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Situational awareness - September 18, 2018

Good Tuesday morning from Salt Lake City.

Utahns still hold a negative opinion of President Trump. Stewart and Ghorbani debate. Brett Kavanaugh and the woman who accused him of sexual assault will testify next week.

  TICK TOCK   

21 days until the last day to register to vote by mail (10/9/2018)
28 days until mail-in ballots are sent to voters (10/16/2018)
35 days until in-person early voting begins (10/23/2018)
42 days until the last day to register to vote in person or by mail (10/30/2018)
44 days until in-person early voting ends (11/2/2018)
49 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
132 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019)
179 days until the final day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (3/14/2019)
777 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Today At Utah Policy

Still not Trump country. A majority of Utahns disapprove of President Trump's job performance
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Republican President Donald Trump remains unpopular in Utah, a new UtahPolicy.com poll shows....Stewart, Ghorbani deliver a mostly solid debate performance despite a few stumbles
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Unfortunately, the lasting impact from Monday night's 2nd Congressional District debate will be the disheveled man who rushed the stage and yelled "vaccines cause autism" into Rep. Chris Stewart's microphone....Hatch says Kavanaugh accuser is 'mistaken'
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Sen. Orrin Hatch says he spoke with Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh on Monday about the allegation he sexually assaulted a woman more than 30 years ago. Hatch said the woman must be "mistaken" about the claims....Podcast: Interview with Rep. John Curtis
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Rep. John Curtis joins Managing Editor Bryan Schott to discuss the news that Paul Manafort has agreed to cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller....

  OTHER UTAH HEADLINES   

Salt Lake Tribune

Editorial: Finally, a deal to upgrade our national parks

Utah Valley University has thousands more students than the University of Utah. But the Orem school's new president says it won't start requiring higher test scores or grades: 'Come as you are.'

LDS Church releases new memo warning of legal risks from medical marijuana initiative

Sen. Hatch says Christine Blasey Ford is 'mistaken' in accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of assault

LDS Church calls on Legislature to legalize medical pot this year - a move that some suspect is aimed at defeating ballot measur

Rep. Chris Stewart touts economy under Trump at debate while Democrat challenger Shireen Ghorbani says president is greatest threat to national security

Deseret News

Editorial: Competitive pay for teachers must be part of a broad vision for Utah schools

Orrin Hatch said he believes Brett Kavanaugh, calls accuser 'mistaken'

Ghorbani suggests Trump is biggest threat to national security, Stewart says it's China

Chris Stewart, Shireen Ghorbani to kick off Utah political debate season

Trains, tunnels still 'on the table' for Cottonwood canyon transportation, officials say

New poll says Utahns split on how church position on medical marijuana initiative would affect their vote

Other

Weber County Democrats express optimism in House races, but Republicans aren't daunted (Standard-Examiner)

Providence passes on water rate tier changes despite Utah legislator's argument (Logan Herald Journal)

 

  NATIONAL HEADLINES  

Kavanaugh nomination - Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the woman who alleges he sexually assaulted her, will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday - https://nyti.ms/2PMmbYD...Republican leaders are working feverishly behind the scenes to salvage Kavanaugh's nomination - https://politi.co/2PNaAZC. ..The White House plans to use women who will attest to Kavanaugh's character in their defense of Kavanaugh - https://cnn.it/2PKeTEY...The White House has not asked the FBI to review the allegations of sexual assault made against Kavanaugh - https://bloom.bg/2PNBctz. ..Christine Blasey Ford feared attacks from Kavanaugh's defenders if she came forward with her allegations - https://bayareane.ws/2PKf7Mk

The sentencing for former national security adviser Michael Flynn for lying to investigators about his contacts with Russians is set for after the midterm elections - https://cnn.it/2PHRl3x
President Trump's legal team, which includes nearly a dozen lawyers, is essentially operating in the dark when it comes to the special counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election - https://nyti.ms/2PGkRqi

An internal Republican National Committee poll suggests Trump voters may not go to the polls in November because they don't believe Democrats may take control of one or both houses of Congress. GOP officials are worried that complacency could cost Republicans big in November - https://bloom.bg/2PLBCk1
Ready for 2020? An analysis finds more than 10,000 television ads related to the 2020 presidential election have already aired on broadcast and cable channels this year. More than half have aired in Iowa - https://dmreg.co/2PNEH3b

President Trump said the U.S. would impose an additional $200 million in tariffs on Chinese goods and is willing to tax all imports from China, escalating the trade war between the two companies - https://nyti.ms/2PHShVB
The Trump administration announced plans to cap the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. at 30,000, which is the lowest ceiling a president has placed on the program since it was established in 1980 - https://nyti.ms/2PLQQWi
FEMA administrator Brock Long is facing a possible criminal probe related to his use of government vehicles following an internal investigation - https://wapo.st/2PLDoS3
The Senate passed a package of bills aimed at curbing the nation's opioid epidemic. Only Sen. Mike Lee cast a dissenting vote - https://wapo.st/2PLRC5E
The Trump administration promised the new tax law passed at the end of 2017 would result in American companies bringing nearly $5 trillion in foreign profits back into the U.S. The amount of cash that has flown back into the country is just 3.5% what the president predicted - https://thebea.st/2PJHt9g
South Korean leader Moon Jae-in arrived in Pyongyang Tuesday for a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un - https://cnn.it/2PIcjiP

  ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY  

1679 - The Province of New Hampshire is separated from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
1793 - The first cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol is laid by George Washington.
1850 - Congress passes the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850.
1851 - First publication of The New-York Daily Times, which later becomes The New York Times.
1870 - Old Faithful Geyser is observed and named by Henry D. Washburn.
1947 - The National Security Council and the Central Intelligence Agency are established by the National Security Act. It also establishes the Air Force as an equal branch of the military.
1948 - Margaret Chase Smith of Maine becomes the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate without completing another senator's term.
1961 - U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold dies in an airplane crash while attempting to negotiate peace in what is now Zambia.
1970 - Rock star Jimi Hendrix died at the age of 27 following a drug overdose in London.
2001 - Letters were mailed containing anthrax spores to several news media organizations and to Democratic Senators Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy. The attacks killed 5 people and infected 17 others.

Policy News

Hatch, Lankford introduce legislation to improve guidance issued by the CFPB
US Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and James Lankford (R-OK) introduced the Give Useful Information to Define Effective Compliance Act (GUIDE Compliance Act). The GUIDE Compliance Act (S. 3443) would enhance transparency and predictability...CYBER24 Episode 27: Have you been victimized by a breach?
Every time you hear about another data breach with exposing personal information on thousands of people you may wonder if your name is on that list now floating around the dark web....Fox files: 'Spirit of service'
Like many of you, I've been deeply concerned about the fires in Southern Utah County, Juab County, Tooele, and Southern Salt Lake County this weekend....

More National Headlines

Lisa Page bombshell: FBI couldn't prove Trump-Russia collusion before Mueller appointment (The Hill)

Emmys host Michael Che: 'The only white people that thank Jesus are Republicans and ex-crackheads' (Washington Times)

Lawyer for Kavanaugh accuser downplayed sexual misconduct allegations against Clinton, Franken (FOX News)

Joe Biden: 'Dregs of society' support Donald Trump (Washington Times)

'I'm Assuming I'm Not Going to Get an Answer': Ocasio-Cortez Pressed on $40T Policy Plan (FOX News)

Pennsylvania man accused of threatening Trump, Palin may be on the run in Ohio, officials say (FOX News)

Senate passes bipartisan opioid package (CNN)

Trump orders documents relating to Russia investigation, Carter Page FISA warrant declassified (CNN)

Wall Street Salaries Continue to Soar (Wall Street Journal)

IBM sued for age discrimination after thousands fired (CBS News)

Feds approve Cigna-Express Scripts mega-merger (Politico)

Wise Words

Road to Success

"The road to success is always under construction." Arnold Palmer

 

Lighter Side

New Book

"Journalist Bob Woodward's new book detailing life within the Trump administration sold more than 750,000 copies in its first day of release. I guess it was pretty smart of him to call the book "Harry Potter and the Toupee of Doom."" Seth Meyers

 

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