News roundup: Utah 99% set to elect all GOP delegation

Utah 99% set to elect all GOP delegation. Hatch says he's sorry. Chaffetz: VA secretary must go.

Happy Friday. What are the odds that Utah will re-elect its three incumbent House Republicans and go for GOP candidate Mia Love? Oh, about 99 percent. That's the odds going into November by The Washington Post's Election Lab. Reps. Rob Bishop, Jason Chaffetz and Chris Stewart are locks to keep their jobs, according to the analysis, and Love is on tap to replace Rep. Jim Matheson, who isn't running again. In fact, there are 405 House races where there isn't even a race, the Post notes, leaving only 30 elections, or 6.8 percent, that are actually competitive. [WaPost] And you can see the map — and the Utah "races" here: [WaPost]

Topping the news: Sen. Orrin Hatch says he's sorry if he offended anyone with his comments that skewed a bit political on Memorial Day. [Trib]

Rep. Jason Chaffetz pens an op-ed saying that VA Secretary Eric Shinseki needs to go. [Trib] [DNews]

-> Chaffetz also chose Fred Ferguson, who previously worked with Rep. Rob Bishop, as his new chief of staff. [Trib] [DNews]

Tweet of the day: From @Patbagley: "I am thinking of wearing a paper bag over my head to celebrate yet another national news story about modest dress in Utah"

-> From @danmccay: "@SenHoward: 'I'm a skunk in the garden of tax increment.' @GovHerbert: 'Sen Stephenson just said he's the Pepe Le Pew of the #utleg.'"

-> From @baseballot: "I'm old enough to remember when Eric Shinseki was the Cabinet member everyone missed on Sporcle quizzes."

Happy Birthday: To Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker. On Saturday to State Rep. John Mathis, R-Vernal, and Tribune political reporter extraordinaire Robert Gehrke. And on Sunday to John Morgan, executive director of the Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communications Center.

In other news: Sen. Mike Lee, in reaction to Sen. Orrin Hatch's comment that legal same-sex marriage is inevitable, said he is unsure whether it will become a federal law, but said "it's wrong for these decisions to be made by federal judges." [DNews] [KSL]

-> Paul Rolly notes the Sutherland Institute has found a new source to fight same-sex marriage: people who are gay. [Trib]

-> Construction on a new library in Salt Lake's Marmalade region began with a groundbreaking ceremony and eight golden shovels. [Trib] [DNews] [KUTV]

-> The children of same-sex couples spoke about marriage equality in the state. [Trib]

Nationally: Among other claims of ill-service at the nation's VA hospitals, investigators now find that there were not enough doctors to provide care in certain facilities, including the Jackson, Miss. hospital. [NYTimes] Additionally, the list of politicians who hope to oust VA Secretary Eric Shinseki does not include Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., or Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. [NYTimes] [WaPost] [Politico]

-> President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton ate a private lunch together, a move that some suggest shows a strong partnership between the two politicians. [NYTimes]

-> The House Appropriations Committee passed a bill that allows schools to opt out of the nutritional school lunch plan that First Lady Michelle Obama developed in 2012. [NYTimes] [WaPost]

-> Edward Snowden and the NSA seem to have different interpretations of an email Snowden sent before he leaked classified information. [Politico]

-> Obama says sports players need to be more serious when it comes to concussions. [NYTimes] [LATimes]

Where are they?

Rep. Jason Chaffetz misses votes to attends his daughter's high school graduation.

Rep. Rob Bishop manages the rule for Intel and transportations appropriations and heads to a Republican Policy Committee meeting.

Gov. Gary Herbert participates in a USTAR Board discussion, meets with Alan Matheson for an update on RS2477, works with disabled American veterans and speaks with Lew Cramer. Herbert later talks to Joe Cannon and Yossie Hollander, tours the Rods, Hogs, and Rigs event and gives out the Entrepreneur of the Year award.

SL Co. Mayor Ben McAdams cuts the ribbon at the Hogle Zoo African Savanna opening, speaks at the Salt Lake County Regional Development's Building Bridges conference and meets with SL Co. Public Works Director Russ Wall and later SL Co. Deputy Mayor Nichole Dunn.

President Barack Obama meets with the My Brother's Keeper task force, eats lunch with Vice President Joe Biden and attends a hurricane preparedness meeting.

Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Email us at cornflakes@sltrib.com. If you haven't already, sign up for our weekday email and get this sent directly to your inbox. [Trib]

— Thomas Burr and Courtney Tanner Twitter.com/thomaswburr and Twitter.com/CourtneyLTanner