Happy Thursday!
Questions are swirling around the publicized transcript of the call between President Donald Trump and the Ukrainian president. The document released to the public contains several ellipses, fueling uncertainty about whether the punctuation marks signified missing words. A White House official has said the markings indicate a pause or “trailing off of a voice” rather than deletions. [WaPost]
Topping the news: Jon Huntsman is leaving his post as U.S. Ambassador to Russia this week and returning to Utah for a potential gubernatorial run. [Trib]
-> The Salt Lake County Council voted to move an extra $40,000 into its fund to help the health department pay for the increasing number of cremations needed for those who can’t pay for funerals. [Trib]
-> A new report recommends increasing the starting salary for teachers to $60,000, a proposal that would cost an additional $530 million annually. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: From @jeremycorbyn: “Sending @BernieSanders my very best wishes. Hoping for a speedy recovery and a return to the campaign trail as quickly as possible.”
-> From @kylegriffin1: “Finnish reporter asks the President of Finland: ‘What kind of favors has Mr. Trump asked from you?'"
-> From @dave_brown24: “If you like subpoena coladas / and getting caught in Ukraine.”
Happy Birthday: KSL’s Doug Wright of the Doug Wright Show and Rich Piatt.
Also in the news: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing the Utah Department of Environmental Quality $9.7 million to improve air quality in two areas of the state. [DNews]
-> The Utah Transit Authority is going to review and improve its system for handling fare finances following the arrest of two former employees on charges of stealing a combined $500,000 in coins from fares. [Trib]
-> The Ogden-Clearfield metro area has among the fastest job growth in the nation. [Trib]
-> The annual crime statistics reports for Utah colleges and universities show the variances in safety in campuses across the state. [KUER]
-> The All Pueblo Council of Governors is fighting to protect Bears Ears and push back on efforts to change the form of government in San Juan County. [KUER]
-> The Trump administration’s bid to dismiss lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the 2017 decision to downsize two sprawling national Utah monuments has been rejected by U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan. [APviaDNews]
-> David Vela is the first Hispanic American to lead the National Park Service. He was promoted from his position of superintendent of Grand Teton National Park. [KUER]
-> Businessman Greg Miller says he will not enter the 2020 race for governor. [DNews]
-> Retailers, especially vape stores, now have to post a notice warning consumers about the potential lung injuries related to vaping. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Robert Gehrke writes about lewdness in Utah and what he argues is a flimsy criminal case. [Trib]
-> Pat Bagley illustrates the casualties from Trump’s trade wars. [Trib]
Nationally: It’s confirmed: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was listening in on President Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president. [NYTimes] [CNN]
-> Trump instructed Vice President Mike Pence not to attend the inauguration of the Ukrainian president in May, though officials say Pence was unaware of the president’s efforts to pressure the foreign leader. [WaPost]
-> The Trump administration plans to collect DNA from migrants who have been arrested, but privacy concerns, costs and training are still being discussed. [CNN]
-> President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia said he doesn’t mind if the White House chooses to release his talks with President Trump at a summit meeting last year. [NYTimes]
-> Putin joked that Russia would “definitely” interfere in the 2020 US elections. [CNN]
-> The Justice Department is asking a federal judge to temporarily block a Manhattan district attorney subpoena that would require Trump to turn over eight years of his personal and corporate tax returns. [NYTimes] [WaPost]
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-- Bethany Rodgers and Clara Hatcher
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