 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 26, 2020Good morning from Salt Lake CityLet's Friday!TICK TOCK4 days to the 2020 Utah primary elections (6/30/2020)130 Days to the 2020 election (11/3/2020)208 days to inauguration day (01/20/2021)213 days to the start of the 2021 Utah Legislature (1/25/2021)Here are the stories you need to pay attention to this morning:
FRIDAY TRIVIAToday's question comes from Paul Metcalf (No cheating with Google!): "Who was Utah's last territorial governor, and who was Utah's first state governor?" Send answers to me at mailbag@utahpolicy.com. We'll randomly select a winner from all the correct responses. Good luck! Election pick 'em!Think you know Utah politics? Here's your chance to show off. Pick the winners of four high-profile primary elections in our contest and you could win an Amazon gift card. 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 Amid Black Lives Matter protests, most Utahns say race relations are in bad shapeBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor 6 in 10 Utahns say race relations in the U.S. are not good according to a new survey.  Bob Bernick's notebook: Bob's primary election crystal ballBy Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor Welcome to Bob Bernick's pre-primary "who will win" column.  Podcast: Interview with Steve SchmidtBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Longtime political strategist Steve Schmidt joins the podcast to discuss the 2020 election and where things stand with less than five months to go until election day.  Primary election pick 'em contest!By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Test your knowledge of Utah politics by predicting the results of the four big Utah primary races next week. OTHER UTAH HEADLINESDeseret News
Salt Lake Tribune
Other
NATIONAL HEADLINESThis seems badThe Centers for Disease Control says the number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. could be as high as 23 million, which is 10 times the current number of confirmed cases [Axios]. Texas and other states are hitting pause on their plans to reopen as the number of Covid-19 cases skyrocket [NYT]. Three separate studies found conservative news media fostered confusion and conspiracy theories about the coronavirus and discouraged consumers from taking steps to protect themselves and others. Researchers found the worst offender was Fox News' Sean Hannity [WaPo]. President Donald Trump is not taking any new steps to slow down the spread of the virus even as the number of new cases in the U.S. hit a new single-day high of more than 37,000 [Bloomberg]. Presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden says he would require all Americans to wear a mask in public to fight the coronavirus pandemic [KDKA]. ObamacareThe Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to invalidate the Affordable Care Act [CNN]. Whoa!Shortly after he became attorney general, William Barr set out to challenge the prosecution and conviction of Michael Cohen, the former personal attorney to President Trump. Barr spent months questioning prosecutors over their decision to charge Cohen with campaign finance violations. He also directed Justice Department officials to draft a memo raising questions about Cohen's conviction [NYT]. EconomyAnother 1.5 million Americans filed for initial jobless benefits last week, which was more than forecasters predicted [AP]. The federal government sent $1.4 billion in stimulus checks to Americans who were deceased [NBC News]. U.S. GDP fell 5 percent in Q1 of 2020. Economists say a vastly worse economic performance is expected in the current quarter [AP]. The nation's big banks passed the Federal Reserve's latest "stress test", but the Fed will cap dividend payments to investors [Yahoo!]. Police reformThe Democratic-controlled House passed a police reform bill on Thursday, but the measure faces an uncertain fate in the Republican-controlled Senate [CNN]. Social mediaFacebook will show users a pop-up warning if they share an outdated story [TechCrunch]. Top Trump officials and Republicans are urging their followers to migrate to Parler, an alternative social network used by far-right personalities who have been kicked off Twitter and Facebook [Business Insider]. BUSINESS HEADLINES
Policy NewsSome Friday diversion from the heavy stuff . . .Pollinators Get Real: It's no summer breeze being a Rocky Mountain pollinator.  'Stay Safe to Stay Open' campaign launched to promote safety protocols and safe economic engagementThe Salt Lake Chamber announced the launch of "Stay Safe to Stay Open," a campaign to inform and support businesses in following COVID 19 guidelines from the Utah Department of Health. The initiative was introduced today with an invitation for businesses to take a pledge that they will follow best practices to protect employees and customers. Businesses that take the pledge will receive a "seal of approval" to display in their commercial locations and be included in an online searchable database. Casual Friday: Weekend Events & Outdoors Report 6-27-20 Outdoors Report-- Salt Lake Tribune: Utah gave group $400,000 to sue the feds on public lands issues. It never did. What happened? More National Headlines
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY1917 - The first troops of the American Expeditionary Force reached France in World War I. 1927 - The Cyclone roller coaster opens on Coney Island. 1934 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Federal Credit Union Act. 1945 - The United Nations Charter is signed by 50 Allied nations in San Francisco. 1963 - President John F. Kennedy gave his "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech in West Germany. 1977 - Elvis Presley held his final concert in Indianapolis. 1997 - The Supreme Court rules the Communications Decency Act violates the First Amendment. 2003 - The Supreme Court rules in Lawrence v. Texas that gender-based sodomy laws are unconstitutional. 2008 - The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Constitution protects an individual's right to carry a gun for private use, but said the ruling did nothing to alter the ban on gun ownership by felons or the mentally ill. 2013 - The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional and in violation of the Fifth Amendment. 2015 - The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marriage under the 14th Amendment. Wise WordsLooking for Leadership "I hope to stand firm enough to not go backward, and yet not go forward fast enough to wreck the country's cause." Abraham Lincoln Lighter SideCassettes "It's also weird that Trump thinks Kim Jong-un listens to CDs, dude. He's the president of North Korea - the man listens to cassettes." - TREVOR NOAH Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
Unsubscribe | Update your profile | 157 W 200 S, Springville, UT 84663
