Happy Thursday!
A planned social-media summit at the White House today will feature traditional conservatives voices but also is expected to attract some far-right promoters of fringe conspiracy theories and misinformation. Among those boasting of invitations are Bill Mitchell, a radio host who advanced the bizarre QAnon conspiracy theory, and activist Ali Alexander, who attempted to smear Sen. Kamala Harris using inflammatory rhetoric questioning whether she is an “American black." [CNN]
Topping the news: Utah political leaders call for unity and civility in the wake of an inland port protest that grew violent. But Gov. Gary Herbert and Mayor Jackie Biskupski hold separate news conferences because of continuing disagreements about the project. [Trib] [DNews] [Fox13]
-> An advertised Salt Lake City luncheon and dinner with presidential candidate Kamala Harris will not be taking place, and organizers now say they were the victims of a bizarre scam. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Odgen City leaders defend their purchase of the old Swift Building property that is chock full of chemical and toxic waste, saying this move assures the cleanup will be conducted safely and properly. [StandEx]
Tweets of the day: @MayorJonPike: “I share @GovHerbert’s concern and condemnation of today’s violent protests at the SL Chamber offices. In the words of Arthur Brooks, we’ve got to ‘disagree better’ than this.”
-> @Patbagley: “The SL Inland Port is a rotten deal. When people feel they’re not being heard ...”
-> From @MikeLMower: “I find I don’t have to block too many of my haters on Twitter because they tend to self-select after being able to handle only so many of tweets about my Sunday School class and my hometown of Ferron.”
Happy Birthday: to Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox, state Rep. Kim Coleman and Daryl Wolke.
Trib Talk: On this week’s episode of “Trib Talk,” Leia Larsen, a journalist with the Utah Investigative Journalism Project and Brandon Cooper, Ogden City’s deputy director of community and economic development, join Tribune reporter Benjamin Wood to discuss the ongoing cleanup of masses of hazardous waste at the Swift Building in Ogden and whether city officials were adequately aware of the property’s contents when it was purchased. [Trib]
In other news: The Salt Lake City School District and the teachers association have reached a tentative salary agreement. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Utahn Paul Gibbs testified before Congress in support of the Affordable Care Act as federal courts consider the Republican attorneys general lawsuit to strike it down. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Brigham Young University announced updates to its honor code, including an “innocent until proven guilty" policy, on Wednesday. [Trib] [DNews] [DailyHerald]
-> A school for troubled youth in St. George will close after riots and recent reports of staff members assaulting students. [Trib]
-> Ten out of 19 members of Utah’s Medical Care Advisory Committee oppose the state’s plan to partially expand Medicaid using enrollment caps and work requirements. [Trib]
-> Salt Lake City mayoral candidates vow to make Muslim issues a priority. [Trib]
-> The Provo Municipal Council has approved moving to an urban deer program that uses only lethal methods of removal. [DailyHerald]
Nationally: The New York Times cites unnamed sources in reporting that the nationwide raids threatened last month to arrest and deport thousands of immigrants here illegally will launch this weekend. [NYT]
-> United State lobbyists and lawyers have made millions helping Saudi Arabia in the nine months since journalist Jamal Khashoggi was butchered. [WaPo]
-> Arrivals of migrants at the U.S. southern border have decreased in recent weeks. [NYT]
-> A Guatemalan asylum seeker recounted to Congress the story of her infant daughter’s death after contracting a lung infection in a detention center. [Reuters]
-> Britain’s ambassador in Washington has resigned after memos were leaked in which he insulted President Trump, prompting an outpouring of outrage from Trump. [Poltico]
-> U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta defends the plea deal he made with billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in Florida years ago. [WaPo] [NYT]
-> San Francisco-based PG&E Corp. knew for years that its voltage lines were wildfire risks in dry areas of California, according to documents obtained by the Wall Street Journal. [WSJ]
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-- Dan Harrie and Sara Tabin
Follow @sltribpolitics
