University of Utah

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At NCAA Tourney, 'Racial Hate Crimes,' Says Utah Coach

Lynne Roberts says her team had to change hotels after incidents in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

(Newser) - Utah's women's basketball team had a more miserable experience at this year's NCAA Tournament than just their second-round loss to Gonzaga. "We had several instances of some kind of racial hate crimes towards our program," coach Lynne Roberts tells the Salt Lake Tribune . The team...

He Called It a Suicide Pact. Only His Partner Died

University of Utah student arrested in death of girlfriend, an international student at school

(Newser) - The notice posted Friday by the University of Utah was one brought with "heavy hearts," relaying news on the death of a 19-year-old international student in what appeared to be a "domestic violence situation." Now, the Salt Lake City Police Department is offering more context, announcing...

Utah Running Back's Short Life Ends in Tragedy

Ty Jordan had recently lost his mother when he was killed by an accidental gun discharge

(Newser) - He'd only just been named Pac-12's newcomer of the year for his breathtaking freshman performance on the gridiron for the University of Utah when 19-year-old running back Ty Jordan died in what was reportedly an accident involving a gun. Police in Denton, Texas were responding to a call...

University Acknowledges Her Murder Was Preventable

University of Utah will pay Lauren McCluskey's family $13.5M

(Newser) - In what the Salt Lake Tribune is calling a "historic deal," the University of Utah is acknowledging for the first time that student Lauren McCluskey's on-campus murder was preventable. It has settled with her parents for $13.5 million, effectively ending two civil rights lawsuits that had...

VP Debate Has Unexpected Guest, on Pence's Head

A fly hanging out in his hair provided a little levity; folks also worried about his red eye

(Newser) - Two minutes and three seconds. No, that wasn't how long it took moderator Susan Page to rein in the candidates whenever they went over their allotted time. That's how long a clearly noticeable fly remained perched in Mike Pence's closely cropped white hair, offering what People calls...

One Phrase the Debate Moderator Kept Having to Say

'Thank you': how Susan Page tried to stifle the interruptions, candidates going over their time

(Newser) - It wasn't quite the interrupt-fest that the first presidential debate was , but the face-off between Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence at the vice presidential debate in Salt Lake City certainly had its moments. Although the first few minutes seemed relatively calm, soon moderator Susan Page found...

Harris on COVID Response: 'Failure.' Pence: That's 'Unconscionable'

Candidates spar early on in debate on the pandemic

(Newser) - The first topic of Wednesday night's vice presidential debate at the University of Utah was the coronavirus pandemic, and sparks started flying immediately between Sen. Kamala Harris and Vice President Mike Pence. Harris first criticized what she called "the greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history...

Pence, Harris Face Off, With 'Sharply Conflicting Visions'

Vice presidential candidates debate in Utah

(Newser) - As the coronavirus sweeps through the upper reaches of government, Republican Vice President Mike Pence and Democratic challenger Kamala Harris faced off Wednesday night in a debate highlighting the parties' sharply conflicting visions for a nation in crisis, per the AP . The candidates appeared on the stage in the University...

Cop in Sexual Extortion Case Learns His Fate

Officer Miguel Deras has been fired

(Newser) - A police officer accused of showing off explicit images of a University of Utah student while investigating an extortion case she filed before her 2018 death has lost his job, officials said Friday, per the AP . Officer Miguel Deras' employment with the Logan City Police Department ended effective immediately after...

Police Release Last Known Footage of Missing Student

Investigators probe Lueck's use of dating apps

(Newser) - Police investigating the baffling disappearance of University of Utah student Mackenzie Lueck released images from the last known footage of her Tuesday and pleaded for the public's help. Police said surveillance cameras captured the 23-year-old at Salt Lake City International Airport between 2:09am and 2:40am on June...

Student Repeatedly Sought Cops' Help Before Her Killing
Student Repeatedly
Sought Cops'
Help Before
Her Killing
the rundown

Student Repeatedly Sought Cops' Help Before Her Killing

Investigations examine murder of University of Utah student Lauren McCluskey

(Newser) - In the weeks leading up to her murder, University of Utah student Lauren McCluskey repeatedly asked campus police for help—and ended up calling 911 twice because she was frustrated by their lack of action. The 21-year-old told police she was being harassed and blackmailed by Melvin Rowland, a 37-year-old...

Cops: Before He Killed Her, He Extorted $1K Over Photos

University of Utah's Lauren McCluskey reported extortion to police 9 days before her slaying

(Newser) - Lauren McCluskey's killer was a master manipulator who penned messages under various names—even posed as a police officer—in an effort to lure and extort the 21-year-old University of Utah student before her death, according to police. Nine days before she was fatally shot on campus by an...

She Was on the Phone With Mom, Then, 'No, No, No!'
She Was on the Phone With
Mom, Then, 'No, No, No!'
the rundown

She Was on the Phone With Mom, Then, 'No, No, No!'

Police say University of Utah student Lauren McCluskey was killed by an ex-boyfriend

(Newser) - The University of Utah is mourning the death of a student-athlete who police say was shot to death by an ex-boyfriend—one she had recently filed a police report about. One of the most wrenching details of the case is that 21-year-old Lauren McCluskey had been on the phone with...

Kinder, Gentler Humans Built Modern Culture
Kinder, Gentler Humans
Built Modern Culture
study says

Kinder, Gentler Humans Built Modern Culture

Study finds link between lower testosterone, evolutionary jump

(Newser) - Maybe all mankind needed to become more civilized was a kinder, gentler touch, suggests a study out of the University of Utah and Duke University. The new research now links a drop in testosterone to our ancestors' sudden jump into civilized behavior about 50,000 years ago. This is when...

Student Pays Tuition in $1 Bills

Utah youth protests rising cost of college

(Newser) - A University of Utah student paid his tuition bill with 2,000 one-dollar bills as a protest against the rising cost of college. Luq Mughal brought a metal case full of greenbacks to the school this week after making the rounds of local banks. The 21-year-old tells the Salt Lake ...

Stella! Ornery Dog Leads to $1M Lottery Win

Miniature pinscher forces owner to make surprise buy

(Newser) - A group of blue collar University of Utah workers will split $1 million in lottery winnings thanks to a set of keys left in a truck and an ornery little dog named Stella. Thirteen years after playing the same set of numbers every month in the Idaho lottery, the group...

Virus Linked to Aggressive Prostate Cancer

Connection may lead to better diagnosis, customized treatment

(Newser) - Aggressive human prostate cancer cells contain a virus associated with cancer in animals, a discovery that raises hopes for more accurate diagnosis and treatment of the disease, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. "We're not saying this virus causes cancer," cautioned the lead researcher. "The best we can...

8 Offbeat Library Collections
 8 Offbeat Library Collections 

8 Offbeat Library Collections

Hidden treasures abound in local libraries across the country

(Newser) - Your local library may be home to an odd or wonderful specialized stash of artifacts. The Smithsonian compiles a list of the nation’s most unusual library collections:
  • The Cleveland Public Library sports perhaps the world’s largest collection of chess- and checkers-related material, with more than 30,000 items
...

Animal-Rights Violence Has Schools Turning to Courts

Battle pits free-speech rights against safety

(Newser) - In recent months, animal-rights activists have strapped a firebomb under a UCLA professor’s car and flooded another’s home in a campaign to intimidate the school into ending experiments on primates. A judge has issued several restraining orders as the university tries to protect researchers, Newsweek reports, while protesters...

Utah's Well-Armed Students
Utah's Well-Armed Students

Utah's Well-Armed Students

In only state where concealed weapons are allowed on campus, many take advantage

(Newser) - While many states have responded to recent college shootings by debating whether firearms should be allowed on campus, Utah is the only one with such a law on the books—and students at its public universities are taking advantage, CNN reports. Predictably, while some students say they feel safer with...

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