Happy Monday!
Colin Powell, who was both secretary of state and chairman of the military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, says, “The Republican Party has got to get a grip on itself.” He told The Jefferson Series that “Republican leaders and members of the Congress, both Senate and the House, are holding back because they’re terrified of what will happen to any one of them if they speak out.” He added that the country’s foreign policy is “in shambles right now.” [TheHill]
Topping the news: President Donald Trump calls Sen. Mitt Romney a “pompous ass” following the senator criticizing Trump for seeking political favors from foreign powers. [Trib] [DNews] [CNN]
-> Utah Rep. Chris Stewart defends Trump on network TV but not Romney. [Trib]
-> Romney is one of few Republicans in Congress criticizing Trump. Previously, he said Trump’s actions were “troubling,” how he calls them “appalling.” [Trib]
Tweets of the day: From @JillGeisler: “The most important thing leaders do is help others succeed.”
-> From @marinafang: “For 20 years, former Weinstein employee Rowena Chiu struggled with whether to reveal her alleged assault, silenced by an NDA. Christine Blasey Ford inspired her to finally speak out, per @jodikantor @mega2e's new book”
Happy Birthday: Tribune Reporter Taylor Stevens, DEQ’s Donna Kemp Spangler, Tara DiJulio and Dylan Lierd.
Also in the news: Rep. Ben McAdams, who has been undecided about the impeachment inquiry against Trump, said Friday that he now thinks a formal investigation is necessary. [Trib] [DNews]
-> While former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman dealt with the Kremlin as U.S. ambassador to Russia, his wife, Mary Kaye, practiced Instagram diplomacy. [Trib]
-> Opposition is building against the National Park Service’s push to allow off-road vehicles on roads in Utah’s national parks, with much of it coming from retired and current park managers. [Trib]
-> Brigham Young University and The Salt Lake Tribune argued before the Utah Supreme Court about whether BYU’s police force always been subject to the state’s open records law. [Trib]
-> The Utah Transit Authority settled a long-running feud over condemnation of a small business adjacent to its headquarters, but the owner still calls the agency’s actions “criminal.” [Trib]
-> Utah teachers may face training about avoiding sexual misconduct before they can get or renew a license. [Trib]
-> A small homes architect is trying to address gaps in homeless services by creating tiny houses dubbed the “Toaster.” [Trib]
-> Utah is taking steps to restore the state’s bighorn sheep population a year after more than 100 sheep were killed from a respiratory illness outbreak. [AP]
-> State officials say overflow may still be needed following the opening of a new homeless shelter that men have begun moving into. [Fox13]
-> Columnists Frank Pignanlli and LaVarr Web offer their views about where impeachment investigations may be headed. [DNews]
Nationally: The same lawyer representing the whistleblower whose complaint set off an impeachment inquiry of President Trump says the legal team is now representing a second whistleblower: an intelligence official with firsthand knowledge of the President’s interactions with Ukraine. [NYTimes] [AP] [CNN] [WaPost]
-> Vice President Mike Pence will begin a tour of congressional districts represented by Democrats who support the impeachment inquiry — in districts won by Trump in 2016, making them potent GOP targets. [Politico]
-> The Treasury Department’s inspector general is looking into how the agency handled requests for tax information about Trump from the House and Means Committee. [CNN]
-> House officials issues subpoenas directly to the White House about contacts between Ukraine and the president. [AP]
-> Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is insisting that the Trump administration was right in asking Ukranian officials to investigate claims of election interference in the 2016 American presidential campaign. [NYTimes]
-> There are nine Democrats holding out on supporting the impeachment inquiry into Trump. CNN reported on what those democrats have in common. [CNN]
-> A bipartisan report out of New York University said the Trump administration has driven federal science to a “crisis point.” [NYTimes]
-> Tucker Carlson, a Fox News host, published an op-ed on Trump’s call with Ukraine. Carlson said the call was inappropriate and that “there’s no way to spin this.” [Fox13]
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-- Lee Davidson and Clara Hatcher
Follow @sltribpolitics