This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Team Trump is running out of time to regain momentum. SL Co. recorder struggles to answer basic questions. Stewart faces Albarran in debate.
Happy Wednesday. Republicans' sense of relief was palpable after VP nominee Mike Pence's performance on Tuesday, but the GOP's window to regain momentum is rapidly closing: early voting has begun in a handful of battleground states, like Iowa and Wisconsin, and it's on the brink of starting in others like North Carolina and Florida. Indeed, what emerged from the vice presidential debate venue on Tuesday night was something close to a bipartisan consensus: Team Trump is still in need of a jolt. [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/donald-trump-debate-clinton-229166">Politico</a>]
<strong>Topping the news: </strong>Salt Lake County Recorder Gary Ott stuggled Tuesday when he appeared at a council meeting to answer questions about his office's audit but could barely understand or respond to most questions. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4431601-155/confused-salt-lake-county-recorder-gary?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865663995/Confused-county-recorder-struggles-to-answer-councils-basic-questions.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/salt-lake-county-recorder-gary-ott-struggles-to-answer-basic-questions"; target="_blank">KUTV</a>]
 
-> Rep. Chris Stewart debated Democratic challenger Charlene Albarran Tuesday night as the two took swings at each other's connectedness to constituents, presidential endorsements and efficiency in office. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4432387-155/utahs-2nd-district-debate-stewart-and?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865664040/Debate-livens-up-2nd-District-race-between-Rep-Chris-Stewart-Charlene-Albarran.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]
-> Mike Weinholtz declared support for a less-than-one-percent tax increase for education funding on Tuesday at a candidate forum while Gov. Gary Herbert rejected the idea as not well-suited for Utah. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4432868-155/utah-gov-gary-herbert-and-challenger?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
<strong>Tweets of the day: </strong>From @<a href="https://twitter.com/maxroth"; target="_blank">maxroth</a>: "VP's have such a weird responsibility: to be plucked by someone they don't know well and defend everything they say."
From @<a href="https://twitter.com/weknowwhatsbest"; target="_blank">weknowwhatsbest</a>: "VP candidate Tim Kaine is still virtually unknown. 'I'm not sure I could pick him out of a police line-up,' said Mrs. Kaine."
From @<a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSerwer"; target="_blank">AdamSerwer</a>: "The official position of the Trump campaign, according to Pence, is that Trump never said any of the things we all saw and heard him say."
From @<a href="https://twitter.com/aseitzwald"; target="_blank">aseitzwald</a>: "Boy, wouldn't want to be guy who has to tell Mike Pence who his running mate is."
<strong>Happy Birthday: </strong>to Jace Johnson, vice president of global government relations and public policy at Adobe.
<strong>In other news: </strong>Evan McMullin, Utah native and independent presidential candidate, will speak Wednesday night at the Provo Library. [<a href="http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/presidential-candidate-evan-mcmullin-to-speak-in-provo/article_21146f65-e456-5bec-9e02-282bceaccbf1.html"; target="_blank">Herald</a>]
-> Salt Lake City's "Operation Diversion" sent 43 more people from outside the homeless shelter in the city's Rio Grande district on Monday to jail or drug addiction treatment, and city leaders express hope that the unique approach is already turning lives around. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4430920-155/dozens-more-arrested-in-downtown-salt?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865664011/Half-choose-drug-treatment-option-over-jail-in-latest-police-operation.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/heres-how-dozens-of-slc-drug-arrests-may-be-breeding-hope"; target="_blank">ABC4</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2016/10/04/aclu-is-cautiously-optimistic-about-efforts-with-homeless-at-rio-grande/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/more-arrests-in-operation-diversion-progress-in-effort-to-clean-up-rio-grande"; target="_blank">KUTV</a>] [<a href="http://kuer.org/post/more-arrested-rio-grande-neighborhood-tuesday-offered-treatment"; target="_blank">KUER</a>]
-> A Tuesday hearing on the case of FLDS members and their federal food stamp benefits prompted defendant Seth Jeffs to testify that he believed the "Law of Consecration" was essential to his exaltation and and that any law against it takes away his ability to practice his religion. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4413770-155/polygamous-sect-member-testifies-of-his"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865663982/Polygamist-leader-testifies-in-food-stamps-fraud-case.html"; target="_blank">APviaDNews</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2016/10/04/flds-members-argue-religious-freedom-right-to-hand-over-food-stamp-benefits/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/flds-plead-religious-liberty-in-food-stamp-fraud-case"; target="_blank">KUTV</a>]
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">-> Campaign finance disclosures for state legislative races indicate predictable elections this year. Incumbents have out-raised challengers four-to-one in every case except one and only three Democrats have out-raised Republicans for open-seat races. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4428169-155/just-a-handful-of-utah-legislative?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</span>
-> Watch clips from Sunday's leaked videos of LDS officials briefings on current events. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/lifestyle/faith/4430342-155/view-short-clips-from-leaked-mormon"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
-> Pat Bagley compares Donald Trump to a caveman in comparison with lofty moral thinkers. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4431602-155/bagley-cartoon-troglodyte-trump"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
-> Paul Rolly recounts a recent incident where a Davis County Library patron was told that Hillary Clinton's book, "Stronger Together," was deemed low-quality material and would not be offered at the library. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4417024-155/rolly-hillarys-new-book-not-fit?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
<strong>Nationally:</strong> Vice presidential candidates Mike Pence and Tim Kaine delivered a more spirited debate than expected, duking it out over abortion, immigration and their running mates Tuesday night. According to CNN polls, Pence narrowly won. [<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/05/us/politics/vice-presidential-debate.html?ref=politics&_r=0"; target="_blank">NYTimes</a>] [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/tim-kaine-and-mike-pence-step-into-spotlight-to-spar-over-russia-immigration/2016/10/04/246c8a54-8a23-11e6-b24f-a7f89eb68887_story.html"; target="_blank">WaPost</a>]
-> Bill Clinton, campaigning for Hillary on Tuesday, backtracked on comments he made earlier in the week that called Obamacare "the craziest thing in the world." [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/bill-clinton-obamacare-229128"; target="_blank">Politico</a>] [<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/04/politics/bill-clinton-obamacare-craziest-thing/index.html"; target="_blank">CNN</a>]
-> A former Port Authority executive testified on Tuesday that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie discussed how to cover up the reason for lane closures on the George Washington Bridge in 2013 amidst Christie's re-election campaign. [<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/04/politics/bridgegate-andrew-cuomo/index.html"; target="_blank">CNN</a>] [<a href="http://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2016/10/bridgegate-witness-says-cuomo-and-christie-discussed-cover-story-106056"; target="_blank">Politico</a>] [<a href="http://time.com/4518712/chris-christie-andrew-cuomo-bridgegate-false-report/"; target="_blank">Time</a>]
<strong>Where are they?</strong>
<ul>
<li>Rep. Chris <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/RepChrisStewart"; target="_blank">Stewart</a></strong> sits down for meetings with officials from the Dugway Proving Ground and the National Association of Home Builders, addresses students at the state Capitol then meets with the Bureau of Land Management and JDRF, a charity dedicated to type one diabetes research.</li>
<li>Gov. Gary <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/GovHerbert"; target="_blank">Herbert</a></strong> starts the morning at the Utah Air and Energy Symposium before heading to the dedication of the Thomas S. Monson Lodge at Hinckley Scout Ranch. He wraps up the afternoon at a Summit County Council meeting and Annual Judicial Conference.</li>
<li>Lt. Gov. Spencer <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerJCox"; target="_blank">Cox</a></strong> makes an appearance at a Public Safety Awards banquet.</li>
<li>State Auditor John <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/FrugalDougall"; target="_blank">Dougall</a> </strong>chats with a state school board member, stops by a Meet the Candidate event in Sandy and interviews applicants for a job at the Auditor's office.</li>
<li>President Barack <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama"; target="_blank">Obama</a> </strong>travels to Federal Emergency Management Agency Headquarters to receive a briefing on Hurricane Matthew.</li>
</ul>
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— Thomas Burr and Zoe Woolf McGinn
<a title="Thomas Burr" href="https://twitter.com/thomaswburr"; target="_blank">Twitter.com/thomaswburr</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/zoewmcginn"; target="_blank">Twitter.com/zoewmcginn</a>