The #MeToo movement will now stride into the intersection of politics and the nation’s high court.
Happy Monday. It took just hours for the Anita Hill/Clarence Thomas comparisons to percolate after Christine Blasey Ford came forward as the woman alleging sexual assault at the hands of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh when the two were in high school. We know how that one ended. Have attitudes changed more than a quarter-century after Anita Hill? [Politico]
Topping the news: Responding to last week’s release of an Attorney General’s investigation that painted a damning picture of out-of-control spending at the Unified Fire Authority, the new fire chief says reforms have been implemented and bonuses zeroed out. [Trib]
-> The U.S. Forest Service elected to manage and let burn the fire raging through Utah and Juab counties, but then flames raced out of control, resulting in massive damage. Gov. Gary Herbert said on Saturday that there is ‘reason to be hopeful’ that 2,000 or so homes can be saved. [KUTV][DNews][Trib]
-> Former Olympics leaders have revealed that prior to the 2002 Winter Games in the wake of the 9/11 attacks there was talk of having a virtual-only (televised) Games with no spectators and that some countries had to coaxed to send their athletes. [Trib]
-> Sam Young, a former bishop for the LDS Church, has been excommunicated after organizing a hunger strike over faith leaders’ sexually explicit interviews with children. [Trib] [KUTV] [Fox13]
-> The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is opposed to the medical marijuana initiative, now is calling for lawmakers to meet in special session to pass a medical pot law this year. [DNews]
Tweets of the day: From @SpencerJCox: “Update from the Red Cross noting a few problems: 1) Big waiting list...of people that want to HELP and provide shelter for others. 2) TOO MANY donations. Please stop for now. 3) 6,000 people evacuated and no one staying at the shelter. Well done Utah. Well done.”
-> From @ConanOBrien: “Do I believe in climate change? Well, I just saw a mosquito steal a bike.”
-> From @StephenAtHome: “President Trump has been hard at work both preparing for the hurricane and bragging about how good he is at hurricanes.”
In other news: After failing to submit a financial review or audit when applying for funding this year, the county has decided not to give the struggling Leonardo museum any Zoo Arts and Parks grant money. [Trib]
Utah’s medical marijuana Proposition 2 campaign kicked off over the weekend with an outpouring of supporters. [Trib]
-> Utah Supreme Court justices acknowledged ambiguities in laws preventing partisan elections for school boards, but some called state arguments favoring partisanship ‘thin’ and ‘nonsensical’ during review of a court case. [Trib]
-> President Trump appears to be searching for a replacement for Atty. General Jeff Sessions, but multiple senators have expressed reluctance to take the job, including Utah Sen. Mike Lee. [Trib]
-> Democratic Senate candidate Jenny Wilson has accused GOP Senate candidate Mitt Romney of being ‘absent’ and not fully understanding the environmental problems Utah is facing. [DNews]
-> Sen. Orrin Hatch condemned Democrats on Friday for stalling Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation in lieu of anonymous sexual assault allegations. [Trib]
-> With more small arts groups blooming more than ever before, Salt Lake County’s Zoo Arts and Parks budget is spreading out in smaller amounts. [Trib]
-> Pat Bagley illustrates Dumbo’s leap of faith. [Trib]
Nationally: Christine Blasey Ford, a research psychologist, has come forward and put her name to allegations that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her at a party when they were in high school. At least two Republican senators expressed concern that they won’t be comfortable voting for Kavanaugh until these allegations are sorted, potentially throwing a wrench in the nominee’s confirmation. [NYTimes][Politico][BBC][WSJ]
-> Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday that there was a ‘point in time’ in which President Trump was considering moving U.S. dependents out of South Korea — an action generally reserved for the runup to war. [Politico]
-> GOP leaders have sent President Trump a spending deal that, if accepted, would include the Pentagon’s first on-time spending bill since 2008. It contains billions more than Trump wants to spend in some areas, though, so it could continue the path to a government shutdown. [Politico]
-> The climate change summit in California successfully developed plans for local leaders to instill change in their own backyards, but will it be enough to have the impact they desire? [NYTimes]
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-- Dan Harrie and Cara MacDonald
https://twitter.com/danattrib and Twitter.com/carammacdonald
