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Political Cornflakes: Season two of President Trump isn’t drawing as much interest

President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, April 24, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Season two of President Trump isn’t drawing as much interest. Hatch is against a bill to protect Mueller, but says firing him could lead to ‘impeachment.’ Granato dies after fight with cancer.

Happy Thursday. President Donald Trump’s second season in the White House isn’t drawing the attention his first did. It’s possible that no president in history has had such a grip on public attention in his first year. But now it’s year two, and life in the time of Trump has settled somewhat into a bizarre kind of routine. It’s just like what happened with his TV show. [Politico]

Topping the news: Sen. Orrin Hatch said he is against a bill to protect special counsel Robert Mueller from being fired, but also said President Donald Trump won’t fire Mueller because the action could lead to impeachment. [Trib] [DNews] [KSL]

-> The division between conservatives and moderates in Utah’s Republican Party could be affecting the future of GOP conventions. [Trib]

-> Salt Lake County Councilman and Utah restaurateur Sam Granato has died after struggling with cancer, his office reported Wednesday. [Trib] [DNews] [ABC4] [KUTV] [Fox13] [KSL]

-> Paul Rolly remembers Granato as a person who could bring Catholics and Mormons, Republicans and Democrats all together. [Trib]

-> The C-SPAN bus is in Salt Lake City today and tomorrow as part of its nationwide tour. Learn 10 things about the network here. [Trib]

Tweets of the day: From @UribeForbes: “Telling people that the construction project on I-15 will only take 3 years is like me telling my husband I’ll be ready in 5 minutes. We all know that it’s going to take longer and someone is going to be disappointed with the results no matter what.”

-> From @aedwardslevy: “if the French president faces a tough press conference is that called a Macron-y grill”

Happy Birthday: To former state Sen. John Valentine.

In other news: Hatch proposed legislation Tuesday that would increase the Secret Service’s ability to combat violence in schools. [DNews]

-> Mitt Romney’s primary race is overshadowing the rematch between Rep. John Curtis and former state lawmaker Chris Herrod for Utah’s third congressional district. [DNews]

-> Utah has opened a new, three-year-long $450 million project to widen I-15 in Lehi. [Trib] [KUTV] [Fox13]

-> Utah County Commissioner Greg Graves is threatening to sue fellow commissioners and Utah County for slander, libel and defamation after a county employee filed a sexual harassment claim against him. [DNews]

-> Salt Lake Tribune political reporters and columnists discuss last Saturday’s Utah Republican Convention and the upcoming primary elections in this week’s episode of “Trib Talk.” [Trib]

-> Pat Bagley reimagines GOP reboots of classic books by Dr. Seuss. [Trib]

-> Paul Rolly argues that in the battle between kids and pro-gun forces in the gun safety debate, the kids are winning. [Trib]

-> Robert Gehrke tells the story of Barbara Toomer, who died Tuesday at age 88. Toomer was a fierce advocate for the disabled in Utah. [Trib]

Nationally: White House physician Ronny Jackson, who has been nominated to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, may withdraw his name in the wake of of being accused of alleged professional misconduct. [WaPost]

-> Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, will invoke his Fifth Amendment rights in a lawsuit by adult film star Stormy Daniels. [NYTimes]

-> Attorney General Jeff Sessions wouldn’t answer questions Wednesday about whether he recused himself in the Justice Department’s investigation into Cohen. [NYTimes]

-> French President Emmanuel Macron delivered a speech to Congress Wednesday, offering critiques of Trump’s policies. [NYTimes]

Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Send us a note to cornflakes@sltrib.com.

-- Thomas Burr and Madalyn Gunnell

Twitter.com/thomaswburr and //Twitter.com/madmcgunnell