This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Trump, Clinton race ending Facebook friendships. Pence, Trump Jr. to visit Utah. Rural counties withdraw coal port money request.

Happy Friday. It's the awkward Thanksgiving dinner conversation everyone is warned to avoid: Politics. Only now it's happening everyday on our social media feeds, and this year's Hillary Clinton vs. Donald Trump presidential race has heightened the online vitriol. Facebook says it doesn't have data about how many people have been unfriended, hidden or just plain muted because of their postings about the election. But the anecdotal evidence is clear: People are growing more uncomfortable with so much online sharing about politics this cycle, and many are looking for an off ramp by winnowing down their feeds. [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-facebook-friendships-227175">Politico</a>]

<strong>Topping the news: </strong>Mike Pence and Donald Trump Jr. will visit Utah in September to try to improve Donald Trump's reputation in the state. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4252478-155/trump-running-mate-mike-pence-son"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865660490/Trump-running-mate-Gov-Mike-Pence-to-attend-Sen-Mike-Lee-event-in-Utah.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/mike-pence-to-speak-at-utah-event-hosted-by-mike-lee"; target="_blank">KUTV</a>]

-> State Rep. Joel Briscoe plans to propose a bill in the next legislative session that would "protect" school districts from deals similar to the Facebook tax incentive proposal in West Jordan. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865660511/Utah-legislator-wants-to-limit-school-district-tax-incentives-in-wake-of-Facebook-deal.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]

-> Four rural Utah counties withdrew their application to invest $53 million in a deep-water port in California, but the counties have not given up on the project. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4253750-155/utah-counties-pull-oakland-port-loan"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] A new poll shows a majority of Utahns were against the idea in the first place. [<a href="http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/10533-">UtahPolicy</a>]

<strong>Tweets of the day: </strong>From <a href="https://twitter.com/GaryJanetti"; target="_blank">@GaryJanetti</a>: "Now would be the perfect time to rob Ryan Lochte."

From <a href="https://twitter.com/DKThomp"; target="_blank">@DKThomp</a>: "Great example of politics making us stupid. Nobody says: "..but Weezer HAS to be America's best-selling artist, the concert was so crowded."

<strong>Happy Birthday:</strong> today to former state Rep. Jerry Anderson, House Minority Leader Brian King and former state Sen. Scott McCoy. On Saturday, best wishes to Holly Mullen, Mike Mower and Joe Morton.

<strong>Tune In: </strong><span class="s1">Tribune reporters Erin Alberty, Mike Gorrell and Robert Gehrke as well as editorial writer George Pyle and government and politics editor Dan Harrie join KCPW's Roger McDonough to talk about the week's top stories, including sexual assault and LGBTQ students at BYU and Donald Trump's address to Utah voters.</span>

<strong>In other news:</strong> The Utah Public Service Commission approved Rocky Mountain Power's plan to offer Facebook an alternative rate-making structure on electricity if the company builds its new data center in West Jordan. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4252488-155/utah-power-regulators-sign-off-on"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> BYU relaxed its policies for students who leave the LDS Church but wish to continue their education at the school. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4253672-155/byu-relaxes-policy-for-students-who"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865660524/BYU-adjusts-honor-code-policies-for-students-who-leave-LDS-Church.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]

-> The LDS Church's former lobbyist Bill Evans is joining the board of a support group for LGBT Mormons. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/lifestyle/faith/3808850-155/retired-lds-church-lobbyist-joins-board"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2016/08/18/former-lds-church-lobbyist-joins-board-of-support-group-for-lgbt-mormons/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>]

-> A defendant in a federal polygamous food stamp fraud case wants to postpone the trial to next year. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4252570-155/defendant-seeks-to-postpone-polygamous-sect"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> Bob Bernick and Bryan Schott say Hillary Clinton isn't really trying to make a play for Utah. [<a href="http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/10531-Bryan%20Schott%20and%20Bob%20Bernick">UtahPolicy</a>]

-> The state auditor released a report that found Utah's Medicaid money paid for a small number of prescriptions written by dead doctors. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4252141-155/audit-utah-paid-for-small-number"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> Utah will send $670,000 to polygamist town Hildale for flood prevention. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4253537-155/utah-to-send-670k-to-polygamous"; target="_blank">APviaTrib</a>]

-> The Downton Alliance's annual report showed big growth in Salt Lake City, but homelessness, traffic and liquor laws still need improvement. [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2016/08/18/downtown-slc-reports-big-growth-but-says-liquor-laws-traffic-are-problems/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>] [<a href="http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/new-report-breaks-down-state-of-downtown-salt-lake-city"; target="_blank">ABC4</a>]

-> Jack L. Tueller, a fighter pilot and trumpeter in World War II, died Monday at 95 years old. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/1404634-155/jack-tueller-world-war-ii-pilot"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> Pat Bagley gives his take on Donald Trump's call for "extreme vetting" of immigrants entering the United States. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4254227-155/bagley-cartoon-extreme-vetting"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> Paul Rolly writes that police assigned SLC Mayor Jackie Biskupski a body guard after a mass shooting in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., in June. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4239364-155/rolly-in-wake-of-orlando-shooting"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2016/08/18/slc-mayor-gets-security-detail-in-reaction-to-orlando-shooting/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>]

<strong>Nationally: </strong>The image of a five-year-old boy who was injured in an airstrike in Aleppo, Syria, went viral, bringing attention back to Syria's ongoing civil war. [<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/08/syria-aleppo-omran-daqneesh/496442/?utm_source=nl-atlantic-daily-081816"; target="_blank">Atlantic</a>] [<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/world/middleeast/omran-daqneesh-syria-aleppo.html"; target="_blank">NYTimes</a>]

-> The Department of Justice plans to phase out its use of private prisons, saying those are less safe and effective than government-run prisons. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/08/18/justice-department-says-it-will-end-use-of-private-prisons/?utm_term=.0d5cc4a74e42"; target="_blank">WaPost</a>] [<a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/08/department-justice-plans-end-private-prison"; target="_blank">MotherJones</a>] [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/justice-department-no-private-prisons-227161"; target="_blank">Politico</a>]

-> Gawker.com will shut down after being purchased by Univision. [<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2016/08/18/media/gawker-media-univision/index.html"; target="_blank">CNN</a>]

-> The United States continues to lead in the Olympics with 100 total medals. [<a href="http://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/rio-2016/medals/countries/united-states"; target="_blank">BBC</a>] [<a href="http://www.cbssports.com/olympics/news/2016-rio-olympics-results-simone-biles-usa-gymnastics-medal-count-day-13/"; target="_blank">CBS</a>]

<strong>Where are they?</strong>

<ul>

<li>Rep. Chris <a href="https://twitter.com/RepChrisStewart"; target="_blank"><strong>Stewart</strong></a> has no public events.</li>

<li>Rep. Mia <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/RepMiaLove"; target="_blank">Love</a> </strong>meets with Utah auto dealers. Later she attends a round table meeting with residential and commercial building product companies.</li>

<li>Gov. Gary <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/GovHerbert"; target="_blank">Herbert</a> </strong>attends the Centenarian Celebration at the Viridian Event Center in West Jordan.</li>

<li>Lt. Gov. Spencer <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerJCox"; target="_blank">Cox</a></strong> also attends the Centenarian Celebration at the Viridian Event Center in West Jordan.</li>

<li>State Auditor John <strong><a href="http://twitter.com/FrugalDougall"; target="_blank">Dougall</a> </strong>interviews a candidate for employment. Later he meets with an investigator from the attorney general's office.</li>

</ul>

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— Thomas Burr and Kayla Goodson

<a title="Thomas Burr" href="https://twitter.com/thomaswburr"; target="_blank">Twitter.com/thomaswburr</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/kay_goodson"; target="_blank">Twitter.com/kay_goodson</a>