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Situational awareness - September 26, 2018

Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City.

Utahns say Trump doesn't deserve another term in office. Lawmakers look to make changes to Better Boundaries if it passes. World leaders laugh at Trump during his speech at the U.N.

TICK TOCK

13 days until the last day to register to vote by mail (10/9/2018)

20 days until mail-in ballots are sent to voters (10/16/2018)

27 days until in-person early voting begins (10/23/2018)

34 days until the last day to register to vote in person or by mail (10/30/2018)

36 days until in-person early voting ends (11/2/2018)

41 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)

124 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019)

171 days until the final day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (3/14/2019)

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

Today At Utah Policy

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Poll: Majority of Utahns say President Donald Trump does not deserve another term
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Nearly 6 in 10 Utahns think President Donald Trump does not deserve to be re-elected to another term in office in 2020....

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Utah legislators tried, and failed to make a deal with Better Boundaries supporters during the 2018 legislature to keep the initiative off the ballot
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
GOP legislative leaders tell UtahPolicy.com that should the Better Boundaries initiative pass on Nov. 6, they will look to amend the new law to "fix" parts they believe are unworkable.What's likely not to happen, should the bipartisan/nonpartisan redistricting comm...

Podcast: Interview with Shireen Ghorbani
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Shireen Ghorbani, the Democratic nominee in Utah's 2nd Congressional District, talks with Managing Editor Bryan Schott....

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Hatch files amicus brief in Supreme Court case that could hamper Mueller's investigation
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Sen. Orrin Hatch filed an amicus brief earlier this month in an upcoming Supreme Court case that could have major implications for special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election....

Utahns' confidence in the current economy reaches highest level recorded since 2011
By Press release
The Zions Bank Utah Consumer Attitude Index increased 9.1 points to 124.1 in September....

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Weekly survey: Will there be a compromise on medical marijuana?
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
As UtahPolicy.com has reported, lawmakers and stakeholders on both sides of the medical marijuana issue are working to find a compromise for changes to Prop. 2 if it passes. Do you think they'll be able to find enough common ground for a special session following the Novembe...

OTHER UTAH HEADLINES

Deseret News

Boyd Matheson: The Supreme Court is too political, and it's Congress' fault

Editorial: Economic plans need input from faith groups

Inland port opponents criticize draft $1.9 million budget, call for more study, not 'P.R.'

Rep. Mia Love's FEC issues 'part and parcel' of campaigns, her new attorney says

Poll: Nearly half of Salt Lake City residents think homeless issues haven't improved

Utah consumer attitudes at historic high

State buys Road Home's downtown Salt Lake shelter for $4 million

Salt Lake Tribune

Salt Lake City ER reports 160 percent spike in visits involving e-scooters

Mia Love and Ben McAdams slam each other in new attack ads

Inland Port Authority Board faces more criticism over transparency, $2 million budget plan

UTA finds a way to fill buses - offer free fare and frequent service

State of Utah to own The Road Home property after $4 million purchase deal

Other

Utah County Commission sets public hearing for proposed tax increase (Daily Herald)

Weber County Democrats down, but say they'll keep up the fight against GOP dominance (Standard-Examiner)

Who's taking votes from whom? Everything fair game in three-way congressional race (Logan Herald Journal)

In Park City stop, Democratic challenger Lee Castillo says Rob Bishop has lost touch with voters (Park Record)

NATIONAL HEADLINES

President Donald Trump spoke at the United Nations on Tuesday, bragging his administration had accomplished more than nearly any other in American history. That boast was met with laughter from the assembled world leaders - https://politi.co/2xFp7zY
Republicans pick Arizona prosecutor Rachel Mitchell to handle the questioning of Brett Kavanaugh and his accuser Christine Blasey Ford during Thursday's Senate Judiciary Committee - http://bit.ly/2xD9cCg
President Donald Trump unleashed on Deborah Ramirez, the second woman to accuse Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct, saying she "has nothing" - https://nyti.ms/2xGS91Z
A third woman is expected to go public with allegations of sexual misconduct against Brett Kavanaugh this week. She has also asked to testify at Thursday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing - http://bit.ly/2xFXg2v
The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination Friday, which indicates Republicans in the Senate are attempting to move on confirming Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court as quickly as possible - https://politi.co/2xDMkm4
Several of Brett Kavanaugh's Yale classmates disagree with the "choir boy" image he tried to paint about his youth during a primetime interview on Fox News. They say they remember him as a "sloppy drunk" during college - https://wapo.st/2xB5I2Y
Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein may keep his job through the midterm elections. It looked all but certain he would be fired earlier this week after a report he offered to secretly record President Trump in order to garner support for removing him from office through the 25th Amendment - https://wapo.st/2Q90rqm
Boring but important! As the federal debt rises, the government will soon spend more on interest than on the military - https://nyti.ms/2xDLdCD
Vice President Mike Pence is the first VP to speak at the annual Value Voters Summit. The conference is hosted by the Family Research Council, which has been designated an "anti-LGBT hate group" by the Southern Poverty Law Center - https://nbcnews.to/2xEkciC

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1580 - Francis Drake finishes his circumnavigation of the Earth.
1777 - American Revolution: British troops occupy Philadelphia.
1789 - President George Washington appoints the first cabinet of the United States government.
1905 - Albert Einstein publishes his special theory of relativity.
1914 - The Federal Trade Commission is established by the Federal Trade Commission Act.
1960 - The first televised debate takes place between presidential candidates Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy.
1969 - Abbey Road, the last recorded album by the Beatles, is released.

Policy News

Hatch, Leahy, Nadler & Collins introduce bipartisan, bicameral American Royalties Too Act
Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), together with Representatives Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Doug Collins (R-GA), released the following statements after introducing the American Royalties Too (ART) Act of 2018 in the Senate and House of Re...

Nature park and wildlife preserve proposed in City of West Jordan
Decades ago, heavy metal waste from the Midvale Slag and Sharon Steel sites poured into the Jordan River, polluting the water, altering its flow, and damaging native wildlife and their habitats in the Salt Lake Valley....