Happy Friday!
A new report by the Federal Reserve puts the lie to the old adage that a rising tide lifts all boats. Despite a surging economy, the report says four of 10 Americans say they wouldn’t be able to scrape together enough cash to cover a $400 emergency expense. Almost one in four skipped medical care in the last year because they couldn’t afford it. [WaPost]
Topping the news: Utah now ranks No. 1 in the country for housing starts but builders still can’t keep up with demand and prices are freezing out lower income residents. [Trib] [DNews]
-> The state continued to rank dead last in the nation on spending per student, according to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau. [Trib]
-> Utah Gov. Gary Herbert criticized Congress for its lack of action in decriminalizing pot, thus preventing research on its potential medicinal values. [Trib] [Fox13]
Happy birthday: To Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, on Sunday.
Tweets of the day: @IvieNathan: “One thing I need to make super clear, I have the most amazing parents in the world. They have stood at my side with love and compassion I hope anyone who faces hard things can find people like my mom and dad to love them with no strings. #parents #love #comingout #LGBT”
-> @Bill_Tibbitts: “38 days before Salt Lake’s new homeless shelters are supposed to open the powers that be have still not decided what services or staffing ratios they are willing to fund.”
-> @SenSchumer: “I would describe his demeanor as agitated.”
@RepChrisStewart: “Good news! The Senate just passed the Anti-Robocall TRACED Act. 97-1. House leadership should bring this up for a vote. This is the strongest bill we’ll have ever passed to stop #robocalls.”
Behind the Headlines: Tribune Washington bureau chief Thomas Burr, reporter Alex Vejar, and columnist Robert Gehrke join KCPW’s Roger McDonough to talk about the week’s top stories, including an escalating feud between two Utah high school basketball coaches.
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, 97% of you knew about the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad, but only 54% knew that Salt Lake City and multiple airlines will pay more than $10 million to replace security machines at the airport. Think you kept up with the news this week? Take our quiz to find out. A new one will post every Friday morning. You can find previous quizzes here. If you’re using The Salt Lake Tribune mobile app, click here. [Trib]
Also in the news: Vineyard, former site of Geneva Steel, once again led Utah cities in growth. [Trib] [DailyHerald]
-> According to the National Parks Service’s Visitor Spending Report, Utah’s national parks contributed more than $1 billion to the state’s economy in 2018, with Lake Powell and Zion National Park bringing in the highest revenue. [FOX13]
-> The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints President Russell M. Nelson met with Tongan King Tupou VI and thanked him for enforcing religious liberty in Tonga. [DNews]
-> At a town hall Wednesday night, Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee said he will not vote to impeach the president should the question reach the U.S. Senate, and moving forward with impeachment proceedings would be a “huge mistake” for House Democrats. [DNews]
-> The red state of Utah might be turning a bit purple, but Gov. Gary Herbert says he’s not worried. [Fox13]
-> A genealogy website has cracked down on its privacy policies after Centerville Police used the website’s services to find a suspect in a violent assault on an elderly woman. [Trib]
-> Weber State University broke ground on a $20 million new technology building at its Davis campus. [StandEx]
-> The Utah Transit Authority says canceling direct ski bus services from downtown Salt Lake City and focusing on more bus runs up Big and Little Cottonwood canyons has increased ridership there by 48%. [Trib]
-> Gov. Gary Herbert says tax reform must include a tax cut. [DNews]
-> Cartoonist Pat Bagley depicts homophobia in the Utah Republican Party. [Trib]
Nationally: Acting Department of Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Thursday the Trump administration is considering sending more troops to the Middle East to help protect the troops already there. [NYTimes] [Reuters] [TheHill]
-> WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been indicted on 17 new counts of violating the Espionage Act for publishing classified documents in 2010. Critics of his indictment say the case raises “profound” First Amendment concerns. [NYTimes] [CNN]
-> A 16-year-old boy sick with influenza was found dead at a border patrol station in Texas. Authorities say he was waiting in a holding facility to be sent to a shelter for migrant children. [NYTimes]
-> The Trump administration gave farmers hurt by the U.S.-China trade war a $16 billion bailout, as members of both governments say they do not see an end to the conflict in the near future. [NYTimes]
-> A Chicago bank chairman has been indicted for allegedly issuing millions of dollars in high-risk loans to President Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, in hopes of obtaining a high-level position in the administration. [NYTimes]
-> Conflicts between President Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi erupted on Twitter Thursday, with Trump calling her “Crazy Nancy” and insulting her intelligence. Pelosi responded with a sarcastic reference to the “extremely stable genius” in the White House. [NYTimes]
-> The U.S. Senate approved a $19.1 billion disaster aid package to help the Southeast, Midwest, California, Puerto Rico and other disaster-affected areas. [WashPost] [Politico]
-> House Speaker Nancy Pelosi claimed President Trump “is just crying out for impeachment,” because he believes being impeached in the House and acquitted in the Senate will energize his base. [WashPost] [CNN] [Politico]
-> As McDonald’s held its annual shareholder meeting on Thursday, many of its workers protested around the country to demand higher wages and better protection against sexual harassment. [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.
-- Dan Harrie and Alison Berg
Follow @sltribpolitics