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 - August 27, 2020Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake CityTICK TOCK28 days to the 1st Congressional District debate (9/24/2020)33 days to the Utah gubernatorial debate (9/28/2020)41 days to the Vice Presidential debate at the University of Utah (10/07/2020)46 days to the 4th Congressional District debate (10/12/2020)49 days to the 3rd Congressional District debate (10/15/2020)53 days to the 2nd Congressional District debate (10/19/2020)55 days to the Utah Attorney General debate (10/21/2020)68 days to the 2020 election (11/3/2020)146 days to inauguration day (01/20/2021)151 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 PolicyPodcast: John Dean on Trump and authoritarianismBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Former White House counsel John Dean knows what an authoritarian leader looks like. After all, he was a member of the Nixon administration where he played a central role in the Watergate scandal. Utah Foundation finds state taxes and spending a top concern of Utah voters By Utah Foundation Utah Foundation releases the second in a series of Utah Priorities Project briefs looking at Utah voters' top concerns. State Taxes and Government Spending ranked second in July. Concern is driven in part by the economic crisis and a recent attempt at major tax reform. OTHER UTAH HEADLINESDeseret News
Salt Lake Tribune
NATIONAL HEADLINESRNC night #3Mike Pence called Joe Biden a "Trojan horse" for the radical left during his speech in Baltimore. He also promised a coronavirus vaccine will be available by the end of the year [USA Today]. President Donald Trump will formally accept the Republican nomination for another term on Thursday night. He's expected to speak about the progress he made during his first term and accuse Democrats of stoking violence [AP]. KenoshaA 17-year-old from Illinois was arrested after he fired a military-style assault rifle at protesters in Wisconsin, killing two and seriously wounding another [CNN]. Much of the fatal shooting was captured on social media video [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]. The teenager accused in the Kenosha shooting was in the front row of a Trump rally in January of this year [BuzzFeed]. StrikeNBA players refused to take the floor on Wednesday night to protest a racially motivated shooting in Wisconsin [Yahoo! Sports]. Monster stormHurricane Laura slammed ashore in Louisiana as a massive category 4 storm with an "unsurvivable" storm surge [CNN]. CoronavirusTrump administration officials pressured the CDC to change coronavirus testing guidelines to exclude people with no symptoms who have been exposed to the virus [Politico]. Abbot labs has developed a $5 Covid test that can produce results in 15 minutes [Bloomberg]. Moderna says its coronavirus vaccine showed promising signs in a small trial of elderly patients [CNBC]. 2020 electionIntelligence officials say there is no evidence that foreign countries were attempting to tamper with voting by mail, contradicting President Trump [AP]. At least 20 former staffers from Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign have endorsed Democrat Joe Biden [Politico]. More than 100 staffers from Republican John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign are backing Biden [New York Times]. Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.Border security officials considered using a microwave "heat ray" designed by the military against migrants at the southern border [NYT]. EconomyOrders for durable goods leaped 11.2% in July [Market Watch]. BUSINESS HEADLINES
Policy NewsProject Pam: Home Reserve finds a home in OgdenThe Utah Governor's Office of Economic Development (GOED) and the Economic Development Corporation of Utah (EDCUtah) are pleased to announce that Home Reserve will open an office in Utah, creating up to 15 new manufacturing jobs in the next year.The company is leasing property in Ogden and projects $2.5 million in capital expenditures associated with the project. Registration renewal reminder postcards ending The Utah Division of Motor Vehicles announced in July that the usual postcard registration reminder was being discontinued. More National Headlines
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY1776 - Battle of Long Island: In what is now Brooklyn, British forces under General William Howe defeat Americans under General George Washington. 1859 - The first successful oil well in the U.S. was drilled near Titusville, Pennsylvania. 1883 - The most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded history destroyed the island of Krakatoa, a small, uninhabited island west of Sumatra in Indonesia. 1928 - The Kellogg-Briand Pact outlawing war is signed by fifteen nations. Ultimately sixty-one nations will sign it. Wise WordsIntrospection "If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed." Albert Einstein Lighter SideObama Crush "Oh my God, he's really there. It's everything I miss - Obama, the Constitution, a president, hair cuts. He looks so fresh!" - STEPHEN COLBERT Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |