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 4, 2020Good Tuesday morning from Salt Lake City. Downtown is rather deserted. Since you can work from anywhere, we hope you're someplace fun.TICK TOCK91 Days to the 2020 election (11/3/2020) Here are the stories you need to pay attention to this morning:
Today At Utah PolicyAfter a close race in 2018, House District 38 could be a fiercely contested battleground in 2020By Bob Bernick and Bryan Schott Editor's Note: UtahPolicy.com is reviewing several Utah legislative races this general election, with an eye toward those which have been close in the past in final vote counts.As Utah Democratic leaders look to win a few more Utah House races this election, perhaps the most vulnerable GOP incumbent is long-time representative Eric Hutchings, R-Kearns, who won re-election in 2018 by just 118 votes, 50.7-49.3 percent out of 8,610 cast. Cox pushes back against Trump's attacks on mail-in voting By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox said Monday he's worried President Trump's constant attacks on mail-in voting will make voters question the election results. Utah Foundation 75th Anniversary Celebration By Press Release Utah Foundation will hold its Annual Luncheon and 75th Anniversary Celebration on Sept. 17 at the Grand America in Salt Lake City, as well as online for those who prefer to connect remotely. The event will run from noon to 1:30. This year's luncheon will be an action-packed event featuring the next governor of Utah, honoring one of the state's great civic leaders, and hearing from an enlightening speaker. Post-Trump, will the nation be unified? Don't bet on it By LaVarr Webb, Publisher Last Saturday I attended a reunion for extended family members in a beautiful campground up Logan Canyon. It was great to reconnect with many nieces, nephews, cousins, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, aunts, uncles, etc., and get updates on their lives and many challenges.One topic of conversation we generally avoided at the reunion was politics. That's because a really fast way to mess up a reunion and alienate a beloved family member is to bring up Pres. Trump, Nancy Pelosi, Black Lives Matter, measures to mitigate COVID-19 (like wearing masks and socially distancing), and so forth. Opinion Briefs: Dems will botch running the country if they win . . . debating the debates . . . Trump shenanigans . . . mail-in voting By LaVarr Webb, Publisher A little history gives hope. As a mainstream Republican, I could easily get depressed over the drubbing Republicans are likely to take in November. There's a reasonable chance we will lose the presidency, the U.S. Senate, and Democrats will be running the country.However, I have full confidence that Democrats will badly botch their opportunity to rule - like they did last time. Remember the Obama years? In many circles, they conjure up nostalgia and some fondness. But, in reality, Obama was a disaster for the Democratic Party. By the time he left office, Democrats had lost more than 1,000 seats in state legislatures, Congress and governorships. Podcast: Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall on responding to the coronavirus By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall joins the podcast to discuss how the city and state are responding to the coronavirus pandemic, the toll the virus is taking on the city's west side as well as the overall city budget, and the risks of re-opening public schools. Former Rep. Mia Love calls President Trump's suggestion to delay the election 'insane' By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Former Utah Republican congresswoman Mia Love said Sunday that President Donald Trump's suggestion to postpone the November election was "insane." Bernick and Schott on politics podcast: Gesturing broadly at everything By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Managing Editor Bryan Schott and Contributing Editor Bob Bernick bring you up to speed on the latest Utah political news. OTHER UTAH HEADLINESDeseret News
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NATIONAL HEADLINESNew coronavirus relief packageDebate over unemployment insurance provisions shows GOP divisions (The Hill) COVID-19 updateTrump criticizes Dr. Deborah Birx over her Covid-19 pessimism (Politico). Virus cases in Midwest are climbing (Washington Post). Vaccine front-runners impress investors, but concerns exist (Wall Street Journal). Election updateFive important primary races to watch on Tuesday (The Hill) NASA on a rollNASA is basking in success after completing the first crewed space mission launched from U.S. soil in a decade, and after launching a new Mars rover. But can it keep the momentum going? (Washington Post). Rough WeatherIsaias makes landfall in the Carolinas and brings major flooding as it moves up the East Coast (CNN OpinionThe pandemic is a dress rehearsal, by Walter Russell Mead. The world is entering a transformative era. Prepare for more chaos and instability. (Wall Street Journal). BUSINESS HEADLINES
Policy NewsHinckley Journal of Politics Vol 21 has been publishedWe are thrilled to announce that this year's Hinckley Journal is complete! This year-long project was guided by co-editors Miranda Jones and Jacqueline Mumford with help from their editorial board of fellow students. Together this group read through all of the many submissions and ultimately selected five compelling pieces that range on topics from hate speech to immunization compliance. In addition, Pam S. Perlich and Mallory Bateman of the Gardner Policy Institute contributed their analysis of the 2020 census. The journal can be viewed here. Mendenhall selected as 2020 ESA regional policy award winner The Ecological Society of America (ESA) has named Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall as its 13th annual Regional Policy Award recipient. The ESA award recognizes an elected or appointed local policymaker whose record reflects the use of ecological science to inform policy decisions.The 2020 ESA Annual Meeting was originally scheduled to take place in Salt Lake City Aug. 3-6, but the meeting moved to an all-virtual format in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hinckley Report Season 5 Utah's political roundup returns for a fifth season on Friday, August 14th at 7:30pm. This unprecedented season will continue with host Jason Perry as he speaks with key decision-makers, policy experts, and journalists to provide Utahns with an unbiased look at the latest and most pressing political news. You can tune in on your local PBS Utah station (channel 7), or watch past episodes online. The show is also available to search and subscribe as a podcast on all major platforms (link to iTunes). Hinckley Institute alumni spotlight: Kate Rubalcava Kate Rubalcava graduated from the University of Utah with her bachelor's degree in political science in 2005 and her master's degree from the Department of Education Leadership and Policy in 2011. Her path into non-profit and community organization work began with her Hinckley internship in Washington, DC. This trajectory led her to her current role as the Chief Executive Officer of the Utah Nonprofits Association. Read more about her story here. Facebook is building a data center campus in Eagle Mountain EDCUtah: Facebook and Eagle Mountain: Five Questions for William Marks of Facebook of FacebookA new EDCUtah investor and a past corporate expansion project, Facebook is building a data center campus in Eagle Mountain, Utah. We caught up with William Marks, Facebook's Community Development Manager in Utah, to ask about project progress, sustainability and solar, and the company's COVID-19 response. Read more. Casual Friday: Weekend Events & Outdoors Report 7-31-20 Outdoors Report-- KSL.com: 3 tips for being more comfortable while camping-- KSL.com: Groups launch million-dollar campaign to protect Bears Ears artifacts More National Headlines
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY1854 - Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" is published. The American transcendentalist writer's work is a first-person account of his experimental time of simple living at Walden Pond in Concord, MA. It explors Thoreau's views on nature, politics and philosophy. Wise WordsLiberty and Law "The instrument by which it [government] must act are either the AUTHORITY of the laws or FORCE. If the first be destroyed, the last must be substituted; and where this becomes the ordinary instrument of government there is an end to liberty!" Alexander Hamilton: Tully, No. 3, August 28, 1794 Lighter SideVoting Delay "Americans were like, 'How long a delay are we talking about here? Months, like your response to Covid? Years, like your response to Putin? Or decades, like a hug for Don Jr.? Just give us a hint.'" - JIMMY FALLON Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |