⚾ Bye bye Bees

Good Monday morning. We're in Minneapolis for an Axios Local retreat with our colleagues from around the country!

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Democrats have spent about 70% more than Republicans on political ads in the Salt Lake area since Aug. 1, according to data from analytics platform AdImpact.

Follow the money: As of Sept. 20, Democrats here have spent $326,300 on ads booked for Aug. 1 through Nov. 5, compared to $189,700 for Republicans.

• That includes spending by campaigns (from the presidential candidates down to lower-ballot hopefuls) as well as by outside groups.

The big picture: That echoes national trends, with Democrats outspending Republicans by about a half-billion dollars in the same timeframe, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report.

• Through campaigns alone, Democrats have spent nearly $700 million, compared to almost $400 million by Republicans.

The intrigue: Deep-red Utah has few competitive races, especially with district maps that are widely viewed as gerrymandered to split the few Democratic strongholds that exist in the state.

The other side: Exasperation with former President Trump among historically-conservative Latter-day Saint voters has fueled Democrats' efforts to invite the faithful into their tent.

• Yes, but: Those efforts have largely targeted Arizona, where Vice President Kamala Harris has a chance to win 11 electoral votes.

Case in point: Phoenix is one of the metros where both parties are spending the most on ads, along with Detroit and Philadelphia, according to AdImpact.

• Meanwhile, Tucson — whose metro area is about 16% smaller than Salt Lake's — has $51,496,904 worth of ads to watch: 10 times the $515,934 spent here.

What's next: With about a month and a half until Election Day, there's no end in sight for campaign ads — but the bombardment is, at least, lighter here.

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As the stars descended on the ghost town of Grafton, Utah in the late 1960s to film "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," one outshone them all: A gentle bull named Bill.

• This is Old News, our weekly roundup of Utah history.

Why it matters: "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" premiered 55 years ago this week, showcasing a Utah legend alongside the state's breathtaking scenery, and vaulting "America's Film Set" into the popular imagination.

Zoom in: During the iconic "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head" sequence, Paul Newman's Cassidy crashes a bicycle into a bullpen before being charged by the angry hereford inside.

Yes, but: Bill, the animal actor who was shipped to Utah from Hollywood for this one scene, wasn't feeling very aggro.

Behind the curtain: Bill was "a friendly-type bull," so his handlers brought a chemical irritant that would provoke him to charge, director George Roy Hill said in a "making-of" documentary from 1970 with footage of Bill strolling around Grafton on a leash.

• "When I'd give the cue, they'd squirt it on poor old Bill's balls, and he'd take off in whatever direction he happened to be headed," Hill said. "I don't know what kind of Hollywood training actually was necessary for that."

Between the lines: "Maybe Bill's forte was that he just didn't turn ugly afterwards," Hill conceded. "He kept coming back for more without any noticeable change in disposition."

The bull encounter took all day to shoot, with Newman and co-star Katherine Ross repeatedly executing their stunts as Bill swerved off camera or stopped charging mid-take, according to a Salt Lake Tribune reporter who watched the scene unfold.

The big picture

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🏈 The University of Utah defeated Oklahoma State 22-19 on Saturday in its Big 12 debut. The Utes climbed two spots and are now ranked No. 10 in the AP poll. (Associated Press)

• BYU upset No. 13 Kansas State in Provo and the Cougars are now ranked No. 22.

🚧 Preservationists say the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' historic Salt Lake City temple is being "gutted" as it undergoes yearslong renovations. Meanwhile, a church spokesperson says the improvements are necessary to enhance safety, seismic issues and accessibility. (Salt Lake Tribune)

💥 The Tooele Army Depot apologized over its detonation operations heard by residents across the Salt Lake Valley. (FOX 13)

• "It just happened to be the extra moisture in the ground caused that explosion to carry further than usual," Col. Luke R. Clover, commander of the depot said.

The Salt Lake Bees played their last games at Smith's Ballpark over the weekend, marking the end of their 30-year era in Utah's capital city.

Context: The Minor League Baseball team will head to South Jordan's Daybreak community next year after team owners, the Larry H. Miller Company, announced their move last year.

My thought bubble: I'll miss seeing Bumble dance to the masses at sunset in with the backdrop of Utah's mountains.

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Our picks:

✈️ Erin made it to Minneapolis.

🍽️ Kim went to Gai Noi.

This newsletter was edited by Ross Terrell.