This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Trump to take office with historically low approval rating. Chaffetz says he won't go on a 'fishing expedition' to investigate Trump. Meet the Utahns headed to the inauguration/women's march.
Happy Tuesday. President-elect Donald Trump will take the oath of office this week at historically low, and falling, approval ratings. And it's partially his fault. Trump, who is most at home stirring and then surfing controversy, spent much of the 10-week transition since the election revving up supporters still exulting in his win. He boasts in private and public about how he pulled off the upset, taking to Twitter to mock Democrats and anyone else upset that he won. There was a thank you tour, but no listening tour. Visits took him to the heart of Trump country, but none to a state he didn't win. [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/donald-trump-divided-america-233652">Politico</a>]
<strong>Topping the news: </strong>Rep. Jason Chaffetz threatened to investigate a federal ethics watchdog for criticizing how Donald Trump plans to handle business interests while serving as president. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4817050-155/chaffetz-wants-to-probe-ethics-of">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865671101/Chaffetz-criticized-for-going-after-federal-ethics-official-who-spoke-out-against-Trump.html">DNews</a>]
-> Chaffetz later added that he won't go on a "fishing expedition" pushed for by Democrats to investigate the president-elect because Trump is "exempt from most of these [ethics] laws." [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4823388-155/chaffetz-wont-launch-fishing-expedition-into">Trib</a>]
-> Two LDS apostles will attend Trump's inauguration, but say it's "an act of state, not of politics." [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/lifestyle/faith/4816500-155/act-of-state-not-politics-">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865671037/Mormon-apostles-major-Utah-figures-to-attend-Trump-inauguration.html">DNews</a>]
-> The Piano Guys, a Utah-based music group, will perform at a Thursday concert as part of Trump's inaugural celebration. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4820409-155/utah-group-the-piano-guys-set">APviaTrib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865671203/The-Piano-Guys-explain-why-they-will-perform-at-Trump-inauguration.html">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/piano-guys-comment-on-choice-to-perform-at-trump-inauguration">KUTV</a>]
-> Meet three Utahns heading to Washington to celebrate Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday — and three others protesting it the next day. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4812500-155/meet-the-utahns-going-to-washington">Trib</a>]
-> 50 percent of Utahns say that improving education should be the top priority of the Legislature when it meets next week while 22 percent said it should be lowering taxes, according to a December poll. [<a href="http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/12034-">UtahPolicy</a>]
<strong>Tweets of the day:</strong> From @<a href="https://twitter.com/BassoonJokes">BassoonJokes</a>: "The new healthcare plan is everybody gets 50 tylenol at birth. those are your tylenol. use them whenever or however you want."
-> From @<a href="https://twitter.com/samswey">samswey</a>: "Watched the Black Mirror episode where voters elect a cartoon character just to 'shake things up.' Realized it wasn't entirely fictional."
-> From @<a href="https://twitter.com/BenWinslow">BenWinslow</a>: "No member of the #utleg filed a bill on Friday the 13th. Superstitious?"
<strong>Happy Birthday: </strong>To first lady Michelle Obama.
<strong>Opinion section: </strong>Bryant Watson, a former captain and infantry officer in the U.S. Army, discusses growing up in a downtown homeless shelter in Salt Lake City — "certainly better than sleeping in a car." [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4800000-155/op-ed-even-downtown-shelter-is-better">Trib</a>]
-> Christopher Sveiven, a Sugar House resident, decries Salt Lake City's leadership for choosing a homeless shelter site in the middle of an "special and award winning" neighborhood. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4812996-155/op-ed-homeless-plan-despoils-award-winning-sugar">Trib</a>]
-> George Pyle supports the Our Schools Now initiative that would raises income taxes to fund education, saying Utah's public schools have coasted on insufficient funds for too long. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4813733-155/george-pyle-time-for-utah-school">Trib</a>]
-> Jeff Swift, policy director for LDS Dems, says the state's education system is "in crisis" because it is inadequately funded. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4812987-155/op-ed-make-the-wealthy-pay-more">Trib</a>]
-> Rep. Mia Love details her bill, "One Subject at a Time," that if passed would force Congress to consider just one topic per piece of legislation. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4813836-155/mia-love-one-subject-at-a">Trib</a>]
-> Jonathan Johnson, chairman of the board of Utah-based Overstock.com and a former gubernatorial candidate, questions how much money Utah supposedly failed to collect through e-commerce sales tax. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4802642-155/op-ed-we-now-collect-enough-internet">Trib</a>]
-> David Kranes, a Salt Lake City author, tells the story of a president who's a little like the Queen of Hearts. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4765364-155/op-ed-a-fable-of-the-president">Trib</a>]
-> Tom Adams, director of the Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation, says initial conflict can sometimes leads to collaboration that protects the state's outdoor vistas. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4813801-155/op-ed-utah-will-forge-its-recreation">Trib</a>]
-> Gail Miller, owner of the Larry H. Miller Group of companies, argues in favor of Sen. Orrin Hatch running for an eighth term in office. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4799981-155/gail-miller-add-my-voice-to">Trib</a>]
-> Nate Carlisle compares past cases of whistleblowing to a new effort to publish and leak records from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4813399-155/nate-carlisle-why-are-lds-church">Trib</a>]
-> Jim Bennett, a freelance writer and business consultant living in Sandy, looks back at the designation of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument to provide context for Bears Ears. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4803573-155/op-ed-dont-let-importance-of-bears">Trib</a>]
-> Pat Bagley offers his take on some parting advice President Barack Obama has for Lady Liberty. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4817981-155/bagley-cartoon-obamas-parting-advice">Trib</a>]
-> Paul Rolly looks at the pressure Utah lawmakers faced in the 1980s to create a state-paid holiday with Martin Luther King Jr. Day. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4817309-155/rolly-we-shall-overcome-eventually">Trib</a>]
-> Robert Gehrke examines the legacy President Barack Obama leaves in Utah — and what will remain and what might be erased after he leaves office. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4817966-155/gehrke-obamas-legacy-could-be-wiped">Trib</a>]
-> LaVarr Webb and Frank Pignanelli discuss the "very interesting times ahead" with Donald Trump at the helm of the country. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865671141/Life-under-Trump-Hang-on-to-your-hats.html">DNews</a>]
<strong>In other news:</strong> A Syrian refugee family finding home in Utah "hesitated" to come to the United States over fears of President Trump. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4789823-155/syrian-refugee-family-welcomes-new-home">Trib</a>]
-> Utah hasn't held a special election to replace a member of Congress for 86 years; that could change if Rep. Chris Stewart is selected as the Air Force secretary. [<a href="http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/12030-">UtahPolicy</a>]
-> House Speaker Greg Hughes says the upcoming legislative session could be "crazy," and that he foresees some skirmishes. [<a href="http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/12033-">UtahPolicy</a>]
-> A NAACP luncheon honored Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy with prayers and song — while applauding criminal justice reforms enacted in his stead. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4826969-155/criminal-justice-reform-is-a-fight">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865671217/NAACP-honors-Ron-McBride-with-Dr-Martin-Luther-King-Jr-Award.html">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/naacp-salt-lake-branch-honors-mlks-legacy-at-annual-luncheon/641291940">ABC4</a>] [<a href="http://www.ksl.com/?sid=42897302&nid=148&title=naacp-honors-ron-mcbride-with-dr-martin-luther-king-jr-award">KSL</a>]
-> Marchers in Salt Lake City reflected on King's calls for equality and justice. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/home/4826344-155/on-martin-luther-king-jr-day">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865671218/Photos-We-cannot-walk-alone.html">DNews</a>]
-> Former presidential candidate Martin O'Malley traveled to Utah for a fundraiser Saturday, where he said Trump's campaign was based on "the politics of division and fear." [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4817948-155/former-presidential-candidate-omalley-tells-utah">Trib</a>]
-> A Utah veteran who survived Pearl Harbor died this week at the age of 98. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4826319-155/utah-vet-who-survived-pearl-harbor">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/utah-man-who-witnessed-attack-on-pearl-harbor-dies-at-98">KUTV</a>]
-> Residents rallied against the repeal of Obamacare at the Utah State Capitol on Saturday. [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/thousands-rally-against-defunding-of-obamacare">KUTV</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2017/01/15/hundreds-gather-at-utah-capitol-to-rally-against-repeal-of-affordable-care-act/">Fox13</a>]
-> State officials vow to make improving air quality a top priority for 2017. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4807997-155/utahs-2017-resolution-a-plan-for">Trib</a>]
-> Sen. Mike Lee joked that he might be able to one up his older brother with a Supreme Court nomination under Trump's administration. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/outofcontext/4818026-155/sen-mike-lee-jokes-high-court">Trib</a>]
-> Salt Lake City leaders applauded the first development — an affordable housing complex — of the Station Center project. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4812772-155/city-touts-first-completed-development-at">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.ksl.com/?sid=42855950&nid=148">KSL</a>]
<strong>Nationally:</strong> President-elect Donald Trump says his replacement plan for Obamacare will provide "insurance for everybody." [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-vows-insurance-for-everybody-in-obamacare-replacement-plan/2017/01/15/5f2b1e18-db5d-11e6-ad42-f3375f271c9c_story.html?utm_term=.43ceac622872&wpisrc=nl_politics&wpmm=1">WaPost</a>] [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/15/us/politics/trump-health-law-replacement.html">NYTimes</a>] [<a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/donald-trump-administration/2017/01/donald-trump-insurance-everybody-233650">Politico</a>]
-> Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon, said Trump is not "a legitimate president." Trump said Lewis is "all talk, talk, talk — no action or results." [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-feud-with-john-lewis-echoes-a-long-difficult-relationship-with-african-americans/2017/01/15/03126080-daa1-11e6-9a36-1d296534b31e_story.html?utm_term=.faa9154ac5ee">WaPost</a>] [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/14/us/politics/john-lewis-donald-trump.html">NYTimes</a>]
-> Monica Crowley, who was to serve on Trump's National Security Council, has bowed out of the administrative position after allegations she plagiarized her 2012 book that criticizes President Barack Obama's policies. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/01/16/trump-national-security-spokeswoman-monica-crowley-to-forgo-post-amid-plagiarism-charges/?utm_term=.2e90290e124e">WaPost</a>] [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/16/us/politics/monica-crowley-plagiarism.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=fb-nytpolitics&smtyp=cur">NYTimes</a>] [<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/monica-crowley-bows-out-trump-administration-role-following-plagiarism-reports-n707516">NBCNews</a>]
<strong>Where are they?</strong>
<ul>
<li>Gov. Gary <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/GovHerbert"; target="_blank">Herbert</a></strong> meets with staff and speaks with Daniel Campbell, chair of the Board of Regents.</li>
<li>Lt. Gov. Spencer <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerJCox"; target="_blank">Cox</a></strong> participates in a discussion on rural economic development, holds a staff meeting and chats with a state lawmaker.</li>
<li>State Auditor John <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/FrugalDougall"; target="_blank">Dougall</a> </strong>talks with local government officials, goes to several board meetings and reviews audit reports.</li>
<li>SL Co. Mayor Ben <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/MayorBenMcAdams"; target="_blank">McAdams</a></strong> attends a breakfast with United Way of Salt Lake, sits down with SL Co. Councilwoman Jenny Wilson and speaks with SL Co. Sheriff Jim Winder.</li>
<li>President Barack <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama"; target="_blank">Obama</a> </strong>speaks to reporters.</li>
</ul>
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— Thomas Burr and Courtney Tanner
<a title="Thomas Burr" href="https://twitter.com/thomaswburr"; target="_blank">Twitter.com/thomaswburr</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/CourtneyLTanner">Twitter.com/CourtneyLTanner</a>