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Poll shows Pence favored as 2020 presidential candidate. Romney and Huntsman tied in popularity in Utah. LDS Church says no retirement age for its apostles.

Happy Friday. We know, it's not even Election Day 2016, but there's already talk of the presidential race four years from now. Mike Pence's national political stock has skyrocketed since Tuesday night's debate, and the Indiana governor is now the favorite to top the 2020 Republican presidential ticket if Donald Trump loses. [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/politico-morning-consult-poll-pence-2020-229263">Politico</a>]

<strong>Topping the news: </strong>A Salt Lake Tribune poll shows Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman with 71 percent favorability ratings in Utah, dwarfing ratings for both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in the state. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4436152-155/do-utahns-long-for-2012-choices?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> Former Kane County Treasurer Georgia Baca has been charged with slipping $33,600 of county cash into her own pocket. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4440587-155/former-kane-county-treasurer-allegedly-stole"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865664164/Former-Kane-County-treasurer-charged-with-misusing-public-money.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]

-> The LDS Church says that instating a retirement age for LDS apostles is not in the near future as leaked videos of the apostles spark concern over old age in church leadership. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/lifestyle/faith/4440116-155/mormon-videos-spur-question-should-aging?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

<strong>Tweets of the day: </strong>From @<a href="https://twitter.com/aedwardslevy"; target="_blank">aedwardslevy</a>: "The portmanteau for McMullin/Finn is literally McMuffin."

From @<a href="https://twitter.com/PGourevitch"; target="_blank">PGourevitch</a>: "'Everybody's had a lot of time to register,' says Florida's GOP Gov. Scott, meaning screw you to any evacuees disenfranchised by hurricane."

From @<a href="https://twitter.com/DamienFahey"; target="_blank">DamienFahey</a>: "Guaranteed Gary Johnson doesn't know when election day is."

From @<a href="https://twitter.com/weknowwhatsbest"; target="_blank">weknowwhatsbest</a>: "FEMA is flying Tim Kaine to Florida where Hurricane Matthew will make landfall to see if he can interrupt it."

<strong>Behind the Headlines:</strong> Tribune reporters Alex Stuckey, Matt Canham, Mike Gorrell and Chris Smart as well as editorial writer George Pyle join KCPW's Roger McDonough to talk about the week's top stories, including the charging of former USU football player with four counts of rape, leaked videos of Mormon leaders and Listen at KCPW.org or tune in to KCPW or Utah Public Radio for the broadcast from <span class="aBn"><span class="aQJ">9-10 a.m.</span></span>

<strong>In other news: </strong>With construction over and express lanes near the point of the mountain back open, the Utah Department of Transportation is funding a police blitz to crack down on HOV-lane abusers. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4439281-155/utah-targets-1-of-every-5?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865664181/Utah-Highway-Patrol-ramping-up-enforcement-of-express-lane-use.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2016/10/06/fox-13-rides-along-with-uhp-during-express-lane-crackdown/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>] [<a href="http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/udot-1-in-5-drivers-use-express-lanes-wrong"; target="_blank">ABC4</a>] [<a href="http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/north/lehi/point-project-now-complete-uhp-running-express-lane-enforcement-blitz/article_5d8df362-c057-5918-af10-a3ceeb922a86.html"; target="_blank">Herald</a>]

-> Democrat Catherine Kanter, running against Republican incumbent Richard Snelgrove for a Salt Lake County Council seat, says Snelgrove is ducking debate invites while Snelgrove says the proposed dates simply conflicted with his busy campaign schedule. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4440678-155/kanter-decries-lack-of-debates-with"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865664206/SL-County-Council-hopeful-accuses-opponent-of-refusing-debates.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]

-> A Utah man serving time in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine will go free four and a half years early thanks to a commutation from President Barack Obama. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4440099-155/obama-issues-commutation-to-utah-man"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865664189/Obama-commutes-sentences-for-2-convicted-of-Utah-drug-crimes.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/president-obama-commutes-drug-possession-sentence-of-utah-man"; target="_blank">KUTV</a>]

-> Homeless campers outside the Rio Grande shelter give their take on the success of Operation Diversion, police blitzes that arrest drug dealers and send addicts to treatment. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4435469-155/many-homeless-campers-say-operation-diversion?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

<span style="line-height: 1.5;">-> Brigham Young University's enrollment numbers are back up to Fall 2012 levels after a dip when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that missionaries could leave at younger ages. [<a href="http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/education/college/byu/byu-enrollment-returns-to-pre-missionary-age-change-numbers/article_618c1ec7-89f3-5e8f-91f2-32ced5f117a2.html"; target="_blank">Herald</a>]</span>

-> Local and national officials call Utah's court system the best in the nation at the retirement of State Court Administrator Dan Becker, who led the system for 21 years. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4440373-155/after-two-decades-of-service-utahs"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

 

-> The Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind dedicated its new Education Center on Thursday to former state school board member Mark Openshaw, who died in a plane crash last year. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4440669-155/education-center-named-for-late-school"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> Paul Rolly recounts the fall of Utah's Morrison Meat Pies, established in 1883, and the doubling up of national and local debate coverage this election season. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4430813-155/rolly-utahs-morrison-meat-pies-gets?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

<strong>Nationally:</strong> Florida Gov. Rick Scott announced no intentions to extend the state's voter registration deadline in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, which Hillary Clinton's campaign asked him to do on Thursday. [<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/06/politics/robby-mook-clinton-florida-voter-registration-hurricane/index.html"; target="_blank">CNN</a>] [<a href="http://www.politico.com/states/florida/story/2016/10/scott-wont-extend-voter-registration-deadline-as-hurricane-matthew-approaches-106172"; target="_blank">Politico</a>]

-> Evan McMullin's campaign confirms that his running mate will be Republican digital media strategist and Empowered Women founder Mindy Finn. [<a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/mckaycoppins/evan-mcmullin-will-announce-gop-strategist-as-running-mate?utm_term=.ytzGoZKvx#.dvbexqrWJ"; target="_blank">Buzzfeed</a>] [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/evan-mcmullin-running-mate-mindy-finn-229260"; target="_blank">Politico</a>]

-> Donald Trump denied that a Town Hall meeting in New Hampshire on Thursday night was practice for the format of the next presidential debate on Sunday. [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/donald-trump-town-hall-debate-prep-229267"; target="_blank">Politico</a>] [<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-preps-for-sunday-debate-at-town-hall-that-wasnt/"; target="_blank">CBSNews</a>]

<strong>Where are they?</strong>

<ul>

<li>Rep. Chris <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/RepChrisStewart"; target="_blank">Stewart</a></strong> catches up with constituents in his Salt Lake City office and addresses the crowd at the Rural Utah Republican Alliance Leadership Conference.</li>

<li>Gov. Gary <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/GovHerbert"; target="_blank">Herbert</a></strong> celebrates at the Utah State Capitol Centennial on Saturday.</li>

<li>Lt. Gov. Spencer <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerJCox"; target="_blank">Cox</a></strong> meets with office staff on Friday before joining the fun at the Capitol on Saturday.</li>

<li>State Auditor John <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/FrugalDougall"; target="_blank">Dougall</a> </strong>speaks at a rural leadership conference at Utah State University's Eastern campus in Price and learns about his family mining history as he tours parts of Carbon and Emery counties.</li>

<li>President Barack <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama"; target="_blank">Obama</a> </strong>heads to Chicago to speak at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee event.</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>