Misleading robocalls. Count My Vote. Medical marijuana. Michael Cohen. Donald Trump. Friday morning's news roundup from UtahPolicy.com

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Situational awareness - May 4, 2018

Good Friday morning from Salt Lake City. It's Star Wars Day. May the 4th be with you!

A potentially misleading robocall is targeting signers of the Count My Vote initiative. A coalition of organizations are trying to prevent the medical marijuana initiative from reaching November's ballot. The feds were monitoring Michael Cohen's phones.

Twitter is warning all 336 million of its users to change their passwords because of a bug that saved passwords on an unprotected internal log. The issue has been fixed, and the company says there is no evidence passwords have been misused. But, better safe than sorry.

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  TICK TOCK  

25 days until the last day to register to vote by mail for the 2018 primary election (5/29/2018) 26 days until the last day to change your party affiliation before the primary election (5/30/2018) 32 days until primary election mail-in ballots are sent to voters (6/5/2018) 39 days until in-person early primary voting begins (6/12/2018) 46 days until the final day to register to vote online or in person before the primary election (6/19/2018) 49 days until in-person early primary voting ends (6/22/2018) 53 days until the 2018 Primary Election (6/26/2018) 186 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018) 269 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019) 914 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

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  HERE ARE THE STORIES DRIVING TUESDAY  

Dirty political tricks?

The effort to stop Count My Vote from reaching the November ballot now includes a potentially misleading robocall to Utahns who signed the petition, inferring that their signature may have been forged [Utah Policy].

Count My Vote crosses the threshold

It appears that Count My Vote has enough signatures to make the November ballot, but the effort to get Utahns to remove their signatures is ramping up [Utah Policy].

What a week!

Count My Vote. GOP infighting. A new GOP vice-chair. Ben McAdams and Jenny Wilson avoid primary elections. Plus, Rudy Giuliani torpedoes President Donald Trump. Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick run down a tiring week in Utah politics [Utah Policy]

If you want to listen to our award-winning week-in-review on the go, you can download the podcast [Utah Policy].

Recision decision

Bob Bernick says Keep My Voice might be able to stop Count My Vote from making the ballot, but he doesn't think they should [Utah Policy].

Cultural appropriation

LaVarr Webb wonders why more people aren't outraged that Wal Mart is selling fake funeral potatoes [Utah Policy].

  OTHER UTAH HEADLINES  

A group of Utah organizations is hiring paid canvassers to convince people to remove their names from the ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana [Fox 13, Tribune (paywall)].
Democrat Ben McAdams says he won't back Nancy Pelosi for speaker if Democrats take back the House in November, but Republican Mia Love continues to link McAdams to her [Tribune (paywall)].
Rep. Mike Schultz wants to block the "lucrative" severance package for fired UTA head Jerry Benson because he thinks it's improper [Tribune (paywall)].
Utah officials are worried the state's wildfire season could be the worst we've seen since 2012 [Deseret News, Tribune (paywall)].
The Utah Attorney General's office is reviewing the validity of HB244, which would require Grand County to change its form of government [Moab Times-Independent].

  NATIONAL HEADLINES  

NBC News reported on Thursday afternoon that the feds had tapped the phones of Trump Lawyer Michael Cohen. Turns out they were actually monitoring the incoming and outgoing phone calls to specific phone lines, but no recordings were made [CNN].
Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani warns special counsel Robert Mueller to steer clear of Ivanka Trump but says her husband, Jared Kushner, is "disposable" [Huffington Post].
An aide for embattled EPA chief Scott Pruitt has been reportedly shopping an embarrassing story about Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke in order to take media attention off the scandals surrounding Pruitt [Atlantic].
President Trump orders the Pentagon to consider reducing the number of forces they have in South Korea [New York Times].
The White House is warning China about that country's growing military presence in the South China Sea [CNN].
  The House chaplain reversed his decision to step down from that post, saying he felt he was being wrongly forced out by Speaker Paul Ryan. Ryan has backed down and agreed to let the chaplain keep his job [Washington Post].
Special Counsel Robert Mueller is reportedly focusing on links between Trump confidant Roger Stone and a former top official for the Trump campaign [CNBC].
Emmet Flood, President Trump's new lawyer, is a leading candidate to become the White House counsel [Associated Press].
Sinclair Broadcasting is reportedly getting ready to challenge Fox News with an evening block of news and opinion programming that would compete with Fox's primetime lineup [Politico].
The South Carolina Senate has approved a bill that would outlaw virtually all abortions in that state [The State].

  ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY  

1494 - On his second expedition to the New World, Columbus discovered Jamaica.
1776 - Rhode Island becomes the first American colony to renounce allegiance to King George III.
1886 - Haymarket affair: A bomb is thrown at policemen trying to break up a labor rally in Chicago, killing eight and wounding 60. The police open fire into the crowd.
1904 - The United States begins construction of the Panama Canal.
1942 - The Battle of the Coral Sea began. It was a turning point for the Allies in World War II, with Japan losing 39 ships and the United States one.
1953 - Ernest Hemingway wins the Pulitzer Prize for The Old Man and the Sea.
1970 - The Ohio National Guard, sent to Kent State University, opens fire killing four unarmed students and wounding nine others.
1989 - Iran-Contra Affair: Former White House aide Oliver North is convicted of three crimes and acquitted of nine other charges; the conventions are later overturned on appeal.

 

Today At Utah Policy

Dirty tricks? Anti-Count My Vote robocall targeting Utahns who signed the ballot petition (with audio) By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor The group aiming to keep the Count My Vote citizen's initiative from reaching the November ballot are bombarding Utahns who signed the petition with a possibly misleading robocall that suggests their signature may have been forged....

Every day feels like a year - Bernick and Schott on politics Ep. 372 By Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick Count My Vote seemingly qualify for the ballot, but the effort to stop the initiative continues....

Bob Bernick's notebook: Can Keep My Voice stop Count My Vote? By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor Congratulations, Count My Vote....

Walmart's funeral potatoes: A clear case of cultural appropriation By LaVarr Webb, Publisher A recent New York Times story, "Teenager's Chinese Prom Dress Stirs Furor in U.S. . . ." reminded me how outraged I am that Walmart is selling -- and culturally clueless people are buying -- funeral potatoes. Even worse, the garish Walmart packaging does not remotely reflect...

Count My Vote hits the mark for inclusion on November's ballot By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Count My Vote has crossed the threshold to secure a spot on the November ballot....

Podcast: Bernick and Schott on politics Ep. 372 By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Bob Bernick and Bryan Schott discuss the week in Utah politics....

Weekly survey: Mia Love vs. Ben McAdams By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Who do you expect to win the November matchup between Mia Love and Ben McAdams? Vote now in our weekly survey....

Policy News

Casual Friday: Weekend Events & Outdoors Report Weekend EventsOutdoors Report--KSL.com: 3 counties fighting to keep reduced monument boundaries-- KSL.com: Lewis Peak offers nice, early-season hikeConcerts-- "May the Fourth," Taylorsville Symphony, Friday, 7:30 p.m., Bennion Jr. High School Auditorium, 6055 South 2700 West...

Salt Lake Chamber celebrates National Small Business Week Small businesses are the backbone of the U.S. economy. That's why during National Small Business Week, the Salt Lake Chamber is highlighting local businesses on our Building Utah Podcast....

GOED announces 2018 Medical Innovations Pathways graduates The Governor's Office of Economic Development is pleased to announce the 2018 graduating class of the Medical Innovations Pathways program....

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Michelle Quist: If the Utah Legislature wants to do something about pornography, it has to reach to more than just its resolve

Holly Richardson: Faux outrage over a dress undermines the times that call for real outrage

Editorial: Guns are still a problem, and prison may be the only solution

Utah Board of Education creates $1.8M grant program to fight teen suicide, despite worries about secularism and government overreach

House Speaker Paul Ryan to headline dinner honoring Sen. Hatch in Utah

Utah lawmaker says lucrative severance deal for outgoing UTA chief is 'improper,' seeks to block it if he can

Love campaign says if Dems win, so does Pelosi, but McAdams says he wouldn't support the minority leader

Hired canvassers seek to persuade voters to take their name off Utah's medical marijuana ballot initiative

Deseret News

Jay Evensen: As the Chinese prom dress controversy shows, being judgmental can be complicated

Editorial: Putting First Amendment freedoms first builds a nation that will last

Farmington farmer gets city ag protection, but lawyer wonders if it'll stick

Agencies fear Utah may scorch in 2018 fire season

Activists charged with stealing turkey from Moroni plant

Other

Op-ed: Utah's free-range bill allows parents be parents, kids be kids (Standard-Examiner)

Council considers incentives of first project in east Ogden redevelopment plan (Standard-Examiner)

Weber Co. leaders consider change to safeguard rural areas from urbanization (Standard-Examiner)

Policy on climate change difficult, Redd says during town hall (Logan Herald Journal)

National Headlines

Israel and Iran on Path to War as Mideast Tinderbox Awaits Spark (Bloomberg)

Charlie Rose's misconduct was widespread at CBS and three managers were warned, investigation finds (Washington Post)

Pentagon Confirms Chinese Fired Lasers at U.S. Pilots (Free Beacon)

NY Times says online subscriptions, ads are slowing (New York Post)

SC Senate votes to outlaw virtually all abortions in South Carolina (The State)

Sinclair preps to challenge Fox News (Politico)

LGBT Alarm as President Trump Signs 'Religious Liberty' Executive Order (Daily Beast)

Pence: 'There's prayer on a regular basis in this White House' (The Hill)

Arizona teachers head back to school, get pay raise in budget bill that governor signed Thursday (USA Today)

Mnuchin Says U.S., China in 'Very Good Conversation' on Trade (Bloomberg)

Ex-CIA chief says Russian bots fueled Jade Helm conspiracy theories (The Hill)

Wise Words

Courage

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." Lao Tzu

Lighter Side

Trust

"President Trump in an interview. . . . said former FBI director James Comey didn't write the memos detailing their interactions accurately, but whose memory are you going to trust? The guy who wrote everything down immediately, or the guy who had to name his son Donald Jr. so he wouldn't forget it?" Seth Meyers

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