This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Inauguration day! Obama to use MLK Bible. Scores of Utahns in D.C. to view history, again.
Happy Monday, and happy Inauguration Day (part two). It's Martin Luther King Jr. Day, named after a man that will be much in the mind of President Barack Obama, the nation's first black president who will swear his oath of office with his left hand on a Bible once owned by King. [Politico] A quick history of the Bibles used by presidents at their inaugurals. [LOC]
-> A quick look at today's ceremony, by the numbers: [Trib].
-> Are you in Washington for the big day? Send us your pics and tell us about your experience! We'l be flooding the zone today, looking for Utahns to share their stories. Email us at cornflakes@sltrib.com.
Topping the news: Hours before taking the oath to be vice president, Joe Biden gave himself a promotion speaking before an Iowa group: "I'm proud to be president of the United States." Biden corrected himself but some wonder whether it was an accident, or a signal that he's running for the White House and just happened to hint that to the folks from the state with the first presidential contest. [Yahoo] [WSJ]
-> Holes in data provided by the TSA shows that the agency might not know if their procedures actually make for safer travel. [Trib]
-> 40 years after the Roe v. Wade, Utah has the most restrictive abortion law in the country. The Trib's Brooke Adams takes a look at the history with Utah's laws on the subject. [Trib]
Inauguration: Obama officially kicked off his second term yesterday in a private, intimate ceremony at the White House. Because Inauguration Day fell on a Sunday this year, the ceremonial swearing in at the Capitol will take place today. [WaPost] [NYTimes] [APviaTrib] This time around, Chief Justice John Roberts administered the oath without slipping up. [Politico]
-> Vice President Joe Biden also took his oath in a private ceremony on Sunday at his residence at the Naval Observatory administered by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Some insiders saw signs of a potential 2016 bid at the ceremony. [NYTimes]
-> The president will have six major issues on his plate this time around, including tough debates about immigration and gun control. [Trib]
As the president begins his second term, Utah's politicos give their take on what the nation and the state can expect from the next four years. [Trib]
-> According to a new poll, most Americans are being more cautious about getting their hopes up for what's to come in the next four year, given some past examples of second terms gone awry. [Inquirer]
-> The changes and challenges of the last four years has taken an emotional toll on the Obamas, for better and for worse, say insiders. [NYTimes]
-> As up to 500,000 people (according to new estimates) swarm the nation's capital for the inauguration today, disinterested Republicans are running in the opposite direction. [NYTimes]
Tweets of the day: From @LisaAHolton: "So, what do you do after you take the Oath of Office on a Sunday? Watch some football? Order a couple of pizzas? Take a nap?"
From@CindyhM1 (Cindy McCain): "I voted for the other guy, but this town really sparkles during inaugurations!"
-> Watch for tweets from the inauguration today from your Tribune team on the ground: @thomaswburr, @mattcanham and @emilytandrews.
Happy belated birthday: On Saturday to James Seaman and on Sunday to former state Rep. Patrick Painter.
Opinion section: After months of volunteering, donating and cheering, Barb Guy can't wait to celebrate the president's start to his second term. [Trib]
-> Paul Rolly lays out a sordid history of Utah's attorneys general, arguing that if the office was appointed instead of elected, some corruption could be eradicated. [Trib]
-> Former Sen. Bob Bennett extolls the virtues of moderates in both major political parties. [DNews]
-> Utah's top Catholic official calls for the expansion of Medicaid to an additional 45,000 clients on humanitarian grounds. [Trib]
-> If you can't go against it, go with it: Peg McEntee urges Utah lawmakers to embrace a Medicaid expansion, even if it's part of Obamacare. [Trib]
-> A ski industry guru decries SkiLink, saying the proposal cuts the public and users of the debated terrain out of the discussion. [Trib]
-> Cleaning up Utah's smoggy air takes cooperation from all affected, argues the president of the Utah Manufacturer's Association. [Trib]
-> A gun owner argues for less public gun toting, saying that while legal, the image is often disturbing and unnecessary. [Trib]
-> Another gun owner proposes wider registration of guns and liability insurance, among other gun control proposals. [Trib]
-> A former Salt Lake County auditor examines embattled businessman Jeremy Johnson's influence and dealings with Attorney General John Swallow. [Trib]
-> George Pyle argues against censorship, while relenting that one must know what they're defending. [Trib]
-> The 200-odd protesters who gathered outside of Gov. Gary Herbert's energy summit a few weeks ago and their goals exemplify Utah's pioneer spirit, says the president of Utah Physicians for a Healthy Environment. [Trib]
-> Utah prosecutors are losing sight of their duty by failing to examine evidence thoroughly, according to a criminal defense attorney. [Trib]
-> Wider gun control laws, rather than armed teachers, are at least a step in the right direction, says a Utah Parents Against Gun Violence co-founder. [DNews]
-> Frank Piganelli and Lavarr Webb say Swallow acted foolishly in many ways as his scandal unfolded. [DNews]
-> John Florez calls for cutting fat in the state's education bureaucracy. [DNews]
-> Inmate credit cards at the Salt Lake County Jail may have been hacked, Paul Rolly exposes. [Trib]
Weekend in review: Utah gun owners rallied at the state capitol over the weekend, daring federal lawmakers to enact gun control laws that might step on the the Second Amendment. [Trib] [DNews] [Fox13]
-> A former Nevada business partner of Attorney General John Swallow says that a hefty sum paid to Swallow was earned as a consulting fee, not as a payment for shooing federal regulators off of Jeremy Johnson. [Trib]
-> The Utah Sheriff's Association pens an open letter to Obama, decrying his use of executive orders to enact gun control efforts. [DNews] [Fox13]
-> The FrontRunner extension to Provo has thrown UTA schedules off so badly that they may have to be revised before the usual April change date. [Trib]
-> UTA is also facing a scheduling snaffu with their new airport TRAX line, with early morning and late night passengers arriving before and after trains run. [Trib]
-> While the TSA drops some body scanners in favor of those that produce a less graphic image, scanners at Salt Lake City International Airport won't be affected as they already meet new requirements. [Trib]
-> Ron Fullmer, the civic leader who helped make Cottonwood Heights a city, died over the weekend, his family says. [Trib]
-> A new bill may allow drivers to turn left on a red light at unique diamond-shaped interchanges. [Trib]
-> Former Speaker of the House Rep. Nancy Pelosi's daughter debuted a film at the Sundance Film Festival, her eighth for HBO. [DNews]
Where are they?
SLC Mayor Ralph Becker is in Washington, attending President Barack Obama's inauguration festivities.
WVC Mayor Mike Winder hits his city's Martin Luther King, Jr. day celebration.
President Barack Obama is ceremonially sworn in to his second term on the steps of the Capitol, hits a celebratory luncheon, walks in the Inaugural Parade, and hits two official Inaugural balls.
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