Utah’s 2024 debate dreams dashed as Biden and Trump opt for independent presidential showdowns

Last year, University of Utah officials were flying high after announcing that the bipartisan Commission on Presidential Debates had picked the school to host the third and final presidential debate ahead of the 2024 election on Oct. 9. But that all came crashing down Wednesday morning with the unexpected news that Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump were bypassing the commission in favor of a pair of independent debates in June and September.The first debate will be hosted by CNN on