Happy Friday the 13th!
President Donald Trump is considering skipping debates in next year’s general election. He’s concerned about who may moderate and ask questions. During the 2016 campaign, he complained that he was constantly put at a disadvantage with Hillary Clinton — who received a bump in polls after each debate. [NYTimes]
Topping the news: Most Utahns will see bigger paychecks and tax returns next year, but also bigger bills for groceries and other purchases after lawmakers approved new tax reform laws during a special legislative session Thursday. [Trib] [Fox13] [DNews]
-> A federal judge in Utah rules that people born in American Samoa are birthright U.S. Citizens. They had been considered “nationals,” not citizens, and were unable to vote, serve on juries and get some jobs. Utah is home to many Samoans. [APviaTrib]
-> Utah now has the third-lowest poverty rate nationally, but prosperity is not spread evenly among the state’s counties and school districts. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: From @carenjburns: “Statements coming from Weiler about how having lower sales tax on food has not benefited the ‘poor’ over the past 10 years, that they are still ‘poor’ so we shouldn’t feel bad about raising their food taxes now. How will paying more not further devastate those struggling? #utpol”
-> From @entitled2life: “Let's just pass this terrible bill exactly as it is. #utpol”
Happy Birthday: to KPCW’s Emily Means.
Behind the Headlines: Tribune reporters Taylor Stevens and Benjamin Wood, and news columnist Robert Gehrke join KCPW’s Roger McDonough to talk about the week’s top stories, including a special legislative session to address tax reform.
Every Friday at 9 a.m., stream "Behind the Headlines" at kcpw.org, or tune in to KCPW 88.3 FM or Utah Public Radio for the broadcast. Join the live conversation by calling (801) 355-TALK.
News quiz: Last week, 98% of you knew a Utah substitute teacher was fired for telling a student that homosexuality is “a sin,” but only 30% of you knew LeBron James won his first game in Salt Lake City in nine years. Think you kept up with the news this week? Take our quiz to find out. If you’re using The Salt Lake Tribune mobile app, click here. [Trib]
Also in the news: Arrests by the Salt Lake City office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement are up by 32% since Trump ordered stricter immigration enforcement two years ago, but fewer serious criminals are among them. [Trib]
-> The State Charter School Board voted unanimously to close Capstone Classical Academy after it lost $1 million in its first year of operations. [Trib]
-> Rep. John Curtis won’t vote to impeach President Donald Trump and said that the decision should be left up to voters, not Congress. [Trib]
-> Salt Lake City makes its first loan to encourage affordable housing on the city’s ‘high-opportunity’ east side. [Trib]
-> Salt Lake City has approved a way to pump $15 million into building a huge parking garage for an ambitious residential and hotel project on the western edge of the city’s downtown. [Trib]
-> Utah moved to decertify BYU police months ago — but no action has been taken. [Trib]
-> Legislation was introduced on Thursday by Utah Sen. Mitt Romney and other Republican senators looking to treat drug cartels as terrorist organizations. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Five new awardees of a long-running state tax rebate program for businesses have been announced and it could lead to almost 3,000 new jobs in Utah. [DNews]
Nationally: The House Judiciary Committee adjourns after 14 hours of debate over articles of impeachment against Trump, and plans to resume Friday. The chairman says he wants members to have time to search their souls. [CNN] [AP]
-> Last summer signs pointed to a possible recession in the United States. Now, it’s time to check back in on how the economy is really doing and key things to watch for. [NYTimes]
-> Congress has staved off yet another government shutdown with a sweeping spending deal landing just a little more than a week before the deadline. [CNN] [AP]
-> The House has voted to give the government the power to negotiate drug prices in a new measure that would curb the price of prescription drugs. [NYTimes]
-> Education Secretary Betsy Devos is standing firm on her decision to grant partial or no loan relief to tens of thousands of students who were misled by for-profit colleges. [NYTimes] [AP]
-> In defiance of Trump, the Senate unanimously voted to recognize the Armenian genocide as a matter of American foreign policy. [NYTimes]
-> The president has been putting on a combative, confident show when it comes to publically speaking on impeachment, but there’s speculation that the upcoming vote is a personal humiliation for Mr Trump. [NYTimes] [AP]
-> Fifteen appellate judges are deciding whether they can curtail the President’s business interests as they debate in court. [CNN]
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-- Lee Davidson and Clara Hatcher
Follow @sltribpolitics