James Rosen, Ben Penrod and Rep. Dave Brat joined WMAL on Friday.
Mornings on the Mall
Friday, May 29, 2015
Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor
Executive Producer: Heather Smith
5am – A/B/C Marine court-martialed for refusing to remove Bible verse. (Fox News) – A United States Marine was convicted at a court-martial for refusing to remove a Bible verse on her computer – a verse of Scripture the military determined “could easily be seen as contrary to good order and discipline.” The plight of Lance Corporal Monifa Sterling seems unbelievable – a member of the Armed Forces criminally prosecuted for displaying a slightly altered passage of Scripture from the Old Testament: “No weapon formed against me shall prosper.” Sterling, who represented herself at trial, was convicted February 1, 2014 in a court-martial at Camp Lejune, North Carolina after she refused to obey orders from a staff sergeant to remove the Bible verses from her desk. She was found guilty of failing to go to her appointed place of duty, disrespect toward a superior commissioned officer, and four specifications of disobeying the lawful order of a noncommissioned officer.
5am – D Up to 18 labs in U.S. got live anthrax shipments. (USA Today) — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said Thursday that as many as 18 labs around the country received live anthrax samples. Twenty-six people who may have been exposed, including 22 at an Air Force base in South Korea, are being medically treated as a precaution. The incident is the latest in a string of high-profile mistakes involving federal labs. The Atlanta-based CDC said labs in nine states received the Bacillus anthracis specimens from the U.S. Army’s Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. Shipments went to California, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin. Exact lab locations had not been identified, but “they are mostly private and some are operated by government and public institutions,” said Jason McDonald, a spokesman for the CDC.
5am – E Transportation news:
- Arlington Memorial Bridge Lanes Closed Friday Morning. Watch out, commuters who drive to and from Virginia: two lanes of heavily traveled Arlington Memorial Bridge will close to traffic before Friday’s rush hour. The closure affects two curbside lanes. Four feet of the adjoining sidewalk will close, too. Federal highway officials have found that the bridge’s secondary load-bearing beams are corroding faster than expected — and don’t meet highway standards. The bridge’s concrete deck is deteriorating, too. Limiting traffic on the bridge will help extend the bridge’s life while repairs are made — but that will also make traffic in that area even more congested.
- D.C. has taken a step to link Georgetown and Rosslyn via overhead gondola.(Washington Post) – When Joe Sternlieb first stumbled across a gondola in Portland seven years ago that was transporting passengers up a steep grade to a medical campus, he thought the unusual mode of transportation could be used in D.C. to carry people over the Potomac River between Georgetown and Rosslyn. But Sternlieb, who is the president of the Georgetown Business Improvement District, thought, “they would never go for that in Washington,” and the idea seemed quixotic, at best. Still, he’s been floating the idea to a receptive group of business leaders and residents over the last few years, and now, a gondola connecting D.C. and Virginia seems feasible, or at least a study examining the feasibility of such a gondola is. Tucked within the $13 billion spending plan the D.C. Council passed Wednesday is $35,000 to conduct a study to determine if a gondola makes sense. Sternlieb estimates that a feasibility study would cost around $200,000.
6am – A/B/C Ex-US Speaker indicted over $3.5 million in payments. CHICAGO (AP) — Former U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert agreed to pay $3.5 million in hush money to keep a person from the town where he was a longtime high school teacher silent about “prior misconduct” by the Illinois Republican who once was second in line to the U.S. presidency, according to a federal grand jury indictment handed down Thursday. The indictment, which doesn’t describe the alleged misconduct by Hastert, charges the 73-year-old with one count of evading bank regulations by withdrawing $952,000 in increments of less than $10,000 to skirt reporting requirements. He also is charged with one count of lying to the FBI about the reason for the unusual withdrawals. Each count of the indictment carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
6am – D DC Metro bans ‘issue’ ads after Muhammad cartoon request. The Washington, D.C., transit system banned all “issue-oriented” advertisements from Metro stations and buses on Thursday, after receiving a request to run ads showing the Prophet Muhammad. The Metro board agreed to a motion from Chairman Mort Downey to ban political, religious and other issue ads through the rest of the year, a spokesman confirmed. “In the coming months, Metro will fully consider the impact that issue-related advertisements have on the community by gathering input from riders, local community groups and advocates,” spokesman Michael Tolbert said in a statement. “Metro will also carefully examine the legal concerns related to displaying, or discontinuing the display of, issue-related advertisements.” At the end of the year, the board will decide whether or not to continue the ban.
6am – E 2016 News:
- “She fantasizes being raped by 3 men”: Bernie Sanders’s bizarre 1972 essay on gender. (Vox) — In case the text is tough to read, here are the opening paragraphs: “A man goes home and masturbates his typical fantasy. A woman on her knees, a woman tied up, a woman abused.” “A woman enjoys intercourse with her man — as she fantasizes being raped by 3 men simultaneously.” “The man and woman get dressed up on Sunday — and go to Church, or maybe to their “revolutionary” political meeting.”
- ‘Don’t let Bill back in the White House, he abused women and he’ll do it again.’ Paula Jones warns against voting for Hillary – because she also lied about sex case which almost cost him presidency. She was the woman who almost brought down the president, with her allegations of sexual harassment. But 21 years after Paula Jones accused Bill Clinton of lurid behavior, she is speaking out against Hillary and insisting that his wife is not fit to be President either – because of her husband’s history of bad behavior. In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Online Jones delivers her own verdict on Hillary’s bid to become president, saying that her husband’s attitude towards women disqualifies Bill from re-entering the White House – while what she calls Hillary’s ‘lies’ disqualify her from the Oval Office.
7am – A INTERVIEW – JAMES ROSEN – Chief Washington Correspondent and of Host, “The Foxhole” on Fox News Channel – discussed Hillary Clinton sleeping through a Benghazi meeting, Hillary’s Southern accent, Marie Harf’s promotion and ISIS in Iraq.
7am – B Patriot Act to Expire This Weekend: Blitzer Presses Jen Psaki: How Do You Not Have a Plan B if Patriot Act Lapses? A few days ago, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest publicly said the Obama administration doesn’t have a “plan B” if the Patriot Act lapses by next week and is not reauthorized, due to objections being raised by Rand Paul and others about bulk phone data collection. White House Communications Director Jen Psaki reiterated to Wolf Blitzer tonight, “There isn’t a plan B. There’s no magic bullet, there’s no switch here. This is really an issue that the Senate needs to work through.” “If it’s so important,” Blitzer then asked, “and the Senate fails to act by the deadline, don’t you think there should be some sort of plan B in place, a backup plan ready to kick in in case this authorization is not renewed?”
7am – C A quarter of Harvard grads have never had sex. They must have had a lot of homework! A quarter of Harvard’s graduating class said they missed out on sex in college — down from the 58 percent who came to campus virgins, according to data compiled by The Harvard Crimson. Still, last year’s class was not much more experienced: 21 percent said they graduated virgins. Campus players seem to be few and far between. Nineteen percent of men and only 7 percent of women reported having 10 or more sexual partners in college. Of the seniors who were having sex, 43 percent of students said they always used a condom, while 31 percent said they sometimes, rarely or never used a condom. Meanwhile, 45 percent of men said they watched porn “multiple times a week” from their dorms. Fifty-six percent of women said they never watched porn while at Harvard.
7am – D National spelling bee ends in a tie for second year in a row. (CNN) He was the the cool one, sporting a LeBron jersey under his shirt, never cracking under pressure. She was the adorable one, winner of Lifetime’s “Child Genius” quiz show, all smiles and confidence. After three grueling days that dispatched 283 spellers with ruthless efficiency, Gokul Venkatachalam, 14, of Chesterfield, Missouri; and Vanya Shivashankar, 13, of Olathe, Kansas were the last two standing at the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday. Until last year, the World Series of spellers hadn’t seen a tied win in more than five decades. Now, it’s happened for the second year in a row. Why? There weren’t enough words left on the competition’s list for them to keep facing off until only one was left. Vanya correctly spelled the word “scherenschnitte” and Gokul correctly spelled the word “nunatak.”
7am – E 2016 News:
- Poll: Five Republicans tied for first with 10% each. The Republican presidential race is very crowded — and very unformed. A new Quinnipiac University poll of Republican voters shows a five-way tie for first — each with only 10% support. The top five: Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee, Marco Rubio and Scott Walker. Rounding out the top ten, according to Quinnipiac: Rand Paul (7%), Ted Cruz (6%), Donald Trump (5%), Chris Christie (4%), Carly Fiorina (2%) and John Kasich (2%). The real Republican leader: undecided, at 20%. “Safe to say, the 2016 Republican presidential primary is anyone’s race,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll. “With no front-runner and identical numbers for the top five contenders, it’s a horserace which can only be described as a scrambled field — at least so far.” The poll also shows all the Republican candidates losing a general election matchup with the Democratic frontrunner, Hillary Clinton.
- Rick Santorum Ditches Sweater Vest, Absent From Campaign Store. From the look of things, winning the Iowa caucuses and 11 states overall in 2012 obviously wasn’t good enough for Rick Santorum to keep the sweater vest around. After making the it part of his shtick four years ago ahead of the Iowa caucuses, the former Pennsylvania senator is seemingly ridding himself of the item, with it being absent from his campaign’s official store. While fans of the sweater vest must be bummed, Santorum’s decision may have implications on fundraising after the product helped raise $300,000 during his 2012 primary run.
- Pataki announces run for president and panders in Spanish.
8am – A INTERVIEW – BEN PENROD – PRESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER OF AWESOME CON http://www.awesome-con.com
- Friday-Sunday: In just its third year, Awesome Con has shown a superhuman ability to quickly grow and please its fans. This year, people seeking their nerd fix can sit in on interesting panels, get their game on in tournaments or take advantage of the high-profile guest list, which includes William Shatner, George Takei, WWE champion Seth Rollins and Jason Mewes. Events at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center start at noon on Friday and 10 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and ticket prices vary.
- William Shatner treks to DC for wrath of Awesome Con. The third annual Awesome Con convention returns to the Washington Convention Center from May 29 to 31 with a chance to meet none other than Captain Kirk.
8am – B Food News:
- Fight over last rib at barbecue results in victim being stabbed with fork. (Fox 59) — MUNCIE, Ind. (May 27, 2015) — One woman was hospitalized and another arrested after a fight over the last rib at a backyard barbecue turned violent. The fight broke out on North Turner Street in Muncie on Sunday night. Officers got a call about a stabbing around 7 p.m., in the midst of a large family barbecue. According to a police report obtained by the Muncie Star Press, a woman told police she had been stabbed in the eye with a fork by Sabrina Davis, a family friend. “She was upset that Davis was taking the last rib from the kitchen,” an officer said in the report. “(She) then confronted Davis about taking all the food.” During the confrontation, the victim said Davis was using a fork to take meat from a pan when she turned and used the fork to stab her in the eye. That victim was taken to the hospital for lacerations and a swollen eye and later released. Davis told officers she was acting in self-defense, after the victim pulled out a knife during the argument. “Davis states she stabbed (the victim) in the eye so she wouldn’t stab her with the knife,” the officer said.
- The study that claimed chocolate helps you lose weight? It’s fake. Coffee is good for your heart. Red wine helps you live longer. And the latest scientific claim: Chocolate helps you lose weight. One caveat: It’s based on terrible science. A press release on March 29 made a promise that newspapers and magazines around the world would repeat: “Can you indulge your sweet tooth and lose weight at the same time? If it’s chocolate you crave, then the answer seems to be: yes.” Lead author “Johannes Bohannon,” research director of the nonprofit Institute of Diet and Health, said, “Just lowering the proportion of carbohydrates is not a reliable weight loss intervention because it has different physiological effects depending on the bioactive compounds in your diet.” Now the reality. Johannes Bohannon is John Bohannon, a journalist, and the study was actually commissioned by German TV producers making a show about the junk-science diet industry. The Institute of Diet and Health was a website. The study had only 15 participants and included 18 different measurements, including weight, cholesterol, sodium, blood protein levels — a recipe for false positives, Bohannon says. “It was, in fact, a fairly typical study for the field of diet research,” he says. “Which is to say: It was terrible science. The results are meaningless.”
- McDonald’s Targets Bun Toasting, Burger Searing. (AP) — McDonald’s is tweaking how it cooks it burgers in hopes of winning back customers. To improve the taste of its food, the chain is toasting its buns longer so sandwiches will be warmer, said McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook at the Bernstein’s Strategic Decisions Conference in New York. He also said the company is changing the way it sears and grills its beef so that the patties are juicier. “It’s these little things that add up to big differences for our customers,” he said. Easterbrook, who stepped into his role March 1, said the changes are part of the company’s recommitment to “tastier food across the menu.” The remarks come after Easterbrook laid out the initial steps for turning around the company’s performance earlier this month. Those plans include a restructuring of the company intended to strip away layers of bureaucracy, and an acceleration of refranchising restaurants around the world.
- Now Michelle Obama goes after s’mores: First Lady’s MyPlate wants Americans to make the campfire snack WITHOUT chocolate and marshmallows. (Daily Mail) — Michelle Obama and her crusade against unhealthy food appears have a new target in its sights – s’mores. Her officially endorsed MyPlate Twitter account is proposing a makeover for the classic American summer campfire treat by replacing the indulgent chocolate and marshmallow with Strawberry and yogurt – low fat of course. Appalled, social media was up in arms at the very suggestion that s’mores could ever be tampered with and angry commenters let fly at the health conscious First Lady.
8am – C Gov. Chris Christie calls for end of Common Core in New Jersey. (7 Online) – TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie is backing away from the use of Common Core school standards, saying the system isn’t working for students in New Jersey. In a speech Thursday, the likely Republican presidential contender will make the case that the standards have brought confusion and frustration to parents and classrooms. The Common Core standards spell out what academic skills students should master at each grade level. They have been adopted by most states and the federal government, through a grant program, encourages states to use them. But they are unpopular among many parents, teachers, and GOP voters nationwide. “It’s now been five years since Common Core was adopted. And the truth is that it’s simply not working,” Christie says in excerpts released by his office ahead of the speech at Burlington County College. “Instead of solving problems in our classrooms, it is creating new ones. And when we aren’t getting the job done for our children, we need to do something different.”
8am – D INTERVIEW: DAVE BRAT – represents Virginia’s 7th District in the U.S. House.
- Patriot Act set to expire this weekend.
- Rep. Brat and Sen. Paul co-wrote an op-ed together this week
