RadioWest

11/26/2025

Food is often overlooked as a casualty of war.

In our latest podcast, Michael Shaikh discusses "The Last Sweet Bite", he documents how conflict and genocide alter local cuisines through memoir, travel writing and recipes.

Listen this morning at 9 a.m. or on your favorite podcast app. or - on our webpage:
https://radiowest.kuer.org/show/radiowest/2025-11-25/how-war-changes-food

What dish connects you most to your family or culture?

Of the many casualties of violent conflict, food is yet another. Michael Shaikh’s new book explains how war and genocide change what we eat.

11/25/2025

"Green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, cranberry sauce… the holiday list goes on.

For many, cooking feels like a race against the clock. Food writer Bee Wilson knows that feeling well. In her book The Secret of Cooking, she shares how cooking itself can ease stress and bring comfort, even during life’s most stressful moments.

Revisit our show here: https://radiowest.kuer.org/show/radiowest/2023-11-21/the-secret-of-cooking

What is your favorite holiday dish to prepare?"

For many of us, cooking is an annoying, boring chore. But the food writer Bee Wilson says there’s a simple secret to an easier life in the kitchen, and it begins with the person who cooks.

11/24/2025

Utah politics just got more interesting. A new Congressional map has reshaped boundaries, and Democrats Ben McAdams & Kathleen Riebe are already in the race.

This summer, we discussed whether Utah could be the next battleground state. Now’s the perfect time to revisit that conversation.

Follow link here:
https://radiowest.kuer.org/show/radiowest/2025-06-10/the-case-for-utah-as-the-next-battleground-state

What do you think? Is Utah ready for a political shift?

Last week, we discussed the possible revival of the Utah Democratic Party. Long time political observers told us that would take some heavy lifting. The political consultants and influencers Gabi Finlayson and Jackie Morgan are up for the task.

11/24/2025

Utah politics just got more interesting. Judge Dianna Gibson’s ruling on Prop 4 reshaped Congressional boundaries, and now District 1 in SLC fairs Democrats.

Ben McADams and Kathleen Riebe have already entered the race.

This summer, we talked about the ups and downs of being a Democrat in Utah. Now’s the perfect tie to revisit that conversation.

You can find part one here:
https://radiowest.kuer.org/show/radiowest/2025-06-03/the-long-decline-and-possible-revival-of-utah-democrats��

Utah Democrats minted a new leader in Brian King over the weekend. But with the party relegated to the political margins in a state dominated by a Republican supermajority, some are wondering if anyone can turn its fortunes around.

11/21/2025

Much of Joseph Smith’s story turns on one question: Did he really discover golden plates?

Historian John Turner says no — but he doesn’t dismiss what came next. The Book of Mormon, even without the plates, stands as a bold achievement that shaped a modern religious movement.

Continue listening to the second part of our conversation with Turner about Joseph Smith’s life: The creation of the Book of Mormon, polygamy, religious innovations and his death and legacy.

Listen here: https://radiowest.kuer.org/show/radiowest/2025-07-01/joseph-smith-the-rise-and-fall-of-an-american-prophet-pt-2

What is Joseph Smith’s place in American religious history?

Much of the Joseph Smith story turns on this question: Did he really discover golden plates? Historian John Turner says no, but he doesn’t dismiss what came next.

11/20/2025

Wallace Stegner: the quintessential author of the American West.

For much of his life, Stegner’s writing was overlooked by the literary establishment. Yet he captured the voices of the Mountain West, mentored future literary giants, and ultimately won the Pulitzer Prize for Angle of Repose.

This week, Alex Beam joins us to discuss his biography: "Wallace Stegner: Dean of Western Writers."

Tune in to KUER today! at 9 a.m. or listen wherever you get your podcasts.

What does Stegner’s writing mean to you?

11/19/2025

"Lots of people dream about escaping it all… Maurice & Maralyn Bailey actually did.

In 1972, they set sail to live on the ocean. A year later, a whale destroyed their boat — leaving them adrift in the Pacific with little food, sharks circling, and a marriage unraveling.

Author Sophie Elmhirst joins us to talk about her new book and what happens when love and survival collide.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Would you risk it all for adventure?

11/18/2025

Was Joseph Smith a liar, a prophet, or a visionary innovator?

John Turner’s new biography asks us to reconsider.

Turner’s Joseph Smith: "The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet" offers a fresh perspective on Mormonism’s founder — somewhere between Brodie’s skepticism and Bushman’s faith.

Revisit our conversation from this summer:

https://radiowest.kuer.org/podcast/radiowest/2025-06-24/joseph-smith-the-rise-and-fall-of-an-american-prophet

How do you see Joseph Smith’s place in American religious history?

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There’s a new biography of Joseph Smith, and author John Turner’s approach is new in the world of books about Mormonism’s charismatic founder.

11/18/2025

“Few writers captured the spirit of the West like Wallace Stegner.”

Post: We’re back with another conversation about Stegner — this time exploring a new biography that highlights his relationship with Utah.

Want to revisit our earlier discussion? Search: "Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West" on our website.

Join us Thursday at 9 am for a conversation with Alex Beam.

What does Stegner mean to you?

To many readers, Edward Abbey and Wallace Stegner are icons of Western American literature. Both were great writers, and they shared a passion for…

11/15/2025

Utah’s political landscape just shifted. Judge Dianna Gibson approved a new congressional map that could give Democrats a shot at flipping a U.S. House seat in 2026.

In “Redrawing Utah,” we unpack the ruling with Sen. Scott Sandall, KUER’s Martha Harris, Salt Lake Tribune’s Robert Gehrke, and plaintiffs Vicki & Malcolm Reid.

Listen this morning at 11 a.m. or wherever you get your podcasts.

What does this mean for representation in Utah? Let us know in the comments.

A lengthy chapter in the battle over Utah’s congressional boundaries came to a close yesterday when a judge chose a new congressional map for Utah. Judge Dianna M. Gibson’s ruling shakes up the state’s political landscape and likely its representation in Congress. We are joined by Sen. Scott S...

11/13/2025

New episode alert! We’re joined again by filmmaker Matt Whitaker to talk about his movie “Truth & Treason”—and the surprising journey of making it with Angel Studios, the company behind “Sound of Freedom” and “The Chosen.”

Whitaker says Angel backed his vision, but he’s concerned the film could be co-opted by the MAGA right.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

11/13/2025

Utah’s political landscape just shifted. Judge Dianna Gibson approved a new congressional map that could give Democrats a shot at flipping a U.S. House seat in 2026.

In “Redrawing Utah,” we unpack the ruling with Sen. Scott Sandall, KUER’s Martha Harris, Salt Lake Tribune’s Robert Gehrke, and plaintiffs Vicki & Malcolm Reid.

Listen this morning at 9 a.m. or wherever you get your podcasts.

What does this mean for representation in Utah? Let us know in the comments.



https://radiowest.kuer.org/show/radiowest/2025-11-11/redrawing-utah-the-map-that-could-flip-a-seat