Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing Morning Must Reads for Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

Morning Must Reads for Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 307th day of the year. There are 59 days left in 2016.

Utahns remain opposed to a Bears Ears Monument. Republicans and Democrats on the Hill say only a few seats in the Utah Legislature are in play this year. Donald Trump is urging voters who cast their ballots early to switch their vote from Hillary Clinton to him.

The clock:

• Six days until the 2016 presidential election - (11/8/2016)
• 47 days until the Electoral College meets to cast their votes for president and vice president (12/19/2016)
• 79 days until Inauguration Day (1/20/2017)
• 82 days until the first day of the 2017 Utah Legislature - (1/23/2017)
• 127 days until the final day of the 2017 Utah Legislature - (3/9/2017)

Ten talking points for Wednesday:

1. Most Utahns remain opposed to a Bears Ears National Monument according to our latest poll [Utah Policy].
    
2. Republican and Democratic leaders in the House say only a handful of seats are "in play" this year [Utah Policy].
    
3. State of the race. Despite tightening polls, Hillary Clinton remains in the lead with less than a week to election day. That being said, Donald Trump absolutely has a valid path to winning the White House next Tuesday [Five Thirty Eight]. Clinton has a very narrow 3-point lead among independent voters according to a new poll [Bloomberg]. There's a chance, albeit a tiny one, that Evan McMullin could tip the election on Tuesday [Politico].
    
4. The FBI's decision to inform Congress they were reviewing new emails related to their investigation of Hillary Clinton looks even more curious because the agency decided to keep quiet about possible investigations involving both Clinton and Donald Trump's campaign this past summer [New York Times]. The FBI is getting fresh criticism for releasing documents on Tuesday related to President Bill Clinton's controversial pardon of fugitive Democratic donor Marc Rich [Washington Post].
    
5. Donald Trump is making a pitch to early voters who cast a ballot for Hillary Clinton to change their votes to him [Washington Post].
    
6. Wisconsin Republican Senator Ron Johnson says Hillary Clinton could be impeached for her email scandal if she becomes president [Politico].
    
7. More Republican Senators are vowing to block any and all of Hillary Clinton's Supreme Court nominees if she wins on Tuesday [Huffington Post].
    
8. Utah Republicans and Democrats hold rallies to try and boost their chances on election day [Deseret News, Tribune].
    
9. A Utah voter is in some legal hot water for refusing to remove a "Make America Great Again" hat at an early voting location [Tribune].
    
10. The U.S. Supreme Court asks Utah for a response to an appeal involving a case against the polygamist family featured on the show "Sister Wives" [Tribune].

On this day in history:

• 1783 - Gen. George Washington issued his farewell address to the Army near Princeton, N.J.
• 1947 - Howard Hughes built and piloted the world's largest airplane, the 200-ton flying boat Spruce Goose, on its only flight, at Long Beach, Calif. The Goose remained airborne for just under 1 mile.
• 1948 - President Harry S. Truman narrowly won re-election over Republican challenger Thomas E. Dewey.
• 1962 - President John Kennedy announced that Soviet missile bases in Cuba were being dismantled.
• 1983 - President Ronald Reagan signed a bill establishing a federal holiday on the third Monday of January in honor of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Today At Utah Policy

Poll: Most Utahns Remain Opposed to a Bears Ears Monument
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
The number of Utahns who want President Barack Obama to create a 1.9 million-acre national park at Bears Ears has doubled in just over a month, a new UtahPolicy poll shows....

Analysis: What Utah House Seats are 'In Play' this Year?
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
What do Utah House Republican and Democratic leaders have in common?...

Democrats, Weinholtz use 'Mormon Baiting' to Attack Herbert in Mailer
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
A Democratic Party mailer suggests Gov. Gary Herbert would be partially responsible for fewer Mormon missionaries in Russia....

Weekly Survey: Make Your Fearless Predictions for the 2016 Election
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Time to make your fearless predictions on what will happen in the 2016 elections. ...

FiveThirtyEight: McMullin Needs a 'Game Changer' to Win Utah
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
There's no doubt Evan McMullin has scrambled the presidential race in normally rock-solid Republican Utah. However, his surge in the polls may not be enough to win the state's six electoral votes next week....

Policy News

Better Utah Asks Lt. Gov. to Provide Same-Day Voter Registration Information to the Public
The Alliance for a Better Utah contacted the Lieutenant Governor’s Office requesting they provide Utahns with Election Day voter-registration information for those counties that will allow it this year....

Point of the Mountain Development Commission Selects Envision Utah to Lead Regional Planning Initiative
The Point of the Mountain Development Commission has selected a team led by Envision Utah to direct regional planning and determine the future of the geographic area converging between Salt Lake and Utah Counties. ...

National Parks Group Honors South East Utah Superintendent with Stephen T. Mather Award
National Parks Conservation Association awarded its Stephen T. Mather Award to South East Utah National Park Superintendent Kate Cannon this past weekend in honor of her decades of work on behalf of our national parks. ...

Salt Lake Chamber Women's Business Center Launches Online Trainings Through Virtual Locations Around the State
The Salt Lake Chamber Women’s Business Center is partnering with chambers of commerce and other organizations throughout the state to provide their services to women entrepreneurs and small business owners in both rural and suburban areas....

Local Headlines

Salt Lake Tribune

Editorial: Public needs to see Mohamed videos to perform its oversight role

Utah governor's half brother admits to soliciting sex from a minor

Utah voter cited after refusing to remove Trump-motto hat at polls

Chaffetz says he's received death threats after tweeting about FBI's Clinton probe

He's voted, but question remains: Whom did Mitt Romney back?

Rolly: Champion for Utah's less fortunate becomes a victim herself

Incumbent Reps. Chaffetz, Bishop, Stewart lead by huge margins

Salt Lake City Council extends moratorium on impact fees, a pause costing $500,000 per month

County residents want exit process for incapacitated officials, according to survey, but what's the bar?

Utah Trump backers show support, Dems try to get out the vote

Deseret News

Richard Davis: The once and future presidential election campaign

Editorial: Utahns should reject 'homophobic' robocalls as 'means' that don't justify 'ends'

Provo mayor not seeking a third term

Herbert's half brother pleads guilty to attempting to entice minor

Ex-A.G. John Swallow asks judge to toss more criminal charges against him

S.L. moratorium on impact fees will continue, costing city $500K per month

S.L. considers options for homeless on winter nights

Utahns rally for Trump, Clinton, McMullin and Johnson with a week left before election

Other

Republican Raymond Ward battles Democrat Kurt Weiland for House District 19 (Standard-Examiner)

Provo Mayor John Curtis announces he will not seek re-election (Daily Herald)

Tentative budget approved for Utah County with no large increases included (Daily Herald)

Ethics complaint filed against Chaffetz over Twitter comment (Daily Herald)

District 54 Democrat hauls in campaign monies (Park Record)

Evan McMullin, White House hopeful, lays into Trump in Park City stop (Park Record)

National Headlines

The U.S. Stock Market Isn't Going Clinton's Way (Bloomberg)

Clinton's Silicon Valley secrets: Google boss Eric Schmidt drew up campaign plan (Daily Mail)

Trump wants 'special session' to repeal Obamacare (Politico)

If Dems will rig a debate for Clinton, what won't they do to win? (The Hill)

Former DNC chair Ed Rendell: Clinton campaign is making a mistake by attacking FBI director (CNN)

FIVE separate FBI cases are probing virtually every one of Clinton's inner circle and their families (Daily Mail)

Clinton Plugs Another Weak Story About Trump's Ties to Putin (Bloomberg)

Financial markets jolted as US election polls tighten (Financial Times)

The FBI keeps showing up in this election (CNN)

Susan Sarandon Goes Full 'Bernie Or Bust,' Endorses Jill Stein (Huffington Post)

In the Nevada desert, Bundy family warns of another standoff (Washington Post)