Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake City.
Jimmy Carter announces he has cancer. Mia Love's approval ratings show she could be in trouble in 2016. Herbert declares a state of emergency due to pollution in the San Juan River.
The clock:
- 82 days to the 2015 election – (11/3/2015)
- 158 days to the 2016 Iowa Caucus (tentative) – (1/18/2016)
- 165 days to the opening day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (1/25/2016)
- 166 days to the 2016 New Hampshire Primary – (1/26/2016)
- 210 days to the final day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (3/10/2016)
- 320 days to the 2016 Utah primary election – (6/28/2016)
- 453 days until the 2016 presidential election – (11/8/2016)
Thursday's top-10 headlines:
- Former President Jimmy Carter announces he has cancer [New York Times].
- Approval ratings for Utah's members of Congress suggest Rep. Mia Love could be vulnerable in 2016 [Utah Policy].
- Gov. Gary Herbert declares a state of emergency due to the plume of toxic waste flowing into the San Juan River [Utah Policy, ABC 4, Fox 13, Tribune].
- Salt Lake City could launch a referendum to stop the prison from being relocated there from Draper [Deseret News].
- Former spokesperson for Mayor Ralph Becker has been demoted and reassigned due to politically charged comments he posted online [Fox 13, Deseret News, Tribune].
- UTA president and CEO Michael Allegra announces he will retire at the end of August [Tribune, Deseret News, ABC 4].
- Delegates at Saturday's Utah GOP Convention are expected to approve changes so that the party can become a "qualified political party" under the Count My Vote compromise [Utah Policy].
- Utah Transit Authority officials say they won't campaign for a proposed sales tax hike that would benefit the agency [Tribune].
- Donald Trump takes the lead among Republicans in Iowa according to a new poll [CNN].
- Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura says he would seriously consider becoming Trump's running mate if asked [CBS Minnesota].
On this day in history:
- 1521 – Spanish conqueror Hernando Cortez captured present-day Mexico City from the Aztecs.
- 1932 – Adolf Hitler rejected the post of vice-chancellor of Germany, saying he was prepared to hold out for "all or nothing."
- 1961 – East Germany closed the Brandenburg Gate and prepared to start building the Berlin Wall.
- 2011 – Republican Rep. Michelle Bachmann won the Iowa Straw poll.
