Mike Kennedy. Medical marijuana. Tribune layoffs. Gaza Violence. Mike Pence. Tuesday morning's political news roundup from UtahPolicy.com

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Situational awareness - May 15, 2018

Good Tuesday morning from Salt Lake City.

Mike Kennedy discusses his campaign. Pro-medical marijuana groups fire back at the LDS Church. Mike Pence attempts to step out of Trump's shadow. 

Tiny movie review!

I got to see "Solo: A Star Wars Story" on Monday. Absolutely no spoilers here, but the film is downright terrific!

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  TICK TOCK  

14 days until the last day to register to vote by mail for the 2018 primary election (5/29/2018) 15 days until the last day to change your party affiliation before the primary election (5/30/2018) 21 days until primary election mail-in ballots are sent to voters (6/5/2018) 28 days until in-person early primary voting begins (6/12/2018) 35 days until the final day to register to vote online or in person before the primary election (6/19/2018) 38 days until in-person early primary voting ends (6/22/2018) 42 days until the 2018 Primary Election (6/26/2018) 175 days until the 2018 midterm elections (11/6/2018) 258 days until the first day of the 2019 Utah Legislature (1/28/2019) 903 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 DRIVING TUESDAY  

A deep dive on the issues

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Kennedy sits down with managing editor Bryan Schott to discuss the big issues ahead of his June primary election, plus he takes a few shots at his opponent Mitt Romney [Utah Policy].

Download the podcast of our interview with Kennedy here.

Marijuana brawl

The group that helped draft the ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana says the LDS Church's opposition is political and "one-sided" [Utah Policy].

Wanna bet?

The Supreme Court struck down a federal ban on sports gambling, paving the way for states to legalize betting on sports. Sen. Orrin Hatch says he will introduce legislation to regulate the new gambling landscape [Utah Policy]. Gov. Gary Herbert says Utah will not legalize sports wagering any time soon [Deseret News, Tribune].

  OTHER UTAH HEADLINES  

A dark day for Utah journalism. The Salt Lake Tribune announced massive cuts to their newsroom staff on Monday [Tribune, Deseret News, Fox 13].
Sen. Mike Lee joined the celebration surrounding the opening of the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem [Utah Policy, Deseret News, Tribune].
It could be a nail-biter whether the Count My Vote and medical marijuana initiatives make in on November's ballot [Fox 13].
A new state commission to chart the course for higher education in Utah met for the first time on Monday [Deseret News].
Cottonwood Heights residents are raising the alarm about fireworks danger after several homes were damaged last year [Deseret News].

  NATIONAL HEADLINES  

Dozens of Palestinians are dead and thousands injured due to clashes with Israeli forces in Gaza following the opening of the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem [Associated Press].
Vice President Mike Pence is angering allies of President Donald Trump by taking on an outsized role ahead of the 2018 midterms [New York Times]. Recently, Trump and his staffers have moved to check Pence's growing profile. For instance, Trump did was not planning to attend the NRA's convention until he learned that Pence was giving the keynote address [Politico].
President Trump took to Twitter on Monday to call members of his staff who leak to the media "traitors" [CNN].
Special counsel Robert Mueller pushed back against a request by former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort for a hearing on whether government officials improperly leaked grand jury information to the media [Bloomberg].
President Trump's push to save Chinese phone maker ZTE came 72 hours after the Chinese government pumped money into an Indonesian theme park project that the Trump organization stands to profit from [Huffington Post]. U.S. officials are struggling to understand Trump's decision to rescue ZTE from American sanctions [Washington Post].
President Trump will push Senate leaders to change their rules to speed up the confirmation of his judicial and executive nominations [The Hill].
Embattled EPA chief Scott Pruitt sought round-the-clock security from his first day on the job according to newly uncovered emails, which undercuts his claim that the request was prompted by serious security threats [Politico].
The White House still has not apologized for a staffer mocking Sen. John McCain's brain cancer diagnosis [New York Times]. 
Dozens of U.S. companies are lining up to oppose the Trump administration's plan for tariffs on Chinese imports [Bloomberg].
There are many "hot topics" still on the table as negotiators rush to meet a Thursday deadline to negotiate a new NAFTA agreement [Reuters].
Former U.S. Senator Harry Reid underwent surgery for pancreatic cancer [Las Vegas Review-Journal].
First Lady Melania Trump underwent kidney surgery on Monday for a condition her office described as benign but needing attention [CNN].
The Seattle City Council votes to slap a tax on the city's largest employers to address the homeless problem there [Seattle Times].

  ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY  

1536 - Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, stands trial in London on charges of treason, adultery, and incest; she is condemned to death by a specially-selected jury.
1776 - The Fifth Virginia Convention instructs its Continental Congress delegation to propose a resolution of independence from Great Britain, paving the way for the Declaration of Independence.
1793 - Diego Marin Aguilera files a glider for "about 360 meters" at a height of 5-6 meters, during one of the first attempted manned flights.
1817 - The first private mental health hospital, the Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason, opens in Philadelphia.
1869 - In New York, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton form the National Woman Suffrage Association.
1905 - Las Vegas is founded when 110 acres in what would later become downtown are auctioned off.
1911 - The Supreme Court, ruling in Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey vs. United States, ordered the dissolution of the company after determining it to be a monopoly.
1930 - Ellen Church became the first airline stewardess, flying on a United Airlines flight from San Francisco to Cheyenne, Wyoming.
1940 - McDonald's opens its first restaurant in San Bernardino, California.
1969 - Justice Abe Fortas, under fire for a money deal with jailed financier Louis Wolfson, resigned from the Supreme Court.
1972 - In Laurel, Maryland, Arthur Bremer shoots and paralyzes Alabama Governor George Wallace while he's campaigning to become president. 

Today At Utah Policy

Mike Kennedy: 'A Boston Republican is different from a Utah Republican' By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor State Rep. Mike Kennedy shocked his colleagues in the Utah House when he announced he would not be running for another term on Utah's Capitol Hill, instead jumping into the race for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Orrin Hatch. ...

Podcast: Interview with GOP U.S. Senate candidate Mike Kennedy By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Kennedy sits down with managing editor Bryan Schott ahead of the June primary election. ...

Group that helped draft medical marijuana initiative slams LDS Church's criticism By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor The group that helped draft the proposal to legalize medical marijuana lashed out at the LDS Church's criticism from Friday, calling their legal analysis a "one-sided attack piece."...

Hatch to introduce new legislation to regulate sports betting By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor On Monday the Supreme Court ruled in favor of states that wish to legalize sports betting, saying state's rights trump the federal prohibition on sports books. ...

Policy News

Sen. Lee celebrates embassy move to Jerusalem Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement Monday after witnessing the official transfer of the United States embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem....

Clarus Corporation to expand in Utah The Governor's Office of Economic Development is proud to announce Clarus Corporation, parent company of Black Diamond Equipment, will expand in Utah, adding up to 147 high-paying jobs, $8.9 million in new state revenue and $40 million in capital investment. ...

Fox files 'West meets East' I just concluded a swing through the northeast with Governor Herbert and his team. ...

EDCUtah hires new community strategist Following the creation and implementation of the Utah Mega Site Program, EDCUtah announced last week the hire of Katherine Morrell to manage the new program. ...

Looking to grow and strengthen your business? Explore new business opportunities in Taiwan and South Korea! Join World Trade Center Utah in partnership with U.S. Commercial Service on Thursday, May 17th at 9:00 a.m. for a seminar on doing business in Taiwan and South Korea....

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Reacting to plunging revenues, Salt Lake Tribune lays off a third of its newsroom, cuts back print offerings

Gehrke: Victims of sex abuse should be able to sue the perpetrator, even if the case is decades old

Sen. Mike Lee applauds U.S. Embassy move to Jerusalem as 'long overdue' - Utah Jewish rabbi praises relocation, too

After Supreme Court ruling, Utah's Hatch to introduce legislation on sports betting

Libertarian group that helped write Utah's medical marijuana ballot initiative calls LDS Church's analysis 'a political attack piece'

A Zion National Park visitor wrote graffiti on Angels Landing. The social media reaction caused him to turn himself into rangers.

Deseret News

Op-ed: Op-ed: Rebuilding America's rural infrastructure

Editorial: The false choice of Utah's medical marijuana initiative

Utah GOP lawmakers hail decision on sports betting as win for states' rights

New commission begins talks on long-term vision for higher education in Utah

Sen. Mike Lee calls mood at Jerusalem ceremony 'optimistic,' 'upbeat'

Former U.S. Secretary of Energy talks low-carbon economy with Utah energy sector

Salt Lake Tribune lays off 38 percent of newsroom staff

Other

Weber County officials seek feedback on future development as growth looms (Standard-Examiner)

National Headlines

Trump is more popular than Dems want to admit (San Francisco Chronicle)

Seattle City Council votes 9-0 for scaled-down head tax on large employers (Seattle Times)

Supreme Court Ruling Favors Sports Betting (New York Times)

How the Sports Betting Ruling Will Impact State Budgets (Governing)

Melania Trump undergoes kidney surgery at Walter Reed medical center (CNN)

Michael Avenatti is using Trump tactics to battle Trump, a strategy that comes with risks (Washington Post)

Mueller may have a conflict - and it leads directly to a Russian oligarch (The Hill)

Kellyanne Conway: White House leakers 'using the media to shiv each other' (CNN)

Nunes, Gowdy accuse DOJ of launching anonymous attacks on congressional investigator (FOX News)

Former senator Harry Reid undergoes surgery for pancreatic cancer (Washington Post)

Democrats to force vote Wednesday on net neutrality (CNN)

Wise Words

Kindness

"Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." Mark Twain

Lighter Side

Hostages

"Three American hostages detained in North Korea have been set free. Melania Trump asked, "Hey, if you're freeing hostages, can I go too?" Conan O'Brien

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