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Situational awareness - September 17, 2018

Good Monday morning from Salt Lake City.

Happy Constitution Day! 231 years ago the Constitution was signed by a majority of the delegates to the Continental Congress.

Is the LDS Church's opposition to Prop. 2 swaying voters? Will Mia Love's attacks on Ben McAdams backfire? Sexual assault allegations roiling Kavanaugh's nomination. 

  TICK TOCK   

22 days until the last day to register to vote by mail (10/9/2018)
29 days until mail-in ballots are sent to voters (10/16/2018)
36 days until in-person early voting begins (10/23/2018)
43 days until the last day to register to vote in person or by mail (10/30/2018)
45 days until in-person early voting ends (11/2/2018)
50 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)
133 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019)
180 days until the final day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (3/14/2019)
778 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Today At Utah Policy

Poll shows LDS Church opposition to Prop. 2 is causing more Utahns to vote against the initiative than for it
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
By a bare plurality, the LDS Church's opposition to the medical marijuana initiative on November's ballot makes more Utahns likely to vote "no" than to vote "yes," a new UtahPolicy.com poll shows....Analysis: Love is taking a big risk with ads attacking McAdams
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
Editor's note: The following is another in a series of analysis stories based on UtahPolicy.com's exclusive polling in the close 4thCongressional District contest between Republican incumbent Mia Love and Democratic challenger Ben McAdams....ProPublica's User's Guide to Democracy: Political Advertising
By Cynthia Gordy Giwa, ProPublica
Who's ready to become a smarter, more engaged, more empowered voter?!...Where does the Love/McAdams race really stand? Our 'Political Insiders" give us their best guesses
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Nobody knows where the hotly contested 4th CD race between Mia Love and Ben McAdams really stands. UtahPolicy.com's most recent survey gives Love a 3-point lead. An internal poll from Love's campaign puts her edge at 9-points, while McAdams' own polling says the race is a 2-...CSG West presents Fahrenkamp Award to Utah Senator Ralph Okerlund
By Press release
On Thursday, Sept. 13, The Council of State Governments West, or CSG West, at its 71st annual meeting in Snowbird, Utah, awarded the Bettye Fahrenkamp Award for Distinguished Legislative Leadership on Behalf of Western States to Utah state Sen. Ralph Okerlund. ...Guest opinion: Dems worship diversity -- but not in the case of Mia Love
By Jared Whitley
When I'm in town, I like to use the Salt Lake County Rec Center system. The facilities are nice, conveniently located, and patronized by so many old timers that the pool water is super warm....

  OTHER UTAH HEADLINES   

Salt Lake Tribune

Editorial: Love's campaign funds problem not just a bookkeeping error

Utah is putting more cougars in the crosshairs - and not even all hunters like the idea

EnergySolutions says it can easily and safely bury military's depleted uranium, but Utah foes want study completed first

Sen. Mike Lee a possible replacement for Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions? Nah, he says, I have a job.

Sen. Hatch condemns Democrats for raising last-minute allegation against Supreme Court nominee

Can the Board of Education be partisan? Utah Supreme Court justices call state's argument 'thin' and 'almost nonsensical', but acknowledge ambiguity in the law

Utah's medical marijuana campaign kicks off with a 'tailwind of support'

With small arts groups booming, Salt Lake County may rethink how it gives them millions in funding

Old secrets emerge: After 9/11 attacks, 2002 Olympics considered banning spectators; many countries balked at sending athletes

Deseret News

Pignanelli and Webb: Some legislative and county races worth watching

Op-ed: Don't expand Medicaid on the backs of the disabled and elderly

Op-ed: Can Utah's churches do more for the state corrections system?

Senate hopeful Jenny Wilson says Mitt Romney an 'absent candidate'

Partisan State School Board elections? Utah Supreme Court weighing constitutionality

Bad weather or bad luck could be enough to delay closure of Salt Lake homeless shelter

Salt Lake County Council members join calls for port board transparency

'Reason to be hopeful' homes will be spared in Utah County fire, Gov. Gary Herbert says

Love, McAdams congressional race taking 'negative tone'

Church leaders want Utah Legislature to legalize medical marijuana by year's end

 

  NATIONAL HEADLINES  

Kavanaugh nomination - Christine Ford, the writer of the confidential letter alleging Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her more than three decades ago came forward publicly, offering her version of events and therapists notes from 2012 - https://wapo.st/2NNhmkC...Two GOP senators are calling for a delay in a planned committee vote on Kavanaugh's nomination until the woman's claims can be investigated - https://wapo.st/2NQCx5a. ..The White House is pulling out all the stops to keep Kavanaugh's nomination alive, casting doubt on Ford's credibility - https://politi.co/2NPrQ2P...Congressional Republicans are planning on playing hardball with Democrats to ram Kavanaugh's confirmation to the court through before the midterm elections - http://bit.ly/2NQfqb3
Republican pollsters say the biggest issue driving voters during the 2018 midterms will be how they feel about President Trump. They're warning that a majority of the electorate, including a big chunk of Republican-leaning voters, are not happy with Trump, which could spell trouble for Republicans in November - http://bit.ly/2Ov3vN4
Tropical depression Florence is still dumping rain on the Carolinas. Emergency officials are worried it will lead to more flooding and landslides - https://wapo.st/2OqpFjo...Only a small percentage of homeowners affected by Florence have flood insurance that could help offset the costs of rebuilding - https://usat.ly/2OskaRj
President Trump is "likely" to announce another $200 billion in tariffs on China as early as Monday morning according to sources inside the Trump administration - https://reut.rs/2OvRcQH
Turnout for primary elections for both parties was up in 2018, but Democrats had a decided numbers advantage - http://bit.ly/2OvsLCQ
Congress plans to punt some of the most contentious issues, including funding for President Trump's proposed border wall, until after the 2018 midterms - http://bit.ly/2OqkvUp
  Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg may run for president in 2020 as a Democrat. His policies as mayor could cause him some problems with voters - https://nyti.ms/2OurSuf

Marc Benioff, the billionaire founder of Salesforce, purchased Time Magazine for $190 million in cash - https://nyti.ms/2OvsnEo
President Trump's attacks on the media are fueling a surge in enrollment at journalism schools - https://wapo.st/2Ou5KQB

  ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY  

1630 - The city of Boston, Massachusetts is founded.
1787 - The U.S. Constitution is signed in Philadelphia.
1849 - Abolitionist Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery.
1862 - Civil War: Union forces led by Gen. George McClellan attacked Confederate troops led by Gen. Robert E. Lee near Antietam Creek in Maryland. McClellan blocked Lee's advance on Washington but fell short of victory.
1939 - Soviet troops invaded Poland, 16 days after Nazi Germany moved into the country.
1954 - Lord of the Flies by William Golding is first published.
1976 - NASA unveiled the first space shuttle, the Enterprise.
1978 - The Camp David Accords are signed by Israel and Egypt.

Policy News

Lyft and the University of Utah form rideshare partnership
With Utah football in full swing, the fastest growing rideshare company in the U.S. and the state's flagship university are partnering to help fans more conveniently travel to and from the game....Federal funding nearly doubled to accelerate completion of Utah's largest water resource project
Last week an amendment that secures $15 Million dollars for the Central Utah Project, Utah's largest and most comprehensive water resource development program, passed through Congress, led by Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah).  ...WTC Utah commemorates Sept. 11 with day of service and remembrance
World Trade Center Utah participated in the Sept. 11th National Day of Service and Remembrance by volunteering at the Utah Food Bank....

More National Headlines

Democrats have already won by leaking this accusation against Brett Kavanaugh, even if they can't keep him off the Supreme Court (Washington Examiner)

The Legal Advisor for Kavanaugh's Accuser Is a Big Time Democratic Donor, Thinks People Who Work for Trump Are 'Miscreants' (Townhall)

Michael Moore believes 'evil genius' Trump will be a two-term president (CNN)

Ocasio-Cortez defends $40 trillion price tag for progressive proposals (CNN)

Al Gore's claim about Hurricane Florence doused by scientists (Washington Times)

'Democratic socialist' Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is slammed for being a 'hypocrite' after wearing a $3,500 outfit to pose for a magazine shoot (Daily Mail)

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos's new $2 billion philanthropic fund faces many unanswered questions (CNBC)

Elon Musk's Chicago Tunnel: A Breakthrough or a Pipe Dream? (New York Times)

Anti-capitalism group targets French banks a decade after Lehman Brothers demise (Reuters)

Woman Denied Service at Florida Taco Bell Because She Can't Speak Spanish (Epoch Times)

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon: 'I Shouldn't Have' Made Comments About Donald Trump (HuffPost)

Wise Words

Make it Happen

"Some people dream of success, while other people get up every morning and make it happen." Wayne Huizenga

 

Lighter Side

Vaping

"The FDA is said to be cracking down on teenage vaping. Vaping for those who don't know is the reason your Uber smells like pineapple turpentine whenever you get in it." Jimmy Kimmel

 

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