News roundup: Obama could win by losing the Senate

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Obama could win by losing the Senate. Ordain Women followers fear retribution. Same-sex marriage supporters raising funds for lawsuit.

Happy Monday. Democrats are fearing they could lose the Senate this election and end up with Republicans in charge of all of Congress. But what if that's not a bad thing in the end for Dems. The Washington Post's Dana Milbank says that if the GOP runs the House and the Senate, it might be forced to compromise, or at least have to govern, and can't just vote no or blame President Barack Obama for everything. [WaPost]

Topping the news: Followers of the Ordain Women group have been ostracized and shunned at LDS Church functions and fear more hatred will follow after the excommunication of the group's leader Kate Kelly. [Trib]

-> Lawyers advocating for same-sex marriage in Utah are raising money to support the case because it will likely go to the U.S. Supreme Court. [Trib]

Tweets of the day: From @sorrogrande: "Sweet merciful crap, @SenMikeLee stood up against #NLRB nominations like a week ago. Can we move on? #Ilikemike #butenoughalready"

-> From @SpencerJCox: "Watching old lady flip off Smokey The Bear for spraying her with water during the parade. Happy #IndependenceDay!"

Opinion section: Noah Greenwald, who directs an endangered species program in Oregon and wrote a petition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, wants grizzly bears to be rehabilitated in Utah and nearby states, where the animals once flourished. [Trib]

-> George Pyle implores readers to send in letters to the editor and guest columns to the paper rather than commenting online. [Trib]

-> Take a look at cartoonist Pat Bagley's depiction of Supreme Court justices snuggling up to corporations like Hobby Lobby. [Trib]

-> Paul Rolly takes a look at the disorder in the Davis County Republican Party. [Trib]

-> Rolly also writes about the 9-year-old daughter of a fallen soldier in Afghanistan who met with other family members of fallen U.S. military personnel to celebrate a unique Independence Day. [Trib]

-> Daniel McCool, a political science professor at the University of Utah, examines the myths behind recent legislation poised at taking possession of federal land in the state. [Trib]

-> State Sen. Allen Christensen, R-Ogden, says if Utah approves Medicaid expansion it is "basically accepting a federal bribe only to be snared in a trap," and adds that residents have been misinformed on their other options for health care. [Trib]

-> Ron Clegg, a highway engineer, wants the Legislature to "look at the human side of the equation" to stop traffic fatalities through stricter seat belt laws and cellphone policies. [Trib]

-> Laura Welp, an ecosystems specialist, says efforts to protect rare flowers in Utah with an endangered species status have been throttled by political motivations for oil shale resources in the state. [Trib]

-> Shaun McGrath, a regional administrator with the EPA, praises a potential new, less complicated EPA rule to protect water resources. [Trib]

-> LaVarr Webb and Frank Pignanelli discuss the possible consequences of state leaders calling for a constitutional convention. [DNews]

-> Former Sen. Bob Bennett says the nation needs to move away from employer-sponsored health care and empower employees to have their own coverage. [DNews]

Weekend in review: Fifteen Utah residents became U.S. citizens on the Fourth of July, taking the official oath at a naturalization ceremony. [Trib] [DNews]

-> With the arrival of FantasyCon, there are now three conventions competing for business in the science-fiction and comic-book culture in Salt Lake. [Trib] [DNews] [KUTV] [KSL] [Fox13]

-> The Rainbow Family gathering near Heber City feels criminal activity in its ranks misrepresents the peace-seeking group's good nature. [Trib] [KUTV]

-> Utah police agencies are using social media more and more to catch criminals. [Trib]

-> The Utah Transit Authority's general manager Michael Allegra said UTA has not sold as many Hive Passes to Salt Lake City residents as anticipated, but hopes the program will improve. [Trib]

-> A University of Utah study shows that TRAX cars can actually reduce car traffic lower than initial levels. [Trib]

-> UTA is renewing its free long-term parking program at 30 stations. [DNews] [KSL]

-> The Utah Department of Transportation said a federal gridlock on highway programs may not impact Utah as much as other states. [Trib]

-> Some say the Common Core standards in schools cause special-education students to fall behind. [DNews]

-> Friends of Alta will replace two plaques stolen last year in Little Cottonwood Canyon. [Trib]

-> A release of hormones into the body after a rape can account for the "fragmented and sketchy" memories of victims and may be part of the reason why police forces discount such stories and drop an investigation. [Trib]

-> The compromise over access to Cardiff Fork in Big Cottonwood Canyon isn't without problems, but it has come with less conflict overall. [Trib]

-> Protestors from Utah's branch of the National Organization of Women rallied in South Jordan against the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby decision. [DNews]

-> Murray celebrated the Fourth of July with Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams and a big parade. [Trib] The Stadium of Fire was also ablaze with fun as thousands of Utahns celebrated the holiday weekend. [Trib] [KUTV]

-> The number of senior residents in Utah is increasing, but less are moving into nursing homes. [Trib]

Nationally: President Barack Obama delivered remarks at a naturalization ceremony and promised to continue working on immigration reform, saying, "I'm going to keep doing everything I can to make our immigration system smarter and more efficient." [Politico] [LATimes]

-> In a ruling similar to the Hobby Lobby case, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 to allow a Christian college exemption from the Obamacare mandate on providing contraceptives. [Politico] Check out a roundup of the other SCOTUS decisions this year now that the term has officially ended. [Politico]

-> A report on the NSA shows the majority of people the agency surveilles are not targeted terrorists, but rather innocent bystanders; the report also contains information leaked by Edward Snowden. [NYTimes]

-> Political analysts say Hillary Clinton is beginning to separate herself from Obama and his policies in the hopes of gaining Republican approval for a possible 2016 presidential bid. [WSJ] Clinton has also come under scrutiny lately for the lavish price she charges to speak at events, but says all the money she earns is donated to charity through the Clinton Foundation. [WaPost] [Politico]

-> Check out this Q& A with former Press Secretary Jay Carney. He talks about his time in the White House, Obama, Biden and a Corvette, saying ultimately, "I'm not going to disappear from view." [NYTimes]

Where are they?

Rep. Jason Chaffetz tours Rockwell Watches and meet with Provo College officials.

SL Co. Mayor Ben McAdams holds a Cabinet meeting, speaks with state Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, meets with the president of the Green and Healthy Homes Initiative Ruth Ann Norton and attends a Future of Unincorporated Salt Lake County meeting.

President Barack Obama eats lunch with teachers and the Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

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 Courtney Tanner Twitter.com/thomaswburr and Twitter.com/CourtneyLTanner