 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 30, 2020Good morning from Salt Lake CityIt's primary election day in UtahLet's Tuesday!TICK TOCKThe 2020 Utah primary elections are today (6/30/2020)126 Days to the 2020 election (11/3/2020)204 days to inauguration day (01/20/2021)209 days to the start of the 2021 Utah Legislature (1/25/2021)Here are the stories you need to pay attention to this morning:
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 Utahns are more worried about the impact of Covid-19 on the economy than public healthBy Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor While Utahns still worry more about how the coronavirus affects the economy rather than public health, with new virus cases running high in Utah that pro-open-up sentiment is not as strong as it was last April, a new poll finds.  How to watch Tuesday night's election results like a proBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor We may not know who wins the hotly contested GOP race for governor until mid-July. But, there are some key indicators from the results over the first few days that will give us some hints about who is doing well, and who may be in trouble.  Stewart backs White House claim that Trump did not know about Russian bounties on U.S. soldiersBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Rep. Chris Stewart defended the White House's claim that President Trump was not briefed on a reported Russian effort offering bounties for the killing of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. However, shortly after Stewart made his claim on national TV, the New York Times reported that Trump was given a written briefing on the Russian bounties in late February.  Herbert urged Pence to encourage mask wearing to control the spread of coronavirusBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Gov. Gary Herbert reportedly asked Vice President Mike Pence to do more to encourage the wearing of masks in public during a phone call on Friday. OTHER UTAH HEADLINESSalt Lake Tribune
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NATIONAL HEADLINESRussian bountiesDespite denials from the White House that President Donald Trump knew about the Russian operation offering bounties for the killing of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, the information was provided to Trump in the President's Daily Brief in February [NYT]. Intelligence sources say top officials in the White House were aware that Russia was secretly offering bounties for the deaths of Americans in early 2019, a full year earlier than previously reported [AP]. The White House claims there was no consensus within the intelligence community about the veracity of the information on Russian bounties [Bloomberg]. Yikes!President Trump was so unprepared for phone calls with other heads of state that some senior U.S. officials were convinced that Trump posed a danger to U.S. national security [CNN]. AbortionThe Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law placing restrictions on doctors who perform abortions, disappointing anti-abortion activists [Reuters]. CoronavirusThe World Health Organization is warning the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is "yet to come" [CBS News]. Arizona orders the closure of bars, gyms and other businesses after a massive spike in the number of cases in that state [CNN]. Jacksonville, Florida, the site of the Republican National Convention, is requiring face masks in public [CNN]. Broadway shows will remain closed through the end of 2020 [Playbill]. Uh oh...Chinese researchers have discovered a new strain of swine flu that can be transmitted to humans. They say the virus has "pandemic potential" [The Guardian]. Intelligence committeeRepublican members of the House Intelligence Committee have been skipping meetings for months. Democrats call it a boycott, but the Republicans say they object to classified information being shared in online meetings [Politico]. Missed callsPresident Trump's Sunday morning retweet of a video showing one of his supporters saying "white power" set off a "five-alarm fire" in the White House because advisers could not reach him to remove the offending post. Trump was reportedly unavailable for more than three hours because he was golfing and had put down his phone [NBC News]. Online crackdownReddit banned several communities, including the largest pro-Donald Trump site as well as a large group dedicated to the socialist Chapo Trap House podcast, for violating the platform's rules on hate speech [NBC News]. YouTube permanently banned several prominent white supremacists, including Stefan Molyneux, David Duke and Richard Spencer [CNN]. Streaming platform Twitch temporarily banned a channel operated by Donald Trump's re-election campaign for "hateful content", including a rebroadcast of his 2015 campaign kick off rally where he called Mexican's "rapists" [The Verge]. Facebook continues to hemorrhage advertisers as the social media network is facing a boycott to pressure the company to do more to stop the spread of hate speech on the platform [CNBC]. Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.Iran issued an arrest warrant for President Trump and dozens of other Americans for their role in a drone strike that killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad. Interpol declined Iran's request for their help in enforcing the warrant [Al Jazerra]. BUSINESS HEADLINES
Policy News Save the date: Virtual trade mission to IsraelThe United States is Israel's single largest trading partner. Through World Trade Center (WTC) Utah's Virtual Trade Mission, you can connect directly with Israeli business and government leaders. Utah companies interested in learning about Israel, expanding into the area, or increasing their business in the market are encouraged to register for this Virtual Trade Mission. More National Headlines
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY1859 - French acrobat Blondin crossed Niagara Falls on a tightrope as 5,000 spectators watched. 1908 - An asteroid exploded above Tunguska in Siberia, leaving 800 square miles of scorched or blown-down trees. 1934 - Adolf Hitler began his "blood purge" of political and military leaders in Germany in what came to be known as "The Night of the Long Knives." 1971 - The 26th Amendment to the Constitution, lowering the minimum voting age to 18, was ratified as Ohio became the 38th state to approve it. 1994 - The U.S. Figure Skating Association stripped Tonya Harding of the national championship and banned her from the organization for life for an attack on rival Nancy Kerrigan. Wise WordsGo Vote "Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting." Franklin D. Roosevelt Lighter SideSuper Spreader "It was reported that dozens of Secret Service officers and agents were told to self-quarantine after Trump's Tulsa rally. Trump's a one-man superspreader. He is the Ozark swimming pool of human beings." - SETH MEYERS Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
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