Late-night comedians skewer Obama, Dems. Herbert backs modular nuke power. No Utah firms in running for House legal counsel.

Happy Monday. President Barack Obama and Democrats were the butt of more jokes in the first part of this year than their Republican counterparts, an abrupt change from last year when Mitt Romney and the GOP provided fodder for late-night comedians. A new study shows Obama and NYC mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner leading the monologues of Leno and Letterman. [AP]

Topping the news: Utah Gov. Gary Herbert is backing a bid by Oregon c...

U.S. to shutter embassies over security threat. Dolan highest paid mayor. Taxpayers to pickup tab for Swallow's bar fight.

Happy Friday. In a rare move, the United States plans to close numerous embassies -- including those in Iraq, Afghanistan and Egypt -- starting Sunday as a precaution against an unnamed terroristic threat. The State Department declined to say why the facilities would be shuttered but an official noted there may be "additional days of closing" related to the concern. [FoxNews]

Topping the ne...

White House: Immigration reform would boost Utah economy $272m. McCain unsure between Clinton and Paul in 2016. Trib editor tries to calm Glenn Beck supporters.

Happy Thursday and welcome to August. Wanting to keep pressure on the House to pass immigration reform, the White House released a new state-by-state report today saying the Senate bill or something significantly similar to it would be a big economic boon.
The report, relying heavily on liberal think tanks and outside groups, comes out just as the House is preparing to leave on its traditional August recess, where many members, including Utah's representatives, will appear in town hall meetings where the issue is ...

Lee: Obama thinks he's a king. Conservation groups sue Forest Service. GOP donors urge immigration reform.

Happy Wednesday. Sen. Mike Lee said Tuesday that the country has seen a dangerous shift in power over the last few years with the Executive Branch taking powers that should be left to Congress. "What we have is an elected president who thinks he's a king," Lee told a group of young Republicans. The comment comes as Lee continues his fight to defund Obamacare even if it means blocking a budget and shutting down the government. [Dai...

Millions in subsidies paid to dead farmers. Activists chain selves to Book Cliffs mine equipment. Romney camp pushes back on 'Newsroom.'

Happy Tuesday. The U.S. Department of Agriculture continued to pay millions in subsidies even after farmers died, a new report shows. The Government Accountability Office says that between 2008 and 2012, the Ag Department paid an estimated 3,434 farmers some $22 million in subsidies one to two years after their deaths. [LATimes]

Topping the news: Activists protesting a tar sands mine in the Book Cliffs regio...

HBO's The Newsroom is treading into the 2012 presidential campaign in its new season and Mitt Romney's campaign isn't shown in the best light so far.

In last night's episode of the fictional show, TV producer Jim Harper is covering the Romney express as it winds through New Hampshire but is twice rebuffed on his attempt to board the press bus by a Romney aide who isn't a big fan of Harper's news outlet. When he finally gets on, Harper presses Romney spokespeople for answers that go beyond their talking points and ends up getting kicked off the bus with two other reporters.

A former 2012 Romney spokesman says that obviously pure fiction.<...

Limbaugh, Hannity out at 2nd-largest radio network. A guide to the Swallow scandal. Lee takes shut down criticism as 'compliment.'

Happy Monday. The nation's second-largest radio network is dropping Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity after negotiations over distribution rights and costs broke down, Politico reports. The two popular, conservative radio hosts will still be heard on a slew of stations but soon no longer on Cumulus-owned ones. The company has seven stations in Utah, though none of them are news talk radio format. [Politico]

...

Lee's Obamacare gambit hitting resistance. Lockhart picks new head of Swallow investigation. How medical marijuana conflicts with Utah gun laws.

Happy Friday. What to be an ambassador? Well, if you're wealthy, the quickest path may be through your bank account. President Barack Obama has placed campaign contributors and the politically connected in the high prestige jobs at almost twice the rate of his predecessors and that includes his recent appointment of Caroline Kennedy to be the ambassador to Japan. [LaTimes]

Topping the ne...

Bush goes bald for cancer victim. Lee only Republican against student loan deal. Hatch casts his 13,000th vote.

Happy Thursday. Former President George H.W. Bush shaved his head in solidarity with a two-year-old stricken with cancer. The boy is the son of a Secret Service agent who protects Bush, 89, and he recently was diagnosed with leukemia. That's the same disease that claimed one of Bush's children 60 years ago. [ABC

Romney grandchild shares birthday with royal baby. Lawmaker slammed for saying many undocumented children involved in drug trade. Weiner, aka Carlos Danger, back in trouble for sexting.

Happy Wednesday and happy Pioneer Day. Republicans, including House Speaker John Boehner, turned on one of their own yesterday, rejecting the comments of Rep. Steve King, R-Ia., an immigration reform opponent. King tried to downplay the plight of the children of undocumented immigrants, who could gain citizenship under the Dream Act

“For every one who's a valedictorian there's another hundred out there that weigh 130 pounds and they've got calves the size of cantaloupes because they'...

Lee pits Obamacare vs. a federal shutdown. Animal rights groups rally against "ag gag" law. Count My Vote is revving up.

Happy Tuesday. President Barack Obama is leaning on his Hollywood friends to help sell the Affordable Care Act. He met with such big names as Oprah Winfrey, Amy Poehler, Alicia Keys and others who have signed up to help him out.

Also if you are a Funny or Die fan, expect to see some pro Obamacare videos in the months to come. [CNN]

Topping the news: Sen. Mike Lee has threatened to try to shut down ...

Scalia talks to Utah lawyers, mentions Holocaust. Nate Silver moves on. Boehner says House should be judged by number of laws repealed.

Happy Monday. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia spoke before the Utah Bar Association at its summer convention in Colorado over the weekend where he raised the Holocaust when talking about the dangers of judicial activism. [Aspen]

Topping the news: Four top UTA officials couldn't have picked a worse time to jet off to Switzerland. Just a day after they requested a 66 percent increase in the agency's share of sales...

Herbert has skin cancer surgery. Politician's secret daughter fails DNA test. Lawmaker leading Swallow investigation has Jeremy Johnson connections.

Happy Friday. A Tennessee Democrat created a stir earlier this year by saying the woman he got caught tweeting during the State of the Union wasn't a lover, but actually his secret daughter. Flash forward a few months, Rep. Steve Cohen agrees to let CNN test their DNA and it turns out the woman he has treated as his daughter for the last three and a half years is not related to him at all. Yes, this actually happened. [

Biden weighs 2016 presidential bid. Meet the Swallow Nine. AG's office steps aside in Jenson case.

Happy Thursday. In an interview with GQ, Vice President Joe Biden doesn't say that he's running for the top job come 2016, but he doesn't try to quell the rumors, either. " we'll see where the hell I am," Biden tells the magazine after noting that he could die happy without being president but that he still may run. [HuffPost]

Topping the news: Meet the nine-member House committee that will investigate AG John Swallow. It's made up of five Republica...

Small businesses look to avoid Obamacare mandate. Utah House huddles on Swallow. Hatch backs Cordray.

Happy Wednesday. A survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce shows that small businesses are planning to cut workers or, at least, their hours as the pending Obamacare deadlines approach. Even with a delay in the mandate for small businesses, companies are looking to avoid the health care law's impacts. [Examiner]

Topping the news: The Utah House is tasked with a tough challenge: Start an investigation into AG John Swall...

IRS scrutinized politicians' records. Love raises $476K. House impeachment transparency?

Happy Tuesday. IRS officials may have improperly targeted political candidates and donors in recent years, subjecting them to audits without justification, according to a report in The Washington Times. The Treasury Department says tax records of candidates for public office and contributors were scrutinized by IRS officials, though it's unclear who the subjects were. The Justice Department has declined to prosecute. [WaTimes]

Topping the news:

Obama calls for calm after Zimmerman verdict. SkiLink appears dead. Utah tops drug crimes in national parks.

Happy Monday. In the aftermath of the jury decision of George Zimmerman, President Barack Obama issued a statement asking for all sides to pause a moment and think about what's truly important: "I know this case has elicited strong passions. And in the wake of the verdict, I know those passions may be running even higher. But we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken. I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son." [

Tab for Clintons' speeches top $100 million. Campaign finance data more accessible. More money approved for Moab tailings removal.

Happy Friday. Hillary Clinton is commanding some $200,000 a speech now that she's out of office and combined with husband, Bill, the duo have pulled in nearly $100 million for paid remarks since President Clinton left the White House in 2001. Of course, it's normal for politicians to charge fees to speak -- Utah's Jon Huntsman does it -- the staggering amount the Clintons have pulled in may shock folks. [NYTimes...

Counties talk secession, North Colorado state. U. coach tops salary in Utah. Food stamp drug tests cost $26,000.

Happy Thursday. Some rural Colorado counties aren't happy with what their state is doing and are talking about seceding to create North Colorado. Some 10 counties have talked about such a move -- which hasn't happened since West Virginia broke off during the Civil War -- and if that doesn't work out, the backup plan is to seek a state senator for every county so they have more say. [CBS4]

Topping the news: U. football coach ...

Phone companies making cash on gov't wiretaps. Lawmakers consider in-house changes. Chaffetz frustrated at DoD.

Happy Wednesday. Americans were shocked to learn that phone companies were handing over info about their calls but wait 'til they learn that Verizon, AT&T; and others can actually make money on government wiretaps. Turns out, it'll cost the government $325 to tap an AT&T; phone and $775 to activate a wiretap on Verizon. Snooping, it appears, doesn't come cheap. [AP]

Topping the news: Utah ...

Kenyan kids sport leftover Romney-Ryan shirts. Hatch pushes pension reform. Auditors to begin look at Swallow's office.

Happy Tuesday. After Mitt Romney's loss last November, his Tennessee campaign office decided it should use leftover Romney-Paul Ryan T-shirts for a good purpose. They sent them to Kenya. Through a nonprofit, the campaign office shipped some 200 shirts to a needy village and the kids there were happy to sport the new outfits for the cameras. [DailyCaller]

Topping the news: Sen. Orrin Hatch has unveiled a pensi...

Romney almost passed on White House bid. Immigration debate heads to the House. UTA bonuses add up to $1 million.

Happy Monday. Mitt Romney wasn't sold on running for president, and at one point, was dead set against it. That's according to a new book that says Romney, and several members of his family, had decided against a White House bid. [WaPost]

Topping the news: The battle for immigration reform is far from over. House Republicans are determined...

Legislature to start Swallow probe. State Department buys Facebook likes. Republicans crow over delayed Obamacare mandate.

Happy Wednesday. The State Department spent $630,000 of your taxpayer cash buying "likes" on Facebook, in an ill-conceived plan to get more attention online. A harsh Inspector General report slams State for artificially buying support from the young and web savvy, instead of focusing on its core audience of influential opinion leaders. [ForeignPolicy]

Topping the news: Utah House members will meet ...

C-SPAN’s Washington Journal invited me on Tuesday to talk about The Salt Lake Tribune’s investigation into what the National Security Agency’s new Utah Data Center would or could do, why it sprung up in Utah of all places and what exactly might go on inside its walls.

Live TV, as usual, is full of surprises.

Click here for the nearly 40-minute clip as I take questions on The Tribune’s look at the Utah Data Center.

-- Thomas Burr

@Thomaswburr

...

Highest paid White House staffer: BYU grad. Pay hike for college presidents. Fighter jets grounded on the Fourth.

Happy Tuesday. Who makes the most money at the White House? If you can believe it, he's a BYU graduate who served in President George W. Bush's administration and now commands a salary of $225,000 under President Barack Obama. Seth Wheeler, who earned a bachelors in economics at BYU, is the best paid of the 460 people at the White House - not including Obama himself who earns $400,000 a year.

-> Wheeler is a senior adviser at the National Economic Council and is crafting Obama's strategy on housing finance, per Reuters, and makes more than his boss, NEC Direct...

As one of his last acts as chairman of the Western Governors’ Association, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert composed and performed a work of cowboy poetry on Sunday.

His “Easy Fixin’s,” about a politician who goes bronc riding and gets injured, is too long to recount fully here — four minutes.

But we’ve transcribed the heart of the story, which begins with a surgeon bantering with colleagues about what type of people are the easiest to operate on.

“Politicians are the easiest because they ain’t got much inside

Their motor skills ar...

Petition seeks shut down of NSA's Utah center. NEA VP: Anti-gun reform zealots going to 'hell.' Swallow probe to launch Wednesday.

Happy Monday and welcome to July. Some folks upset with the National Security Agency's massive Utah Data Center have started a White House petition to close down the $1.2 billion facility because, they say, it is "being used for something illegal, unconstitutional, and unagreed upon by the American public." The White House has promised to respond to petitions with more than 100,000 signatures, so supporters of this idea will still need some 99,500 more names. [

Former Sen. Bob Bennett opened up a bit Friday about Sen. Mike Lee, the tea party champion who replaced the three-term Bennett in the 2010 election — and the comments weren’t overly flattering.

Bennett usually brushes aside questions about Lee. But Friday during a Q-and-A session following his luncheon keynote at the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists convention in Salt Lake City, the ex-senator said “Mike Lee is Jim DeMint’s creation.”

DeMint, the former South Carolina senator and tea-party leader, provided money, advisers and guidance to Lee’s campaign because, Bennett said, he wanted the next Uta...

House: Immigration bill DOA. Hatch, Lee split on vote. The NSA again finds itself in the spotlight.

Happy Friday. While immigration supporters celebrated yesterday's historic vote for comprehensive reform, the end result isn't looking good. Even with 14 Republican senators joining the effort to give a big margin in the upper chamber, folks over in the House are already pronouncing the bill DOA. "Fold it up into a paper airplane and throw it out the window," says one rep. [NRO]

Topping the news: Sen. Orrin Hatch joined 13 other ...

The best of the conservative outcry on SCOTUS ruling. Judge chastises Aposhian's lawyer. Utahns caught up in drug ring sweep.

Happy Thursday. While gay-rights supports are heralding a pair of Supreme Court decisions yesterday, many conservatives and anti-gay-marriage advocates are fearful of what's to come. A sampling of comments yesterday from the right wing (as pulled together by Media Matters):
-- Rush Limbaugh: The Supreme Court decision on marriage equality demonstrates the "disintegration of the United States."
-- Glenn Beck: The Supreme Co...

IRS officials charged diet pills, porn. Robles considers congressional bid. Lee's boys, Stewart's daughter head on missions.

Happy Wednesday. As if the IRS needed another scandal to deal with, an inspector general's report shows that agency employees used their taxpayer-funded, government credit cards to buy diet pills, romance novels and yes, even porn. While the transactions add up to only two-tenths of one percent, the findings suggest a bit of lax oversight by the IRS. No word on whether the agency plans to write off the porn as a business expense. [

Sen. Orrin Hatch weighed in Tuesday on the refusal of Russia to hand over NSA leaker Edward Snowden despite pressure from the United States that the country must extradite him back to America. But Hatch says it's Obama's fault.

"It's an insult to us and I have to say that this would not have happened under [President Ronald] Reagan; this would not have happened under [President George] Herbert Walker Bush; it would not have happened under [President Bill] Clinton and it would not have happened under [President] George W. Bush," Hatch said off the Senate floor.

"I have to say they know our president is weak," the Utah Republican added. "I...

Romney to help with two books. Hatch to vote for immigration reform. Attorney claims AG threat.

Happy Tuesday. Largely silent since his 2012 election loss, former presidential candidate Mitt Romney will sit down with the authors of two forthcoming books about the race to tell his side of the story. Romney has agreed to chat with The Washington Post's Dan Balz as well as Mark Halperin and John Heilemann's for their tome "Double Down: Game Change 2012." The latter two's expose on the 2008 contest was later made into a movie. [Politico]

Toppi...

For one Utah State University professor, the admission that IRS agents gave extra scrutiny to groups associated with the Tea Party is no surprise.

In fact, professor William Shughart says it fits into a pattern of politics influencing the agency’s practices. Shughart did a study more than a decade ago that found people were significantly less likely to be audited if they lived in a battlefield state or if their congress member was a member of the IRS oversight committee.

Co-authored with Michael Reksulak of Georgia Southern University and Marilyn Young of Lipscomb University, the 2001 report analyzed individ...

No immigration reform? Mass protests could wait. Immigrants missing from reform debate. Swallow seeks patience.

Happy Monday. Democrats have long argued that Republicans need to pass comprehensive immigration reform because of the growing population of Latino voters, but Sen. Chuck Schumer is taking it one further. The New York Democrat says that there will be mass protests if the House doesn't pass legislation that allows for a path to citizenship. [TheHill]

Topping the news: Discussion of the immigra...

The NSA's domestic spy protocol. Herbert backs Swallow investigation. House debates impeachment committee makeup.

Happy Friday. The Guardian newspaper is out with more information on the National Security Agency's ability to dig into domestic communications. The paper explores the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court's broad jurisdiction and says that the feds can spy on domestic communications without a warrant. [Guardian]

Topping the news: Gov. Gary Herbert voiced his support of the decision to begin investigating the conduct of AG John Swallow, sta...

Obama looks to NBA to promote Obamacare. Impeachment steps begin for Swallow. Lee: Roberts was 'intimidated' to support health care law.

Happy Thursday. Could LeBron James become the new spokesman for Obamacare? The Obama administration is seeking a potential marketing partnership with the NBA to promote the Affordable Care Act in the hope that it will help to informed the confused public about the new coverage options. [Politico]

Topping the news: Step one toward impeachment. The Utah...

House GOP meets on Swallow. IRS official: White House not involved. Hatch, Lee raise Obamacare in immigration debate.

Happy Wednesday. The Cincinatti IRS official at the center of the scandal over targeting tea party groups during the last election says he had no communications with the White House or even his bosses about pulling aside the groups he was concerned about. The top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee released the full transcript of the official's interview after GOP Chairman Darrell Issa refused to do so. [

Herbert job approval high; Obama's low. 80% Utahns want Swallow to resign. Lockhart says impeachment may be needed.

Happy Tuesday. Gov. Gary Herbert continues to have sky high job approval ratings in Utah while only a third of residents have any love for President Barack Obama. That's according to a new poll by BYU's Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy, which found Herbert with 75.3 percent approval to 24.7 disapproval. Some other interesting results:

-> Sen. Orrin Hatch holds a slightly better favorability ratings than Sen. Mike...

Poll: Most Americans don't trust Obama. Felon alleges shakedown by Swallow. Inside the NSA's Utah Data Center.

Happy Monday. With the building angst over domestic spying, President Barack Obama's approval rating fell 8 percent in the last month to 45 percent, the lowest in the last eighteen months. And for the first time in his presidency, Obama faces a country where a majority of residents don't believe he is honest and trustworthy. [CNN]

Topping the news: The imprisoned businessman Marc Sessions Jenson alleges that AG Jo...

Congress sinks to new low. Stewart: No citizenship for immigrants. Myriad wins, loses court fight.

Happy Friday and happy Flag Day. You may have thought it impossible, but approval ratings for Congress have dropped even further. A new Gallup poll shows that Americans' confidence in Congress is at an all-time low, with only 10% expressing faith in the Legislative Branch. Congress, it seems, is less popular than HMOs, organized labor, big business and yes, even newspapers. [Time] [

Poll shows strong Utah backing for immigration reform. Hatch worries Dems will 'stiff' him on immigration amendments. Swallow: I have nothing to hide.

Happy Thursday. Exclusive numbers for you this morning showing a strong majority of Utahns back comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship. The poll shows:

-> 71% strongly or somewhat support bipartisan immigration reform being debated in Washington;
-> 74% strongly or somewhat support a bill with a path to citizenship;
-> 64% say they're more likely to vote for an elected official who supports comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship;
-> And 90% said it was...

Herbert would fire Swallow. Bush's spike in popularity. Lee wants to publicize secret court's legal reasoning.

Happy Wednesday. For the first time since 2005, more Americans have a favorable view of former President George W. Bush than an unfavorable one, according to a new Gallup poll. His approval rating has even topped that of President Barack Obama. [Gallup] [WSJ] [

Dueling polls in Utah's 4^th Congressional District have one thing in common - Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson is ahead of GOP challenger Mia Love.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released a summary of its poll Tuesday, which has Matheson up 54 percent to Love's 40 percent. The Dems describes that as a "solid lead" in the expected 2014 showdown.

Their automated poll, conducted by IVR Polling, reached 420 Utah voters between June 6 and June 8 and has a margin of error of 4.7 percentage points.

This Democratic survey comes three weeks after their Republican counterparts released a poll showing Matheson up by just three percentage points - 44 perce...

Hillary takes to Twitter with hint at prez run. Reactions to NSA tactics largely partisan. How a Utah Internet provider deals with police requests.

Happy Tuesday. Outrage over the NSA's surveillance techniques has a distinctive political pattern. If your man is in the White House, you tend to be ok with it. At least that's what Pew found when comparing survey results in the Bush and Obama years. [WaPost]

Topping the news: Utah's five state Senate Dems want witnesses in the Swallow scandal to testify under...

NSA whistleblower comes forward. Lee offers measures to curb domestic spying. What an impeachment would look like.

Happy Monday. Meet the man who leaked NSA documents to the Guardian and The Washington Post and learn why he did it with full knowledge that his life would never be the same. The 29-year-old Edward Snowden came forward and knows what's coming next: "I do not expect to see home again." [Guardian]

Topping the news: Sen. Mike Lee is shopping legislation that would address the NSA's monitoring of American's domestic phone call data...

HuffPost hits back with 'George W. Obama.' Phone records may be stored in Utah. Hatch wants immigrants to pay back taxes.

Happy Friday. The left-leaning Huffington Post is upset with President Barack Obama over the latest revelation that phone companies are handing over call information to the feds in secret. The HuffPost's home page has been featuring the headline "George W. Obama" on top of a hybrid Obama-Bush picture that's just a tad creepy. [HuffPost]

Topping the news: Phone records seized from Verizon could be stored at the NSA's new data storage center due to open in Utah in the fall. [

House Republicans are trying to keep the heat on Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, releasing a poll Thursday that shows him with a slight advantage over GOP challenger Mia Love with 18 months to go before Election Day.

The National Republican Congressional Committee says their poll is evidence Matheson is in trouble in his rematch with Love, whom he beat by less than 800 votes in 2012.

Though this far out, the big take away from the NRCC polling is how much effort the national party is expending on Matheson's race. And it should be noted that the poll seemed to go out of its way to tie Matheson to President Barack Obama.

The NRCC contracted with the Republican firm Harper...

NSA nabs American phone call records. Swallow defends self to House GOPers. Lee meets with House conservatives.

Happy Thursday. The National Security Agency has been secretly grabbing telephone records of Verizon customers in the United States under a special court order, the Guardian newspaper reports. The order, from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, allows the NSA to snatch up records of all phone calls originating in the United States and specifically mentions local calls that have nothing to do with foreign persons. [Guardian] [

First lady hates hecklers. Aposhian gun-less after court. State rep wants Utahns to be able to recall elected leaders.

Happy Wednesday. First Lady Michelle Obama doesn't like hecklers for sure, but she took an extra step Tuesday night at a fundraiser where she threatened to leave the stage after an audience member kept interrupting her speech. The crowd jeered the protester and the first lady kept going. [DailyCaller]

Topping the news: A justice court judge gives Utah's top gun-rights spokesman Clark Aposhian 24 hours to turn in all his fir...