GOP finds the real victim of the bomb scare: President Trump. Herbert says medicinal marijuana may take a few years. UTA’s board is no longer, replaced by a three-member commission.
Happy Friday. Packages with explosives have been sent to former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, former Vice President Joe Biden, CNN and nearly 10 others in the last week, all of them targets of President Donald Trump’s frequent rants. But, according to some on the right, the real victim is, well, Donald Trump. Some GOP officials are saying the bombs are an effort to hurt Republicans right before the midterm elections. [Politico]
Topping the news: Gov. Gary Herbert said that medical marijuana laws will probably take a few years to be fully implemented despite being most likely legalized this November. The U.S. government has classified marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, creating a lot of extra hoops to jump through in the legalization process. [Trib]
-> The Utah Transit Authority board has officially been disbanded and will be replaced by the brainchild of the Utah Legislature -- a new full-time three-person committee. The Legislature hopes this will smooth out some of the problems that have branded UTA with a host of lawsuits and critiques surrounding corruption. [Trib][DNews]
-> Republican state Rep. Merrill Nelson is working on legislation attempting to prevent opposition groups from blocking initiatives from the ballot by persuading voters to remove signatures after the initiatives have been turned into the state. [Trib]
Tweets of the Day: From @zblox: “A local college girl is murdered and an entire community mourns her loss. The next day the star of the community’s pro basketball team scores 38 points in an upset road win and dedicates his performance to her honor. Sports don’t mean anything but they can also mean so much.”
-> From @RuPaulsDragRace: “NOVEMBER 6TH #VOTE NOVEMBER 6TH #VOTE NOVEMBER 6TH #VOTE NOVEMBER 6TH #VOTE NOVEMBER 6TH #VOTE”
Happy Birthday: to state Sen. Peter Knudson.
Behind the Headlines: A student was killed in a shooting on the University of Utah campus Monday evening, Utah’s 3rd Congressional District candidates debates with stark disagreement over key issues, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe is worried about water pollution. Join Salt Lake Tribune reporters Courtney Tanner and Taylor Stevens, editor Jennifer Napier-Pearce and investigative science journalist Emma Penrod with KCPW’s Roger McDonough at 9 am on KPCW. [Trib]
In other news: Mitt Romney made his tax returns public this week in order to make good on a promise to release his financial disclosure information. The Republican U.S. Senate candidate reported income totaling around $83.8 million in the past three years. [DNews]
-> Republican Rep. Chris Stewart deplored individuals who sent bombs to various people and groups, including the Obamas, Clintons and CNN. He said it is “insane” to not be able to have political debates and arguments without it resulting in violence. The rest of Utah’s all-Republican delegation expressed similar concerns. [DNews]
-> A decade ago, Delta Airlines merged with Northwest Airlines and made Salt Lake City a hub, promising at the time that it would help encourage financial security and prosperity for airports supporting them. The airline announced that it has kept those promises. [Trib]
-> Opponents of Proposition 2 have been rolling around in a satirical “mobile pot shop” from Lehi to Salt Lake as part of a campaign to point out problems baked into the medical marijuana ballot initiative. The van has been taken off the road due to anger from Proposition 2 supporters, and because people who intend to use medical marijuana to help with serious medical conditions were offended by a joke being made of their medicine needs. [Trib]
-> After stalling last month, the Inland Port Authority Board has kicked back into motion with a $1.9 million budget proposal. It’s also given a thumbs up for other actions, including hiring an interim administrator and creating a business plan. [DNews]
-> Lawmakers held a public hearing on medical marijuana. Republican House Speaker Greg Hughes said that if Prop 2 were to fail the Legislature would like to move forward with a different measure to get medical cannabis to those who need it. [Fox13][DNews]
-> Pat Bagley shows how women feel walking around at night vs how men feel. [Trib]
-> Robert Gehrke held that the University of Utah Police failed to protect campus shooting victim Lauren McCluskey despite her having reported being harassed by her ex-boyfriend with a criminal record a week before the shooting. [Trib]
Nationally: Bombs and suspicious packages have been mailed to numerous individuals and groups, including the Obamas, the Clintons, CNN, John O. Brennan, and Eric H. Holder Jr. Extreme partisan conflicts and debates over “matters as basic as what separates fact and fiction” have made these events a troublesome twist only two weeks before the 2018 Midterm Elections. Florida has been established as a region of interest in the case. [NYTimes][BBC][CNN][Fox][WSJ]
-> President Donald Trump might attempt to use his executive power to bar migrants, including asylum seekers, from entering the United States at the U.S.-Mexico border. The plan will likely receive a quick challenge from federal courts. [NYTimes][WSJ]
-> U.S. intelligence agencies believe that China and Russia may be eavesdropping on President Trump’s phone calls in order to help gain a political advantage over the United States. The president denied these claims, stating that they are “soooo wrong," and has continued to use his iPhone to make phone calls despite advice otherwise. [NYTimes][BBC]
-> Caitlyn Jenner denounced support for President Trump despite her longstanding status as a transgender Republican on Thursday in response to Trump’s comments about transgender individuals and his stance on LGBTQ+ issues. [NYTimes]
Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Send us a note to cornflakes@sltrib.com. And if you want Cornflakes to arrive in your email inbox each morning, subscribe here.
-- Thomas Burr and Cara MacDonald
https://twitter.com/thomaswburr and Twitter.com/carammacdonald