The White House is reportedly drafting an executive order that would seek to tackle Silicon Valley’s alleged anti-conservative bias, one month after President Donald Trump pledged to explore “all regulatory and legislative solutions” on the issue. Details of the proposal are unknown, but its existence is evidence that the administration is taking a serious look at wielding federal power against the technology industry. [Politico]
Happy Thursday!
Topping the news: Rep. Chris Stewart’s town hall meeting in North Salt Lake on Wednesday was marked by yelling and crying as his constituents demanded action on gun violence and asked how the government can keep people safe. [Trib]
The eight candidates running for mayor in Salt Lake City have collectively raised nearly $1.5 million, with candidates Jim Dabakis and David Ibarra both cutting themselves large checks. [Trib] [Fox13] [KUER] [DNews]
-> Mayoral candidate David Ibarra had as of July’s campaign finance deadline raised nearly one-third, or $126,286, of his money from out-of-state donors — a percentage one political scientist says is unusually high for a municipal race. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: From @jasonintrator: “According to our 4 year old, the First Amendment allows eating unlimited candy and staying home whenever one wants. Law friends - is this correct?”
-> From @RepKarenKwan: “So I knocked on the wrong door looking for @jenforutah’s hotel room. Got mistaken for a maid and the lady says, ‘Can you come back later?’ So what could I do? I went back later and cleaned the room.”
-> From @Slade: “'OK fine I’ll def boycott Equinox and SoulCycle,' I typed with Cheetos dust on my fingers and the dadboddest dadbod that comes with not going to the gym for more than a year.”
Trib Talk: On this week’s episode, host Benjamin Wood visits the Poplar Grove neighborhood in Salt Lake City’s west side to chat with residents about next week’s primary election for a new city mayor, and government reporter Taylor Stevens provides an analysis of the candidates and their campaigns. [Trib]
In other news: Salt Lake City Council District 4 candidate Michael Iverson was disqualified for failing to report his campaign finance information by the deadline Tuesday, eliminating the need for a primary even as some ballots have already been returned. [Trib] [DNews]
-> A new poll found 41% of Salt Lake City residents believe the closure of The Road Home shelter downtown and the opening of three new resource centers in its place will improve homelessness issues, while 34% believe it won’t help. [Trib]
-> After four student deaths over the past two years, the University of Utah is requiring professors to include in their course syllabus a statement that lists the phone number for campus police and directs students to call with concerns. [Trib]
-> The outside agency the Utah Transit Authority hired as a watchdog says the agency has cleaned up most of its scandals but raised some concerns about operations moving forward. [Trib] [DNews]
-> After giving former President and CEO Jerry Benson a controversial $282,000-or-so severance package, the UTA board supplied him with another gift: a lifetime transit pass for him and his wife. [Trib]
-> The League of Women Voters of Utah is advocating for ranked choice voting and is demonstrating how it might work by hosting a mock election for the Salt Lake City mayoral race. [Fox13] [KUER]
-> County clerks across the state are concerned about low ballot returns in the days ahead of Tuesday’s primary. [DNews]
-> Some voters want an initiative on voting initiatives after they were disappointed in a Utah Supreme Court ruling that said it was OK for the Legislature to put more restrictions on medical marijuana. [Fox13]
-> This summer has seen a massive fish die-off in Weber County’s Pineview Reservoir. [Fox13] [APviaTrib]
-> Half of all UTA bus routes will change this Sunday, with increased offerings like service until midnight on some routes and more Sunday operation. [Trib]
-> Tribune columnist Robert Gehrke explores how another term as governor would be different for Jon Huntsman, who recently resigned as U.S. ambassador to Russia in advance of a likely run for the position. [Trib]
-> Cartoonist Pat Bagley offers his take on Trump and race. [Trib]
Nationally: President Donald Trump was greeted by protests in Ohio when he arrived Wednesday in the wake of the weekend’s mass shootings. [NYTimes] [APviaTrib]
-> Latino communities across the United States are afraid for their safety after the weekend’s mass shooting in El Paso, which was motivated by anti-Hispanic racism. [NYTimes]
-> Some experts say Trump’s anti-immigrant speeches and tweets are tied to increased hate crimes. [APviaTrib]
-> Meet the Trump-appointed Republican federal prosecutor who has been locking up white supremacists by using an anti-riot act from the 1960s. [WaPost]
-> Sexism is a gateway into extreme, violent ideologies such as those displayed by mass shooters. [The Atlantic]
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-- Taylor Stevens and Sara Tabin
Follow @sltribpolitics