President Donald Trump and the Republican National Committee have raised more than $300 million this year for his reelection — more than any other sitting president in history at this point in the campaign. And Democrats are growing increasingly alarmed by the spending chasm between the two sides as they consider the implications it could have on the 2020 election. “That’s real trouble,” said Chris Lippincott, a Texas-based Democratic strategist. [Politico]
Happy Tuesday!
Topping the news: Some members of the Utah legislative tax task force have submitted alternative tax reform proposals that look at limiting the full sales tax on food to just soda and candy or a significant increase to the per-child income tax deduction. [Trib] [DNews] [Fox13]
-> A day before the one-year anniversary of Lauren McCluskey’s murder on campus, 100 University of Utah students walked out of class in protest of how the school handled the case. [Trib] [Fox13] [KUTV]
-> Fourteen people face charges for their role in an inland port protest that turned violent this summer as police and protestors clashed at the Salt Lake Chamber offices downtown. [Trib] [DNews] [Fox13] [KUTV]
-> A group of Utah vape shops are trying to stop the state health department from enacting an emergency ban on flavored e-cigarette products, arguing that there is “no scientific evidence” the products are linked to a spate of lung damage cases. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: From @RubenBolling: “What passes for Republican courage now: Liking a tweet critical of Trump under a twitter alias. Vive la résistance, Pierre!"
-> From @MarcieSLC: “It’s been a minute since #Utah’s had a faux-name toting politician in the news. Amiright, Richard Burwash?”
-> From @donwinslow: “I will donate $10,000 to the charity of their choice for the first White House Reporter who ask the President on television how his wife got into the United States on an “Einstein” Visa and how her parents got into the US via chain migration which he campaigned against. $10,000.”
Also in the news: As Utah women give birth to fewer babies, a group that advocates slowing population says the trend will help the state’s economy and its environment. [Trib]
-> According to a suicide prevention group, only 6% of those who commented oppose a rule that would ban conversion therapy on LGBTQ children while 94% support it. [Fox13]
-> A judge has determined that Utah Rep. Phil Lyman will not have to pay more in restitution for his role in a 2014 protest of land policies. [Trib] [Fox13]
-> A new poll shows more than half of Utahns give Sens. Mitt Romney and Mike Lee bad marks, even as each has approached the president with a different tone. [Trib] [DNews] [KUTV]
-> The Tribune answers frequently asked questions about Pierre Delecto, Sen. Mitt Romney’s Twitter alter ego. [Trib]
-> Two of four site finalists for the G7 summit next June were in Utah before it was decided the locations were “too high” for the meeting. [DNews]
-> During a campaign stop in Salt Lake City on Monday, the former South Carolina governor who’s also taking on President Trump in the 2020 Republican presidential nomination race says another Great Depression may be on the horizon. [DNews]
-> A senior apostle is urging members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to pray for the country and its leaders, saying “we need prayer again” as a potential constitutional clash looms. [Trib]
-> The Utah Capitol Preservation Board has approved a new women’s history sculpture on the northeast lawn of Council Hall. [DNews]
-> A Utah lawmaker hopes to have paved trails on both sides of the Jordan River that runs the length of the Salt Lake Valley, but he’s hit a few obstacles. [Trib]
-> Salt Lake Tribune columnist Robert Gehrke examines two vastly divergent narratives about how the inland port came into being from the two candidates running for Salt Lake City mayor. [Trib]
-> Irony is dead, argues Salt Lake Tribune cartoonist Pat Bagley. [Trib]
Nationally: The U.S. may leave some forces in Syria to ensure oil fields do not fall into the hands of a resurgent Islamic State. [AP]
-> Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s education plan is promising billions for low-income schools and for desegregation, paid for by her proposed wealth tax on net worth over $50 million. [NYTimes]
-> President Donald Trump has nominated Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette to replace former Secretary of Energy Rick Perry. [CNN]
-> Julian Castro announced that if he doesn’t raise $800,000 by the end of October, he will end his 2020 presidential bid. [CNN]
-> U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says the whistleblower who filed a complaint on Trump’s call with a Ukrainian foreign leader is at risk of being exposed by Trump. [Politico]
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.
-- Taylor Stevens and Clara Hatcher
Follow @sltribpolitics