Utah fends off one billion cyberattacks per day. Your Monday morning political briefing from UtahPolicy.com

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Situational awareness - July 2, 2018

Good Monday morning from Salt Lake City. Thanks for starting your week with us.

Utahns don't agree with Trump that the media is an "enemy of the people." Utah is fending off one billion cyberattacks per day. Trump may meet with Kim Jong Un in NYC in September.

  CAPTION CONTEST WINNERS!  

We asked you for your best captions for this picture of House Speaker Greg Hughes meeting with Gov. Gary Herbert at the Governor's mansion. Below are some of the best entries.

What is Greg Hughes thinking? Republicans know there is nothing worse than wearing a TAN SUIT! - Natalie Gordon Greg: "And then I told Trump that he should just go ahead and meet with Kim Jong Un." - Todd Weiler "If Lee goes to SCOTUS, I'd make a great senator. Just sayin'." - Mark Steele "Welcome to my house, Governor." "But this is the governor's mansion?!" "I know." - Brian Allen "Governor I thought you said Mitt would be here" - Todd Koury "No one else was in the room where it happened, the room where it happened, the room where it happened..." - Samuel Dixon "Governor, the Democrats are still fielding candidates for office this year. Should we try to convince them we still have a two-party system?" - Michael Davison "Tell me about the rabbits, Guv." - Erin Finney 

  TICK TOCK   

127 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018) 210 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019) 855 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

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Got a confidential news tip? You can reach me via encrypted, secure email at bryanschott@protonmail.com.

  HERE ARE THE STORIES WE'RE WATCHING TODAY  

The role of the news media

A new UtahPolicy.com survey finds most Utahns do not agree with President Trump's assertion that the press is an "enemy of the people." However, they do think the media is biased against conservatives - http://bit.ly/2tY26pd

Utah is rolling in cash

Utah's tax revenue is up nearly 10% over last year, which is another sign the economy is booming - http://bit.ly/2NhCgFj

Election hacking

Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox says Utah's online systems have seen a dramatic increase in hacking attempts since Mitt Romney jumped into the race, peaking at one billion attacks per day - http://bit.ly/2lPjhFS

Listen to the podcast of our entire conversation with Cox where he discusses his social media reaction to the family separations on the US-Mexico border, his political future, and election security. Also, he sings "Luck Be a Lady Tonight" - http://bit.ly/2z8acRI

Political protest, or rude behavior

Our "Political Insiders" weigh in on whether it was proper for a restaurant to kick out Sarah Huckabee Sanders over political differences - http://bit.ly/2NgBKHP

  OTHER UTAH HEADLINES   

Sen. Mike Lee says he's discussed the Supreme Court opening with the White House [Associated Press].
Opponents of the ballot initiative to legalize medical cannabis ask for an emergency injunction to block the measure from November's ballot [Tribune].
Elections officials update voting totals as mail-in ballots continue to roll in [Deseret News].
Utahns rally in Salt Lake City to protest the mistreatment of immigrants on the southern border [Deseret News, Tribune].
Sen. Lee is proposing legislation to open up public lands for affordable housing [Deseret News].
Liberal billionaire Tom Steyer stopped in Salt Lake City on Friday to promote his effort to impeach President Trump [Tribune].

  NATIONAL HEADLINES  

Breaking! President Trump's longtime personal lawyer spoke with ABC's George Stephanopoulos on Monday morning. He signaled he might be willing to work with special counsel Robert Mueller and federal prosecutors [Good Morning America].
President Trump personally ordered the drafting of a bill that would abandon World Trade Organization rules and allow him to raise tariffs at will without congressional consent [Axios].
The president may hold round two of talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in New York City in September [Axios].
Republican Sen. Susan Collins says she would not vote for a Supreme Court nominee who would overturn Roe v. Wade [New York Times].
President Donald Trump predicts a "vicious" fight over the Supreme Court vacancy [ABC News].
If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, as many as 17 states would effectively ban abortion almost immediately [Los Angeles Times].
National security adviser John Bolton says North Korea could give up their nuclear arsenal in a year [New York Times]. However, it looks like North Korea has no intention of doing so, despite promises they would denuclearize [Washington Post].
Democrats appear to be embracing abolishing ICE as a campaign issue [The Hill].
The White House is reviewing how a comedian was able to pose as a U.S. Senator and speak with President Trump via telephone while he was on Air Force One [ABC News].
Leftist Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador was elected president of Mexico in a landslide on Sunday [New York Times].
LeBron James inked a 4-year $154 million deal to play for the Los Angeles Lakers [New York Times].

  ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY   

1776 - The Continental Congress adopts a resolution severing ties with Great Britain although the wording of the formal Declaration of Independence is not published until July 4.
1788 - It was announced in Congress that the new Constitution had been ratified by the required nine states, the ninth being New Hampshire.
1881 - Charles Guiteau shoots and fatally wounds President James Garfield (who would die of complications from his wounds on September 19).
1890 - Congress passes the Sherman Antitrust Act.
1937 - Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan are last heard from over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first equatorial round-the-world flight.
1964 - President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
1976 - North and South Vietnam reunited, forming the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and naming Hanoi the capital.
2002 - Steve Fossett becomes the first person to fly solo around the world nonstop in a balloon.

Today At Utah Policy

Donald Trump has called the news media an 'enemy of the people.' Only 8% of Utahns agree with him
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
President Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked the media, often referring to the Fourth Estate as an "enemy of the people." However, only a handful of Utahns agree with him on that point....Utah's tax revenues are up significantly over last year
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
Saturday was the end of the state's fiscal year, and the 11th-month report on revenue collections by the Utah State Tax Commission shows tens of millions of dollars in surplus coming once again....Utah is fending off one billion hacking attempts per day
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox says election security is becoming more critical for Utah, because they've seen a dramatic uptick in the number of attempts to hack the state's systems over the last few weeks, increasing to an incredible one billion attempts per day....Podcast: Interview with Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox joins Bryan Schott to discuss his social media posts, the value of authenticity in politics, and his possible political future....Is kicking someone out of a restaurant an acceptable form of political protest? Our 'Political Insiders' are split along partisan lines
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Social media erupted last week when a top Trump White House official was asked to leave a restaurant because the staff there did not want to serve them. Our "Political Insiders" are split over whether that was an acceptable form of political protest....Salt Lake Chamber and Sen. Lee announce support for S. 3013
By Press release
The Salt Lake Chamber has signed onto the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's coalition letter urging senators to support Sen. Bob Corker's tariff bill, S. 3013, which would require the president to submit to Congress any proposal to raise tariffs in the interest of national security...

Policy News

Curtis examines threat to small business from bad foreign actors, ZTE
Congressman John Curtis, a member of the Small Business Committee, posed several questions in a full committee hearing about the imminent threat posed to America's small businesses by the Chinese telecommunications firm ZTE....Love amendment to address military sexual assault included in House-passed appropriations bill
The House of Representatives passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2019, which provides funding for Department of Defense activities in the coming year. ...Hatch, Grassley introduce bill to strengthen and clarify intent requirements in federal criminal law
Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT), the former Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), the current Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, introduced legislation to clarify and strengthen intent requirements in our federal criminal laws. The problem...

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Connor Boyack: Once autonomous vehicles hit Utah roads, traffic cops could become obsolete

Editorial: Find some common ground on Supreme Court

Utahns would pay millions less in utility bills if PacifiCorp used wind and solar instead of coal-fired power, environmentalists say

Liberal billionaire brings national drive to impeach President Donald Trump to Utah

To help people overcome the 'lifelong struggle' of addiction, Salt Lake County is putting people to work

President Trump calls Sen. Mike Lee an 'outstanding talent'; Lee says White House is talking to him about Supreme Court vacancy - but won't say if it's looking at him

Saying medical marijuana would do irreparable harm, opponents again try to block initiative from November ballot

Utah man says local governments have blocked him on social media - so he's suing

Support for medical marijuana remains high despite criticism from the Mormon church

Deseret News

Frank Pignanelli & LaVarr Webb: On America's birthday, how's the good old U.S.A. doing?

Op-ed: Finally updating protections for your digital privacy

Editorial: Kennedy's retirement offers Trump a path to uniting his party

Editorial: Dealing a welcome blow to the 'administrative state'

Utah election numbers update as mail-in ballots roll in

Affordable housing on Utah's federal lands? Lee proposes trio of bills

Solving a Salt Lake poverty problem: Addiction recovery center creates employment program

'Just what we need': Utah gets electric vehicle corridor along I-15, more than 350 charging stations statewide

Massive natural gas project promising $1 billion for Utah delayed

Report: Utah the 6th best state for child wellness, ranks at top in 'family and community' metric

Other

Utah businesses uncertain about future with China tariffs, but hopeful (Daily Herald)

Weber Co.'s Hispanic population up, outpaces white growth rate (Standard-Examiner)

National Headlines

A bad week for Democrats gives rise to a big problem: Outrage could become an obstacle in midterms (Washington Post)

The Left needs to face reality: Trump is winning (New York Post)

Mexico's Lopez Obrador Wins Presidential Vote as Rivals Concede (Bloomberg)

Obama tells Democrats: We lost because 'people were so focused on me' (Washington Examiner)

Ocasio-Cortez discusses 'Democratic Socialist' label (Politico)

House Democratic leadership may be up for grabs after Crowley's loss (NBC News)

Trump: Harley-Davidson will take 'big hit' (Politico)

Trump Cites Car-Tariff Threat as Biggest Trade Leverage (Wall Street Journal)

Barbs for Bezos but Bill Gates largely admired in Seattle (Associated Press)

Seattle becomes first major U.S. city to ban straws (Washington Post)

The $6.3 trillion debt binge: American companies have never owed this much (CNNMoney)

Wise Words

USA

"If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a nation gone under." Ronald Reagan

Lighter Side

Pick a Judge

"Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced he's retiring, which means President Trump will pick his replacement. When asked which judge he'll choose, Trump said either Adam Levine or Blake Shelton." Jimmy Fallon

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