This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

GOP has 48% chance of taking the Senate. Lack of charges in Bundy standoff 'dangerous.' Utah AG candidates playing safe with fundraising this year.

Happy Wednesday. Republicans now have a 48 percent chance of taking back control of the Senate, and if polls hold for now, it looks like this year's mid-term elections are going to be a nail-biter. Democrat and Republican candidates are within 2 percentage points of each other in the key states of Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana and North Carolina. Candidates in four other states are awfully close, too. Who says mid-terms are boring? [HuffPost]

Topping the news: Federal land managers want charges filed in 35 cases related to the Cliven Bundy standoff but prosecutors have delayed doing so, a dangerous precedent, according to an advocacy group. [Trib]

-> Candidates from both parties running for Utah's attorney general election are trying to play it safe when fundraising after the scandals that arose from money and campaign contributions in past races for the office. [Trib]

-> A public utility general manager for Heber Light and Power is retiring with a severance of $238,005 even after he wasn't able to prevent a subordinate from committing an alleged financial fraud against the company. [Trib]

Tweet of the day: From @StephenAtHome: "Small town police NEED military weaponry. You'd be shocked at how much easier it is to remove a cat from a tree with a tomahawk missile."

Happy Birthday: Sandy Tenney, chief clerk of the Utah House, and Trib photographer Scott Sommerdorf.

In other news: Utah State University accepted $220 million in 2014 from government, corporate and foundation sources for its Space Dynamics Laboratory. [Trib]

-> Former West Valley City Mayor and UHP superintendent Dennis Nordfelt died on Saturday after complications with pneumonia. He was 71. [Trib]

-> Uintah Elementary has yet to release a report on the school-lunch-dumping fiasco from January, and parents are hopping mad. [Trib]

-> Pat Bagley offers his take on the risks journalists take vs. how they're perceived by the American people. [Trib]

-> Utahns are more likely to side with cops in deadly force situations, though women tend to question actions more, according to a Utah Policy/Zions Bank poll. [UtahPolicy]

-> Due to expensive repairs, Salt Lake County has decided to replace two fountains at the Salt Palace Convention Center. [Trib]

-> Paul Rolly talks about the confusion that happened at the University of Utah's football game last Thursday regarding the school's fight song. [Trib]

Nationally: The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has videotaped a second beheading of an American journalist, Steven J. Sotloff, and threaten to kill more captives in retaliation for the American airstrikes on the group in Northern Iraq. [WaPost][NYTimes][Examiner][WSJ][Fox13]

-> Russian President Valdimir V. Putin says he could "take Kiev in two weeks," if he wanted to, which adds a new element to the strained relationships that has continued to build between Ukraine and Russia. [NYTimes]

-> FBI and federal authorities are taking the violation of various celebrity's privacy seriously, stating the leak of these photos was an "unlawful release of material involving high-profile individuals," while Apple denies any kind of breach of its system. [Politco][WSJ][WaPost][NYTimes]

Where are they?

Gov. Gary Herbert attends the Governor's Office of Management and Budget operations excellence conference, meets with Deb Delisle, deputy secretary of Education, and discusses the Sage Grouse.

Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox tours Family Promise in Salt Lake City and attends Healthy Utah Voices for Children town hall meeting.

President Barack Obama meets and greets with Estonia Embassy personnel, participates in an official arrival ceremony with President Ilves of Estonia and later meets with Primer Minister Roivas of Estonia, and will hold a press conference with President Ilves.

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 Mallory Jesperson Twitter.com/thomaswburr and Twitter.com/JespersonM