Experts claim the murky air hugging the Wasatch front last week was caused by heat, ozone and forest fire smoke. We believe political hot air is to blame.

Because we are sensitive to the tender feelings of our readers, we try to avoid the carnage in Washington, D.C. So this week we focus on two topics that did not originate in the Oval Office or the Rose Garden. But, of course, we can’t escape the Washington merry-go-round entirely.

Utah's unofficial, but much-appreciated, summer interim holiday between July 4 and July 24 has ended. Time to get back to politics as we dodge monsoon thunderstorms.

Tomorrow is the 170th anniversary of the Mormon pioneers’ entry into the Salt Lake Valley. The Days of ’47 parade committee frowns on special-interest groups and politicians entering floats in the parade.

"Last weekend, Cowley, who is a successful lobbyist when she’s not competing in rodeo, hit three rodeos in 72 hours in Nephi, Elko and Laramie."

We are grateful for Utah politicians. They keep us engaged in local issues while the rest of the country obsesses about Russians and tweets. We explore political topics on the minds of Utahns (but we can’t completely avoid that Russia problem).

Team member Renae Cowley excels in more than the political arena. 

Since politics is both dysfunctional and unfathomable at the national level, we’ll start off the dog days of summer looking at local politics — particularly a Utah anomaly: a congressional special election, including its cause.