This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Speaker Boehner's diner review. Federal judge says NSA spying unconstitutional. Hatch to back budget deal.
Happy Tuesday. Wonder what House Speaker John Boehner does for breakfast? He goes to the same diner almost every day. He orders eggs and sometimes sausage but never on Fridays. "And never the bacon," he notes. "My diner makes lousy bacon." That's according to a small piece the speaker wrote for Esquire magazine advocating for eating the first meal of the day at a greasy-spoon. Many of you Washingtonians know which diner he's speaking of, and to be fair, the bacon isn't that bad. [Speaker.Gov]
Topping the news: A federal judge ruled Monday that the NSA's bulk metadata collection program violates the Constitution but he stayed the order pending an appeal so the agency can keep monitoring the phone call data. [NYTimes] [WaPost] [Politico] The ruling: [WaPost]
-> They created it and now they have to live with it. Members of Congress are likely to pay more for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act while some of their staffers will pay less. [Trib]
-> After the federal court ruling on polygamy, the LDS Church reaffirmed its opposition to plural marriage but acknowledged that the faith's early practice continued beyond its 1890 ban and into the 20th Century. [Trib]
-> Conservatives say that the court ruling in Utah essentially legalizing polygamy shows their worst fears are coming true. [Trib]
Tweet of the day: From @rorycooper: "CLOSE EVERYTHING!! MT @capitalweather Two rounds of snow flakes possible Tues in DC area, but shouldn't amount to much."
And from @mollyesque: "Idea, via @pbump: NSA tries to soften its public image by "tracking" Santa's communications! Aww!"
Happy birthday: To Utah Democratic Party chairman, Sen. Jim Dabakis.
In other news: Gov. Gary Herbert had his initial interviews Monday with the three candidates Republicans have chosen to replace John Swallow as attorney general. [Trib]
-> Sen. Orrin Hatch says he'll support the compromise budget deal — "Sometimes the answer has to be yes" — while Sen. Mike Lee opposes the agreement. [Trib] With Hatch's support, and that of a handful of Republicans, it appears the deal has the 60 votes it needs to advance in the Senate. [NYTimes]
-> Pat Bagley offers his take on polygamists coming out of the closet — at least somewhat. [Trib]
-> ICYMI: Take a look at the TribTalk about the pending charges against Tim Lawson in the probe of former AGs John Swallow and Mark Shurtleff. [Trib]
-> The Hinckley Institute's Kirk Jowers says that Sen. Mike Lee could help ensure the Republican Party doesn't devour itself. [DNews]
-> Bob Bernick and Bryan Schott continue their top stories of the year with No. 8, the big changes in the Utah media landscape. [UtahPolicy]
Nationally: The Washington Post's fact-checker offers a list of the biggest Pinocchios over the last year, including the whopper about keeping your health insurance. [WaPost]
-> A panel reviewing the NSA's authority and actions, meanwhile, may come down with some sweeping suggestions for change. One U.S. intelligence official said the still-classified report had him "slobberknockered." [Politico]
-> There have been signs that the partisan divide in Congress is lessening — they, they got a budget deal, right? — but it may be only surface level. Looking forward, 2014 may see more of the same gridlock. [WaPost]
-> Critics say the flawed Benghazi report, an Amazon "puff-piece" and a less-than-critical interview with the head of the NSA have left the famed "60 Minutes" newsmagazine with credibility problems. [Politico]
Where are they?
Gov. Gary Herbert is in Washington for meetings.
SL Co. Mayor Ben McAdams attends the County Council meetings, serves holiday meals at the Kearns Senior Center, meets with Wasatch Backcountry Alliance board members George Vargyas and Jamie Kent and later hits the Kearns Community Council Meeting.
SLC Mayor Ralph Becker meets with department directors, gets a briefing on the Performing Arts Center and hits the Wasatch Summit meeting.
WVC Mayor Mike Winder visits with 8th graders at Endeavor Hall and conducts his final City Council meeting.
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden meet with leading tech company executives and the two later meet with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.
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 Twitter.com/thomaswburr