The 2019 Economic Report of the President is 705 pages and features chapters on “expanding labor force opportunities” and “ensuring a balanced financial regulatory landscape.” The report also credits writers of superhero fame — including Peter Parker (a.k.a. Spider-Man), Steve Rogers (Captain America) and Bruce Wayne (Batman). The White House Council of Economic Advisers’ official Twitter account said Tuesday that the list was an effort to call attention to its intern “super heroes,” who made “significant contributions” to the economic report. [NYTimes]
Happy Wednesday.
Topping the news: Federal land management officials are abandoning plans for a reservation system at Utah’s Arches National Park that aimed to reduce congestion and traffic. The idea was tossed over strong opposition to potential economic loss if the program slashed visitation. [Trib]
-> Two days after President Donald Trump disparaged John McCain in a series of tweets, Utah Sen. Mitt Romney fired back on Twitter in McCain’s defense, calling the late senator “heroic” and “courageous.” [Trib] [Fox13] [DNews]
-> The Salt Lake County Health Department said an analysis of hundreds of blood tests administered to Sandy residents after a fluoride pump malfunctioned and leaked toxic levels of the mineral into the city’s water last month found no trace of elevated lead levels. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: From @ConanOBrien: “Got some wires crossed and now I have Temple vs. Pete Buttigieg in my NCAA bracket.”
-> From @aedwardslevy: “if it were released in 2019, ‘the dark side of the moon’ would just be an expose of the moon’s long history of misconduct”
-> From @NateSilver538: “Candidates, ranked by how much traffic their ‘How ___ Could Win the 2020 Democratic Primary’ post got on 538: 1. Harris 2. Klobuchar 3. Bernie 4. Buttigieg* 5. Beto* 6. Warren 7. Castro 8. Booker 9. Inslee 10. Gillibrand 11. Gabbard 12. Hickenlooper.”
In other news: Salt Lake City leaders celebrated the next step in completion of the North Concourse at the under-expansion Salt Lake City International Airport with a “topping off ceremony” Thursday. [Trib] [Fox13]
-> The remains of a Utah vet who died in Germany while serving in the Army Air Forces during World War II were finally returned to his family on Tuesday after they were discovered by a German researcher in 2016. [Trib]
-> Although the Utah Legislature now has the power to call itself into a special session, Gov. Gary Herbert said he will be the one to do so this summer in order to complete a restructuring of the state’s tax system that failed to pass during the regular legislative session. [DNews]
-> After a vigorous debate, the Logan City Council decided to delay its vote on an ordinance that would have restricted stores from distributing plastic bags. [DNews]
-> In recognition of Women’s History Month, the Salt Lake City Police Department photographed all the current women who have worked at the force as well as some retirees — a moment that prompted some to reflect on their experiences in a male-dominated field. [Fox13]
-> Heather Bennett, a passionate voice for children’s education and a long time member of Salt Lake City’s Board of Education, died Monday at age 61. [Trib]
-> Pat Bagley depicts his view of a strong leader. [Trib]
Nationally: Trump announced he will be “looking into” what he called biased opinions of tech companies and media outlets that he says have stacked the decks against him in his 2020 reelection bid. [Politico]
-> Social media clap backs are not uncommon for Trump, and his target Tuesday was presidential aide Kellyanne Conway’s husband, whom the president called a “total loser” after George Conway questioned his mental fitness. [NYTimes]
-> A federal lawsuit accusing the president of violating the Constitution faces an uphill battle in the courts — a reality that became apparent in its hostile first hearing in front of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals, of which four judges are GOP appointees. [Politico]
-> The Democratic Party has two sets of criteria for presidential hopefuls to qualify for the first debates: They must either earn a minimum of 1 percent approval in public polls or attract 65,000 individual donors. [WaPost]
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-- Taylor Stevens and Christina Giardinelli
Follow @sltribpolitics