This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Gore richer than Romney? Hill fesses up to booms. Poll: Dixie State University preferred.
Happy Thursday. After his sale of Current TV, former Vice President Al Gore may now be richer than Mitt Romney. While some argue Romney was assailed for his wealth during his presidential bid, it appears Gore was in the works to sell his TV start up for some $500 million, and with his 20 percent ownership and other assets, the former VP may now have a net worth topping $300 million. [Forbes]
Topping the news: The Trib's Lee Davidson witnesses 97 reckless acts at TRAX stations during an afternoon rush, highlighting the need for passengers to be more cautious around the light-rail trains. [Trib]
-> Hill Air Force Base officials dished, after much public curiosity, that B-52 bombing tests were responsible for the mysterious, late-night booms heard throughout northern Utah. [Trib]
-> Steve DeBry, a Republican from South Jordan, was named chairman of the Salt Lake County Council in a widely expected promotion from vice-chair. [Trib]
Tweet of the day: From @jm_miller: "Totally offended by @CityWeekly Best of Utah category 'TV(!) News Hottie.' Newspaper people are hot too, right? RIGHT?! Ehhhh, never mind."
In other news: Utah Rep. Lynn Hemingway will again be pushing a joint resolution to implement The Utah Compact, a "compassionate" 2-year immigration reform bill after it was scrapped in a committee hearing last year. [Trib]
-> Polling shows that area residents are quite happy with the idea of Dixie State University as the name for the St. George school. [Trib] [Fox13]
-> Provo's City Council is mulling over regulations regarding electronic signs, with one councilman saying, "I don't want to feel like I'm in Las Vegas." [Herald]
-> A Utah ski industry leader calls out SkiLink as a "terrible" idea in an op-ed. [Outside]
-> A Latino dance troupe from Sandy is set to perform in the inaugural parade in D.C., along with about 50 other groups. [Trib]
-> Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Buhman announced that his National Guard regiment will be deployed in March, and so he plans to vacate his seat. [Trib]
-> Once heralded as the "gayest" city in the nation, Salt Lake City has dropped to the sixth "gayest" town, according to a LGBT publication. [Advocate]
-> In the wake of the governor's energy development summit, HEAL Utah's Chris Thomas calls on Herbert to invest in clean energy. [Trib]
-> Robert Kirby rips the TSA for confiscating his pocket knife. [Trib]
-> Peg McEntee argues that the Legislature should back the Utah Compact because it's the humane, compassionate approach to immigration. [Trib]
-> Pat Bagley offers his take on the GOP's anti-Chuck Hagel efforts. [Trib]
-> State alcohol regulators are cracking down on restaurants to make sure customers are ordering food before they get a sip of beer, wine or cocktails. [Trib]
-> Ogden residents lambasted police at a City Council meeting for middle-of-the-night household raids that they describe as "rogue" and "overly agressive." [Trib] [Fox13]
-> Don't worry about your Utah accent—dropping a 't' from words like "mountain" may be more common than you think. [DNews]
Nationally: President Barack Obama taps chief of staff, Jack Lew, for Treasury secretary, confirming weeks of speculation surrounding the nomination. Lew, who was also the president's budget director, could face a tough Senate confirmation hearing amidst partisan budget wrangling. [NYTimes] [AP]
-> Penmanship lessons may be in store for Lew, who is known by insiders for his loopy signature. New York Magazine muses that it looks like "a slip of paper in Office Max that people use to try out new pen." [NYMag]
-> Vice President Joe Biden met with gun safety groups today, including family members of gun violence victims, and will meet with the NRA tomorrow to sort out gun control. [APviaTrib]
-> Labor secretary Hilda Solis resigned her position in an email. Her resignation comes amidst observations that Obama's cabinet is shifting towards an all-men group. [APviaTrib]
-> Inauguration goers will be serenaded by the likes of Beyoncè, Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor, who will be singing the national anthem and other patriotic tunes. [NYTimes]
-> The White House responded to a petition calling for Piers Morgan's deportation after the talk show host commented on gun control. Jay Carney, White House press secretary, urged citizens to respect the First Amendment along with the Second. [Politico]
-> The Washington National Cathedral will start hosting same-sex weddings, which comes on the heels of same-sex marriage legalization in D.C. [APviaTrib]
-> Bad news for the Tea Party. Fewer than one in 10 Americans now identify with the conservative movement, according to a new poll. [UtahPolicy]
-> With 4 million words, the U.S. tax code is officially longer than the Bible. [AP]
Where are they?
Utah Governor Gary Herbert reviews the Outdoor Recreation Vision, meets with legislative interns and hosts the Utah Energy Development Summit.
SLC Mayor Ralph Becker is in Washington for the National League of Cities Leaders planning meeting.
WVC Mayor Mike Winder meets with Utah Hispanic Center leaders and attends a State History Board meeting.
President Barack Obama has no public events scheduled.
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 Emily AndrewsTwitter.com/thomaswburr and Twitter.com/emilytandrews