How to Sound Smart About Utah Politics for Wednesday, August 17, 2016

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Wednesday, August 17, 2016 - 4:15pm

Utah Policy

Local News Highlights: Daily Briefing

How to Sound Smart About Utah Politics for Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Good Wednesday morning from Salt Lake City. Today is the 230th day of the year. There are 136 days left in 2016.

Utahns approve of Mike Pence as Donald Trump's VP. Hillary Clinton's campaign says they want to turn Utah blue in 2016. Trump shakes up his campaign.

The clock:

83 days until the 2016 presidential election - (11/8/2016)
159 days until the first day of the 2017 Utah Legislature - (1/23/2017)
204 days until the final day of the 2017 Utah Legislature - (3/9/2017)

Ten talking points for Wednesday:

Utahns approve of Donald Trump picking Mike Pence as his running mate [Utah Policy].

Hillary Clinton's campaign says they are pushing to flip Utah from red to blue in November [Bloomberg].

Donald Trump shakes up his campaign, tapping pollster Kellyanne Conway as his new campaign manager and Breitbart News Chairman Stephen Bannon as the CEO [Politico].

Former Fox News head Roger Ailes is helping Donald Trump with his debate prep [New York Times].

Donald Trump's campaign says they will finally begin airing television ads with a purchase in five states [CNN].

Salt Lake County officials give a solid "no" vote on offering $240 million in tax incentives to entice a Facebook data center to West Jordan [Tribune, Deseret News].

The Utah Wildlife Board sends a letter to Interior Secretary Sally Jewell voicing their opposition to possibly designating Bears Ears a national monument [Deseret News].

The State Auditor's office dings the Emery County Treasurer for falling for a "spear phishing" scam that cost the county $38,700 in public money [Utah Policy, Deseret News, Tribune].

The Utah Transit Authority is close to naming a new leader. It's been a hear since former President and CEO Michael Allegra retired [Tribune].

Hackers apparently hit another hacking group that is allegedly part of the NSA. The group plans to auction off some elite cyberweapon tools online [ABC News].

On this day in history:

1969 - Hurricane Camille slammed into the Gulf Coast, killing 248 people.
1987 - Rudolf Hess, the last member of Adolf Hitler's inner circle, died at Spandau Prison in West Berlin at 93, apparently a suicide. He had been the only inmate at Spandau for 21 years.
1998 - President Bill Clinton said he had a relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky that was "not appropriate."

Today At Utah Policy

Poll: Utahns Approve of Trump's Pick of Mike Pence as VP
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
Most Utahns approve of Donald Trump’s pick for his vice presidential running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, a new UtahPolicy poll shows....

Weekly Survey: Should Utah Republicans Take Back their Endorsements of Donald Trump
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Utah Lt. Governor Spencer Cox made headlines when he said he would not vote for Donald Trump in November unless he makes drastic changes. Should other Republicans follow suit? Vote now in our weekly survey....

Younger Voters are Moving Away from Trump in Big Numbers
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Millennial voters who backed Bernie Sanders have mostly rallied to Hillary Clinton's side in the 2016 election. That's the main reason Donald Trump is hovering around near-historic lows among this key group of voters....

Is the Presidential Race Over?
By Bryan Schott, Managing Editor
Hillary Clinton's double-digit lead over Donald Trump has seemingly solidified in the last few weeks. Does that mean the trajectory of the race is locked in?...

Chaffetz: Clinton Committed Perjury In Emails Testimony
By Golden Webb
House Oversight Chair Jason Chaffetz says Hillary Clinton perjured herself during testimony to Congress last year when discussing her use of a private email server throughout her tenure as secretary of state....

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