Morning must reads for Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

Morning must reads for Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 137th day of the year. There are 228 days remaining in 2017. Today is the 118th day of Donald Trump's presidency.

Trump tried to shut down FBI the investigation into Michael Flynn. Chaffetz jumps into the middle of the latest Trump controversy. Utah may have to slow down on planned road construction.

The clock:

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

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

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

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

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

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

• 1,266 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Today's political TL; DR -

• Former State Representative Derek Brown said several state and federal elected officials urged him to run for Utah GOP Chair. They wanted Brown to help them "hit the reset button" on the turmoil that has engulfed the party lately [Utah Policy].
   
• Utah lawmakers may have to slow down the pace of planned road projects in order to avoid taking on too much debt, which could hurt Utah's triple-A bond rating [Utah Policy].
   
• Bryan Schott and Rep. Mike Winder chew over the firing of FBI director James Comey in this week's "Beg to Differ" podcast [Utah Policy].
   
• President Donald Trump asked then-FBI Director James Comey to shut down the investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn according to a memo Comey wrote shortly after the meeting. "I hope you can let this go," the president told Mr. Comey according to the memo [New York Times].
   
• Rep. Jason Chaffetz has demanded that the FBI turn over all "memoranda, notes, summaries and recordings between President Donald Trump and former FBI Director James Comey [Utah Policy, Deseret News, Tribune]. Here's Chaffetz's letter [House Oversight Committee].
   
• Republicans in Congress may be reaching their breaking point with Trump following the latest scandals that are rocking the White House [Politico, The Hill].
   
• A day after denying Trump shared highly sensitive information with the Russians, the White House changed their tune and said it was "wholly appropriate" for Trump to share that intelligence [Los Angeles Times].
   
• The information Trump gave to the Russians has likely endangered the life of a spy placed inside ISIS by Israel [ABC News].
   
• This is an incredible report. Trump's White House is in total meltdown mode amid the latest scandals engulfing the president [New York Times].
   
• Woah! Sen. John McCain said Trump's various scandals had reached a "Watergate size and scale" [Daily Beast].
   
• Woah #2! The Wall Street Journal editorial board, hardly a bastion of liberalism, says President Donald Trump has lost all credibility as his Presidency begins to sink [Wall Street Journal].
   
• The turmoil engulfing the White House is endangering the GOP's legislative agenda. In fact, many on Wall Street are giving up hope that overhauling the tax code will happen this year [Politico].
   
• Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says President Trump should "close down the White House press briefing room" because he sees the media as "a danger to the country" [Politico].
   
• Taking a page from Sen. Mike Lee, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says Donald Trump should pick Merrick Garland to lead the FBI. There is exactly zero chance Garland would accept the job [Politico]. 

On this day in history:

• 1792 - The New York Stock Exchange was founded by brokers meeting under a tree on what is now Wall Street.
   
• 1946 - President Harry S. Truman seized control of the nation's railroads, delaying a threatened strike by engineers and trainmen.
   
• 1954 - The Supreme Court ruled in Brown v. Board of Education that racially segregated public schools were inherently unequal.
   
• 1973 - The Senate began hearings into the Watergate scandal.

Today At Utah Policy

Brown says elected Republicans urged him to run for GOP Chair
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
This weekend Utah Republicans will gather to elect a party chairman for the next two years. James Evans is seeking a third term to lead Republicans while Rob Anderson and Phill Wright are challenging him for the top spot. There was almost another candidate in the mix....

Lawmakers may have to slow down road projects to keep prime bond rating
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
State road bosses may have to slightly slow down some of their $1 billion construction over the next few years to meet a self-imposed borrowing requirement set by the GOP-controlled Legislature....

Beg to Differ podcast: 'Comey Island roller coaster'
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Bryan Schott and Rep. Mike Winder chew on the firing of FBI Director James Comey....

Chaffetz demands records of all conversations between Comey and Trump (updated)
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Rep. Jason Chaffetz wasted little time on Tuesday reacting to a report that President Trump asked FBI Director James Comey to end the investigation into former national security adviser Michael Flynn....

Weekly survey: Firing James Comey
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Do you think President Donald Trump made the right move when he fired FBI Director James Comey? Let us know in our weekly survey....

Policy News

Nominees announced for two Court of Appeals vacancies
The Appellate Judicial Nominating Commission has selected nominees for two vacancies on the Utah Court of Appeals. ...

Widening disparities, despite some progress, for Utah children of color
While lawmakers took some important steps toward addressing disparities during the 2017 Legislative Session, a new report by Voices for Utah Children reveals many missed opportunities and reviews the potential impact on children going forward....

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Editorial: DeVos visit to Utah revives a really bad idea, school vouchers

Utah's Hatch: Trump sharing of classified info with Russia 'blown out of proportion'

What to do with Volkswagen's fine? Utah guv says buy new school buses

With Shurtleff in her corner, Draper councilwoman fights back against colleagues

Is the Salt Lake City attorney protecting the City Council from itself?

New task force digs into possible transportation reform

U. looks to create endowed chair honoring the late Bob Bennett

Utah's Chaffetz says he will subpoena Comey memo if necessary

Deseret News

Boyd Matheson: Curing our contempt

Editorial: Change political pensions based on principle, not partisanship

Utah getting another $7.5 million in Volkswagen settlement

Salt Lake City is the best place to start a career

Man who accused Shurtleff, Swallow of public corruption released early from parole

Hatch honors heroic, fallen Utah police officers in Senate speech

Utah tech leaders weigh in on keeping the boom alive

Rep. Chris Stewart says Trump needs to be careful with classified information

UTA official relieved new task force not on a 'witch hunt'

Paper or cloth? Park City adopts Utah's first ban on plastic bags

Chaffetz calls for all FBI documents on President Trump and Comey

Other

Provo mayoral candidate Stephen Cope discusses platform on 'What Say Ye?' podcast (Daily Herald)

Op-ed: Sheriff Terry Thompson's misguided stance on medical cannabis (Standard-Examiner)

Editorial: Utah continues to hold out on the Prison Rape Elimination Act - but why? (Standard-Examiner)

County positions itself for land battle (Park Record)

National Headlines

Guests Remind NBC, CNN: Obama Gave Classified Intel to Russia (NewsBusters)

Hacker group that leaked NSA spy tools likely includes a U.S. insider, experts say (McClatchy)

Trump Signals Shift in Middle East Strategy With Symbolic First Stop in Saudi Arabia (VOA)

Amid Puerto Rico's Fiscal Ruins, a New Push for Statehood (New York Times)

Shocking new satellite photos show North Korea's nuclear missiles are more powerful than world feared and can hit US (The Sun)

Dems warn their Trump obsession will hurt party (McClatchy)

The Rock Is Already Leading Trump in the 2020 Presidential Race (The Wrap)

John Cornyn Takes Himself Out of Running to Lead the FBI (New York Times)

Chelsea Manning Is Expected to Leave Prison, 28 Years Early (New York Times)

Trump expansion of abortion 'gag rule' will restrict $8.8 billion in US aid (Washington Post)

The Trump-Dimon Love Affair Is Getting Messy (Vanity Fair)

Wise Words

Character

"[N]either the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt." Samuel Adams

Lighter Side

Blue Cross Lyft
"Blue Cross is partnering with Lyft to give people rides to the doctor. It costs $600. The drivers are specially trained, and - it's just an ambulance." Jimmy Fallon