Ten Things You Need to Know Today – Thursday, September 24, 2015

Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake City. There are 98 days left in 2015.

Pope Francis set to address Congress. A possible government shutdown would cost more than keeping things running. Herbert has a big lead over Johnson according to a new poll.

The clock:

• 40 days to the 2015 election – (11/3/2015)
• 116 days to the 2016 Iowa Caucus (tentative) – (1/18/2016)
• 123 days to the opening day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (1/25/2016)
• 126 days to the 2016 New Hampshire Primary – (1/26/2016)
• 168 days to the final day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (3/10/2016)
• 278 days to the 2016 Utah primary election – (6/28/2016)
• 411 days until the 2016 presidential election – (11/8/2016)

Thursday's top-10 headlines:

1. Pope Francis will address a joint session of Congress Thursday [USA Today].
2. Sen. Orrin Hatch says he hopes to speak with Pope Francis about religious freedom [Tribune].
3. If the government shuts down over federal funding for Planned Parenthood, it will actually cost taxpayers more than keeping things running. The last government shutdown cost $2 billion [Washington Post].
4. The federal government admitted hackers stole the fingerprints of millions of more Americans than originally thought [ABC News].
5. The schedule and sites for the 2016 presidential and vice-presidential debates have been made public [New York Times].
6. A new poll shows Gov. Gary Herbert has a big lead over challenger Jonathan Johnson, especially among Republicans [Utah Policy].
7. Lawmakers will meet behind closed doors next week to hear a proposal to address Medicaid expansion [Deseret News].
8. The Utah Supreme Court slams the door on a proposed referendum to stop the state prison move [Deseret News].
9. The Salt Lake City Council is mulling Mayor Ralph Becker's proposal for a 12-month moratorium on impact fees to foster development in the city [Tribune].
10. A South Jordan councilman claims his opponent in November's election offered him $10,000 to drop out of the race [Deseret News].

On this day in history:

• 1789 – Congress passed the First Judiciary Act, establishing the Supreme Court of the United States as a tribunal made up of six justices who were to serve on the court until death or retirement. The number of judges became nine in 1869.
• 1959 – President Dwight Eisenhower and Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschchev met at Camp David.
• 1960 – The USS Enterprise, the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was launched at Newport News, Va.
• 1968 – "60 Minutes" premiered on CBS.