This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated.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

Dem senator: Obamacare could "meltdown.' Gay marriage in Utah. SLC won't bid for GOP convention.

Happy Monday. President Barack Obama's signature domestic achievement, the Affordable Care Act, could fall under its own weight and have a "meltdown" if costs continue to be so high. That's according to Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who has pushed for a delay of the penalty for not enrolling in the program. [Yahoo]

Topping the news: Federal Judge Robert Shelby struck down Utah's same-sex marriage ban on Friday afternoon, setting off a firestorm from critics and joyous celebration by supporters. Move coverage below. [Trib] [AP] [DNews] [QSaltLake] [Fox13] [NPR] [KUTV] [ABC4] [NYTimes]

-> After two days of detailed allegations about former AG John Swallow, some House officials want to continue the probe to get to the bottom of his actions. [Trib] [DNews]

-> No Democrat has won statewide office in 17 years but Rep. Jim Matheson could change that if he decides to run for Senate or governor. Of course, he'll have some big challenges, too. [Trib]

-> Salt Lake City does not plan to join the chorus of cities bidding for the 2016 Republican National Convention. [DNews]

Same-sex ruling: Beyond the politics of the ruling, The Tribune's Erin Alberty looks at the personal promises couples were making this weekend. [Trib]

-> Gov. Gary Herbert said the state would appeal the decision and advised county clerks to consult with their own legal counsel on whether they should issue marriage licenses to gay couples. [Fox13] [DNews]

-> "This feels different," said MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. And in some ways, it is. Gay marriage in one of the most conservative states dominated by Mormons. [Trib]

-> The Weber County clerk had planned to open Saturday to hand out licenses but couldn't provide enough security to make it happen. [Trib] [Fox13]

-> Salt Lake County Clerk Sherrie Swensen, who was named in the case that brought about the ruling, may not join the state in an appeal. [QSaltLake]

-> The 10th Circuit declined to grant an emergency stay over the weekend. [QSaltLake] [DNews]

-> A look at what the state's attorneys plan to argue this morning at 9 a.m. before Judge Shelby. [Trib]

-> The Deseret News ran a front-page editorial slamming the court ruling as "judicial tyranny." [DNews]

-> Who is Robert Shelby? A Wisconsin-born, USU-educated lawyer who had the support of both Sens. Orrin Hatch and Mike Lee for his confirmation. [Trib]

-> Buzzfeed gives us a quick rundown of how Utah's newspapers covered the ruling. [Buzzfeed]

Tune in: Join The Tribune's Jennifer Napier-Pearce and Brooke Adams — with Brigham Young University law professor Lynn Wardle, University of Utah law professor Clifford Rosky, Q Salt Lake editor Michael Aaron — on TribTalk today at 12:15 p.m. to discuss the reprocussions of Shelby's ruling.

Tweet of the day: From @ComicJimDavid: "I don't know what portends the apocalypse more: people defending redneck duck hunters, gay marriage in Utah or 70 degrees on Dec. 22 in NY."

From @JoshDorner: "Has gay marriage destroyed Utah yet? I'm about to fly to Salt Lake and wanted to be sure it's still there."

From Vwampage: "I think Utah legalized gay marriage so they can continue to lead the world in Marriages Per Capita (MPC)."

Happy birthday: Today to Maria Millett from the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education, on Christmas to Debbie Hummel and Republican political consultant Tim Miller and on Saturday to Lisa Linn.

Congrats: To Miss Hummel and Ezra Tom Jones on their engagement.

Programming note: Political Cornflakes is taking a break for the rest of the week and will return to your inboxes and screens on Dec. 30.

Opinion section: A Mormon suggests the LDS Church take a hard look at how Pope Francis is reinvigorating the Catholic faithful. [Trib]

-> Frank Pignanelli and LaVarr Webb discuss the impacts of Matheson's departure from the House. [DNews]

-> Paul Rolly says Matheson still has a sizable war chest and could mount a formidable campaign for statewide office. [Trib]

-> State Rep. Mark Wheatley says upping cigarette taxes to pay for early childhood education is a bad idea and will cost the state in 10 years. [Trib]

-> State Sen. Allen Christiansen says expanding Medicaid is forced charity. [Trib]

-> The director of Utah's Habitat for Humanity says we should try to understand the hard lives lived by the homeless around us. [Trib]

-> A former soldier says the government should take care of those who served, especially the many returning veterans facing mental illness problems. [Trib]

-> A Utah newcomer wonders if she moved to "Salt Lake Sooty." [Trib]

-> Pat Bagley gives his take on the ghosts of non-traditional marriage past. [Trib]

-> Former Sen. Bob Bennett says the budget compromise is a good sign but a better move would be for Congress to do its work through "regular order." [DNews]

Weekend in review: Utah's air is soupy, that's clear. But where the pollution comes from and how to reduce it are proving to be complex problems for scientists and regulators. [Trib]

-> The Salt Lake County Council is looking at a master transit plan that would have a bus or train at every stop every 10 minutes and get you around the valley with a maximum of one transfer. [Trib]

-> A proposal to let county sheriffs take over all law enforcement duties during emergency declarations is facing concern from city police chiefs. [StandEx]

Nationally: Americans are upset about the NSA's domestic spying but are totally fine using technology that gives up their privacy. [WaPost]

-> The White House moved Friday to delay a judge's ruling on whether the NSA could legally collect metadata. [NYTimes]

-> Members of Congress are trying to "save Christmas" by pushing for holiday-specific mailings and backing a resolution to keep Merry Christmas alive. [ABCNews]

-> Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has been released from the hospital after a bout of exhaustion that had him down the last few days. [USAToday]

Where are they?

President Barack Obama remains in Hawaii on vacation.

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 BurrTwitter.com/thomaswburr