Happy Friday! As the partial government shutdown continues — and no deal on the table that appears able to pass -- the White House is asking agencies what services and operations they’d like to reopen. It’s an effort to make the government closure less painful for Americans as President Donald Trump digs in on his demand for border wall funding. [WaPost]
Topping the news: Prop 3, the Medicaid expansion initiative that made the ballot and was passed by Utah voters is set to take effect in April but may be further delayed and modified through legislation proposed sponsored by Sen. Allen Christensen. Some of the modifications include a cap on the number of enrollees and work requirements. [Trib]
-> Sen. Mitt Romney says he doesn’t see a need for national emergency declaration that President Donald Trump is considering. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Furloughed IRS employees in Ogden, forced to resort to measures such as food pantries to feed their families during the shutdown, call for the government to “take them out of the political game” at a rally on Thursday. [Trib] [Fox13] [ABC4] [DNews]
-> Calling Trump’s morals into question, former Nevada Sen. Harry Reid calls for Romney to run in the 2020 presidential election. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: From @tribelaw “Here’s the scoop legally:1. Trump illegally declares emergency, claims power to build wall with tax $ appropriated for other uses only. 2. Courts say it’s premature to block POTUS till he DOES something. 3. Trump signs bill opening government & claims victory 4. No wall. QED”
-> From @aedwardslevy “have we tried solving the showdown by having a tango competition.”
-> From @tomtomorrow “Schumer and Pelosi need to wear body cams when they meet with Trump.”
Behind the Headlines: Salt Lake Tribune managing editor Sheila McCann, reporter Benjamin Wood as well as columnist Robert Gehrke join KCPW’s Roger McDonough to talk about the week’s top stories, including The University of Utah’s response to Jill McCluskey’s op-ed, potential delays in medicaid expansion and Sen. Mike Lee’s callout regarding SB54. 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.
Friday Quiz: Last week, 98 percent of you knew about a Utah lawmaker’s efforts to ban the use of cellphones while driving, but only 57 percent knew about Salt Lake County libraries giving away free gun locks. Think you kept up with the news this week? Take our quiz to find out. A new quiz will post every Friday morning. You can find previous quizzes here. If you’re using The Salt Lake Tribune mobile app, click here. [Trib]
Happy Birthday: to Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski, XMission founder Pete Ashdown and policy coordinator at the Salt Lake Chamber, Brynn Mortensen.
In other news: Members of Utahns Against Police Brutality and family members of Cody Belgard rallied at SLC Mayor Jackie Biskupski’s office requesting answers about the circumstances of Belgard’s killing at the hands of Utah police officers 3 months ago. [Trib]
-> A comment period will allow Utah parents and teachers to give input on changes to instructional standards in science related subjects. The new standards were introduced by means of updating the curriculum to be in line with national standards, however some worried that the new model would shift focus towards topics that are “politically expedient” such as evolution and climate change. [Trib]
-> A new mayor was appointed to fill the shoes of former North Ogden Mayor, Utah National Guard Maj. Brent Taylor, who was killed while serving in Afghanistan. [Trib]
-> Rep. Rob Bishop is mentioned as one of two names on a narrow list of candidates to replace Ryan Zinke as secretary of the Interior Department. The department’s acting chief, David Bernhardt, is the second name on the list. [Trib]
-> The Protect Utah’s Rural Economy Act makes a comeback with sponsorship from Sen. Mike Lee and Romney. The act is aimed at preventing the presidential from establishing national monuments in Utah without approval from Congress and Legislature. [ABC4] [DNews]
->Pat Bagley illustrates the transformation of a Utah proposition. [Trib]
Nationally: Trump visits border town of McAllen, Texas and meets with border patrol officers and the secretary of Homeland Security, Kirstjen Nielsen. During the meeting Trump stated that he “probably will” declare a state of national emergency if a compromise fails. [NYTimes] [WaPost]
-> Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, is set to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Feb. 7. [NYTimes] [Politico]
-> Democrats prepare for legal action as the president’s threat to declare a state of national emergency intensifies. [Politico]
-> According to insider’s perspective -- provided on condition of anonymity -- the White House may be looking to appropriate disaster relief funds to pay for the wall while circumventing a budget approval from congress. [NYTimes]
Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Send us a note to cornflakes@sltrib.com.
Thomas Burr and Christina Giardinelli
