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Situational awareness - October 19, 2018
Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake City.
The 2018 midterms elections are less than three weeks away. Will there be a "blue wave," or will a "red wave" keep Republicans in power? Make your picks in our 2018 Election Challenge. We've got a $50 gift card for the winner - http://bit.ly/2Ed4dhj
Executive summary: Mia Love's campaign claims vindication in their fundraising flap. John Bolton and John Kelly get into a screaming match in the White House. There is still a path for Republicans to keep control of the House in November despite a strong electoral headwind.
TICK TOCK
4 days until in-person early voting begins (10/23/2018)
11 days until the last day to register to vote online or in person (10/30/2018)
13 days until in-person early voting ends (11/2/2018)
18 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
101 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019)
148 days until the final day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (3/14/2019)
746 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)
Today At Utah Policy
Mia Love's campaign threatens legal action to stop 'misleading' TV ads from Democratic super PACBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Mia Love's campaign is threatening legal action against several local TV stations in an attempt to get them to stop airing an attack ad from a liberal super PAC slamming her for "illegally" raising campaign funds. Love's campaign vehemently denies any wrongdoing....
Personal space issues - Bernick and Schott on politics Ep. 394By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Utah lawmakers are planning to either change or repeal three ballot initiatives even if voters approve them in November, beginning with medical marijuana at a special session in November. ...
Bob Bernick's notebook: Behind closed doorsBy Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor When is it OK, or appropriate, for a public official, or a group of public officials, to hold closed-door meetings?...
Podcast: Bernick and Schott on politics Ep. 394By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Bob Bernick and Bryan Schott explain the news from a very busy week in Utah politics....
Utah's housing affordability concerns center on Salt Lake County and rentersBy Utah Foundation Utah Foundation released What's the View from Your House? Housing Affordability Concerns in Utah. It reveals the results of survey findings regarding housing affordability, complementing them with key housing cost data....
Enter the 2018 UtahPolicy.com Election Challenge and winBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Welcome to the 2018 UtahPolicy.com election challenge!...
OTHER UTAH HEADLINES
Deseret News
Natalie Gochnour: Invest in people and support Question 1
Jay Evensen: Will the great vote-by-mail experiment in American democracy work?
Editorial: Rising tuition costs need more than 'superficial review'
Former Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz mocks Elizabeth Warren with viral Disneyland photo
Utah man in ricin case charged with making biological weapon threat against Trump
Tariffs having major impact on Utah small business, congressman says
Ex-deputy AG sues Salt Lake County DA office over arrest during John Swallow trial
Panel discusses the bad - and good - of Operation Rio Grande on heels of critical ACLU report
Why don't more Utah college students teach? It's more than the money, survey says
FEC email stirs more controversy in Love-McAdams race
A new life: Operation Rio Grande arrestee lands job in Salt Lake County Mayor's Office
Salt Lake Tribune
Editorial: Yes on Amendment A. No on B. Hell no on C.
Poll shows Utah voters are behind Prop 3, expanding Medicaid, which state lawmakers oppose
Five things you should know about the $87M road bond question on your Salt Lake City ballot
Utah's Jason Chaffetz criticized for tweet mocking Sen. Elizabeth Warren by posing with cigar-store American Indian statue
Mia Love calls for 'unethical' Ben McAdams to withdraw from race after FEC belatedly backs her fundraising
Poor and middle-income Utahns pay more of their income for taxes than do the rich, study says
A sixth national park in Utah? Nah, some lawmakers want instead a 44th state park in reduced Grand Staircase
NATIONAL HEADLINES
- White House chief of staff John Kelly and national security adviser John Bolton got into a screaming match outside the Oval Office on Thursday. The fight was reportedly over immigration and border crossings as well as the performance of Homeland Security Department Kirstjen Nielsen - https://bloom.bg/2q2dQ8G
- Despite increased voter enthusiasm, most Americans won't bother to cast a ballot in November - https://wapo.st/2q2iun6
- Polling shows Democrats are poised to take over control of the House, but there's still a path for Republicans to maintain a very slim majority after the November elections - https://politi.co/2NQnhkL
- Special counsel Robert Mueller is preparing his final report from his investigation. Many experts say the document may be disappointing to President Trump's critics - https://politi.co/2NRCHW6
- At a rally in Montana, President Trump heaped praise on Republican Rep. Greg Gianforte for assaulting a reporter during his bid for Congress last year - https://wapo.st/2NRhk7v
- A caravan of migrants fleeing violence in Honduras is approaching Mexico's southern border. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is heading to meetings in Mexico City for discussions on what to do with the group - https://cnn.it/2NP4mXR
- The ACLU says nearly 250 migrant children are still separated from their parents four months after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to reunite families separated at the border - https://wapo.st/2NLVAd2
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has invited Pope Francis to visit that country - https://cnn.it/2q0IxLb
- The U.S. is taking a harder stance on Saudi Arabia as evidence mounts that his disappearance and likely murder is linked to people close to the kingdom's crown prince - https://cnn.it/2pYFvHo
- Turkish officials say they have not shared purported audio of the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi with the U.S. - http://bit.ly/2pXQKzT
- Hardline conservatives in Congress are mounting a whisper campaign smearing Jamal Khashoggi to shield President Trump from criticism on how he handled the alleged murder of the dissident journalist - https://wapo.st/2NMFy2p
- Republicans in the Senate are rushing to confirm more federal judges before the November election - http://bit.ly/2NP5afl
- An Interior Department probe says Secretary Ryan Zinke sought to skirt or alter department policies to justify taxpayer-funded trips with his wife - https://politi.co/2NNOJQg
- China's economic growth declines to its slowest rate since 2009 - https://nyti.ms/2q2Ok33
- This winter may be wetter than normal in the eastern and southern U.S. Utah may see a mild winter season - https://wapo.st/2pYylD2
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
- 1781 - Britain's Lord Charles Cornwallis surrendered to Gen. George Washington at Yorktown, Va., effectively ending the American Revolutionary War.
- 1789 - John Jay was sworn in as the first chief justice of the Supreme Court.
- 1812 - Napoleon Bonaparte's army began its long, disastrous retreat from Moscow.
- 1933 - Germany withdraws from the League of Nations.
- 1960 - The U.S. imposes a near-total trade embargo against Cuba.
- 1973 - President Richard Nixon rejects an Appeals Court decision that he turn over the Watergate tapes.
- 1987 - Black Monday: The Dow Jones Industrial Average falls by 22%.
- 2005 - Saddam Hussein went on trial in Baghdad on charges of crimes against humanity during his reign as president of Iraq.
Policy News
Casual Friday Weekend EventOutdoors Report--Tribune: Hikers moaned when Zion Narrows was closed. Here are five other popular Utah destinations where private property questions could threaten access.--KSL.com: Fishing at Bear Lake without a boat? Here's how to do it successfully--KSL.com:U...
Join WTC Utah for a business roundtable discussion with New Zealand's Deputy Consul General World Trade Center Utah, in partnership with the Governor's Office of Economic Development, is delighted to host a diplomatic luncheon welcoming Murray Bruges, New Zealand's Deputy Consul General in Los Angeles....
More National Headlines
Woman named as abuse survivor by Heitkamp campaign says 'the damage is done' (CNN)
Legalized marijuana linked to a sharp rise in car crashes (NBC News)
Hillary Clinton's dwindling power (Washington Times)
Nebraska's new tourism campaign takes 'honest' approach: 'There's nothing to do here' (FOX News)
China says its economy slowed more than expected (CNBC)
Trump moves Texas rally for Cruz, citing 'huge and unprecedented' response (Politico)
GOP Plans to Spend Millions to Help a Long-Shot New York Candidate (Bloomberg)
GSA denies Democratic claims that Trump intervened to stop FBI HQ move (FOX News)
Harvard discrimination trial reveals Ivy League school's different SAT standards for Asian-Americans (FOX News)
Why Some Asian-American Groups Are Supporting a Conservative Effort to Attack Affirmative Action (Slate)
The Embarrassing Spectacle of Betomania (National Review)
Forgiveness
"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you." Lewis B. Smedes
Name Changes
"Dunkin' Donuts has announced it will be shortening its name to "Dunkin'" in order to increase the emphasis on their non-donut items. Meanwhile, Taco Bell is going all out and just changing their name to "You're Stoned." Seth Meyers
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