Did Reid get Romney's taxes from the IRS? Hatch calls for new probe. Enviro group sues EPA over Utah pollution.

Happy Friday. Now that it's clear the IRS gave extra, super scrutiny to tea party-related groups during the 2012 cycle, Republicans are wondering if there was some rogue government tax collector who handed Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid copies of Mitt Romney's taxes. If you recall, Reid took to the Senate floor last year to claim that Romney hadn't paid a dime of income taxes in a decade -- a point strenuously denied by Romney's folks. Now, an RNC spokeswoman wonders if the IRS was leaking. [

IRS targeted Dem groups, too. Acting IRS commissioner resigns. Romney buys houses in Utah.

Happy Thursday. Turns out that it wasn't only tea party groups targeted by the IRS for increased scrutiny, there were a few liberal leaning wannabe nonprofits that faced the same level of concern. Three Democratic groups says not only were they subjected to extra questions from the IRS, one group say its tax exempt status denied. [Bloomberg]

Topping the news: Salt Lake and Davis county prosecutors are both investigating A...

Google Maps Romney oops. IRS targeted pro-Hatch group. Gag order for Johnson.

Happy Wednesday. "Slick Mitt's Used Car Lot" is no more, at least on Google Maps. After the Boston Herald pointed out that some tech savvy anti-Mitt Romney person had labeled the former candidate's campaign headquarters with the possibly undesirable name, Google quickly updated the tag on the north end Boston address. The city plans to turn the building into a school. [BostonHerald]

Topping the news: A pro-Sen. Orrin Hatch group may have been ...

Idaho senator's $250k Vegas gamble. Chaffetz: IRS officials could face jail. Justice Department nabbed AP phone records.

Happy Tuesday. A lot of politicians invest leftover campaign donations but an aide to Sen. Mike Crapo took it a bit further, forking over $250,000 in contributions to a buddy in Las Vegas to seek a higher return. Turns out, the company Crapo's guy was backing is gone and so, it seems, is the money. That's one point Crapo might want to leave out of fund-raising letters. [Statesman]

Topping the news: Rep. Jason Chaffetz says t...

White House, Dems push back in Benghazi probes. 62% of Shurtleff donors tied to controversial industries. Special counsel to investigate Swallow.

Happy Monday. White House Press Secretary Jay Carney says it was former presidential candidate Mitt Romney that started the GOP's politicization of the Benghazi terrorist attack and charges Republicans just want to fan the flames instead of look at how things have changed since. [TPM] [Time]

-> Meanwhi...

Lawmakers contemplate impeaching Swallow. Chinese citizens petition the White House. Lee's border security amendment gets rejected.

Happy Friday. Frustrated Chinese people have learned the White House accepts online petitions and they have decided to make a few requests, asking for everything from complete liberation from their leaders to endorsing a sweet tofu. So far the China-based petitions have received 170,000 votes in the past week. [WaPost]

Topping the news: State...

Polls show Bush and Obama not so far apart. Papers: Shurtleff, Swallow charged thousands in expenses to convicted fraudster. Utah voters getting more diverse, still 90% white.

Happy Thursday. There are more similarities between Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama than you might think. Voters, according to polls, grade the two commanders in chief about the same, despite the fact the anti-Bush sentiment helped fuel Obama's rise. In the end, though, polls show the country remains deeply divided along partisan lines. [WaP...

Rep. Marc Roberts and Sen. Margaret Dayton garnered the lowest scores for their respective chambers in the latest legislative scorecard by the Sierra Club’s Utah chapter.

The Orem senator received a 38 percent score on key environmental issues, while the freshman lawmaker from Santaquin garnered a 25 percent score on bills covering everything from air quality and public health to zoning and public lands to energy and wildlife.

In the House, nine representatives scored 100 percent, as did two in the Senate. All of them are Democrats.

Dan Mayhew, chairman Utah Sierra Club, said that...

Romney aide writing tell-tale book. Hatch wants immigrants' DNA. New complaint against Swallow.

Happy Wednesday. A former Mitt Romney aide is writing a book on what he says were the major mistakes in the campaign, including some made by the candidate himself. Other former advisers says the author wrote op-eds and wasn't in on the biggest decisions. [Globe]

Topping the news: Sen. Orrin Hatch wants immigrants in America illegally to have to submit DNA samples to be compared against criminal databases ...

Report: Immigration bill could cost taxpayers $6.3 trillion. U.S. attorney for Utah hands Swallow probe to Justice. Herbert nominates Braceras for UDOT head.

Happy Tuesday. The proposed immigration reform bill now before the Senate could cost taxpayers $6.3 trillion if enacted as the new citizens it would create would take more in federal benefits than taxes they pay in, according to the Heritage Foundation, which used a previous report on this subject to help scuttle the 2007 reform push. [Politico]

-> ThinkProgress, though, takes issue with Heritag...

Attention young chefs: First Lady Michelle Obama wants your healthiest recipe and submitting one could earn you a trip to the White House.

As part of her Let's Move! challenge, the first lady is sponsoring a nationwide recipe challenge where a winner from each state will be flown to Washington for a Kids' State Dinner. The dinner will feature some of the winning recipes.

"Last year's young chefs impressed and inspired me with their creativity, and I can't wait to welcome a whole new group to the White House this summer and taste their creations," Obama said in a statement. "So kids, let's get cooking!"

The challenge urges kids ages 8-12 to team up with a parent or gua...

How Al Gore got rich. Lee declines presidential bid. Chaffetz presses Benghazi hearings.

Happy Monday. Former Vice President Al Gore didn't have much money when he served in office but has now amassed a fortune rivaling Mitt Romney. Gore made an estimated $100 million in a single month after selling off his TV network and Apple stock, a far cry from where he stood in office representing Tennessee. [SeattleTimes]

Topping the news: The three best known members of the Senate tea party club, Sens. Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are exploring presidential bid...

Biden's presidential calculus. The tea party seizing on Obamacare rollout. D.C.'s deer stew.

Happy Friday. The National Park Service has found an interesting way to help feed the homeless. It's donating the meat harvested from deer killed in D.C.'s Rock Creek Park to a shelter where it will be made into a ragu on top of whole wheat pasta and topped with cheese. [CityPaper]

Topping the news: Vice President Joe Biden doesn't miss an opportunity to fuel speculation that he'll run for president in 2016, ...

Poll: Americans against Syria engagement. Hatch calls immigration reform 'crucial.' School budgets face tough future.

Happy Thursday. Americans, it appears, are pretty war weary. A new poll shows little interest in sending troops to Syria even if the country is engaged in using chemical weapons on its own people. Some 68 percent of folks polled opposed sending ground troops while only 5 percent backed the idea. [HuffPost]

Topping the news: Sen. Orrin Hatch calls immigration reform "crucial" and some of the current laws "stupid." [

Romney: No thanks, San Diego. Dems win -- court battle over records. Our tweeting Congress.

Happy Wednesday and welcome to May. A Mitt Romney aide says the former 2002 Winter Olympic chief is glad to offer advice to San Diego in its bid for the Summer Games but won't take any official position with the city's bid committee. San Diego's mayor had suggested that Romney could help swing the Games his way thanks to all his work in the Salt Lake Olympics. Alas, it's not to be. [CNN]

Topping the news: A state judge ruled for the Utah Democrati...

Obama, chilling out. GOP senators yell at Cruz, Lee, Paul. Chaffetz on Afghan cash: 'bizzaro world.'

Happy Tuesday. While the job of commander in chief is the most demanding in the world, Vanity Fair pulled together a bunch of photos to show that President Barack Obama is able, on occasion, to lean back and enjoy the time. The magazine highlights White House staff photos of the president resting his feet on the Resolute Desk and otherwise appearing a bit more relaxed. [VanityFair]

Topping the news: Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Tex., says fellow Republicans yelled at him ...

San Diego wants Romney's help with Olympic bid. Hatch may back immigration reform. Utah lawmakers eye pro-gun bills.

Happy Monday. Mitt Romney is credited for helping to save the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, so San Diego is thinking he could be helpful in swinging the Games to come its way. The city's mayor says he's asked Romney to be its honorary chairman in seeking the 2024 SummerOlympics for San Diego and it's Mexican neighbor, Tijuana. [AP]

Topping the news: Sen. Orrin Hatch voted against immigr...

Clinton pokes fun at Bush paintings. LDS Church OK with gay Scouts. Senators talk nuke waste storage.

Happy Friday. The dedication of the George W. Bush Presidential Library brought together all of the living presidents and fun and endearing speeches; it was sort of a high school reunion for all the Bush officials to get back together. Ex-President Bill Clinton dropped the most interesting comment of the day, however, by joking that Bush should paint him naked. [DailyMail]

Topping the news: The LDS Church came out in full su...

Feds spend $890,000 on ... nothing. Gadfly Zinn arrested. Zuckerberg's group targets Hatch.

Happy Thursday. Last year, the federal government spent $890,000 on nothing. Well, technically, the government paid banks that sum in fees for nearly 14,000 accounts with zero balances, The Washington Post reports. The Obama administration has tried to close some of these accounts with limited success.

-> The best paragraph from the story: "The Pentagon once paid $435 for a hammer, after all. But at least in that case it got a hammer." [

Axelrod to join Romney event. GOP targets Clinton over Benghazi. AP's Twitter hack.

Happy Wednesday. David Axelrod, the mastermind behind President Barack Obama's re-election, will join the candidate he defeated, Mitt Romney, for a retreat in Park City this summer. While the event was reported as a get-together of Romney's top donors, his people told The Salt Lake Tribune before they wanted it to be bipartisan and Axelrod's attendance certainly hits that note. [Globe] [

Bush library to open this week. Shurtleff backs immigration reform. Post columnist takes on Lee.

Happy Tuesday. Later this week, all the living presidents will be in Dallas for the dedication of former President George W. Bush's library and The Associated Press got a look inside where the exhibits include a look at the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the 2000 recount that landed Bush in office and a powerful display to remind visitors of the impact of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. [AP]

Topping the news: Forme...

There may not have been a whole lot of drama in it, but the Legislature officially voted Friday not to call itself back in session to override Gov. Gary Herbert's veto of HB76, Concealed Carry Amendments, which would have allowed adults to carry a hidden, unloaded weapon without obtaining a permit.

The House vote was 41 in favor of overriding the governor's veto, with 33 voting against. The Senate vote was 16 in favor of the override and 13 against. Constitutionally, it requires two-thirds of both chambers to override a veto, meaning it would have taken 50 supporters in the House and 20 in the Senate.

Below is the list of how each member voted on the override question.

GOP matching Huntsman? Garn vs. the Electoral College. Utah's $12 million presidential race.

Happy Monday and happy Earth Day. Jon Huntsman may or may not be running for president again in 2016, but whomever does may end up following his lead on policy issues. A profile of Huntsman notes that the Republican Party seems to be gravitating toward the positions the former Utah governor espoused during his failed White House run: against a Constitutional ban on gay marriage, a more moderate approach on immigration and resistance toward ambitious military operations. [

Manhunt continues for Boston suspect. Another suspect, cop dead in shootout. Bush: Jeb should run for president.

Happy Friday. Former President George W. Bush says he hopes his brother, ex-Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, runs for president in 2016. The former White House occupant says he's not sure whether his younger brother will mount a bid but that he hopes people will judge Jeb Bush on his own merits and track records. [HuffPost]

Topping the news: The two suspects in the Boston Marathon bombing led police on a wild and deadly chase Thursday night, ending in ...

Obama, Romney together for Boston. Hatch, Lee join GOP to defeat gun bills. Ricin scare rocks the Hill.

Happy Thursday. Mitt Romney will join his former rival, President Barack Obama, at an interfaith memorial service today for the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. It'll be one of the first times the two will be back in the same room - they met previously at the White House post-election -- and it's all for a good reason: praying for those who were killed or injured in Monday's blasts. [Globe]

Topping ...

Tagg Romney: Boston bomber 'messed with the wrong people.' SL Marathon full steam ahead. Senate takes up gun amendments today.

Happy Wednesday. Tagg Romney, a Bostonian, said in an interview that the Boston bomber "messed with the wrong people" and added that it was a "cowardly act." The son of Mitt Romney who has been rumored to be considering running for office himself, was just getting into a cab at Fenway Park when the tragedy struck the Boston marathon. [CNN]

Topping the news: In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, Salt Lake...

Grieving for Boston. Bishop seeks public lands compromise. Utah company has its day before the Supreme Court.

It's Tuesday and Boston is still reeling from the dual bombs that killed three and maimed more than 140 people near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The FBI has made no arrests yet and with so many people losing limbs, its possible that the death toll will climb today. [Globe] [Herald

Critics worry about Utah NSA center. GOP rejects nomination process change. Lee: Gun-control bill will die.

Happy Monday and happy Tax Day. The new NSA data center opening up in Utah has critics concerned about what type of information will be stored there, specifically whether any Americans' phone conversations or emails will be archived at the site. The head of the NSA told Fox News that wouldn't be the case -- "No...we don't hold data on U.S. citizens" -- but privacy observers aren't so sure they trust that statement. [FoxNews]

Jewell to be sworn in today. Senate advances gun control bill. State tax revenue up.

Happy Friday. Incoming Interior Secretary Sally Jewell will be sworn in this afternoon at the Supreme Court by a close friend, retired Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, an Interior official tells us. O'Connor and Jewell worked together at the National Parks Second Century Commission, an independent commission charged with developing a twenty-first century vision for the National Park Service.

-> On Monday, Jewell will meet with some of the 70,000 career employees at Interior. Outgoing Secretary Ken Salazar is headed back to California today, the Interior official said.

Kid Rock: Embarrassed by the GOP. Senate approves new Interior secretary. Hatch enjoys White House dinner.

Happy Thursday. Kid Rock was a big-time Mitt Romney supporter in the last election, showing up across the nation to perform at the Republican nominee's events and rallying support for the GOP. But, now, the rocker says he's embarrassed that the Republicans have passed laws that prevent his plans to cap ticket prices to his shows at $20 and a host of other things. [Salon] (Warning: Strong language involved)

Topping the news: Sen. Mike Lee says the Se...

Obama argues that Mike Lee is the bad guy. Weiner's return. Sequester grounds pilots at Hill Air Force Base.

Happy Wednesday. Will Anthony Weiner rise again? The ex-congressman resigned in 2011 after a terribly embarrassing scandal where he sent lewd pictures of himself to strangers online and then lied about it. He says he's changed and he has an eye on becoming New York City's next mayor. [NYTimes]

Topping the news: The president unveiled his $3.77 trillion budget proposal today that lowers the tax hikes he has previously requested and reduces costs in Medicar...

Hollywood on Obama's back over drug laws. Merrill Cook onUFO panel. How Margaret Thatcher changed England and made a big impact here.

Happy Tuesday. A group of more than 100 entertainers from Lil Wayne to Scarlett Johansson are pressuring President Barack Obama to change drug laws offering treatment instead of incarceration for non-violent offenders. [AP]

Topping the news: With a tough economic climate, some of Utah's rural counties are interested in becoming the future home of a new state pri...

Packer's gay marriage warning. Hatch gives a nod to civil unions. A new gun proposal in the works.

Happy Monday. It appeared as if the NRA killed any new gun laws, well, that may have been premature. There's a hint of a new bipartisan deal on expanding background checks for gun buyers that could entice conservative Democrats and some Republicans to come on board. [WaPost]

Topping the news: In what appeared to be a reference to the g...

Would Reagan support gay marriage? Obama thinks California's attorney general is hot. Utah on list of most conservative House districts.

Happy Friday. At a fundraiser in California, President Barack Obama talked up the state's Attorney General Kamala Harris for her intellect and toughness. He then said: "She also happens to be by far the best-looking attorney general in the country." And when that got quite the crowd reaction he followed it up with: "It’s true! C’mon.” [Politico] [

Obama gives up some of his pay. Vader radar spies immigrants crossing the border. Herbert says no to Snake Valley water deal.

Happy Thursday. President Barack Obama says he'll forfeit about $20,000 in salary in an act of solidarity with federal employees facing furloughs as a result of the sequester, following the example of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham. [Politico] [

Ex-presidents unite. Colbert goes after Utah's Earth Day contest. Herbert signs 40 bills.

Happy Wednesday. President Barack Obama and his wife will be on hand for the opening of George W. Bush's presidential library along with all the living presidents (Bush, Clinton, Bush and Carter) on April 25 in Texas. It's a customary thing, but with one interesting exception.

President Jimmy Carter said scheduling conflicts kept him from the opening of President Richard Nixon's library. The conflict? He was in Salt Lake City touring Temple Square. [

Inside the GOP filibuster plot. Chaffetz tours the border. Utah pushes for drone base.

Happy Tuesday. National Review takes a look at the planned filibuster Sen. Mike Lee and tea party pals are planning once the Senate returns to session next week. Lee has said he won't let gun-control legislation reach the floor:

-> "Their approach is carefully orchestrated, and they are operating on the premise that taking a principled constitutional stand with a little dramatic flair will rally people to their cause. Properly executed, they hope the upcoming filibuster will refocus the gun-control debate, which has been mired in technical details, on the meaning of the Second Amendment...

Obama living the 1% life? Leavitt for Senate? UTA now boasting higher fares.

Happy Monday and welcome to April. The Washington Times' Joseph Curl says President Barack Obama is living the 1 percent life: Golf when he wants it, trips to wherever on a moment's notice -- something, Curl says, wasn't George W. Bush's style. [WaTimes]

Topping the news: Former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt is laying the groundwork to challenge Sen. Mike Lee in 2016, Paul Rolly reports. Make sure you read to the very end. [

GOP rep apologizes for 'wetback' remark. State officials weighing tax hike for education. Romney pokes fun at grandkids' names.

Happy Friday. Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, is apologizing after he said in a radio interview that his father used to hire "wetbacks" to harvest tomatoes. The slur, of course, didn't go over well and Young says he meant "no disrespect" and that he knows its unacceptable to use the term. [HuffPost]

Topping the news: Panelists at a Utah Foundation meeting, including Sen. Aaron Osmond, suggested that in order to sustain the state's educ...

Romney: I'm still concerned about the country. Utah GOP effort could stall reform. To-be missionary claims LGBT protest cost him.

Happy Thursday. Mitt Romney lost the election but still says he's concerned about the future of America. In an interview yesterday, the former presidential candidate said he felt a certain "frustration" at his diminished role now that the campaign is over, not that he'll quietly go away:

-> "I'm very concerned about the country," Romney told radio host Dennis Miller. "I wouldn't have gotten into this if I thought everything was going swimmingly." [

Wild rallies outside Supreme Court arguments. Lee to filibuster gun bills. Romney back to Utah for donor event.

Happy Wednesday. This morning the U.S. Supreme Court tackles the second case regarding the constitutionality of same-sex marriage as it takes up the 1996 Defense of Marriage Law. Yesterday's hearing brought out crowds from both sides of the issue, with most advocates and opponents of gay marriages happy simply to hoist signs and chant. Some, though, threw punches. No arrests were reported, but a few incidents were noted. [

Gay couples file suit in Utah. Legislature passes record number of bills. 70 percent in survey say they'd leave Boy Scouts if gay ban lifted.

Happy Tuesday. Jim Carrey takes on Charlton Heston in a new video where he joins up with Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi and John Lennon to spoof a Hee-Haw episode and the idea of clinging to guns: "Charlton Heston movies are no longer in demand, and his immortal soul may lay forever in the sand. The angels wouldn't take him up to heaven like he planned, because they couldn't pry the gun from his cold dead hand," Carrey sings. [

Tea party angst aimed at Fox News. Matheson versus Love, the rematch. Republicans reject caucus changes.

Happy Monday. A group of tea party activists boycotted Fox News over the weekend, arguing that the conservative media giant has gone soft since November's election, particularly on issues such as immigration. [Beast]

Topping the news: State Republican leaders push their central committee to approve changes to the caucus system in hopes of heading off a petition effort to let candidates bypass the syst...

Obama to join Obamacare exchange. The Gingrich-Santorum ticket that almost stopped Romney. Huntsman Sr. jokes about 2016.

Happy Friday. If you want to talk the talk, you have to walk the walk: President Barack Obama confirmed that he'll enroll in a health insurance exchange as part of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare - despite having easy access to excellent health care through the White House Medical Unit and the official physician to the president. [Politico]

Topping the news: The great untold story of the 2012 presidential race: Newt Ging...

FEC investigating donations to Romney. Lee, Hatch: slow down immigration reform bills. A hike in gas taxes coming?

Happy Thursday. The Federal Elections Commission is probing whether Murray Energy -- the co-owner of the now-sealed Crandall Canyon Mine -- gave more than the legal limit of donations to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign. FEC records show thousands of dollars more than the federal limit but Murray Energy says the discrepancies at issue were "small." [PlainDealer]

Topping the news: Sens. Mike Lee and Orrin Hatch want to take it slow...

Feinstein vows to keep fighting for assault gun ban. Stewart questions climate change science. Colbert gets Dem nomination for Congress.

Happy Wednesday. Sen. Dianne Feinstein's assault weapons ban won't be part of a gun bill brought up for a vote in the Senate, but that doesn't mean the California Democrat is going away. Feinstein says she won't "lay down and play dead" and says she's confident Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will give her a vote on her controversial bill. [Politico] More coverage of the ban's fate: [

Sandy City took the top spot with 11.

"Our lobbyists make sure Sandy's needs are heard and not lost," said city spokeswoman Nicole Martin, adding that the city's lobbyists deal with transportation, public utilities and alcohol licensing, which can effect economic development.

After Sandy, the most represented organizations include Parsons Behle and Larime, Dish Network and Intermountain Healthcare, which each had nine lobbyists.

'Bible' producers dismiss Obama as Satan rumors. Appointing the AG? Women to pray at LDS gathering.

Happy Tuesday. The producers of the new movie "The Bible" are dismissing Internet rumors that the Satan in the upcoming flick is made to look like President Barack Obama. To be fair, the resemblance is uncanny.

-> "Both Mark and I have nothing but respect and love our president, who is a fellow Christian," said Roma Downey, the "Touched by an Angel" star behind the new movie, referring to her husband, Mark Burnett. [CBSNews]

Topping t...

Schafly: Romney, McCain 'a bunch of losers.' Utah County jail books fewer immigrants. Love vs. Matheson, Round II?

Happy Monday. The national founder of the Eagle Forum, Phyllis Schlafly, didn't have kind words to say about Mitt Romney and some other failed GOP nominees, blaming them for listening to consultants instead of hugging traditional conservative values:

-> "The establishment has given us a whole series of losers. Bob Dole and John McCain. Mitt Romney. ... Why is it that the establishment has given us this bunch of losers?" [HuffPost]

Topping...

Legislature adjourns 'bland' session. Summaries of issues tackled. Senate advances assault weapons ban.

Happy Friday. Speaking yesterday at the Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington, Sen. Mike Lee said that the opposite of "bad government" isn't "good government" or even "limited government." What is it then? Lee says the best way to govern is to return to a "civil society" where families, schools, charities and churches looked out for the well-being of people. [NRO]

Topping the news: The Utah Legislature adjourned la...