This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated.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

Gingrich pokes fun at Romney for "sucking up" to Trump. The president-elect to visit Utah on his victory tour. Obamacare signups have gone up in Utah, nationally.

Happy Thursday. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is poking fun at Mitt Romney for "sucking up" to President-elect Donald Trump in hopes of landing the job as secretary of state. "You have never, ever in your career seen a serious adult who's wealthy, independent, has been a presidential nominee, suck up at the rate that Mitt Romney is sucking up," Gingrich said. "And I am confident that he thinks now that Donald Trump is one of his closest friends, that they have so many things in common, that they're both such wise, brilliant people." [Politico]

Topping the news: President-elect Donald Trump will stop in Utah before his inauguration as part of a victory tour to thank and energize his supporters. [Trib] [DNews]

-> The Bureau of Land Management is leasing new parcels for oil and gas development in its first online auction Dec. 13, but environmentalists worry about the land for sale in Nine Mile Canyon — full of ancient Native American petroglyphs — and state officials think the BLM didn't offer enough land. [Trib] [DNews] [KUER]

-> Federal data says Obamacare sign-ups have gone up in 2016 in Utah and nationally, possibly as a reaction to Donald Trump's pledge to repeal and replace it. [Trib]

Tweets of the day: From @goldengateblond: "Now that Sarah Palin's involved, I've finally figured out what Trump's up to. He's clearly staffing a new sketch show to take on SNL."

From @SeanMcElwee: "All the Republicans excited about these Carrier jobs are going to be ecstatic when they learn what the stimulus package did."

In other news: Democratic Rep. Brian King was re-elected as House minority leader and talks about how his position means compromises with a Republican supermajority while also holding tight to Democratic principles. [Trib]

-> Governing magazine names Kristen Cox, executive director of the Utah Governor's Office of Management and Budget, as one of its eight 2016 public officials of the year. [Trib]

-> Utah has the lowest rate of diabetes in the nation, and the state's obesity rate is on a downward trend, according to a Wednesday Gallup Healthways report. [Trib]

-> Salt Lake City's Handyman Program tackles a side of the mayor's affordable housing priority by offering $500 home repair grants to the elderly and disabled. [Trib] [KUER]

-> Salt Lake City's Lamb's Grill gets slapped with a $9,000 fine as it struggles to stay afloat after an ownership transfer accidentally lost the restaurant its liquor license and exemption from Utah's "Zion Curtain" law. [Trib]

-> Utah Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Erik Christensen says his office needs yet another budget and staff increase to handle the overflowing autopsy docket and get state death investigations moving. [APviaTrib]

-> A Canadian judge ruled that FLDS Priesthood records, which included imprisoned prophet Lyle Jeff's description of evading the Canadian and American authorities, can be admitted to the case against three polygamists who brought their teenage daughters to the United States to marry Jeffs. [APviaTrib]

-> Orem is still unable to catch the "phantom dumper" clogging the sewer system with unidentified material, so the city has ordered phantom shirts to raise awareness. [APviaTrib] [Fox13] [Herald]

-> Pat Bagley gives his take on Rep. Jason Chaffetz going after Hillary Clinton's emails — and what he's missing on his witch hunt. [Trib]

Nationally: Aides to both President-elect Donald Trump and Sarah Palin confirm that the former Alaska governor is in the runnings for secretary of veterans affairs. [ABCNews] [Politico]

-> Nancy Pelosi wins re-election as House minority leader, but not without 63 votes against her and an agreement to mix up leadership structure. [CNN] [WaPost] [Politico]

-> Trump's saving of 1,000 factory jobs in Indiana highlights the motherload of other Midwestern blue-collar work being sent out of the country. [NYTimes]

Where are they?

Rep. Jason Chaffetz chairs an Oversight committee hearing examining sexual harassment at the Agriculture Department and chats with the Post Master General .

Rep. Chris Stewart heads to a House Intelligence Committee briefing, talks with the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, votes and greets Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams.

Rep. Mia Love catches up with staff and constituents and votes.

Gov. Gary Herbert sits down with the University of Utah's Government Relations Vice President Jason Perry, meets with staff and general counsel and reveals holiday decorations at the Governor's Mansion.

Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox spends a second day in Phoenix at the National Lieutenant Governors Association conference.

State Treasurer David Damschen sits down with a representative from P/E Investments and hops on a federal legislative update call with the National Association of State Treasurers.

President Barack Obama and the first family attend the National Christmas Tree Lighting.

Got a tip? A birthday, wedding or anniversary to announce? Email us at cornflakes@sltrib.com. If you haven't already, sign up for our weekday email and get this sent directly to your inbox. [Trib]

— Thomas Burr and Zoe Woolf McGinn

Twitter.com/thomaswburr and Twitter.com/zoewmcginn