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Lee wants to know if Capitol rioters are being treated worse than BLM protesters
Sen. Mike Lee wants answers from the Justice Department about the “unequal application of justice” for those arrested in the wake of the attempted insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, and Black lives matter protesters last summer.
The Daily Caller first reported Lee, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville, and Florida Sen. Rick Scott, demanding answers about how many protesters were arrested in the riots following the murder of George Floyd. There’s a long list of other questions posed by the senators, including whether federal authorities used geolocation data to track down those rioters similarly to the arrests in the wake of the attempted insurrection at the Capitol.
All five of the GOP senators who signed the letter voted against a proposal to establish a bipartisan commission to investigate the January 6 attack.
In May, during a hearing on the January 6 attack, four GOP lawmakers attempted to paint the Trump supporters who stormed the Capitol as the real victims of the attack, including Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde, who compared the rioters to a “normal tourist visit.”
Meanwhile, Washington, D.C. reporter Scott McFarlane, who has been chronicling the hundreds of arrests and court cases resulting from the riot, tweeted Monday that the feds are arresting, on average, 3 people per day.
Here’s what you need to know for Tuesday morning
BREAKING OVERNIGHT: A massive internet outage took down several large websites, including Amazon, CNN, Reddit, and the New York Times. [WaPo]
Local news
A committee says Dixie State University should ditch the “Dixie” part of its name. The group will now review possible names and recommend one to the university’s Board of Trustees. [Tribune]
90% of Utah is experiencing extreme drought conditions, meaning it’s vital to conserve water. [Tribune]
The new police chief at the University of Utah has been cleared in an investigation that accused him of carrying a badge and a gun before being certified. [Tribune]
Wyoming is planning to build a nuclear power plant in partnership with Rocky Mountain Power. [Tribune]
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is ending the Saturday evening session of their semiannual General Conference. [Tribune]
Some residents in the Avenues area of Salt Lake City haven’t had their mail delivered in over six months because of a loose dog wandering the neighborhood. [Tribune]
National news
A bipartisan Senate report says Capitol security officials knew Trump supporters were planning to storm the U.S. Capitol before the January 6 attack but failed to convey that information to the rest of the Capitol police. The report does not shed any new light on how former President Donald Trump behaved during the attempted insurrection. [Politico]
In never-before-heard audio, former President Trump’s advisor Rudy Giuliani relentlessly pressured the Ukrainian government to investigate baseless claims about then-candidate Joe Biden. [CNN]
Former President Barack Obama criticized right-wing media for “stoking the fear and resentment” among White Americans for profit. [CNN]
During her first foreign trip abroad since taking office, Vice President Kamala Harris told Guatemalans not to migrate to the United States. [NPR]
A report by a government national laboratory found it plausible that COVID-19 leaked from a Chinese lab in Wuhan and said the possibility deserved further investigation. [WSJ]
The amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere is at the highest level since before humans existed. [Axios]
U.S. investigators have recovered millions of dollars in cryptocurrency paid in ransom to hackers who shut down a key East Coast pipeline last month. [CNN]
The Supreme Court refused to take up a challenge to the male-only registration requirement for the draft. [CNN]
70% of Americans now support same-sex marriage, which is a record high. [Gallup]
The Biden Justice Department is continuing to defend former President Trump in a defamation lawsuit by E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of raping her at a New York City department store in the 1990s. [Politico]
Former President Trump will go on a speaking tour with disgraced former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly to talk about his presidency. [Deadline]
Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz approached right-wing media outlet Newsmax about a job earlier this year but was turned down. Gaetz contacted Newsmax around the same time news broke he was the subject of a federal investigation into the possible sex trafficking of a minor. [Reuters]
NBC says it will air 7,000 hours of coverage from the Tokyo Olympics beginning next month. For reference, there are 8,760 hours in a typical year. [Variety]
Tuesday’s Utah news roundup
Utah
After 44 years, Salt Lake City bookseller will sell The King’s English to a new owner. [Tribune]
New Taylorsville liquor store will sell cold beer — a first for Utah. [Tribune]
Gov. Cox called on Utahns to pray for rain. Some criticized him. He responded. [DNews]
Ready to try an electric car? Good luck finding one in Utah. [DNews]
Builder scraps housing proposal on site of Redwood Drive-in, swap meet after outcry. [KSL]
Utah has the best economy in the nation, according to new report. [ABC]
Religious freedom case over Roy church discipline matter is revived by Utah Supreme Court. [Standard Examiner]
Housing
$18 an hour to work at McDonald’s? Moab’s labor shortage means higher pay — if you can find housing. [Tribune]
Tough real estate market flummoxes would-be charter schools. [KUTV]
COVID-19
Health department in northeastern Utah apologizes for vulgar texts sent to promote vaccines. [Tribune]
Washington
Why Sen. Joe Manchin opposes elections reform bill that Utah Sen. Mike Lee says was written ‘by the devil himself’. [DNews]
Environment
FEMA funds approved for Mammoth Fire in Garfield County as blaze burns out of control. [Tribune]
Utah drought digs up problems for well owners. [KUTV]
Visitors to Bryce Canyon N.P. destroying efforts to save sensitive vegetation. [FOX13]
Summit County residents asked to limit lawn waterings to 2 per week. [Park Record]
Local Government
Man shot during Provo rally files with others for Provo mayor. [Daily Herald]
Utah County Democratic chair warns of ‘voter suppression’ in party election. [Daily Herald]
Transit
Why the long walk at Salt Lake City’s new airport? Will relief be coming anytime soon? [Tribune]
Dangerous amounts of road debris found on Utah roadways. [FOX13]
Utah home to 1st, ‘game-changer’ gas alkylation innovation in nearly 80 years. [KSL]
On the Opinion Pages
Robert Gehrke: The critical race theory battle is coming to your school district [Tribune]
Gary Herbert: The green Jell-O agenda. [DNews]
🎂 You say it’s your birthday?!!
Best wishes to U.S. House Legislative Director Jessica Martinez and Dave Gessel, VP of government relations and legal affairs for the Utah Hospital Association
Got a birthday you’d like us to recognize in this space? Send us an email.
— Tribune reporter Connor Sanders contributed to this report.
