🐢 Protecting the turtles

It's Friday, and we've got a big weekend in store!

• Today's weather: 🌞 Sunny, with a high around 90.

Today's newsletter is 812 words — a 3-minute read.

A larger portion of Utahns — compared to the national average — reported feeling lonely at least sometimes in the latest vibe check from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Why it matters: Feelings of isolation and loneliness are a real public health threat — so much so that Surgeon General Vivek Murthy last year issued an advisory on the matter.

• Social isolation can increase an individual's risk for developing certain ailments like heart disease, anxiety, depression and early death, per the CDC.

Driving the news: About 42.5% of Utahns said they felt lonely at least sometimes in the newest Household Pulse Survey (HPS).

• The HPS is a brief online survey designed to quickly assess Americans' economic and financial wellbeing, among other topics.
• This one was conducted between July 23-Aug. 19, with nearly 60,000 respondents.

The big picture: About 40.3% of American adults said they experienced feelings of loneliness at least sometimes.

Zoom out: Alaska (45.9%), Oregon (44.7%) and Virginia (43.3%) had the highest rates of loneliness.

• Iowa (35.9%), Delaware (36.5%) and Wisconsin (37%) had the lowest.

Between the lines: Feelings of loneliness may be at least partially tied to weather — it would be no surprise if people up north started feeling a little more isolated in the cold slog of deep winter.

The bottom line: Getting out there and making some connections can do wonders for your mental health, as Axios' Carly Mallenbaum has reported.

Tell a friend

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is testing what it says is the first respirator developed specifically for battling wildfires.

Why it matters: The device would at last shield wildland firefighters from toxic smoke that most inhale without proper protection, especially as wildfire seasons are made even longer by climate change.

The big picture: City or "structure" firefighters commonly exchange a depleted air tank every 15-20 minutes as they rotate through a burning building.

Yes, but: The tens of thousands of wildland firefighters who battle U.S. wildfires every summer have no such option.

Driving the news: The DHS is midway through a five-year, $1.7 million effort to develop a respirator that's forest-usable.

Context: Wildland crews work in remote forests and mountains, where they dig trenches, fell trees and set burns to contain fires.

• They can't haul tanks that far, and the tasks are too strenuous for a basic mask.
• The common alternative, crews and researchers tell Axios, is a damp bandana.

State of play: The DHS is working with a contractor to commercialize a hip-mounted, battery-powered respirator as soon as next year, an agency spokesperson tells Axios.

Reality check: Respirators can't deliver the same protection as a structure firefighter's full face mask and air tank.

• "If we can get 10%, 20%, 50% protection, that's way better than what we have now, which is zero," says George Broyles, a former federal fire manager who now works with the Wildfire Conservancy.

Health risks to firefighters

🐢 State and local leaders in St. George are threatening to rescind protections for a 6,800-acre swath of Red Cliffs National Conservation Area if federal regulators reject the city's proposal to build a road through the nature preserve. (KUER)

• The disputed land, known as Zone 6, was added to the conservation area in 2021 in exchange for the land that would be lost to the road.
• Federal regulators put the road on hold for environmental review — the area is home to the endangered desert tortoise — prompting state officials to draw lot lines for housing developments in Zone 6.

🎤 Pop legends Billy Joel and Sting announced Thursday they will perform at Rice Eccles Stadium on May 23, 2025. (Sting.com)

• Tickets drop Oct. 4 for the general public, with presales beginning Sept. 30.

💨 The EPA says Utah isn't doing enough to reduce the haze caused by coal-fueled power plants, arguing in a review last month that state proposals would actually increase the plants' allowable emissions. (Utah News Dispatch)

🛝 Lehi's new $17 million "family park" will open on Sundays amid backlash after families were kicked out of Utah County's biggest playground last weekend. (FOX13)

The world's first-ever hearing aid with dual processing just hit the market, and it's a game changer for anyone looking to hear more clearly in conversation. It's called Horizon IX.

See why audiologists are raving about this powerful German technology and start your no-risk trial today.

Treat yourself, your family or pets to this event-filled weekend in the Salt Lake Valley — including FanX and early leaf-peeping.

🍂 Fall plant sale: Red Butte Garden calls it the "best selection of waterwise and native plants."

When & where: 1pm-7:30pm Friday and 9am-3pm Saturday; Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre

Admission: Free

🎉 Celebración Sinfónica: Enjoy music from various Latin American countries. Performers include conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez and trumpet soloist José Sibaja.

When & where: 7:30 Friday and Saturday; Abravanel Hall

Admission: Prices vary

🐶 Barktoberfest: The Humane Society of Utah is throwing a spooky party for your furry friends, featuring food trucks, live music and family activities.

When & where: 1pm-7pm Saturday; Utah Cultural Celebration Center (1355 W. 3100 South, West Valley City)

Admission: $15 for adults; $5 for ages 5-18

Sunday evening concert

Experts say the new IX hearing aids are the ultimate conversation starter because they're designed with clarity in conversation in mind, offering:

• State-of-the-art noise suppression.
• Lightning-fast dual processing technology.
• Effortless conversation.

Test drive Horizon IX today.

🐠 Kim doesn't care if summer is over. She still made ceviche for dinner.

🤧Erin is trying to shake this cold.

This newsletter was edited by Ross Terrell.