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Situational awareness - April 26, 2018

Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake City. 

Jenny Wilson touts her experience. Sam Granato passes. Trump's lawyer plans to plead the fifth.

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  WE'RE HERE FOR YOU  

Want to submit an op-ed? Got a story tip or idea? A complaint? I want to hear from you. Send me a secure email at bryanschott@protonmail.com.

  TICK TOCK  

• 2 days until the Utah Democratic State Convention (4/28/2018)
• 33 days until the last day to register to vote by mail for the 2018 primary election (5/29/2018)
• 34 days until the last day to change your party affiliation before the primary election (5/30/2018)
• 40 days until primary election mail-in ballots are sent to voters (6/5/2018)
• 47 days until in-person early primary voting begins (6/12/2018)
• 54 days until the final day to register to vote online or in person before the primary election (6/19/2018)
• 57 days until in-person early primary voting ends (6/22/2018)
• 61 days until the 2018 Primary Election (6/26/2018)
• 194 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
• 277 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019)
• 922 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

  PODCASTS  

Take a minute and subscribe to the award-winning "Bernick and Schott on politics" podcast, Utah's longest-running political podcast. Hosts Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick have more than 60 years combined experience covering Utah politics, so they bring you knowledge and insight that's unprecedented. Subscribe (and leave a review) using iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher.

  HERE ARE THE STORIES DRIVING THURSDAY  

Wilson talks up her experience

Democrat Jenny Wilson says her experience in government will give her a leg up in Washington if she's elected to the U.S. Senate in November [Utah Policy].

Download the podcast of our conversation with Wilson [Utah Policy].

Count My Vote closes in

According to the latest figures from the Utah Elections Office, Count My Vote is less than 1,000 verified signatures away from meeting the requirements to get on the ballot in November [Utah Policy].

Sam Granato passes

Salt Lake County councilman and restauranteur Sam Granato passes away after a protracted battle with cancer [Utah Policy].

Debates set

The Utah Debate Commission sets their schedule for the 2018 midterm elections [Utah Policy].

Aggressive drivers

A new study shows Utah drivers are the 15th "most aggressive" in the nation. California is #1 [Utah Policy].

  OTHER UTAH HEADLINES  

• Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee say legislation to protect special counsel Robert Mueller from being fired by President Trump is likely unconstitutional [Deseret News, Tribune].
  
  
• Hatch pens an op-ed saying Mueller's investigation must be allowed to finish, but he will not vote for a measure to keep Trump from firing the special counsel [Wall Street Journal].
  
  
• Sherrie Hall Everett resigns as vice chair of the Utah Transit Authority board [Daily Herald].

  NATIONAL HEADLINES  

• Michael Cohen, President Trump's personal lawyer, plans to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in the Stormy Daniels case [Washington Post].
  
  
• A report has surfaced that White House doctor Ronny Jackson crashed a government vehicle while drunk. Jackson is considering withdrawing his nomination to become VA Secretary [Washington Post].
  
  
• Conservative justices on the Supreme Court seem to be open to letting a modified version of President Trump's travel ban stand [New York Times].
  
  
• Rudy Giuliani, who recently joined President Trump's legal team, has reopened negotiations over Trump sitting down for an interview with special counsel Robert Mueller [Washington Post].
  
  
• A new poll finds most Americans think special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation will find that President Trump committed criminal or impeachable offenses. Nearly 3/4ths believe Trump will fire Mueller before his investigation is finished [Fox News].
  
  
• French President Emmanuel Macron rips Trumpism during a speech to a joint session of Congress [The Hill].
  
  
• Embattled EPA director Scott Pruitt heads to Capitol Hill Thursday to answer questions about wasteful spending in his agency [Washington Post]. A leaked copy of Pruitt's talking points shows he plans on blaming his staff for the spending decisions [New York Times].
  
  
• Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson is proposing tripling the rent for the poorest Americans who are receiving housing assistance [Washington Post].
  
  
• Mick Mulvaney, interim director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, urged banking industry executives when he was in Congress, he would only meet with lobbyists if they donated to his campaign [New York Times]. 
  
  
• The overtime bill for Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies who help protect President Trump when he visits his Mar-a-Lago property has topped $3 million. The county hopes to be reimbursed for those costs by the feds [Palm Beach Post].
  
  
• Ick! Former newsman Charlie Rose is eyeing a comeback by hosting a show where he'll interview other high-profile men who have been caught up in sexual harassment scandals [Page Six].
  
  
• President Trump and Kanye West sent Twitter into a tizzy on Wednesday by publicly praising each other on the social media platform [New York Times].
  
  
• A New York judge ruled a bar was within its rights to throw out a supporter of President Trump for wearing his "Make America Great Again" hat because there's no law against political discrimination [New York Post].

  TODAY IN HISTORY  

• 1564 - Playwright William Shakespeare is baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England (date of actual birth is unknown).
  
  
• 1607 - English colonists make landfall at Cape Henry, Virginia.
  
  
• 1865 - Union cavalry troopers corner and shoot dead John Wilkes Booth, assassin of President Lincoln, in Virginia.
  
  
• 1986 - A nuclear reactor accident occurs at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Soviet Union (now Ukraine), creating the world's worst nuclear disaster.
  
  
• 2007 - New Hampshire lawmakers approved a measure legalizing civil unions between same-sex couples.

Today At Utah Policy

'They need someone to give a damn about their needs.' Jenny Wilson discusses her run for U.S. Senate By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Democrat Jenny Wilson is quick to tout her extensive experience in government as the biggest asset in her campaign for U.S. Senate....

Podcast: A conversation with Jenny Wilson, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Salt Lake County Councilwoman Jenny Wilson is pursuing the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate at Saturday's state convention....

'Count My Vote' on the verge of qualifying for November ballot By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor The "Count My Vote" ballot initiative is less than 1,000 verified signatures from meeting the requirements for the November ballot....

Salt Lake County Council member Sam Granato dies By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Sam Granato, who served on the Salt Lake County Council since 2013, passed away Wednesday....

Survey says Utah drivers are the 15th 'most aggressive' in the nation By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor A new study from GasBuddy.com ranks Utah drivers as the 15th "most aggressive" in the country....

Utah Debate Commission announces 2018 debate schedule By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor The Utah Debate Commission has announced their debate schedule for the 2018 midterm elections....

Weekly survey: GOP Primary predictions By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Utah GOP delegates set up two big June primary elections in the race for U.S. Senate and CD3. Who do you think will win those primary contests? Vote now in our weekly survey....

Policy News

STEM Innovation Award recipients announced The STEM Action Center will hold its fourth annual STEM Innovation Awards in partnership with Utah Technology Council as part of the Utah Innovation Awards dinner on Thursday, April 26, 2018. Five individuals will be recognized for their contributions to STEM education ...

Wise Words

Happiness

"The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself." Benjamin Franklin

Lighter Side

North Korea Meeting

"I read that Trump's meeting with Kim Jong Un could take place in Sweden or Switzerland. Apparently, it all depends on whether Trump is in the mood for meatballs or cheese." Jimmy Fallon