Happy Thursday!
Elizabeth Warren is giving away campaign donations she received in 2018 from the family member of a top opioid manufacturer. Politico flagged the $2,500 in contributions from the wife of the late Raymond Sackler, who helped run Purdue Pharma, as Warren was preparing to unveil her plan to fight the opioid crisis. In response, Warren’s aide said she would donate the funds to an unspecified charity. [Politico]
Topping the news: Sen. Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican, has joined a bipartisan effort to raise the federal tobacco age to 21. [Trib] [DNews]
-> A group called Clean the Darn Air held a series of town halls in its attempt to put a carbon tax initiative on the 2020 ballot. [Trib]
-> A grand jury has indicted a Utah rare-coin dealer on six felony charges related to an alleged Ponzi scheme involving a fake silver trading program. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: @SpencerJCox “I will be forever indebted to the incredible teachers that changed the course of my life and helped me develop a love of learning. Thank you to teachers everywhere who continue a special tradition of lifting others and making the world a better place. #TeacherAppreciationWeek.”
-> @BenWinslow: “I understand tax reform can be a little, well, boring... but it is really, really, REALLY important. And what is being considered is a wholesale overhaul of Utah’s tax code. So y’all might want to PAY ATTENTION!”
-> @Milbank: “Trump’s White House just revoked the press pass I’ve had for 21 years as part of its broader crackdown on journalists’ access.”
Happy Birthday: Diane Turner, member of the Murray City Council; Liddy Huntsman, daughter of Jon Huntsman; and Diana Lee Hirschi, a Salt Lake City activist.
Also in the news: Utah Eagle Forum, a conservative advocacy group, encouraged Gov. Gary Herbert and House Speaker Brad Wilson to save tax reform for next year’s legislative session rather than discuss it in a special session as some lawmakers had pushed for. [Trib]
-> Utah County is now the first county in the state with the power to reject any Utah Transit Authority project funded in part by a new local sales tax. [Trib]
-> Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes signed on with 38 other states encouraging Congress to give marijuana businesses access to the federal banking system, allowing their customers to use credit and debit cards. Currently, many marijuana businesses use cash only, which Reyes said poses a threat to public safety. [KUTV]
-> The recently-restored locomotive known as “Big Boy” stopped in Summit County on Wednesday morning to celebrate the 150-year anniversary of the Golden Spike being driven [FOX13]
-> Amid financial trouble, the American International School of Utah will close at the end of the school year. [ABC4]
-> Cartoonist Pat Bagley gives his take on President Donald Trump’s finances. [Trib]
-> Columnist Michelle Quist gives her take on female representation in Utah politics. [Trib]
Nationally: The House Judiciary Committee voted 24 to 16 to recommend holding U.S. Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over the unredacted report from Robert Mueller. [NYTimes] [WaPost]
-> Massachusetts senator and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren presented pieces of the Robert Mueller report on the Senate floor and urged her colleagues to impeach President Trump. [Politico]
-> The Senate Intelligence Committee has subpoenaed Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son. Committee members are interested in the details of Trump’s meeting with the Russians after he was promised dirt on Hillary Clinton. [NYTimes]
-> The Alabama legislature could vote this week on a bill that would bar nearly all abortions and punish doctors who perform abortions with up to 99 years in prison. [NYTimes]
Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Email us at cornflakes@sltrib.com. If you haven’t already, sign up here for our weekday email to get this sent directly to your inbox.
-- Bethany Rodgers and Alison Berg
https://twitter.com/BethRodgersSLT and https://twitter.com/alison__berg
Follow @sltribpolitics