⏰ Tick Tock
Days to Utah's 2025 municipal primary elections (8/12/2025) - 28
Days until Election Day (11/4/2025) - 112
Days until the 2026 midterm elections (11/3/2026) - 476
Days until the 2028 presidential election (11/7/2028) - 1,211
Did politics end the federal prosecution of a Utah doctor?
The abrupt decision last week by Attorney General Pam Bondi to drop the charges against a Utah plastic surgeon accused of peddling counterfeit COVID vaccination cards contradicted a decision by her own group investigating the “weaponization” of government.
Dr. Michael Kirk Moore's federal trial, centered on allegations of vaccine destruction and document forgery, barely commenced before the Justice Department unceremoniously dropped all charges on Saturday.
Bloomberg Law reports that Moore's defense had appealed to Bondi's "Weaponization Working Group"—a task force scrutinizing alleged government persecution of Trump supporters. Despite the group's April determination that the prosecution was justified, the winds would soon shift.
That decision was reversed after Utah Sen. Mike Lee and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene began advocating for Moore, who had become a hero among many right-wing supporters of Trump.
Stew Walz, who served 37 years as a federal prosecutor in Utah before retiring in 2018, told Bloomberg Law that the abrupt about face on Moore’s prosecution makes him think it was decided on issues other than the legality of the case.
“It speaks to the idea that politics, and not the merits of the case, was the deciding factor,” Walz said.
Wednesday morning's headlines
Utah and the West
A Chinese-owned company tried to buy land near Provo Airport. utah blocked it, Gov. Cox says. [Utah News Dispatch]
Utah lawmaker responds after Cottonwood heights police chief questions bike lane law. [KUTV]
Utah lawmakers outlawed fluoride in drinking water. Now a Utah dentist worries the FDA may ban children's supplements. [Salt Lake Tribune]
Utah nears last year's wildfire burn total with months left in fire season. [Fox 13]
What history shows us about Utah's push to take control of federal lands. [Salt Lake Tribune]
Major League ambitions: How Utah is positioning itself for MLB expansion. [Fox 13]
Utah makes millions from land on reservations – and has made it harder for tribes to buy back land. [Salt Lake Tribune]
Police: "Nihilistic extremists" targeting young people in Utah. [KSL]
Utah County mosquito pool tests positive for West Nile virus. [Utah News Dispatch]
South Salt Lake summer program already feeling the heat from frozen educational funds. [Fox 13]
Millcreek Canyon may get a shuttle system to help with crowds. [Deseret News]
This Utah farmer has a "million dollar view." He's keeping it out of reach of developers. [Salt Lake Tribune]
National
House Republicans blocked a second attempt by Democrats to force the Justice Department to release documents related to Jeffrey Epstein. [Axios]
Senate Republicans say they have the votes to pass a package of $9 billion in spending cuts, including reductions in funding for public broadcasting. [The Hill]
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is making moves that suggest he is preparing to launch a presidential campaign in 2028. [Axios]
Secretary Kennedy fired two of his top aides, chief of staff healther Flick Melanson and deputy chief of staff for policy Hannah Anderson. [CNN]
The conservative group Judicial Watch is suing the Department of Justice to gain access to records related to the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. [USA Today]
Environment
The megadrought gripping the Southwestern United States has been going on for 25 years – and may not let up for decades. [New York Times]
Economy
Tomatoes are becoming more expensive because of a 17% tariff on tomatoes grown in Mexico. [Time]