Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is "National Dump the Pump Day," which encourages people to ride public transportation instead of driving their cars.
Trump hires actors to cheer for him at his presidential announcement. Pope Francis says it's time to acknowledge climate change is a crisis. Hughes says the state should get out of the Medicaid expansion business.
Countdown:
- Days to the 2015 Utah municipal primary elections – 54
- Days to the 2015 election – 138
- Days to the 2016 Iowa Caucus (tentative) – 215
- Days to the opening day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – 222
- Days to the 2016 New Hampshire Primary – 223
- Days to the 2016 Utah primary election – 377
- Days until the 2016 presidential election – 510
Thursday's top-10 headlines:
- The race for the White House: Donald Trump's campaign allegedly offered actors $50 to pack the house at his presidential announcement [Hollywood Reporter].
- Pope Francis issues a call for a "bold cultural revolution" to fight against climate change [CNN].
- House Speaker Greg Hughes suggests that Utah should get out of the Medicaid business [Utah Policy].
- Rep. Brad Wilson, the co-chair of the Prison Relocation Commission, suggests moving the facility could yield a bigger economic impact than the $1.8 billion estimate [Deseret News].
- Embattled Democratic Rep. Justin Miller says he has no intention to step down from his seat [Deseret News, Fox 13].
- Salt Lake County Mayoral candidate Luke Garrott says Chris Burbank would not have continued as Salt Lake City Police Chief in his administration [Utah Policy].
- Lawmakers are looking at possibly shifting some sales-tax money from transportation to education needs [Tribune].
- Legislators consider setting aside some funding for teacher training programs [Tribune, Deseret News].
- Legislators may not be able to come to a consensus on how to deal with the plurality problem created by SB54 [Deseret News, Tribune, KUER].
- State Auditor John Dougall and Democratic Party Chair Peter Corroon sign on to an effort to establish term limits for elected officials [Utah Policy, Deseret News, ABC 4].
On this day in history:
- 1812 – The United States declared war on Britain.
- 1815 – British and Prussian troops defeated the French under Napoleon Bonaparte at Waterloo.
- 1873 – Suffragist Susan B. Anthony was fined $100 for attempting to vote in the 1872 presidential election.
- 1979 – President Jimmy Carter and Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev signed the SALT II strategic arms limitation treaty in Vienna.
- 1983 – Sally Ride became the first American woman in space.
