Situational awareness - June 5, 2019

Situational awareness - June 5, 2019

Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City

Welcome to Utah's must-read daily political news rundown. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to sign up for our emails.

Here's what is driving the day:

• Romney scolds Trump's foreign policy.
• Congressional Republicans warn Trump not to impose tariffs on Mexico.
• The House passes an immigration bill that protects "dreamers."

News tips/story ideas

Kindly send suggestions, concerns and news tips to us via email at bschott@utahpolicy.com.

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))

TICK TOCK

Today is the 156th day of the year. There are 209 days remaining in 2019.

2 days until the municipal election filing period ends (6/7/2019)

3 days until the Independent American Party Utah State Convention (6/8/2019)

17 days to the Utah State Democratic Party Organizing Convention (6/22/2019)

21 days to the first Democratic presidential primary debates in Miami (6/26/2019)

55 days to the second Democratic presidential primary debates in Detroit (7/30/2019)

69 days to the 2019 Utah primary elections (8/13/2019)

99 days to the third Democratic presidential primary debate (9/12/2019)

153 days to the 2019 municipal elections (11/5/2019)

236 days to the first day of the 2020 Utah Legislature (1/27/2020)

244 days to the 2020 Iowa Caucuses (2/3/2020)

272 days to the 2020 Utah presidential primary (3/3/2020)

513 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Today At Utah Policy

He's out without ever getting in - Bernick and Schott on politics
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Jason Chaffetz said Monday he would not run for governor in 2020, but would not dismiss the possibility of a run in the future. We break down what that means for the rest of the 2020 gubernatorial field.

Romney scolds Trump's foreign policy in first Senate floor speech
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
In his first speech on the Senate floor since taking office, Sen. Mitt Romney called for strengthening ties with America's traditional allies in Europe. He also urged the administration to take the threat posed by China more seriously.

Independent American Party Convention June 8
By Press release
The Utah Independent American Party will hold its State Convention/Independence Summit on Saturday, June 8, 2019, at Juab High School in Nephi.

OTHER UTAH HEADLINES

Deseret News

• Sen. Mitt Romney: China, not Russia, is the greatest threat to the U.S.
• Editorial: Aggressive sports gambling marketing hurts children
• Christian Harrison withdraws from Salt Lake mayoral race during candidate filing period
• Utah needs to expand taxes on personal services to catch up with digital age, report says
• Salt Lake City School District teachers quietly crash meeting to ask for higher salaries
• Midvale's future with Unified Police Department still uncertain after key budget meeting

Salt Lake Tribune

• Nearly 200 teachers in Salt Lake City School District protest and quietly walk out of meeting where they weren't allowed to speak about salary increases
• Forest Service unveils plan for Utah's largest logging project in years to clear out beetle-ravaged trees
• In his first Senate address, Mitt Romney says America will face its challenges head on
• Former Downtown Community Council leader exits Salt Lake City mayor's race, endorses former rival
• Would-be cops in Utah can use medical marijuana, but they'll have to jump through some hoops
• Five Utah nursing homes flagged by federal government for 'serious quality issues'
• Pump house fight in Memory Grove neighborhood takes center stage during Salt Lake City budget hearing

Other

• Spencer Cox, candidate for Utah governor, stumps at Park City food pantry (Park Record)

NATIONAL HEADLINES

Republicans warn Trump on Mexico. Republicans in Congress say they will try to block President Trump if he follows through with his threat to impose tariffs on Mexico if they don't do more to stop illegal immigration - https://politi.co/2HWgYN6

• Trump fired back, saying it would be "foolish" for Republicans to oppose him because of his high popularity ratings among GOP voters - https://politi.co/2HVoiZg
• Trump's threat to use emergency powers to slap tariffs on Mexico to stop immigration is a legally questionable strategy - https://wapo.st/2HVKDFX

Immigration

• The House passed a bill on Tuesday evening to offer a path to citizenship to millions of undocumented immigrants, including the so-called "dreamers" who were brought into the country when they were children - https://wapo.st/2HYmNK0
• U.S. doctors say the Border Patrol is confiscating migrant kids' medicine - https://yhoo.it/2Ild1Aw

2020

• A new poll shows Democrats Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren and Kamala Harris all lead Trump in Michigan - http://bit.ly/2IoZzLJ
• House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Adam Schiff warned Tuesday that Russia will likely try to influence the 2020 election through the release of fake videos on social media - https://nyti.ms/2HUk9EO

The investigations

• The White House instructed two former aides, Hope Hicks and Annie Donaldson, to defy congressional subpoenas seeking documents from their time working with the Trump administration - https://politi.co/2IjhVOq
• House Democrats are in talks to have Robert Mueller testify before Congress, even though he previously said he does not want to - http://bit.ly/2Ioe2aQ
• The Justice Department tells House Democrats they're willing to negotiate access to the full report from special counsel Robert Mueller as long as they back off a vote to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt - https://wapo.st/2IlqCaX
• Former Senator Harry Ried said Tuesday House Democrats should open an impeachment inquiry into President Trump - https://wapo.st/2IhNhoy
• Christopher Steele, the former British intelligence agent behind the Trump dossier, has agreed to be questioned by U.S. officials over his relationship with the FBI - http://bit.ly/2Il0I78

Saudi Arabia

• The Trump administration twice granted authorizations to U.S. companies to share sensitive nuclear power information with Saudi Arabia shortly after the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi - https://reut.rs/2HW0qEM
• The Senate is planning a bi-partisan effort to block President Trump's emergency declaration to go around Congress in order to complete an arms sale to the Saudis - https://wapo.st/2Ijl7ts

Trump casts doubt on climate change. During an interview with Piers Morgan, President Trump said climate change goes "both ways" - https://wapo.st/2HXcXI7

• The EPA is blaming the media for the public's growing concern over climate change - http://bit.ly/2HW1pEY

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1851 - Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery serial Uncle Tom's Cabin starts a ten-month run in the National Era abolitionist newspaper.

1916 - Louis Brandeis is sworn in as a Justice of the Supreme Court. He is the first American Jew to hold such a position.

1933 - Congress ends the use of the gold standard in the U.S, passing a law that nullifies the right of creditors to demand payment in gold.

1956 - Elvis Presley introduces his new single "Hound Dog" on The Milton Berle Show, scandalizing the audience with his suggestive hip movements.

1967 - The Six-Day War began between Israel and the Arab states of Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

1968 - Sen. Robert Kennedy was shot by Sirhan Sirhan, a Palestinian immigrant, in Los Angeles. Kennedy died the next day.

1976 - The Teton River Dam in Idaho collapses, flooding 300 square miles and causing an estimated $1 billion in damage.

1981 - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that five people in Los Angeles have a rare form of pneumonia seen only in patients with weakened immune systems, in what turns out to be the first recognized cases of AIDS.

2004 - Former President Ronald Reagan died at the age of 93 of complications from Alzheimer's disease.

Policy News

Hong Kong & Japan trade mission registration last chance!
On behalf of Governor Gary R. Herbert, World Trade Center Utah and the Governor's Office of Economic Development, we would like to invite you to join the State of Utah's trade mission to Hong Kong and Japan!

Study: How the Beehive State can achieve a modern, stable sales tax system
Last month, Utah lawmakers established a task force to explore the overhaul of the state's outdated sales tax code, among other possible reforms. Today, a new study from the nonpartisan Tax Foundation provides a detailed guide for how Utah can accomplish sales tax modernization in a way that improves neutrality, revenue stability, and the state's overall economy.

More National Headlines

• Mexico Cracks Down on Migrants, After Pressure From Trump to Act (New York Times)
• Big Tech unites Democrats, Republicans behind anti-trust crackdown (Washington Times)
• Bill to legalize assisted suicide in Maine goes to governor (Associated Press)
• Colorado City Becomes Second Amendment Sanctuary City (CBS Denver)
• Number of Homeless People Jumps 12% Across L.A. County to Nearly 59,000 (Associated Press)
• When a young Joe Biden used his opponent's age against him (CBS News)
• Beto plays to tens in tiny Tulsa room (American Mirror)
• Socialism debate roils Democratic primary (The Hill)
• Ivanka enters the world stage (Daily Mail)
• Internet shutdowns don't make anyone safer (Bloomberg)

Wise Words

Opinion

"People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character." Ralph Waldo Emerson
 

Lighter Side

Trump Abroad

"I don't like it when he leaves the country. It makes me nervous. It's like being at your wedding and watching your drunken uncle hit on your friends." - JIMMY KIMMEL