Situational awareness - March 5, 2019
Here are the stories we're following today:
I had the good fortune to attend an advance screening of Captain Marvel on Monday. If you're a fan of superhero movies, you should definitely make plans to see this film. Bree Larson is tremendous as the title character, and Marvel's de-aging technology is incredible (and creepy). It's also appropriate for kids, in case you're wondering.
Email us anytime with feedback, questions, story suggestions, news tips, etc... Send us an email at this link.
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Today is the 64th day of the year. There are 301 days remaining in 2019.
9 days until the final day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (3/14/2019)
60 days to the Utah State Republican Party Organizing Convention (5/4/2019)
90 days until the municipal election filing period opens (6/3/2019)
94 days until the municipal election filing period ends (6/7/2019)
109 days to the Utah State Democratic Party Organizing Convention (6/22/2019)
161 days to the 2019 Utah primary elections (8/13/2019)
245 days to the 2019 municipal elections (11/5/2019)
328 days to the first day of the 2020 Utah Legislature (1/27/2020)
336 days to the 2020 Iowa Caucuses (2/3/2020)
604 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)
Utahns have a low opinion of both Republicans and Democrats in Congress
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
Most Utahns do not approve of the job either Republicans nor Democrats are doing in Congress, a recent UtahPolicy.com poll shows....
Don't expect lawmakers to try and get rid of signature route for candidates this year
By Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick
Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has ended the court battle over Utah's law allowing candidates to gather signatures to secure a spot on a political party's primary ballot, don't expect lawmakers to try and repeal the law in the final days of the 2019 legislature....
Senate advances hate crimes bill
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
By a 19-9 vote the Utah Senate passed Monday a hate crimes bill that actually may work....
Lawmakers won't consider so-called 'red flag' gun bill this year. Bill imposing universal background checks on gun sales stalls
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
For the second time in two years, a so-called "red flag" bill aimed at getting guns away from troubled, violent people quickly is dead in the Utah Legislature....
Emergency podcast: Supreme Court decides not to hear appeal challenging SB54
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
On Monday the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling challenging Utah's law allowing candidates to gather signatures to get on a party's primary ballot....
Supreme Court rejects appeal over SB54, meaning Utah's law allowing candidates to gather signatures stands. . . for now
By Bob Bernick and Bryan Schott
The legal fight over SB54 - the Utah law allowing candidates to gather signatures to get on the ballot - is over. On Monday, the Supreme Court officially refused to hear the Utah Republican party's appeal of a 10th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling last year, meaning the...
Deseret News
Salt Lake Tribune
Here we go. Democrats launch a sweeping investigation into President Donald Trump and people in his orbit. House Democrats requested documents from 81 people and entities, including the president's sons. The investigation seemingly could lay the groundwork for impeachment - https://wapo.st/2TuNNXP
Abuse of power? According to a blockbuster report from Jane Mayer in the New Yorker, President Trump allegedly demanded the Justice Department intervene to block a merger between AT&T and Time Warner in order to hurt CNN and boost Fox News - http://bit.ly/2TBrArq
Senate Republicans working to limit defections on Trump's border emergency. Now that there are enough votes to pass a resolution to block President Trump's emergency declaration to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, Senate Republicans are trying to keep as many of their party from voting against the president as they can - https://wapo.st/2TzHUsk
Hillary Clinton will not run in 2020. For the first time on camera, Hillary Clinton says she will not make a bid for the 2020 Democratic nomination - http://bit.ly/2TqDSCP
Michael Cohen's lawyers reportedly asked for a pardon by President Trump. A lawyer for Cohen approached Trump's attorneys and raised the possibility of a pardon - https://on.wsj.com/2Tt6n2J
Democrats to vote on anti-Semitism measure. Allegedly anti-Semitic comments from freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar are forcing Democratic leaders to take a public vote on a resolution condemning anti-Semitic rhetoric, but it does not single out Omar - https://politi.co/2TuIbNd
Trump's trade war cost Americans at least $3 billion per month last year. Two new studies found the tariffs imposed by President Trump had a massive impact on the U.S. economy, contributing to higher prices and taxes - http://bit.ly/2TCmlI1
HUD Secretary Ben Carson says he'll leave his post at the end of Trump's first term. Carson said in a TV interview he wants to return to the private sector - https://wapo.st/2TClQ0B
The NSA shut down a controversial surveillance program. The system logged the calls and texts of Americans searching for possible domestic threats - https://nyti.ms/2Tt9Jmi
A new study says no link between the measles vaccine and autism. Researchers in Denmark say the MMR vaccine does not increase the risk of autism in children - http://bit.ly/2TALcvs
A second person may have been cured of HIV. Scientists say a man in London with the infection is in long-term remission - https://cnn.it/2Tui1Kz
1496 - King Henry VII of England issues letters patent to John Cabot and his sons, authorizing them to explore unknown lands.
1770 - Boston Massacre. Five Americans, including Crispus Attucks, are fatally shot by British troops in an event that would contribute to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War.
1836 - Samuel Colt patents the first production-model revolver, the .34 caliber.
1933 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares a "bank holiday," closing all U.S. banks and freezing all financial transactions.
1946 - Winston Churchill coins the phrase "Iron Curtain" in his speech at Westminster College, Missouri.
1953 - Joseph Stalin dies in Moscow after suffering a stroke.
1970 - The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons goes into effect after ratification by 43 nations.
Utah and Jordan -- Gateways of innovation
The Silicon Slopes Tech Summit held Jan. 31 - Feb. 1 in Salt Lake City brought over 20,000 attendees in celebration of a historic year for Utah's tech industry. The milestone is a continuation of innovative leaps Utah has taken in just the past few years. Beyond exciting cap...
Join us on March 8 for the International Women's Day celebration
Join us and the Women's Business Center of Utah on March 8 for our annual International Women's Day Celebration! This year's panel will discuss the opportunities and challenges for women in international business. ...
Zions Bank economic snapshot: Interest rate trend is down
At the end of 2018, the Federal Reserve received strong criticism, both from investors and the president, for raising interest rates too quickly. While there has been considerable debate surrounding the Fed's actions, what is clear, is that despite hiking interest rates nine...
Education
"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education." Martin Luther King, Jr.
Vietnam Summit
"He flew over there and got nothing - like the Fyre Festival." - JIMMY KIMMEL
