Monday, September 25, 2023 | 
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Matthew Brown

Matt is a writer and editor on the Deseret News’ National team. He has more than 30 years with the Deseret News as a managing editor, Washington correspondent, religion writer and business writer. Matt also worked for the Associated Press in Salt Lake City. A Utah native, he graduated from the University of Utah in economics and journalism.

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Faith
March on Washington showcased religious roots of Civil Rights movement
A quick scan of the program of the March on Washington, which included three prayers, gospel music and four speeches by religious leaders, illustrates how religion played a central role in this seminal event and in the Civil Rights movement.
By Matthew Brown
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak arrives with his wife, Kathy, to deliver his State of the State address at Allegiant Stadium.
Politics
Nevada’s Democratic governor was accosted. Here’s how his GOP opponents responded
Gov. Steve Sisolak and his wife were threatened at a Las Vegas restaurant. The state GOP condemned the verbal attack, but most of those seeking the party’s nomination for governor took a different approach.
By Matthew Brown
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Politics
More powerful than the Kennedys or Bushes? Meet the West’s most prominent political dynasty
If Sen. Mike Lee doesn’t win a third term it could end a remarkable streak of either a Lee or Udall in Congress every decade since the 1950s.
By Matthew Brown
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The West
How personal liberty politics could prevent states from addressing traffic fatalities
The Biden administration has set aside $15 billion for traffic safety enhancements, including automated enforcement such as cameras to catch speeders and red-light runners.
By Matthew Brown
A vehicle rests in front of a home leveled by the Camp Fire in Paradise, California.
The West
Do you live in a ‘double-hazard’ wildfire zone?
A recent wildfire study locates newly identified “double hazard” zones for wildfires, shedding more light on why wildfires in the past several years have been so destructive to surrounding communities in the West.
By Matthew Brown
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The West
These Western states are taking crypto seriously
Proposals in Arizona and Wyoming to let residents pay taxes in digital money have legal and political hurdles to clear, but proponents believe the efforts are a move toward broader acceptance of cryptocurrency.
By Matthew Brown
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The West
These four Western locales made The New York Times’ travel destinations list for 2022
The Times changed up its annual list to highlight places where visitors can be part of the solution rather than just contribute to the problems associated with travel.
By Matthew Brown
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The West
Could we stop wildfires by starting more fires?
There’s a $50 billion plan to more than double the use of controlled burns and logging to thin out vegetation that fuels wildfires.
By Matthew Brown
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Data
Inflation in the West
Wholesale prices in December indicate inflation may be cooling off, but some economists predict another rough year in 2022.
By Matthew Brown
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The West
Why it’s cheaper to rent than to buy a home in these Western cities
And a group of finance scholars say all is not lost if renters reinvest those savings in other opportunities that can build wealth over the long term.
By Matthew Brown
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The West
Why some want to believe in anti-government conspiracy theories over climate change
People embrace false conspiracy theories not because they believe them, but to express their distrust of government decisions affecting their lives, experts say.
By Matthew Brown
Southbound I-15 traffic builds at Primm, Nev., over the Labor Day weekend in 2020.
The West
Is there a solution ahead for this national ‘traffic nightmare’?
An announcement was made a week after Thanksgiving traffic was reportedly backed up as far as 20 miles from where I-15 crosses the Nevada-California state line.
By Matthew Brown
Squaw Peak is pictured on Sunday, April 20, 2014. The Department of the Interior recently ordered that the derogatory term “squaw” be removed from lakes, mountains, trails and other features on federal land.
The West
The government wants this word removed from hundreds of places in the West
Both federal and state governments are making changes to expedite the painstaking process of removing offensive names from landmarks across the West.
By Matthew Brown
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The West
Why you could see less roadkill thanks to the new infrastructure law
The law sets aside $350 million to build animal crossings that prevent fatal wildlife-vehicle collisions on roads and highways crisscrossing centuries-old wildlife migration routes.
By Matthew Brown
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The West
Why gasoline prices are highest in the West
Reduced refining capacity coupled with increasing demand are some of the reasons fuel prices are so much higher in these western states than elsewhere in the country.
By Matthew Brown
Durrell Annis, left, Damian Aguilera and Reid Blair, from Catholic Community Services load food onto a table for those in need in Ogden in 2020. Utah was ranked the most charitable state in the nation in 2020 by WalletHub.com
The West
What are the most and least charitable states in the West?
WalletHub released its annual survey and three states in the West ranked among the most charitable and another three were among the least giving in time and money.
By Matthew Brown
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The West
The not-so-smooth history of America’s roads
American curiosity to discover the vast expanses of the West, along with political infighting between Utah and Nevada, forced the government’s hand to dictate how and where roads would be built in America.
By Matthew Brown
City and County Building clock tower in Salt Lake City. Utah is among 19 states hoping Congress will let them change to permanent daylight saving time.
The West
The pursuit of a permanent daylight saving time
Since 2015, at least 350 bills and resolutions have been introduced in nearly every state over the country’s biannual changing of the clocks, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
By Matthew Brown
The sun sets as a rainstorm blows over Delicate Arch in Arches National Park near Moab, which is among the top travel destinations in 2022.
The West
These are the top travel recommendations for 2022
Travel websites and publications hoping to recover pandemic-induced losses are touting their top choices to visit next year. Places in the West made some but not all of the lists.
By Matthew Brown
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The West
Where’s the best place to own an electric car?
The vehicle data website Bumper.com looked at 10 metrics that impact the purchase and operation of an electric vehicle. Seven of the top 10 states with the highest scores were in the West.
By Matthew Brown
Steam rises from water in sub-zero temperatures as the sun shines through the trees at Giant Springs State Park in Montana.
The West
How a misinformation campaign derailed a proposed National Heritage Area
National Heritage Areas are an economic engine for many communities that have them, including central and southern Utah.
By Matthew Brown
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InDepth
The Supreme Court is about to hear its biggest religious freedom case of this term
The final ruling by the new conservative court could have widespread ramifications on balancing the rights between religious and secular interests.
By Matthew Brown
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InDepth
When does protecting the vote turn into voter suppression?
The tension between voter suppression and protecting the vote is playing out across the country in state houses, courtrooms and the voting booth.
By Matthew Brown
The federal courthouse in Salt Lake City is pictured on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020.
InDepth
Why a Democrat wants to name a federal courthouse in Utah after Orrin Hatch
Rep. Ben McAdams’ bill would be the second attempt to emblazon Orrin Hatch’s name on the federal courthouse that opened in 2014.
By Matthew Brown
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InDepth
A law professor attended police academy. Here’s what she learned about problems with modern-day law enforcement
Rosa Brooks contends changing recruitment and training will root out racism and brutality in policing
By Matthew Brown
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InDepth
How a group of scholars hope to avert an election ‘doomsday’ in November
They fear mounting rhetoric about voter fraud and litigation over voting access could put democracy at risk
By Matthew Brown
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InDepth
Why sending in the troops may not solve the problem
Orders to deploy the military domestically are politically fraught when they curtail the public’s right to protest.
By Matthew Brown
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InDepth
Who will voters hold accountable in November for the economic demise?
New research says voters reward and punish incumbent president’s party at every level of government.
By Matthew Brown
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InDepth
GOP calls it voter fraud. Dems call it voting rights. Balloting battles heat up before November
Republican National Committee launching $20 million campaign to fight fraud through vote by mail and other efforts by Democrats to ease voting access.
By Matthew Brown
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InDepth
What is ‘Obamagate’? And what does it have to do with former national security adviser Michael Flynn?
Attorney General William Barr wants the case dismissed but judge making the decision wants more time.
By Matthew Brown
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