Archive

Ten Things You Need to Know Today – Monday, November 9, 2015

··

Good Monday morning from Salt Lake City. There are 52 days left in 2015.

Ben Carson says the media is focusing too much on inconsistencies in his biography. Polling data suggests Tea Party influence in Utah is on the decline. Herbert’s fundraiser pulls in cash for his re-election bid.

The clock:

  • 77 days to the opening day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (1/25/2016)
  • 84 days to the 2016 Iowa Caucus – (2/1/2016)
  • 92 days to the 2016 New Hampshire Primary (tentative) – (2/9/2016)
  • 123 days to the final day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (3/10/2016)
  • 134 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic caucus meetings (3/22/2016)
  • 166 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic State Conventions (4/23/2016)
  • 233 days to the 2016 Utah primary election – (6/28/2016)
  • 365 days until the 2016 presidential election – (11/8/2016)

[Editor’s note: In Friday’s newsletter we erroneously reported that the new LDS Church policy that regards same-sex couples as apostates also applied to their children. We sincerely regret the error.]

Monday’s top-10 headlines:

  1. Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson is perturbed that the media is focusing on apparent fabrications in his biography [Washington Post, New York Times]. It’s unlikely that Carson’s Utah supporters will abandon him despite the embarrassing revelations [Deseret News].
  2. An extensive study of polling data in Utah shows support for the Tea Party is waning [Utah Policy].
  3. The new LDS Church policy toward same-sex couples is drawing sharp reactions from all quarters [Tribune, Fox 13].
  4. Gov. Gary Herbert holds his annual gala fundraiser and pulls in a reported $1.1 million for his re-election efforts [Deseret News].
  5. President Barack Obama rejects the Keystone XL pipeline [CNN]. Utah’s all-Republican Congressional delegation is not happy with the decision [Tribune].
  6. Rich McKeown, one of the leaders of the “Count My Vote” effort, talks about the recent court ruling in the case and what he sees as the path going forward [Utah Policy].
  7. Sen. Todd Weiler wants clarification from the Lt. Governor’s office on how candidates can get on the primary ballot next year because of the SB 54 compromise [Tribune].
  8. Greenhouse gas levels in our atmosphere have passed 400 parts per million, which is raising worries of long-term consequences for the environment [Washington Post].
  9. Football players at the University of Missouri threaten to boycott their next game over the way administrators have failed to address racial events on campus. Missouri’s next opponent is BYU on Saturday [CNN, Washington Post].
  10. Los Angeles residents were freaking out over an unidentified light in the sky on Saturday night. Turns out it was a naval missile test off the Southern California coast [Mashable].

On this day in history:

  • 1906 – Theodore Roosevelt travels to Panama to observe the progress being made on the construction of the canal. He was the first sitting President of the United States to embark on an official trip outside the country.
  • 1938 – Mobs of Germans attacked Jewish businesses and homes throughout Germany in what became known as Kristallnacht, the “night of broken glass.”
  • 1965 – A massive power failure left more than 30 million people in the dark in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada.
  • 1989 – Communist East Germany threw open its borders, allowing citizens to travel freely to the West.