By McKenzie Romero | Editor
University of Utah researchers believe they have found a powerful tool to help overcome opioid misuse — the brain.
And not only is mindfulness therapy effective in helping patients manage cravings, stress and pain, the researchers say, it can also save a lot of money.
In today’s Dispatch we update you on the savings found through the U.’s opioid therapy program, how the Utah National Guard is helping fight wildfires, and the Trump administration’s push to get vote-by-mail restrictions in place before the midterms.
“At a relatively low cost, MORE has strong potential to reduce opioid misuse and generate substantial economic benefits for patients, health systems and society.” — University of Utah economics professor Fernando Wilson, who conducted an economic analysis of the Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement program.
By Alixel Cabrera
A mindfulness treatment created at the University of Utah in recent years has proved to be effective at decreasing opioid misuse. Now, a new economic study found it could also save hundreds of thousands of dollars per patient. That’s if healthcare, criminal justice and lost productivity costs are taken into account.
An opioid addiction epidemic can cost the United States as much as $4 trillion per year, according to a study by the firm Avalere Health. However, a form of therapy called Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement, or MORE, can save $12 for every dollar spent in those costs, according to a University of Utah health economist’s evaluation.
Members of the Utah National Guard pilot a Black Hawk helicopter to scoop water to drop water on the Rocky Canyon Fire near Henefer, Utah, in a photo shared by fire officials on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Utah Fire Info)
By Annie Knox
Firefighting crews in Utah are getting a hand from the National Guard as wildfires across the state and nation continue to stretch resources thin. Utah soldiers are currently tasked with using Black Hawk helicopters to drop water from 530-gallon buckets to help contain the Rocky Canyon Fire burning in Summit and Morgan counties.
For some, the mission is personal, said Lt. Col. Penny McCarthy, commander for the 2nd Battalion, 211th General Support Aviation Regiment. Multiple Guard members either have family in nearby communities or live there themselves.
A voter drops off a ballot on primary Election Day at the Salt Lake County Government Center on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (Photo by Marco Lozzi for Utah News Dispatch)
DC BUREAU
By Jacob Fischler
The Trump administration on Wednesday renewed its request to the U.S. Supreme Court to quickly decide a case over an executive order restricting voting, a day after a Massachusetts federal judge expanded an injunction on the order nationwide.
The Tuesday order from U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani that blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order from taking effect anywhere in the country makes the administration’s request to the Supreme Court more urgent, U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer wrote. Election Day is Nov. 3, less than three months away.
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