Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

Morning Must Reads for Thursday, November 3, 2016

Good Thursday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 308th day of the year. There are 58 days left in 2016.

11 Utah legislative races to watch on election day. A British court says lawmakers in that country must vote on Brexit. Donald Trump's campaign scrambles to lock down Utah.

The clock:

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

Ten talking points for Thursday:

1. Here are 11 Utah legislative races you should pay attention to on election day [Utah Policy].
   
   
2. About 30% of Utahns say they've argued with friends, families or coworkers about the 2016 election [Utah Policy].
   
   
3. Stunner! A British court rules members of parliament must vote on the Brexit process before it can move forward [CNN Money].
   
   
4. Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump by 3 points in a new national poll [CBS News]. The reason Trump is surging in the polls? Republican voters are gravitating back to the GOP nominee [The Hill]. State-level polling shows Clinton with a lead in most swing states [Huffington Post].
   
   
5. Despite some recent poll instability, most voters haven't changed their mind about Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump all year [Five Thirty Eight].
   
   
6. Donald Trump's campaign is scrambling to lock down normally rock-solid Republican Utah in the campaign's final days [BuzzFeed].
   
   
7. Gov. Gary Herbert has raised more than $2.5 million in campaign cash this year while his Democratic challenger Mike Weinholtz has loaned his own campaign $2.7 million [Deseret News].
   
   
8. The white nationalist who targeted Evan McMullin with a homophobic robocall in Utah has apologized [Associated Press, Tribune]. A second round of anti-McMullin robocalls is hitting Utah calling the independent candidate a liar [KSL]. McMullin makes his pitch to younger voters in Utah [Deseret News].
   
   
9. Rep. Paul Ray is drafting legislation that would automatically apply the death penalty to anyone who targets and kills a police officer [Deseret News].
   
   
10. The Utah Transit Authority hired an anti-union consulting firm to help the agency thwart the Teamsters Union's efforts to unionize some agency supervisors. The final price tag was about $3,000 per day [Tribune].

On this day in history:

• 1868 - John Willis Menard of Louisiana became the first African American elected to the United States House of Representatives. Opposition to his election prevented him from ever being seated.
• 1911 - The Chevrolet Motor Car Co. was founded in Detroit by Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant.
• 1957 - The Soviet Union launched into orbit Sputnik 2, the second manmade satellite; a dog on board named Laika was sacrificed in the experiment.
• 1986 - A Lebanese magazine broke the story of U.S. arms sales to Iran, a revelation that escalated into the Iran-Contra affair.

Today At Utah Policy

11 Utah Legislative Races to Watch on Election Day By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor There's nearly zero chance that Utah Democrats will break the Republican supermajorities on Utah's Capitol Hill, but there are 11 races you should keep your eye on election night....

Poll: About 3 in 10 Utahns Say They've Argued About the 2016 Election By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor The divisive 2016 election has sparked fights for about a quarter of Utahns according to a new survey....

Utah Voters Say Healthcare is 2016's Top Priority By Utah Foundation A research brief published by Utah Foundation shows 69% of the more than 800 Utah voters surveyed for the Utah Priorities Project earlier this year ranked healthcare as an issue of top concern – 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale. ...

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. ...

Policy News

Input Needed: Welcoming Salt Lake Plan Draft Early this year, our region came together to launch the Welcoming Salt Lake’s Task Force on New Americans. ...

Wise Words

Well Instructed
"Be careful to leave your sons well instructed rather than rich, for the hopes of the instructed are better than the wealth of the ignorant." Epictetus

Lighter Side

Things to Come
"A new report says North Korea's elite get to enjoy perks like pizzas, pony rides, and dolphin shows. In other words: Kim Jong Un is running his country like a divorced dad with weekend custody." Conan O'Brien