Good Monday morning from Salt Lake City.
Monday's executive summary: Lawmakers may consider changes to how U.S. Senate vacancies are filled. Government shutdown enters its fourth week. The FBI investigated whether President Trump was working on behalf of Russia.
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Today is the 14th day of the year. There are 351 days remaining in 2019.
Lawmaker says Legislature, not political parties, should pick replacements in case of U.S. Senate vacancy
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
In the unlikely event that one of Utah's U.S. Senators were to not finish their term in office, the party that they belong to gets to nominate three possible replacements, with the final choice up to the governor. One Utah lawmaker says the legislature should play a ro...
Romney: Democrats have painted themselves into a corner on border wall funding
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Amid the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, Sen. Mitt Romney is blaming Democrats for the budget impasse over funding for President Donald Trump's border wall....
Will Trump get funding for his border wall? Our 'Political Insiders' give their thoughts on how the government shutdown will end
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
The partial government shutdown is now the longest in history as President Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress continue their standoff over funding for Trump's proposed wall on the southern border....
Opinion brief: Do something bold with sales tax - 2%
By LaVarr Webb, Publisher
Auto and truck sales provide an enormous amount of tax revenue for state and local governments in Utah. Without sales tax from vehicle sales, many government budgets would be in trouble....
Love says GOP should reject racist rhetoric from Iowa's Steve King
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Former Utah Rep. Mia Love, now a CNN pundit, said the GOP hasn't done enough to reject the views of bad actors in their party like Iowa Republican Steve King....
Chaffetz rips NYT article that FBI was investigating Trump as possible Russian asset
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Fox News contributor and potential 2020 Utah gubernatorial candidate Jason Chaffetz ripped a New York Times report that the FBI opened an investigation into whether President Donald Trump was working on behalf of Russia as "over the top" and "desperation."...
Housing prices set another record for highest year-over-year price growth
By Press release
The Zions Bank Wasatch Front Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.3 percent from November to December on a non-seasonally adjusted basis...
Deseret News
Pignanelli and Webb: How some legislation and political races are intertwined
Editorial: Utah lawmakers need to make sales tax reform a priority
Sen. Mike Lee joins GOP senators on bill to permanently end government shutdowns
Lighting up Utah with nuclear power?
Utah lawmakers may tweak new UTA board nomination process
Utah gun rights activist faces felony firearms, drug charges
New program aims to keep tech grads in Utah with tuition relief
Salt Lake Tribune
Op-ed: Mike Lee can reunite a divided Congress
Editorial: Close a school over test scores? Seems childish
Utah Sen. Mike Lee backs bill to prevent future government shutdowns; critics call it a ploy
A Utah lawmaker wants to make it a crime to lie about needing an emotional support animal
The partial government shutdown is now in its fourth week.
Bombshell #1. The FBI opened an investigation into whether President Donald Trump was working on behalf of Russia following his dismissal of FBI director James Comey - https://nyti.ms/2Fq9WAa
Bombshell #2. President Trump has gone to extraordinary lengths to conceal the details of his face-to-face interactions with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In one instance Trump took possession of the notes of his interpreter and instructed him not to reveal what had been discussed - https://wapo.st/2FqcbTV
Most Americans blame President Trump and the GOP for the government shutdown according to a pair of new polls.
Pressure is growing on Senate Republicans to help end the partial shutdown. Sen. Lindsey Graham suggested President Trump re-open the government temporarily while continuing negotiations for funding for the border wall - https://wapo.st/2Fq3Dwl
President Trump spent his Sunday night tweeting racist insults at Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Trump used his oft-repeated slur against Warren. He also mocked Amazon head Jeff Bezos over his pending divorce - http://bit.ly/2Frkkrm
President Trump dressed down Mulvaney during shutdown negotiations. President Trump chastized chief of staff Mick Mulvaney in front of congressional leaders from both parties because of his handling of talks to end the budget impasse - http://bit.ly/2FtUaEi
Government shutdown may impact job growth. Economists say the partial government shutdown could slash job growth by as much as 500,000 January. Unemployment could crest above 4.0 percent, too - https://reut.rs/2FqvZ9E
House Democrats warn Trump over Cohen testimony. President Trump accused Cohen of lying about him during an interview on Fox News. Democrats warned Trump against attempts to influence what Cohen says during his public House testimony next month - https://nyti.ms/2FneXJy
Last year's tax reform could result in smaller refunds than most Americans were expecting. That could put a dent in new car sales - http://bit.ly/2FtT6jM
A federal judge blocked a Trump administration rule on contraceptives. The rule would have made it easier for employers to refuse to cover birth control because of religious or moral objections - https://politi.co/2FrKydh
GoFundMe says they will reimburse donors to an online fundraiser for a border wall. The move comes after the organizer decided to shift the money toward his newly-formed non-profit. The effort had pulled in more than $20 million - http://bit.ly/2FrfwC3
Sen. Lindsey Graham said during a Fox News interview he was "hell-bent" on replacing Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg with a conservative - http://bit.ly/2FpiVBz
1639 - The "Fundamental Orders", the first written constitution that created a government, is adopted in Connecticut.
1784 - Congress ratifies the Treaty of Paris with Great Britain. The treaty ended the American Revolutionary War.
1943 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the first president to travel by airplane while in office, flying from Miami to Morocco to meet with Winston Churchill.
1967 - The New York Times reports the Army is conducting secret germ warfare experiments.
Governor appoints Shawn Newell to the Utah State Board of Education
Gov. Gary R. Herbert has appointed Shawn Newell to represent District 10 on the Utah State School Board of Education. District 10 encompasses the Canyons School District, which has over 34,000 students and includes portions of Cottonwood Heights, Midvale, Sandy and ...
Curtis, Finkenauer introduce bipartisan rural economic development bill
Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) and Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-IA) released the following statements after introducing H.R. 246, the Stimulating Innovation through Procurement Act of 2019. The bipartisan legislation will bring federal investment to small businesses in ru...
House Republicans of Utah support the PURE Act
On January 10, 2019, Utah Senators Mike Lee & Mitt Romney introduced the Protect Utah's Rural Economy (PURE) Act. The legislation would protect Utah from unilateral intrusion through the Antiquities Act. ...
Bradley J. Cook named 17th president of Snow College
The Utah Board of Regents has unanimously selected Bradley J. Cook as the seventeenth president of Snow College....
Join WTC Utah for a diplomatic luncheon with Italy's Consul General
World Trade Center Utah, in partnership with the Governor's Office of Economic Development, is delighted to host a diplomatic luncheon welcoming the Honorable Lorenzo Ortona, Consul General of Italy....
Ocasio-Cortez Pushes Democrats to the Left, Whether They Like It or Not (New York Times)
Conrad Black: America's resurgence is reshaping the world (National Post)
Democratic lawmaker cuts ties with top donor over dead bodies found in his home (New York Post)
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Responds to Criticism From Joe Lieberman: 'New Party, Who Dis?' (Townhall)
Look for Liberty
"There is a certain enthusiasm in liberty, that makes human nature rise above itself, in acts of bravery and heroism." Alexander Hamilton
Politics
"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies." Groucho Marx
