Good Friday morning from Salt Lake City. There are 83 days left in 2015.
McCarthy withdraws from the race for Speaker. Chaffetz may have an opening in his bid to become Speaker. Pressure mounts on Paul Ryan to run for Speaker.
The clock:
- 25 days to the 2015 election – (11/3/2015)
- 101 days to the 2016 Iowa Caucus (tentative) – (1/18/2016)
- 108 days to the opening day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (1/25/2016)
- 109 days to the 2016 New Hampshire Primary – (1/26/2016)
- 153 days to the final day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (3/10/2016)
- 263 days to the 2016 Utah primary election – (6/28/2016)
- 396 days until the 2016 presidential election – (11/8/2016)
Friday's top-10 headlines:
- Shocker! California Republican Kevin McCarthy suddenly withdraws from the race to replace John Boehner as Speaker, throwing the House Republican Caucus into chaos [Washington Post, CNN, New York Times].
- McCarthy's withdrawal could mean there's an opening for Utah's Jason Chaffetz [Tribune, Deseret News, Fox 13].
- With McCarthy out, pressure mounts for former Republican Vice Presidential nominee Rep. Paul Ryan to step to the plate [Roll Call].
- Rumors have been circulating for a few months that McCarthy is involved in an extramarital affair with another member of Congress, North Carolina Rep. Renee Ellmers [Gawker].
- Bob Bernick says Chaffetz and Utah House Speaker Greg Hughes find themselves in similar political situations [Utah Policy].
- Ralph Becker and Jackie Biskupski exchange jabs during their latest debate [Deseret News, Tribune].
- The State School Board says while parents may opt their children out of a mandated civics test, they must still pass said test to graduate [Deseret News].
- Sen. Mike Lee speaks at the Heritage Foundation about criminal justice reform [Utah Policy].
- The Salt Lake City Police Department wins a federal grant that will allow them to hire more police officers [Deseret News].
- About 30 percent of all calls to 911 are accidental [Deseret News].
On this day in history:
- 1635 – Religious dissident Roger Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
- 1888 – The Washington Monument opens to the public.
- 1936 – The first generator at Boulder Dam (later renamed Hoover Dam) began transmitting electricity to Los Angeles.
- 1967 – One day after being captured in the jungles of Bolivia, Marxist revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara, a leading figure in the 1959 Cuban revolution, is executed by the Bolivian military.
- 1983 – James Watt, facing U.S. Senate condemnation for a racially insensitive remark, resigned as interior secretary.
