Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 202nd day of the year. There are 164 days left in 2016.
The GOP nominates Trump. Utah tax collections end the year slightly ahead of projections. Clinton narrows her VP search.
The clock:
- Five days to the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia (7/25/2016)
- 111 days until the 2016 presidential election – (11/8/2016)
- 187 days until the first day of the 2017 Utah Legislature – (1/23/2017)
- 232 days until the final day of the 2017 Utah Legislature – (3/9/2017)
Ten talking points for Wednesday:
- Utah’s tax collections “rally” at the end of the fiscal year to finish slightly ahead of projections [Utah Policy].
- Well, it’s official. Donald Trump is nominated for president by the Republican National Committee in Cleveland [The Hill, Bloomberg].
- During the official vote, Utah’s 40 delegates cast ballots for Ted Cruz, but the rules give all of Utah’s votes to Donald Trump [Tribune].
- Here we go again. Donald Trump Jr.‘s speech contains a passage lifted from somewhere else, but it’s not as controversial as Melania Trump‘s speech problem because the speechwriter plagiarized himself [Washington Post].
- Of course, he did. Ben Carson goes off script during his primetime speech and links Hillary Clinton to “Lucifer” [Talking Points Memo].
- Two names have reportedly jumped to the top of Hillary Clinton‘s search for a running mate, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine [Washington Post].
- Wright State University pulls out as the host of the first presidential debate in September, citing safety and security concerns. The event will now move to Hofstra University in New York [The Hill].
- Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings hammers the Department of Justice for not turning over all the evidence in their possession as one of the reasons he decided to dismiss charges against former Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff [Tribune, Deseret News].
- Sen. Jim Dabakis says he may attempt a ballot initiative to privatize liquor sales in Utah [Fox 13].
- Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes is reportedly negotiating his departure from the cable network [New York Times].
On this day in history:
- 1945 – The U.S. flag was raised over Berlin as the first American troops moved in to take part in the post-World War II occupation.
- 1969 – Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first men to set foot on the moon.
- 1976 – The Viking 1 lander became the first spacecraft to successfully land on the surface of Mars.
- 2015 – Cuba and the United States restored full diplomatic relations, with the reopening of embassies in Havana and Washington.
