Trump feuds with Senate Majority Leader McConnell as possible government shutdown looms. Rep. Chris Stewart hears from Utah refugee community fearful of Trump. Operation Rio Grande looks to expand treatment beds.
Happy Monday. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald Trump started with an uneasy relationship. That has now devolved into outright animosity and antagonism. The two have not spoken to each other in weeks as Trump calls out Republican lawmakers he opposes and McConnell rushes to their defense. The feud also comes as Congress weighs big policy decisions, such as tax reform, and must act to avoid a government shutdown. “I wouldn’t be surprised if McConnell pulls back his support of Trump and tries to go it alone,” predicted a former finance chairman of the Republican National Committee. [NYTimes]
Topping the news: Rep. Chris Stewart spoke with leaders of Utah’s refugee community about their concerns with President Donald Trump’s policies. [Trib] [DNews] [ABC4]
-> After Trump announced Monday that he plans to deploy more troops to Afghanistan, Stewart praised the move. [Trib]
-> Operation Rio Grande may grant Salt Lake County’s wishes for more drug addiction treatment beds and a specialty drug court to expedite the process. [Trib] [DNews] [ABC4] [FOX13] [KUER]
Tweets of the day: From @mat_johnson: “Looking at live tweets of a Trump speech instead of watching the speech itself is my soul’s eclipse glasses.”
-> From @petersuderman: ”I heard an interesting theory the other day. Remember that 2012 Mayan apocalypse that didn’t happen? Well, maybe it did.”
In other news: A state legislative audit released Tuesday shows that Utah’s two statewide investigative units – the State Bureau of Investigation and the attorney general’s Investigations Division – often engage in territorial disputes. [Trib]
-> While President Donald Trump was mocked for looking at the eclipse without glasses, he wasn’t the only one. If you took a peek at the bright sunlight, here's how to know if you’re going blind. [Trib]
-> The price tag for managing Utah’s wildfires doubled this year. [Trib] [DNews]
-> State Sen. Curt Bramble is among the motorists who say they have been pitched tires while traveling through central or southern Utah. For Bramble, the pitch happened at a tire shop cited by regulators. [Trib]
-> The Utah County Commission has decided to create what might be a one-of-a-kind oversight panel for local prosecutors. [Trib]
Nationally: In a speech in Phoenix, Ariz., on Tuesday, President Donald Trump took swings at the media, threatened to shut down the government if Congress doesn't fund a border wall and hinted that he may pardon former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio. [WaPost]
-> The Treasury Department slapped sanctions on Chinese and Russian companies Tuesday to punish them for supposedly doing business with North Korea in ways the department says benefit the country’s missile and nuclear weapons program. [WaPost]
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-- Courtney Tanner and Emily Anderson
Follow @sltribpolitics