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Situational awareness - August 16, 2018
Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake City.
Count My Vote could be in trouble. Wildfire costs are surging. Trump's lawyers plan to fight a subpoena from Muller all the way to the Supreme Court.
TICK TOCK
- 54 days until the last day to register to vote by mail (10/9/2018)
- 61 days until mail-in ballots are sent to voters (10/16/2018)
- 68 days until in-person early voting begins (10/23/2018)
- 75 days until the last day to register to vote in person or by mail (10/30/2018)
- 77 days until in-person early voting ends (11/2/2018)
- 82 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
- 165 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019)
- 210 days until the final day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (3/14/2019)
- 810 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)
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HERE ARE THE STORIES YOU SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO TODAY
CMV on the ropes?
The backers of the Count My Vote ballot initiative made their case to be included on November's ballot to the Utah Supreme Court, but the justices appeared to be skeptical of their arguments - http://bit.ly/2OHNTWj
Wildfire cost surging
The cost of fighting wildfires in Utah this year has already cost more than what lawmakers allocated for the effort this year - http://bit.ly/2Ms1WSd
Electric public transportation
LaVarr Webb says it's only a matter of time before electric buses and other public transportation modes is a reality - http://bit.ly/2Mtd8y4
OTHER UTAH HEADLINES
Deseret News
Editorial: U.S. military shouldn't be given a blank check
'Hot bench' questions Count My Vote, state lawyers over ballot initiatives
Hundreds on treatment waitlists as leaders aim to expand year 2 of Operation Rio Grande
Crime lab misses goals for processing rape kits, says it will improve with more employees
Police group worried about enforcing recreational marijuana ban if medical use initiative passes
Families weigh in as lawmakers revisit gender-change bill
So far so good, city says of Salt Lake scooter issues
State workers makes less than private sector but have better benefits, Utah lawmakers told
Salt Lake Tribune
Utah lawmakers may need to change some rules to allow e-scooters on downtown Salt Lake City streets
Other
Ogden City looking to create another downtown redevelopment area (Standard-Examiner)
Nordic Valley ski resort developer faces questions, shouts on expansion plans (Standard-Examiner)
NATIONAL HEADLINES
- President Trump revoked the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, who has been a leading critic of Trump during his time in the White House - https://cnn.it/2MsH0dO
Brennan fired back in an op-ed, claiming Trump's action was an attempt to silence him - https://nyti.ms/2MsSYEq - President Trump's lawyers are preparing to fight any subpoena from special counsel Robert Mueller all the way to the Supreme Court - https://wapo.st/2MvxRkw
- Officials say special counsel Mueller does not need to shut down his investigation into the Russian attack on the 2016 election before this year's midterm elections - https://bloom.bg/2MuBgjG
- New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said during a bill signing that America "was never that great," drawing gasps from those in attendance. Cuomo has since attempted to walk back the statement - https://wapo.st/2MkuspK
- Democrats are abandoning an effort to craft a unified national message. Instead, individual candidates for Congress will craft their own messages to win back control of the House - https://nyti.ms/2MfQwBPhttps://rol.st/2Mg8sfz
- The Democratic opponent of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, who has been dubbed "Putin's favorite congressman," has been the subject of several cyberattacks over the past year - https://rol.st/2Mg8sfz
- A new national poll finds 51% of Republicans agree with President Trump that the media is "the enemy of the people" - http://bit.ly/2Mjmugr
- The Boston Globe is leading an effort by 350 newspapers across the country condemning President Trump's attacks on the media - http://bit.ly/2Mj87sw
- Democrats widen their lead on the generic Congressional ballot to 11-points with less than three months to go before the 2018 midterm elections - https://cnn.it/2Mh0oLA
- Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke blames the massive wildfires in California on "environmental terrorist groups" who are preventing the federal government from managing forests - https://wapo.st/2MzNKGG
- About 72,000 Americans died from drug overdoses last year, a number that's higher than the peak totals of deaths from guns or car crashes - https://nyti.ms/2MktZ6Y
- Republicans rip into the rock band Pearl Jam for a poster depicting the White House in flames and a bald eagle pecking at a skeleton they say represents President Donald Trump - http://bit.ly/2Mjlt87
- The Department of Homeland Security is proposing a grant to teach public school students how to "control severe bleeding" in the event of a mass casualty event - https://abcn.ws/2MwaA27
- Boring but important: The failed merger between Sinclair Broadcasting and Tribune Media could cause Sinclair to lose their broadcast licenses. Sinclair has been accused of lying to the FCC and acting in bad faith during the failed merger with Tribune - http://bit.ly/2MhJvAz
- California Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox compares long wait times at the California DMV to the Holocaust - http://bit.ly/2Mh0F14
- Frightening! Nevada's Lake Mead could fall below a critical level by 2020, which would trigger the first-ever federal shortage declaration on the Colorado River - https://on.wsj.com/2MtJ4lD
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
- 1812 - War of 1812: American General William Hull surrenders Fort Detroit without a fight to the British Army.
- 1841 - President John Tyler vetoes a bill which called for the re-establishment of the Second Bank of the United States. Enraged Whig Party members rioted outside the White House in the most violent demonstration on White House grounds in history.
- 1858 - President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria.
- 1896 - Gold is discovered in a tributary of the Klondike River in Canada, setting off the Klondike Gold Rush.
- 1954 - The first issue of Sports Illustrated is published.
- 1962 - Pete Best is fired as the drummer for The Beatles. He was replaced two days later by Ringo Starr.
- 1966 - The House Un-American Activities Committee begins investigations of Americans who have aided the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War.
- 1977 - Elvis Presley died of heart failure at his home in Memphis at age 42.
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Today At Utah Policy
Cost of fighting Utah wildfires skyrocketing this yearIt has cost the state about $23 million to fight forest fires so far this year, with much of the wildfire season still ahead of us, Utah House Republicans were told Wednesday....
Electric buses are coming faster than we think
For the past two days I've been attending the annual Member Conference of the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS)....
Bishop statement on NDAA land transfer provision
Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) issued the following statement in response to President Donald Trump signing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes a land transfer provision:...
Utah Supreme Court Justices appear skeptical of Count My Vote's arguments for ballot inclusion
Based on the tough questions posed by four of the five Utah Supreme Court justices Wednesday, it does not look likely that the 63 percent of voters who support Count My Vote will get their say in November on the proposed citizen initiative....
2018 elections: The case for business engagement
Many Utah voters have become disenchanted with the political system....
USTAR-supported company EDX Magnetics poised to address the challenges and opportunities in scrap metal industry brought on by trade wars
From agriculture to construction, tariffs imposed and planned by the Trump administration are expected to have widespread consequences across the United States and in Utah....
Weekly survey: Grading Operation Rio Grande
The effort to address Salt Lake City's homeless problem, dubbed Operation Rio Grande, has been underway for a year now. How would you judge the effort so far? Vote now in our weekly survey....
Policy News
Gov. Herbert lowers flags in honor of Jill RobinsonGov. Gary R. Herbert has ordered the lowering of the flag of the United States of America and the flag of the State of Utah on Fri., Aug. 17, 2018 to honor the life and service of Code Enforcement Officer Jill Robinson, who will be laid to rest on that day....
National Headlines
NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo says America 'was never that great' (CNN)
Coordinated anti-Trump editorials 'sure to backfire,' critic warns (FOX News)
Mexico's new president has a radical plan to end the drug war (Vox)
Giuliani to Mueller: 'Write the damn report' (The Hill)
Trump touts GOP primary victors as 'the team we want' for midterms (Politico)
Alex Jones, Meet Peter Strzok (Wall Street Journal)
McCarthy stares down immigration protesters (Politico)
Paul Manafort trial: judge hands case to jurors after closing arguments (Guardian)
Trump revokes ex-CIA Director John Brennan's security clearance (FOX News)
Leslie Moonves Accuser Shopping Tell-All Memoir (Hollywood Reporter)
