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As Republicans gather in Cleveland, Romney enjoys a lakeside vacation. Utah at the center of failed convention coup. Prosecutor drops all charges against Shurtleff.
Happy Tuesday. As Republicans gather in Cleveland this week to nominate Donald Trump, the party's 2012 standard bearer is no where to be seen. And Mitt Romney seems perfectly fine with that. Romney is spending the week at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. "Just going to be here all week," he told a couple reporters who briefly interrupted his summer vacation. [<a href="http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/07/18/news-wolfeboro/CKNeeJ7RZiWfTep5rr309M/story.html?platform=hootsuite">Globe</a>]
<strong>Topping the news: </strong>Sen. Mike Lee and the Utah delegation were at the heart of the never-Trump effort Monday, which, despite hard-fought attempts, failed to stop Donald Trump from becoming the Republican nominee. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4130211-155/utah-led-rebellion-thwarted-likely-crushing-trump"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865658247/Hatch-tells-Utah-delegates-to-get-behind-Donald-Trump.html">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/utahns-sen-lee-at-center-of-unexpected-floor-fight-at-gop-convention">KUTV</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2016/07/17/utah-delegates-in-cleveland-for-rnc-disagree-on-rules-committee-vote-backing-trump/">Fox13</a>] [<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/18/politics/rnc-procedural-votes-rules-committee/">CNN</a>] [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/never-trump-delegates-have-support-needed-to-force-rules-vote-225716">Politico</a>] More convention news below.
-> Davis County Attorney Scott Rawlings is seeking to dismiss all criminal charges against former Attorney General Mark Shurtleff. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4128303-155/prosecutor-says-hes-walking-away-from"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] Here's a look at what charges he had faced [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4130701-155/a-look-at-the-charges-shurtleffs"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]. Rawlings' decision has many Utah Democrats frustrated. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4128879-155/no-shurtleff-prosecution-utah-dems-seething"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
-> Gov. Gary Herbert signed all special session bills, including one that will allow fire fighters to shoot down drones that interfere with their efforts. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4130124-155/governor-signs-drone-restriction-measure-all-utah"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
-> A new poll shows 56% of Utah voters "strongly" or "somewhat" support allowing guns or rifles on the campuses of the state's public colleges and universities. [<a href="http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/10213-">UtahPolicy</a>]
<strong>Tweets of the day: </strong>From <a href="https://twitter.com/jbarro"; target="_blank">@jbarro</a>: "Williamsburg-level concentrations of 'Make America Great Again' hats here, but they're not being worn ironically."
From @<a href="http://www.twitter.com/JerryZremski">JerryZremski</a>: "That may have been the shortest speech that @RealDonaldTrump ever delivered."
From @<a href="http://www.twitter.com/GlennThrush">GlennThrush</a>: "Sometimes scripted isn't so bad."
From @<a href="http://www.twitter.com/stevenjldamico">stevenjldamico</a>: "The four people left at #RNCinCLE are really enjoying this Joni Ernst speech."
<span class="s1"><strong>From Cleveland:</strong> It's Day No. 2 of the Republican National Convention, </span><span class="s1">a gathering now set on nominating Donald Trump after attempts by some </span><span class="s1">Utah delegates and others failed to allow the Republicans to pick </span><span class="s1">someone – anyone – else.</span>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">-> Follow our on-the-ground team on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/thomaswburr"; target="_blank">@thomaswburr</a>, </span><span class="s1"><a href="https://twitter.com/mattcanham"; target="_blank">@mattcanham</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertGehrke"; target="_blank">@robertgehrke</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/trenthead"; target="_blank">@trenthead</a>) and at <a href="http://sltrib.com/"><span class="s2">sltrib.com</span></a> for updates </span><span class="s1">all day.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">-> eBay is buying breakfast this morning for Utah's Republican </span><span class="s1">delegates, alternatives and family. No bids required.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">-> Nice seats: Sen. Orrin Hatch is splitting a box suite with House </span><span class="s1">Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Majority Whip Steve Scalise at the </span><span class="s1">Quicken Loans Arena with straight-on view of the RNC's stage. He </span><span class="s1">invited Utah delegates up for food and sat in the front of the suite </span><span class="s1">for much of the evening's program. But Hatch also got a prime seat for </span><span class="s1">part of Monday's program: Front row of the VIP section with former </span><span class="s1">Sen. Bob Dole and Donald Trump Jr.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">-> Today's RNC theme: "Make America Work Again." The session begins at </span><span class="s1">3:30 p.m. Utah time. Speeches tonight by Trump kids Tiffany Trump, </span><span class="s1">Kerry Woolard, Donald Trump Jr., as well as Sen. Shelley Moore Capito </span><span class="s1">of West Virginia, and former Republican candidates Ben Carson and </span><span class="s1">Scott Walker.</span></p>
<p class="p1"><em>To the stories: </em>Sen. Orrin Hatch encourages Utah's Trump-wary delegation to start supporting the Republican nominee. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4128946-155/orrin-hatch-tells-utahs-republican-delegates"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> Melania Trump gave a heartwarming speech about how much she loves her husband, who introduced her briefly on Monday, though a few lines of her speech closely mirrored that of first lady Michelle Obama's 2008 address. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4131085-155/melania-trump-delivers-rare-speech-part">Trib</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox says it is "highly unlikely" that he will back Donald Trump at the end of the Republican National Convention. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/home/4128836-155/video-utahs-lt-governor-cox-unlikely"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> A Utah woman says she was threatened by two Trump supporters at the convention who said she should "die" after supporting a change to deny Trump the nomination. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4130621-155/you-should-die-trump-supporters-threaten"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> Utah Highway Patrol troopers are helping out Cleveland police during this week's convention. [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/uhp-troopers-working-to-keep-peace-in-cleveland">KUTV</a>]</p>
<p class="p1">-> A tribute video to high-profile Republicans that aired during the convention misspelled the names of two Utahns. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865658264/RNC-tribute-video-misspells-names-of-two-late-Utah-Republicans.html?pg=all">DNews</a>]</p>
<strong>In other news: </strong>Economic research shows that Utah has less income inequality that other states, but the gap is increasing. See how your income measures up to the top 1% in your county. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/home/4067896-155/do-you-make-the-cash-to"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
-> The individual who cared for the deceased man who had Zika virus has also contracted the virus without traveling to a Zika-infected area or having sex with anyone who has the virus. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4128636-155/utahn-who-cared-for-man-infected"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
-> State Auditor John Dougall's office released an audit that found many independent state entities do not comply with Utah's open meetings laws. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4129078-155/audit-many-independent-state-entities-violate"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
-> A Salt Lake City police officer received a national award for saving a woman from a man who had stabbed her. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4128938-155/salt-lake-city-police-officer-receives"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
-> Farmers worry that toxic algae from Utah Lake will destroy their summer crops. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4130102-155/farmers-fear-for-crops-as-utah"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
-> Utah will take additional public comments on its plan to extend Medicaid coverage at the behest of the federal government. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4129868-155/federal-government-to-utah-take-additional"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
-> Tesoro will install pollution control at its oil refinery in Salt Lake City as per an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and the EPA. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4129922-155/tesoro-agrees-to-reduce-emissions-at"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
<strong>Nationally: </strong>Hillary Clinton spoke at the NAACP convention in Cincinnati, where she condemned the recent shootings of police officers in Baton Rouge and Dallas, saying, "This madness has to stop." She said that the black community and police officers need to work together to rebuild trust. [<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/19/us/politics/hillary-clinton-naacp-conference.html"; target="_blank">NYTimes</a>]
->Housing Secretary Julian Castro, one of Clinton's potential VP-picks, violated the Hatch Act by praising Clinton in an interview, according to federal investigators. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/07/18/federal-investigators-cabinet-secretary-and-potential-clinton-running-mate-julian-castro-violated-hatch-act/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_hud-0740pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory" target="_blank">WaPost</a>]
-> The New York Times is suing the Justice Department for access to work-related emails that Secretary of Defense Ash Carter sent and received from his personal email server. [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/ash-carter-emails-new-york-times-225751"; target="_blank">Politico</a>]
-> The Turkish government closed the airspace over Incirlik Air Base, which houses American nuclear weapons, during the military's attempted coup over the weekend. Some experts worry the weapons are no longer safe in Turkey. [<a href="http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/07/18/americas-nukes-arent-safe-in-turkey-anymore/"; target="_blank">ForeignPolicy</a>]
<strong>Where are they?</strong>
<ul>
<li>Rep. Mia <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/RepMiaLove"; target="_blank">Love</a> </strong>meets with businesses in her district and sits down with constituents.</li>
<li>Gov. Gary <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/GovHerbert"; target="_blank">Herbert</a></strong> attends the Republican National Convention.</li>
<li>Lt. Gov. Spencer <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerJCox"; target="_blank">Cox</a></strong> also attends the Republican National Convention.</li>
<li>State Auditor John <strong><a href="http://twitter.com/FrugalDougall"; target="_blank">Dougall</a> </strong>meets with an investigator from the attorney general's office. Later he meets with a representative of the Utah League of Cities & Towns, as well as with the Office of the Legislative Auditor General. After that he releases a report on the investigation of theft at the Utah schools for the deaf and blind.</li>
<li>SLC Mayor Jackie <a href="http://twitter.com/slcmayor"; target="_blank"><strong>Biskupski</strong></a> attends a Downtown Rising Steering Committee meeting and Council meetings.</li>
<li>President Barack <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama"; target="_blank">Obama</a> </strong>meets with Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FBI Director James Comey in the Oval Office in the afternoon. Later in the afternoon, he meets with Secretary of Defense Ash Carter.</li>
</ul>
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— Thomas Burr and Kayla Goodson
<a title="Thomas Burr" href="https://twitter.com/thomaswburr"; target="_blank">Twitter.com/thomaswburr</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/kay_goodson"; target="_blank">Twitter.com/kay_goodson</a>