By Katie McKellar | Senior Reporter
The first day of a weeklong preliminary hearing for the 23-year-old man charged with killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk was consumed by prosecutors painstakingly going through the motions to submit evidence meant to lay the foundation for their eventual trial case.
Kirk’s family, including his parents and widow Erika Kirk, appeared in court for first time with the man accused of shooting Kirk, Tyler Robinson. He has not yet entered pleas to the charges against him.
In today’s Dispatch, we report on what it was like in the courtroom for the highest-profile court case the state has seen in recent memory, Utah Rep. John Curtis calls for federal transparency standards for data centers, and expanded healthcare for Utah public employees that include IVF and GLP-1 options.
“Charlie was a beloved husband, son, brother, friend, and father. Every court proceeding serves as a painful reminder of his death and the loss that has irrevocably impacted our lives and the lives of his children.” — Charlie Kirk’s family, in a prepared statement issued ahead of Monday’s court hearing.
Tyler Robinson, accused in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in 4th District Court in Provo, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (Pool photo by Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune)
By Annie Knox
Wearing black, widow Erika Kirk dabbed her eyes with a tissue at the start of the weeklong preliminary hearing in Provo, nearly 10 months after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during a speaking event at Utah Valley University in Orem.
Tyler Robinson, who faces the potential of a death sentence if he’s convicted of aggravated murder, sat expressionless in a gray suit while prosecutors submitted evidence and questioned two law enforcement officers about early steps in the investigation.
Sen. John Curtis, R-Utah, talks to media during a press conference at the Capitol in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
By Alixel Cabrera
As elected officials push for permitting reform and more energy production across the country, Utah Republican Sen. John Curtis is also eyeing an issue that has shaken his home state: distrust around data centers.
Even if Congress hypothetically allows for faster permitting, the challenge of earning people’s trust would remain, Curtis said during a panel about energy infrastructure. To create credibility, he called for federal standards to determine whether data center projects are sustainable.
The Capitol in Salt Lake City is pictured on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. (Photo by Spenser Heaps for Utah News Dispatch)
By Alixel Cabrera
After healthcare options were expanded for Utah public employees, treatments like in vitro fertilization have been approved as benefits since 2025, and weight loss drugs like GLP-1s since the 2026 legislative session.
However, they come with some limitations. Here’s how the new options have been working for state employees so far.
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