The rise of fentanyl pills and "super meth" has forced state officials to reconsider its approach to drugs.

Utah finds itself as an outlier in terms of drug overdose deaths with drug seizures of fentanyl and meth continuing to grow, Brigham Tomco reported.

Here's a look at the numbers:

While the country as a whole had a 24% decrease in overdoses from 2023 to 2024, Utah had a 5% increase.

“We’re fundamentally misunderstanding the depth of this addiction and misunderstanding the danger of fentanyl,” Utah Rep. Tyler Clancy, R-Provo said. “When someone’s in the absolute thick of addiction, it’s mandatory treatment or death or destroying their life or leaving citizens on the streets of our cities to be subject to disorder and crime.”

Leaders call 7,194 BYU graduates to excellence and discipleship during 2025 graduation ceremony

Speakers encouraged the 7,194 BYU graduates of the 2024–25 school year to commit similarly to faith, family, community engagement, service and professional excellence during graduation ceremonies at the Marriott Center on campus, Tad Walch reported.

“You entered to learn, now go forth to serve,” BYU President C. Shane Reese said, paraphrasing the sign students see when they enter campus on Cougar Boulevard.

Here are three quotes from the commencement:

🎓 Read more about BYU's graduation.

Utah

University of Utah students generally in favor of ‘Prior Learning and Service’ college credit award program (Deseret News)

Why should you wait to water your lawn, according to these Utah experts (KSL.com)

Are Bears Ears and Grand Staircase back on the hot seat? (Deseret News)

Temple Square's restaurants will reopen this year, but with some big changes (KSL.com)

Utahraptor State Park offers history beyond dinosaurs and fossils (KSL-TV)

Utah students take stand against youth violence at 25th annual “Do the Write Thing” luncheon (Utah Policy)

Utah’s cloud seeding program is the envy of the drought-weary West (KUER 90.1)

Where co-ops meet crude (Utah Business)

'Raising the Bar' film showcases life of Parowan native and Olympic hero Alma Richards (St George News)

This Utah restaurant has the best seafood in the state, according to Yelp. See why (St. George Spectrum & Daily News)

Health

What a food dye ban could mean to you (Deseret News)

Whooping cough cases are rising again in the US (The Associated Press)

Diet high in fiber, fermented foods could keep inflammatory diseases at bay (Medical News Today)

Faith

Latter-day Saints at Army and Navy military academies strengthen bonds of faith and friendship with YSA activity (Church News)

5 cousins called to serve in their Cambodian grandparents’ homeland (LDS Living)

Politics

GOP leaders delay Trump’s massive tax bill as challenges lie ahead (Deseret News)

Trump issues condemnation of Russia following latest attacks on Ukraine (Deseret News)

Women still underrepresented in Utah's local elected positions (Axios)

The Nation and the World

Teen charged with allegedly starting massive New Jersey wildfire (ABC News)

Artificial intelligence elicits concern, uncertainty, even as many see potential benefits, according to new poll (CBS News)

Vatican keeps St. Peter's open all night as tens of thousands come to view Pope Francis (NBC News)

Sports

What happened in the NFL draft and how it affects Utah ties (Deseret News)

Utah man sets world record at Boston Marathon — dressed as a banana (Deseret News)

What does the future hold for Utah Jazz's non-guaranteed players? (Deseret News)

Photo of the week by Isaac Hale

A parishioner touches a photo of the late Pope Francis after a mass for the late pope held at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.