Countdown: There are 78 days to the 2013 municipal elections, 162 days until the start of the 2014 Legislature, 437 days until the 2014 midterm elections and 874 days until the 2016 Iowa Caucuses.
- Former presidential candidate Howard Dean visits Utah to rally the state’s Democrats [Tribune].
- Utah Republicans are considering a bid to host the 2016 GOP National Convention, which would cost upwards of $30 million [Utah Policy].
- Utah Republican officials are rallying behind Salt Lake County GOP Chairman Chad Bennion who is under fire for making some controversial comments about Democratic District Attorney Sim Gill [Deseret News].
- The number of whooping cough cases in Utah has dropped by nearly half from this time last year [Tribune].
- Utah and the federal government reach an agreement over some disputed roads in Juab County that could pave the way for similar settlements [Tribune].
- Some food pantries are cutting back on their hours of operation because of budget cuts [Tribune].
- HEAL Utah says Rocky Mountain Power is trying to skirt new federal pollution controls at one of their power plants in Wyoming [Tribune].
- A new study says Utah has the lowest average student debt in the nation [Deseret News].
