Happy Thursday!
Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff members have recommended weakening or reducing safety inspections of the nation’s aging nuclear power plants. The recommendation, included in a report published Tuesday, was criticized by congressional Democrats, who said it caters to industry at the expense of public safety interests. The nuclear power plant industry has long pushed for weakened safety rules. [NYTimes]
Topping the news: Utah Sen. Mike Lee is blocking the extension of a fund used to help 9/11 survivors. [Trib] [WaPost]
-> The family of a biracial student who was shut in the doors of a school bus and left dangling outside as it drove forward is settling a lawsuit with the Davis School District for $62,500. [Trib]
-> Highland City became Utah’s third local government this year to take an anti-abortion stance. [Trib] [KUTV] [ABC4]
Editor’s note: Yesterday’s Cornflakes contained an error in the headline and first item summarizing a Washington Post report about opioids. The report indicated that 76 billion hydrocodone and oxycodone pain pills were distributed from 2006 through 2012.
Tweets of the day: From @MollyJongFast: “So was the racist ‘go home’ stuff to distract from the Epstein stuff?”
-> From @Pappiness: “Eric Trump saying 95% of Americans agree with his father is crazy. In fact, the only thing you could get 95% of Americans to agree on is that it’s not okay to steal charity money from kids with cancer.”
->From @Patbagley: “Ask a Socialist if Dem candidates are socialist and you’ll get laughed at. Even Sanders is weak tea. Then ask KKK racists if Trump is one of theirs ....”
-> From @pourmecoffee: “Call your representative right now and let them know it's hot and you're not even sure you're hungry but you guess you'll eat! 202-224-3121”
Happy Birthday: Cherilyn Bradford, Gov. Gary Herbert’s director of boards and commissions.
Also in the news: A coalition has emerged to push the Utah Legislature to allow heavier beers to be served on tap. [Fox13]
-> Utah homeless service providers are seeking more volunteers as they prepare for the closing of The Road Home’s downtown shelter and the opening of three new shelters around the valley. [Trib]
-> A three-week investigation by the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing targeting unlicensed contractors resulted in 96 administrative citations and fines, according to a Wednesday announcement by the executive director of the Utah Department of Commerce. [Trib]
-> A former U.S. attorney for Utah nominated to serve as a federal judge has received praise from Utah’s two senators. [Trib]
-> Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said “both sides are guilty” in the uproar over President Donald Trump’s comments, which the U.S. House condemned as racist. [DNews]
-> Dawn Ramsey, South Jordan’s first woman mayor, will join Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly; Kristi Jones, chief of staff to North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper; and business executive Heidi Green in a panel discussion to kick off the National Governors Association summer meetings in Salt Lake City on July 24. [CityJournals]
-> The Utah Transit Authority awarded a contract to study a TRAX extension through the old Draper prison site to Lehi. [Trib]
-> Columnist Robert Gehrke urges voters to remember Sen. Mike Lee’s decision to block funding for 9/11 victims. [Trib]
Nationally: U.S. House members voted to kill an attempt to impeach President Trump over the racist comments he made about four congresswomen of color. [NYTimes]
-> The House voted to hold Attorney General William Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in criminal contempt of Congress for their refusal to turn over key documents related to the Trump administration’s attempt to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census. [NYTimes]
-> Nearly all of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates have vowed to bring back daily White House and Pentagon press briefings. [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.
-- Bethany Rodgers and Alison Berg
