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Political Cornflakes: Democrats' chances of winning the Senate seem about to be buried in North Dakota

FILE - This March 17, 2018, file photo, shows Democratic U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in Grand Forks, N.D. President Donald Trump's stepped-up campaign tour the week of June 25, 2018, is taking him to North Dakota to help U.S. Rep. Kevin Cramer, a Republican candidate who reluctantly entered the high-stakes Senate race and then questioned the support he has received from the White House. Cramer made it clear he was less than happy with Trump's friendly treatment of his opponent, Heitkamp. (AP Photo/James MacPherson, File)

Democrats' hopes of taking over the U.S. Senate (in addition to the House) are sinking because of North Dakota. The war over the Utah medical marijuana ballot initiative continues on some fronts. Former Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder, a Democrat, endorses a Republican running for his old post.

Happy Thursday. Republicans believe they are well on the way to defeating incumbent Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota, thus sinking any hope Democrats can take over the Senate. Heitkamp’s Republican opponent, Rep. Kevin Cramer, is beating her in polls conducted by both parties after Heitkamp’s stance against Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation didn’t play well. Cramer, by the way is the Republican who recently said #MeToo is a “movement toward victimization” of men. [Politico]

Topping the news: The consensus draft bill touted last week on medical marijuana has had some players on both sides laying down their swords on ballot Proposition 2-- but not everyone. Walter Plumb III, the impassioned anti-marijuana crusader, says he wouldn’t have made the deal other opponents did. On the pro-Prop 2 side, Christine Stenquist plans to battle on on behalf of the ballot measure. [Trib]

-> Sen. Orrin Hatch has filed a brief supporting a U.S. Supreme Court that would end the ability of prosecutors to charge defendants in both state and federal courts for the same crime. If the high court agreed it could have an impact on the investigation of special council Robert Mueller. [Trib]

-> President Donald Trump’s shrinking of Bears Ears and Grand-Staircase Escalante national monuments has stripped 115 arches of federal protection, according to University of Utah researchers. [Trib]

Tweets of the Day: From @Olivianuzzi: “Everything happens so much.”

-> From @KateNocera: “let the weather reporters inside!!!”

-> From @depop: “It’s okay not to be okay. #WorldMentaHealthDay

-> From @ThulsaGloom: “Is there a Cliff's Notes version of that Olivia Nuzzi piece yet?”

Happy Birthday: to Former state Rep. Ben Ferry.

Trib Talk: Proposition 3 campaign director Rylee Curtis, Bountiful resident Grant Burningham, Americans For Prosperity Utah chapter director Heather Williamson, and Rep. Robert Spendlove, R-Sandy, joined Benjamin Wood, a Tribune reporter, to discuss Proposition 3’s ballot initiative seeking to define how medicaid should be executed in Utah. [Trib]

In other news: Eleven Utah groups and the mayors of both Salt Lake City and County are standing in protest to a proposed new change by the Trump administration which might order the deportation of legal immigrants if they accept food stamps, Medicaid, or other government aid. [Trib]

-> Ex-Salt Lake County Sheriff Jim Winder, a Democrat who left his post to work as police chief in Moab, has endorsed Republican Sheriff candidate Justin Hoyal over Democratic incumbent Sheriff Rosie Rivera. [Trib][DNews]

-> The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the Utah State Board of Education an $8.4 million grant that will last five years and be dedicated to addressing mental health issues in school-age children. [DNews][KUTV]

-> Thanks at least in part to a Salt Lake County sales tax hike, the Utah Transit Authority is proposing a 12.7% increase to its operating budget this year. Fares will remain unchanged for riders. [Trib]

-> A group of community members who oppose Proposition 2 presented at the Utah State Capitol on Wednesday, citing the negative impact the substance might have on youth. [KUTV]

-> Jon Huntsman Jr., former Utah governor, has been mentioned as a candidate to replace United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. Huntsman is the U.S. ambassador to Russia. [DNews]

-> Constitution Party candidate Tim Aalders launched a TV ad attacking Senate candidate Mitt Romney for being too “progressive.” [DNews]

-> Three-fourths of Utahns want to see “Dreamers” be able to legally remain in the United States and eventually become citizens, a new poll says. [UtahPolicy]

-> 3.2 beer could soon start disappearing from grocery store shelves in Utah. [Fox13]

-> FanX fears bankruptcy, harm to Utah economy if it is forced to pay judgment to comic-con. [Trib][Fox13][DNews]

Nationally: U.S. stocks suffered the biggest drop they’ve had in months, with the tech-heavy NASDAQ sliding 4% and Dow Jones and S&P 500 dropping more than 3%. President Donald Trump says it’s a “correction we’ve been waiting for.” [BBC][CNN][WSJ][WaPost]

-> A Californian was discovered as having mistakenly helped Russians interfere with the 2016 U.S. election, after selling bank account information that allowed Russia to create a disruptive social media campaign to interfere with the election. The 28 year-old, Richard Pinedo, was sentenced to 6-months in prison and 6-months of house detention. [NYTimes][CNN][Fox][WSJ]

-> FBI Director Christopher A. Wray defended the validity of the Brett Kavanaugh investigation, stating that it was “specific in scope” and was consistent with the standard process for such background checks. [NYTimes][CNN][WSJ]

-> Stealthy diplomacy and skycraft on the part of the United States has revealed Russian meddling in a key Balkans vote. [NYTimes]

-> William N. Bryan is awaiting Senate confirmation in order to become President Trump’s Homeland Security undersecretary for Science and Technology, but concerns have arisen surrounding his connections to Ukrainian energy interests. [NYTimes]

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-- Dan Harrie and Cara MacDonald

https://twitter.com/danattrib and Twitter.com/carammacdonald