Mitch McConnell aims to stock courts with conservative judges in case the Senate flips. A guide to Saturday’s Utah GOP convention. Orrin Hatch’s baby joke goes awry.
Happy Friday. With the possibility that Democrats could take the Senate in the midterm elections, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is prioritizing confirmation of conservative judges in a push to make the most change he can during President Donald Trump’s time in office. And if the GOP keeps the majority, he still gets his judges. [Politico]
Topping the news: The Tribune’s Lee Davidson offers a preview of tomorrow’s Utah Republican Party state convention, noting the only sure thing is that Mitt Romney will appear on the primary ballot. [Trib]
-> The San Juan County clerk has begun an investigation into accusations that a Navajo candidate running for an open commission seat isn’t a Utah resident. [Trib]
-> Critics say that a single Utah dispensary — which has been proposed through a new medical marijuana law — would limit access for many patients. [Trib] [KUTV] [Fox13]
-> Sen. Orrin Hatch’s recent joke about babies on the Senate floor has put him at the center of a Twitter firestorm. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: From @petridishes: “babies are permitted to break ties, or, if they prefer, to clutch ties tightly in hand and get an unidentified and sticky substance on ties”
-> From @Acosta: “Shouted a question at the end about Russia sanctions. Trump said he’s been tougher on Russia than any US President. Reagan and Kennedy would disagree.”
-> From @chrislhayes: “Nice work House GOP giving Comey a huge new big burst of publicity during his book launch week.”
Happy Birthday: To former state Rep. Bill Wright.
Behind the Headlines: Tribune reporter Brian Maffly, government and politics editor Dan Harrie and columnist Robert Gehrke join KCPW’s Roger McDonough to talk about the week’s top stories, including ballot initiatives and the Legislature’s veto override session. Each Friday at 9 a.m., stream “Behind the Headlines” online at kcpw.org or tune in to KCPW 88.3 FM or Utah Public Radio for the broadcast.
In other news: Provo responded to a lawsuit — which alleges the city did nothing when it learned of a police chief’s sexual misconduct — and stated that it acted in “good faith” in response to the situation. [Trib] [ABC4] [KUTV] [Fox13]
-> Rep. Chris Stewart supports the “positive step forward” the United States is taking with North Korea in denuclearization talks. [ABC4]
-> State lawmakers disagree with the UTA Board, saying it is not necessary for it to fire UTA president and CEO Jerry Benson. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Pat Bagley depicts what lies between the lines of Republican legislation. [Trib]
-> Robert Gehrke describes how Mitt Romney may have a difficult time at the Utah GOP convention. [Trib]
-> Michelle Quist proposes solutions for both the gender wage gap and the state’s Mormon wage gap. [Trib]
Nationally: Former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani announced he is joining President Donald Trump’s legal team to help negotiate an end to the special counsel investigation. [WaPost]
-> Memos that former FBI Director James Comey wrote offer an intimate look at the Trump presidency and could very well be evidence used by the special counsel. [NYTimes]
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— Thomas Burr and Eric Baker
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