Morning must reads for Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

Morning must reads for Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Good Tuesday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 136th day of the year. There are 229 days remaining in 2017. Today is the 117th day of Donald Trump's presidency.

Trump shared classified information with the Russians. Utahns don't know who State Auditor John Dougall is. Clinton forms a new political organization.

The clock:

• 4 days until the Utah Republican State Convention (5/20/2017)

• 32 days until the Utah Democratic State Convention at Weber State University (6/17/2017)

• 175 days until the 2017 municipal elections (11/7/2017)

• 251 days until the opening day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (1/22/2018)

• 296 days until the final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (3/8/2018)

• 539 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)

• 1,267 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Today's political TL; DR -

• NEW POLL: Most Utahns say they have absolutely no idea who State Auditor John Dougall is [Utah Policy].
   
• LaVarr Webb predicts Gov. Gary Herbert will get booed by Republican delegates at the Utah GOP convention on Saturday [Utah Policy].
   
• Bombshell! President Donald Trump reportedly revealed highly classified information to Russian officials during an oval office meeting last week. The information was so classified that one official said the president revealed more to the Russians than U.S. intelligence agencies have told our allies [Washington Post, New York Times, Buzzfeed].
   
• President Trump defended himself on Twitter Tuesday morning saying he has the "absolute right" to share whatever information he wants with Russia. The Tweet seems to confirm that he divulged classified information [The Hill, Washington Post].
   
• Trump administration officials are playing word games with their denials that Trump shared this highly classified information with the Russians [Washington Post].
   
• The White House is reportedly in chaos following the revelations that Trump leaked information to the Russians. There are reports of yelling behind closed doors. One senior aide said, "Do not ask me about how this looks, we all know how this looks" [Daily Beast, Politico].
   
• Members of Congress are shocked and outraged about the news that Trump disclosed "codeword" classified information with the Russians [Washington Post, Huffington Post].
   
• Rep. Jason Chaffetz says Trump's sharing of intelligence with the Russians should be investigated, but not by his Oversight committee. Instead, he thinks the House Intelligence Committee is the better venue [Tribune, Deseret News].
   
• A new poll shows most Americans, including an increasing number of Republicans, want an "independent investigation" into any connections between Russia and President Donald Trump [Reuters].
   
• Irony alert! Here are nine times Trump was critical of others for mishandling classified information [Politico].
   
• There's evidence tying the massive ransomware attack that hit more than 150 countries to hackers in North Korea [New York Times].
   
• Hillary Clinton has launched a new political group called "Onward Together" [New York Times].
   
• The Supreme Court refuses to hear an appeal of a ruling that struck down North Carolina's voter identification law. The lower court ruling said the law was designed to suppress minority voters [Politico].
   
• The cloud hovering over the Trump administration's possible entanglements with Russia could be holding up former Gov. Jon Huntsman's nomination to be ambassador to Russia [Tribune].
   
• Utah lawmakers are already lining up possible legislation for the 2018 session, including measures tackling hate crimes and allowing terminally ill patients the right to end their own lives [Associated Press].
   
• A state audit found an employee with the Division of Water Quality falsified travel receipts to the tune of more than $20,000 over 10 years [Utah Policy, Deseret News, Tribune].

On this day in history:

• 1868 - The U.S. Senate failed by one vote to convict President Andrew Johnson as it took its first ballot on one of 11 articles of impeachment against him. (He was acquitted of all charges.)
   
• 2001 - Former FBI agent Robert Hanssen was indicted on charges of spying for Moscow. (He later pleaded guilty to 15 counts of espionage and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.) 
   
• 2005 - Newsweek magazine retracted a story that claimed investigators had found evidence the Quran was desecrated by interrogators at the U.S. naval prison at Guantanamo Bay. The story had sparked deadly protests in Afghanistan.

Today At Utah Policy

Poll: Most Utahns don't know who John Dougall is
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
As a political junkie, you probably know who State Auditor John Dougall is. Well, you're way ahead of most Utahns....

Will state delegates boo Herbert and Hatch?
By LaVarr Webb, Publisher
I’ve been watching and participating in politics since Calvin Rampton was governor. After Rampton, our governors have been Scott Matheson, Norm Bangerter, Mike Leavitt, Olene Walker, Jon Huntsman Jr., and now Gary Herbert....

Do you hear what I hear? Warren's plan to "help" people get hearing aids Is deafeningly bad
By Jared Whitley
One of the casualties of our day is respect for expertise....

Office of the State Auditor releases audit of Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality
By Press Release
The Office of the State Auditor released its Audit of the Department of Environmental Quality, Division of Water Quality, identifying misappropriation of public funds by a former DWQ employee. ...

Policy News

Sen. Lee launches social capital project
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) published a report on Monday examining the state of associational life in America....

Hatch, Bennet, Burr, and Casey introduce bill to expand eligibility to experimental treatments
Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Burr (R-NC), and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced legislation to improve clinical trials for experimental medical treatments that will ultimately save lives. ...

Varo Money to open Utah office
Varo Money and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development announced the financial technology company will expand to Utah, planning to add several hundred jobs to the community and $2.8 million in capital investment....

EP Systems selects Cache County for manufacturing site
Electronic Power Systems and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development announced the aerospace battery manufacturing company will expand to Utah, adding up to 128 jobs to the community and $11.6 million in capital investment....

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Op-ed: Bill would gut financial consumer protections

Editorial: Lee is right to oppose attorney general's step backwards

Rolly: Utah County Republicans asking, 'Where did that $5,000 go?'

Utah auditor says Division of Water Quality employee falsified travel over a decade

Utah official gives tips for preventing ransomware taking over your computers

Chaffetz: Trump's sharing of intel with Russia should be probed - by House Intel panel

Swallow-Shurtleff accuser Jenson freed early from parole

Some urge more public input as Bears Ears' fate looms

Deseret News

Op-ed: A call for representatives who understand that opportunity is the bedrock of a free society

Q&A: Could less school and fewer tests be the key to better scores?

Sen. Mike Lee says Trump 'fully cooperating' with investigation of Russia election meddling

Poll: McAdams' approval rating drops 10 points in Salt Lake County

Rep. Rob Bishop says future of F-35 secure in Utah

Utah reps in lockstep on Russia, Bears Ears, health care

WannaCry ransomware attack exposes weaknesses, raises ethical questions

National Headlines

Obama-linked group to target vulnerable House Republicans (McClatchy)

In Computer Attacks, Clues Point to Frequent Culprit: North Korea (New York Times)

There is evidence Seth Rich had contact with WikiLeaks prior to death (FOX 5)

Trump confident travel ban is lawful (Washington Post)

Strict North Carolina Voter ID Law Thwarted After Supreme Court Rejects Case (New York Times)

Trump to light White House blue to support police who face 'unfair defamation and vilification' (Washington Post)

Democrats set for first view of potential 2020 candidates (CNN)

GOP senators lukewarm to lawmaker leading FBI (The Hill)

Republican rep roils Alabama Senate race (The Hill)

Trump's Tax Plan Renews Anxieties About Deficits And The Debt (NPR)

Trump Plan to Slash LLC Rate Is Boon for Top Earners, Study Says (Bloomberg)

Wise Words

Law and Liberty

"Law and liberty cannot rationally become the objects of our love, unless they first become the objects of our knowledge." James Wilson

Lighter Side

Four More
"The next season of "Scandal" will be its last. ABC is ending "Scandal." Fortunately, the White House picked it up for four more seasons." Jimmy Fallon