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Source: Utah News
Throughout the Utah Jazz’s draft process to this point, it’s largely been a two-man race for who their second-overall pick will eventually end up being later this month.
In most mock projections, you’ll see them end up with either BYU wing AJ Dybantsa or Kansas guard Darryn Peterson; two prospects seen as the top 1 and 1A names in the class, and both more than capable of even being as high as the number one pick.
But it seems like when asking those inside the Jazz’s building, it’s not quite as simple as taking the one of those two that the Washington Wizards don’t end up selecting.
During an interview with KSL Sports, Jazz president Austin Ainge made it clear that he and the front office are trying to take a different approach than just basing their selection off of the general consensus.
Instead, he and Utah are trying to do more of the opposite; turning over every stone to make sure they’re making the right choice with their first top-two pick in over 40 years, and “fight” that consensus ranking.
“We’re trying to force ourselves to keep an open mind and not get locked in until we have all the information,” Ainge said.
“Make sure we’re processing everything correctly. We’re almost fighting a consensus or a predetermination. We’re trying to make sure we go through it as thoroughly as possible before we lock in.”
Many fans invested in the Jazz’s selection might view this year’s draft pick as the easiest they’ve had to make since they first started their rebuild four summers ago. And in reality, it’s more than likely Utah ends up landing on one of the two top names, Peterson or Dybantsa.
However, for those actually set to be in the war room and pull the trigger on what might be the Jazz’s most valuable pick in franchise history, taking these next few weeks to unpack everything there is to know about this year’s class is the right approach to take.
Is there any real concern to be had surrounding Peterson’s medicals? Does Dybantsa have the true two-way ceiling that many scouts and experts project him to have? Does Cameron Boozer or Caleb Wilson deserve any consideration at all?
Those are all questions the Jazz are answering in the building right about now. So for Ainge to say there’s still no consensus in the room less than three weeks away from the action is far from the wrong approach to have.
“I would say there’s always a ‘blink’ reaction when we get our pick,” Ainge said. “We’re trying not to do that on purpose. We’re fighting groupthink, and we’re fighting media narratives. We’ll use all of the tools we have.”
“You guys can picture a room full of [people] who spend all of their lives trying to figure out these players. We don’t have a consensus in our rooms. There are arguments. There are a lot of opinions. We are all just trying to share, grow, learn, and come together at the end.”
In due time, the Jazz will have landed on their verdict of where each of the top prospects ranks on their board, and who their most likely selection might be once they’re officially on the clock later this month.
Until then, though, expect this front office to have their heads down and meticulously breaking down every detail there is to know about this year’s incoming class.
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O’Leary Ventures chairman Kevin O’Leary discusses the rapid profitability of artificial intelligence companies on ‘The Bottom Line.’
“Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary says he is prepared to shrink a sprawling artificial intelligence data center development in Utah after top state lawmakers pushed for major reductions and additional environmental safeguards, according to reports.
O’Leary told NBC News on Wednesday that he is willing to reduce the size of the proposed Stratos data center project after Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams called for a 75% reduction in its footprint.
“I have no choice,” O’Leary told NBC News at the Washington AI Network’s AI Honors gala.
The project, which has been promoted as one of the largest AI-focused data center developments in the world, would span roughly 40,000 acres in Box Elder County.
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Kevin O’Leary, Chairman of O’Leary Ventures, arrives to speak before a Senate Committee on Aging and House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party joint hearing on April 9, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images / Getty Images)
In a letter sent Monday, Adams urged O’Leary to reduce the project area to approximately 10,000 acres and adopt additional environmental safeguards before moving forward.
“I’ve sent a letter directly to Kevin O’Leary calling for a 75% reduction in the proposed data center project area, from 40,000 acres to approximately 10,000 acres,” Adams said in a statement.
The Republican Senate president also called for stronger conservation measures, greater public transparency and protections for Utah’s natural resources.
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Kevin O’Leary, Chairman of O’Leary Ventures, speaks before a Senate Committee on Aging and House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party joint hearing on April 9, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Among his requests, Adams said the project should commit to using the latest technology to minimize water consumption, dedicate any excess treated water to the Great Salt Lake and enter into agreements with state officials to preserve wildlife habitat and agricultural land.
“Utah can pursue economic opportunity while protecting our water, air, wildlife and communities,” Adams said. “We can and must do both.”
O’Leary suggested the demand was driven in part by political pressure as opposition to the project continues to grow.
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High-tech data center with server racks (iStock / iStock)
“I know he did it for political reasons,” O’Leary told NBC News. “He has to address those issues, and so do I.”
Residents and environmental advocates have raised concerns about the project’s potential demands on water supplies, power infrastructure and nearby communities.
O’Leary has previously dismissed some of those concerns as misinformation and accused opponents of spreading false claims about the project.
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“All these people have a right to get information,” O’Leary told NBC News. “Why are they getting it from a false initiative? Who is spending all this money to put out all these falsehoods and straight-out misinformation and lies and agitate these people?”
Adams noted that several legislative committees are examining how large-scale developments could affect Utah’s water supply, energy system, land use and environmental resources.
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Utah has also invested more than $1 billion in water conservation and infrastructure projects while increasing oversight of large-scale developments, Adams said.
O’Leary told NBC News he plans to formally respond to Adams by Friday with details of a revised proposal.
Source: Utah News
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — While a pending charge of aggravated sexual assault was dismissed on June 4, 2026, the man accused of sexually assaulting a woman at knifepoint in 2024 didn’t walk away a free man.
Dillon McKay Price, 32, of Wichita Falls, was indicted on charges of aggravated sexual assault and failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements in November 2025.
The charges stem from an alleged assault in December 2024, in which Price was accused of brandishing a knife before sexually assaulting a female victim at the Wayfarer Motel in Wichita Falls.
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Price, who is registered as a sex offender in the state of Utah, was set to face a judge and jury in the 89th District Court during the summer of 2026. However, during a scheduled pre-trial hearing on June 4, 2026, a plea agreement was reached.
Court documents show the two pending charges against Price were dismissed. On Thursday, Price instead pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, stemming from the same December 2024 incident.
According to court documents, Price was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with credit for 429 days of time already served in county jail.
This is a developing story. Stick with Texoma’s Homepage for updates as more information becomes available. All individuals charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Source: Utah News
WASHINGTON — Celebrity investor Kevin O’Leary had appeared to dig in his heels in recent days after facing backlash on all sides over a planned 40,000-acre AI data center campus in Utah. But now, he tells NBC News, he’s willing to shrink the project.
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Source: Utah News
Source: Utah News
While there’s still a good chunk of time before the Utah Jazz make their second-overall draft selection official, the consensus seems to believe that their ultimate selection will end up being Kansas guard Darryn Peterson.
And even as he might be the second player off the board, he’s far from a poor consolation prize for the Jazz to land.
He’s widely seen by many as what could still be the best possible prospect in this year’s class, and is sure to be a difference-maker in the backcourt for years to come, whether that be with Utah or elsewhere.
In fact, he might even have the chops of being a day-one starter with the Jazz, despite the established five-man group they seemingly have within their currently projected starters.
During a recent ESPN 700 interview with Jazz insider Sarah Todd of Deseret News, she broke down what the starting five situation may look like if Peterson is inevitably the selection with Utah’s second pick.
And while she believes there’s certainly at least a chance that the Jazz bring Peterson along slowly as they have with other top rookies in recent years, there also might be a real shot that he starts from day one, while Keyonte George would be their sixth man.
“We know Will Hardy, and we know the Jazz like to bring guys along slow. They don’t want anyone to be too big for their britches, you know what I’m saying?” Todd said. “And so, there’s a little piece of me that thinks, ‘Maybe they might have Darryn start off on the bench on the rookie.’ Then again, it’s just like– he’s so good. He’s number two.”
“They had Ace [Bailey] come along slowly too, and he was number five,” she continued. “I think that Darryn might be in a different ballpark, though. So, if I was giving you a starting five under the assumption that Walker Kessler is on the roster, I would go: [Jaren Jackson], Walker, Lauri, Ace, Darryn, and Keyonte would be the sixth man.”
Typically, the Jazz have taken more of a slow, gradual approach when bringing their rookies along as a starter or key rotational player.
It took Keyonte George until December of the regular season calendar to get his first reps as a starter back in 2023. Ace Bailey wasn’t a starter for the first nine games of his career, despite being the franchise’s first top-five pick in over a decade.
So to hear that Peterson might be an exception to that trend is certainly eye-catching. Especially if it means that his selection could uproot a starting spot from a guard like George, who played at a near-All-Star level last season, that becomes even more so.
There’s obviously no concrete evidence that Todd’s projection would be the final decision from the Jazz’s coaching brass by the time the next season rolls around. Utah hasn’t even made their pick at second overall yet.
However, it does showcase that the Jazz will have some real optionality when it comes to how their starting five could eventually look if Peterson is the eventual pick at two; whether that be bringing Keyonte off the bench, slotting Bailey in the second unit, or doing their typical approach of bringing the new rookie along slowly.
That’s not only because of the talent Utah has built up in their starting five, but also because of just how strong the top of this draft class looks when it comes to guys like Peterson or AJ Dybantsa, if he winds up as the ultimate selection at two.
It’s certainly an interesting discussion, but will become a bit more prevalent once the Jazz make their selection later this June, then get closer to tipping off next season. Regardless of how their starting five shakes out, having an excess of talent tends to always be a good problem to have.
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Utah Gov. Spencer Cox is among a wave of Republican governors across the country who have declared June something other than Pride Month, stepping away from what was a common recognition nationally since 1999.
Instead, June will be “Fidelity Month” in the Beehive State.
Cox had signed Pride Month declarations during the first three years of his tenure, asking Utahns in 2021 to “encourage relevant and vital conversations about what it means to love each other, understand our differences, and support our LGBTQ+ friends and family members.” In June 2016 following the deadly mass shooting that killed 49 people at Florida’s Pulse night club, Cox, then lieutenant governor, made national headlines for his emotional speech apologizing for his past attitudes about people who are gay.
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However, he changed directions in recent years, first by declaring June 2024 as “a month of bridge building,” and then by skipping a declaration altogether in June 2025.
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According to this year’s declaration, the document stems from an opinion poll showing that a majority of Americans “no longer esteem values like faith, family, patriotism, or community involvement.”
“Fidelity means dedication to faith, family and country,” the declaration reads. “It is imperative that we recommit ourselves to the pursuit of fidelity.”
The Fidelity Month concept was created by Princeton University professor Robert George, who has made a name as a conservative Christian legal scholar, who described the recognition as a small way to “restore the faith of our people and begin to heal the dreadful division in our country.”
Other Republican governors, including Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, have also adopted the Fidelity Month declaration. In states like Indiana and Tennessee, governors have signed declarations recognizing June as “Nuclear Family Month.”
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And, in Alabama, Gov, Kay Ivey recognized June as “Strong Families Month,” saying in a news release that “homes led by stable parents, a father and a mother, provide children with the structure and discipline necessary to succeed.”
Utah Senate and House Democrats said in response to Cox’s Fidelity Month declaration that they rejected “the idea that supporting LGBTQ+ Utahns comes at the expense of anyone else.”
“At a time when so many communities, including the LGBTQ+ community, are being targeted and erased, Utah needs leaders who bring people together, not leaders who deliberately look for new ways to divide us.
Salt Lake City Democratic Sen. Jen Plumb added that the Fidelity Month declaration made her “angry and deeply disappointed.”
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“What makes this especially painful is that many LGBTQ+ Utahns supported leaders who spoke the language of compassion, understanding, and inclusion. They showed up, trusted those words, and helped build the coalitions that put those leaders in office,” Plumb said in a statement. “To now see Pride Month deliberately pushed aside feels less like a difference of opinion and more like a betrayal of that trust.”
Source: Utah News
Source: Utah News
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox declared June 2026 “Fidelity Month,” calling for a return to America’s “core values,” as Republican-led states across the country issue various proclamations in reaction to “Pride Month” celebrations.
Utah joined Arkansas in endorsing Fidelity Month, a movement promoted by conservative scholar Robert George. The initiative urges Americans to rededicate themselves to principles of God, marriage, family, country and community.
Cox’s announcement comes amid differing June declarations — and after his shift on whether to recognize Pride Month.
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This year, Tennessee, Alabama and Indiana proclaimed June as “Nuclear Family Month,” underscoring the role of traditional families. Oklahoma declared June “Life Month,” committing to support unborn humans from conception.
Democratic states continued to recognize June as “LGBTQ Pride Month,” accompanied by parades and rainbow decorations. President Bill Clinton made the occasion official in 1999, before Barack Obama expanded it in 2009.
The Trump administration, meanwhile, announced for the second year that June will be known as “Title IX Month,” referring to the 1972 civil rights law banning discrimination in publicly funded schools on the basis of biological sex.
The contest over the month of June reflects decadeslong culture war questions, exacerbated by partisan polarization and a sense that red and blue states increasingly represent different values ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.
As governor of the Beehive State, Cox has changed his Pride Month messaging considerably since entering office. In 2021, 2022 and 2023, Cox made Utah one of the only GOP-leaning states to officially recognize “LGBTQ+ Pride Month.”
Gov. Spencer Cox speaks during a press conference on the last day of the legislative session in the Capitol’s Gold Room in Salt Lake City on Friday, March 6, 2026. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
But in 2024, ahead of a competitive primary election in June, Cox stated his past declarations had “turned into a lightning rod for more division and hurt.” The governor, instead, declared June “a month of bridge building.”
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Last year, Cox did not issue a declaration at all. He posted that he was taking the month of June to reflect “on the values that bring us together.” He once again encouraged Utahns to “keep building bridges of understanding.”
In his latest change, Cox has chosen to highlight Fidelity Month for 2026 with a declaration referring to recent polls showing a dramatic drop among Americans in patriotism, religiosity, childbearing and community involvement.
Cox’s declaration defines fidelity as “dedication to faith, family and country.” Founding fathers like John Adams believed the U.S. Constitution was made for a “moral and religious people” committed to these values, Cox said.
“(T)he survival of the United States depends on the shared bonds of faith, family and patriotism,” the declaration states. “(I)t is fitting to observe one month each year to rededicate the United States to its core values.”
Utahns gather to celebrate Pride Month during the Pride Parade as it passes through downtown in Salt Lake City on Sunday, June 2, 2024. | Marielle Scott, Deseret News
Marina Lowe, the senior director of legal and legislative affairs at the LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Utah, said she takes issue with the implication that Pride Month stands in contrast to values such as faith, family and marriage.
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“I think it’s just the reality that LGBTQ people are people of faith, are people of family, just like any other group of individuals,” Lowe said. “I don’t think that these positions need to be in conflict with one another.”
Pride Month is about “love, acceptance and inclusion,” Lowe told the Deseret News, adding that she believes strong families are defined by “stability and love and commitment,” not by a concept of traditional “nuclear” family structures.
However, other Utahns, like Skyler Sorensen, are glad to see pro-family messages coming from state leaders.
Sorensen is a content creator who focuses on the importance of traditional family values as a Latter-day Saint with same-sex attraction. He said Pride Month represents “a very specific goal” of removing “sexual norms” in public.
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“These aren’t just aberrations to the movement; they are very much central to the movement,” Sorensen said. “I don’t think it’s appropriate for our government to adopt that and push it out as if it’s something that’s politically neutral.”
June declarations don’t have to become a tit-for-tat that “feeds into political divisiveness,” he told the Deseret News.
Instead of fighting over the month before America’s 250th birthday, Sorensen said leaders can follow the Founders by respecting the right of conscience, while remembering the values of God, family and country that hold us all together.
The American flag and a Pride flag fly outside the City and County Building in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Editor’s note: This story had been updated to reflect a temporary change in the timing of Utah’s declaration, but it has since reverted to its original form.
Source: Utah News
