Archive

Ten Things You Need to Know Today – Tuesday, October 6, 2015

··

Good Tuesday morning from Salt Lake City. There are 86 days left in 2015.

Chaffetz says his bid for Speaker is a "long shot." Biden expected to make up his mind about 2016 this weekend. Hughes says Republicans in the Legislature have to "own" Medicaid expansion.

The clock:

  • 28 days to the 2015 election – (11/3/2015)
  • 104 days to the 2016 Iowa Caucus (tentative) – (1/18/2016)
  • 111 days to the opening day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (1/25/2016)
  • 112 days to the 2016 New Hampshire Primary – (1/26/2016)
  • 156 days to the final day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (3/10/2016)
  • 266 days to the 2016 Utah primary election – (6/28/2016)
  • 399 days until the 2016 presidential election – (11/8/2016)

Tuesday's top-10 headlines:

  1. Rep. Jason Chaffetz says his bid for Speaker may be a "long shot," but he claims his chief rival, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, is losing support [Utah Policy, Roll Call, Washington Post, New York Times, Deseret News, Tribune].
  2. People close to Vice President Joe Biden expect him to make a decision this weekend on whether he will run for president [Politico].
  3. House Speaker Greg Hughes says the Republican caucus will have to "own" Medicaid reform, and that's why he's not counting on any Democratic votes for passage [Utah Policy].
  4. Gov. Gary Herbert says the current Medicaid expansion proposal may need some changes [Deseret News, Fox 13].
  5. Jonathan Johnson, who is challenging Herbert for the GOP nomination in 2016, says he favors privatizing state liquor stores and legalizing medical marijuana [Tribune]. Johnson also is critical of some tax breaks that were given to his company, Overstock.com [Tribune].
  6. Former West Valley City Mayor Mike Winder will challenge Rep. Fred Cox for the Republican nomination in House District 30 [Utah Policy].
  7. Former Attorney General Mark Shurtleff joins with the prosecutors in his case in asking the feds to turn over any evidence they may have gathered investigating him [Deseret News, Tribune].
  8. Jackie Biskupski cribs an idea from former mayoral candidate Luke Garrott and proposes Salt Lake City run their own mass transit program [Fox 13].
  9. Mail-in ballots for November's election are on their way to Salt Lake County voters [Deseret News].
  10. A federal watchdog is reopening their investigation into the Secret Service after revelations that the agency intentionally leaked information to embarrass Rep. Chaffetz [Tribune].

On this day in history:

  • 1889 – Thomas Edison debuts his first motion picture.
  • 1976 – In a debate with Democratic candidate Jimmy Carter, President Gerald R. Ford asserted there was "no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe." Ford later conceded that he had misspoken.
  • 1979 – Pope John Paul II becomes the first pontiff to visit the White House.
  • 1981 – Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was assassinated as he reviewed a military parade in Cairo.
  • 1987 – The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 9-5 against the nomination of Robert H. Bork to the Supreme Court.