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| The UtahPolicy.com daily newsletter gets you up to speed on the top local and national news about politics and public policy. Send news tips or feedback to [email protected], or message us on Twitter. Situational awareness - February 6, 2020Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake CityTICK TOCK5 days to the New Hampshire primaries (2/11/2020)16 days to the Nevada Democratic caucuses (2/22/2022)23 days to the South Carolina Democratic primary (2/29/2020)26 days to the Utah presidential primaries (3/3/2020)35 days to the final day of the 2020 Utah Legislature (3/12/2020)145 days to the 2020 Utah primary elections (6/30/2020)271 Days to the 2020 election (11/3/2020)354 days to the start of the 2021 Utah Legislature (1/25/2021)Here are the stories you need to pay attention to this morning:Romney shocks the political world and votes to convict President Trump. Approval for Gov. Herbert and Utah lawmakers drops following failed tax reform effort. Utah lawmakers eyeing a tax cut this year, but aren't sure they can deliver.Thanks for subscribing to Utah's must-read daily political news rundown.If you know of friends or colleagues who would benefit from our daily news roundup, please encourage them to sign up for our emails.Today At Utah PolicyApproval ratings for Gov. Herbert and the Utah Legislature fall after the failure of tax reformBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Voter perceptions of Gov. Gary Herbert, Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox and the Utah State Legislature have taken a hit in the wake of the failed tax reform effort according to a new Utah Political Trends survey.Romney says Trump should be convicted and removed from office in impeachment trial By Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick Sen. Mitt Romney stunned the political world on Wednesday when he broke with Senate Republicans announcing he would vote to remove President Donald Trump from office.Emergency podcast: Romney breaks with the GOP on impeachment By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Sen. Mitt Romney shocked the political world on Wednesday when he voted to convict President Donald Trump of Abuse of Power in the Senate impeachment trial.Lawmakers want to deliver a tax cut to Utahns this year, but they're not sure they will By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor Will Utahns see some kind of state income tax cut this general session?Lower Drug Prices for Utah poll: Utahns say drug prices a top issue, support solutions to hold big pharma accountable By News release Lower Drug Prices for Utah (LDPUT) released a statement Thursday on a new survey conducted in the Beehive State that found an overwhelming majority of voters identify drug prices as a top issue confronting Utah, hold Big Pharma responsible for rising prices, support market-based solutions to hold drug companies accountable and want lawmakers to pass The Pharmaceutical Entity Transparency Act - a bill that is expected to be introduced this legislative session.Trump re-election: It's all up to me By LaVarr Webb, Publisher With impeachment behind him, President Trump can turn to the 2020 presidential race. Here's a tip for Trump: Your re-election is entirely up to me. OTHER UTAH HEADLINESDeseret News Editorial: Iowa caucuses left the process in critical condition Bill to eliminate letter grades from state school report cards passes committee -again Salt Lake City appeals in legal fight against Utah Inland Port Authority Tax breaks this session? GOP legislative leaders not yet ready to commit UTA study to consider longer, more frequent TRAX options Does privacy outweigh research? Utah lawmakers grapple with driver's license data U.S. senator recall bill picks up steam in Utah after Mitt Romney votes to convict Trump Bill to require 911 call if Utahn is aware of emergency gets committee nodSalt Lake Tribune A proposed clinic south of Moab meets resistance from nearby health care providers Should Congress bring back earmarks? Rep. Ben McAdams says that's a bridge too far. Salt Lake City achieves lowest unemployment rate among nation's largest metro areas Utah lawmaker taking another stab at updating the state flag Porn website trolls Utah Legislature over warning label bill Pieces of failed tax reform bill resurface in Utah Legislature Salt Lake City appeals judge's decision on inland port lawsuit to Utah Supreme Court Education committee supports dumping Utah's school grading law Senate acquits President Trump on charges of abuse of power, obstruction Lawmakers face a dilemma in battle of Utah driver license privacy vs. cancer researchOther Highland lawmaker introduces bill to require warning labels on pornographic material (Daily Herald) Graduation rates in Davis School District steadily improve, making it the highest performing large district in Utah (Standard-Examiner)NATIONAL HEADLINESTrump acquittedIn a near party-line vote, the Senate acquitted President Donald Trump of two articles of impeachment. Sen. Mitt Romney was the only Republican to break ranks with his party, while every Democrat voted to convict [Washington Post]. IowaWith 97% of the vote from Tuesday's Iowa Caucuses in, Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders are nearly tied. Buttigieg is at 26.2%, while Sanders is at 26.1%. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is in third place with 18.2% and former Vice President Joe Biden is fourth at 15.8% [CNN]. Biden and Warren are shifting their strategies after the "gut punch" Iowa delivered to them [Washington Post]. Shenanigans!Democrats say supporters of President Trump flooded a hotline used to report results during the Iowa Caucuses after the phone number was posted online, which made delays in reporting results worse [Bloomberg]. ClimateA study says snowfall totals in the U.S. have declined 46% since the 1970s due to rising global temperatures. Salt Lake City had an average annual snowfall of 72 inches in 1970 compared to 42 inches in 2019 [ABC News]. Fix the wall!Long-term maintenance of President Trump's border wall could cost taxpayers billions of dollars [Washington Post]. EconomyThe U.S. trade deficit shrank last year by about $10 billion because American factory activity slowed down and the effect of President Trump's tariffs [Reuters]. Americans are expressing record-high optimism on their personal financial situation. 59% say they are better off financially than last year, and 74% say they expect to be better off financially a year from now [Gallup]. BUSINESS HEADLINESReal estate disruptor Homie scores $23M, is poised for market expansion (Deseret News) Fast-growing Divvy adds flex funding to growing business platform (Deseret News) Ancestry.com cuts workforce, cites 'marketplace realities' (Deseret News) Salt Lake City achieves lowest unemployment rate among nation's largest metro areas (Salt Lake Tribune)Policy NewsSalt Lake City and Utah Tax Help team up to provide tax preparation assistance to qualifying familiesSalt Lake City and Utah Tax Help will begin providing low- and middle-income families free instruction on how to do their taxes at two Salt Lake City Library branches, and free tax preparation at UtahTaxHelp.com.Hatch Center to host Justice Clarence Thomas in May The Hatch Center-the policy arm of the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation- announced Saturday evening that it would be hosting an event with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The announcement came at the Utah premiere of a new documentary sponsored by the Hatch Center on the Justice's life, "Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words." More National HeadlinesIs this Trump's best week in office? (Spectator) Record economic optimism under Trump, better than Reagan, Clinton, and Obama (Washington Examiner) Romney's Discreditable, Dishonest Vote (American Greatness) Romney's Entire Career Has Been About Punishing Republicans For Voting For Him (Federalist) Top Romney Adviser Worked With Hunter Biden On Board Of Ukrainian Energy Company (Federalist) Lawrence O'Donnell, Who Once Challenged Mitt Romney's Son to a Fistfight, Now Loves Mitt (PJ Media) The DNC can't steal the election from Bernie Sanders despite the Iowa chaos (Guardian) Iowa Democratic Party releases 85% of caucus results but an error forces correction (Des Moines Register) Pelosi's SOTU tantrum was an acknowledgment of defeat (FOX News) Nancy Pelosi 'pre-ripped' pages of Trump's SOTU speech, video shows (New York Post) Greta Thunberg, perfect candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize that's now a parody of itself (Boston Herald)ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY1778 - In Paris, the Treaty of Alliance and the Treaty of Commerce are signed by the United States and France signaling official recognition of the United States. 1788 - Massachusetts becomes the sixth state to ratify the Constitution. 1862 - Forces under the command of Ulysses S. Grant and Andrew H. Foote give the Union its first victory of the Civil War, capturing Fort Henry, Tennessee. 1899 - The Treaty of Paris, a peace treaty between the U.S. and Spain ending the Spanish-American War, is ratified by the United States Senate. 1918 - British women over the age of 30 who meet minimum property qualifications, are given the right to vote by Parliament. 1919 - The American Legion is founded. 1952 - Princess Elizabeth became sovereign of Great Britain upon the death of her father, King George VI. She was crowned Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953. 1998 - Washington National Airport is renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport. Wise WordsLegislating"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."Aristotle Lighter SideThreat"The White House issued a formal threat to Bolton to keep him from publishing his book. Wow, so rare for Trump to issue a formal threat.[Imitating Trump]'Dearest esteemed colleague, it is my sincerest recommendation that you keep one eye open while you sleep. Best regards to your family and your temporarily uncut brake cables, Donald J. Trump.'"- STEPHEN COLBERT Listen to us on_Apple Podcasts Subscribers may receive special messages with information about new features, special offers, or public policy messages from clients and advertisers. |
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