Trump grabs the national spotlight in the wake of domestic terrorist attacks. Some Utahns are being told the ballot is in the mail when it’s not. Rep. Mia Love denounces plan to wipe out birthright citizenship, an issue that’s personal for her.
Happy Wednesday.
President Trump in the final days leading up to the midterm elections seems to be throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. He has announced a new tax cut that was news to everyone, including Congress. He has dispatched troops to the U.S. southern border to stop what he calls an “invasion.” And now he has suddenly claimed the intent and the power to wipe out the 14th Amendment, granting birthright citizenship. With this nonstop flurry of activity he’s reclaimed the spotlight, but at what cost? A number of Republicans, particularly those in swing districts, are increasingly nervous about what next Tuesday will bring. [NYTimes]
Topping the news: Rep. Mia Love, who became a U.S. citizen when she was born in Brooklyn to Haitian immigrant parents, came out in strong opposition to President Donald Trump’s plan to do away with birthright citizenship. Her challenger, Ben McAdams, also opposes the president on this issue. [Trib][DNews][KUTV]
-> A group fighting against a constitutional amendment to grant the Legislature power to call a special legislative session had essentially one funding source — Gov. Gary Herbert’s PAC. [Trib]
-> Thousands of Utahns have already received their mail-in ballots and voted in the 2018 midterm elections, but some ballots still have not been delivered, creating major obstacles for some voters. [Trib]
Tweets of the Day: From @ziwe: “I’m first generation american and you duds are lucky to have me”
-> From @kanyewest: “My eyes are now wide open and now realize I’ve been used to spread messages I don’t believe in. I am distancing myself from politics and completely focusing on being creative !!!”
-> From @ryanbeckwith: “A term I'd like politics to import from tech: Vaporware. Basically, it's a product that you announce, that you have no intention of realizing any time soon, if at all.”
Happy Halloween. Don’t forget to bundle up — the forecast calls for dropping into the low 40s by 7 p.m.
In other news: Salt Lake County district attorney candidate Nathan Evershed claims that his opponent and current boss, Sim Gill, is the reason for high turnover in the district attorney’s office. But data provided in response to a records request indicate the numbers are not out of line with workplace norms. [Trib]
-> A legislative task force will be working on the repeal of Utah laws criminalizing adultery and sodomy, which were found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. [Fox13]
-> The Salt Lake City Jewish community called for love and kindness in the wake of the bloody rampage in a Pittsburgh synagogue. [Trib]
-> Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski said Tuesday that there’s little doubt that Salt Lake City will be selected once again to host the Winter Olympics, most likely in 2030 or beyond. [Trib][DNews]
-> Critics of Proposition 4 say that the ballot initiative that seeks to create an independent redistricting commission is aimed at helping Democrats, not curbing gerrymandering. They point to out-of-state donations as evidence. [Trib]
-> The left-leaning organization Alliance for a Better Utah released an email it received from the FEC saying it is still investigating the group’s complaint that Rep. Mia Love’s campaign illegally raised $1 million for a primary that she never participated in. [Trib]
-> Rep. Chris Stewart said Tuesday that while President Donald Trump isn’t the only one using harmful partisan rhetoric, he could make more impact than anyone else by toning it down. [DNews]
-> A group in support of cannabis legalization is not in support of the compromise medical marijuana bill as proposed by the Utah Legislature and organizers of the ballot initiative. [Fox13]
-> Pat Bagley’s view of partisan voter intimidation. [Trib]
-> Robert Gehrke says that, yes, the proposed constitutional amendment to give lawmakers power to convene a special session is petty payback for past power struggles. But he says that doesn’t mean the plan doesn’t have merit. [Trib]
Nationally: President Donald Trump’s rhetoric against immigrants to the United States has escalated, as he announced that he’d like to make an order ending the constitutional right to citizenship for citizens born in the United States to noncitizens. This right to citizenship is protected by the 14th Amendment. [Trib][NYTimes][CNN][Fox][WSJ][DNews]
-> It’s estimated more than 5,000 members of the U.S. military will be headed to the U.S.-Mexico border by the end of this week in order to “protect Americans” from a caravan of migrants headed to the border from Central America. [NYTimes][BBC][WSJ]
-> The Department of the Interior is looking into Secretary Ryan Zinke for his involvement in a Montana land deal and his decision to not allow two Connecticut tribes to open a casino. One probe has been referred for further investigation. [Trib][CNN][WSJ]
-> A new survey explored whether citizens adhering to different faiths and religions had similar opinions about whether President Donald Trump’s actions and rhetoric encourage white supremacy. Members of various religions revealed divided responses, with an overall 54 percent of Americans saying they believe this to be the case. [TribviaRNS]
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— Dan Harrie and Cara MacDonald
https://twitter.com/danattrib and Twitter.com/carammacdonald