Happy Wednesday!
Attorney General William Barr has reserved a Trump hotel for a “Family Holiday Party” that could pump $30,000 into the president’s business. An official told the Washington Post that career ethics officials cleared the decision. Barr, who is paying for the event, chose Trump’s D.C. hotel for his annual soiree after finding that other hotels were already booked. [WaPo]
Topping the news: Salt Lake City Council approved a $28 million tax increment reimbursement for a developer in inland port boundaries. [Trib] [DNews]
-> United Nations conference-goers say we should be fighting climate change at a community level instead of waiting for the nation to catch up. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Sen. Mitt Romney avoided controversy during a Tuesday night town hall at Weber State University, instead highlighting his personal priorities. [Trib]
-> Advocates for Utah sex workers are arguing to decriminalize that industry. They say the best way to protect industry workers is to wipe out criminal penalties. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: From @SanaSaeed: “An incoming Harvard freshman, a 17 year old Palestinian boy, had his visa cancelled & was deported because US officials searched his phone/laptop & said his friends had social media posts that were critical of the US. Yup.”
-> From @WSJ: ‘“‘The burden on Jakarta is too heavy,’ Indonesia’s president said as he unveiled plans to move the country’s capital to eastern Borneo”
-> From @KarincaifaCNN: “Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made her first public appearance since the court announced her recent treatment for pancreatic cancer, accepting an honorary degree from the Univ. of Buffalo today.”
Also in the news: A Utah treatment center is facing a lawsuit alleging staff did not properly supervise teen residents, who engaged in sexual acts onsite. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Matt Petersen, who grew up in Mapleton, resigned from his FEC seat after 11 years on the panel. [Trib] [DNews]
-> For between $500 and $2,800, you can meet Joe Biden at his campaign fundraiser in Park City. [Trib]
-> Utah man insists he was helping others in running his multimillion-dollar opioid ring. [Trib]
-> A Utah judge has ordered an imprisoned polygamist leader to give a deposition in a sex abuse lawsuit. [Trib]
-> Utahns could be affected by the U.S.-China trade war. Here’s how. [Fox13]
-> The Amazon rainforest, commonly referred to as the “lungs of the planet,” is burning. What does that mean for us, and what does this mean for global climate change? [APviaTrib]
-> A new study shows emission-cutting benefits of UTA buses and trains dwindle with low ridership. [Trib]
-> Stay away from Utah’s Tintic Mill to avoid a trespassing citation or, worse, lead and arsenic poisoning. [Trib]
-> A Layton man is stalking young women, repeatedly. [DNews]
-> Cartoonist Pat Bagley draws Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell laying out a Russian welcome mat. [Trib]
Nationally: Russian government officials have barred two American senators from entering the country as part of a bipartisan congressional trip. [NYTimes] [CNN] [WaPo]
-> At a hearing, 16 victims of Jeffrey Epstein came forward to speak about their trauma and vent their anger in court. [NYTimes] [APviaTrib]
-> Homeland Security is moving $155 million from FEMA disaster relief to be used for immigration enforcement. [CNN] [Politico]
-> Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has approved 20 miles of additions to the 30-foot-high wall lining the nation’s southern border. [CNN] [Politico]
-> Following the Log Cabin Republicans’ endorsement of Trump, Jerri Ann Henry resigns as executive director of the group. [WaPo]
-> Trump’s tax returns remain a mystery, but Deutsche Bank might have some answers. [CNN]
-> A federal judged blocked an eight-week abortion ban in Missouri. [CNN]
-> China is using LinkedIn to recruit spies from abroad. [NYTimes]
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-- Bethany Rodgers and Clara Hatcher
Follow @sltribpolitics