Trump launches airstrikes against Syria. Your Friday morning political briefing from UtahPolicy.com

Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

Morning must reads for Friday, April 7, 2017

Good Friday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 97th day of the year. There are 268 days remaining in 2017.

Trump launches airstrikes against Syria. Romney is weighing a run for U.S. Senate in 2018. 

The clock:

• 43 days until the Utah Republican State Convention (5/20/2017)
• 71 days until the Utah Democratic State Convention at Weber State University (6/17/2017)
• 214 days until the 2017 municipal elections (11/7/2017)
• 290 days until the opening day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (1/22/2018)
• 335 days until the final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (3/8/2018)
• 578 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
• 1,306 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Today's political TL; DR - 

• President Donald Trump authorized an airstrike against Syria Thursday evening. 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles hit an airfield [Washington Post].
  • In his brief remarks following the strike, President Trump said the action was in direct response to the chemical weapon attacks on the Syrian people. "No child of God should ever have to suffer such horror," he said [New York Times].
     
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the missile strike [Washington Post].
     
  • President Trump was against bombing Syria before he was in favor [CNN].
     
  • Utah politicos react to the military action [Deseret News, Tribune].
     
• Mitt Romney is reportedly weighing a run for U.S. Senate in 2018 [Utah Policy].
   
• The amount of money Utah's Republican and Democratic parties receive from the tax check-off form has fallen over the past few years [Utah Policy].
  • The Utah GOP plans to use their tax check-off money to pay off debt from the lawsuits against SB54 [Utah Policy].
     
• Wanna understand what happened this week in Utah politics? Watch our week-in-review [Utah Policy].
   
• The U.S. Senate voted to change the rules to break a Democratic filibuster of Neil Gorsuch's nomination to the Supreme Court. Gorsuch will be confirmed by the Senate on Friday [Politico].
  • Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee vote for the rule change despite opposing the move in 2013 [Deseret News, Tribune].
     
  • Hatch says Democrats only have themselves to blame for the change [Utah Policy].
     
• Rep. Devin Nunes, Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, will step down temporarily from his position following an ethics investigation into whether he leaked classified information [Huffington Post].
  • Rep. Chris Stewart, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, disagrees with Nunes' decision to step away from the Russian investigation [Tribune].
     
• Whoops! White House adviser Jared Kushner forgot to mention his meetings with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak and dozens of other foreign leaders when he applied for his top-secret security clearance [New York Times].
   
• The Department of Homeland Security wants to know who is behind a Twitter account that's critical of the Trump administration, but Twitter is suing to keep the user secret [Washington Post].
   
• Boring but important: The new chair of the FCC is moving toward the rapid repeal of the Obama administration's net neutrality rules [Reuters].
   
• Mormon Church leaders speak out on the homeless issue, saying caring for the less fortunate "defines us as individuals and communities." The Church has also poured $42 million into care for the homeless over the past decade [Deseret News, Tribune].
   
• LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson has been released from the hospital [Deseret News].

On this day in history:

• 1862 -  Union forces led by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant defeated the Confederates at the Battle of Shiloh in Tennessee.
   
• 1922 - Under the direction Secretary of the Interior Albert Bacon Fall, petroleum reserves at Wyoming's Teapot Dome Oil Field were leased without competitive bidding to private companies. A Senate investigation ensued, leading to a bribery case that would become known as the Teapot Dome scandal.
   
• 1969 - The Supreme Court unanimously struck down laws prohibiting private possession of obscene material.
   
• 1990 - Former national security adviser John M. Poindexter was convicted of five counts at his Iran-Contra trial. (A federal appeals court later reversed the convictions.)

Today At Utah Policy

Bob Bernick's notebook: Republicans using tax money to pay debt from legal fight over SB54
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
As Utah Republicans fill out their state income tax returns -- eyes toward the April 15 filing deadline -- they may want to remember that any $2 check-off they make will not go, as usual, to party operations, but now will go to pay off a $210,000 legal bill....

Income tax donations to Utah Republicans, Democrats falling
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
It’s tax time – the personal income tax filing deadline is April 15th – and Utahns will get the chance to “check-off” $2 on their income tax returns to the political party of their choice, as they have for years....

Hatch: Dems have only themselves to blame for rules change
By Golden Webb
In an op-ed, Sen. Orrin Hatch details the waysSenateDemocrats have progressively poisonedthe judicial confirmation process overthe past 30 years, dating back totheir treatment of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas in the 80s. Liberals are cryingfoul over the Senate GOP's deploy...

Utahns aren't buying what Trump is selling - Bernick and Schott on politics #323
By Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick
President Donald Trump's approval rating in Utah is underwater (just barely), but a majority of Utahns don't believe Trump's claims that the Obama administration wiretapped him during the 2016 campaign. Will Utahns reverse course on their attitudes about Trump?...

Podcast: Bernick and Schott on politics #323
By Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick
Bob Bernick and Bryan Schott run down the who, what, when, where, why, how and if of the last week in Utah politics....

Report: Romney seriously considering a 2018 Senate bid
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Remember last week when Sen. Orrin Hatch said he would step aside if a "really outstanding person" like Mitt Romney were to run for his seat in 2018? That might be happening....

Weekly survey: Has the homeless resource center issue hurt or helped McAdams
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Has the controversy surrounding the search for a new homeless resource center in Salt Lake County helped or hurt Mayor Ben McAdams? Vote now in our weekly survey....

Policy News

Casual Friday: Weekend Events & Outdoors Report
Outdoor Notes-- Tribune: Utah Hike of the Week: Monrovian Park in central Utah-- Tribune: Surprises on the hiking trails of Monrovian Park in central Utah-- Tribune: A lot of design goes into those helpful park and trail maps-- Tribune: Catch fly-fishing tips, gear and more ...

Utah Economic Summit features Arthur Brooks, celebrates opportunity
Gov. Gary R. Herbert has announced Arthur Brooks as the keynote speaker for the 11th annual Utah Economic Summit on Friday, April 14 at the Grand America Hotel....

GOED names World Trade Center Utah as official international business promotion organization
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development has contracted with World Trade Center Utah to oversee the state’s international business promotion activities....

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Editorial: Students can handle LGBT question that schools are afraid to ask

Rolly: Best judiciary money can buy? Hatch, Lee know all about dark-money PACs backing Gorsuch

Hatch, Lee opposed 'nuclear option' in 2013, but both said it had to be done in Gorsuch confirmation

Utah's Stewart disagrees with Nunes stepping down from Russia probe, calls ethics complaint 'absurd'

SLC police chief blames crime surge on county jail restrictions; sheriff disputes any link to his lock-up policy

Midcareer teachers feel overlooked in proposed Jordan School District salary plan

Gehrke: It may be intriguing, but don't bet on a Romney run for U.S. Senate

Chaffetz lauds U.S. airstrike on Syria; Stewart commends Trump's swift action; 'Amen,' Hatch says

Deseret News

Op-ed: Utah Legislature should allow Tesla to compete

Jay Evensen: Where's the grand plan to help the Rio Grande neighborhood recover?

Hal Boyd: Sen. Mitt Romney? Atlantic report says there's a chance

Editorial: Town halls work best with civil dialogue

Hatch, Lee vote for 'nuclear option' to ensure Gorsuch confirmation

Hatch, Stewart propose bill to ensure ATV access to Hurricane Sand Dunes

Amid contention over homeless issues, Salt Lake leaders celebrate success stories

Federal monitoring of UTA 'unprecedented,' state official says

Over a decade, LDS Church has given $42 million to homeless relief in Salt Lake

'Very clear message:' Reactions to missile strikes in Syria

Other

Editorial: BRT opponents need to face reality (Daily Herald)

Editorial: A tent city in Salt Lake will create a homeless crisis throughout Utah (Standard-Examiner)

National Headlines

Trump offers Xi steak, not a Big Mac, at Mar-a-Lago (Politico)

U.S. Launches Missiles at Syrian Base After Chemical Weapons Attack (NBC News)

Trump: Syrian strike is in 'vital national security interest' of United States (USA Today)

To Revive Health Bill, GOP Adds an Obamacare-Like Subsidy (Bloomberg)

Donors' Enthusiasm for Trump Energizes RNC Fundraising (Wall Street Journal)

Bannon wants a war on Washington. Now he's part of one inside the White House. (Washington Post)

With Gorsuch filibuster, Democrats embrace a 'political' Supreme Court (Washington Post)

How World War I changed the world forever (FOX News)

President Trump should like what's in Friday's jobs report (CNBC)

Iowa Obamacare market gets second big hit as insurer Aetna says it will drop out in 2018 (CNBC)

Trump and Warren Agree? Maybe, on Plan to Shrink Big Banks (New York Times)

Wise Words

Simplify
"Everything we possess that is not necessary for life or happiness becomes a burden, and scarcely a day passes that we do not add to it." ~Robert Brault

Lighter Side

Not Meddling
"Vladimir Putin denied meddling in our presidential election. Not helping was that Putin made the statement from behind the desk in the Oval Office." Conan O'Brien