Congressional vacancies, North Korea and 100 days. Your Friday morning political briefing from UtahPolicy.com

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Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

Morning must reads for Friday, April 28, 2017

Good Friday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 118th day of the year. There are 247 days remaining in 2017. Today is the 99th day of Donald Trump's presidency.

Herbert won't call a special session to address Congressional vacancies. Trump warns of conflict with North Korea. Republicans are racing to keep the government running for another week.

The clock:

22 days until the Utah Republican State Convention (5/20/2017)50 days until the Utah Democratic State Convention at Weber State University (6/17/2017)193 days until the 2017 municipal elections (11/7/2017)269 days until the opening day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (1/22/2018)314 days until the final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (3/8/2018)557 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)1,285 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Today's political TL; DR -

Bob Bernick looks at the implications from a tumultuous week in Utah politics [Utah Policy].
Understand what happened in Utah politics with our video week-in-review [Utah Policy].
Gov. Gary Herbert is worried letting lawmakers set the rules on how to hold a special election for a Congressional vacancy could lead to "gaming the system" by legislators who want to run for the open seat [Tribune].
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke met with Utah's Congressional delegation to plot the next steps on Bears Ears following President Trump's executive order calling for a review of national monuments [Deseret News].
The Utah Transit Authority adopts a tougher anti-nepotism rule, prohibiting anyone related to current board members from holding employment with the agency [Tribune].
State records are unclear on how much water Utahns use every year [Tribune].
The fight over control of the Huntsman Cancer Institute now means Dr. Vivian Lee will be facing some serious challenges moving forward [Tribune].
Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski has ordered the city's longtime Utah Transit Authority trustee to resign [Deseret News].
Rep. Jason Chaffetz is "resting comfortably" after having surgery on his foot [Deseret News].
Friday's big deal: In an interview, President Donald Trump said "There is a chance we could end up having a major, major conflict with North Korea" if diplomatic measures fail [Reuters]. Trump also said he thought being president would be "easier" than his previous life as a businessman [Politico].
President Donald Trump says he was set to announce the U.S. would withdraw from NAFTA on his 100th day in office but changed his mind after his team was able to change his mind [Washington Post].
President Trump hasn't accomplished much during his first 100 days in office [Roll Call].
Congress will vote Friday on a stopgap bill to keep the government running for another week [Wall Street Journal]. Congressional Democrats say they'll withhold support for the spending measure if they can't get agreement from Republican on some other measures [Politico].
Congressional Republicans will not vote on a renewed effort to repeal Obamacare. President Trump was pushing hard for the vote during his 100 days in office [New York Times].
The Pentagon has opened an investigation into former national security advisor Michael Flynn's dealings with foreign governments. Flynn was warned in 2014 not to take foreign money without approval [Wall Street Journal].
Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski's firm appears to be offering in-person meetings with President Trump and other top officials to foreign politicians [Politico]. Meanwhile, White House spokesperson Sean Spicer tries to lay the blame for Flynn's troubles at the feet of the Obama administration [Politico].
Democrats in the Senate are exploring a lawsuit against President Trump, claiming his business conflicts of interest violate the constitution [The Hill].
This is kinda weird. Rep. Jason Chaffetz has become a major source of Washington news for internet gossip website TMZ. In fact, the outlet has broken stories on some subjects Chaffetz's Oversight Committee was investigating [Huffington Post].
Home prices along the Wasatch Front are skyrocketing as supply dwindles [Tribune].

On this day in history:

1788 - Maryland became the seventh state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
1789 - The crew of the British ship Bounty mutinied, setting Captain William Bligh and 18 sailors adrift in a launch in the South Pacific.
1945 - Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and his mistress, Clara Petacci, were executed.
1967 - Heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali refused to be inducted into the Army.
1996 - President Bill Clinton gave 4 1/2 hours of videotaped testimony as a defense witness in the criminal trial of his former Whitewater business partners.
2004 - The first photos of the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal were shown on CBS' "60 Minutes II."

Today At Utah Policy

Bob Bernick's notebook: Odds and ends from a tumultuous week in Utah politics By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor Wow. Big week in Utah politics....

We got trouble with a capital 'T' - Bernick and Schott on politics #326 By Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick President Donald Trump is poised to revoke the Bears Ears National Monument established by President Obama....

Podcast: Bernick and Schott on Politics #326 By Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick run down the week in Utah politics....

Weekly survey: The fate of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor President Trump signed an executive order to review national monument designations since 1996, which includes Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. What do you think will be the outcome of this review? Vote now in our weekly survey....

Colbert: Chaffetz is a 'Gutless Charles Schultz rough draft' (with video) By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Rep. Jason Chaffetz has become a favorite punching bag for late-night comedian Stephen Colbert....

Policy News

Casual Friday: Weekend Events & Outdoors Report Outdoor Notes--Tribune:Utah Hike of the Week: Red Reef Trail - Red Cliffs Recreation Area--Tribune:In Utah's Red Cliffs, desert beauty moves at a tortoise's pace--Tribune:When even the most prepared angler must consider, 'That's why they call it fishing and not catching'-- T...

Press release: Utah job creators ready to enact pro-growth tax policy Americans for Affordable Products – a collection of more than 400 businesses and trade associations seeking to stop the Border Adjustment Tax – released the following statement in response to President Donald J. Trump’s tax policy:...

Lee responds to FCC announcement on net neutrality Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement after Federal Communications Chairman Ajit Pai announced the FCC will begin the rulemaking process to functionally repeal the agency’s 2015 Open Internet Order....

Envision Utah invites tech community to discuss future of industry Envision Utah proudly invites Utah's community leaders to attend its Spring breakfast event on May 16 at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City for a discussion of Utah's future....

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Editorial: Utah's national monuments have already justified themselves

Daggett County's search for a new sheriff is no easy task

Rolly: Will black Republican group lose its seat at Utah GOP's main table?

Does the U.S. Census undercount Utah Navajos? Huge implications for state's poorest county

UTA adopts tougher anti-nepotism rule over objections of 'reformer' board member

How much water does Utah really use? With data based on guesswork, the answer is unclear

Herbert worries calling session would allow lawmakers to game special election

Chaffetz recovering from surgery

Rift at University of Utah poses a new challenge for controversial health reformer Vivian Lee

Deseret News

A. Scott Anderson: Vibrant downtown SLC radiates energy to all of Utah

Jay Evensen: Trump's efforts unlikely to settle Western lands issues

Editorial: Utah housing crunch needs to be rectified with affordable housing

Utah can be a model for success for other states, Bloomberg writer says

Chaffetz 'resting comfortably' after foot surgery

Interior Secretary Zinke, Utah delegation meet to discuss next steps on Bears Ears

Biskupski orders resignation of Salt Lake City's longtime UTA trustee

Is Utah still a model for solving chronic homelessness?

Audit considered amid criticized donation to University of Utah

Other

Editorial: All hands needed to address housing crisis (Daily Herald)

National Headlines

Trump says 'major, major' conflict with North Korea possible, but seeks diplomacy (Reuters)

Obama scores another $400K speaking fee amid criticism (New York Post)

Sean Hannity Defends Fox News Co-President Bill Shine, Warns of 'End of FNC as We Know It' (Variety)

House will not vote on Affordable Care Act rewrite, smoothing way for government to stay open (Washington Post)

What to know about Trump's national monuments executive order (The Hill)

Trump tough on South Korea: Threatens to terminate free trade deal, wants payment for THAAD missile defense system (CNBC)

Mexico's president says opportunity to update NAFTA to benefit all 3 countries (Reuters)

Trump to press for Arctic offshore oil opening (Politico)

Get ready for tech giants to start churning out fake news to 'save' net neutrality (The Hill)

Revisiting Nafta: The Stakes for Key Industries (New York Times)

White House says it's not targeting 401(k) plans in tax proposal (MarketWatch)

Wise Words

Liberty
"Liberty is not to be enjoyed, indeed it cannot exist, without the habits of just subordination; it consists, not so much in removing all restraint from the orderly, as in imposing it on the violent." Fisher Ames

Lighter Side

So Confused
"Marijuana is legal here in California by state law. But it's still technically illegal, according to federal law. So the LAPD, the police, can't arrest you for having pot but an FBI agent can. It's confusing, right? Now imagine trying to understand that while you're high." Jimmy Kimmel

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