Morning must reads for Thursday, September 21, 2017
Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 264th day of the year. There are 101 days remaining in 2017.
The clock:
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26 days until ballots for the 2017 general election are mailed to voters (10/17/2017)
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47 days until the 2017 election (11/7/2017)
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123 days until the opening day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (1/22/2018)
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168 days until the final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (3/8/2018)
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411 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
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1,139 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)
Today's political TL; DR -
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POLL: A majority of Utahns support getting rid of the caucus/convention system for nominating candidates and moving to the signature gathering/direct primary route exclusively [Utah Policy].
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ANALYSIS: Democratic congressional candidate Kathie Allen is at 19% right now, but that's underperforming for a Democrat in CD3 [Utah Policy].
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Utah lawmakers make quick work of two bills as part of Operation Rio Grande. Legislators tell UtahPolicy.com that they insisted on a two-year lease closing down parts of Rio Grande Street to prevent Salt Lake City officials from attempting to re-negotiate the lease in a year [Utah Policy].
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Rep. Chris Stewart's office quickly deleted a Tweet that mocked liberals as pants wetters for their reaction to President Donald Trump's speech at the U.N. [Utah Policy].
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Lawmakers advanced a bill to create a mechanism for removing mentally incapacitated elected officials from office [Deseret News, Tribune].
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Utah lawmakers approved a financial settlement in a legal battle over faulty construction on the Timpanogos highway [Deseret News].
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GOP Rep. Tim Quinn says he will sponsor legislation in 2018 to completely eliminate the state sales tax on food [Deseret News, Tribune].
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Legislators are considering a series of bills next year to create a new statewide mental health crisis hotline [Deseret News].
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It could cost more next year for drivers' licenses and concealed carry permits under legislation under consideration for the 2018 session [Deseret News].
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Rep. Ray Ward wants Utahns covered by Medicaid to be able to get an IUD implanted while they are in the hospital to give birth [Deseret News].
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State officials say they expect more than 200 beds to be available for drug treatment to be available by the end of the year for Operation Rio Grande [Deseret News].
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Rep. Paul Ray is raising concerns about a new screening process for bail that the state court system will implement in November [Tribune].
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The Salt Lake City Airport Advisory Board gives their stamp of approval for a plan to build a street-level TRAX extension to the new airport terminal. The change from a proposed elevated track will shave approximately $50 million off the cost [Tribune].
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Rep. Chris Stewart says he doesn't think North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is insane, but he is a growing threat to the United States [Deseret News].
National headlines:
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That's not suspicious at all! Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort offered to provide private briefings about the campaign to a Russian billionaire with strong ties to the Kremlin [Washington Post].
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This is also not suspicious at all! Former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort used a campaign email account to correspond with a Ukranian political operative with suspected ties to the Russian government [Politico].
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Special counsel Robert Mueller's office is asking the White House for a whole slew of documents about President Donald Trump's activities. There are so many requests that White House lawyers have divided them into 13 categories [Washington Post].
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Robert Mueller is asking the White House for documents related to President Trump's firing of national security adviser Michael Flynn and former FBI Director James Comey [New York Times].
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Former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer reportedly kept such copious notes during his time in the Trump administration that he could be a juicy target for Robert Mueller's investigation [Axios].
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The Senate could vote on the Graham-Cassidy bill to repeal Obamacare next week. They have until September 30 to pass it with a simple majority [Politico].
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A new analysis of the Graham-Cassidy repeal bill says states will lose hundreds of billions in federal health care dollars and tens of millions of Americans would lose coverage [Los Angeles Times].
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Democrats are mobilizing to stop Graham-Cassidy as the left is on a "full war footing" to defeat the bill [Politico].
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President Donald Trump wants to revisit the nuclear agreement with Iran to find ways to strengthen it instead of scrapping the deal as he previously threatened [New York Times].
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Congressional Democrats want an investigation into HHS Secretary Tom Price's use of private planes for travel instead of commercial flights [Politico].
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North Korea's foreign minister described President Donald Trump's threats to "totally destroy" that country as "the sound of a dog barking" [Associated Press].
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Late night host Jimmy Kimmel escalated his fight against Sen. Bill Cassidy's attempt to repeal Obamacare saying "He either doesn't understand his own bill, or he lied to me" [Hollywood Reporter].
On this day in history:
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1776 - Part of New York City is burned shortly after being occupied by British forces.
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1780 - Benedict Arnold gives the British the plans to West Point.
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1792 - The National Convention declares France a republic and abolishes the absolute monarchy.
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1897 - The New York Sun ran an editorial answering a question from an 8-year-old girl that included the line, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."
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1981 - Sandra Day O'Connor is unanimously approved by the Senate as the first female Supreme Court justice.
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1983 - Interior Secretary James Watt described a special advisory panel as consisting of "a black...a woman, two Jews, and a cripple." Watt later apologized and resigned.
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1998 - President Bill Clinton's videotaped grand jury testimony in the Monica Lewinsky scandal was publicly broadcast, showing him answering one question from prosecutors by saying, "It depends on what the meaning of 'is' is."
Today At Utah Policy
Poll: Majority of voters support eliminating caucus/convention system
By Bryan Schott and LaVarr Webb
The Count My Vote (CMV) group will file a ballot proposal this week to create a direct primary system for political parties to nominate candidates. A new UtahPolicy.com poll shows a majority of Utah voters support eliminating the caucus/convention process and replacing it wi...
Democrat Kathie Allen is actually underperforming in the CD3 race
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Democrat Kathie Allen and her supporters are blaming gerrymandering as the reason she's 30-points behind Republican John Curtis in the latest UtahPolicy.com survey....
Lawmakers approve two-year closure of Rio Grande street so Salt Lake City can't revisit the issue before 2019
By Bob Bernick and Bryan Schott
Utah legislators approved several bills Wednesday afternoon in a special session, including the closing of Rio Grande Street for homeless mitigation and settlement with a road contractor on a troubled northern Utah County rebuild....
Rep. Chris Stewart mocks liberal reaction to Trump's speech in deleted tweet
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Rep. Chris Stewart sent, then quickly deleted a tweet from his congressional account mocking liberals for their reaction to President Trump's speech at the United Nations....
Weekly survey: The return of Count My Vote
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Count My Vote is relaunching their ballot initiative to end the caucus/convention system for nominating candidates. If it passes a direct primary would be the only way for candidates to get on the ballot. Do you think voters will approve or reject the proposal? Vote now...
Win a copy of 'Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History'
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
We're giving away a copy of MSNBC's Katy Tur's book about her experience covering Donald Trump's presidential campaign....
Policy News
Governor appoints director of federal affairs
Gov. Gary R. Herbert has announced the appointment of Gordon Larsen as director of federal affairs....
Governor appoints Bell to the Fifth District Court
Gov. Gary R. Herbert has appointed Matthew Bell as a judge to fill a newly created position on the Fifth District Court....
4 ways your business can develop skilled talent for tomorrow's jobs
Over the past several weeks, the Chamber's workforce development blogs have explored why building a skilled workforce is critical for the continued success of Utah's economy, as well as the importance of career and technical education programs aligning with industry nee...
Local Headlines
Salt Lake Tribune
Jonathan Johnson: States continue straw-grasping internet tax gambit
Utah school board gets earful after dropping middle school arts and health requirements
Frustrated tribal leaders wonder if Bears Ears is a national monument in name only
Murray City Council picks one of its own to serve as interim mayor
Salt Lake Airport Board likes street-level TRAX plan to save $50M-plus
Utah lawmakers take another stab at bill to force removal of an elected leader for mental disability in wake of Gary Ott saga
Utah lawmakers make quick work of special-session bills to support Operation Rio Grande
Lawmaker, bail-bond industry fail to stop changes coming to Utah courts
Utah House Republican will propose bill to cut food tax, though details are unclear
After nurse's arrest, Utah lawmakers will draft a bill that clarifies when police can draw someone's blood
Deseret News
Jay Evensen: Why a Trump 'Bears Ears' decision won't be the last word
Op-ed: The Antiquities Act is an antiquity itself
Editorial: Science may help Utah prevent suicides
Legislature to consider bill to allow removal of mentally incapacitated elected officials
Busywork or valuable data? Utah lawmakers weigh in on new school report card
Utah lawmakers continue work on three-digit suicide prevention line
Fed decisions on interest rates and monetary policy a signal of economic confidence, local analyst says
Lawmaker may revive proposal to ban animal euthanasia by gas chamber
Timpanogos Highway settlement approved in special session
Lawmaker touts bill enhancing Medicaid coverage of IUDs
Utah Lake expert criticizes new nutrient standard
Lawmakers to consider fee increases for drivers' licenses, firearms permits
GOP lawmaker drafting bill to eliminate state sales tax on food
Windfall in treatment beds still expected by around end of year, state official tells lawmakers
Panel pitches possible fixes to Utah's teacher shortage
Utah Legislature passes 2 bills to fund, facilitate Operation Rio Grande
Lawmaker laments forest management in wake of Brian Head Fire
Is Kim Jong Un insane? Rep. Stewart says no, but he's a real threat
State School Board urged to reverse course on middle school core requirements
Other
Editorial: We need a single, comprehensive way to track Ogden's homeless population (Standard-Examiner)
National Headlines
San Francisco, Oakland sue oil companies over climate change (The Hill)
Scientists admit that world is warming more slowly than predicted (The Times)
AP Writes False Story About Sen. Graham Pleading With A Senator Over The Phone (Daily Caller)
Internet Giants Face New Political Resistance in Washington (New York Times)
Push to unseal the draft Whitewater indictment against Hillary Clinton gets court date (McClatchy)
Bernie Sanders Enters New Territory: A Wealth Tax (BuzzFeed)
Watch MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell's Unhinged Outtakesfor Eight Crazy Minutes (Mediaite)
What Should Have Happened In Hillary Clinton's Useless Book (HuffPost)
Philadelphia finds hundreds of illegal voters (Washington Times)
Prosecutors Want Anthony Weiner to Serve About 2 Years in Prison (New York Times)
Fed keeps U.S. rates steady, to start portfolio drawdown in October (Reuters)
Be Positive
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow." Helen Keller
Target Temps
"Target announced that it will hire 100,000 seasonal employees during the holidays. Ten of them will be on the register; the rest will wander around saying, "I don't work in this department." Jimmy Fallon
