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Good morning!

Elon Musk, fresh off a very public falling-out with President Donald Trump, wants to start a new political party. Can it succeed?

On Saturday, Musk announced the founding of the America Party. He said the new party is designed to return freedom to Americans and cut down waste and graft.

Trump lambasted the move, and his comments prompt a common question: Why have third parties in the United States never truly succeeded?

Read more about past attempts to create third parties in the U.S. and what they mean for Musk and his team.

Also on our minds:

BYU QB Jake Retzlaff still plans to transfer, is drawing interest from several Power 4 programs
Donny Osmond joins ‘Somebody Feed Phil’ in Las Vegas: ‘I need you to teach me about food’
C.S. Lewis, the Texas floods and the problem of understanding prayers

From a jail cell to a lifeline: The woman who won’t let anyone fall through the cracks

Emma Pitts writes:

Some people selflessly use the cards they’ve been dealt in life to make the game easier for the person next to them. For Channae Haller, her mission to help the downtrodden came to her while she was sitting in a Utah jail.

After two months of jail time — for reasons she continues to assert were false and that are still under legal review — Haller chose to collaborate with the agencies involved in the criminal justice system through her nonprofit, Justice By Objectives, rather than harbor resentment.

“One in three people has been impacted by the justice system,” Haller said. “So the stigma around it needs to change. What we really need to do is educate our communities on how to better understand substances, better understand parenting, better understand all these different components of why these people go and maybe make a mistake — but we’re all guilty of it. It’s just some people get away with it. Some people don’t.”

Read more about how Haller overcame her own difficult past and how she helps Utahns turn prison time into purpose.

Strap on your dancing shoes: How regular line dancing is helping these seniors stay healthy

It’s a well-established fact that both physical and social activity can keep you healthy well into your older years. So why not combine the two and have some fun?

My colleague Caitlin Keith recently attended a line dancing class for seniors at the Murray Senior Recreation Center. While Caitlin didn’t join in on the dancing herself, she told me it was so fun that she’s tempted to go back.

“Line dancing is physical, mental and social, and more people should do it,” 87-year-old Carol Perry, who has been line dancing for 37 years, told Caitlin after the class. Line dancing is “what’s keeping me alive,” she said with a smile.

Read more about the unexpected benefits of regular line dancing.

Utah Business 2025 Innovation Awards Summit

Recognizing the state’s vibrant community of innovators — from startups to established companies — and their breakthrough creations. Submit your nomination before July 9!

The Nation

Search continues after Texas flash floods, as Trump defends National Weather Service (Deseret News)
Chantal strikes Carolina coast as first storm of the Atlantic season (Deseret News)
Shooter killed after opening fire on Texas Border Patrol facility (Deseret News)
Stocks hit record high by weekend, pulled back on tariff news (Deseret News)

The World

Trump to have dinner with Netanyahu as steps toward peace are made in the Middle East (Deseret News)
Israeli officials think Trump could give them green light to attack Iran again (Axios)
Proposal outlines large-scale 'Humanitarian Transit Areas' for Palestinians in Gaza (Reuters)

Sports

Quarterback situation, recent recruiting success among the hot topics for BYU at Big 12 football media days this week (Deseret News)
Jazz trade John Collins for Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson and second-round pick (Deseret News)
Utah QB Devon Dampier named preseason Big 12 Newcomer of Year (Deseret News)
‘It will feel like home’: JJ Peterka talks trade to Utah, what he likes about the Mammoth, and how he’ll fit in (Deseret News)

Faith

Jennifer Graham: Prayer works — even when it seems it doesn’t (Deseret News)
After losing both of his parents, service missionary blesses God’s creations (Church News)

Opinion

Holly Richardson: As news from Texas unfolds, one mother remembers her own loss and the lessons she learned about mourning (Deseret News)
Susan Madsen: Why we should be cautious about calling women ‘girls’ (Deseret News)

Entertainment

Donny Osmond dines in Vegas — and dishes on relationship with brothers (Deseret News)
BYU chef will bring her cooking chops to national culinary competition in Salt Lake City (Deseret News)

🗓️ Events Calendar

We put together a list of events and activities going on around the state of Utah in July. Check it out and let us know if we are missing anything!

Here are some highlights for events in Utah today:

July 8 — Utah Youth Rodeo | Golden Spike Event Center, Ogden
July 8 — Utah Jazz vs. Thunder | 7 p.m.
July 8 — Salt Lake Bees vs. Sacramento | 7:05 p.m.

Check your inbox tomorrow morning for more news from the Beehive State and beyond!

And reply to this email or email newsletters@deseretnews.com to tell us what you think of Utah Today.

Thanks for reading!

— Ariel