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Political Cornflakes: Three predictions for what could happen with the Robert Mueller investigation

FILE - In this June 21, 2017, file photo, former FBI Director Robert Mueller, the special counsel probing Russian interference in the 2016 election, departs Capitol Hill after a closed-door meeting in Washington. It was one year ago Thursday when Robert Mueller, the former FBI director, was appointed as special counsel to take over the Justice Department’s investigation into possible coordination between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Three predictions for what could happen with the Robert Mueller investigation. Utah GOP Central Committee ousts minority and female members. Synthetic drug Spice becoming more pervasive in Utah.

Happy Monday. Buckle your seatbelts and grab the oxygen masks. It’s about to get interesting. A former federal prosecutor lays out three predictions for what could happen with special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation. He could wrap it up this summer, demand to interview President Donald Trump and see a guilty plea. Or not. [Politico]

Topping the news: The Utah Republican Party Central Committee ousted several minority and female members and rejected three black candidates. [Trib]

-> Brendan Call, an assistant Utah attorney general, described payroll fraud in Utah’s construction industry as “very rampant,” something that is pushing legitimate companies out of business. [Trib]

Tweets of the day: From @ItsJoshPeck: “Nothing like watching the royal wedding while eating food you bought from the dollar menu.”

-> From @Taniel: “if we’ve learned anything from Spicer on inauguration crowd size & Kobach on millions of fraudulent voters & Conway on alternative facts & Trump on all these things and more, it’s that Giuliani’s comments about Mueller are definitely reliable”

In other news: Drug Safe Utah, a group opposed to a Utah medical marijuana legalization initiative, filed a lawsuit in 3rd District Court to prevent the marijuana proposal from being included on the Nov. 6 ballot. [Trib]

-> A drug called spice, often referred to as synthetic marijuana, has killed a handful of Utahns since 2016. [Trib]

-> Amid a push from city officials for a law to create an inland port authority for Salt Lake City, Gov. Gary Herbert no longer appears interested in negotiating. [Trib]

-> A group of Utah teenagers persuaded the governor to sign a resolution recognizing the environmental consequences of climate change. [APviaTrib]

-> A Utah Highway Patrol officer who shot and killed a man in Centerville after a car chase last July 4 will not be charged with a crime after a Davis County attorney said there is not enough evidence to pursue a case. [Trib]

-> While “smart” sprinkler timers and controllers have the potential to save water in Utah, the question now is whether Utahns are willing to install them at their houses. [Trib]

-> Pat Bagley offers a take on gun control after eight students and two teachers were killed in a shooting at a Texas high school. [Trib]

Nationally: President Donald Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani said Robert Mueller’s investigation will wrap up by Sept. 1. [NYTimes]

-> The Trump administration announced it will put tariffs on China on hold as the two administrations work to reach a trade agreement. [Politico]

Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Send us a note to cornflakes@sltrib.com.

— Thomas Burr and Connor Richards

Twitter.com/thomaswburr and Twitter.com/crichards1995