This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Trump largely ignoring his own D.C. transition team, report says. Christensen wins recount. Utah's electors will hold to Trump vote, despite pressure.
Happy Tuesday. President-elect Donald Trump has scores of staffers in a Washington, D.C. office writing policy plans to help him start governing on day one. But Trump and his inner circle have largely ignored those plans as they focus on top appointments and lean on the advice of politicians, CEOs and donors, rather than on their transition staff, say sources close to the transition. The president-elect, meanwhile, has been more likely to set policy on Twitter than through consultation with his D.C. advisers. [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/trump-divided-transition-232229">Politico</a>]
<strong>Topping the news: </strong>Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman have competed for the same job before and find themselves doing so again now that both their names are being touted for secretary of state.<strong> </strong>[<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4675014-155/rivalry-revived-romney-vs-huntsman-for?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865668666/With-Huntsman-in-mix-for-secretary-of-state-will-Romney-be-passed-over.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2016/12/05/romney-huntsman-jr-both-being-considered-for-secretary-of-state-reports-indicate/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/its-huntsman-vs-romney-again-this-time-on-trumps-stage"; target="_blank">KUTV</a>]
-> Utah's House District 32 recount keeps GOP Rep. LaVar Christensen in the seat over Democratic challenger Suzanne Harrison, this time by five votes instead of three. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4674631-155/recount-confirms-christensens-win-stretches-margin"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865668662/Recount-upholds-victory-for-GOP-Rep-LaVar-Christensen.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/recount-confirms-rep-christensen-narrowly-won-re-election"; target="_blank">APviaKUTV</a>] [<a href="http://kuer.org/post/recount-upholds-lavar-christensen-victory-close-house-race#stream/0"; target="_blank">KUER</a>] [<a href="http://utahpolicy.com/index.php/features/today-at-utah-policy/11648-">UtahPolicy</a>]
-> Four of Utah's six presidential electors open up about the barrage of pleas they've received not to vote for Donald Trump, but all plan to abide by Utah law and the electoral process. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4650455-155/utahs-six-official-electors-pressured-to?fullpage=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/talking-to-the-electors"; target="_blank">ABC4</a>]
-> Rep. Rob Bishop pitches the idea of revoking monument designations — which he thinks executives have taken outside the Antiquities Act's bounds — to the Trump transition team. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4675910-155/utahs-bishop-asks-trump-to-consider"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
<strong>Tweets of the day: </strong>From @<a href="https://twitter.com/KenJennings"; target="_blank">KenJennings</a>: "I already hate the SNL 'Designated Survivor' sketch about Ben Carson."
From @<a href="https://twitter.com/danpfeiffer"; target="_blank">danpfeiffer</a>: "Kiefer Sutherland is more qualified to be HUD Secretary than Ben Carson."
<strong>Happy Birthday: </strong>to Rep. Mia Love.
<strong>In other news: </strong>Taylorsville beats out Murray to house a $39.3 million performing arts center set to debut its first shows in 2020. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4674491-155/regional-theater-is-coming-to-taylorsville"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865668656/City-county-team-to-bring-39-million-performing-arts-center-to-Taylorsville.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://kuer.org/post/new-performing-arts-center-coming-taylorsville#stream/0"; target="_blank">KUER</a>]
-> Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski presents her plans Monday for making the most of the land around the new prison by turning it into a booming economic district. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4664521-155/salt-lake-city-launches-major-push?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865668668/Its-time-Salt-Lake-leaders-launch-plan-to-develop-area-near-new-prison.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/salt-lake-city-leaders-announce-plans-to-develop-land-around-new-state-prison"; target="_blank">KUTV</a>]
-> Utah charter school officials come to the system's rescue after a state lawmaker suggested state law doesn't do enough to keep charter schools like Herriman's Athlos Academy of Utah from circumventing the public bidding process for its facility. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4663752-155/utah-charter-lobbyist-says-procurement-codes?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">-> The Utah Transit Authority plans to devote its Dec. 18 scheduled "change day" to ski bus routes, leaving other services mostly untouched. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4675078-155/except-for-ski-buses-uta-altering"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]</span>
-> Park City unveils swanky clean-burning buses and a new transit center — a first step with more growth to come — on Tuesday. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4675154-155/park-city-unveils-new-kimball-junction"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
-> A prosecutor says FLDS priesthood documents and testimonies about sexual culture within the religion meet the burden of proof that three Canadian defendants brought two underage girls to the United States for sexual purposes. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4675667-155/prosecutor-says-sect-members-could-infer"; target="_blank">CanadianPressviaTrib</a>]
-> Brigham Young University will take down its iconic smokestack this week to replace it with a natural gas-powered structure. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4675341-155/byu-to-demolish-campus-smokestack-move"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/education/college/byu/byu-s-smokestack-to-be-torn-down-for-new-green/article_fcb0d20a-df81-5c21-bbee-f13521b497b5.html"; target="_blank">Herald</a>]
-> The U.S. Census Bureau drops Salt Lake County from its list of districts that should offer Spanish ballots and voting help. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4675925-155/census-salt-lake-county-no-longer"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
-> Pat Bagley wonders when white working class voters will give up hope on the same old political promises. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4676019-155/bagley-cartoon-white-working-class-disconnect"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
<strong>Nationally:</strong> Former Vice President Al Gore drops in at Trump Tower to talk with Ivanka and Donald Trump about climate change. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/12/05/ivanka-trump-to-meet-with-al-gore-to-discuss-climate-issues/?utm_term=.1cdee1e1d83c"; target="_blank">WaPost</a>] [<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/05/us/politics/climate-change-trump-al-gore.html?ref=politics&_r=0"; target="_blank">NYTimes</a>]
-> The president-elect officially picks Ben Carson as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, putting to the test if government outsiders without policy experience will really clean up Washington. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/hud-job-to-pit-carson-ideology-against-long-standing-housing-policy/2016/12/05/6e7e8d76-bb25-11e6-94ac-3d324840106c_story.html?utm_term=.a6fe44a615e0"; target="_blank">WaPost</a>] [<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/05/us/politics/ben-carson-housing-urban-development-trump.html?ref=politics"; target="_blank">NYTimes</a>]
-> Vice President Joe Biden presided over a Senate vote on a medical research bill honoring his late son Monday and afterwards told reporters he may run for president in 2020. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/12/05/after-senate-tribute-joe-biden-jokes-about-2020-run-or-maybe-he-wasnt-joking/?utm_term=.21aeac25ad80"; target="_blank">WaPost</a>] [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/joe-biden-2020-232234"; target="_blank">Politico</a>]
<strong>Where are they?</strong>
<ul>
<li>Rep. Jason <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/jasoninthehouse"; target="_blank">Chaffetz</a></strong> heads to the Smithsonian's African American History Museum to celebrate the Freedmen's Bureau Project, chairs an Oversight subcommittee hearing looking into Federal IT Acquisitions and votes.</li>
<li>Rep. Mia <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMiaLove"; target="_blank"><strong>Love</strong></a> zips to a member meeting with House Speaker Paul Ryan, attends "Discover Freedmen Bureau Project" at the Museum of African American History, chats with her staff and votes.</li>
<li>Gov. Gary <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/GovHerbert"; target="_blank">Herbert</a></strong> conducts a final budget review with majority and minority legislative leadership and sits down with education officials.</li>
<li>Lt. Gov. Spencer <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerJCox"; target="_blank">Cox</a></strong> enjoys a USS Utah Memorial Sunset Service on Ford Island.</li>
<li>State Treasurer David <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/DamschenDavid"; target="_blank">Damschen</a></strong> does media interviews on Utah Unclaimed Property data and sits in on a regular Private Activity Bond Authority board meeting.</li>
<li>President Barack <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama"; target="_blank">Obama</a> </strong>flies to Tampa, Florida to meet with active duty service members at MacDill Air Force Base and talk about his administration's counterterrorism approach.</li>
</ul>
Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Email us at <a href="mailto:cornflakes@sltrib.com" target="_blank">cornflakes@sltrib.com</a>. If you haven't already, sign up for our weekday email and get this sent directly to your inbox. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/pages/email"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]
— 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>