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Axios
13-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
How Julia Reagan's memorial billboards became an internet sensation
Nearly a year since her face started smiling down on Salt Lake City from billboards across town, Julia Reagan, who died last year at the age of 81, has turned into an internet obsession. The big picture: Reagan's billboards are raising discussions about how we memorialize — and commodify — the dead in the internet age. While many find them to be a touching tribute to a loved one, some online critics say they've morphed into " a viral marketing endeavor." Between the lines: Her image has spurred memes, online discourse, and at least one tattoo. Last week, a short-lived store hawking Julia Reagan merchandise was taken down within 24 hours after receiving backlash. She received loud applause after one of the billboards was featured in the backdrop of drag queen Trixie Mattel's DJ party, Solid Pink Disco, at Rockwell earlier this month. The ads have also popped up in other states like Minnesota and Indiana. Catch up quick: William "Bill" Reagan, founder of the state's largest billboard company, Reagan Outdoor Advertising, erected more than 300 billboards last year in cities where his business operates, honoring his wife of almost 60 years, KSL NewsRadio reported last July. Along with her photo and name, they feature messages like "cherished in life, honored in memory" and "wife, mother and grandmother we will miss you." "I never really had a chance to say goodbye to her," Bill told KSL NewsRadio at the time. "Now, she's right on the board so I can say goodbye every time I see one." Bill did not respond to Axios' request for comment. Flashback: According to her obituary, Julia was born in Maryland and attended the University of Utah, where she earned a Ph.D. She met Bill at a dance in 1965 and they eloped after their fifth date. She was an avid sports fan, a devoted mother, and enjoyed traveling and ballroom dancing with her husband. Zoom in: In February, Bill filed a lawsuit against the University of Utah hospitals and clinics, alleging negligence related to Julia's treatment before her death. "The U breached the applicable standards of care in several ways," which led to her death, his lawsuit alleges. In an April 25 filing, the university's attorneys denied the allegations, arguing it provided "appropriate medical care" that did not cause the health problems she suffered. The bottom line: New versions of the billboards and Reddit threads titled "New Julia Reagan just dropped" continue to pop up.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Japanese student has visa reinstated after it was revoked by potential AI mistake
A Japanese student in Utah had his student visa status reinstated suddenly after it was mysteriously cancelled earlier this month. His attorney believes the sudden switch-up shows the student was mistakenly flagged for deportation by artificial intelligence. Suguru Onda, a doctoral student at Brigham Young University, learned on Friday his status had been restored, minutes after he and a group of fellow university students filed a lawsuit arguing the government suddenly and arbitrarily cancelled their visas 'to coerce students' to leave the country even though they had done nothing wrong. 'He is reinstated as if it was never revoked,' attorney Adam Crayk told KSL-TV. Onda, a father of five studying computer science, was notified earlier this month his status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System had been terminated because he was 'identified in criminal records check and/or has had their VISA revoked,' a procedural step that functionally ended his ability to remain in the United States for more than two weeks after the change. The Japanese student had little apparent criminal history, besides a few speeding tickets and a fishing citation for organizing a church event where others caught too many fish, according to his lawyer. 'I feel helpless,' Onda told KSL NewsRadio at the time. 'Like nobody knows (the) answer, nobody knows what to do, what's going to happen.' The Department of Homeland Security told NBC News it would not elaborate on Onda's case 'due to privacy concerns and visa confidentiality.' The department has said it is using high-tech tools to search the social media activity and potential criminal histories of international students in the U.S. That effort includes a State Department effort using artificial intelligence to screen foreign students for alleged support of terror groups, Axios reported in March. Since taking office, more than 1,500 students from nearly 250 colleges have had their visas revoked, according to a tracker from Inside Higher Education. The visa pullbacks have prompted lawsuits and widespread confusion. They form the second major prong of the administration's deportation push on college campuses. The White House has also targeted prominent leaders of the campus pro-Palestine movement, using a little-tested authority in federal immigration law to argue their activism threatens U.S. foreign policy interests.
The Independent
22-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Japanese student has visa reinstated after it was revoked by potential AI mistake
A Japanese student in Utah had his student visa status reinstated suddenly after it was mysteriously cancelled earlier this month. His attorney believes the sudden switch-up shows the student was mistakenly flagged for deportation by artificial intelligence. Suguru Onda, a doctoral student at Brigham Young University, learned on Friday his status had been restored, minutes after he and a group of fellow university students filed a lawsuit arguing the government suddenly and arbitrarily cancelled their visas 'to coerce students' to leave the country even though they had done nothing wrong. 'He is reinstated as if it was never revoked,' attorney Adam Crayk told KSL-TV. Onda, a father of five studying computer science, was notified earlier this month his status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System had been terminated because he was 'identified in criminal records check and/or has had their VISA revoked,' a procedural step that functionally ended his ability to remain in the United States for more than two weeks after the change. The Japanese student had little apparent criminal history, besides a few speeding tickets and a fishing citation for organizing a church event where others caught too many fish, according to his lawyer. 'I feel helpless,' Onda told KSL NewsRadio at the time. 'Like nobody knows (the) answer, nobody knows what to do, what's going to happen.' The Department of Homeland Security told NBC News it would not elaborate on Onda's case 'due to privacy concerns and visa confidentiality.' The department has said it is using high-tech tools to search the social media activity and potential criminal histories of international students in the U.S. That effort includes a State Department effort using artificial intelligence to screen foreign students for alleged support of terror groups, Axios reported in March. Since taking office, more than 1,500 students from nearly 250 colleges have had their visas revoked, according to a tracker from Inside Higher Education. The visa pullbacks have prompted lawsuits and widespread confusion. They form the second major prong of the administration's deportation push on college campuses. The White House has also targeted prominent leaders of the campus pro-Palestine movement, using a little-tested authority in federal immigration law to argue their activism threatens U.S. foreign policy interests.
