Evening Brief: Aug. 13, 2026

From KUER News in Salt Lake City, I'm Pamela McCall. Southwest Utah is under a flood watch, so are some central parts of the state. Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall from thunderstorms is possible right through tomorrow morning. Capital Reef and Zion National Parks are included in the flood watch. Dry washes, slot canyons, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations are all at risk. So are several burn scars, including ones curated by the Cottonwood and Wide Mouth Two Fires. Thousands of people at Utah Valley University witnessed the death of conservative activists Charlie Kirk last year. Some are now seeking help from the state to pay for trauma support. KUER's Sean Higgins has more. The Utah Office for Victims of Crime can help victims pay for mental health treatment. Director Shailene Ritchie says at least 500 people approached her office in the days after the shooting. 173 people have actually applied for benefits, and Ritchie says they are focusing on people in the rows closest to Kirk when he was shot. We made the decision to qualify these people as primary victims. So they get what other primary victims would get in any kind of crime. And that is 25 mental health sessions reimbursed. James Densley is a researcher who focuses on public crimes with multiple victims, like mass shootings. Even with 173 claims, he thinks the victim list could be a lot longer. I think that number is not a measure. of the extent of the harm, it's really just a measure of those who've been able to navigate the legal system to file a claim. Many of Kirk's fans were young men. Statistically, they are less likely to seek out mental health help. Denzley says that could make understanding the crime's full scope even harder. Sean Higgins, K-U-E-R news. A Utah man has pleaded not guilty in a federal hate crime charge. Peter Michael Larson appeared in Utah's U.S. District Court today. A grand jury has indicted him in connection with an attack on a Muslim man. The incident happened at Valley Fair Mall in West Valley City. The man suffered multiple stab wounds, including to the neck. Court documents say the hate crime involved an attempt to kill based on the victim's actual and perceived religion. If convicted, Larson could face life in prison. Scientists at the University of Utah know why people see tiny humans when they eat a certain kind of mushroom. Researchers use DNA sequencing to find a new hallucinogenic compound. People on it experience what are called Lilipusian hallucinations. That's a reference to beings in the novel Gulliver's Travels. Column Domnauer is a doctoral student at the U. Here's how he describes the visions. They typically say there's dozens or hundreds of these...

little people rendered in explicit detail in three dimensions interacting with the real world. The discovery could bring insights into how the brain shapes perception. It's important because the same hallucinations can happen to people who are withdrawing from alcohol or who develop some neurological disorders in old age. You are listening to KUER News.