Happy Friday!
The whistleblower — a CIA officer whose identity remains secret — painstakingly and methodically assembled the complaint that now has set the impeachment inquiry in motion. Many view the document he prepared as formidable evidence of presidential abuse of power. [WaPost]
Topping the news: Utah Rep. Chris Stewart defended the acting National Intelligence director for how he handled the recent whistleblower complaint against the president and called House Democrats “nuts” for criticizing him. [Trib] [DNews]
-> New figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show Utah has the smallest average income gap in the country — meaning there are fewer super-rich and super-poor residents. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Utah’s proposed ban on conversion therapy for LGBTQ children could take effect as soon as next month if the Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing adopts language that was aired in a public meeting Thursday. [Trib] [Fox13] [DNews]
Tweets of the day: From @elainaplot: “Rudy Giuliani was nearly shouting in my phone call with him. ‘It is impossible that the whistle-blower is a hero and I’m not. And I will be the hero! These morons—when this is over, I will be the hero,’ he told me.”
-> From @realDonaldTrump: “THE GREATEST SCAM IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN POLITICS!”
-> From @KamalaHarris: “Donald Trump is lawless. He thinks he can get away with it — but he won’t.”
Happy Birthday: State Sen. Allen Christensen and Wade Garrett, former Rep. Chaffetz’ senior adviser.
Also in the news: Student leaders at the University of Utah condemned how the school handled the complaints of former student Lauren McCluskey leading up to her murder and how it has denied responsibility ever since. [Trib]
-> Former state senator and Salt Lake City mayoral candidate Jim Dabakis now wants to start up a corruption-busting news outlet. [Trib]
-> Acting BLM Director William Perry Pendley is recusing himself from dozens of Western public lands matters because of his longtime work for extractive industries and ranching. [Trib]
-> Utah officials are guessing that improved smartphone tools will ease the use of transportation options and make it easier to limit or lessen your personal car use. [Trib]
-> Here’s how Utah County’s population has changed in the last five years. [DailyHerald]
-> DNA and genealogy helped identify a Utahn linked to ten unsolved sexual assault cases in multiple states. [DNews]
-> Robert Gehrke discusses the House impeachment inquiry and the possibilities for Rep. Ben McAdams. [Trib]
-> Cartoonist Pat Bagley follows the finger pointing regarding impeachment inquiries. [Trib]
Nationally: The White House allegedly tried to “lock down” Ukraine call records, according to the whistleblower. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it a coverup. [NYTimes] [CNN] [Politico]
-> House chairmen warn President Donald Trump to stop attacking the whistleblower following the president’s comments about the accuser and his sources as being “close to a spy.” [CNN] [WaPost]
-> In an attempt to move quickly through impeachment inquiries, lawmakers say they could potentially draft articles of impeachment over Ukraine by the end of October. Democrats aim to conclude the matter by the end of the year. [NYTimes]
-> Former Vice President Joe Biden is accusing Trump of trying to “hijack an election” in asking foreign leaders for a favor in investigating his political opponents. [CNN]
-> The New York Times reports on the chain of events where Trump’s phone call with a foreign leader led to mounting calls for an impeachment inquiry. [NYTimes]
-> Republican Vermont Gov. Phil Scott says that he supports an impeachment inquiry, adding “these are serious allegations.” [CNN]
-> President Donald Trump slashed the number of refugees that would be accepted into the United States next year from 30,000 to 18,000. [NYTimes] [WaPost]
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- Dan Harrie and Clara Hatcher
Follow @sltribpolitics