President Donald Trump has called his EPA chief “a star,” but will he consider firing him — as some senior White House staffers are suggesting — after several ethics concerns? Sen. Orrin Hatch called it ‘ridiculous’ that Sen. John McCain requested Trump not attend his funeral. Former Rep. Jason Chaffetz may have violated the law in transferring money from his congressional campaign account to a political action committee — but his attorney says it’s a “mere paperwork error.”
Happy Tuesday. President Donald Trump has championed his Environmental Protection Agency chief, celebrating his work to help the coal industry, calling him “a star” and declaring, “I love Scott Pruitt.” But is his enthusiasm now waning? Some senior White House staffers are trying to persuade the president to force out the embattled Pruitt, who has come under fire recently for a spate of ethics concerns that include lavish foreign travel and seemingly unnecessary trips to his home in Oklahoma. “Republicans like what he’s done,” said one GOP strategist, “but they don’t like how he’s done it.” [NYTimes]
Topping the news: Sen. John McCain, who is battling brain cancer, requested that President Donald Trump not attend his funeral. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said that’s “ridiculous.” [Trib] [DNews] [Politico]
-> Former Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz transferred $267,000 from his congressional campaign account to a political action committee when he left office — an action the Federal Election Committee warned may have violated the law. A lawyer working for Chaffetz called it a “mere paperwork error.” [Trib]
-> Three Davis County corrections deputies were nicknamed the “sexual harassment trio” and called “relentless” for their unwanted advancements toward younger female colleagues, an investigation found. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: From @MEPFuller: “I’m a big fan of the White House insisting that anonymous sources are made up while *also* holding background briefing calls with anonymous sources.”
-> @RobertGehrke: "I, for one, think it’s a great idea to listen to the Utah Eagle Forum when it comes to medical marijuana. After all, they were against fluoridating water and vaccinating children. So why would they be wrong now?”
Happy Birthday: To former state Rep. Sophia DiCaro.
In other news: Construction began Tuesday on the Geraldine E. King Women’s Resource Center, one of three new homeless shelters in Salt Lake County planned to replace The Road Home, which will close in July 2019. [Trib]
-> Debates for Utah’s three federal races with contested primaries will be held Tuesday, May 29, at Brigham Young University’s KBYU Studios. [Trib]
-> The owners of Sufco Mine, the largest coal mine in Utah, received a $19 million fee discount from the Bureau of Land Management for the mine’s “significant and unique adverse geologic conditions.” [Trib]
-> Myrtle spurge, a plant native to the eastern Mediterranean, has become an eco-nightmare in the Wasatch foothills as it crowds out native plants and damages ecological diversity. [Trib]
-> Tribune reporter Erin Alberty discusses her personal experience dealing with myrtle spurge and gives advice for ridding your property of the plant. [Trib]
-> Actor Tom Sizemore is being sued by a Utah woman who alleges he sexually assaulted her on a movie set in 2003 when she was 11 years old, according to a lawsuit filed in 3rd District Court. [Trib] [Fox13]
-> The principals of Clayton Middle School and Bryant Middle School are investigating whether “racially insensitive” comments were made during a junior varsity girls’ volleyball match between the two schools. [Trib]
-> Herriman High School, whose administrators earlier this year blocked a student newspaper article about a fired teacher, received a tongue-in-cheek award for censorship from a free-speech group. [APviaTrib]
-> Pat Bagley looks at how Facebook will remember the NRA and Iran-Contra 30 years from now. [Trib]
-> Robert Gehrke argues that Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes’ political ambition is interfering with his ability to do the job he was elected to do. [Trib]
Nationally: President Donald Trump is expected to announce today that the United States will end a waiver of sanctions against Iran. [WaPost] [NYTimes]
-> The president is growing increasingly frustrated with his new personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, reports say. [Politico]
-> The Trump administration is expected to send Congress a $15 billion spending cuts proposal, an increase from the $11 billion that was discussed last week. The White House initially floated numbers as high as $60 billion. [Politico]
-> Trump is celebrating poll results that he says show an increase in support from black Americans — but some are questioning that survey’s credibility. [WaPost]
-> Under the leadership of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the Justice Department has increasingly pursued low-level gun possession cases in an effort to address violent crime. [NYTimes]
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— Courtney Tanner and Connor Richards
Follow @sltribpolitics