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

Thursday, September 24, 2015 - 6:15am
Utah Policy

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.

 

Today At Utah Policy

Poll: Herbert Has a Big Lead Over Johnson Among Utah Republicans
By Bob Bernick
Nine months out from a possible GOP gubernatorial primary election for Utah governor and GOP Gary Herbert is doing just fine among Republican voters, a new UtahPolicy poll finds....

Bryan Schott's Political BS: Walking Into a Trap of Her Own Making
By Bryan Schott
You can already see Rep. Mia Love trying to thread the needle on the Planned Parenthood issue....

Republicans Tend to Have Happier Marriages than Democrats (Video)
By Bryan Schott
New research from the University of Utah finds Republicans have happier marriages than Democrats....

Weekly Survey: Who Will Be the Next GOP Presidential Candidate to Drop Out?
By Bryan Schott
Scott Walker and Rick Perry have already dropped out of the race for the 2016 GOP nomination. Who do you think will be the next to fall? Vote now in our weekly survey....

Policy News

Roads are an Essential Part of Our Quality of Life
For over sixty years, road maintenance has been my family’s job to worry about, not the average driver. ...

 

Press Release: Hatch Reacts to Greater Sage Grouse Decision, Urges Interior to Respect Successful State Conservation Plan
Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, senior Republican in the United States Senate, issued the following statement following the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s announced decision to not extend special protections for the Greater Sage-Grouse under the Environmental Protectio...

 

Press Release: Senator Hatch Welcomes Pope to U.S., Hopes for Leadership on Religious Liberty
Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, the senior Republican in the United States Senate, will play a prominent role in welcoming the Pope to the Capitol, and plans to use the opportunity to highlight the importance of Religious Liberty. In a video, Sen. Hatch offered his gratitu...

 

Press Release: Local Conservation Efforts save Greater Sage Grouse from ESA Listing
Due to the success of state and local conservation efforts, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced its decision not to list the greater sage grouse as an endangered species. ...

 

Employers Council to Merge with Colorado-Based Mountain States Employers Council
Salt Lake City-based Employers Council and Denver-based Mountain States Employers Council announced a merger to create the nation’s largest employers association, effective Oct. 1, 2015. ...

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Orrin Hatch hopes to chat with Pope Francis about religious freedom

Amid gravel mine's expansion plan, sparks fly over Draper's wind and dust concerns

Salt Lake City exploring moratorium on development fees

UTA catches up to last year's ridership numbers

YWCA to honor ex-Utah Gov. Olene Walker, who extols 'sense of humor' in politics

Utah's ski industry takes on climate change

Deseret News

Dan Liljenquist: 'The Donald' sucks life from GOP presidential field

Op-ed: Congress must keep its spending promise to Utah taxpayers

Jay Evensen: Gas prices are falling again; time to get complacent

Op-ed: Frightening rise of reality TV politics

Editorial: Comic Con comes to Salt Lake

Utah Supreme Court rejects effort to stop prison move

Extended bus service among top priorities for proposed Prop 1 funding

South Jordan councilman alleges bribery, rival candidate denies accusations

Lawmakers to hear Medicaid expansion plan next week

Why kids need parents - and the world needs kids - international hot topic at family gathering

Other

Editorial: When we feed the hungry, Ogden becomes stronger (Standard-Examiner)

Kaysville names Chris Snell to city council seat (Standard-Examiner)

Study to examine air pollution inversion impacts on the brain (Standard-Examiner)

National Headlines

Walker to GOP rivals: Let's stop Trump (Politico)

U.S. perplexed by Putin's Syria ploy (Politico)

Boehner coup talk has House GOP on edge (The Hill)

Pope Francis gets political in remarks at White House (The Hill)

FBI Said to Recover Personal E-Mails From Hillary Clinton Server (Bloomberg)

Hackers Took Fingerprints of 5.6 Million US Workers, Government Says (New York Times)

Kim Davis loses another bid to stall gay-marriage case (Associated Press)

Invoking pope, NYC mayor bolsters outreach to homeless (Associated Press)

It's time to end St. Louis's stranglehold on presidential debates (Washington Post)

Ben Carson talks education, fiscal responsibility and faith at rally in Spring Arbor (MLive)

GOP Pragmatists Protest Tea Party Shutdown Tactics (Associated Press)