Happy Monday! Former Vice President Joe Biden is far ahead in the polls for the Democratic nod for president and his rivals are doing everything they can to get within striking distance. It now seems that Biden is really running against himself -- trying not to stumble when in the lead -- while the other 20-plus candidates for the office are hoping to make some inroads with voters. [Politico]
Topping the news: Sen. Mitt Romney warned on Friday that President Donald Trump’s potential tariffs against Mexico will hurt Americans and called for different strategies for dealing with immigration. [Trib]
-> The shrinking of Bears Ears and the Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments will be tied up in court for years and there’s no legislative fix pending, leaving the area in limbo for the foreseeable future. [Trib]
-> After coming out less than two weeks ago, Utah County Commissioner Nathan Ivie says he has no fear about facing voters as an openly gay candidate. [Trib]
-> Over the weekend, thousands of people, including Salt Lake City’s first openly gay mayor, Jackie Biskupski, attended Utah’s Pride Parade to celebrate a half century since the Stonewall Riots. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Utah County is eying a change in government to a council versus its current commissioner form, but it may not be the end-all solution to avoid scandal. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: From @GovHerbert: “I hope all refugees who settle in Utah know that you are as much a part of this state as anyone born here. This is your home. We welcome you to our Utah family and are grateful for the many contributions you make to our communities.”
-> From @jacobrexlee: “Imagine if every person behind an unpopular idea was, within minutes, mocked, ridiculed, & shouted into silence, if that brilliant part of their brain was instantaneously penalized by the mass. If Twitter were life, we’d be in trouble. Long live the marketplace of ideas.”
-> From @chadfelixg: “No one survives a war of competing cruelty.”
Happy Birthday: To Salt Lake Tribune Senior Managing Editor Matt Canham and USU Eastern Associate Vice President Greg Dart.
Trib Talk: On this week’s episode of “Trib Talk,” State Superintendent Sydnee Dickson and Tribune reporter Courtney Tanner join Benjamin Wood to discuss problems with RISE, the Utah Board of Education newly launched end of the year standardized testing, and what it means for Utah. [Trib]
In other news: Gov. Gary Herbert received a lifetime achievement award from Utah’s refugee community. [Trib] [DNews] [Fox13]
-> The Utah Transit Authority will receive five new electric busses this summer, purchased largely through a $5.4 million federal grant. Rep Ben McAdams hopes to secure more funding for more electric busses [Trib] [KSL]
-> Opioids are the leading cause of death in new Utah mothers [DNews] [KSL]
-> Utah farmers are now applying to grow medical marijuana. Up to ten licenses will be available through the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food [Fox13] [Trib]
-> Rick Koerber, who was convicted last year in what federal prosecutors allege was one of Utah’s biggest fraud schemes, was accused of a new fraud on Oregon’s Court of Appeals, and was jailed for fraud on Friday. [Fox13]
-> Pat Bagley offers his take on the new term “freedom molecules.” [Trib]
Nationally: President Trump is headed to the United Kingdom this week for a state visit, but British officials appear less than thrilled to receive him. [WaPo] [WSJ]
-> Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that the United States is willing to sit down and talk with Iran’s leaders. [Politico] [Fox News]
-> Kamala Harris’s Saturday interview at the MoveOn “Big Ideas Forum” was interrupted when a protester came onstage and took the microphone away from Harris. The protester was criticized online for interrupting and speaking over women of color, while Harris’ husband was praised for helping to remove the protester. [Slate] [Rolling Stone]
-> Rhode Island Bishop Thomas Tobin came under fire over the weekend after he tweeted that Catholics should not attend Pride Events and that such events were harmful to children. [The Guardian] [Fox News]
-> “Red Flag” gun laws intended to temporarily remove firearms from people who might pose a threat are gaining bipartisan support across the country. [WSJ]
-> Trump is expected to impose a 5% tariff on Mexican goods this week. [LA Times]
-> After controversy over a request from the White House to hide a navy ship named after the late Sen. John McCain, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan told the White House to keep the Pentagon out of politics. [WaPo]
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-- Thomas Burr and Sara Tabin
Follow @sltribpolitics