 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 - June 16, 2020Good Tuesday morning from Salt Lake CityTICK TOCK14 days to the 2020 Utah primary elections (6/30/2020)140 Days to the 2020 election (11/3/2020)218 days to inauguration day (01/20/2021)223 days to the start of the 2021 Utah Legislature (1/25/2021)Here are the stories you need to pay attention to this morning:
HAPPY BLOOMSDAY!If like me, you're a fan of James Joyce, you know that June 16th is "Bloomsday," a celebration of the author's life and legacy. His novel Ulysses follows Leopold Bloom on an ordinary day in Dublin on June 16, 1904. "Every life is in many days, day after day. We walk through ourselves, meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brother-in-love, but always meeting ourselves." - James Joyce, Ulysses. 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: Support for Trump could be political Kryptonite for Republican congressional candidates in UtahBy Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor You may recall that when former GOP 4th District Rep. Mia Love lost a really close race to Democrat Ben McAdams two years ago, President Donald Trump tweeted out that Love had not shown him much love, and that was the reason she lost.Well, Trump was likely wrong.  Huntsman grabs narrow lead over Cox in new pollBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Former Gov. Jon Huntsman has pulled ahead of current Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox by the narrowest of margins according to a new poll of likely Republican primary voters.  Podcast: The revolution will be televised - A conversation with Ray SuarezBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Veteran journalist Ray Suarez joins us for a conversation about race relations and the nationwide protests that have broken out following the murder of George Floyd.  Utah's multi-million dollar contact tracing app still can't track person-to-person contactsBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor It's been more than a month since Utah officials rolled out the "Healthy Together" app, which was supposed to assist in tracking the movements of people infected with the coronavirus and who they might have come in contact with. Even though the state has spent more than $2 million on the app so far, it still lacks the technology needed to perform the promised robust contact tracing. OTHER UTAH HEADLINESDeseret News
Salt Lake Tribune
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NATIONAL HEADLINESSCOTUSThe Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that federal employment law safeguards gay and transgender employees from discrimination in the workplace [Reuters]. The Court declined to hear 10 Second Amendment cases on Monday [Route 50]. The Justices rejected eight cases involving qualified immunity which shields government officials from lawsuits, including seven involving police accused of excessive force or other misconduct [Reuters]. The Court also refused to hear a case over whether local governments can declare themselves sanctuary cities [NBC News]. Police reformPresident Donald Trump will sign an executive order on police reform Tuesday. The order will reportedly focus on police certification, creating a database to track officers accused of misconduct and sending out social workers on law enforcement calls involving people suspected of having mental health issues [NPR]. Infrastructure weekThe Trump administration is considering a $1 trillion infrastructure spending proposal [Bloomberg]. Bolton's bookPresident Trump said former national security adviser John Bolton will have "criminal problems" if he moves forward with publishing his tell-all book from his time in the White House [Washington Post]. Little Rocket ManNorth Korea blew up an office used to hold talks between that country and South Korea. The move is North Korea's most serious provocation in years [Bloomberg]. CoronavirusAn updated forecasting model projects 200,000 Covid-19 related deaths in the U.S. by October [CNN]. The FDA pulled the emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine to treat Covid-19 [NBC News]. New Zealand's boasts that they were coronavirus-free ended as two new cases popped up, caused by travelers from the UK [Guardian]. China is expanding their new lockdown in Beijing as the number of new cases has climbed above 100 [AP]. Uh-ohIndia says three soldiers were killed during a skirmish with Chinese troops [AP]. This is an insane storyProsecutors allege former eBay employees harassed a couple who wrote critical stories about the online retailer in their newsletter. The harassment included mailing live spiders, a pig fetus and a box of live cockroaches to the couple. The employees then allegedly offered to help the couple stop the harassment that the employees created [NBC News]. Back to normal?The Oscars have been bushed back to April 25, 2021 [Variety]. Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred says he's "not confident" there will be a 2020 baseball season [ESPN]. Yikes!Inflation in Zimbabwe jumped to 785.55% in May [Bloomberg]. BUSINESS HEADLINES
Policy News'Elder Abuse Awareness Day' highlights investment fraud risk for seniors due to COVID-19 isolationOn World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, the Utah Department of Commerce urges Utahns to be alert to the dangers to seniors from investment fraud during the COVID-19 pandemic. More National Headlines
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY1858 - Accepting the Illinois Republican Party's nomination for the U.S. Senate, Abraham Lincoln said the slavery issue had to be resolved, declaring, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." 1897 - The United States signed a treaty of annexation with Hawaii. 1903 - The Ford Motor Company is incorporated. 1963 - The Soviet Union launched the first female space traveler, Valentina Tereshkova, into orbit aboard Vostok 6. 1987 - A jury in New York acquitted Bernhard Goetz of attempted murder in the subway shooting of four young blacks he said were going to rob him; he was convicted of illegal weapons possession. 2011 - Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y., announced his resignation from Congress, bowing to the furor caused by his sexually charged online dalliances with a former porn actress and other women. Wise WordsGo For Great "Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great." John D. Rockefeller Lighter SideHypocrites "But Trump's defending bringing everyone together for a big-time spittle-fest. His advisers say that the recent Black Lives Matter protests in metropolitan areas will make it harder for liberals to criticize him. Nah, it's still easy to criticize him. Here, watch!" - STEPHEN COLBERT Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
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