News roundup: Sen. Lee to visit South Carolina, a key primary state

Sen. Lee heads to South Carolina. Romney's 47% drops to 43%. A day in the life of a congressman.

Happy Friday. Sen. Mike Lee is headed to South Carolina, the state hosting the first-in-the-South presidential primary and a key battleground for national politics. Is he considering a White House bid? Well, we'll see, but this trip appears more as a fund-raiser-type opportunity than anything else. [FITS]

Topping the news: That famous 47 percent of Americans who don't pay taxes — and made famous by Mitt Romney — has shrunk to 43 percent, according to a new survey. [Reuters]

-> Life in Congress isn't all town cars and steak dinners. A day in the life of a member, courtesy of Rep. Rob Bishop. [Trib]

Tweets of the day: From @PubliusDB: "Who knew? All that domestic spying apparatus, & none of it necessary to find out that Syria is responsible for the chemical weapons attack."

From @DamienFahey: "I hope our country is getting its Frequent War Club Card punched because if it is this next one with Syria should be free."

From @ShaneGoldmacher: "It wasn't until I came to Washington that I'd heard the phrase: "Off the record, no comment."

Happy birthday: State Rep. Christopher Herrod and State Rep. Rebecca Edwards and former Trib intern Andreas Rivera.

Programming note: Political Cornflakes is taking Labor Day off, as we hope you are, but we'll return to your inbox and your computer screen on Tuesday. Have a safe weekend.

In other news: The group Count My Vote named Gail Miller as its first chairwoman. The group is seeking to overhaul Utah's election system and reform the way candidates get on the primary ballot. [Trib]

-> Gov. Gary Herbert visited a Millcreek elementary school to announce a $1.2 million grant to help the expansion of a statewide tutoring program aimed to help students read at grade level. [DNews] [KUTV]

-> West Valley's new police chief Lee Russo can't take the oath of office until he become certified by Utah Peace Officer Standards and Trainings according to state law. [DNews]

-> Official recounts for South Salt Lake and West Valley City yielded the same results as before. [Trib]

-> The Pleasant Grove City Council will hold a public hearing on the general obligation bond on the ballot Nov. 5. [DNews]

-> Almost a third of poor Utahns are uninsured, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. [Trib]

-> Paul Rolly praises the Utah Greek community and notes the Mormon-NonMormon fight in our comment section. [Trib]

-> Gov. Gary Herbert appointed three new judges to the 8th District Court. [DNews]

-> What if the Justice Department clears AG John Swallow? Bryan Schott and Bob Bernick discuss that and more politics in their weekly videocast. [UtahPolicy]

-> Glendale and South Salt Lake could be proving grounds if Obamacare can succeed in Utah. [Trib]

Nationally: The U.S. spy agencies' $52.6 billion "black budget" for fiscal year 2013 was released because of Edward Snowden. The government has released its intelligence spending since 2007, but it has never stated how those funds have been used. [WaPost]

-> The IRS ruled that all legally married same-sex couples will be recognized for federal tax purposes, regardless of which state they live in. [NYTimes]

-> The White House says it's planning on closing two loopholes for purchasing guns by executive authority. [WaPost]

-> Britain and France want more time for U.N. officials to finish their ground work before making a decision about Syria. [WaPost] [NYTimes]

->The Obama administration dismissed Syria's claim for an extension for a chemical weapons inspection, arguing it was a stall tactic. [WaPost]

-> China has left its non-intervention attitude and urges the U.S. to show restraint, adding that military intervention would only exacerbate the problem. [WaPost]

-> The Justice Department says it will not try to block states laws that legalize marijuana for now, instead federal prosecutors plan to focus on more serious trafficking cases. [CNN]

-> A New Jersey court has ruled that people who knowingly text someone who is driving can be held liable if he or she causes an accident. [CNN]

Where are they?

Gov. Gary Herbert is taking a personal day.

WVC Mayor Mike Winder dedicates new Granger High School.

President Barack Obama meets with Estonia President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Lithuania's Dalia Grybauskaitė and President Andris Bērziņš of Latvia at the White House..

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 Jordan BaileyTwitter.com/thomaswburr Twitter.com/thejordanbailey