Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

Morning Must Reads for Monday, October 3, 2016

Good Monday morning from Salt Lake City. Happy New Year to those of you who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah. Today is the 277th day of the year. There are 89 days left in 2016.

Utahns support legalizing medical marijuana. Donald Trump's tax returns show he claimed a $916 million loss in 1995. Leaked videos show LDS Church leaders discussing controversial issues.

The clock:

• The 2nd Congressional District debate at the University of Utah is tomorrow (10/4/2016)
• The vice presidential debate at Longwood University is tomorrow (10/4/2016)
• Six days to the second presidential debate at Washington University (10/9/2016)
• Seven days to the 4th Congressional District debate at Salt Lake Community College (10/10/2016)
• Nine days to the U.S. Senate debate at Brigham Young University (10/12/2016)
• 14 days to the 1st Congressional District debate at Weber State University (10/17/2016)
• 16 days to the 3rd Congressional District debate at Utah Valley University (10/19/2016)
• 16 days to the third presidential debate at UNLV (10/19/2016)
• 36 days until the 2016 presidential election - (11/8/2016)
• 112 days until the first day of the 2017 Utah Legislature - (1/23/2017)
• 157 days until the final day of the 2017 Utah Legislature - (3/9/2017)

Ten talking points for Monday:

1. Utahns overwhelmingly support legalizing medical marijuana, but remain opposed to recreational use [Utah Policy].
   
   
2. Bombshell! Over the weekend the New York Times published three pages of Donald Trump's 1995 tax returns which showed he claimed a $916 million business loss that year. The yuge write-off means he could have avoided paying taxes for the next 18 years [New York Times]. Times' reporter Susanne Craig details how she came to be in possession of the documents and how she verified their authenticity [New York Times]. The question on everyone's mind is who leaked Trump's tax records to the media? [Washington Post]. Craig, the reporter behind the leaked tax returns, remained mum when she was asked if there are more leaked Trump documents forthcoming [The Hill].
   
   
3. Speaking of leaks, on Sunday leaked videos of LDS Church leaders discussing controversial issues made their way online [Tribune, Deseret News].
   
   
4. Hillary Clinton has jumped to a 6-point lead in a new national survey. The same poll gave Donald Trump a one-point lead over Clinton before the first presidential debate [Politico]. Meanwhile, polling guru Nate Silver gives Clinton a 66.7% chance to win the White House in November [Five Thirty Eight].
   
   
5. Donald Trump has opened a new line of attack against Hillary Clinton, bringing more attention to her husband's infidelity [New York Times].
   
   
6. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani seemingly suggests Donald Trump would be a better president than Hillary Clinton because she's a woman. He later tried to back away from that comment [Politico].
   
   
7. Here are five reasons why this coming week will likely decide who wins the presidential election in November [Politico].
   
   
8. Gov. Gary Herbert is backpedaling from his pledge to seek up to $400 million in new funding for education in next year's budget. His office says that figure is a target for new spending over the next few years [Tribune].
   
   
9. A new survey says 60% of Utahns think Utah GOP leaders should vote for Donald Trump in November, but many Republicans don't want to discuss their party's nominee [Tribune].
   
   
10. Former Lt. Gov. Greg Bell, who was just appointed to the Utah Transit Authority Board, says he will push for more transparency for the embattled agency [Tribune].

On this day in history:

• 1922 - Rebecca Felton, a Georgia Democrat, was chosen to become the first woman to serve in the U.S. Senate following the death of Sen. Thomas E. Watson.
  
  
• 1990 - Formerly communist East Germany merged with West Germany, ending 45 years of post-war division.
  
  
• 1995 - A jury found ex-football player O.J. Simpson innocent of murder in the 1994 slayings of his former wife, Nichole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman.

Today At Utah Policy

Utahns Overwhelmingly Support Legalizing Medical Marijuana, Oppose Recreational Use By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor Two-thirds of Utahns want to legalize medical marijuana prescribed by doctors, a new UtahPolicy poll finds....

Genius Panel: How Do We Get the Best and Brightest to Lead? By LaVarr Webb, Publisher This week’s question: Does our political system always/usually/sometimes/never produce the very best, brightest, most talented leaders to run our government institutions? Why or why not, and what is the solution?...

3rd District Democratic Candidate Promises 'Chaffetz is Going Down' (with video) By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor Check out this web video from 3rd Congressional District Democratic candidate Stephen Tryon hitting a punching bag to promote his debate with Rep. Jason Chaffetz....

Thoughts About the Candidacy of Donald Trump By Kim Burningham I emphatically oppose the election of Donald Trump, believing it would be a tragedy for our country should he be elected....

Policy News

Utah Child Population is Growing and Diversifying, says New Report For the first time, the newest edition of Measures of Child Well-Being in Utah by Voices for Utah Children includes data by race and ethnicity. The data show that the Utah child population is growing and diversifying. ...

Wise Words

Postage Stamp
"Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there." Josh Billings

Lighter Side

Poor Bernie
"Bernie Sanders is also campaigning with Hillary. He asked a crowd at one of her rallies, "Is everybody here ready to transform America?" Followed by his next question, "Does anybody here remember where I parked?" Jimmy Fallon