Interior Secretary proposes shrinking national monuments elsewhere — including Utah — while expanding protections in his home state. Hatch introduces tax reform package with corporate tax cuts. Ben Shapiro speaks at the U. amid peaceful protests.
Happy Thursday. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has proposed cuts to national monuments throughout the country — including two in Utah. But in his home state of Montana? He’d like to expand protections in the forests bordering Glacier National Park where a company has proposed drilling for natural gas. “It’s totally favoritism,” said one conservationist. [AP]
Topping the news: Sen. Orrin Hatch and other Republicans introduced an ambitious tax reform package that includes lowering the corporate tax rate and doubling the standard deduction. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Ben Shapiro, a conservative writer and commentator, spoke at the University of Utah on Wednesday night while protesters peacefully rallied outside. [Trib]
-> A resurrected Count My Vote initiative aims to dissolve the traditional caucus-convention system. [Trib] [DNews] [Fox13] [KUER] [ABC4]
Tweet of the day: From @BjaminWood: “It’s comforting, in these sharply divided times, to see people coming together in unified hatred of #280character Twitter.”
Happy Birthday: To JM Bell and Scott Howell.
In other news: The Salt Lake City Council is discussing a new $50 million deluxe TRAX station. [Trib] [DNews]
-> Salt Lake City Councilman James Rogers retained his seat after his District 1 opponent, David Atkin, withdrew from the race last Friday, past the county’s deadline. [Trib]
-> The controversial Provo-Orem bus rapid transit project is projected to overrun construction costs by $11.3 million. [Trib]
-> Robert Gehrke suggests Ben Shapiro’s speech is an opportunity for University of Utah students to assess their values. [Trib]
-> While she isn’t a fan of football, Michelle Quist Mumford supports a player’s right to protest. [Trib]
Nationally: President Donald Trump rebuked Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price over his use of taxpayer money to fund private jet travel. [Politico]
-> Now Twitter, along with Facebook, appears to have been used by Russians to influence the 2016 election. [NYTimes]
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-- Courtney Tanner and Karenna Meredith