Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

Ten Things You Need to Know Today - Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Good Tuesday morning from Salt Lake City. There are 333 days left in 2016.

Cruz and Clinton win in Iowa. Half of Utah GOP delegates support blocking candidates who use the signature route to get on the ballot. Biskupski's pick to head up public works withdraws.

The clock:

• Seven days to the 2016 New Hampshire Primary - (2/9/2016)
• 18 days to the Nevada Democratic Caucuses and South Carolina Republican Primary (2/20/2016)
• 21 days to the Nevada Republican Caucuses (2/23/2016)
• 25 days to the South Carolina Democratic Primary (2/27/2016)
• 40 days to the final day of the 2016 Utah Legislature - (3/10/2016)
• 52 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic caucus meetings (3/22/2016)
• 84 days to the Utah Republican and Democratic State Conventions (4/23/2016)
• 150 days to the 2016 Utah primary election - (6/28/2016)
• 283 days until the 2016 presidential election - (11/8/2016)

Tuesday's top-10 headlines:

1. Ted Cruz upsets Donald Trump in the Iowa Caucuses. Marco Rubio comes in third [New York Times, Washington Post, Politico].
2. Hillary Clinton ekes out an apparent victory by the slimmest of margins over Bernie Sanders, despite the race being a virtual tie most of the night [Washington Post, New York Times, CBS News, Politico]
3. Now that Iowa is over, Martin O'Malley and Mike Huckabee are dropping out of the race. Ben Carson is taking a few days off the campaign trail, but his campaign insists he's still in [NPR, Twitter, CNN].
4. Utah GOP Chairman James Evans says he hopes the party coalesces around a presidential nominee sooner rather than later [2 News].
5. A new poll of Utah GOP candidates finds about half would support blocking a candidate from running as a Republican if they took the new signature-gathering route to get on the primary ballot [Utah Policy].
6. Democrats are furious they are not allowed to see the full legal brief prepared for the Commission for the Stewardship of Public Lands about a potential lawsuit against the federal government [Tribune].
7. A bill sponsored by Republican Bruce Cutler would remove every reference to the State Office of Education from state code [Tribune]. 
8. A measure allowing anyone to carry a concealed weapon without a permit, as long as it's not loaded, is back on Capitol Hill for the third time in four years [Utah Policy].
9. Education backers are pushing another tax hike to pay for public education [Deseret News, Tribune].
10. Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski's pick to head up public utilities, Mike Reberg, withdraws due to mounting opposition [2 News, Tribune, KUER].

On this day in history:

• 1653 - The city of New Amsterdam was incorporated. It was later named New York City.
• 1848 - The war between the United States and Mexico formally ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It provided for Mexico's cession of the territory that became the states of New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah and parts of Colorado and Wyoming in exchange for $15 million.
• 1887 - Groundhog Day was celebrated for the first time in Punxsutawney, Pa.
• 1933 - Two days after becoming chancellor of Germany, Adolf Hitler ordered the dissolution of Parliament.
• 1943 - The remainder of Nazi forces from the Battle of Stalingrad surrendered in a major World War II victory for the Soviets.

Today At Utah Policy

Poll: Half of GOP Delegates Support Blocking Candidates Who Take Signature Route from Running as Republicans By Bob Bernick A new UtahPolicy poll of state Republican Party delegates finds a mixed response to candidates who are gathering voter signatures to make the June primary ballot:...

'Constitutional Carry' is Back on the Hill for Another Go-Around By Bryan Schott Second verse same as the first. The so-called "Constitutional Carry" bill, which would allow any Utahn to carry a gun anywhere without a permit, is back on Utah's Capitol Hill. ...

The Public Deserves Open Caucuses in the Utah State Legislature By Kim Burningham In 1981, I was in my 2nd year as a member of the Utah House of Representatives.  ...

Policy News

Outreach Center Releases Revamped Broadband Availability Map on Fifth Anniversary The Utah Broadband Outreach Center in the Governor’s Office of Economic Development released an updated residential broadband map, providing an enhanced tool to help businesses and consumers locate available services in their communities. ...

Wise Words

Looking for an Honest Man

"I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man." George Washington BrainyQuote 

Lighter Side

Trump Presidency

"Nearly 70 percent of Americans said a Trump presidency would make them "anxious." And 30 percent said a Trump presidency would make them "Canadian." Conan O'Brien Political Humor