In brief: Utah police allege assassination plot

SALT LAKE CITY – A Utah man who police say threatened to assassinate Gov. Gary Herbert and who conducted surveillance on the governor’s mansion is facing multiple felony charges.

Brian Biff Baker, 52, was charged Friday in Salt Lake City’s 3rd District Court with felony counts of drug and weapons possession, along with a misdemeanor count of threatening elected officials.

Baker sent text messages to a friend on Feb. 2 stating that he was lying in the bushes and intended to kill the governor, court records said. The recipient of the texts reported the messages to police and Baker was arrested the same day, the records said.

The texts also included a threat to kill a police officer who had driven past the mansion more than once during Baker’s period of surveillance, the affidavit states.

Police also said that Herbert was at home during the time Baker was conducting surveillance and was removed from the premises for safety reasons.

Investigators enlisted the help of the message recipient to get Baker to come to a nearby gas station, where he was arrested. Police found containers of ammunition, a large knife, explosives, illegal fireworks and small plastic bags of methamphetamine in Baker’s truck, court papers said.

Baker was being held in the Salt Lake County jail. Bail is set at $25,007.

China’s Xi coming to U.S.

BEIJING – Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping is flying to the United States for a crucial getting-acquainted visit before he takes over as leader of the world’s most populous nation.

Xi leaves Beijing today and will meet with President Barack Obama and other top officials in Washington on Tuesday. He’ll make a stop in Iowa on Wednesday before traveling on to California for meetings with business leaders.

The visit seeks to better acquaint U.S. opinion makers with the man widely expected to take charge later this year of the world’s second largest economy and the largest overseas holder of U.S. debt.