President Donald Trump’s claim that he was nominated by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for a Nobel Peace Prize was confirmed by the newspaper Asahi Shimbun, but the publication said it came in response to a request from the U.S. government. The paper cited an unnamed source about the genesis of the nomination, made in the wake of peace talks between the United States and North Korea. The Nobel Foundation does not disclose the identity of those making nominations and neither the Japanese Foreign Ministry nor the White House had any immediate comment on the report. Trump, in disclosing the nomination, said it was “Because [Abe] had rocket ships and he had missiles flying over Japan. They had alarms going off. You know that. Now, all of a sudden they feel good. They feel safe. I did that.” [Asahi Shimbun] [Reuters] [NBC]
Happy Monday.
Topping the news: Utah lawmakers say Proposition 4, creating an independent redistricting committee, may be spared from the chopping block this session. Two out of the three successful ballot initiatives in Utah’s 2018 election have been repealed and replaced, but prop 4 would not change the status quo until after the 2020 census. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Lobbyists push Utah lawmakers for $5 million to pump brine into the Utah Salt Flats, as an attempt to restore depleted salt after a century of land-speed racing and industrial potash mining have taken a toll on the area’s habitat. [Trib] test
-> As Sandy City tells residents it’s now safe to drink the water, many question why it took so long for city leaders to disclose the contamination. [Trib] [DNews]
Tweets of the day: From @DJJazzyJody “Utah should heed this warning from above. Earthquakes are like beer — it’s best to keep them in the 3.2 range.”
-> @JimDabakis “Legislature to bring their long-dreamed-of goal of importing depleted uranium to Utah THIS Session (HB220). EnergySolutions is good. Return to owners in 2018 on $67,700 donations to lawmakers -- $1.7 million dollars special tax cut. Now this #utpol”
Happy Birthday: to former state Rep. Jack Draxler.
In other news: Most residents of the Georgia Apartments have found housing after the neglected building was shut down by the Salt Lake City fire marshal for safety reasons. [Trib]
-> A bill introduced in the Utah Senate aims to increase transparency in animal control by requiring shelters to publish monthly reports detailing data such as the number of animals taken in and the number of animals that died or were euthanized in the shelter. [Trib]
-> The stakes are high in Salt Lake City’s mayoral race as seven candidates have already raised a collective $540,000 in campaign funds, led by Latino businessman David Ibarra. Some predict that candidates will need to raise $1 million to be competitive. [Trib]
-> A press release issued by U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt, boasts the end of “the war on coal” in announcing approvals for leases to expand two Utah coal mines. [Trib]
-> The Layton City Attorney’s Office will not file assault charges against House Minority Leader Brian King for a physical altercation that occurred between himself and Sen. Daniel Thatcher, R-West Valley City, last October. Thatcher had filed a criminal complaint against King. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Utah lawmakers offer their views on president Trump’s declaration of a national state of emergency at the U.S.-Mexico southern border. [Trib] [DNews]
-> A bill that would ban abortions sought solely because of a Down syndrome diagnosis passed the Utah House on a party-line vote after an emotional debate. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Utah Sen. Daniel Thatcher, R-West Valley City, says support for a bill that aims to give teeth to Utah’s current hate-crimes law is currently at about 50-50 among the Senate’s 23 Republicans. [Trib] [Fox13] [DNews]
-> A Utah man was physically assaulted outside a bar on Saturday after stating that he was gay. Police are currently searching for the suspect, who was caught on video by his victim during the assault. [Trib] [Fox13]
-> The Utah Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee advised against spending $300,000 requested to fund two studies on adverse effects of marijuana. [Trib]
-> Pat Bagley illustrates the construction of a U.S.-Mexico border wall. [Trib]
Nationally: President Trump has declared a state of national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, a move that will circumvent congressional approval for budget funds to build a physical barrier between the two countries. [NYTimes] [Politico] [WaPost]
-> The Salt Lake Tribune takes a closer look at what is a state of national emergency and when it has historically been used. [Trib]
-> A congressional investigation found that at least 13 states are failing to provide Medicaid coverage for abortions in the limited circumstances — such as incest or rape — in which it is required. [NYTimes]
-> A Florida sixth grader is facing misdemeanor charges for “disruptive behavior” following a dispute with a teacher after the student refused to cite the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance. [WaPost]
-> Up to 25 years of prison and $25 million in fines recommended by federal prosecutors for President Trump’s former campaign chairman, Paul Manafort on charges related to a financial fraud scheme. [NYTimes]
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Dan Harrie and Christina Giardinelli
Follow @sltribpolitics