Happy Friday!
U.S. President and real-estate-developer-in-chief Donald Trump has asked aides to explore the purchase of Greenland, sources say. The president’s apparent interest in purchasing the 2.2-million-square-kilometers country comes in advance of his scheduled trip to Denmark. Greenland, while a self-governing country, is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. [WaPost]
Topping the news: State Sen. Luz Escamilla will compete against Erin Mendenhall to be the next Salt Lake City mayor. [Trib] [FOX13] [DNews]
-> Vice President Mike Pence is expected to make a trip to Utah next week to speak on international trade. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Ed Smart, father of Elizabeth Smart, comes out as gay and says he’ll separate from his wife and isn’t comfortable any more in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [Trib] [DNews]
Tweets of the day: From @LuzforMayor: “We did it! Today we secured our spot in the general election for #SLCmayor. Thanks to everyone who made this win possible and the voters of Salt Lake City. And now: Adelante!”
-> From @jimdabakis: “I lost! New votes counted. Greatest honor of my life to serve full time people of Utah and SLC for 8 years. I never compromised my principles! Congrats to woman. Stephen, we are going on that great vacation!”
-> From @erinforslcmayor: “How cool is it that there will be two women on the ballot for mayor this November?!?!”
-> From @stephenathome: “Don't cry because it's over, smile because you just remembered your name is Hickenlooper.”
News quiz: Last week, 96% of you knew Jon Huntsman is returning to Utah, but only 61% knew about a local scandal involving a Catholic priest. 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]
Behind the Headlines: Tribune government and politics editor Dan Harrie, and reporters Taylor Stevens and Courtney Tanner join KCPW’s Roger McDonough to talk about the week’s top stories, including results from Tuesday’s primary election.
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.
Happy Birthday: To Mike Jerman, former LD to Rep. Jason Chaffetz and former state Sen. Brent Goodfellow.
Dog Days Vac: Cornflakes fans, we are going to take a little mid-August break for a week. We’ll return on Monday, Aug. 26.
Also in the news: A plurality (48%) of Utahns opposes the impeachment of President Donald Trump, while 29% said there’s enough evidence to impeach and 19% favor continued investigation, says a new Utah Policy poll. [UtahPolicy][DNews]
-> Ty Jensen, a Republican from Richfield, has declared his candidacy against Rep. Chris Stewart to represent Utah’s 2nd Congressional District. [Trib]
-> The Utah Department of Transportation added “bike boxes” at complicated intersections, where bicyclists have guidance on which way to navigate a turn. [Trib]
-> More Utah women are working outside the home, receiving health care coverage and voting than compared to previous years, but results vary when looking at women of color. [Trib]
-> Some municipal races in Utah County are still too close to call after a second release of voting totals Thursday. [DailyHerald]
-> Cartoonist Pat Bagley depicts medicaid in Utah [Trib]
Nationally: Under pressure from President Trump, Israel denied entry to U.S. Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, both Muslim and both strong critics of Trump. [NYTimes] [Politico]
-> Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper dropped out of the presidential race and said he may seek a Senate seat against vulnerable Republic Sen. Cory Gardner instead. [TribViaAP]
-> The Labor Department has suggested a rule that would allow employers to hire based on religion, which some worry would allow for discrimination. [NYTimes]
-> President Trump has spoken with senators from both parties to try and address gun safety measures. [NYTimes]
-> The bizarre story of Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne’s relationship with Russian spy Marina Batina and his claims of being involved in FBI investigation of Russia’s election meddling continues to unfold. [NYTimes]
-> The House Judiciary Committee subpoenaed Corey Lewandowski and Rick Dearborn, Trump campaign manager and top White House staffer, to provide information in the ongoing obstruction probe. [Politico]
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