Melarie Wheat

MSW/MPA Student, Community Advocate, LDS (Mormon), Mostly politics here so my Facebook still has room for my cute kids.

[Melarie Wheat @MelarieWheat]

@bashinbashers 9:08 in Draper

[Melarie Wheat @MelarieWheat]

@bashinbashers Just passed Draper

[Melarie Wheat @MelarieWheat]

@bashinbashers Still looking in Draper

[Melarie Wheat @MelarieWheat]

@SenJohnCurtis Good luck on your journey!

[Deseret News @Deseret]

We’re Already Breathing Toxic Dust

Testing shows that every dust sample taken from the dry Great Salt Lake bed contains arsenic levels 10 times higher than industrial exposure limits. Add in mercury, uranium and pesticides, and you have a severe health crisis that doesn’t stop at the Utah state line.

Join Jane Clayson Johnson for a deep dive into what’s being done to stop it and @growtheflow to save the shrinking Great Salt Lake. Find the full episode of “Deseret Voices” on Apple, Spotify and YouTube.

[Chase Thomason @ChaseThomason]

🔥 The #CottonwoodFire has now grown to nearly 60,000 acres.

To put that into perspective, Salt Lake City covers about 70,000 acres. That means the Cottonwood Fire is now roughly 85% the size of Salt Lake City.

It’s a staggering amount of land burned in just a matter of days. Fire crews continue working around the clock as challenging weather and dry conditions fuel fire activity across the area.

[Jessica Meir @Astro_Jessica]

Recognize this striking feature in the U.S.? It’s Great Salt Lake in Utah. The scale of this gem and its two‑tone color contrast make quite an impression when viewed from above. The north part of the lake is hypersaline thanks to the railroad causeway that cuts across it.

Turns out these are perfect conditions for salt-loving microbes (halophilic archaea) and pink-pigmented algae to thrive, turning the water this burgundy color – life always finds a way! The southern part of the lake receives fresh water from rivers, keeping its salinity lower, where the variety of algae is more diverse. The second photo (with Earth limb) illustrates the scale of this unique ecosystem.

[Mormon Environmental Stewardship Alliance @MormonStewards]

Earth and climate stewards wanted!

Join us this evening to be inspired, and get your Earth Day actions in motion.

We’re so happy to have our former MESA communications intern Abigail Mackay joining this engaged group of environmental activists and advocates.

[NASA @NASA]

Hello, Moon. It’s great to be back.

Here’s a taste of what the Artemis II astronauts photographed during their flight around the Moon. Check out more photos from the mission: https://t.co/rzM1P0QbOl

[NASA @NASA]

As communities gather this weekend, @AstroVicGlover reflects on the shared spaceship we all call home: Earth.

[Pope Leo XIV @Pontifex]

All men and women, especially Christians, are called to fix their gaze on those who suffer, on the pain of the lonely, and on those who are emarginated for various reasons, for without them we cannot build a just society. Only together can we build communities of solidarity capable of caring for everyone, in which wellbeing and peace can flourish for the benefit of all. Caring for the humanity of others helps us to live our own lives to the full.

[Ken Dilanian @KDilanianMSNOW]

DO NOT MISS this heartbreaking, infuriating story by my colleague @lbarronlopez. This man has been here since he was 8 years old.

‘Americans at heart’: ICE detains DACA recipient on way to visit premature baby in NICU https://t.co/VORID5kxh0

[#AfghanEvac @afghanevac]

Statement from AfghanEvac President Shawn VanDiver – March 15, 2026

Regarding the in-custody death of Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal

AfghanEvac is deeply disturbed by the death of Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, an Afghan wartime ally who died less than 24 hours after being taken into ICE custody in the Dallas area.

Mr. Paktyawal was a husband and father of six who worked alongside U.S. Army Special Forces, including 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), in Paktika province beginning in 2005. After the fall of Afghanistan, he and his family were evacuated by the United States on August 30, 2021.

He had been living in Richardson, Texas, working and supporting his family while his asylum case remained pending.
According to family members, he was detained by federal agents on the morning of March 13 while leaving to drop his children off at school. Later that night he told relatives from ICE custody that he was not feeling well. Less than 24 hours after being taken into custody, his family was informed that he had died.

The cause of death is unknown.

But one fact is clear: it is not normal for a healthy 41-year-old man to die within a day of being taken into government custody.

Mr. Paktyawal survived our war in Afghanistan and trusted the United States enough to rebuild his life here.

His family deserves answers. The American public deserves answers. The U.S. service members who fought alongside Afghan partners deserve answers.
AfghanEvac is calling for an immediate and transparent investigation into the circumstances of his detention, medical care, and death, including oversight by the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General and Congress.

The United States made a promise to the Afghans who stood with us. Honoring that promise requires transparency, accountability, and dignity in how they are treated here at home.

This moment demands nothing less.

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[Melarie Wheat @MelarieWheat]

@KSL5TV 😢🙏

[Robert E Kelly @Robert_E_Kelly]

Today is the ninth anniversary of the BBC Dad blooper.

Marion is now 13; James is now 9. Some recent pictures are attached below.

We did an interview looking back on the blooper for @InsideEdition, which should be up shortly.

1
https://t.co/Fnad4AMfqj

[Melarie Wheat @MelarieWheat]

Yay, a win for Utah! The people, not politicians, should get to choose their representatives:

[Campaign Legal Center @CampaignLegal]

BREAKING: A federal court rejects a meritless effort by partisan actors in Utah to put a gerrymandered congressional map back in place. The court protects our clients' victory and solidifies that a fair, legal map must be implemented for the midterms. https://t.co/SkUoZnliJ9

[Melarie Wheat @MelarieWheat]

@CrabbyAshley @yourhighnessesq China paid her $6.6 million just in the last year https://t.co/nlZnpRaVbO

[Melarie Wheat @MelarieWheat]

@natalie_wadas @KUTV2News University of Utah

[Be A King @BerniceKing]

Be Love.

#BadBunny #SuperBowl #BeLove

[NFL @NFL]

Lo único más poderoso que el odio, es el amor.

The Only Thing More Powerful Than Hate is Love. @sanbenito #AppleMusicHalftime