President Donald Trump’s campaign owes more than $1 million in outstanding bills to American cities for rallies he’s hosted within their borders. On Wednesday, the city of Albuquerque in New Mexico became the latest to attempt recouping its lost funds of more than $211,000 in expenses. [WaPost]
Happy Friday!
Topping the news: As geographic equity has become a major issue ahead of next month’s election for Salt Lake City mayor, a debate hosted Thursday by the Westside Coalition offered the most specific look yet at how the candidates would approach the west side, if elected. [Trib]
-> Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said the impeachment inquiry into Trump is being treated like a circus, but that it should continue. [Trib]
-> The governor also says he’s ready to pull lawmakers into a special legislative session to deal with tax reform before the year’s end if the House and Senate can agree on a proposal. [DNews] [Fox13]
-> Find out why Utah liquor stores expect to literally dump cases of beer down the drain at the end of this month. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: From @juliaioffe: “One of the points of interfering in our elections was to make democracy less attractive for Russians, and we have played our part in the Kremlin’s plan with flair.”
-> From @chrissyteigen: “I’m scared to become friends with @AOC and have her even ask me why I was late. I’m crumbling”
-> From @morganhwrites: “If you don’t think Colorado needs a wall then you’ve never driven behind someone from Colorado.”
Happy Birthday: Today to state Rep. Paul Ray and former state Reps. James Gowans and Curt Webb and on Saturday to former longtime state Sen. Peter Knudson.
Behind the Headlines: Tribune reporters Zak Podmore, Bethany Rodgers and Taylor Stevens and columnist Robert Gehrke join KCPW’s Roger McDonough to talk about the week’s top stories, including potential electioneering in early voting for San Juan County’s special 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.
News quiz: Last week, 92% of you knew that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opposed a bill banning “conversion therapy,” but only 27% of you knew that the number of vaping-related illness cases in Utah rose to 83. Think you kept up with the news this week? Take our quiz to find out. If you’re using The Salt Lake Tribune mobile app, click here. [Trib]
Also in the news: Salt Lake City Councilwoman Erin Mendenhall is polling ahead of Sen. Luz Escamilla by 13 points in a new poll for city mayor, with nearly half saying they’d vote for her if the election were held today. [UtahPolicy] [DNews]
-> Sen. Mike Lee is saying federal management of public lands has caused “enormous environmental devastation” in Utah and other states. [DNews]
-> The governor on Thursday defended his decision to push for a rule to ban “conversion therapy” on LGBTQ children, saying state officials should continue to tweak the proposal. [Fox13] [StandEx] [DNews]
-> State lawmakers approved a $745,200 settlement for a woman who was struck by a garbage truck in April and will likely never recover to the point she can leave a nursing home. [DNews]
-> Some freeway exits near the border of Salt Lake and Tooele counties and near the mouth of Parleys Canyon will close this week on I-80 and I-215, respectively. [Trib]
-> Jeanette Herbert, Utah’s first lady, reminded everyone to stay safe around Halloween for a fun and spooky holiday. [Trib]
-> Columnist Robert Gehrke gives his take on how former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman could shake up state politics. [Trib]
-> Cartoonist Pat Bagley imagines the events of a deposition where Republicans staged a raucous protest. [Trib]
Nationally: The Pentagon reportedly told a witness in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump that she should not testify. The New York Times obtained a copy of the letter the witness received. [NYTimes] [AP]
-> The Justice Department is opening its own criminal inquiry into how the Russia investigation began. [NYTimes]
-> Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was fined $100,000 and held in contempt of court for violating an order to stop collecting on the student loans owed by those who attended a now-defunct for-profit college. [Politico] [WaPost]
-> Rep. Tim Ryan has dropped out of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race after his campaign failed to gain traction. [Politico] [CNN]
-> The White House has moved to cease subscriptions from both the New York Times and the Washington Post. [AP] [CNN] [NYTimes]
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.
-- Taylor Stevens and Clara Hatcher
Follow @sltribpolitics