 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 - November 19, 2019Good Tuesday morning from Salt Lake CityThanks for subscribing to Utah's must-read daily political news rundown. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to sign up for our emails.Here are the stories you need to pay attention to this morning:
TICK TOCKDays to the first day of the 2020 Utah Legislature: 69 (1/27/2020) Days to the 2020 Iowa Caucuses: 76 (2/3/2020) Days to the Utah presidential primaries: 105 (3/3/2020) Days to the final day of the 2020 Utah Legislature: 114 (3/12/2020) Days to the 2020 Utah primary elections: 224 (6/23/2020) Days to the 2020 election: 350 (11/3/2020) Today At Utah Policy On most issues, Utah voters say state & local governments should take leadBy Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor Utahns are fairly knowledgeable about what level of government provides which services taxpayers fund, a new UtahPolicy.com/Y2 Analytics survey shows.  Podcast: Political therapy - What you can do when politics invades your holiday celebrationsBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Holiday celebrations usually mean gatherings with family and friends...and sometimes heated discussions about politics. How do you have those conversations without damaging relationships?  Anti-impeachment ad blitz targets McAdamsBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor A conservative group is dropping $300,000 on television and digital ads in Utah against Ben McAdams over the impeachment issue.  Study examines how Utah can encourage alternative fuel vehiclesBy Utah Foundation Utah Foundation releases Driving Toward a Cleaner Future: Alternative Fuel Vehicles in Utah. The report examines the incentives and disincentives around electric cars, as well as the policy decisions around preparation for a wide proliferation of electric vehicles in the future. It also examines the incentives and requirements around public and private heavy-duty fleet vehicles. OTHER UTAH HEADLINESDeseret News
Salt Lake Tribune
NATIONAL HEADLINESImpeachmentFour high-profile witnesses will appear in the public impeachment hearings on Tuesday, including Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who listened in on the July 25 call between President Donald Trump and the president of Ukraine [Washington Post]. President Trump said Monday he would consider testifying during the impeachment inquiry, but Democrats are skeptical it will come to pass [Reuters]. A counselor in the U.S. embassy in Ukraine told lawmakers last week that the Ukrainians "gradually came to understand" that there was a quid pro quo tied to military assistance from the U.S. [Washington Post]. Kurt Volker, the former special envoy to Ukraine, plans to testify on Tuesday that he did not know military aid to Ukraine was conditioned on that country launching an investigation into President Trump's domestic political rivals [New York Times]. U.S. State Department officials were aware the Ukranian president was feeling pressure from the Trump administration to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden before the July 25 phone call that has led to impeachment hearings [AP]. President Trump's re-election campaign ran more than 6,000 Facebook ads mentioning impeachment during the first week of the public hearings [CNN]. 70% of Americans say President Trump's actions toward Ukraine were wrong [ABC News]. Surprise!Impeachment investigators are exploring whether President Trump lied to special counsel Robert Mueller during his probe of the Russian attack on the 2016 election [New York Times]. Major shiftThe U.S. says they will no longer consider Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank a violation of international law [CNN]. Another whistleblowerThe Senate Finance Committee is investigating allegations that senior Treasury Department officials tried to meddle with the mandatory annual audit of President Trump's tax returns [New York Times]. Trump's taxesChief Justice John Roberts ordered an indefinite delay in the House of Representatives' demand for President Trump to turn over his financial records to give the Supreme Court time to figure out how to handle the dispute [Huffington Post]. Government fundingThe House will vote on a stopgap funding measure to prevent a government shutdown on Tuesday, which will keep the government operating through December 20 [The Hill]. Pay-to-playEmails show San Diego billionaire Doug Manchester was asked by the Republican National Committee to donate half a million dollars as his confirmation to become ambassador to the Bahamas was still being decided by the Senate [CBS News]. BUSINESS HEADLINES
Policy News Curtis announces nonpartisan House GIS Working GroupRepresentative John Curtis (R-UT), announced the creation of the House GIS (Geographic Information System) Working Group, a nonpartisan staff-led resource available for staff to learn about geospatial policy, how data is being used in the executive branch, and ways that each Congressional Office can use the technology.  McAdams' bill aiding consumers hurt by investment fraud passes the HouseCongressman Ben McAdams' bill to improve the likelihood that investors who are defrauded by white-collar criminals recover their hard-earned money, passed the House today with strong bipartisan support. The legislation gives more tools to federal securities investigators who work on some of the most notorious and complicated investment fraud cases, such as the Bernie Madoff and Allen Stanford schemes.  Sens. Lee, Durbin introduce Smarter Sentencing ActSens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and others introduced legislation that would modernize federal drug sentencing polices by lowering certain mandatory drug sentences.  Cities Work podcast: What's in your city's wallet? Find what's hiding in plain sight!Do you know what your community is actually worth? That information would likely influence the decisions you make as a municipal leader. More National Headlines
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY1863 - President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address on a Civil War battlefield in Pennsylvania. 1930 - Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow carried out the first of their series of bank robberies. 1969 - Apollo 12 landed on the moon. 1998 - Impeachment hearings against President Bill Clinton are initiated by the U.S. House of Representatives. Wise WordsImagination "The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."Albert Einstein Lighter SideKimmel Confused "These were two career civil servants giving sworn testimony about a potential attempt to undermine our democracy. They're also supposed to have pizazz? Is this an impeachment hearing or an episode of 'Dance Moms'? I'm confused."- JIMMY KIMMEL Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
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