The Nuclear Debate Utah Can’t Avoid

HEAL Utah’s Carmen Valdez explains why environmental advocates are urging the state to slow down, asking tougher questions about safety, waste, cost, public health, security, and whether nuclear can realistically power data centers anytime soon. Then Maria visits the University of Utah’s nuclear reactor lab, where Dr. Ted Goodell explains what the campus reactor actually does, why nuclear energy is so powerful, and why the next big question may not just be whether nuclear can be safe, but whether it can be safe, affordable, transparent, and ready in time.Plus, new research links extreme heat and pollution to increased suicide risk, Rocky Mountain Power shares tips for cutting costs during triple-digit temperatures, Salt Lake’s Buddhist community marks the 90th anniversary of the Obon Festival, and Before You Go looks skyward with Patrick Wiggins, the Utah astronomer who just discovered his tenth supernova.