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 - September 16, 2019Good Monday morning from Salt Lake CityThanks for reading Utah's must-read daily political news rundown. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to sign up for our emails.Here are the stories you need to pay attention to this morning:
Trivia timeUtah Sen. Arthur V. Watkins headed up a bi-partisan committee to consider censure of Sen. Joseph McCarthy during the height of his anti-communist purges. The Senate ultimately voted to "condemn" McCarthy on two counts. Many people believe Watkins' role in the McCarthy affair contributed to his re-election defeat in 1958 when Democrat Frank Moss won the seat. The first three readers with the correct answer were:
Thanks to everyone who sent in guesses. If you'd like to submit a question for our Friday trivia, email them to me at bschott@utahpolicy.com. If we use your question, I'll send you one of our UtahPolicy.com stickers. Giveaway!I've got a few pairs of tickets to "Disaster! The Musical!" at the Empress Theater in Magna to give away to some of our lucky readers. I'm playing Maury in the show. Send me an email to be entered into a drawing to win. TICK TOCKDays to the 2019 Utah municipal elections: 50 (11/5/2019) Days to the first day of the 2020 Utah Legislature: 133 (1/27/2020) Days to the Utah presidential primaries: 169 (3/3/2020) Days to the 2020 Utah primary elections: 281 (6/23/2020) Days to the 2020 election: 414 (11/3/2020) Today At Utah PolicyMost Utah voters believe some new gun control measures won't violate the 2nd AmendmentBy Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor More than three-fourths of Utah voters say the state can "enact some" new gun regulations while still maintaining America's right to bear arms, a new UtahPolicy.com/Y2 Analytics poll finds. Legislative leaders say they expect several gun control measures to come up during the 2020 Legislature By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor As UtahPolicy.com and Y2 Analytics runs through comprehensive polling results on several gun control issues, GOP legislative leaders say the time may be right for lawmakers to debate gun control in the 2020 Legislature. Guest opinion: Can Mike Lee Save Performers from Big Music? By Jared Whitley Music has been a part of Utah's culture and fabric since the state's founding. It's part of the reason why Sen. Orrin Hatch my former boss put such weighted emphasis on issues pertaining to local performers. Full moon gun poll fever - Bernick and Schott on politics By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor The Utah Supreme Court says partisan elections for the State School Board are okay. OTHER UTAH HEADLINESDeseret News
Salt Lake Tribune
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NATIONAL HEADLINES"Locked and loaded"President Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday evening that the U.S. has reason to believe who was behind an attack on a Saudi Arabian oil field and was "locked and loaded" pending verification [CNN]. The Trump administration released photos of the aftermath of the attack they say implicates Iran [NYT]. Iran denies any role in the attacks [WaPo]. Oil prices spiked by as much as 18% following the attack [CNN]. KavanaughDemocratic presidential hopefuls are calling for the impeachment of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh after another allegation of sexual misconduct surfaces, raising questions whether he committed perjury during his confirmation hearings [NYT]. President Trump tweeted on Sunday that the Justice Department should "rescue" Kavanaugh following the new accusations [CNN]. Big if trueNorth Korean leader Jim Jong Un reportedly invited President Donald Trump to visit Pyongyang in a letter sent last month [Reuters]. Auto strikeNearly 50,000 General Motors employees walked off the job in the nation's first auto strike since 2007 [AP]. GunsHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told President Trump Sunday that any gun bill that does not include increased background checks "will not get the job done" [Politico]. Woah!Russia carried out a "stunning" breach of a secure FBI communication system in several cities [Yahoo News]. 2020President Trump will hold a campaign rally in New Mexico on Monday. Trump lost New Mexico by 8 points in 2016, but his campaign believes the state could be in play next year [AP]. EconomyParts of the U.S. are already feeling the effects of an economic slowdown, which could hurt President Trump's 2020 re-election bid [Bloomberg]. For your radarPurdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, filed for bankruptcy on Sunday [NYT]. BUSINESS HEADLINES
Policy NewsRomney supports president's decision on capital gainsU.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) commended President Trump's decision this week not to lower capital gains taxes by indexing gains to inflation. Salt Lake Chamber honors business and community leaders The Salt Lake Chamber has announced the honorees for the 2019 Salt Lake Chamber Annual Meeting. CYBER24 episode 50: What we learned from the two biggest hacker conventions Every year, two of the biggest cybersecurity conventions in the world are held simultaneously in Las Vegas. Professionals dedicated to protecting companies and consumers rub shoulders with hackers. To get the inside scoop, we sent two members of our rotating panel of experts to soak it all in. More National Headlines
ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY1620 - The Mayflower left Plymouth, England, with 102 passengers, bound for America. 1630 - The Massachusetts village of Shawmut changed its name to Boston. 1908 - The General Motors Corporation is founded. 1974 - President Gerald Ford offered conditional amnesty to Vietnam draft evaders. He said they could return to the United States if they performed up to two years of public service. 2008 - The federal government announced an emergency $85 billion loan to rescue AIG, the world's largest insurance company. Wise WordsTruth "Truth is ever to be found in simplicity, and not in the multiplicity and confusion of things."Isaac Newton Lighter SideHistorical "There were three women onstage. And of course, if any of these women are elected, it would be historic. And if Bernie or Biden were to win, it would be prehistoric."- JIMMY KIMMEL Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |