Holidays Coming
Welcome to November. Hope you survived Halloween. After Tuesday’s election, why don’t we all just plan to have a nice, quiet holiday season.
Washington Watch
Hatch: Confirm Mukasey
In floor speech, Sen. Orrin Hatch urges the confirmation of Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey (see press release).
Grover Cleveland and the Mormons
Cleveland greatly relaxed the prison sentences of those guilty of polygamy, so many Mormons simply turned themselves in, served their time, and went home. So, Cleveland was able to boast to Congress of 600 convictions, compared with his six Republican predecessors’ total of 6. In 1896, Cleveland admitted Utah into the U.S. as the 45th state. (From Mike Winder’s Presidents and Prophets: The Story of America’s Presidents and the LDS Church)
Impact of Fed Rate Cut
Utah economist Jeff Thedgold’s Tea Leaf economic update this week focuses on the Federal Reserve’s .25% reduction Wednesday in its federal funds rate. The quarter-percent cut follows a half-percent cut in September, and Thredgold sees a 50/50 chances of another .25% reduction on Dec. 11.
“The Fed well recognizes, as do most financial types, that the weakness in housing has yet to reach bottom. The Fed also sees that the current strength in American manufacturing exports, tied to strong global demand and a weaker dollar, is largely offsetting the weakness in housing, especially when looking at the overall U.S. economy from a “macro” viewpoint. The surprising 3.9% real (inflation adjusted) annual growth rate in 2007’s third quarter reported today supports this notion…and reaffirms our view that when all is said and done…the American economy will avoid recession.”
Public Policy in Park City
The Park City Center for Public Policy quarterly newsletter reports on the Center’s inaugural Policy Institute, which focused on the U.S. legal system, healthcare reform, mental health and substance abuse, and other topics.
The Engine of America
Former SBA chief Hector Barreto will be in Utah Nov. 6-8 for multiple Zions Bank events, where he'll speak to entrepreneurs and sign his recent book, “The Engine of America,” which details small business success stories and words of wisdom he garnered while serving as the 21st administrator of the U.S. To learn more about Barreto's visit and his schedule while in Utah, read the Zions Bank Business Resource Center newsletter.
Today in Political History
November 1, 1952: The first hydrogen bomb is exploded, with the force of 10 million tons of TNT, over the island of Enewetok in the Pacific. (Source: Perspicuity)
Wise Words
“When a man sits with a pretty girl for an hour, it seems like a minute. But let him sit on a hot stove for a minute -- and it's longer than any hour. That's relativity.
-- Albert Einstein (Source: Quote Garden)
Spotlight: Justice Courts
Justice Courts are established by counties and municipalities and have the authority to deal with class B and C misdemeanors, violations of ordinances, small claims, and infractions committed within their territorial jurisdiction. Justice Court jurisdictions are determined by the boundaries of local government entities such as cities or counties, which hire the judges.
There are two types of Justice Court judges: county judges who are initially appointed by a county commission and then stand for retention election every four years, and municipal judges who are appointed by city officials for a 4-year term. Some are both county and municipal judges. Some judges hear cases daily, and others have limited court hours each week. Justice Court judges need not be attorneys, although they receive extensive and continuing legal training. All Justice Court judges must attend 30 hours of continuing judicial education each year to remain certified. Currently, 108 Justice Court judges serve in 134 county and municipal courts. (Source: Utah Government)
National Politics
Best Stories From …
-- New York Times: "Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York came under withering attack from the rest of the Democratic presidential field [Tuesday] night in a pitched two-hour debate that her opponents used to challenge her candor and electability and to portray her as enabling President Bush to prepare for an invasion of Iran."
-- The Hill: "[Clinton's] top advisers, doing damage control after the candidate's debate performance Tuesday, told supporters on a conference call Wednesday that the campaign needed more money to fight back."
-- The Politico: "The wealthy Democrats and giant organizations that spent $135 million to make John F. Kerry president in 2004 are reaching into their pockets for another round.
-- Der Spiegel: Columnist Gabor Steingart explains why "Democrats must turn right to win" in '08.
Lighter Side
Best of Late Night Humor
Conan O’Brien: “Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich says that he once had an encounter with a UFO. Apparently, several weird looking, little men got off the ship, saw Kucinich, and said, ‘It’s alright. He’s one of us’.”
David Letterman: From “Top Ten Things Overheard During Dick Cheney’s Hunting Trip”: Has everyone updated their will? The crisp air is giving me goose bumps—no, wait, it’s another heart attack; This can’t end well; My pacemaker also makes bird calls; You shoot one guy in the face, avoid talking to authorities, delay taking a blood-alcohol test, and you’re labeled a bad guy; Duck!
Jay Leno: Lot of candidates getting into the Halloween spirit. Today, John Edwards said he was going to get a $15 haircut and go as someone from the other America. ... Even FEMA employees are celebrating Halloween. They’re all getting dressed up as reporters this year. ... It was obvious the reporters were FEMA workers because the questions were about the 2003 fire. ... New York Governor Eliot Spitzer has announced that New York will give driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants. So, for the first time ever, a lot of New York City cab drivers will actually have a license. ... Democrats in Congress have announced they will now be taking Fridays off. Apparently, they were getting worried their approval rating was too high. ... The president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, and his wife have gotten a divorce. Apparently, there were rumors of infidelity and lack of trust. To which Bill and Hillary said, ‘Well, that’s no reason to get divorced’. |
