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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 - August 20, 2020Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake CityTICK TOCKThe Legislature's 6th special session begins today (8/20/2020)35 days to the 1st Congressional District debate (9/24/2020)40 days to the Utah gubernatorial debate (9/28/2020)42 days to the Utah Attorney General debate (10/01/2020)48 days to the Vice Presidential debate at the University of Utah (10/07/2020)53 days to the 4th Congressional District debate (10/12/2020)56 days to the 3rd Congressional District debate (10/15/2020)60 days to the 2nd Congressional District debate (10/19/2020)75 days to the 2020 election (11/3/2020)153 days to inauguration day (01/20/2021)158 days to the start of the 2021 Utah Legislature (1/25/2021)Here are the stories you need to pay attention to this morning:Democrats officially nominate Kamala Harris for vice president. President Trump praised the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory. Utah lawmakers set for another special session.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 newsletter.Today At Utah PolicyLegislators can't find enough support to extend coronavirus emergency declarationBy Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Legislators have decided not to extend Governor Gary Herbert's coronavirus emergency declaration, meaning it will expire at midnight on Thursday. But, Herbert can simply declare another emergency, which will keep the current coronavirus restrictions in place for another 30 days. Podcast: Rick Wilson on how Democrats can beat Trump in November By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Political strategist Rick Wilson has found a new life as part of a group of "never Trump" former Republicans who are working to deny President Donald Trump another term in office. OTHER UTAH HEADLINESDeseret News Editorial: 5 months from the start of the pandemic, where does Utah go from here? State lawmaker questions whether Utah school reopening plans 'too restrictive' Audit highlights 'lax oversight' in Utah's 911 dispatch centers Salt Lake, Grand counties extend mask mandate through end of the year Utah Sen. Derek Kitchen accused of helping pay for paint used by protesters Jordan District allocates $500 for each teacher for more safety supplies Air Force airman accused of setting fire to Salt Lake City police car during George Floyd protest Lawmakers see no reason to extend Utah governor's emergency orders dealing with COVID-19 Why a member of Trump's Cabinet identified with a thrift store training program in Salt Lake CitySalt Lake Tribune Utah students and staff who don't wear masks in schools can be charged with a misdemeanor Salt Lake County extends COVID-19 mask mandate through 2020, as state reports 8 new deaths Election bill provides more in-person voter options but county clerks want longer time frame for mailed ballots Lawmakers eye borrowing $500 million to push road projects forward Utah's lawmakers won't extend COVID-19 state of emergencyNATIONAL HEADLINESDNCDemocrats officially nominate Kamala Harris as vice president, the first Black woman to be nominated to a major party's presidential ticket. Former President Barack Obama rips President Donald Trump during his speech during the third night of the Democratic National Convention [NYT]. EconomyFederal Reserve officials expect the coronavirus to "weigh heavily" on the economy and could pose a danger to the financial system [CNBC]. Profits for Target stores jumped 80 percent during the last quarter [CNBC]. CoronavirusNew cases of the virus are declining across the U.S., but officials are warning Americans to remain cautious [CNN]. U.S. intelligence officials say officials in Wuhan hid the severity of the early coronavirus outbreak from Beijing, fearing reprisals from the Chinese government [The Hill]. Yikes!The Senate Intelligence Committe made a criminal referral of Donald Trump, Jr., Steve Bannon, Jared Kushner and others to federal prosecutors in 2019 as part of their investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Committee members believed the men lied to the committee during their testimony [NBC News]. Postal ServiceHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi called out Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Wednesday, saying he won't commit to reversing the changes he's made to the postal service, replacing sorting machines and mailboxes that have already been removed ahead of November's election [Axios]. The Postal Service blocked congressional lawmakers from questioning the company that helped select DeJoy, a major donor to President Trump, as the postmaster general [WaPo]. QAnonPresident Trump praised followers of the right-wing conspiracy theory saying "I understand they like me very much." The FBI says the group poses a domestic terrorism threat [NYT]. Facebook cracked down on QAnon believers, booting thousands of accounts and pages on Wednesday [NBC News]. Trump vs. GoodyearPresident Trump promoted a boycott of tire company Goodyear on Wednesday after a company policy that banned MAGA hats went viral [Politico]. Won't commitWhite House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany would not say whether President Trump will accept the results of the election in November, saying he will "see what happens" [CBS News]. FacepalmFormer Homeland Security official Miles Taylor says President Trump floated swapping Puerto Rico for Greenland because "Puerto Rico was dirty and the people were poor" [MSNBC]. BUSINESS HEADLINESVineyard company ranks 17 on the 2020 Inc. 5,000 list (Daily Herald) Utah company's technology being used in MLB's COVID-19 testing program (Deseret News) Op-ed: This year has proven Utah's economic preparedness and resilience (Deseret News)Policy NewsMayor Mendenhall proposes budget to equitably address community COVID needsMayor Erin Mendenhall announced six budget proposals aimed at developing a more equitable short- and long-term COVID recovery in the city.Westminster begins Fall wemester with hybrid classes Fall 2020 Semester classes at Westminster College began today. Courses are being delivered as a combination of in-person and remote instruction due to the coronavirus pandemic. The college has carefully developed protocols in line with CDC recommendations to ensure a safe and healthy campus environment for all students, faculty and staff. More National HeadlinesCalifornia Blackouts a Warning for States Ramping Up Green Power (Wall Street Journal) OK, Cancel Culture, Now Do the Wildly Racist Karl Marx (PJ Media) Rewrite Libel Law and Bring Truth Back Into the News (Epoch Times) Does Anybody Really Want To Be Called Latinx? (Reason) Under President Trump, America has retaken the lead in space (Florida Today) Nick Sandmann will speak at the Republican National Convention (Cincinnati.com) Pompeo is right on Iran sanctions (Spectator) Facebook Removes Antifa Group That Incited Rioting Across the Country (PJ Media) Sometimes the Jokes Write Themselves: GOP Mercilessly Mocks Bill Clinton for His Lecture on Oval Office Behavior (RedState) Tinfoil Hat: Oregon Dem Congressman Chains Self To USPS Drop Box To Save It From Donald Trump (Legal Insurrection) Multimillionaire Obamas Haven't Donated to Joe Biden's Campaign (Free Beacon)ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY1741 - Danish navigator Vitus Jonas Bering discovered what is now called Alaska. 1858 - Charles Darwin first publishes his theory of evolution. 1866 - President Andrew Johnson formally declares the Civil War over. 1920 - The National Football League is organized as the American Professional Football Conference in Canton, Ohio. 1968 - Warsaw Pact troops invaded Czechoslovakia to crush the "Prague Spring." 1996 - President Bill Clinton signed into law an increase in the minimum wage. Wise WordsWhat Do You See?"The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." Winston Churchill Lighter SideIn The Mail"Millions of Americans wrote Trump angry letters about it, but he was like, 'Weird, I didn't get anything.'" - JIMMY FALLON 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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