National Review: "America Needs AI" Op-ed. (Posted: 9/28/26)

[NR PLUS | POLITICS & POLICY]

America Needs AI That Is Pro-Human

By [Gov.] SPENCER COX ([R] Utah) & Margaret W. Busse (Utah Department of Commerce) & Jefferson Moss (Governor's Office of Economic Development)

Digitally generated summary:

The Pro-Human AI Initiative prioritizes human control and enhancement, aiming to protect children... Utah’s Office of AI Policy uses regulatory mitigation and a learning laboratory to accelerate innovation while ensuring transparency.

(Entry posted: 28 SEP 2026)

Salt Lake Tribune: "Auditor: Utah CEO spent state grant money on vacations..." [Criticizes GOEO's lack of oversight]

A Utah CEO spent state grant money on vacations, political donations, auditor says

By Robert Gehrke

“The alleged misappropriation, which occurred over the course of two years, went undetected because the Office of Economic Opportunity and Utah State University, which administered the taxpayer grants, had no oversight mechanisms in place. An anonymous whistleblower called the auditor’s tipline early this year, alerting them to the problems.” (emphasis added)

Former Utah nonprofit executive embezzled public funds for vacations, political donations, personal expenses, audit says

by: Derick Fox

“Cannon said the President was able to misuse public funds in multiple ways because of a lack of oversight by the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and Utah State University, which jointly administered the funds...” (emphasis added)

Utah nonprofit spent millions of taxpayer funds on private company, vacations, state auditor finds

By Brigham Tomco

“Tuesday’s report found that the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and Utah State University...both failed to monitor Impact Utah’s operations in compliance with state code.” (emphasis added)

CEO of Utah nonprofit misused public funds for personal expenses, political donations, audit finds

BY ALIXEL CABRERA

“In its official response to the audit, the economic opportunity office’s executive director Jefferson Moss promised ‘GOEO has not, and will not, distribute funds to an entity after an audit shows grant funds were inappropriately used.’” (emphasis added)

Audit finds head of Utah non-profit used taxpayer dollars for massages, vacation to Hawaii

by Jake Taylor

“The report also criticized the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and Utah State University for their lack of oversight, which allowed the misuse of funds to go undetected.”

(Posted: 04 AUG 2026) 

"Nuovo" Articles of Incorporation filed

Utah Department of Commerce

Division of Corporations and Commercial Code

Articles of Incorporation of Nuovo Film Festival, Inc.

Filed with the Utah Department of Commerce Division of Corporations and Commercial Code

Filing Number: 250602384782B

Entity Number: 14576555-0140

Entity Type: Domestic Nonprofit Corporation

Registered Agent: GERALYN DREYFOUS

Registered Agent Type: Individual

Last Updated: 6/2/2025

Principal (Incorporator): SCOTT ANDERSON

Last Updated: 06/02/2025

Citation: Utah Business Entity Search

Criteria (names/terms/keywords): “Nuovo Film”

https://businessregistration.utah.gov/EntitySearch/OnlineEntitySearch

Articles of Incorporation ("Nuovo Film Festival")

Utah Department of Commerce

Division of Corporations and Commercial Code

“Articles of Incorporation of Nuovo Film Festival, Inc.”—executed and signed on 21 May 2025—identify the Incorporator and Registered Agent, respectively:

A. Scott Anderson, Salt Lake City, Utah

Geralyn Dreyfous, Park City, Utah

Citation: Utah Business Entity Search

Criteria (names/terms/keywords): “Nuovo Film”

https://businessregistration.utah.gov/EntitySearch/OnlineEntitySearch

Salt Lake Tribune: "Why Sundance left" [Scott Anderson quoted]

Why the Sundance festival left: People who created Utah’s bid talk about what happened

By Sean P. Means

Officials involved in the bid to keep the event in Utah talk about why Sundance chose Colorado — and what happens next (emphasis added)

“We could develop [a festival] that would have immediate credibility, and continue on that tradition of independent films in Utah,” Scott Anderson, the retired CEO of Zions Bank and co-chair of the development committee that compiled Utah’s bid, said in an interview.

(Posted 2026) 

ABC4: "Cox alludes to ‘bigger’ event in the works..."

Gov. Cox alludes to ‘bigger’ event in the works as Sundance Film Festival heads to Colorado

By Derick Fox

Allusions to something “bigger and better...”

 

 

Gov. Cox: Dozens jockeying to fill Sundance void

By Parker Malatesta

https://www.kpcw.org/park-city/2025-04-17/gov-cox-dozens-jockeying-to-fill-sundance-void

Sundance: Announces departure from Utah

https://www.sundance.org/blogs/sundance-institute-announces-boulder-colorado-as-the-new-home-for-the-sundance-film-festival-beginning-in-2027/

Utah.gov: Governor Cox signs Senate Bill 2

Governor Cox signs S.B. 2 into law with the conditional Sundance appropriation.

https://le.utah.gov/~2025/bills/static/SB0002.html

https://le.utah.gov/Session/2025/bills/enrolled/SB0002.pdf

Utah.gov: Legislative Appropriation for Sundance (S.B.2)

Utah State Legislature

2025 GENERAL SESSION

S.B. 2 New Fiscal Year Supplemental Appropriations Act

S.B. 2, §1(1)(a), it.22, lines 236–57

“ITEM 22 To Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity (GOEO)...”

Key Provisions (Lines 236–54):

• Appropriation: $3.5 million
• The legislation contains the intent language directing a $3,500,000 grant to the Sundance Institute for the Sundance Film Festival.
• Condition: Sundance Decision
• GOEO shall not disburse the grant until after Sundance announces the location of future festivals starting in 2027.
• Lapse provision (Lines 254–57):

S.B. 2, §1(1)(a), it.22, lines 254–57

“...If the Sundance Institute chooses to leave the state of Utah, GOEO shall not disburse the funds provided for this purpose and shall allow them to lapse.” (emphasis added)

Citation: https://le.utah.gov/~2025/bills/static/SB0002.html

Offsite Excerpt: [20250325_SB02_Item22.pdf]

Local Media Coverage:

March 4, 2025:

Final state budget bill proposes $3.5M to keep Sundance in Utah

March 5, 2025:

Anticipating Sundance’s Decision, Utah Leaders Consider Offering $3.5M