Ten Things You Need to Know Today – Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City. There are 22 days left in 2015.

The LDS Church pushes back against Donald Trump’s call to stop Muslims from entering the U.S. Congress is staring down another shutdown deadline. No public money for Jackie Biskupski’s transition.

The clock:

• 47 days to the opening day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (1/25/2016)
• 54 days to the 2016 Iowa Caucus – (2/1/2016)
• 62 days to the 2016 New Hampshire Primary (tentative) – (2/9/2016)
• 93 days to the final day of the 2016 Utah Legislature – (3/10/2016)
• 104 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic caucus meetings (3/22/2016)
• 136 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic State Conventions (4/23/2016)
• 203 days to the 2016 Utah primary election – (6/28/2016)
• 335 days until the 2016 presidential election – (11/8/2016)

Wednesday’s top-10 headlines:

1. The LDS Church issues a statement defending the rights of other religions following Donald Trump‘s call to stop Muslims from entering the United States [Deseret News, 2 News, Tribune, Daily Herald, ABC 4].
2. The White House says Trump’s comments on Muslims disqualifies him from holding the presidency [Newsweek].
3. Republicans are terrified Trump’s increasingly extreme rhetoric could jeopardize their control of Congress in next year’s elections [Politico].
4. Trump continues to bring the crazy by suggesting Bill Gates could help “close up” the Internet [New York Times].
5. Talks over an omnibus spending bill in Congress break down as a deadline to avoid a government shutdown is looming [Washington Post, Politico].
6. The Salt Lake City Council reverses themselves again, deciding not to pony up some cash for Jackie Biskupski‘s transition team [KUER].
7. The Salt Lake County Council delays a final vote on next year’s $1.1 billion budget until next week [Deseret News].
8. A new poll shows Utahns think there’s too much regulation of businesses in the state, but they’re divided on the question of too much government oversight of industry [Utah Policy].
9. Attorneys for embattled San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman argue he should not face jail time for leading an ATV protest into Recapture Canyon [Tribune, 2 News].
10. ‘Black Friday’ set a single-day record for gun sales in Utah [2 News].

On this day in history:

• 1958 – Retired Boston candy manufacturer H. W. Welch, Jr., established the John Birch Society, a right-wing organization dedicated to fighting what it perceived to be the extensive infiltration of communism into U.S. society.
• 1974 – White House aide John Ehrlichman testified at the Watergate trial that President Richard Nixon was responsible for a cover up.
• 1975 – President Gerald R. Ford signed a $2.3 billion temporary loan authorization to prevent New York City from having to default.
• 1990 – Solidarity founder Lech Walesa was elected president of Poland.