Deseret News

When you join a social media platform, you sign over the rights to your digital identity. Every post, view and interaction is logged — much like client records stored in a filing cabinet, where they remain indefinitely. When deleting an app you don’t get to take your data with you, and though the app may no longer be on your phone, the data isn’t erased. In fact, the app continues to use and profit from it. But a bipartisan bill in Utah aims to change that. HB418′s purpose is to allow users the right to own, control and manage their data. In a way, it intends to “clean up the mess that we caused by allowing tech companies to come in and control our lives,” the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Doug Fiefia, R-Herriman, said. | By Emma Pitts

Amazon unveiled the long-awaited upgrade to its Alexa digital assistant on Wednesday, touting a new artificial intelligence-driven platform that can do a lot more than play your favorite songs, share the latest weather report or set a timer. But after offering Alexa’s assistance for free on enabled devices since it debuted over a decade ago, interacting with the new and improved?Alexa+?will set you back $19.99 a month unless you are an Amazon Prime member, where it will be added as an additional perk at no additional charge. Amazon says Alexa+ will be rolled out in the coming weeks with earliest availability for those using the latest models of the company’s devices. | By Art Raymond

Spencer F. Eccles can trace his Utah roots back to the mid-19th century and Scottish immigrants who came to the United States thanks to a $375 loan from an early program launched by Brigham Young to help “impoverished Saints around the world gather to Utah.” His grandfather, David S. Eccles, was just a boy on that trans-oceanic voyage but would later become one of the state’s biggest business successes, in spite of arriving in his new country with next to nothing. He sowed the seeds of a family legacy that has fundamentally changed and lifted the state of Utah, and continues to do so today. | By Art Raymond

In a?Monday message to employees, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol announced the Seattle-based coffee giant is planning to lay off 1,100 employees as the company continues to face headwinds amid declining sales, competition and a loss of brand caché. Starbucks had non-retail employee rolls of about 16,000 as of last year but Niccol noted in his announcement that workers at the company’s stores will not be impacted by the current round of cuts. Niccol, the former chief executive of fast-casual restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill, took over as Starbucks CEO last September with the task of turning around the mermaid coffee brand, which has seen four straight quarters of declining sales. | By Art Raymond

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Samuel Benson is the national political correspondent for the Deseret News. He covered the 2024 presidential election and authors the "On the Trail" newsletter. He recently had the opportunity to travel to Mexico City, Mexico, to find out what happens when individuals go back to their home countries. "Lots of news outlets have reported on the first month of Trump's deportation push," Benson said. "We wanted to know: What happens when these individuals go back to their home countries? In Mexico City, we found people who lived most of their childhood or teenage years in the U.S., and when they came back to Mexico as adults, they struggled to fit in. They didn't know Spanish; they hardly recognized the country; they missed family and friends in the U.S. It's clear that family separation doesn't just occur at the border — it occurs every time someone is deported, and their family members have to decide if they will go back, too." Read more about what Sam found out here: bit.ly/4beqU0g

Dive into three stories selected for your weekend reading. Stay informed and engaged with our "Weekend Reads" series. Perspective: The human body is a gift. We need to teach that to our children:?bit.ly/3D1RCfY Why are young women opting to be sterilized?:?bit.ly/3D2ykXO Perspective: Better options than marriage? Think again:?bit.ly/41qubWY

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The stock value of Elon Musk-owned electric vehicle maker Tesla had an incredible ride in 2024, gaining over 80% over the course of the year, with most of that price ascension realized after President Donald Trump secured his reelection bid on Nov. 6. Industry watchers say that post-election bump was driven in large part by investor confidence that Musk’s massive financial support of Trump, with campaign contributions reportedly north of $270 million, and subsequent appointment to lead out on the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, would bode well for Tesla’s future performance as the CEO joined the president’s inner circle. | By Art Raymond

During a Tuesday press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort, President Donald Trump said new sector-specific U.S. trade tariffs were in the works, including 25% levies on imported vehicles, pharmaceutical products and computer microchips. When asked if he’d decided on the new tariff rate for imported vehicles, Trump said he would share a final decision on April 2 but that it “will be in the neighborhood of 25%.” Trump also said new tariffs on pharmaceutical products and microchips will be “25% and higher and it’ll go very substantially higher over the course of a year.” The president also indicated he will give importers that have U.S.-based manufacturing capacity to move production to domestic facilities where output would not be beholden to the new tariff assessments. | By Art Raymond