Happy Wednesday!
President Donald Trump wrongly claimed Tuesday — for the third time — that his father is from Germany. Actually, Fred Trump was born in New York City. It was Trump's grandfather who immigrated from Germany.
The latest incident came as President Trump expressed concern that Germany is not paying its fair share to NATO, but said he respects the country because his father is a native.
"My father is German, was German," he said. "Born in a very wonderful place in Germany, so I have a great feeling for Germany.”
The Washington Post said he has made that erroneous claim two other times as president, including at a NATO summit in Brussels. [WaPost][TheHill]
Topping the news: A years-long effort to give more teeth to Utah’s hate crime law ended with a bill signing ceremony where Gov. Gary Herbert approved a bill that enhances penalties for those who have targeted their victims based on bias. [Trib][Fox13][DNews]
-> Utah Sen Mike Lee voted against a measure that would allow Senate Republicans to more swiftly approve U.S. president Donald Trump’s judicial nominees. The senator said the Senate should not break rules for short term gain. [Trib]
-> Speaking before the U.S. House committee, Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski urged Congress to take action to reduce carbon emissions. She said her city and others in Utah are doing their part. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: From @MollyJongFast “So the president either A) forget where his own father was born B) is lying about where his own father was born C) never knew where his own father was born. None of these answers” are good.
-> From @derekkitchen “The sad irony of Trump cutting aid to Latin America is that it could likely increase the number of people fleeing North.”
-> From @RobertGehrke “Note to media folks covering the signing of SB103, the landmark hate crimes bill, today. Every year I rant about calling ceremonial bill signings (i.e. pretend bill signings) a bill signing. This is not one of those cases. So go crazy, y’all.”
Happy Birthday: to State Rep. Marie Poulson
In other news: Two reports show crime rates are down in the Rio Grande neighborhood of Salt Lake City after law enforcement stepped up security in the area. [Trib]
-> Utah Muslims have produced leaders in every field, except politics. The newly formed Utah Muslim Civic League is aiming to change that and put more Muslims on the ballot. [Trib]
-> An unusual type of protest has emerged in Lehi by residents worried that a project may create a de facto gravel pit by their homes: use of children’s sidewalk chalk art around the city to attack it. [Trib]
-> New research shows that temporary residents — retirees seeking warm winter weather and visitors to scenic areas — swell the St. George area’s population by a third during peak times. [Trib]
-> Pat Bagley illustrates what he terms a “National Security Crisis.” [Trib]
-> Utah Sens. Mike Lee and Mitt Romney were among a bipartisan group that introduced a drought contingency plan for the Colorado River. [DNews]
Nationally: President Trump has walked back his commitment to closing the U.S. Mexico border and replacing the Affordable Care Act after backlash from the GOP. [WaPost][Politico] [NYTimes]
-> Lori Lightfoot easily won the Chicago mayor’s race Tuesday to become the first black woman and openly gay person to lead the nation’s third-largest city. She vowed to end corruption there. [Trib]
-> President Donald Trump says former Vice President Joe Biden is “being taken care of pretty well by the socialists,” suggesting criticism against him was hatched by his own party’s left wing. [Politico]
-> A Chinese woman carrying a device containing computer malware was able to briefly gain access to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort after lying to secret service agents. [WaPost][Politico][NYTimes]
-> British Prime Minister Theresa May broke with her own Party Tuesday and appealed to the Labour Party to work on a Brexit plan. [NYTimes]
-> Refugees fleeing violence in Syria, sparked a humanitarian crisis when arriving at an overcrowded tent camp in the northeast corner of the country which is under the control of the US-backed Kurdish forces. [WaPost]
-> News industry leaders are fighting back against the charge by President Trump that special counsel Robert Mueller’s report proved journalists were “so wrong for so long." [Trib]
Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Send us a note to cornflakes@sltrib.com.
Lee Davidson and Christina Giardinelli
twitter.com/LeeDavi82636879, twitter.com/Ninetta89
