This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Planned Parenthood funding fight could prompt another government shutdown. SLC mayoral spokesman on leave pending online comment probe. Poll: Utahns favor lethal injection over firing squad.

Happy Friday. Republican members of Congress are joining together to seek to cut any funding for Planned Parenthood after another video surfaces from an anti-abortion group about the sale of fetal material. Sen. Orrin Hatch says stripping the funding is "the right way to go." But with expected push back from Democrats, it could set up another government shutdown in October. [http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/gop-support-grows-for-hardline-planned-parenthood-strategy-120837.html?hp=t1_r" target="_blank">Politico]

Topping the news: Art Raymond, spokesman for Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, posted comments while at work on The Salt Lake Tribune's website under the pseudonym "WhiskeyPete" disparaging Becker's competition in the mayoral election; he is now on administrative leave. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2786327-155/salt-lake-city-spokesman-placed-on" target="_blank">Trib] Read some of the comments and how the story was discovered here. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2787085-155/flagged-online-post-revealed-mayoral-spokesmans" target="_blank">Trib]

-> Rich Piatt explains why he left his TV journalism gig to work for Rep. Mia Love in a short profile about hacks becoming flacks. [http://blogs.rollcall.com/218/hill-climbers-from-hacks-to-flacks/?dcz" target="_blank">RollCall]

-> Justice Anthony Kennedy spoke to the Utah Bar Association at their annual gathering and referenced the evolving nature of the Constitution. [http://fox13now.com/2015/07/30/u-s-supreme-court-justice-kennedy-suggests-constitution-evolves-references-same-sex-marriage-case/" target="_blank">Fox13]

-> A new poll shows that more Utahns favor lethal injection as the method for death penalty executions with the firing squad a distant second. [http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/6505-poll-utahns-favor-lethal-injection-over-firing-squad-in-death-penalty-cases" target="_blank">UtahPolicy]

Tweets of the day: From @https://twitter.com/SpencerJCox" target="_blank">SpencerJCox: "Hardest part of giving a speech on education? NOT saying 'I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way.'"

-> From@https://twitter.com/chasedoutre" target="_blank">chasedoutre: "Donald Trump leads the GOP race by a hair. Well, a few hairs. A few hairs held together w/ rubber cement, regular cement and Miss USA's tears."

-> From @https://twitter.com/ryanbeckwith" target="_blank">ryanbeckwith: "Who will be the first Republican candidate at the Aug. 6 debate to make a 'You're fired!' joke?"

Happy Birthday: Today to Joe Cannon., on Saturday to Jennifer Fox Young and on Sunday to Cam Madsen, legislative assistant for Rep. Chris Stewart.

Tune in: Tribune reporters Matt Canham, Thomas Burr, Christopher Smart and Peggy Fletcher Stack join Jennifer Napier-Pearce to talk about the week's top news stories including Sen. Orrin Hatch's potential 2018 campaign, Sen. Mike Lee's rally against Obamacare and a possible break between the LDS Church and the Boys Scouts of America. Listen to Behind the Headlines live at 9 a.m. on KCPW 88.3/105.3 FM or http://kcpw.org/" target="_blank">kcpw.org. 

In other news: Check out Pat Bagley's cartoon where every candidate in the SLC mayoral race has a billboard except incumbent Ralph Becker. [http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2786926-155/bagley-cartoon-sign-sign-everywhere-a" target="_blank">Trib]

-> Derrin Owens will replace former Rep. Jon Cox in the Utah House after Cox took a new position in Gov. Gary Herbert's office. [http://kutv.com/news/local/high-school-counselor-picked-to-fill-vacant-house-seat" target="_blank">KUTV]

-> A Tribune poll shows that 42 percent of Salt Lake City residents oppose how Becker ousted former Police Chief Chris Burbank, with 26 percent in support. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2781459-155/poll-salt-lakers-unhappy-with-police" target="_blank">Trib]

-> ABC4's Glen Mills joins Bryan Schott to discuss this week in politics. [http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/6504-bernick-and-schott-on-politics-episode-247" target="_blank">UtahPolicy]

-> An audit from the U.S. Health and Human Services office found that 22 of 23 co-ops, including one in Utah, lost money last year. [http://www.sltrib.com/home/2787638-155/utahsnonprofit-insurer-199m-in-the-red" target="_blank">APviaTrib]

-> Sen. Mike Lee received a promise from IRS Commissioner John Koskinen that the agency wouldn't remove tax exemptions from religious organizations who disagree with same-sex marriage. [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865633515/IRS-commits-to-not-target-tax-exempt-status-of-churches-under-questioning-from-Sen-Mike-Lee.html" target="_blank">DNews]

-> Though by the end of the week state lawmakers will have missed their self-imposed deadlines on Medicaid expansion and the prison relocation, resolutions for the two issues may come within the next month. [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865633560/Resolutions-on-Medicaid-expansion-prison-relocation-are-weeks-maybe-months-away.html" target="_blank">DNews] [http://kutv.com/news/local/utah-politicians-working-on-deal-to-provide-health-care-for-utahs-poor" target="_blank">KUTV]

-> Take a look at Sen. Orrin Hatch's reaction to the Senate passing the highway trust fund bill. [http://www.good4utah.com/story/d/story/senator-hatch-discusses-highway-trust-fund-bill/37224/QTVaZIXMsEucS3UxN0YG4w" target="_blank">ABC4]

-> Hatch also wrote this op-ed discussing proper decorum on the Senate floor. [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/28/orrin-hatch-when-tough-talk-roils-the-decorum-of-t/" target="_blank">WaTimes]

-> Some cities are built around town halls and others around temples, but the Olympic Oval will likely become the center of Kearns. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2762342-155/will-the-olympic-oval-become-the?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed" target="_blank">Trib]

-> Oh my gosh! Take a look at this map showing which states swear the most on Twitter. [http://www.sltrib.com/blogs/utaheffect/2762317-155/the-utah-effect-the-people" target="_blank">Trib]

-> City officials dedicated Ron Heaps Memorial Park Thursday to a fallen SLC police officer. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2783111-155/park-dedicated-to-salt-lake-city" target="_blank">Trib]

-> A report from the Utah Foundation says Utah millennials would rather spend their time on social causes rather than politics. [http://www.good4utah.com/story/d/story/utah-millennials-pass-on-politics-more-likely-to-g/42533/HqtvYOuyA0arvC8sMcAmYQ" target="_blank">ABC4]

Nationally: Presidential hopeful Donald Trump said he intends to be "very nice & highly respectful of the other candidates" during the Aug. 6 debate. [http://www.politico.com/story/2015/07/donald-trump-tweet-promise-nice-respectful-2016-gop-debate-120827.html?hp=r2_3" target="_blank">Politico] [http://time.com/3979451/donald-trump-nice-gop-debate/" target="_blank">TIME]

-> House Speaker John A. Boehner isn't worried about the latest calls for his resignation. [http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-boehner-revolt-20150729-story.html" target="_blank">LATimes] [http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/28/politics/john-boehner-speakership-mark-meadows/" target="_blank">CNN]

Where are they?

  • President Barack https://twitter.com/BarackObama" target="_blank">Obama receives a briefing from Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz.
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    — Thomas Burr and Courtney Tanner

    https://twitter.com/thomaswburr" target="_blank">Twitter.com/thomaswburr and https://twitter.com/CourtneyLTanner" target="_blank">Twitter.com/CourtneyLTanner