This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Believe it or not, Donald Trump is following Obama's playbook. Poll: Most Utahns want Hatch to retire; Hatch disputes results. SLC questions airport expansion time frame.
Happy Wednesday. Donald Trump is following much the same political blueprint his predecessor and longtime adversary Barack Obama laid out years ago, signaling he'll actively intervene in the U.S. economy while antagonizing free-marketeers who say his meddling will end in disaster. It's a funhouse-mirror version of Obama's early image of the presidency — the man of action for down-and-out Americans who desperately want to see that somebody is on their side. [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trump-obama-political-blueprint-232292">Politico</a>]
<strong>Topping the news: </strong>A poll by an anti-establishment group finds 72 percent of Utah GOP voters are happy with Sen. Orrin Hatch, but 74 percent of them also think it's time he retires. Hatch's office argues the phrasing of the question tilted the responses. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4680568-155/poll-utahns-like-hatch-but-balk?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
-> Salt Lake City Council, tasked with approving a bond and budget amendment to increase the estimated cost of a Salt Lake City Airport renovation, questions the motives of the speedy time frame, but airport officials say they're in the same boat. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4680841-155/salt-lake-city-council-questions-rush"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865668756/Salt-Lake-airport-requests-350M-more-for-its-renovation.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]
-> House Speaker Greg Hughes has shaken up committee chair and vice chair assignments for the upcoming session. [<a href="http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/11667-">UtahPolicy</a>]
-> State Treasurer David Damschen says he feels a bit like Santa Clause when he gets to remind Utahns to see if they have unclaimed property — like unreimbursed deposits or uncashed paychecks — to retrieve from the state and take the edge off holiday expenses. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4679310-155/need-cash-state-has-375-million"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/central/provo/state-treasurer-says-some-residents-have-cash-waiting-for-them/article_29c63d5d-b65a-566e-b378-772042b3efb9.html"; target="_blank">Herald</a>]
<strong>Tweets of the day: </strong>From @<a href="https://twitter.com/NoceraNYT"; target="_blank">NoceraNYT</a>: "Boeing is our #1 exporter by dollar volume. It employs more middle class factory workers than any other US co. So, yeah, let's nail Boeing."
From @<a href="https://twitter.com/owillis"; target="_blank">owillis</a>: "So Trump was just off by $3,830,000,000. Good thing he's not taking a job that requires accuracy or precision. (corrected for billions)"
From @<a href="https://twitter.com/toddbarry"; target="_blank">toddbarry</a>: "Ben Carson used to be my doctor. Stopped seeing him because he always shifted the conversation to housing and urban development."
<strong>In other news:</strong> Utah's liquor stores are handing out grant-funded reusable bags that help the environment while advertising against underage drinking. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4675684-155/utah-liquor-stores-are-giving-away"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2016/12/06/utah-dabc-offering-free-reusable-bags-for-liquor-store-shoppers/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>]
-> The University of Utah launches a partnership with the state's manufacturing companies to help bring "a bit of best practice and a bit of next practice" into the industry. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4680717-155/new-partnership-with-u-aims-to"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865668736/New-manufacturing-resource-center-launched-in-Utah.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]
-> The Navajo Nation asks the Environmental Protection Agency for $160 million to repair damage from a spill at Colorado's Gold King Mine that sullied rivers in three Western states. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4679021-155/navajo-nation-files-160-m-claim"; target="_blank">APviaTrib</a>]
<span style="line-height:1.5;">-> The family of Josh Holt, a native Utahn whose family says he was arrested on false espionage and weapons-posession charges after his wedding in Venezuela, lose heart as Holt's court date is postponed for a fourth time. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4679499-155/drop-these-ridiculous-fabricated-charges-parents"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/jailed-utahn-josh-holt-hearing-delayed-again-in-venezuela"; target="_blank">APviaKUTV</a>]</span>
-> Pat Bagley draws up his take on Trump — the modern-day dictator with Twitter as his weapon. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4680858-155/bagley-cartoon-the-strongman"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
-> Paul Rolly chronicles the latest financial woe for the Utah Republican Party: a lawsuit from the small business that supplied the merchandise for the state and national GOP conventioners and received no payment. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4679356-155/utahs-most-prominent-deadbeat-the-state-gop"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
<strong>Nationally:</strong> President-elect Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday that Boeing's asking price for a new Air Force One was outrageous at $4 billion. Boeing says the contract is only worth $170 million, but the company's stock dropped by the end of the day anyway. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/12/06/did-donald-trump-tank-boeings-stock-because-he-was-mad-about-a-news-article/?utm_term=.2171a7c91a7d"; target="_blank">WaPost</a>] [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trump-boeing-air-force-one-232243"; target="_blank">Politico</a>]
-> A Trump aide says the president-elect sold all of his stock in June, which takes at least one factor out of any conflicts of interest. [<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/06/us/politics/donald-trump-business-stocks.html?ref=politics"; target="_blank">NYTimes</a>] [<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2016/12/06/investing/donald-trump-stocks/index.html"; target="_blank">CNN</a>]
-> Trump appeared in North Carolina for his second "thank you" tour stop Tuesday and formally introduced his defense secretary pick, Gen. James Mattis. [<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/06/us/politics/north-carolina-donald-trump-james-mattis.html?ref=politics&_r=0"; target="_blank">NYTimes</a>] [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/12/06/trump-formally-introduces-defense-nominee-james-mad-dog-mattis/?utm_term=.a78edace4f4b"; target="_blank">WaPost</a>] [<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/06/politics/donald-trump-thank-you-tour-fayetteville-north-carolina/index.html"; target="_blank">CNN</a>]
<strong>Where are they?</strong>
<ul>
<li>Rep. Jason <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/jasoninthehouse"; target="_blank">Chaffetz</a></strong> collects a Heroes of Main Street Award, chairs an Oversight hearing probing the cost of overclassification and drops in on a Postal Reform meeting.</li>
<li>Rep. Mia <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMiaLove"; target="_blank"><strong>Love</strong></a> heads to a Financial Services Subcommittee hearing on monetary policy and trade, sits down with constituents and staff and votes.</li>
<li>Gov. Gary <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/GovHerbert"; target="_blank">Herbert</a></strong> does a Governor's Budget media event before interviewing with the Deseret News and The Salt Lake Tribune editorial boards.</li>
<li>Lt. Gov. Spencer <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerJCox"; target="_blank">Cox</a></strong> honors Pearl Harbor Day in Hawaii with commemoration ceremonies at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and Fort DeRussy and a parade and public ceremony at Kapiolani Park.</li>
<li>State Treasurer David <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/DamschenDavid"; target="_blank">Damschen</a></strong> meets with a retirement plan technology firm, chats with staff from the Permanent Community Impact Board and hops on a call to talk about the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's prepaid debit card regulations.</li>
<li>President Barack <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama"; target="_blank">Obama</a> </strong>receives his presidential daily briefing in the Oval Office.</li>
</ul>
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— Thomas Burr and Zoe Woolf McGinn
<a title="Thomas Burr" href="https://twitter.com/thomaswburr"; target="_blank">Twitter.com/thomaswburr</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/zoewmcginn"; target="_blank">Twitter.com/zoewmcginn</a>