Happy Thursday! Do you want to keep private health insurance or switch to a Medicaid-for-all plan? Should lowering the national debt be a priority over expanding government services? Should college be free or college loan debt be canceled? The Washington Post put together a quiz to help you find which of the Democratic candidates you most align with. [WaPost]
Topping the news: Utah Rep. Chris Stewart defended the president following the U.S. ambassador to the European Union’s charge of a quid pro quo demand from the White House. [Trib] [DNews] [Fox13] [StandEx]
-> There was bipartisan opposition Wednesday to an attempt to introduce new state rules regulating the use of facial recognition technology. [DNews] [Trib]
-> Nearly 2,500 Utahns commented on the proposed rule prohibiting “conversion therapy” on minors and less than 5% opposed the measure. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: From @karoun: “Few people thought Laura Cooper would be a bombshell witnesses, but her timeline -- that she says staffers alerted her to after her deposition transcript came out -- means Ukrainians knew about aid situation on day of Trump-Zelensky call. Undercuts big GOP defense they didn’t.”
-> From @samstein: “Remarkably, Sondland paid $1 million to become a part of this colossal mess.”
-> From @morganhwrites: “I hate the ‘bring people together’ rhetoric. Instead of pandering to an idea you think everyone can get behind, just back policies that benefit the public. Right?”
Happy Birthday: Salt Lake County Councilman Arlyn Bradshaw and Mitt Romney staffer Adam Gardiner.
Also in the news: President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Food and Drug Administration refused to commit to banning flavored e-cigarettes on Wednesday despite pressure from Sen. Mitt Romney. [Trib]
-> The Utah Legislature says its close to finalizing tax reform efforts, but critics of the proposal say that a tax hike on food would hurt the poor. [Fox13] [DNews]
-> Under the first in a series of bills Utah lawmakers will consider to address underage e-cigarette use, school administrators would be able to take and destroy students’ vaping devices. [DNews]
-> Sen. Jani Iwamoto, D-Salt Lake City, said she still has questions about what has been done to enhance campus safety at colleges and universities since Lauren McCluskey’s murder. [DNews]
-> Pat Bagley’s latest cartoon delves into the recent audit, which found “virtually no oversight of drilling in Utah.” [Trib]
-> Anticipating the woes of inversion season, Tribune columnist Robert Gehrke gives his take on how to deal with Salt Lake City’s air quality issues. [Trib]
Nationally: Laura K. Cooper, David Hale and Gordon D. Sondland gave testimony in impeachment hearings yesterday and here are the biggest takeaways. [NYTimes] [CNN] [AP]
-> The November Democratic primary debate took place last night and the impeachment inquiry was center stage. [CNN] [AP]
-> Here’s who had the most speaking time at the debate. [WaPost]
-> Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was called a major player in the quid pro quo demand by President Trump, according to Sondland. [NYTimes] [CNN]
-> Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney will become the first woman to chair the House Oversight Committee after winning a caucus-wide vote for the position. [CNN]
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— Thomas Burr and Clara Hatcher
Follow @sltribpolitics