Good Tuesday morning from Salt Lake City.
Tuesday's news at a glance: Poll shows Utahns are not sold on the legislature's plan to change Medicaid expansion. Mia Love warns Trump could "lose the presidency" if he folds on his demand for wall funding. The government shutdown enters day #32.
I'm back from a quick trip to New York City where I participated in a workshop for local journalists sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations.
I also had the incredible good fortune to catch some stupendous shows on Broadway. Here are a couple of quick reviews:
Talk to us! Send us your news tips, suggestions, complaints or feedback here.
The UtahPolicy.com daily newsletter gets you up to speed on the top local and national news about politics and public policy. Our news is curated by Managing Editor Bryan Schott, along with help from Golden Webb. ((Click here to subscribe))
Today is the 22nd day of the year. There are 343 days remaining in 2019.
4 days until Salt Lake County Democrats elect a new County Mayor (1/26/2019)
6 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019)
51 days until the final day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (3/14/2019)
102 days to the Utah State Republican Party Organizing Convention (5/4/2019)
132 days until the municipal election filing period opens (6/3/2019)
136 days until the municipal election filing period ends (6/7/2019)
203 days to the 2019 Utah primary elections (8/13/2019)
287 days to the 2019 municipal elections (11/5/2019)
378 days to the 2020 Iowa Caucuses (2/3/2020)
646 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)
More Utahns say they oppose legislators making changes to voter-approved Medicaid expansion
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
A new UtahPolicy.com poll shows Utahns want to keep Prop. 3, Medicaid expansion, even as GOP lawmakers are talking about junking it for a scaled-back alternative....
Bill aims to remove 'gamesmanship' from citizen initiative process
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
It's been clear for some time that with three citizen initiatives making the 2018 ballot, and with Count My Vote being knocked off the ballot by a well-organized opposition group, some bills dealing with Utah's citizen initiative process would be filed in the 2019 Legi...
Podcast: A conversation with Salt Lake County Mayor candidate Jenny Wilson
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
On Saturday, Salt Lake County Democrats will choose a replacement for Ben McAdams who resigned earlier this month to take his seat in Congress....
Guest opinion: Amend Medicaid expansion, but we should do so much more
By Derek Monson
In the runup to the 2019 legislative session, legislative leaders are discussing potential amendments to the Medicaid expansion plan enacted by Proposition 3. As a matter of public policy, they are right to do so, despite the tricky politics of amending a program approved by...
Utah's unemployment rate remained unchanged during December at 3.2%
By Press release
Utah's nonfarm payroll employment for December 2018 grew by an estimated 3.1 percent, adding 47,200 jobs to the economy since December 2017. Utah's current employment level registers 1,542,600. No revisions were made to November's job growth rate....
Give us your feedback. Take our reader survey
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
We want to hear from you....
Mia Love says Trump will 'lose the presidency' if he caves on wall funding
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Former Rep. Mia Love said Sunday President Donald Trump has backed himself into a corner and will "lose the presidency" if he can't get money to build his proposed border wall....
Salt Lake Chamber announces 2019 legislative priorities at the Utah Economic Outlook & Public Policy Summit
By Press release
The Salt Lake Chamber, Utah's largest and longest-standing statewide business association, held the Utah Economic Outlook & Public Policy Summit, in partnership with the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, to preview the business community's priorities for the upcomin...
Pride and progress - Spanish Fork addresses community growth
By Mike Mendenhall, ULCT 1st Vice President/ Spanish Fork City Council Member
In Spanish Fork, there's an old bell tower that sits atop city hall, one of the oldest buildings in town....
Mia Love: Republicans 'torpedo their own' on immigration
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
On Sunday's State of the Union with Jake Tapper program, former Utah congresswoman Mia Love said the biggest thing standing in the way of a deal to re-open the government is Republican infighting over immigration....
Deseret News
Pignanelli and Webb: What ails the federal government - and how to fix it
Rep. John Curtis: This one act could put an end to future shutdowns
Sen. Mike Lee: Let's start working to end this shutdown
Op-ed: You may think I shouldn't be optimistic about Utah's agriculture, but you'd be wrong
Editorial: Trump's commonsense border security plan should spur Congress to act
'Aggravated' Utah Gov. Gary Herbert says he has solution to government shutdowns
Utah jobless rate remains at 3.2 percent
Rising costs, aging population threaten Utah's 'healthy state' status
Rep. Ben McAdams rallies with constituents in his first District 4 town hall meeting
Utah delegation follows partisan split in response to Trump border proposal
What if the state of Utah picked up the cost of school fees instead of Utah families?
Utah lawmaker proposes one of nation's strictest abortion laws
How Cottonwood Mall project fight could inspire changes to Utah's local referendum laws
Salt Lake Tribune
Op-ed: Utah farmers want clean water and clear rules
Utah finished 2018 at No. 4 in job creation
Utah has the third-lowest rate of labor union membership among states
Utah's state reptile - the Gila monster?
Who has a bigger supermajority than even Republicans in Utah's Legislature? Latter-day Saints.
Other
Rep. Rob Bishop quiet amid talk he's up for top spot at Department of Interior (Standard-Examiner)
Shutdown day #32.
Rudy Giuliani tries to walk back his startling claim that President Trump was involved in negotiations for a Trump Tower in Moscow through the 2016 election. Giuliani says his comments were "hypothetical" - https://nyti.ms/2FIiB0G
Wait...there are tapes?!! Rudy Giuliani, President Trump's personal lawyer, said during an interview he had reviewed "tapes" following allegations that Trump had instructed Michael Cohen to lie to Congress about the Trump Tower deal. Giuliani quickly walked back that statement - http://bit.ly/2FRQv2k
Democrats lurch to the left ahead of the 2020 election. Democratic presidential hopefuls are embracing every left-wing idea as they try to stake out political territory to attract supporters - http://bit.ly/2FDUkJv
Economic worries grow. The government shutdown in the U.S. and slowing economic growth in China has economists worried that the global economy is headed toward a major slowdown - https://wapo.st/2FGdCOn
President Trump rips the media over coverage of confrontation between Catholic students and a tribal elder. President Trump is claiming media bias after further details about the viral video revealed the initial reporting was incorrect - https://wapo.st/2FIkomq
Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated. "Fox and Friends" apologized for airing a graphic saying Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg had died - http://bit.ly/2FQZdy4
Siren! Iraqi scientist says he helped ISIS make chemical weapons. The scientist, who was captured by ISIS in 2016, says the terrorist group successfully made mustard gas - https://wapo.st/2FJp2AE
U.S. and North Korea have held secret talks for more than a decade. The two countries established a secret communications channel in 2012 - https://on.wsj.com/2FSCeCS
"Absolutely out of control!" A new book from former White House staffer Cliff Sims depicts total chaos in the Trump White House. He claims he helped President Trump draw up an enemies list of suspected leakers inside the administration - https://wapo.st/2FHpwaD
Scary! Greenland's massive ice sheets are melting much faster than previously thought. The melting could be a major factor in rising sea levels. Scientists say it may be "too late" to do anything about it - https://cnn.it/2FGbCFQ
For your radar. A new study says the number of auto accidents is up 6 percent in four states that legalized recreational marijuana - https://wapo.st/2FNVn8V
1901 - Queen Victoria of Britain died at age 82 after a reign of 64 years.
1944 - U.S. troops invaded Italy in World War II, landing at Anzio beach.
1973 - The Supreme Court rules on Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, legalizing elective abortion in all fifty states.
1998 - Theodore Kaczynski, known as the "Unabomber," pleaded guilty to all counts against him. He was sentenced to life in prison.
House Republicans of Utah seek access to new, approved life-saving technology for state Medicare recipients with coronary artery disease
Utah's Congressional Republicans, led by Congressman Chris Stewart (R-UT), are seeking to ensure Utah Medicare beneficiaries gain access to a life-saving, non-invasive technology used to diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD), the leading cause of death in the U.S. ...
Salt Lake Chamber calls on Utah's business community to give back on Martin Luther King Jr. Day
In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Salt Lake Chamber has released the following statement:...
BuzzFeed's Trump story latest in long list of Russia bombshells that weren't (Daily Caller)
Gillibrand condemns anti-Semitism at Women's March (CNN)
The media's 'Gotcha!' hysteria is shameful (New York Post)
Action
"Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy." Dale Carnegie
Finished
"Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie is releasing a memoir later this month titled 'Let Me Finish.' Oh, you haven't seen your approval ratings lately? You're finished." - SETH MEYERS
