired. “It was originally just a plan for the moment. And look what happened!” This gig should be crammed to the rafters with everyone in one place for one collective purpose—to be there for the sheer enjoyment of ska. Both the music and The Toasters simply exude fun—irrepressible dance-along fun. The Anchorage and Atypical Heroes open. The Anchorage, a Salt Lake City ska/ reggae act, showcases dancehall elements with soul and R&B flavor. Local band Atypical Heroes will most definitely make sure that your dancing suit does not rot away. Come on out and experience music that stands the test of time. Catch these artists as they celebrate the 43 Years of Ska tour at Urban Lounge on Wednesday, Dec. 21, doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets for the 21+ show are $16 and can be found at 24tix.com. (Mark Dago)


free will ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Japanese Zen master Hakuin (1686–1769) painted with astonishing vigor well into his eighties. When asked his secret, he said he treated each brushstroke as if it were his first. He approached the ink and paper with a beginner’s inspired innocence. I propose that you adopt a version of Hakuin’s practice. Dive into your familiar routines with virgin eyes. Allow your expertise to be influenced by surprise. As for the mastery you have earned, may I suggest you use it as a launching pad for enthusiastic amateurism? Being skilled is wonderful. Being skilled and willing to experiment like a newcomer? That’s the high art of perpetual combustion, an Aries specialty. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) In 1971, NASA’s Apollo 15 mission delivered a new asset to the moon: the Lunar Roving Vehicle. This battery-powered “moon buggy” enabled astronauts to explore farther from their landing site than ever before. They gathered a record haul of rock and soil samples and a deeper understanding of the lunar surface. I think you Bulls would be wise to get your own equivalent of that moon buggy. The apt metaphor here is enhancing your ability to extend your reach and explore beyond the familiar. In the coming weeks, I hope you will seek access to tools, allies and freedoms that expand your range. Use them to push into new territory and scout around for intriguing valuables.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Some astrologers work without ever glancing at the night sky. Their bond with the planets lives mostly through

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) Your intrepid spirit is most likely to find exciting adventures if it’s exquisitely prepared. While I love your daring spontaneity and experimental expansiveness, I hope in the coming weeks, you will work hard to support them with good planning and rigorous foresight. Be imaginative and disciplined, wild and calculating, irrepressible and solidly responsible. If you heed my advice, you could break your previous records for making marvelous discoveries in the frontiers. PS: Treat wonder like a muscle. Flex it daily—with gratitude. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Sandcastles are good reminders of how temporary everything is. We build them on the damp edge of the shore after the tide recedes, and then they crumble when the sea rolls back a few hours later. Let’s make the sandcastle your power symbol for the months ahead. In doing so, I don’t mean to imply that your certainties will be demolished. Rather, it’s my way of urging you to enjoy and capitalize on the ever-changing nature of all things. In fact, I believe that knack should be one of your specialties in the coming months. As the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh told us, we should be grateful for impermanence, because it keeps every possibility alive. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) During World War II, the United States faced a natural rubber shortage and funded research into synthetic substitutes. The effort was partly successful, but there were also failed experiments. Among these was a substance that later became a popular toy named Silly Putty. It sold millions of units and made its marketer wealthy. I suspect a metaphorically similar breakthrough is looming for you, Aquarius: an unplanned discovery that holds unforeseen value. You may soon have your own “Silly Putty moment”— an invention, idea, or situation that is technically a detour from your original goal but still delivers a gift. So keep your curiosity loose and your judgment soft. Don’t dismiss the byproducts of your efforts. Some diversions may reveal themselves to be the magic you didn’t realize you needed. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) I suggest you try an “as-if” exercise, Pisces. Here’s what I propose: Enjoy a five-day period visualizing what your life would be like if you stopped saving yourself for a mythical future—including both the positive and negative aspects. Instead, envision yourself spending the coming months doing exactly what you yearn to do most, gleefully and intensely pursuing your sweetest dreams and prime mission. During this sabbatical, you will refrain from invoking excuses about why you can’t follow your bliss. You will assume that you are attuned with the heart of creation. You will act as if you are a joy specialist who adores your life.

Go to realastrology.com for Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text-message horoscopes. Audio horoscopes also available by phone at 877-873-4888 or 900-950-7700.

Don t wait to buy real estate, buy real estate and wait ! PAULA METOS SALTAS

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Many of you are renowned for precision, but that’s just half the story. The more complete truth is that when you are most robust, you’re a connoisseur of refinement. Your careful edits can transmute muddles into medicines. Your subtle fixes may catalyze major corrections. Here’s my declaration: You are now at the height of your Virgo powers. I hope you wield them with utter flair and finesse. Make everything you touch better than it was before you touched it.

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Poet Jack Gilbert wrote, “We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure but not delight.” Here’s what I think he meant: Pleasure is easy to access, available in many transactions. But delight requires courage. We must be undefended enough to be astonished and elated. Here’s the potential glitch for you Leos: You sometimes feel inclined to perform your joy; you make your happiness into entertainment for others to be inspired by. But true delight is riskier and more real. It comes when you forget to curate yourself because you’re too enchanted to remember you’re being watched. Your next assignment: Conjure up three moments of private delight that no one but you will see.

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CANCER (June 21-July 22) A hermit crab finds a new shell not because the old one was bad, but because the creature grew. A similar urge stirs in you now: an instinct to relocate your sensitivity and tenderness into roomier housing. You don’t have to abandon your favorite people or situations. Just ripen and update your containers so your emotional intelligence can flourish even more. Maybe revise your work rhythms. Dream up new bedtime stories. Be braver in declaring your needs. Your ongoing transformations could be a bit bumpy, but mostly healing and cherished. Give them the spaciousness they require.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) English is my first language. I love how its wild, hybrid, restless qualities enable me to express myself. I never grow weary of exploring its limits and discovering new ways to use it with flair and care. But I am also very grateful that my horoscopes are translated into Italian, French, Japanese and Spanish. I am supremely blessed to have editors who turn my idiosyncratic prose into language that non-English speakers can enjoy. It’s one of the great gifts that life has given me. In the coming months, Scorpio, I will be wishing and expecting a similar bonus for you: help and support in expanding your ability to reach further in your self-expression.

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Are you ready to unveil the half-hidden, half-beautiful truths you have been keeping tucked away? I think you are. You might shake, sweat and second-guess yourself right up until the pivotal moment arrives. But then, I predict, you will zone in on how best to carry out your sublime assignment. The perilous blessings or radiant burdens you’ve been hoarding like secret treasures will finally spill out of you in just the right ways.

abstract ideas. To balance that approach, Daniel Giamario developed a more hands-on approach to astrology. In his retreats, students trek into wild country, far from city lights, and spend the dark hours watching the dance of the heavenly bodies. He teaches that cosmic energies can be sensed through our beautiful bodies as much as they can be understood by our fine minds. In the weeks ahead, I invite you to infuse all your explorations with that spirit. Learn through direct encounters, not just through concepts and recycled reports.

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Pay Dirt W

hen I was a tween, I was fascinated by dendrochronology. Basically, I loved to count the tree rings on a log to determine the age of the tree and what it had survived during its lifetime. Unlike today’s helicopter parents, ours would push us out the door after breakfast and tell us to come home by dinner. My little brother and I were constantly digging around the neighborhood in the hopes of finding pirate treasure (albeit not living near an ocean). I also loved geology and archeology and enjoyed rock hunting. Nowadays, all the worldwide buzz is on rare earth elements (REEs), but I only recently learned what some were. Cesium, halloysite, gallium, germanium, lanthanum, rubidium and yttrium are examples of the stuff, and countries go to war over who has the resources of these minerals. Apparently, you need these to create computer chips, magnets and batteries in electric vehicles, phosphors for your computer, TV and phone screens, fluorescent lights, MRI imaging, blue light in LCDs and energy-efficient light bulbs. If I wanted to go rock hunting, I might find several of these inorganic materials right here in Utah, specifically about 20 miles south of Utah County’s Silicon Slopes area. Given that Donald Trump has been threatening China on and off with massive kinds of tariffs, China has threatened to cut off access to these naturally-occurring deposits, of which they claim to have the world’s largest supplies within their borders. Local Utahns are wondering if they’ve hit proverbial gold if they can find REEs in their back yards. Cesium sells for $2,600 to $3,000 per ounce, rubidium for $1,000 to $3,000 per ounce, germanium $150 to $200 an ounce, and yttrium for $60 to $70 an ounce. Gold is now up to roughly $4,500 per ounce and silver has been rising, now over $80 per ounce. Economy watchers have noticed as of late that China has been selling off its U.S. investments in things like U.S. Treasury Bills and investing in the silver and gold markets, trading dollars for metals. Both China and Japan have been the major investors in TBills along with Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffett’s company that began buying up the BH stock in the 1960s). That company’s stock is currently valued at around $750,000 per share, the highest-priced stock right now in the NYSE. Washington County is famous for germanium production around the Apex Mine in the Beaver Dam Mountains. But Utah County is now drawing investors and national attention in and around the Silicon Ridge mine at the southern end of Utah Lake. The claylike dirt around there holds 16 REEs, which could have an impact on the ever-growing call for them in computing and AI technology. I’m a little too old to go prospecting these days, but you can bet folks are wondering what money might be in their backyard dirt. ■ Content is prepared expressly for Community and is not endorsed by City Weekly staff.

© 2025

WELCOME TO ‘26

BY MATT JONES

ACROSS

1. Aardvark’s diet 5. Absorb with a piece of bread 10. Acne spot 13. BÈchamel base, in a French restaurant 14. Compensate (for) 15. Cost increase 16. DEA agent’s find 17. Desmond of “Sunset Boulevard” 18. Emotionally honest 19. First part of a phrase describing a special feature of this puzzle ... 22. Fried rice veggie 23. Furry barker 24. Galaxy hops may go into making one 27. Giant’s N.L. West rival, for short 30. “Hope & Faith” actress (and talk show host) Kelly 33. ... in which I (this is part 2, by the way) ... 35. Japanese temple 37. Kitchenware inventor Tupper 38. Laid-back Brazilian samba offshoot ___ nova 40. Moistureless 41. Nearly used up, like a short pencil 43. ... normally don’t do this, but here you get to see each one of the (part 3) ... 45. “Omnia vincit ___” 46. Popular sans-serif Windows font 47. Questionable, in “Among Us” 48. Robert of HBO’s “Arli$$” 50. Short winter month? 52. ... twenty-six represented! (4th and final part) 59. Utterance from the awestruck 60. Van Pelt sibling in “Peanuts” 61. Wanton sort 62. Xylophone material 63. Yannick Noah’s 2025 Laver Cup opposing captain ___ Agassi 64. Yellow vehicle driver on “The Simpsons” 65. “You can’t judge a book by ___ cover” 66. Zoo animals 67. Zymurgy-related verb

7. Skin opening 8. Reveal one’s identity 9. Quiet’s companion 10. Rushes along 11. Mike and ___ (candies) 12. X, in Roman numerals 15. Rowdy soccer fan 20. Government agents 21. ___ avis (uncommon thing) 24. Some frozen treats 25. Silver, as in Montana’s motto 26. Gold, in Latin 28. Not prone to infatuation, colloquially 29. Labor organizer Chavez 31. Fluffy birdlike creatures in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” 32. “Au revoir” relative 34. Skater’s protection 35. Utopias 36. Does simple math 39. Start of some Indian place names DOWN 42. Tyler Perry BET+ series cen1. ___-Seltzer tered around a group of male 2. Hammering target friends 3. Part of a cash register 44. “30 Rock” star Baldwin 4. Bend down 5. Holiday song made famous by Eartha Kitt 46. Late audio engineer Steve 49. Jewish : kosher :: Islamic : ___ 6. “Alternatively,” in a text

51. Chocolate substitute that doesn’t taste like it 52. “Cat on ___ Tin Roof” 53. “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” novelist Anita 54. Medical prefix with scope 55. Time to roll or draw, maybe 56. Peter Jackson film franchise, initially 57. Ren fair instrument 58. “Ouch, that’s hot!” 59. “All Quiet on the Western Front” conflict

Last week’s answers

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9. No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

WITH BABS DELAY

Broker, Urban Utah Homes & Estates, urbanutah.com

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

SUDOKU X

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30 | JANUARY 15, 2026

urban LIVING


NEWS of the WEIRD

We sell homes to all saints, sinners, sisterwives and...

SKIERS!

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL

Compelling Explanation

A Marion, Louisiana, resident called police in November to report a trespassing incident on her property, WKRCTV reported on Jan. 8. When deputies arrived at the home, Elizabeth Sutton, 41, was swimming nude in the resident’s pond. At first, Sutton refused to exit the pond, telling officers she was “trying to be a mermaid.” When she finally complied, medics evaluated her (because of the cold weather) and tried to lead her indoors. At that point, Sutton charged at a deputy, causing them to use their Taser. She kicked and punched the deputy before being subdued and taken to a hospital. A warrant was issued for her arrest, and on Jan. 6, she surrendered and was charged with several crimes.

The Tech Revolution

■ Everything’s up to date in Heber City, Utah, where the local police department has been trying out an AI program that writes up reports based on body camera footage, Fox13-TV reported on Jan. 4. “I’m saving myself about six to eight hours weekly now,” said Sgt. Rick Keel. But one report went a little sideways: The AI said an officer had shape-shifted into a frog. “The body cam software and the AI report writing software picked up on the movie that was playing in the background, which happened to be ‘The Princess and the Frog,’” Keel said. “That’s when we learned the importance of correcting these AI-generated reports.” So much for all that saved time.

The Litigious Society

Buried Treasure

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Julie “Bella” De Lay Realtor 801-784-8618 bella@urbanutah.com

Selling homes for 12 years

SEE VIRTUAL TOURS AT URBANUTAH.COM

Wait, What?

Folks in Camden, New Jersey, head to Donkey’s Place for their famous cheesesteaks, but it’s another of their icons that has the restaurant in the news. NJ.com reported on Jan. 7 that someone pilfered their walrus baculum—that’d be a penis bone—and owner Rob Lucas Jr. wants it back. Lucas said it’s a conversation piece and he often lets people guess what it is. Here’s how it went down: “The bartender handed it out for them (customers) to figure out what it was,” Lucas said. “She went to the back to do something else and then one dude stole it. We got his picture, but I don’t think he’s from around town.” Lucas said he doesn’t want to press charges. “We just want the thing back.”

Fish Story

Popular Japanese sushi chain Sushizanmai made news on Jan. 5 when its parent company paid $3.24 million for a single bluefin tuna, Reuters reported. It was the highest price ever paid at the Toyosu fish market in Tokyo. “I thought that (the winning bid) would come in a little bit lower,” said Kiyoshi Kimura, the company’s CEO, who is also known as the Tuna King. The 536-pound fish was transported to the chain’s headquarters, then sliced up and distributed to its restaurants.

The Way the World Works

A 19-year-old girl identified as Pim sought the wisdom of a fortuneteller in Pataya, Thailand, early on New Year’s Day, the Independent reported. The sage, 38, told her that she would meet with misfortune and lose something valuable, and he suggested she pay him to avert the bad luck. She declined and walked away—then realized her iPhone was missing. Pim went back to the spot where the fortuneteller was working and confronted the man, who said the missing phone was proof of his accuracy. Bystanders stepped in and found the phone in the fortuneteller’s bag, and police were called. Pim’s phone was returned to her, and the shyster was taken into custody.

Well, This Is Awkward

CTV News reported on Jan. 6 that a Toronto-based sex toy store received a return of “adult items” accompanied by a letter from the U.S. Department of Defense. It seems the products had ended up on a U.S. naval base in Bahrain—a big no-no. “Please notify the sender that pornographic materials or devices are not allowed in the Kingdom of Bahrain,” the letter read. “We didn’t even know it was going to Bahrain until it came back to us months later,” said Bonjibon owner Grace Bennett, 34. “It just kind of unraveled this whole hilarious moment.” She wonders if the soldiers stationed there know that such products are off-limits. “This sounds like a you problem,” she said. “I’m sad they didn’t get their order.” Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com

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JANUARY 15, 2026 | 31

Smithsonian magazine reported on Jan. 7 that the British Museum has a job opening: dedicated treasure hunter. In 2023, the museum revealed that 1,500 of its Greek and Roman artifacts had been stolen, were missing or had been damaged. The items include gems, glass and jewelry dating back to between the 15th and 19th centuries B.C. “We want to get as much staffing as we can to try and push ahead,” said Thomas Harrison, head of

Babs De Lay

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About 500 miles north of Perth, Australia, local Quoin Sellenger got a tip last week from a friend who was diving in the crystal-clear Indian Ocean: There was a safe in the seabed. So, ABC News reported, Sellenger and his daughter headed up to the site. They lifted the heavy box onto the back of their jet ski and took it back to land, where he posted a photo on Facebook in search of the owner. Sellenger then recruited his friend Brad to help break into the safe, which was emitting a strong smell. “I was hoping there was like a big gold bar in there, I guess,” Sellenger said. But alas, the only treasure was an expired and pungent package of beef jerky. “It’s a very well-known reef in Shark Bay, and someone has put it there with the intention of it being found, I believe,” Sellenger said. He has handed over the safe to the Western Australia police.

A Chinese shopping center has solved its problem of people smoking in the restrooms, Oddity Central reported on Dec. 31. The Shuibei International Center posted new signs reading, “Smoking makes the glass transparent.” And sure enough, when smoke is detected, the special doors become see-through. “Resist the urge to smoke, unless you want to become internet famous!” reads another sign. When the glass clears, a loud announcement rings out: “This is a public place where smoking is prohibited. For your own health and the health of others, please do not smoke here.” One social media commenter posted, “Smoking in men’s restrooms in China is practically ubiquitous. I think this is a great idea.”

| COMMUNITY |

In the new year’s oddest legal twist, the National Rifle Association is suing the NRA Foundation, its own charitable arm, for trademark infringement and unfair competition. NBC News reported that on Jan. 5, the NRA alleged that the foundation had passed “itself off to donors and the public as the NRA or an authorized NRA affiliate” and had “misappropriat(ed) the many millions of dollars that NRA supporters contributed.” The lawsuit reveals the ongoing internal turmoil within the NRA and its foundation.

Bright Idea

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■ Many hospitals single out the baby born closest to midnight as the new year turns over, as did Lifebridge Health’s Carroll Hospital in Westminster, Maryland. WMAR-TV reported that Hudson Oakley Winkler was the star this year, born just after midnight on Jan. 1. Hudson’s parents didn’t have any problem agreeing on a name for their new son; “Hudson’s name was generated and selected using ChatGPT!” the hospital announced. Hudson’s parents work in the county’s police department and public school system.

the museum’s Greek and Roman collections. About 600 pieces have been recovered already after being listed on eBay or coming up for auction. No information on the qualifications for such a position, although owning a fedora and whip couldn’t hurt.


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32 | JANUARY 15, 2026

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