Happy Thursday!
Two of the three moderate Democrats who voted to confirm William Barr as attorney general are starting to express buyer’s remorse because of the way he has handled the special counsel investigation. The third — Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema — has asked for a private meeting with Barr for some explanations. [Politico]
Topping the news: Utah Sen. Mike Lee lashed out at Democrats, saying they had jumped to conclusions over special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. [Trib] [DNews]
-> The Utah Department of Transportation announced its 169 planned projects for the year, which together, will cost at least $2.1 billion. [Trib] [Fox13] [ABC4]
-> More turmoil in San Juan County as the top administrator resigns amid allegations the county is being controlled by outside influences. [Trib]
-> The state liquor commission is shutting down a liquor store for allowing an employee to live there and drink alcoholic products during business hours — not to mention selling alcohol to a minor. [Trib]
Tweets of the day: @SenMikeLee: “Time and time again, the president’s political adversaries have exploited the Mueller probe, its mere existence, to spread baseless innuendo in an effort to undermine the legitimacy of the 2016 election and the effectiveness of this administration.”
-> @BenWinslow: “So, um, @kathystephenson and I did a thing. We’ve launched “Utah Booze News: An Alcohol Policy Podcast.” We talk all things DABC, and try to explain a little about Utah liquor laws: https://fox13now.com/2019/05/01/utah-booze-news-an-alcohol-policy-podcast/”
-> @pourmecoffee: “Bill Barr looks like he would pull you aside at his house party and show you how he vacuum packs his food to avoid freezer burn.”
Happy Birthday: Former state Sen. Karen Morgan
In the news: Protesters denounced the environmental catastrophe that could result from development of a massive inland port on the fragile ecosystem near the Great Salt Lake. [Trib]
-> Democrats held the first in a series of town hall meetings on a massive tax-reform plan pushed by Republicans, suggesting there are lots of options not being considered. [Trib]
-> The latest Trib Talk podcast explores the role of political parties and whether they’re becoming obsolete. [Trib]
-> South Salt Lake City Council members proposed slashing $1 million of the mayor’s $2.2 million budget to go towards storm water, economic development and pay hikes for cops and firefighters. [Trib]
-> The Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation is donating $5 million to Salt Lake County to upgrade two softball complexes. Documents approved by the Council say the donation was contingent on renaming them after the late Larry H. Miller. [Trib]
-> Environmentalists are angered over the BLM’s under-the-radar approval of Garfield County’s request to lay down asphalt on 7.5 miles of the Burr Trail east of Capitol Reef National Park, and have filed a lawsuit. [Trib]
-> Investigators found that several Utah law enforcement agencies have lost evidence and seized property without keeping accurate records. [Trib] [Fox13]
-> Jon Huntsman, former Utah governor and current ambassador to Russia, said he believes the end of special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation could improve U.S-Russian relations. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Average Utah gas prices leapt to $3 a gallon — a sharp contrast to last February in which costs consistently hung around $2. [Trib]
-> Utah Gov. Gary Herbert donated $18,000 so the Utah Republican Party can rent electronic voting devices during its state convention Saturday. [Trib]
-> The Huntsman family plans to donate $12 million to create new Utah State University professorships in honor of the late Jon M. Huntsman Sr. The gift is on top of $56 million in previous donations. [Trib]
-> Utah had the second-largest U.S. gross domestic product increase last year. [Trib]
-> Cartoonist Pat Bagley illustrates the plummeting reputation of the Trump White House. [Trib]
-> Columnist Robert Gehrke writes about the ouster of Utah Association of Counties CEO Adam Trupp amid exorbitant fee increases for the big counties carrying most of the freight. [Trib]
Nationally: Attorney General William Barr’s highly anticipated congressional hearing took place before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday — a five-hour span in which Barr repeatedly defended President Donald Trump. [Politico] [NYTimes] [WaPost]
-> Barr said he will not appear for his scheduled testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, nor will the Justice Department comply with a subpoena for special counsel Robert Mueller’s entire investigative findings. [Politico] [WaPost]
-> Several Democratic presidential candidates called for Barr’s resignation in the wake of his Wednesday testimony, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former vice president Joe Biden among them. [Politico]
-> President Donald Trump’s administration officially declared its opposition to the entire Affordable Care Act — asking the courts to strike down the law that has provided insurance for some 21 million Americans. [NYTimes]
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-- Dan Harrie and Sahalie Donaldson