Ben McAdams. Mia Love. Medical marijuana. Investigating the investigators. Donald Trump. Your Monday morning political news roundup from UtahPolicy.com

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Situational awareness - May 21, 2018

Good Monday morning from Salt Lake City.

McAdams says Love is an "empty seat." Utah's job growth is best in the nation. Trump demands an investigation into whether the FBI spied on his campaign.

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  TICK TOCK  

8 days until the last day to register to vote by mail for the 2018 primary election (5/29/2018) 9 days until the last day to change your party affiliation before the primary election (5/30/2018) 15 days until primary election mail-in ballots are sent to voters (6/5/2018) 22 days until in-person early primary voting begins (6/12/2018) 29 days until the final day to register to vote online or in person before the primary election (6/19/2018) 32 days until in-person early primary voting ends (6/22/2018) 36 days until the 2018 Primary Election (6/26/2018) 169 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018) 252 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019) 897 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

  PODCASTS  

Subscribe to the award-winning "Bernick and Schott on politics" podcast, Utah's longest-running political podcast. Hosts Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick have more than 60 years of combined experience covering Utah politics. Plus, you'll get long-form interviews with Utah newsmakers. Subscribe (and leave a review) using iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher.

  HERE ARE THE STORIES WE'RE WATCHING TODAY  

McAdams vs. Love

Democratic 4th CD candidate Ben McAdams has some harsh criticism of his Republican opponent, Mia Love, calling her an "empty seat" who is not listening to the needs of her constituents. He says Love's attempts to link him to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi are "rote partisan attacks" designed to scare people into voting for her [Utah Policy].

You can listen to the podcast of our conversation with McAdams here.

Ballot fight

Our "Political Insiders" expect the efforts to block medical marijuana and Count My Vote from the November ballot to fail [Utah Policy].

Roaring economy

Utah's job growth was tops in the nation in April, adding 49,000 jobs to the economy [Utah Policy].

  OTHER UTAH HEADLINES  

Talks between Gov. Gary Herbert and Salt Lake City officials over changes to a controversial inland port bill break down just days before Herbert was set to call a special session on the issue [Deseret News, Tribune]. 
Opponents of the medical marijuana ballot initiative filed a lawsuit on Friday to block the proposal from reaching the November ballot [Deseret News, Tribune].
The Utah GOP Central Committee ousted several minority and female members of the group at their quarterly meeting. They also chose Kera Birkeland as the party's new vice-chair [Tribune].
Payroll fraud is so widespread in Utah's construction industry that legitimate companies are having a hard time competing [Tribune].
North Logan mayor John Bailey is taking a leave of absence to undergo cancer treatment [Associated Press].

  NATIONAL HEADLINES  

President Trump demands the DOJ investigate whether the FBI spied on his campaign during the 2016 election. Instead, the DOJ asked its inspector general to determine whether there was a political motivation for the FBI investigation into ties between Russia and the Trump campaign [Washington Post]. The FBI informant was sent to talk to Trump campaign advisors after law enforcement received evidence of suspicious contacts between the Trump campaign and Russia [New York Times].
Rudy Giuliani, President Trump's lawyer for the Russia investigation, says special counsel Robert Mueller is hoping to wrap up his investigation into whether Trump obstructed justice by September [New York Times].
Longtime Donald Trump confidante Roger Stone says he's prepared to be indicted by special counsel Robert Mueller [NBC News]. Stone also suggests Trump may not run for re-election in 2020 [Washington Examiner].
President Trump is reportedly getting cold feet about his planned meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Trump is worried the meeting could turn into a political embarrassment and is pressing advisors on whether he should proceed [New York Times].
The U.S. and China agree to put their brewing trade war on hold to work on a larger trade deal [Reuters]. Critics say Trump is giving up the farm and not getting anything in return in the trade talks with China [New York Times].
Congress is not keen to approve President Trump's plan to claw back $15 billion in spending from the $1.3 trillion omnibus bill [The Hill].
Before the 2016 election, Donald Trump Jr. and other Trump campaign officials met with a group from Middle East countries who offered to help the Trump team win the matchup against Hillary Clinton [New York Times].
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will discuss the Trump administration's plan for dealing with Iran now that the U.S. has withdrawn from the nuclear deal with that country [CNN].
Rumors that Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy will retire after the current term are shifting into overdrive [The Hill].
The average price of a gallon of gas jumps to $3 per gallon [Yahoo].

  ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY  

1832 - The first Democratic Party national convention convened in Baltimore.
1856 - Lawrence, Kansas, was burned by pro-slavery forces.
1881 - The American Red Cross is established by Clara Barton in Washington, D.C.
1904 - The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) is founded in Paris.
1927 - Charles Lindbergh touches down at Le Bourget Field in Paris, completing the world's first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean.
1932 - Bad weather forces Amelia Earhart to land in a pasture in Derry, Northern Ireland, and she thereby becomes the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
1934 - Oskaloosa, Iowa, becomes the first municipality in the U.S. to fingerprint all of its citizens.
1961 - Civil rights movement: Alabama Governor John Patterson declares martial law in an attempt to restore order after race riots break out.
1992 - After 30 years Johnny Carson hosted his penultimate episode and last featuring guests (Robin Williams and Bette Midler) of The Tonight Show.

Today At Utah Policy

McAdams: Mia Love is an 'empty seat' for Utah By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Democratic congressional candidate Ben McAdams has some harsh words for his Republican opponent Mia Love, saying she's been an "empty seat" in Congress....

Podcast: One-on-one with Ben McAdams By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Ben McAdams, the Democratic nominee for Congress in Utah's 4th CD, says his Republican opponent, Mia Love, is an "empty seat" in Utah's delegation in Washington. ...

'Political Insiders' say efforts to block medical marijuana, Count My Vote from November's ballot should fail By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Opponents of the medical marijuana and "Count My Vote" ballot initiatives each launched an extensive attempt to get Utahns to remove their names from the ballot initiatives to prevent them from reaching the November ballot. Our "Political Insiders" mostly say those efforts s...

Utah's April job growth highest in the US By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Utah added more than 49,000 to the economy in April. that 3.4 percent growth is the highest in the nation. ...

Policy News

Sen. Lee seeks biking access in wilderness areas Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) introduced the Human-Powered Travel in Wilderness Areas Act, a bill that would empower local managers of wilderness areas to decide whether to allow and how to regulate non-motorized travel in wilderness areas....

Hatch, Rubio introduce legislation to promote stability, prosperity in Puerto Rico Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) today introduced S. 2873, the Puerto Rico Economic Empowerment Act of 2018, which would implement recommendations by the Congressional Task Force on Economic Growth in...

Governor Mitt Romney to keynote USTAR's Utah Technology Innovation Summit The Utah Science Technology and Research Initiative announced Governor Mitt Romney will give the keynote address at the Utah Technology Innovation Summit on June 6. ...

2018 Utah Aerospace Pathways graduates announced The Governor's Office of Economic Development is pleased to announce the 2018 graduating class of the Utah Aerospace Pathways program. ...

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Op-ed: Southern Utah environmental group's new aggressive tone isn't going to help its cause

Op-ed: There is a difference between criticism and bigotry

Editorial: Why are these groups so afraid of letting Utah voters decide?

New technologies could help Utahns save water - but are we willing to use them?

Just days before a planned special session to fix Utah's controversial inland port bill, negotiations broke down between governor and Salt Lake mayor

Rep. Mia Love joins the men's team, will play in the congressional baseball game

Payroll fraud is so rampant in Utah's construction industry that legitimate firms say they are being forced out of business

Medical marijuana opponents sue to stop initiative from reaching voters, say state employees would be 'aiding and abetting' lawbreaking

GOP State Central Committee ousts some minorities despite cries of racism, continues civil war over new election law

Deseret News

Frank Pignanelli & LaVarr Webb: What's the future of Utah's newspapers?

Op-ed: Why southern Utah went to court over Grand Staircase-Escalante

Op-ed: A crystal-clear and lofty goal for Utah's education

Op-ed: The road ahead - our homeless population deserves better

Editorial: Utah's Mia Love is right to move immigration legislation forward

Talks stall between Utah governor, Salt Lake mayor on inland port

Lee introduces wilderness biking bill

Medical marijuana opponents sue Lt. Gov Cox's office

Could a ride-hailing/public transit hybrid be the future of commuting?

Other

Editorial: More needed to address Utah's abandoned mines (Daily Herald)

Utah County Republican Women hold fundraiser for primary candidates (Daily Herald)

UTA name change proposal tabled, future status uncertain (Standard-Examiner)

Weber County hires law firms, plans to sue opioid makers, distributors (Standard-Examiner)

Utah Rep. Fawson resigning, sets up special vote among GOPers to replace him (Standard-Examiner)

Several factors to be considered with potential county tax hikes (Park Record)

GOP state Senate candidates sound off on local control, gun violence, affordable housing and more at Park City Q&A (Park Record)

National Headlines

Conway pushes CNN's Stelter to say who he voted for in tense exchange (The Hill)

US, China agree to abandon trade war: Beijing (AFP)

Cambridge professor outed as FBI informant inside Trump campaign (New York Post)

Stopping Robert Mueller to protect us all (The Hill)

Anti-Gun Backlash From School Shooting? Probably Not in Texas (New York Times)

NYU Abu Dhabi blocks journalists from filming John Kerry (Associated Press)

Trump demands Justice Department examine whether it or FBI spied on campaign (CNN)

Texas shooting suspect's choice of guns complicates debate over assault rifles (Chicago Tribune)

Mueller's office reportedly tells Trump lawyer Giuliani that the Russia obstruction probe will wrap up by September (CNBC)

US economic growth may be the Fed's Achilles' heel on its path to higher rates, market watcher says (CNBC)

Trump 'may feel that there's some unfairness going on' with Amazon, says top White House economic adviser (ABC News)

Wise Words

Life

"Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive." Elbert Hubbard

Lighter Side

Anniversaries

"Today [May 17] is the one-year anniversary of the start of Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. President Trump celebrated the way he honors all his anniversaries - he forgot." Jimmy Fallon

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