 The UtahPolicy.com daily newsletter gets you up to speed on the top local and national news about politics and public policy. Send news tips or feedback to bschott@utahpolicy.com, or message us on Twitter. Situational awareness - April 27, 2020Good Monday morning from Salt Lake CityTICK TOCK64 days to the 2020 Utah primary elections (6/30/2020)190 Days to the 2020 election (11/3/2020)268 days to inauguration day (01/20/2021)273 days to the start of the 2021 Utah Legislature (1/25/2021)Here are the stories you need to pay attention to this morning:
TRIVIA WINNEROof, that was a tricky one! We got quite a few clever answers to Friday's question: "What makes Utah's state capital uniquely different from any other state capital in the United States?" But, nobody picked up on the wordplay element of the query. "Salt Lake City" is the only state capital name consisting of three words, and all three words have four letters each. We'll try to crown a new winner on Friday. Thanks for subscribing to Utah's must-read daily political news rundown.If you know of friends or colleagues who would benefit from our daily news roundup, please encourage them to sign up for our newsletter. Today At Utah Policy Analysis: Will Utah Republicans follow their rules and kick Huntsman and Wright out of the party for gathering signatures?By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor When the sun came up Sunday morning, former GOP Gov. Jon Huntsman and former Utah Republican Party Chairman Thomas Wright found themselves in an interesting position: According to state GOP bylaws, they were no longer Republicans.  Republicans will have a four-way primary for governor in June as Greg Hughes joins Cox, Huntsman and Wright on the ballotBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Former Gov. Jon Huntsman is thanking his lucky stars that he was able to secure enough signatures to get on the primary ballot as Utah GOP delegates roundly rejected his bid to return to the governor's mansion Saturday night.  These are desperate times for my hairBy LaVarr Webb, Publisher The thing is, I already needed a haircut when the world shut down. Now, several weeks later, I REALLY needed a haircut.  Bernick and Schott on politics podcast - 'Glenn Beck's brain on Ritalin'By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick discuss the avalanche of recent Utah political news. OTHER UTAH HEADLINESDeseret News
Salt Lake Tribune
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NATIONAL HEADLINESTrump's Sunday tweetstormPresident Donald Trump spent most of Sunday attacking journalists, demanding that they return their "Noble Prizes" (it's actually the Pulitzer Prize) and defending his response to the coronavirus pandemic [Deadline]. Trump goes into hiding?President Trump appears to be retreating from his daily coronavirus briefings after his bizarre comments on sunlight and disinfectants last week [CNN]. Next round of stimulusA new round of applications for a small business loan program opens Monday morning as Congress replenished funding with $320 billion [Politico]. Several large businesses tapped into the loan program that was designed to aid small firms weather the pandemic [New York Times]. Yikes!The World Health Organization says there's no evidence that having coronavirus provides immunity from a second infection [CNN]. Back to workSome states are starting to lift coronavirus restrictions and reopening non-essential businesses this week [New York Times]. Major retailers are calling on states to adopt a uniform plan for reopening businesses [Bloomberg]. Some NBA teams will reopen their practice facilities in cities where restrictions have been eased [ESPN]. Not so fastDeborah Birx, the White House's coronavirus task force coordinator, says some form of social distancing will remain in place throughout the summer [Washington Post]. Food supply chain in trouble?Meat processing plants across the U.S. are closing, which could cause a disruption in the consumer supply chain [CNN]. Consumer spending falls off a cliffDiscover Card says consumer spending on travel has dropped 99 percent year over year amid the current crisis [CNBC]. Schroedinger's dictatorSouth Korean media say rumors that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is sick or dead are erroneous [New York Times]. But, Kim's recent absence from the public eye is unusual, suggesting something us up [Reuters]. BUSINESS HEADLINES
Policy News Romney urges independent review of WHO's COVID-19 responseU.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined his colleagues in sending a letter to United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antnio Guterres requesting that the UN convene an independent panel of experts to conduct a review of the World Health Organization's (WHO) response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.  News release: Volunteers help Utah businesses navigate federal resources to mitigate COVID-19The flood of new programs and resources from D.C. are critical for small business owners to understand, but with the volume and number of changes, that is easier said than done. One volunteer organization in Utah is making a difference for those who need financial assistance to keep their businesses and pay their employees. More National Headlines
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY1521 - Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed by natives of the Pilippine Islands during his attempt to be the first to circumnavigate the globe. 1861 - President Abraham Lincoln suspends the writ of habeas corpus. 1911 - Following the death of William P. Frye, a compromise is reached to rotate the office of President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate. 1974 - Ten thousand people march in Washington D.C. calling for the impeachment of President Richard Nixon. 1986 - The city of Pripyat and surrounding areas are evacuated due to the Chernobyl disaster. Wise WordsLooking for Lincoln "I hope to stand firm enough to not go backward, and yet not go forward fast enough to wreck the country's cause."Abraham Lincoln Lighter SideTrump being Trump "That's right. Trump has never heard of the guy in charge of finding a vaccine. And you know what? To be honest, part of me is not surprised.[imitating Trump aide]'Sir, would you like to meet the scientist who is in charge of finding a vaccine?"[imitating Trump]A scientist? Ew, gross. I'd rather meet Eric.'"- TREVOR NOAH Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
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