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Political Cornflakes: U.S. orders partial evacuation of U.S. embassy in Baghdad, citing Iranian threats

(Mandel Ngan | AP file photo) U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, center, walks with Acting Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs at the State Department David Satterfield, left, and Charge D'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad Joey Hood, second from left, and Lt. Gen. Paul LeCamera after arriving in Baghdad, late Tuesday, May 7, 2019.

Happy Wednesday!

Early Wednesday, the State Department ordered evacuation of all non-emergency personnel in Iraq. The Trump administration said it was in response to threats from neighboring Iran, which also led to sending more U.S. warships and bombers to the area. But a British military official said he saw no increased risk from Iran or from Iranian-backed militias in Iraq or Syria. [NYTimes] [TheHill]

Topping the news: -> Lt. Gov Spencer Cox announced he is running for governor in 2020, vowing a ‘different’ and positive campaign. [Trib]

-> Sen. Mitt Romney joined Democrats as the lone Republican voting against the confirmation of Judge Michael Truncale, who called former President Barack Obama a “un-American imposter.” [Trib]

-> A scathing state audit finds that Tooele County mishandled the sale of the Miller Motorsport Park raceway and cost taxpayers millions of dollars. [Trib]

Tweets of the day: @RobertGehrke “I know @SpencerJCox has set political Twitter abuzz with his announcement today. Even Dems are excited about it. Based on recent experience, I think we should reserve judgment until we’re sure he’s not going to incinerate King’s Jordan Landing or Westeros Valley City. #utpol

@RepBrianKing: “Encouraging LDS Church members to be more politically active without correcting their misimpression that conservative political ideology is more in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ than liberal political thinking is very problematic.”

@DylanMcDonnell: “Holy Crap. I just realized we could have Dabakis as Mayor and Chaffetz as Gov. Does anyone really win in that scenario? #utpol

Happy Birthday: State Sen. Evan Vickers and LaVarr Webb, a GOP political consultant and UtahPolicy.com publisher.

Also in the news: After protests, BYU begins to update how it enforces its Honor Code. Some students say, so far, the religious school is doing ‘the bare minimum.’ [Trib]

-> Utah legislative leaders voted to spend $56 million to buy and renovate American Express buildings in Salt Lake County and convert them to state offices. [Trib]

-> Mitt Romney’s ‘Game of Thrones’-inspired Mother’s Day gift goes viral, for all the wrong reasons. [Trib]

-> Birds vs. bikes? New battle brewing in Salt Lake Valley’s eastern foothills. [Trib]

-> A state audit says the University of Utah ignored warnings and allowed hazardous conditions to continue at its science labs despite continuing injuries and accidents. [Trib]

->The Utah Department of Transportation installed new radar-triggered signs that warn drivers when they are approaching wildlife. [Trib]

-> Murray is considering becoming the third Utah city to ban use of plastic bags. [DNews]

-> Columnist Robert Gehrke takes a look at Utah becoming the first state became the first state to require law enforcement to obtain a warrant before obtaining digital data from third parties. [Trib]

Nationally: The Alabama Senate passed the nation’s most restrictive abortion ban, which bans virtually all abortions in the state. It is designed to trigger reconsideration of abortion by the U.S. Supreme Court. [WaPost]

-> Internal memos show the Transportation Security Administration plans to send hundreds of officials, includig air marshals, to help deal with migrant inflows on the Mexican border. [CNN]

-> The House Intelligence Committee looks at whether President Trump and his family’s personal lawyers helped obstruct the committee’s investigation into Russian election interference by shaping false testimony. [NYTimes]

-> Carbon Dioxide hit its highest level in human history this weekend, causing the Arctic Ocean to hit 84 degrees Fahrenheit. [WaPost]

-> Republican lawmakers are publicly criticizing President Trump for his escalating trade war with China, which they say hurts their constituents in rural America. [WaPost]

-> Donald Trump Jr. has agreed to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee and share his knowledge of matters with Russia. [Politico]

-> The Justice Department banned the Food and Drug Administration from regulating drugs used to carry out lethal injections, claiming the FDA has no legal authority to do so. [NYTimes]

Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Email us at cornflakes@sltrib.com. If you haven’t already, sign up here for our weekday email to get this sent directly to your inbox.

-- Lee Davidson and Alison Berg