It's debate day in Utah. Romney has a big lead over Kennedy. Count My Vote. North Korea. Your Tuesday morning political briefing from UtahPolicy.com

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Situational awareness - May 29, 2018

Good Tuesday morning from Salt Lake City. The 2018 Utah primary elections are exactly four weeks from today.

It's debate day in Utah! Romney has a massive lead over Kennedy. Utahns really like Count My Vote. Officials are scrambling to save the summit meeting between the U.S. and North Korea.

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  TICK TOCK  

Today the last day to register to vote by mail for the 2018 primary election (5/29/2018) Tomorrow is the last day to change your party affiliation before the primary election (5/30/2018) 7 days until primary election mail-in ballots are sent to voters (6/5/2018) 14 days until in-person early primary voting begins (6/12/2018) 21 days until the final day to register to vote online or in person before the primary election (6/19/2018) 24 days until in-person early primary voting ends (6/22/2018) 28 days until the 2018 Primary Election (6/26/2018) 161 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018) 244 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019) 889 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

  PODCASTS  

Subscribe to the award-winning "Bernick and Schott on politics" podcast, Utah's longest-running political podcast. Hosts Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick have more than 60 years of combined experience covering Utah politics. Plus, you'll get long-form interviews with Utah newsmakers. Subscribe (and leave a review) using iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher.

  HERE ARE THE STORIES WE'RE WATCHING TODAY  

Romney leads Kennedy by a huge margin

Our exclusive poll shows Mitt Romney has a massive 43-point lead over his GOP primary challenger Mike Kennedy among likely GOP primary voters [Utah Policy].

Big support for Count My Vote

Our latest UtahPolicy.com survey finds 2/3rds of Utahns would vote for the Count My Vote initiative if it makes the November ballot. That support includes 53% support from Republican voters [Utah Policy].

Tepid debates

Here's why you shouldn't expect fireworks from today's GOP primary debates [Utah Policy].

Rookie mistake

Our "Political Insiders" say Mike Kennedy's decision to apologize to a Baptist minister who Mitt Romney called a "religious bigot" was an unforced political error [Utah Policy].

  OTHER UTAH HEADLINES  

Josh Holt gets a heroes' welcome after being released from a Venezuelan prison [Deseret News, Tribune, KUTV].
Utah will certify which ballot initiatives will make the November ballot this week, but the courts will likely have the last say [Deseret News].
The group opposed to the Count My Vote initiative filed a lawsuit to block the proposal from being placed on November's ballot [Deseret News, Tribune].
Utah lawmakers are worried the proposed Medicaid expansion ballot initiative would lead to a larger cost for the state if approved by voters in November [Associated Press].
South Salt Lake officials say they expect to move forward on the stalled homeless shelter in that city [Deseret News]. 
Weber County is suing opioid manufacturers and distributors [Tribune].

  NATIONAL HEADLINES  

State of the midterms. Democrats are still favored to take control of the House after November's midterm elections, even though the idea of a "blue wave" is fading [National Journal].
Democrats still have a healthy lead in the generic Congressional ballot [FiveThirtyEight].
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell thinks the U.S. Senate seat in Ohio currently held by Democrat Sherrod Brown may be in play [The Hill].
Republicans want to get President Trump on the campaign trail ahead of the 2018 midterms to give a boost to GOP candidates [NBC News].
How President Trump uses baseless conspiracy theories to erode trust in traditional institutions, including the media, to get a boost politically [New York Times].
On again, off again, on again. A top North Korean official is on his way to the U.S. to continue talks about reviving a summit between Kim Jong Un and President Trump [Washington Post]. 
Sen. Marco Rubio says North Korea "will not denuclearize" and calls that country's current peaceful gestures "a show" [ABC News].
Democrats are stealing a page from the GOP playbook and blaming President Trump for skyrocketing gasoline prices [Politico].
U.S. officials lost track of nearly 1,500 immigrant children after they were placed in the homes of sponsors last year [CNN].
Former President George H.W. Bush has been hospitalized for low blood pressure and fatigue [ABC News].
Starbucks stores around the country will close for a few hours Tuesday afternoon so employees can take mandatory anti-bias training [CNN Money].

  ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY  

1790 - Rhode Island becomes the last of the original U.S. colonies to ratify the Constitution and is admitted as the 13th state.
1848 - Wisconsin is admitted as the 30th state.
1886 - Pharmacist John Pemberton places his first advertisement for Coca-Cola, which appeared in the Atlanta Journal.
1953 - Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
1973 - Tom Bradley is elected the first black mayor of Los Angeles.
1988 - President Ronald Reagan begins his first visit to the Soviet Union when he arrives in Moscow for a summit with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
2004 - The National World War II memorial was dedicated on the National Mall in Washington.

Today At Utah Policy

New poll shows big support for Count My Vote ballot initiative By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor The Utah Elections Office will announce this week whether the Count My Vote citizen initiative will be on November's ballot or not....

Poll: Romney leads Kennedy by big margin in U.S. Senate primary race By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Mitt Romney has a commanding lead over State Rep. Mike Kennedy among likely Republican primary voters according to a new UtahPolicy.com survey. ...

Why Tuesday's GOP primary debates will be boring By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Get ready for Tuesday's U.S. Senate and 3rd CD Republican primary debates to be snoozers. ...

'Political Insiders' slam Mike Kennedy for apologizing to pastor Mitt Romney called a 'religious bigot' By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor GOP U.S. Senate candidate Mike Kennedy caused a bit of a kerfuffle last week when he called a controversial Baptist pastor and apologized to him for Mitt Romney calling him a "religious bigot." Our "Political Insiders" say the move by Kennedy was a significant political miss...

Guest opinion: SB136 is watershed moment for Utah By Muriel Xochimitl, President of X-Factor Strategic Communications  The Wasatch Front is at a tipping point. The state has doubled its population over the last 20 years and is projected to double again by 2065....

Policy News

Conservative senators introduce White House rescission bill Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Joni Ernst (R-IA), David Perdue (R-GA), John Kennedy (R-LA), Rand Paul (R-KY), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), and Ben Sasse (R-NE) introduced the Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act, a bill that would formal...

Franklin Covey Co. and Mango Media Inc. release new book, Building a Winning Culture in Government: A Blueprint for Delivering Success in the Public Sector Franklin Covey Co. and Mango Media Inc. announced the release of Building a Winning Culture in Government: A Blueprint for Delivering Success in the Public Sector, co-authored by FranklinCovey senior consultants Patrick R. Leddin, Ph.D., and&nbs...

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Op-ed: Salt Lake City's Road Home shelter needs to enforce rules against drug use

Jean Hill: Each homeless person in Utah has a unique reason for being homeless - and requires an individual solution

Editorial: Utahns' signatures on initiative petitions should stand

If you're a public sector worker in Utah, you probably don't need to worry about retirement

Meet the man spending $100,000 to defeat Utah's medical marijuana initiative

Trump exempts public-lands outfitters and guides from Obama-era order to pay their workers higher wages

Critics call a Utah nominee for a top State Department job an 'anti-immigrant zealot' - Utah senators are not ready to say whether they'll support him

Keep My Voice files lawsuit to stop a Utah initiative allowing signature gathering to get on the primary ballot

'You have gone through a lot': Trump celebrates Utahn Josh Holt, freed from a Venezuelan prison after two years

Utah senate candidate Jenny Wilson releases her plan to improve - but not fully repeal - the GOP tax cuts

Deseret News

Frank Pignanelli & LaVarr Webb: Here's the scoop on politicians' summer activities

Editorial: Utah energy plans should support rural counties

Mitt Romney has big lead against Mike Kennedy in Senate primary, poll shows

Stalled South Salt Lake homeless shelter expected to move forward, mayor says

Lawsuit filed against Utah Lt. Gov. Cox over Count My Vote initiative

Did Venezuelan government release Josh Holt as ploy to win international favor?

Utahn Josh Holt arrives in D.C. after release from Venezuelan prison

Deadline for certifying initiatives for ballot looming, but courts may end up deciding

Community prepares for welcoming party as Holt expected back Tuesday

Salt Lake County elections director on leave, citing 'divisive' work environment amid campaign against boss

Audit uncovers mismanaged funds at Davis County Jail

Other

Republican Utah County Attorney candidates have differing visions for office (Daily Herald)

Weber Co. GOPers pick replacement to fill term of resigning Utah Rep. Fawson (Standard-Examiner)

Weber Co. sues opioid makers, distributors, accuses them of 'corporate greed' (Standard-Examiner)

National Headlines

U.S. warships sail near South China Sea islands claimed by Beijing (Reuters)

Campaign contributor helped Obamas score Netflix deal (New York Post)

How famous men toppled by #MeToo plot their comeback (Guardian)

Right-wing activist Tommy Robinson reportedly jailed after filming outside child grooming trial (FOX News)

Robert Kennedy Jr. joins chorus of second-gunman theorists over his father's assassination (Los Angeles Times)

How the 'Watergate Babies' Broke American Politics (Politico)

Dem money floods Calif. primaries to avert electoral disaster (The Hill)

Rubio, in challenge to Trump, suggests Congress will act against ZTE (Washington Post)

Republican leader: 'For all practical purposes' there's no difference between an FBI informant and a spy (The Hill)

Decision time: Supreme Court will soon rule on gay rights, gerrymandering, unions (Los Angeles Times)

Trump blames Democrats for border policy separating immigrant children from parents (ABC News)

Wise Words

Memorial Day

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it." Mark Twain

Lighter Side

Summit

"President Trump informed Kim Jong Un that he was canceling their summit by sending Kim a personal letter. The disturbing part is Trump signed the letter, "Yours in Crazy." Conan O'Brien

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