Back Channel Utah

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Family Affordability, Policy Wins, and Menopause Care with Emily Bell McCormick

2026-10-2342:19

Emily Bell McCormick, founder of The Policy Project, shares how an organization can turn everyday family challenges into statewide policy. She explains why her first campaign focused on period products, how the group expanded into teen centers, child safety, school cellphone rules, and family affordability, and what it takes to build support at the Utah Capitol. McCormick also breaks down The Policy Project’s 2026 session, when three of four family-affordability bills passed, and previe...

College ROI, Enrollment Shifts, and Pro-Human AI with Geoffrey Landward

2026-10-0942:27

Geoffrey Landward, Utah’s commissioner of higher education, explains what “ROI” should actually mean for college degrees and post-secondary certificates, and why the value of higher ed goes beyond wages alone. He discusses Utah’s upcoming enrollment peak, what the national “enrollment cliff” could mean for public institutions, and why Utah’s system structure is an advantage if leaders plan strategically. Landward also breaks down how the state should think about technical education, stackable...

AI Infrastructure, Why Delta Works, and Behind-the-Meter Power with Ray Conley

2026-10-0245:25

Ray Conley, founder and CEO of Creekstone Energy, breaks down why the AI era is becoming a land rush for power, fiber, and the physical footprint needed to train frontier models. Conley explains why Delta is unusually advantaged, how Utah’s “golden spike” infrastructure history shaped modern fiber routes, and why “behind the meter” power generation is essential if AI infrastructure is going to scale without spiking local power bills. He also offers a clear explanation for why people suddenly ...

Healthcare Complexity, Primary’s Growth, and “The Child First” with Dustin Lipson

2026-09-2535:40

Dustin Lipson, president of Primary Children’s Hospital, explains why healthcare is so difficult to reform, and what it takes to run a children’s hospital built on deep community trust. He shares how Primary has climbed into the top tier of U.S. News and World Report rankings, why “the child first and always” is designed to be an operational standard, and how pediatric care must support families, not just patients. Lipson also outlines the tradeoffs that come with rapid growth, including expa...

Rolled votes, DC realities, and sweater days with Rob Bishop

2026-09-1840:27

Rob Bishop served nine terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and previously held the gavel as Speaker of the Utah House. After retiring from Congress, he returned to the Utah House of Representatives to serve his local district, bringing decades of legislative experience full circle. In this episode, he offers a clear look at how Congress operates behind closed doors, why standard textbooks fail to capture real legislative mechanics, and what has changed inside the Utah Capitol over the ...

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