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Daily Briefing

Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 306th day of the year. There are 59 days remaining in 2017.

The clock:

5 days until the 2017 election (11/7/2017)81 days until the opening day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (1/22/2018)126 days until the final day of the 2018 Utah Legislature (3/8/2018)369 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018)1,097 days until the 2020 presidential election (11/3/2020)

Today's political TL; DR -

SCOOP: The Utah GOP is dropping the lawsuit over the SB54 compromise. Party leaders made the decision on Wednesday night, saying the continuing cost is too much [Utah Policy].
A reporter overhears Rep. Mia Love saying Sen. Orrin Hatch will retire next year. Hatch's office hits back hard at Love [Utah Policy].
The feds approve a $100 million Medicaid waiver for Utah that will cover between 4,000 and 6,000 Utahns. The money includes $10 million that will go toward Operation Rio Grande [Utah Policy, Deseret News, Tribune].
The groups behind several proposed ballot initiatives in 2018 have raised more than $1.3 million in total this year [Tribune].
The Provo Municipal Council is preparing to appoint an interim mayor should John Curtis win Tuesday's special congressional election [Daily Herald].
A state audit finds a special service district in Uintah County violated open meetings laws [Deseret News, Tribune].
The UHP says some charter schools are using school buses that don't meet safety standards [Tribune].
Arches National Park will use a new system requiring reservations for visitors, which they hope will cut down on overcrowding [Tribune].
Federal prosecutors reduce their case against former UTA board member Terry Deihl to just one charge [Deseret News, Tribune].

National headlines:

House Republicans are set to release their tax reform proposal on Thursday. However, it's not clear whether the plan to cut corporate taxes will be temporary or permanent [Politico].
Republicans plan to reduce the maximum tax-free contributions to 401(k) plans by about half. The plan also has a reduction in state and local tax deductions [ABC News].
President Donald Trump's super PAC plans to spend $100 million on ads to sell tax reform to Americans [Politico].
Lawmakers released dozens of ads purchased by Russian troll farms on Facebook and Twitter to sow discord during the 2016 election [New York Times]. Here's what those ads look like [Axios].
The state-owned Russian TV network RT was a top sales prospect for Twitter. The social networking platform offered RT 15% of its total share of election advertising in the U.S. [BuzzFeed].
Former national security adviser Michael Flynn followed some Russian "troll factory" Twitter accounts and pushed out their messages in the month before the 2016 election [Daily Beast].
The notorious Steele dossier that alleged contacts between Russia and the Trump campaign carried a price tag of just $168,000, not the tens of millions that had previously been alleged [Reuters].
Russian hackers didn't just target Hillary Clinton's emails during last year's election. They had crosshairs on hundreds of other targets, including U.S. defense contractors and Russian opposition figures [Associated Press].
President Donald Trump seemed calm during a call with a reporter when asked about the ongoing Russia investigation. "I'm not under investigation, as you know," said Mr. Trump [New York Times].
President Trump seems ready to throw his son-in-law Jared Kushner under the bus for giving him bad advice that led to the appointment of special counsel Robert Mueller. "Jared is the worst political adviser in the White House in modern history," said one Trump confidant [Vanity Fair].
President Donald Trump says the suspect in this week's deadly terror attack in Manhattan should get the death penalty [New York Times].
The suspect in the Manhattan terror attack says he was inspired by ISIS and asked to hang the ISIS flag in his hospital room [CNN].
The global economy should continue growing at a healthy rate in 2018...unless someone does something stupid [Bloomberg].
North Korea is reportedly working on an advanced version of their largest missile that could potentially reach the U.S. mainland [CNN].
The companies bidding to build President Trump's border wall are asking for federal protection to keep cities and states from penalizing them for working on the project [Bloomberg].

On this day in history:

1889 - North Dakota and South Dakota are admitted to the union as the 39th and 40th states.
1920 - KDKA in Pittsburgh starts broadcasting as the first commercial radio station. The first broadcast is the result of the 1920 presidential election.
1947 - Howard Hughes performs the maiden (and only) flight of the Spruce Goose, the largest fixed-wing aircraft ever built.
1959 - Twenty One game show contestant Charles Van Doren admits to a Congressional committee he had been given questions and answers in advance.
1962 - President John F. Kennedy announced that Soviet missile bases in Cuba were being dismantled.
1983 - President Ronald Reagan signs a bill creating Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Today At Utah Policy

Utah GOP leaders decide to end lawsuit over SB54 By Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick The Utah GOP is dropping their expensive lawsuit against the SB54 compromise....

Feds approve Utah's Medicaid waiver By Press Release The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced its approval of a 2016 request from the state of Utah to expand Medicaid services to 4,000 - 6,000 Utah adults without dependent children....

Mia Love says Hatch is retiring, Hatch's office says not so fast By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Rep. Mia Love was overheard by a reporter in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday saying this would be Sen. Orrin Hatch's last term, but Hatch's office quickly poured cold water on that idea....

Weekly survey: Who will win the CD3 special election? By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Time to call your shot! Who will win next week's special election in CD3? Let us know your prediction in our weekly survey....

Policy News

Westminster hosts discussion on civility in politics and public life with local leaders Westminster College hosts a discussion entitled "Civility in Politics and Public Life" with Utah Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox (Republican) and Salt Lake County Mayor and candidate for Utah's 4th Congressional District Ben McAdams (Democrat) on November 2, at 7 p.m., in the Viev...

Office of the State Auditor releases review of Morgan County internal controls The Office of the State Auditor officially released its Review of Morgan County Internal Controls. The Office identified four findings with associated recommendations which are detailed in the report....

Office of the State Auditor releases audit of the Uintah Transportation Special Service District The Office of the State Auditor officially released its Audit of the Uintah Transportation Special Service District. The Office identified eight findings with associated recommendations which are detailed in the report....

Reince Priebus joins Michael Best as President & Chief Strategist Former White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus is returning to Michael Best & Friedrich LLP as President and Chief Strategist and Chair of the Board of Advisors for Michael Best Strategies LLC, the firm's government relations and public affairs group....

25th anniversary of the Utah Freedom of Information Hotline The law firm of Parr Brown Gee & Loveless is pleased to announce the 25th anniversary of the Utah Freedom of Information Hotline a firm-sponsored pro bono service that provides free legal assistance to Utah journalists and members of the public seeking ac...

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Editorial: The best bad news about Medicaid in Utah

UHP says buses used by some charter and private Utah schools fall short of safety standards

Championing 'American energy dominance,' feds to scrap master plans for leasing public lands

Want to go to Arches? You may soon need a reservation, under a new Park Service plan.

Most Utahns say a baker with a religious objection shouldn't have to sell a wedding cake to a same-sex couple

Case against ex-UTA board member Terry Diehl keeps changing, right up to eve of trial

Feds approve Utah Medicaid waiver, which will help Operation Rio Grande by expanding drug treatment

State auditor: Special district in Uintah County violates open meetings laws

From raising taxes for schools to legalizing medical pot, Utah ballot initiatives rake in more than $500K in October

Utah Republicans to drop lawsuit over SB54 law on picking candidates; right wing says it may oust state GOP chairman

Deseret News

Op-ed: San Juan drought has morphed from economic issue to one of public safety

Natalie Gochnour: Dispatches from Jordan to Israel, pt. 4: Western Wall blessing for our governor

Editorial: US must defend the integrity of democratic processes

More Utah high school seniors drinking alcohol, report shows

Feds approve $100M Medicaid waiver for Utah's most needy

Audit: Uintah County special district violated open meeting laws, lacked controls over spending

State GOP chairman says party dropping SB54 lawsuit

Other

Ogden's Polk school at heart of debate over $106.5 million bond proposal (Standard-Examiner)

National Headlines

The Democratic Civil War Is Getting Nasty, Even if No One Is Paying Attention (New Yorker)

Pelosi moves to muzzle Trump impeachment talk (Politico)

Panic Hits Hollywood and Media Elite: Which Harasser Will Be Outed Next? (Hollywood Reporter)

DNC: White men shouldn't apply for tech jobs (FOX News)

Republicans race to finish tax bill as pressure mounts (The Hill)

CIA Releases Hundreds of Thousands of Documents from Osama bin Laden (Weekly Standard)

Uzbek man charged in New York attack said he 'felt good' about what he did (Reuters)

Argentina mourns death of five of its citizens in New York attack (Reuters)

Who Is Jerome Powell, Trump's Likely Pick for Fed Chair? (Fortune)

Trump kills class-action rule against banks, lightening Wall Street regulation (Reuters)

Ex-Yahoo chief, Equifax execs to testify before Senate panel (The Hill)

Wise Words

Learning

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." Benjamin Franklin

Lighter Side

No. 6

"A fast food restaurant in Australia is celebrating Halloween by offering a hamburger in a blue bun, sprinkled with real ants and worms. Or as Arby's calls that, "The No. 6." Conan O'Brien

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