Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch to retire, clearing way for Mitt Romney

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch announced Tuesday that he won't seek re-election this year, clearing the way for Mitt Romney to return to the national stage by running for his seat. He said in a social media message, "after much prayer and discussion with family and friends I've decided to retire at the end of this term."

Utah paper tells Hatch to ‘call it a career’ in blistering…

Kremlin trolls burned across the Internet as Washington debated options The first email arrived in the inbox of CounterPunch, a left-leaning American news and opinion website, at 3:26 a.m. - the middle of the day in Moscow. - "Hello, my name is Alice Donovan and I'm a beginner freelance journalist Tribune Editorial: Why Orrin Hatch is Utahn of the Year - These things are often misunderstood.

this Land is Your Land? | U.S. House com…

On Monday, Dec. 4, President Donald Trump, speaking in Utah, announced that the 1.35 million-acre Bears Ears national monument would be shrunk by over 80 percent, potentially making it available for mining, exploration and private use. In response, Ventura-based outdoor retailer Patagonia, along with a coalition of environmental, Native American and outdoor organizations, filed a lawsuit in an attempt to block the president's authority to make such a move.

Larry Pressler: Mitt Romney for president

Mitt Romney said last week that Roy Moore is "unfit" as the GOP Senate nominee for Alabama's special election on Dec. 12. Probably the biggest news out of Washington this week has been President Donald Trump's visit to Utah. People are speculating about what the spillover of his proclamation might be to public lands in the other 49 states.

Hatch blasts Bannon’s attack on Romney’s faith as – disappointing and unjustified’

AP Photo) Reporters ask questions of Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, chairman of the tax-writing Finance Committee, as he walks to meet with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on the GOP effort to overhaul the tax code, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Dec. 1, 2017. Washington a Sen. Orrin Hatch on Wednesday called former presidential adviser Steve Bannon's attacks on Mitt Romney's Mormon faith "disappointing and unjustified," while Utah Gov. Gary Herbert said " Utahns reject the ugly politics and tactics" of Bannon.

The Latest: Zinke strikes back at Patagonia on monuments

A coalition of five tribes that spent years pushing for the creation of Bears Ears National Monument said Monday it will wage a legal battle over President Trump's plan to reduce the protected area by 85 percent. SALT LAKE CITY - The Latest on President Donald Trump's decision to shrink two national monuments in Utah : A third lawsuit has been filed challenging President Donald Trump's decision to significantly shrink two national monuments in Utah.

Tribes: Trump’s monument order disrespects native people

President Donald Trump's rare move to shrink two large national monuments in Utah triggered another round of outrage among Native American leaders who vowed to unite and take the fight to court to preserve protections for lands they consider sacred. Environmental and conservation groups and a coalition of tribes joined the battle Monday and began filing lawsuits that ensure that Trump's announcement is far from the final chapter of the yearslong public lands battle.

No Matter What Trump Said In Utah, a ‘Sen. Romney’ Looms Large In Its Future

Few - if any - close observers of Utah politics doubted for a moment what President Donald Trump meant in Salt Lake City Monday afternoon when he praised Sen. Orrin Hatch and voiced hope that the seven-term Republican "will serve your state and your country in the Senate for a long time to come." At a time when it is widely assumed that Hatch, 83, will soon announce he is retiring from the Senate next year, the President is clearly hoping the senator will change his mind and thus stop the expected candidacy of the Republican widely considered heir apparent to his seat: Mitt Romney, 2012 Republican presidential hopeful and a sworn enemy of Trump.

The Latest: Protesters block traffic amid Trump’s Utah visit

President Donald Trump stands with Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, left, and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, center, after arriving at the Ronald R Wright National Air Guard Base in Salt Lake City on Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. Protesters gather before a visit by President Donald Trump to announce that he is scaling back two sprawling national monuments, Monday Dec. 4, 2017, in Salt Lake City.

Trump arrives in Utah to announce scaling back of monuments

President Donald Trump arrived in Utah on Monday to announce that he is scaling back two sprawling national monuments, a move that is welcomed by the state's top Republican officials but opposed by tribes and environmental groups. Trump traveled west to announce his intention to shrink the Bears Ears and the Grand-Staircase Escalante national monuments.

Donald Trump moves to ‘reverse federal overreach,’ cuts down Bears Ears, Grand Staircase monuments

Saying it was his duty to "reverse federal overreach" by both the Obama and Clinton administrations, President Trump on Monday signed two proclamations to pare down and carve up both the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah. At a speech in Salt Lake City, Mr. Trump said previous presidents have greatly abused their power under the century-old Antiquities Act, and stretched the law past its limits in cordoning off millions of acres of land and placing them under government control.

6politicsHere’s what to expect when President Donald Trump lands in Utah on Monday

Washington a When Air Force One descends into Salt Lake City on Monday morning, planes departing and arriving will be held, causing momentary delays for travelers. And President Donald Trump's motorcade - mixed with pending snow showers - will likely cause some headaches for drivers in Utah's capital city as he zips around to meet with Mormon church leaders and speak at the state Capitol.

In our opinion: It’s getting hard to remember times of bipartisan cooperation

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, center, makes opening remarks as he is flanked by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., left, the ranking member, and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, right, as the tax-writing panel begins work on overhauling the nation's tax code, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Nov. 13, 2017. The legislation in the House and Senate carries high political stakes for President Donald Trump and Republican leaders in Congress, who view passage of tax cuts as critical to the GOP's success at the polls next year.

Congressman – and veteran – Chris Stewart asks people to honor…

The Salt Lake Tribune) Members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1481 from Ogden greets the crowd at Nor... The Salt Lake Tribune) "I'm here to salute [veterans] and thank them for their service," said Albert Mora, 69, while watching the parade with his grandsons and wife. "They get a kick out of it and so do I." Mora's grandson Adrian, 7, salutes veterans at his side.

Senator says Trump rolling back protections at Utah sites

President Donald Trump is shrinking two national monuments in Utah, accepting the recommendation of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke to reverse protections established by two Democratic presidents to more than 3.6 million acres. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said he was "incredibly grateful" that Trump called him on Friday to say he is approving Zinke's proposal on Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments.

Orrin Hatch Tells Friends He Plans to Retire

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah-Senator Orrin Hatch has privately told allies in Utah that he is planning to retire at the end of his term next year, and if he does, Mitt Romney intends to run for his seat, according to five sources familiar with the situation. "Nothing has changed since The Atlantic published a carbon copy of this same story in April, likely with the same anonymous sources who were no more informed on the Senator's thinking than they seem to be now," said Dave Hansen, a spokesperson for Hatch.

Could Steve Bannon’s efforts really unseat Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch?

Should he seek re-election next year, Sen. Orrin Hatch could potentially face a far-right challenger financed by former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who's hunting for Trump devotees to unseat several Senate Republicans. "There's a mini-drama that we're looking at right now," said Tim Chambless, a political science professor at the University of Utah.