This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

Five things to watch for in tonight's presidential debate. Utah officials push back on Trump's 'rigged election' talk. Ute Indian Tribe funnels $100k into anti-PLI PAC.

Happy Wednesday. Tonight brings the final debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, and with only 20 days to go until the election, we're sure to see some fireworks. While Clinton is in the lead nationally and most battleground states, she's also on the defensive trying to answer all the charges Trump throws her way. For his part, Trump really has little to lose tonight. He's dropping in the polls, so anything may be game. Here's the five things to look for tonight. [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/what-to-watch-for-in-the-last-2016-debate-229970">Politico</a>]

<strong>Topping the news: </strong>Utah election officials say that Donald Trump's claims of a rigged election is "not possible" with all the safeguards against voter fraud. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4480456-155/utah-officials-rebuff-trump-say-election?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://kuer.org/post/utah-election-officials-reassure-voters-polling-integrity#stream/0"; target="_blank">KUER</a>]

-> The Ute Indian Tribe funneled $100,000 into a new super PAC created to fight Rep. Rob Bishop's Public Lands Initiative, starting with TV and online ads. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4481217-155/ute-tribe-declares-political-war-with?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> Top Utah Republicans are opting out of attending the official Utah Republican Party's victory celebration on Election Night after the party advertised prices between $2,500 and $10,000 for amenities at the Rice-Eccles Stadium event. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4480825-155/gop-victory-party-may-be-missing?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

<strong>Tweets of the day: </strong>From @<a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeTakei"; target="_blank">GeorgeTakei</a>: "It's rather galling, isn't it, to hear a billionaire, born into money and granted every advantage, claim the system's rigged against him."

From @<a href="https://twitter.com/ddiamond"; target="_blank">ddiamond</a>: "2nd debate: Brings Bill's accusers. 3rd debate: Brings Obama's half-brother. Inauguration Day: Brings folding chair to watch from the Mall."

From @<a href="https://twitter.com/MEPFuller"; target="_blank">MEPFuller</a>: "Just started a post-Election Day playlist and I'm going with a general theme of chill, How-Did-Evan-McMullin-Pull-It-Off? kind of tunes."

From @<a href="https://twitter.com/morninggloria"; target="_blank">morninggloria</a>: "This Halloween I'm going as Voter Fraud (I won't show up to any of the parties but Republicans will swear I was at all of them)"

From @<a href="https://twitter.com/RexHuppke"; target="_blank">RexHuppke</a>: "Today's To-Do List: -Write column -Send column to Clinton campaign for approval -rig election using journalistic superpowers -get eggs"

<strong>Happy Birthday: </strong>to former state Rep. Douglas Aagard.

<strong>In other news:</strong> Donna Weinholtz pleaded guilty to pot possession on Tuesday and will face a $3,800 fine and a year of probation as her husband, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike Weinholtz, passionately advocates for legalization of medical marijuana. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4480644-155/utah-democratic-candidates-wife-strikes-plea"; target="_blank">APviaTrib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865665100/Wife-of-Democratic-candidate-for-governor-pleads-guilty-to-pot-charge.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/utah-gubernatorial-candidate-supports-legalization-of-medical-cannabis"; target="_blank">ABC4</a>] [<a href="http://kuer.org/post/weinholtz-calls-legalize-medical-marijuana-wife-pleads-guilty-possession"; target="_blank">KUER</a>]

-> The Salt Lake Tribune compares Rep. Jason Chaffetz and Democratic challenger Stephen Tryon on issues and in the polls, where Chaffetz leads Tryon by more than 45 points. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4439807-155/chaffetz-vs-tryon-is-much-like?fullpage=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> Facing bombardment by the public at a Tuesday meeting, Salt Lake County Council pushed back turning the Mountain Accord into the official Central Wasatch Commission to after the general election in November. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4481734-155/salt-lake-county-delays-action-on"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865665111/SL-County-Council-taking-more-time-to-review-Mountain-Accord-status.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>]

-> After coming up with the $11.8 million needed for new homeless shelters in Salt Lake City, the City Council took money from other Redevelopment Agency budget items — $21 million, to be exact — and devoted it explicitly to building affordable housing. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4481916-155/the-solution-to-homelessness-is-housing?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865665119/Salt-Lake-City-earmarks-nearly-30-million-for-affordale-housing-homeless-resource-center-sites.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/slc-leaders-set-aside-millions-for-new-homeless-shelters-affordable-housing"; target="_blank">KUTV</a>]

-> State officials gushed over the new downtown George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Theater at its ribbon-cutting Tuesday. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4480609-155/ribbon-cutting-ceremony-heaps-praise-on-new?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865665095/Photos-Curtain-officially-rises-on-new-Eccles-Theater.html"; target="_blank">DNews</a>] [<a href="http://fox13now.com/2016/10/18/eccles-theater-celebrates-official-grand-opening/"; target="_blank">Fox13</a>] [<a href="http://www.good4utah.com/news/local-news/the-george-s-and-delores-dore-eccles-theater-officially-opens"; target="_blank">ABC4</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/eccles-theater-celebrates-grand-opening"; target="_blank">KUTV</a>]

-> Utah Republican Party Chairman James Evans, NAACP Salt Lake President Jeanetta Williams and Democratic state legislators demanded an audit of the Salt Lake City School District on Tuesday with concerns that school board decisions that negatively affected low-income students on the city's west side were being made behind closed doors. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4481761-155/utah-gop-chairman-naacp-and-lawmakers"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/voice-join-to-call-for-audit-of-salt-lake-school-district"; target="_blank">KUTV</a>]

-> At least part of six Utah counties exceed the ozone limit set by the Environmental Protection Agency, so Gov. Gary Herbert suggested the EPA designate three new nonattainment areas to require the counties to put plans in place to meet the federal standard. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4469021-155/as-utah-areas-exceed-ozone-pollution?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>] [<a href="http://kutv.com/news/local/3-new-non-attainment-areas-for-ozone-proposed-in-utah"; target="_blank">APviaKUTV</a>]

-> Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union and the Salt Lake County District Attorney argued Tuesday before an appeals board whether police should release body cam footage of the shooting of Abdullahi "Abdi" Mohamed. The ACLU says the public deserves to see the video while the District Attorney's office says publicizing it would violate Mohamed's constitutional right to privacy and interfere with his trial. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4479503-155/aclu-argues-for-release-of-body?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> A state audit found a former executive at the Economic Development Corporation of Utah spending thousands of unauthorized dollars on a company credit card and cast doubt on the corporation's high meal- and gift-bills when working with the Governor's Office of Economic Development on revamping a contract. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4481569-155/scathing-audit-spots-gaping-holes-at?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> Eight female Iron County School District employees sued a man that consistently made inappropriate comments about their bodies and the school administrators that brushed off the women's reports. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4477838-155/employees-sue-utah-school-district-and?fullpage=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> Ambiguities in a set of newly proposed rules that would determine funding for the Lake Powell Pipeline could leave taxpayers shouldering 90 percent of the project's cost if not revised, according to critics at a Tuesday State Water Development Commission meeting. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4481779-155/critics-say-water-plan-appears-to?fullpage=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> Salt Lake City International Airport recommends arriving two hours early for flights over the crowded UEA weekend. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4480693-155/slc-airport-urges-arriving-2-hours"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

 

-> Pat Bagley quips at Utah voters dashing from the Trump camp to the McMullin one. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/4481652-155/bagley-cartoon-the-mcmullin-gambit"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

-> Paul Rolly highlights a Jordan School Board member tying kids' hair and eye color to their moms' involvement in the PTA, Salt Lake City parking ticket late fees and public figures who have been honored for their accomplishments — but as the wrong gender. [<a href="http://www.sltrib.com/news/4432215-155/rolly-so-is-there-a-link?page=1"; target="_blank">Trib</a>]

<strong>Nationally:</strong> Pro-Hillary super PAC Priorities USA Action will launch hundred-thousand-dollar ads this week attacking Pennsylvania and New Hampshire GOP senators leading tight races. [<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/clinton-senate-funding-229959"; target="_blank">Politico</a>] [<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/19/us/politics/campaign-ads.html?ref=politics"; target="_blank">NYTimes</a>]

-> Playing off of new rally tagline "Drain the Swamp," Donald Trump announced at a Colorado rally Tuesday that as president he would propose a constitutional amendment to set up term limits for members of Congress. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/10/18/donald-trump-calls-for-congressional-term-limits-to-end-cycle-of-corruption/"; target="_blank">WaPost</a>] [<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/19/us/politics/trump-term-limits-congress.html?ref=politics&_r=0"; target="_blank">NYTimes</a>] [<a href="http://time.com/4535798/donald-trump-congress-term-limits/"; target="_blank">Time</a>]

-> The Trump campaign has confirmed that President Barack Obama's Trump-supporting half-brother and the mother of an American who died in Benghazi have been invited to the final presidential debate Wednesday. [<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/10/18/trump-invites-obamas-estranged-half-brother-and-mother-of-slain-benghazi-official-to-third-debate/"; target="_blank">WaPost</a>] [<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/18/politics/hillary-clinton-debate-guests-mark-cuban-meg-whitman/index.html"; target="_blank">CNN</a>]

<strong>Where are they?</strong>

<ul>

<li>Gov. Gary <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/GovHerbert"; target="_blank">Herbert</a></strong> attends a Faith Leaders Luncheon, visits O.C. Tanner and sits down for a higher education quarterly meeting.</li>

<li>Lt. Gov. Spencer <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerJCox"; target="_blank">Cox</a> </strong>chats with a state lawmaker and the Attorney General's office, hits the Utah Valley Senior Executive Leadership Forum and H2Oath Water Conservation Awards, does an interview with ABC4 and joins the governor at the Faith Leaders Luncheon and higher education quarterly meeting.</li>

<li>State Auditor John <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/FrugalDougall"; target="_blank">Dougall</a> </strong>meets with the Utah Communications Authority chair, presents to the legislature's Government Operations interim committee and drops by a meet the candidate event in Salt Lake City's Capitol Hill neighborhood.</li>

<li>President Barack <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/BarackObama"; target="_blank">Obama</a> </strong>holds meetings at the<strong> </strong>White House.</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>