Happy Wednesday!
President Donald Trump confirmed he may expand his controversial travel ban as early as Monday, the third anniversary of his original order that targeted several majority-Muslim nations. Officials say the expansion may include several more majority-Muslim nations, including Eritrea, Kyrgystan, Nigeria, Sudan and Tanzania. [WSJ] [TheHill] [Politico]
Topping the news: A campaign seeking to put on the ballot a referendum to overturn new tax reform laws declared an early, and unofficial, victory Tuesday after the deadline for submitting petition signatures. It may take up to two weeks for official counts to verify the claim. [Trib] [DNews] [Fox13]
-> As a condition for BYU to continue to host the nation’s top amateur ballroom dancing championship, as it has since 1997, the university is now allowing same-sex couples to perform there. [Trib]
-> A Third District judge has denied a Utah woman’s challenge to the state’s lewdness laws after she was charged for being topless in her own home in front of stepchildren. [Trib] [DNews] [Fox13]
Tweets of the day: From @TroyWilliamsUT: I’ve often said, one of the things gays and Latter-day Saints have in common is a deep love of parades, musical theater and ballroom dancing! Big props to @BYU for this inclusive move. #utpol
-> From @JimDabakis: “Biggest hypocrite? BYU for ‘lowering’ morals to allow same-sex couples on campus only for national ballroom championship OR The National Dance Council for rewarding BYU with hosting knowing day after tournament same-sex couples will be shoved back into Provo dance closet?” #utpol
-> From @DanaPerino: “Truly, how can one continue Dry January during impeachment? Answer me that.”
In other news: Tribune Washington correspondent Thomas Burr describes the view of the impeachment trial inside the Senate chamber. [Trib]
-> A rule banning conversion therapy on LGBTQ children has gone into effect, making Utah the 19th state to ban the practice. [Fox13]
-> The controversial Utah-themed condoms that were distributed as part of an HIV awareness campaign will be destroyed, but the educational website has been reinstated. [Trib] [Fox13]
-> The Salt Lake City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint Darin Mano, a small business owner and architect, to fill the seat vacated by newly sworn-in Mayor Erin Mendenhall. [Trib] [DNews]
-> After a $50 million gift from Gail Miller, Intermountain Healthcare announces plans to build a new Primary Children’s hospital campus in Lehi. [Trib] [HeraldExtra] [KUTV]
-> A bill in the Utah Legislature could allow wine to be shipped to homes. [Trib] [Fox13]
-> A poll of active LDS women shows their top concerns for women are closing the wage gap, getting more women involved in politics and business and addressing sexual assault and domestic violence. [Trib]
-> DOMO, a Utah based tech company, is facing scrutiny over its handling of sexual assault complaints after a former employee filed a lawsuit against two co-workers for sexual harrassment and rape. [Trib]
-> Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment are pushing for a $4.4 million penalty against the reality TV stars known as the Diesel Brothers for selling “defeat devices” and skirting local emissions laws. [StandEx]
-> Vandals wrote the N-word in the frost on a vehicle at the University of Utah on Martin Luther King Day with university officials saying they have identified several individuals who could be responsible. [Trib]
-> Cartoonist Pat Bagley looks at the “Mittamorphosis” of Mitt Romney’s views of President Trump. [Trib]
Nationally: The Republican controlled Senate blocked several subpoenas issued by Democrats to try to admit evidence that was blocked by President Trump during the House impeachment trial. [NYT] [LATimes]
-> President Donald Trump failed to address climate concerns during the World Economic Forum, choosing to focus on the U.S. economy and address questions about his impeachment trial. [APviaTrib]
-> The Wuhan Coronavirus that has been sweeping China has now been confirmed in Washington State. Officials are meeting to determine how to handle the outbreak. [APviaTrib] [NYT] [LATimes]
-> Two more inmates have died inside Mississippi’s notorious Parchman Prison just weeks after the facility was placed on lockdown for gang-related violence. [NYT]
-> Hillary Clinton says no one likes Bernie Sanders. He later says that on good days, his wife likes him. Clinton then later clarifies that she will endorse whoever is the Democratic nominee, even if it is Sanders. [NYT] [Politico]
-> The 2020 census count officially begins in remote Toksook Bay, Alaska. It will begin for most other Americans in mid-March. [Time] [NYTimes]
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-- Lee Davidson and McKhelyn Jones
Follow @sltribpolitics