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 - July 16, 2020Good morning from Salt Lake CityLet's Thursday!TICK TOCK110 Days to the 2020 election (11/3/2020)188 days to inauguration day (01/20/2021)193 days to the start of the 2021 Utah Legislature (1/25/2021)Here are the stories you need to pay attention to this morning:
PODCAST"Bernick and Schott on politics" is Utah's longest-running, and highest-rated, political podcast. We break down the big Utah political news twice a week, plus bring you interviews with newsmakers and interesting people. You can subscribe at this link, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 PolicyMcAdams has a massive cash advantage over Owens in Utah's 4th DistrictBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Rep. Ben McAdams, Utah's lone Democrat in office, enjoys a massive cash advantage over his Republican opponent as they begin the sprint toward November's election according to new campaign finance reports filed Wednesday. Utah readying million dollar campaign to encourage wearing of masks in public By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Watch for a new $1 million state government public service announcement campaign coming that will encourage Utahns to wear masks, use social distancing in public and make other changes in their lives to help fight to coronavirus, which is expanding in Utah. Podcast: Looking down the 2020 ballot with National Journal's Mary Frances McGowan By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Mary Frances McGowan reports on governors and state politics for National Journal. She joins Managing Editor Bryan Schott to discuss some of the important down ballot races in 2020. Guest opinion: We must listen to the experts about Covid-19 By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor I'm not a doctor. I'm nothing resembling a doctor. Most of my medical knowledge comes a combination of M*A*S*H, ER and House, MD. And yet I feel I have a leg up on some of the Utah business and political figures pushing ideas and making decisions during this pandemic for the simple reason that I know I'm not a doctor and that means I should listen to doctors and other medical experts. OTHER UTAH HEADLINESDeseret News
Salt Lake Tribune
Other NATIONAL HEADLINESCampaign shakeupPresident Donald Trump demoted campaign manager Brad Parscale, replacing him with veteran operative Bill Stepien [NYT]. CoronavirusA new model forecasts over 224,000 Covid-19 deaths in the U.S. by November 1 [Reuters]. Walmart will require customers to wear masks beginning Monday [AP]. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus [Fox News]. Amazon extends its work from home policy until January 8 [Reuters]. More than 400 million people in India re-enter lockdown because of the virus [CNN]. White House vs. FauciDr. Anthony Fauci pushed back against criticism from White House officials calling the behavior "bizarre" [Atlantic]. Pelosi vs. McConnell vs. coronavirusThe House and Senate are hurtling toward a showdown over a fourth coronavirus relief package [Politico]. EconomyThe Federal Reserve says economic activity has picked up in most parts of the U.S., but remains below pre-pandemic levels [AP]. American Airlines plans to furlough 25,000 workers this fall [WSJ]. 2020 electionJoe Biden has opened up a 15-point lead over Donald Trump according to a new Quinnipiac poll [CNN]. Biden has an 11-point national lead over Trump in a new NBC News/WSJ poll [NBC News]. Biden also maintains a solid lead over Trump in several swing states according to new polling [CNBC]. Kanye West dropped out of the 2020 presidential race [Yahoo!]. But, West dropped $35,000 to appear on Oklahoma's presidential ballot [The Guardian]. Tax fight continuesDespite a ruling from the Supreme Court, President Trump's legal team plans to raise new objections to a subpoena seeking his tax returns [NBC News]. Loyalty testThe White House personnel office is conducting intense one-on-one interviews with administration officials to determine whether they're sufficiently loyal to President Trump [Politico]. Twitter attackThe accounts of several prominent users, including Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Barack Obama and Joe Biden, were co-opted by hackers on Wednesday evening [NYT]. The Twitter hack raises fears of the effect of disinformation ahead of the 2016 election [Bloomberg]. BUSINESS HEADLINES
Policy NewsThe future of the Jordan River Parkway is in Utahns' handsFor every walker, runner, cyclist, boater, fisher, picnicker, resident and visitor who enjoys the Jordan River Parkway, and even those who have never visited the area, your voice is needed. More National Headlines
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY1790 - The District of Colombia is established as the capital of the United States after signature of the Residence Act. 1861 - American Civil War: At the order of President Abraham Lincoln, Union troops begin a 25-mile march into Virginia for what will become the First Battle of Bull Run. 1935 - The world's first parking meter is installed in Oklahoma City. 1941 - Joe DiMaggio hits safely for the 56th consecutive game, a streak that still stands as an MLB record. 1945 - The Atomic Age begins when the United States successfully detonates a plutonium-based test nuclear weapon near Alamogordo, New Mexico. 1951 - J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye was published. 1969 - Apollo 11, the first mission to land astronauts on the moon, is launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Wise WordsSeparation of Powers "The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny." James Madison, Federalist 47, 1788 Lighter SideDemocracy Cash for Voting "You know, it's funny how America has unlimited resources to make sure that countries around the world get democracy, but then America never seems to have the resources to make sure there's democracy in America," [Trevor] Noah said. "I mean, if Atlanta wants more voting resources, maybe they should just declare that they're a country in the Middle East: 'Yo so, we're actually Afghanistan-lanta, so can we get some that democracy cash?'" Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |