News roundup: Americans feel good about the economy — but don't necessarily credit Trump for improvements
Americans feel good about the economy — but don't necessarily credit Trump for improvements. United Utah Party continues to fight for a spot on the ballot. Race for Chaffetz's seat heats up with TV ads.
Happy Monday. President Donald Trump is slipping in nationwide approval ratings. In the latest poll, just 40 percent of Americans support the work he's doing. Meanwhile, 55 percent disapprove. Respondents felt much better about the state of the economy — but didn't necessarily credit Trump for improvements there. [<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-17/americans-feel-good-about-the-economy-not-so-good-about-trump-j57v0var">Bloomberg</a>]
<strong>Topping the news: </strong>An attorney for the new United Utah Party argued in federal court Friday that the state's rules barring it from the special election to replace former Rep. Jason Chaffetz are unfair. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5509960-155/new-utah-party-barred-from-special">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865684854/State-United-Utah-Party-argue-over-access-to-3rd-District-special-election-ballot.html">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://kuer.org/post/state-and-united-utah-party-argue-special-election-ballot-access-federal-court">KUER</a>]
-> Candidates in the 3rd Congressional District special election will begin running TV commercials today. [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865684843/TV-commercials-set-to-air-in-3rd-District-Congressional-race.html">DNews</a>]
-> As the nation's birth rates slip, Utah loses its rank as the most fertile state in the country. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5493953-155/as-young-utah-women-delay-having">Trib</a>]
<strong>Tweets of the weekend: </strong>From @<a href="https://twitter.com/Patbagley">Patbagley</a>: "Hard to know if you've walked into a Trump administration meet up or Villain Central Casting"
-> From @<a href="https://twitter.com/danwlin">danwlin</a>: "KENOBI: Mos Eisley spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy TRUMP JR: I love it, especially later in summer"
-> From @<a href="https://twitter.com/petridishes">petridishes</a>: "please some foreign leader or spouse buy a novelty arm for the Trump Handshake so when he yanks it just comes off"
<strong>Weekend in review:</strong> The Road Home said it would meet a state deadline Friday to clear the shelter of its homeless families. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5505845-155/despite-limited-housing-alternatives-road-home">Trib</a>]
-> Salt Lake County's Operation Diversion may have trouble financing treatment for low-level drug offenders after the state turned down its requests for more money. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5509539-155/operation-diversion-treatment-beds-in-doubt">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865684885/Denial-of-extra-grant-money-shelves-SL-County-plan-for-Operation-Diversion-court.html">DNews</a>]
-> Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder said that he decided to move on to another position because the job was becoming too political. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5510688-155/expanding-the-salt-lake-county-jail">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865684874/Winders-worries-of-becoming-a-politician-pushed-him-to-seek-new-job.html">DNews</a>]
-> Officials are looking for a path forward after a corrections officer at Daggett County Jail was accused of misconduct. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5505875-155/what-to-do-with-daggett-countys">Trib</a>]
-> A judge ruled Friday that Salt Lake County Recorder Gary Ott will remain in his family's custody. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5509572-155/judge-rules-troubled-county-recorder-gary">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865684832/Judge-upholds-family-guardianship-of-troubled-county-recorder.html">DNews</a>]
-> Amid a federal investigation of their handling of a sexual assault case, Westminster College said they aren't getting enough student participation in a campus survey on sexual assault to accurately represent the campus' population. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5382328-155/utahs-westminster-college-wants-to-know">Trib</a>]
-> The State School Board voted to begin reviewing and revising Utah's health education curriculum. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5510577-155/state-school-board-braces-for-a">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865684886/Discussion-whether-to-revise-state-sex-health-education-standards-stirs-heated-debate.html">DNews</a>]
-> As Utah's population grows rapidly, the Utah Transportation Governance and Funding Task Force is looking to Seattle's transit system. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5505885-155/utah-task-force-asks-how-did">Trib</a>]
-> An attorney for two Utah inmates on death row is arguing that the state doesn't pay defenders well enough to present a thorough case. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5453678-155/attorney-representing-utah-death-row-inmates">Trib</a>]
-> Draper mayoral candidate Troy Martinez was prohibited from walking in the Draper Days Parade, a judge ruled, although incumbent Mayor Troy Walker and Councilwoman Michele Weeks were allowed to march. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5510942-155/candidate-barred-from-draper-parade-mayor">Trib</a>]
-> Pat Bagley depicts the Trump family line. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/5511081-155/bagley-cartoon-father-of-lies-and">Trib</a>]
-> Robert Gehrke calls on Sen. Mike Lee to listen to constituents whose livelihoods depend on Obamacare. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/5505897-155/gehrke-hey-sen-lee-are-you">Trib</a>]
<strong>Nationally:</strong> Senate leadership has delayed voting on the GOP health care bill as Sen. John McCain recovers from surgery. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/16/us/politics/health-care-vote-john-mccain.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fpolitics&mtrref=www.nytimes.com&gwh=115BE2A0B4C3E2A2390F508D84E95D85&gwt=pay">NYTimes</a>] [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/gop-opponents-to-senate-health-care-bill-see-vote-delay-as-an-advantage/2017/07/16/3e5516fa-6a21-11e7-96ab-5f38140b38cc_story.html?utm_term=.c2196520a0d3">WaPost</a>] [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/16/gop-health-care-bill-will-it-pass-240606">Politico</a>]
-> Jay Sekulow, Trump's attorney, said Donald Trump Jr.'s conversations with a Russian lawyer weren't illegal. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/07/16/us/politics/ap-us-trump-russia.html?mtrref=query.nytimes.com&gwh=75F60CBB7CF2ECB7FB19D008E9FAD175&gwt=pay">APviaNYTimes</a>] [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trumps-lawyer-insists-nothing-nefarious-in-trump-jr-russia-meeting/2017/07/16/01c3dcf8-6a3a-11e7-b9e2-2056e768a7e5_story.html?utm_term=.bc988a9eb98d">WaPost</a>] [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/16/jay-sekulow-donald-trump-jr-meetings-240604">Politico</a>]
-> A federal judge in Hawaii ruled to expand the exemptions to President Donald Trump's travel ban to include extended family and refugees in resettlement programs. [<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/14/us/politics/trump-travel-ban-grandparents.html?mtrref=query.nytimes.com&gwh=167D407035C2ADB33899FAC12E32F0FB&gwt=pay">NYTimes</a>] [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/07/14/judge-in-hawaii-rules-grandparents-are-exempt-from-trump-travel-ban/?utm_term=.60d7dafb829b">WaPost]</a>
<strong>Where are they?</strong>
<ul>
<li>Rep. Chris <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/RepChrisStewart" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Stewart</a></strong> attends a House Intelligence Committee meeting and participates in an appropriations markup.</li>
<li>Rep. Mia <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMiaLove" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><strong>Love</strong></a> flies to Washington, attends a GOP strategy meeting and votes.</li>
<li>Gov. Gary <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/GovHerbert" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Herbert</a></strong> participates in a corrections meeting, speaks with staff, meets with his leadership team, holds a weekly meeting with general counsel and attends the Days of '47 Bronze Statue unveiling.</li>
<li>Lt. Gov. Spencer <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerJCox" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cox</a></strong> tours Heritage Novolex, takes the 25K jobs in 25 Counties tour and attends the governor's leadership team meeting.</li>
<li>State Auditor John <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/FrugalDougall" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dougall</a> </strong>meets with representatives of the Division of Finance, the Division of Risk Management, Recovery Services and Utah Retirement Systems. He later speaks with a constituent and reviews audit work.</li>
</ul>
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— Courtney Tanner and Emily Anderson
<a href="https://twitter.com/CourtneyLTanner">Twitter.com/CourtneyLTanner</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/emilyinorgandy">Twitter.com/emilyinorgandy</a>