This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated.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.

Better loses big on Romney 2012 gamble. Hatch bucks Lee over government shutdown vote. A Q&A on what a government shutdown means to you.

Happy Wednesday. One person may have lost $4 million betting on Mitt Romney to win the presidential election and could have given false hope to many Republicans who counted on the online betting website Intrade to hold true on the winner. A study shows that one guy may have lost big when it comes to the 2012 winner. [Buzzfeed]

Topping the news: Sen. Orrin Hatch and fellow Republicans are rejecting Sen. Mike Lee's strategy to block the House-passed budget bill that keeps the government running and cuts funding for Obamacare. It became a hard sell for GOP senators to say, "Well, I like the anti-Obamacare bill but want to filibuster it." [Trib]

-> A quick guide to what could happen if the government shuts down on Tuesday morning and most of Utah's 31,000 federal employees, its parks and services are shuttered. [Trib]

-> A group of Utah National Guard soldiers will have to wait a week before helping to rebuild a highway in Colorado because of the budget gridlock in Washington. [Trib]

Tweets of the day: From @pourmecoffee: "Mike Lee singing softly as Ted Cruz speaks, ♫ "There he is, Mr. Conservative. There he is, your ideal ..." ♫"

From @joshmurdockUT: "I'm waiting in line at the DMV while Ted Cruz filibusters. Who will get more done today?"

Happy birthday: To state Sen. Lyle Hillyard and Sen. Orrin Hatch's office's own J.J. Brown.

In other news: Environmentalists say that Utah Kennecott Copper is moving more than the 150 million tons allowed by the state's air quality plan and contributing to the particulate pollution that makes the Salt Lake Valley's air so bad. [Trib]

-> Pat Bagley gives his take on Sen. Ted Cruz's filibuster and his wingman, Sen. Mike Lee. [Trib]

-> Salt Lake City will not ban horse-drawn carriages but might regulate them. The Council asked Mayor Ralph Becker and Salt Lake County Animal Services to draft an ordinance on how to proceed. [Trib] [DNews] [Fox13]

-> Blue Castle, the funding group behind what could be Utah's first nuclear power plant, is saying that Utah will need nuke power by the time its plant will be finished because coal-fired generation faces decommissioning, and that electricity usage is expected to grow by 2 percent per year. [Trib]

-> The Sandy City Council passed a law dictating that protestors have to remain 100 feet away from the intended target's property line. Two council members dissented saying the ordinance just moved protests into neighboring properties. [Trib]

-> Paul Rolly discusses how some lawmakers have been accused of being full of manure and how one Utah, kind, representative literally helped shovel it for a good cause. [Trib]

-> Speculation is building that Gov. Gary Herbet's chief of staff, Derek Miller, could become the state's lieutenant governor. [UtahPolicy]

-> A new study suggests that Bus Rapid Transit systems are more effective than light rail projects at bringing in more money for development. [Trib]

-> The Salt Lake County Council officially confirmed Kevin Jacobs as the new county assessor. [Trib]

Nationally: Sen. Ted Cruz took to the Senate floor on Tuesday in a mock filibuster as a show against the House-passed budget resolution that he and Sen. Mike Lee had argued for. Cruz was joined by Lee and others, though it was a symbolic gesture since the vote was previously scheduled. [Politico] [WaPost]

-> The Wall Street Journal calls on "Generals" Cruz and Lee to take responsibility if their strategy to fix bayonets ends badly for Republicans. [WSJ]

-> President Barack Obama spoke to the U.N. General Assembly urging for diplomacy in the Middle East, and adding that America would use all levels of power to protect its interests. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also called for diplomacy but asserted Iran's rights to develop uranium, and warned Obama to resist influence from warmongering pressure groups. [NYTimes]

-> The Senate confirmed Todd M. Hughes to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, elevating the first openly gay federal circuit judge in history. [WaPost] [Politico]

-> Mitt Romney will headline a private fund-raiser in Virginia for Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, the Republican candidate for governor. No details about the lunch have been provided, including the cost of attendance. [WaPost]

Where are they?

Gov. Gary Herbert takes a personal day.

SL Co. Mayor Ben McAdams sits down with Utah House Speaker Rebecca Lockhart and meets State Sen. Wayne Harper and State Rep. Johnny Anderson.

WVC Mayor Mike Winder meets teachers from Farnsworth Elementary.

President Barack Obama holds a call with mayors, county officials, and state legislators regarding the Affordable Care Act and meets with Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew in the Oval Office.

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 Jordan Bailey Twitter.com/thomaswburr Twitter.com/thejordanbailey