This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Mitt Romney's NCAA bracket winning, Obama's is toast. Poll: Utahns split on moving homeless shelter. SL Co. Dems to choose new leaders.
Happy Monday. While President Barack Obama's NCAA championship bracket is toast — he'd picked Kentucky to go all the way — Mitt Romney's bracket is doing quite well. Romney correctly had chosen Duke to play Wisconsin in tonight's game. [http://www.politico.com/story/2015/04/romney-obama-ncaa-championship-bracket-duke-wisconsin-116681.html" target="_blank">Politico]
Topping the news: Utahns are split on whether the homeless shelter should move from downtown Salt Lake City, with a little more than a third on each side of the debate and a quarter of residents unsure what to do. [http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/5297-poll-utahns-split-on-moving-homeless-shelter-from-downtown-slc" target="_blank">UtahPolicy]
-> After public criticism for huge salaries and in preparation for asking voters to increase sales taxes to fund transportation, UTA executives took a big pay cut last year. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2355492-155/top-uta-execs-took-big-pay" target="_blank">Trib]
-> With Indiana getting flak for its religious liberties bill and Utah being nationally recognized for its version, here's how the two are different. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2363586-155/why-utahs-nondiscrimination-law-differs-from" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Salt Lake County Democrats are set to choose new leaders this coming weekend. [http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/5295-salt-lake-county-democrats-set-to-choose-new-leadership-saturday" target="_blank">UtahPolicy]
Tweets of the day: From @https://twitter.com/shoninutah" target="_blank">shoninutah: "Dear @SLCountyDems Candidate if you can't use the BCC Line, and use Comic Sans, You will not get my vote."
Happy Birthday: To former state Rep. Neil Hansen, Utah GOP National Committeeman Bruce Hough, State Sen. Karen Mayne and Young Democrats President TJ Ellerbeck.
Opinion: Utah's Sen. Orrin Hatch lists a few places where Congress and the president can work together to move forward, including fixing the tax code, facilitating U.S. trade and modernizing the immigration system. [http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2360419-155/op-ed-heres-what-president-can-do" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Paul Rolly discusses the "Bill of Bills," the final budget bill that was passed at the close of the 2015 Legislature that included some surprises. [http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2360433-155/rolly-the-bill-of-bills-had" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Frank Pignanelli and LaVarr Webb discuss this spring's colorful political landscape. [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865625764/A-colorful-political-landscape-is-budding-this-spring.html" target="_blank">DNews]
-> Author and former reporter Rodd Wagner says Utah needs to get over its collectivist, "beehive" mentality in favor of individualism. [http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2360712-155/op-ed-utahns-must-shed-conformity-of" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Racially Just Utah Coalition representatives urge police departments to reform their training and procedures to stop what they say is unfair harshness toward racial minorities. [http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2360196-155/op-ed-people-of-color-need-their?fullpage=1" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Laura Harris Hales, co-author of "Joseph Smith's Polygamy: Toward a Better Understanding" urges families to discuss the LDS Church's material on Joseph Smith's practice of polygamy to better understand it. [http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2360107-155/op-ed-lds-polygamy-essay-is-a" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Jim Struve and Chris Anderson, co-chair and director of MaleSurvivor.org say the news media and society have a double standard that minimizes sexual abuse on males. [http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2360096-155/op-ed-double-standard-minimizes-the-sexual" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Westminster College professor Richard Badenhausen says despite some critics, a college education is still well worth it. [http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2360579-155/op-ed-in-a-fast-changing-world-value" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Doug Goodall with Conservatives for Responsible Stewardship says Cliven Bundy and his supporters have a flawed idea of freedom and entitlement without obligation. [http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/2360567-155/op-ed-cliven-bundys-crusade-is-not" target="_blank">Trib]
Weekend in review: President Barack Obama announced plans to train military veterans for careers in the solar-energy industry and praised Utah's Hill Air Force Base in a short speech during his visit to Utah Friday. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2360612-155/sexist-military-culture-porn-cited-in" target="_blank">Trib] [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865625643/President-Obama-announces-HAFB-will-participate-in-solar-training-program.html" target="_blank">DNews] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-touts-ambitious-solar-jobs-initiative-in-conservative-utah/2015/04/03/70ec8dce-da12-11e4-8103-fa84725dbf9d_story.html" target="_blank">WaPost] [http://www.standard.net/Government/2015/04/03/President-Obama-speaks-at-Hill-AFB-about-new-clean-energy-initiative-a-plan-that-includes-the-base.html" target="_blank">StandEx] [http://www.theblaze.com/blog/2015/04/03/obama-wants-to-turn-75000-veterans-into-solar-panel-installers/" target="_blank">TheBlaze] Read the transcript here: [http://fox13now.com/2015/04/03/read-a-transcript-of-obamas-speech-on-solar-energy-as-delivered-at-hill-air-force-base/" target="_blank">Fox13]
-> Obama also chatted with Gov. Gary Herbert during his motorcade ride to Salt Lake City about Utah's Public Lands Initiative and Medicaid expansion, among other things. [http://fox13now.com/2015/04/03/what-pres-obama-and-gov-herbert-talked-about-in-motorcade-to-slc/" target="_blank">Fox13] [http://www.good4utah.com/story/d/story/gov-herberts-statement-on-president-obamas-visit-t/28427/DXmRVuGku0OUv1vVKacNpw" target="_blank">ABC4]
-> Obama's visit to Utah last week lasted less than 24 hours and didn't include any public face time, which is actually pretty common for presidential visits. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2365537-155/after-not-seeing-obama-utahns-may?fullpage=1" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Many questioned why he bunked at the Sheraton and not a more lavish hotel, such as the Grand America. There would have been a few factors in that decision, including security and room availability. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2363033-155/utahns-want-to-know-why-did" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Although the Utah public didn't get a chance to see Obama for themselves, many leaders who did get a second with him tweeted about their experiences. [http://fox13now.com/2015/04/03/utah-leaders-have-fun-tweeting-presidential-visit/" target="_blank">Fox13]
-> In addition to voicing displeasure with Obama's nuclear negotiations with Iran, Utah's Rep. Chris Stewart said the White House ignored him regarding the president's visit to Utah. [http://fox13now.com/2015/04/03/rep-stewart-iran-deal-misguided-white-house-ignored-his-office-regarding-pres-obamas-utah-trip/" target="_blank">Fox13]
-> After a news article came out last week revealing Rep. Jason Chaffetz's previous rejection from the Secret Service, Homeland Security and Secret Service officials offered him personal apologies that the confidential information was leaked to a reporter. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2363178-155/secret-service-apologizes-to-jason-chaffetz" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes sat down with reporters to discuss details of the state's new white collar crime registry. [http://www.good4utah.com/story/d/story/together4utah-explores-utahs-new-white-collar-crim/25905/Vdvl641w5UWx8QGaIeIPCQ" target="_blank">ABC4]
-> A military investigation has cited a sexist culture and pornography being sold at base stores as some of the reasons behind the British bikini model shoot that happened at the Utah National Guard's Camp Williams last year without commanders' knowledge. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2360612-155/sexist-military-culture-porn-cited-in" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Salt Lake Community College is already working to expand its Green Academy/Energy Institute program after Obama called on higher education institutions Friday to help train more solar energy workers. [http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865625695/SLCC-solar-program-heeds-the-call-for-solar-training.html" target="_blank">DNews]
-> Due to unusually warm weather and problems with their water treatment plant, Ogden is asking its residents to delay watering their lawns and go about other methods of conserving water. [http://www.good4utah.com/story/d/story/ogden-city-officials-ask-residents-to-hold-off-on/42068/nbUJgLZKe0iDBTALFIXgng" target="_blank">ABC4]
-> Despite many students lamenting the rising cost of tuition, hardly any showed up to the University of Utah's annual tuition hearing to voice their concerns. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2363279-155/utah-undergraduates-can-question-tuition-hikes" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Public comments and forum notes regarding the Mountain Accord plan for the Wasatch Mountains are now available to the public online and can still be submitted. [http://www.sltrib.com/news/2363541-155/mountain-accord-comments-are-online" target="_blank">Trib]
-> Utah's history and veterans departments have created an online tool to compile and share stories of veterans and where they were when World War II ended. [http://www.good4utah.com/story/d/story/state-seeks-stories-from-world-war-ii-veterans/95703/p14ozCPl60Ga-xB38K0NjA" target="_blank">ABC4]
Nationally: President Barack Obama pitched his agreement with Iran on their nuclear program yesterday, calling it a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to try to achieve stability in the Middle East. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/white-house-launches-its-sales-pitch-for-iran-nuclear-deal/2015/04/05/adec8fbc-dbac-11e4-a500-1c5bb1d8ff6a_story.html" target="_blank">WaPost] [http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/06/world/middleeast/obama-strongly-defends-iran-nuclear-deal.html?_r=0" target="_blank">NYTimes] [http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/4/6/obama-iran-nuclear-deal-once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity.html" target="_blank">AlJazeeraAmerica] But he faces skepticism among the GOP Congress, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that the deal isn't strict enough. [http://www.wsj.com/articles/political-battle-ramps-up-over-iran-1428284071" target="_blank">WSJ] [http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/apr/03/obama-republicans-iran-nuclear-deal" target="_blank">TheGuardian] [http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/apr/5/netanyahu-republicans-take-aim-at-obama-iran-nucle/" target="_blank">WaTimes] [http://www.vox.com/2015/4/4/8344115/iran-deal-congress" target="_blank">Vox]
-> Legislators in 27 states have passed resolutions calling for a constitutional convention to pass an amendment requiring a balanced federal budget, and are pushing for support in nine other Republican-controlled states. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/conservative-lawmakers-weigh-bid-to-call-for-constitutional-convention/2015/04/04/b25d4f1e-db02-11e4-ba28-f2a685dc7f89_story.html" target="_blank">WaPost]
Where are they?
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— Thomas Burr and Erica Palmer
https://twitter.com/thomaswburr" target="_blank">Twitter.com/thomaswburr and https://twitter.com/erica_palmer">Twitter.com/erica_palmer