ST. GEORGE — In the hours after a report was released sharing how Utah's younger students are struggling to read, we spoke with people in the southern part of the state to find out what's being done to turn the dismal numbers around.

SALT LAKE CITY — On Monday, the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute released a report detailing early literacy rates among Utah children, indicating that many of Utah’s children are not as proficient in reading as they should be.

SALT LAKE CITY — It’s no secret that Division I college athletics in Utah are a pretty big deal, driven by thousands of premier athletes across two dozen sports that generate tens of millions in ticket sales and hundreds of million dollars in revenue every year. But for the first time, an expansive study conducted by the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute has captured the depth and breadth of big-time college sports’ impacts, and the benefits stretch far beyond the financial tallies.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah remains on pace to add 2 million more people over the next 40 years, but the state's rate of growth may continue to slide over the next few decades, according to a new projection of statewide population trends.

SALT LAKE CITY — Lots of changes are in store for Utah’s population by 2065. However, the predicted fast-and-furious pace of population growth may already be slowing. New projections from the University of Utah's Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute expect Utah to grow by roughly 2 million people in the next 40 years, giving the state a population of 5.6 million.

SALT LAKE CITY — The stark reality of veteran suicides in Utah is not just a statistic but a clarion call for change, as highlighted in a recent report from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute geared toward addressing how veterans interact with available suicide prevention resources.

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah’s ski industry generated more than $2 billion for the state’s economy during the 2024–25 ski season. A detailed breakdown of what the ski industry meant for Utah’s economy was released by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah.

SALT LAKE CITY — New numbers once again show how important the ski industry is to Utah's economy, with skiers and snowboarders funneling $2.51 billion into the state last season.

SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. economy faces a bit of uncertainty in the last quarter of 2025. The federal government is shut down with no end in sight, small businesses are reeling with the roller coaster ride around tariffs and AI continues to disrupt industries across the economy. “I'd say that the national economy is struggling,” Moody’s Analytics Chief Economist Mark Zandi told an Oct. 16 economic roundtable hosted by the University of Utah’s Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute. “It's not in recession. It's growing, but the rate of growth is slow. It's below the economy's potential.”

SALT LAKE CITY — Suicide is a leading cause of death in both the United States and Utah, and data show that Veterans have an increased risk for suicide-related deaths. A new report from the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute sheds light on how Utah’s Veterans access suicide prevention resources. The study, commissioned by the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs (UDVMA), identifies key barriers and offers recommendations to improve outreach and engagement.