Daily Briefing
Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 340th day of the year. There are 25 days remaining in 2017.
The clock:
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27 days until candidates can declare their intent to gather signatures for the 2018 election (1/2/2018)
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47 days until the opening day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (1/22/2018)
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92 days until the final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (3/8/2018)
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93 days until the filing period for candidates in the 2018 election opens (3/9/2018)
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99 days until the filing deadline for the 2018 elections (3/15/2018)
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104 days until the statewide GOP caucus meetings (3/20/2018)
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136 days until the GOP State Convention (4/21/2018)
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202 days until the 2018 Primary Election (6/26/2018)
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335 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
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1,063 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)
Today's political TL; DR -
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Several Utah Republicans say former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney may jump into next year's U.S. Senate race even if current Sen. Orrin Hatch decides to run again [Utah Policy].
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Several Native American tribes and environmental groups have filed suit against President Trump's actions on public lands in Utah [Deseret News].
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Former President Bill Clinton says President Donald Trump's decision to roll back protections on two national monuments in Utah was the wrong one [Tribune].
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Rep. Chris Stewart proposes a new national park in part of Grand Staircase-Escalante that President Trump removed federal protections from on Monday. The new park would cover approximately 100,000 acres [Deseret News, Tribune].
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Rep. Mia Love wants Congress to pass legislation protecting young undocumented immigrants who were brought here by their parents [Deseret News].
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The Salt Lake City Council approves a plan to hire 50 new police officers, but the move may lead to a tax hike next year to pay for the extra police presence [Deseret News, Tribune].
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The Salt Lake City Council is taking a step back from an ordinance allowing mother-in-law apartments, but the council did approve a plan for more than $17 million in affordable housing [Deseret News, Tribune].
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The number of Obamacare sign-ups in Utah have increased 35% so far this year [Tribune].
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Michelle Kaufusi becomes Provo's first-ever female mayor [Daily Herald, Deseret News].
National headlines:
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BREAKING: Time Magazine selects the women who came forward with allegations of sexual assault and misconduct against powerful men as their Person of the Year [Time].
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The government runs out of money on Friday unless Congress can agree to a spending measure. A new national poll shows a clear majority of voters say Congress should avoid a government shutdown [Politico].
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Experts who are digging into the GOP tax plan have found glitches and loopholes that could plague lawmakers for years if the legislation is signed into law [Politico].
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Following changes to the tax code, Republicans in Congress plan to turn their sights on welfare reform [Politico].
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President Donald Trump will reportedly recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Some worry the decision could provoke violence. A Palestinian government official says the move would be tantamount to a declaration of war [Reuters].
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The Supreme Court appears to be sharply divided over a case involving a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple [New York Times].
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Longtime Michigan Democrat John Conyers resigns from Congress after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment. He has endorsed his son to take his place [Washington Post].
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The homeless population in the U.S. grew this year for the first time since 2010, mostly due to a jump in the number of homeless on the West Coast [Associated Press].
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Donald Trump Jr. asked a Russian lawyer at the infamous June 2016 Trump Tower meeting whether she had information on alleged illegal donations to the Clinton Foundation [NBC News].
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The FBI agent kicked off special counsel Robert Muller's Russia probe for sending anti-Trump text messages is also reportedly a key player in the FBI investigation that cleared Hillary Clinton in her email scandal [New York Post].
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Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke called on President Trump to shrink the size of two more national monuments in Nevada and Oregon [Washington Post].
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President Trump's voter fraud commission wants to create a massive database of voters, but experts warn the list could be easily breached by hackers [Washington Post].
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The Senate confirmed Kirstjen Nielsen as the new head of Homeland Security [CNN].
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President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a proposal to create a global private spy network to fight "deep state enemies" who want to undermine his presidency [The Hill].
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One of Donald Trump's lawyers argues he cannot be sued in a state court because he is the president. A former contestant on a reality show is suing Trump for defamation [NBC News].
On this day in history:
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1768 - The first edition of the Encyclopedia Brittanica is published.
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1790 - The U.S. Congress moves from New York City to Philadelphia.
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1865 - The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, banning slavery.
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1877 - The first edition of the Washington Post is published.
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1884 - The Washington Monument is completed.
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1973 - The House of Representatives votes 387 to 35 to confirm Gerald Ford as Vice President.
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1975 - The Senate approved a $2.3 billion emergency loan to save New York City from bankruptcy.
Today At Utah Policy
If Hatch runs for an eighth term, will Romney stay on the sidelines?
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
What does Mitt Romney do now?...
Weekly survey: Trump's national monument changes
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
On Monday, President Donald Trump pulled federal protection from millions of acres of public lands in Utah and altered the borders of two national monuments. In response, environmental and other groups are prepping lawsuits against the move. What do you think will be the ult...
Facebook allowed political ads that were actually scams and malware
By Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, Jeff Larson and Julia Angwin, ProPublica
In September, an ad with the headline, "New Approval Ratings For President Trump Announced And It's Not Going The Way You Think," targeted Facebook users in the U.S. who were over 40 and labeled as "very liberal" by the tech company....
CYBER24 Episode 9 - Creating unbreakable passwords
By Marty Carpenter
There was a time when you only had a password for a handful of accounts like your email and your computer login. Those days are long gone....
Policy News
Utah takes first place in digital government experience
The Center for Digital Government awarded Gov. Gary R. Herbert with first place in the Government Experience Awards....
Local Headlines
Salt Lake Tribune
John Curtis: It's about protecting the right areas the right way
Editorial: The Salt Lake City Council is right to focus on the big picture
To attract more breweries, this Utah city may loosen its liquor restrictions and do away with outdated laws
Recreation industry leaders launch campaigns against Utah monument reductions
Out of Trump's monument actions, Rep. Chris Stewart seeks to create a new national park, but critics call it a ruse
Salt Lake City leaders are ready to spend $17.6 million on affordable housing
Salt Lake City's police force will grow by 50 officers; tax rates to grow, too
Accessory dwelling plan might discriminate, so it's going back for revisions
Deseret News
Op-ed: Cakes, gay rights and the American flag
Chris Stewart: Listening to the neglected in Utah
Editorial: No, Patagonia, Utah's politicians are not 'evil'
Tribes, environmental groups sue Trump over Utah monuments decision
Madame mayor: Michelle Kaufusi becomes Provo's first female boss in 166 years
Kaufusi gets head start as Provo's new mayor
Salt Lake City joins movement for stricter law against targeting groups
'Dreamers' demonstrate in downtown Salt Lake; Rep. Mia Love calls for DACA solution
Salt Lake City pumps brakes on mother-in-law apartments, OKs $17.6M plan for affordable housing
Will Trump's endorsement of Hatch rule out 'graceful exit'?
Salt Lake City votes to fund 50 new cops, leaving door open for tax increase next year
Utah Rep. Chris Stewart proposes national park in Grand Staircase-Escalante
Other
Utah County needs to adjust some employee compensation to be competitive, study finds (Daily Herald)
Ogden's East Bench voters doomed $106.5 million school bond proposal (Standard-Examiner)
National Headlines
The Democrats' Dangerous Obsession With Impeachment (New Republic)
White House: Reports of anti-Trump investigator on Mueller team 'cause a great deal of concern' (Washington Examiner)
Rep. John Conyers Jr. resigns over sexual harassment allegations after a half-century in Congress (Washington Post)
Black lawmakers resentful after Conyers resignation (Politico)
Justices Sharply Divided in Gay Rights Case (New York Times)
Immigration arrests spiked, illegal border crossings dropped in 2017: DHS (ABC News)
Zinke backs shrinking more national monuments and shifting management of 10 (Washington Post)
Garcia Zarate indicted by feds as Gascn rips 'mad man' Trump (San Francisco Chronicle)
Consumer Bureau's New Leader Steers a Sudden Reversal (New York Times)
Trump Is About to Make Tip-Pooling Legal Again. Here's What That Means for Restaurant Workers (Eater)
Bipartisan Bank-Relief Bill Wins Approval From Senate Panel (Bloomberg)
Faith
"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." Mother Teresa
Secret Santa
"It came out that Trump wants to replace Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. He decided not to when he heard Tillerson was his Secret Santa. "Right after I get my present, you're fired." Jimmy Fallon
