Happy Thursday!

A new study finds that communities that experience the loss of a local newspaper tend to be somewhat more politically polarized than those that still have a local paper. The authors concluded that newspaper shutdowns are contributing to the bitter divide among ideological camps that have embraced their own sets of “facts,” that may or may not be based on reality. Fractures are more pronounced in people who get most of their news from national sources — often television and online sources — which tend to focus on conflict and competition between the parties, according to the research. Scientific American conducted the study using split-ticket voting rates as an indicator of polarization. Higher rates of split-ticket voting indicated less polarization, while lower rates suggested more partisan division. [Scientific American]

Topping the news: Survivors drew strength from one another as Torrey Green, former Utah State University football player, was sentenced Wednesday to 26 years to life in prison for sexually abusing and assaulting six women. [Trib] [DNews] [KUTV] [Fox13] [ABC4]

-> The Utah Department of Health issued an order that will ensure Utah women no longer need a prescription to purchase birth-control pills and other forms of contraceptives. [Trib] [KUTV] [Fox13] [ABC4]

-> The Utah Transit Authority board signaled its intent to leave behind its scandal-plagued past by implementing a more straightforward and objective approach to selecting projects for residential/commercial development near train stations. [Trib]

Tweets of the day: @uvu_president: “My heart is so full. Thank you, @UVU, for welcoming me with open arms. I could not ask for a better community to work alongside in championing our mission of student success. I am so honored and proud to be your president.”

@TribTomWharton: “Just saw a commercial for diapers using Born to Be Wild. Another private college commercial uses a Dylan classic. Is nothing sacred?"

@slcmayor: “With respect, kids aren’t the solution to # climatechange, but they are the reason every leader should want to address it. Leaving the task of finding innovative ideas to the next generation ignores our primary responsibility as parents: create a better world for our kids.”

@BenWinslow: “Fornication, adultery and sodomy (among consenting adults) were considered “offenses against the family” under Utah criminal code. Punishable by up to 6 months in jail. Now, they’re no longer crimes. So have fun tonight, Utah!”

In other news: Envision Utah attempted to make the case Wednesday that state control of the planned Inland Port in northwestern Salt Lake City likely means more attention will be paid to air quality and sustainability issues than would happen otherwise. [Trib]

-> A dog that bit off a child’s hand in Layton a few months ago won’t be euthanized, but the owners will have to give their two huskies up as the animals will be transferred to an animal sanctuary. [Trib] [DNews] [Fox13] [ABC4]

-> The Legislature has banned mug-shot websites from charging people hundreds of dollars to remove their jail booking photos. [Trib]

-> Four years out from the mine spill that flowed out of the Gold King Mine into the Animas and San Juan rivers, a federal judge has refused to dismiss Utah’s lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and several companies. [Trib]

-> Astrid Tuminez, Utah Valley University’s first female president and the state’s only person of color to currently head a university, was inaugurated Wednesday during a packed celebratory event. Tuminez spoke about her childhood growing up in the Philippines and emphasized her commitment to helping minority students succeed. [Trib] [DNews]

-> The FrontRunner commuter train system needs major upgrades but, given limited resources, won’t see those completed anytime in the near future, planners said. [Trib]

-> Intermountain Healthcare donated $1 million to help build three new homeless resource centers in Salt Lake County. [Trib]

-> The Bureau of Land Management leased 135,000 acres of public land for oil and gas development in an auction completed Wednesday. The sales raised slightly more than $7 million. [Trib]

-> Gov. Gary Herbert signed legislation to designate the Gila monster the state reptile. [Trib]

-> Three years after he left Salt Lake City’s top office, former Mayor Ralph Becker is hanging out at City Hall again. [Trib]

-> Tribune columnist Robert Gehrke breaks down special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. [Trib]

-> Tribune cartoonist Pat Bagley depicts the seemingly impossible dream of home ownership for millennials. [Trib]

Nationally: A federal judge has blocked work requirements for Medicaid recipients in Kentucky and Arkansas. The provisions were approved by the Trump administration and are included in Utah’s Medicaid-expansion plan approved by lawmakers in the recent legislative session. [WaPost]

-> British Prime Minister Theresa May offered to step down if parliament comes to a decision on how to handle the second phase of the country’s future relationship with the European Union. Lawmakers voted on eight different Brexit plans Wednesday, but none scraped out a majority vote. [NYTimes] [Politico] [WaPost]

-> Fired FBI director James Comey says he’s confused by Attorney General William Barr’s conclusion that the special counsel’s investigation turned up insufficient evidence to prosecute President Donald Trump on obstruction of justice charges. [NBC]

-> Secretary of State Mike Pompeo repeatedly avoided saying that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is responsible for his regime’s human-rights abuses. [WaPost]

-> Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued a statement accusing the media and several lawmakers of misrepresenting what she said earlier this week about Special Olympic funding cuts. [Politico]

-> An in-depth look at how presidential hopeful Sen. Cory Booker came to run on a platform emphasizing criminal justice reform. [NYTimes]

-> Acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney was behind President Donald Trump’s surprising decision to switch course and back the elimination of the Affordable Care Act through court action. [NYTimes] [WaPost]

-> An Arizona lawmaker resigned amid an ethics investigations into his past sex crimes, including a 35-year-old child pornography charge. Republican state Rep. David Stringer had come under scrutiny for racist comments last year about immigrants posing an “existential threat" to America. (Arizona Republic]

Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Email us at cornflakes@sltrib.com. If you haven’t already, sign up here for our weekday email to get this sent directly to your inbox.

-- Dan Harrie and Sahalie Donaldson