KT McFarland, Jonathan Gilliam, Charles Payne and guest host Scottie Hughes joined WMAL on Wednesday morning!

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Mornings on the Mall

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Hosts: Larry O’Connor and Scottie Hughes

Executive Producer: Heather Smith

5am – A/B/C Chris Christie, a faded Republican star, launches presidential campaign. (Washington Post) — LIVINGSTON, N.J. — Chris Christie, a onetime rising Republican star whose political stock fell sharply after a traffic scandal involving former aides and appointees, announced Tuesday that he is running for president, casting himself as a candidate who can work with both political parties to ease the “anxiety” over government dysfunction he says has seized the American people. Christie enters a crowded field as an underdog, wagering that his retail political skills and brash style will propel him into serious competition for his party’s nod. The New Jersey governor made his campaign official publicly Tuesday morning in a gymnasium at the high school that he attended here after telling supporters of his plans in a conference call. Later, he plans to hold a town hall meeting in New Hampshire, pivoting to his signature political venue in a state many strategists see as a must-win if Christie is going be a real contender.

5am – D         The State Department just released thousands of Clinton emails from her private server. The State Department released 3,000 pages of emails from Hillary Clinton’s tenure as the country’s chief diplomat on Tuesday, in compliance with a judge’s order to make the documents public. U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered the State Department to release emails from the former secretary of State’s private account every 30 days beginning June 30. The last batch of emails will be released in January 2016. Initially, the State Department had requested to release all the emails at once in January of next year. The batch of emails released Tuesday were sent between March and December 2009, her first year as secretary of State. Many of the emails are heavily redacted.

5am – E         An 18 year old just invented an alarm clock that wakes you up to the smell of ‘money’ or ‘croissants.‘ (Business Insider) — 18-year old Guillaume Rolland hated the noisy blare of his alarm clock every morning, so he invented SensorWake, the world’s first olfactory alarm clock that wakes up users with their favorite scents. The premise is simple: put a capsule in an alarm clock, each of which has the capacity to wake you up 60 times. According to the French teen, it is 99 percent guaranteed to gently wake you up from your slumber in under two minutes without frustration. The selection of SensorWake scents is endless, as you can find the scent of croissants, coffee or even the smell of money. “Credibility was the biggest challenge,” Rolland told Business Insider. “When you’re 18, everyone just says it’s a project. It’s not a joke. It’s a serious product.”

6am – A/B/C Bill signed to give California one of the toughest school vaccine laws in the USA. California governor signs strict law requiring vaccinations for most kids. (USA Today) — The governor of California – which was ground zero for the Disneyland measles outbreak that infected 117 people – today signed legislation giving the state one of the toughest school vaccine laws in the country. California children will no longer be able to skip the shots normally required to attend school because of their parents’ religious or personal objections. Unvaccinated children will still be able to attend school if there is a medical reason why they’re not able to be immunized, such as treatment for cancer. “The science is clear that vaccines dramatically protect children against a number of infectious and dangerous diseases,” said Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, in a statement. “While it’s true that no medical intervention is without risk, the evidence shows that immunization powerfully benefits and protects the community.” While all 50 states require school children to be vaccinated, 48 currently allow exemptions for families with religious objections and 20 exempt children based on parents’ personal beliefs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Jim Carrey on California Vaccine Law: Gov. Jerry Brown Is ‘Fascist.’ Jim Carrey left his 14 million Twitter followers in no doubt about his feelings on California’s tough new vaccination law on Tuesday. The actor believes there is a link between vaccines and autism. He branded California Gov. Jerry Brown a “corporate fascist” after he signed into law one of the strictest immunization programs in the country earlier in the day.

California Gov says yes to poisoning more children with mercury and aluminum in manditory vaccines. This corporate fascist must be stopped.

   — Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) July 1, 2015

6am – D         Several New Laws Take Effect in D.C., Maryland, Virginia on July 1. (AP) — Several new laws are set to take effect Wednesday in Virginia and Maryland. Here are some of the laws that will go into effect:

• D.C.: As of Wednesday, the minimum wage in the nation’s capital is $10.50 an hour. That’s higher than in any state, although a handful of cities have approved minimum wages higher than the District’s.
• VIRGINIA:
  • Social media: Employers cannot ask employees or prospective employees for the username and passwords of social media accounts.
  • Breastfeeding: Women can breastfeed anywhere the mother is lawfully present.
  • Campus sex assault: Lawmakers have approved several measures related to campus sex assault violence. They include requiring campus police departments to notify local prosecutors within 48 hours of starting any investigation into possible felony sexual assault and requiring university registrars to put a note on the transcripts of any student who is suspended, expelled or withdraws from school for reasons related to an offense involving sexual violence.
  • Medical marijuana: The law provides an “affirmative defense” for epilepsy patients who have a doctor’s note to use cannabidiol oil for treatment.
  • State song: Virginia how has two official state songs. The official traditional song is “Our Great Virginia” and the official popular song is “Sweet Virginia Breeze.” Police drones: The law requires law enforcement agencies to obtain a search warrant for use of unmanned aircraft systems.
  • Traffic: Drivers can cross double yellow lines in order to pass pedestrians and cyclists safely. Hemp: Farmers can now grow industrial hemp as part of a university-managed research program.
• MARYLAND
  • MINIMUM WAGE: In Maryland, minimum wage increased by a quarter to $8.25. The increase is one of several approved by the Maryland General Assembly last year, when then-Gov. Martin O’Malley made the increase a priority of his last legislative session as governor. The first increase took effect in January, when the wage went from $7.25 to $8. It is set to go up again to $8.75 in 2016 and $9.25 in 2017. It is scheduled to reach $10.10 in 2018.
  • GAS TAX: Sales tax on gasoline will increase from 2 percent to 3 percent. Overall so far, Maryland drivers will be paying about 8.6 cents a gallon more for gas due to the legislation passed in 2013.

6am – E         Girl Scouts News:

• Girl Scouts rejects $100K contribution after donor won’t let it go to transgender girls. Girl Scouts is #ForEVERYGirl. That means transgender girls, too. (USA Today) — After a donor, who remains anonymous, asked Girl Scouts of Western Washington to ensure their $100,000 contribution would not be used to help transgender girls, the chapter of the national organization gave the money back. In one day, they’ve made more than double that amount through a crowdfunding campaign that’s garnered support from more than 4,000 funders. “Girl Scouts empowers every girl, regardless of her gender identity, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, to make the world a better place. We won’t exclude any girl,” reads a video posted on the fundraiser’s Indiegogo webpage. “Every girl deserves access to a safe, friendly environment where she can stand up for what she believes in and be proud of who she is,” it continues.
• First lady hosts Girl Scout campout on White House lawn. WASHINGTON (AP) — Some lucky Girl Scouts were set for the ultimate camping experience Tuesday: an overnight in tents pitched on the White House South Lawn. Until late-night rain and thunder washed out the campout. It was the first time that one of the country’s most well-known expanses of manicured grass was turned into a campground, an excited Michelle Obama said as she greeted the 50 Girl Scouts who snagged coveted invitations to the outdoor sleepover. As honorary national president of the Girl Scouts, the first lady welcomed the fourth-graders for the evening, which was arranged as part of her Let’s Move initiative against childhood obesity. One component of the program encourages kids and their families to take advantage of the outdoors. After dark, the girls sang songs and gazed up at the stars under instruction from NASA staff and scientists, including astronaut Cady Coleman, before calling it a night and settling into sleeping bags inside their two-person tents. About 20 chaperones were also spending the night outside. The White House declined to say whether the first lady would trade her second-floor bedroom for a tent, too.

7am – A         INTERVIEW – JONATHAN GILLIAM – CEO of United States Continued Service, former FBI Special Agent and Navy SEAL – Over 17 years of service as a Police Officer, Navy SEAL, Federal Air Marshal, Private Security Contractor, and FBI Special Agent. www.continuedservice.com

Gilliam discussed the prison culture and how these prison escapes happen.

• Official: Prison chief, 11 others put on leave after escape. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The superintendent at the prison where two killers broke out has been placed on leave along with his security chief and 10 other staff members amid an internal investigation into how the inmates pulled it off, a state official said Tuesday. The 12-member group is in addition to the guard and the prison tailor shop instructor who have been arrested on charges they helped the escapees. Officials would not say what connection, if any, the 12 had to the June 6 escape from the maximum-security prison or the failure to prevent it. Meanwhile, the surviving convict, David Sweat, claimed from his hospital bed that he used no power tools to cut his way out, contrary to what authorities have said. Sweat was wounded and captured Sunday near the Canadian border after three weeks on the run. His accomplice, Richard Matt, was shot to death last week.
• Debris from failed relationships litters New York prison escape. (LA Times) — By Michael Muskal – When Richard W. Matt and David Sweat escaped from the maximum security prison in upstate New York, Plan A was allegedly to hitch a ride from a friendly female prison employee, kill her husband and head straight to Mexico and freedom.

7am – B        Sen. Ted Cruz is a huge “Simpsons” fan. (Fox News) – And the Republican presidential candidate proved it by doing his best impressions of the show’s most popular characters, in a video published by BuzzFeed on Tuesday. “Smithers, release the hounds,” Cruz said, knocking out a spot-on impression of Mr. Burns. “Exccccellent,” he added, mimicking the character’s hand gestures. The White House candidate playfully portrayed several characters including Ned Flanders, Lisa and Homer, as well as the alien duo Kang and Kodos. It was an audition of sorts, in case this whole presidential campaign thing doesn’t work out. Cruz said at the beginning of the 1:18 video, “With Harry Shearer retiring, I’m auditioning for any part I can get in The Simpsons.” Shearer, the voice of Flanders, Burns, Principal Skinner, Smithers and more, announced in May he was leaving the show which has been picked up for its 27th season on Fox. Despite Cruz’s devotion to the show – he has said numerous times it is his favorite — showrunner and executive producer Al Jean, isn’t feeling the love.

7am – C And Fireworks Are Bad For You Too.

• Fourth of July fireworks cause toxic brew of unhealthy air, study finds. (USA Today) — The thousands of Fourth of July fireworks celebrations across the nation bring a toxic brew of air pollution to our atmosphere, according to a recent study from federal scientists. The exploding fireworks unleash tiny particles — about 1/30th the diameter of a typical human hair — that can affect health because they travel deep into a person’s respiratory tract, entering the lungs. The tiny particles are known as “particulate matter” and include dust, dirt, soot, smoke and liquid droplets and are measured in micrometers, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. A micrometer is one-millionth of a meter. The fine particulate matter in this study — which was led by scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — were 2.5 micrometers in size. Both long- and short-term exposures to fine particles are linked to a range of health effects — from coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath, to asthma attacks, heart attack and stroke, to even premature death in people with heart or lung disease, according to the study.

7am – D         INTERVIEW – KT MCFARLAND – Fox News National Security Analyst – discussed how the problems with Greece could impact other areas of the world, analyzed the latest on the Iran deal and more.

7am – E         Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner Are Over.

• Ben Affleck, Jennifer Garner — No Prenup, No Money Problems. (TMZ) — Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner did not build a financial wall between them before getting married, because we’ve learned there is no prenup … and get this, he’s not that much richer than her. Multiple informed sources tell TMZ, Ben and Jen’s business managers are busy figuring out how to divide what we are told is a fortune. We’re told they both have accumulated many millions. Jen made a “massive amount of money” off of “Alias,” which went into syndication, as well as a string of movies, including “13 Going on 30” and “Elektra.” Ben has made a ton of money, but a number of his projects were independent films where the cash wasn’t as plentiful.
• Everyone Thinks Love Is Truly Dead Now That Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner Have Split. (E! Online) — Hear that? That’s the sound of hearts shattering across the social media-sphere. If you listen closely, you can also hear the idea of true love dying.”After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce,” the former couple said in a statement to E! News Tuesday. “We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children whose privacy we ask to be respected during this difficult time.”

8am – A         INTERVIEW – CHARLES PAYNE – host of “Making Money with Charles Payne” on Fox Business / His website: wstreet.com – discussed Greece’s debt problems and Trump’s battle with Univision.

8am – B         Sports News:

• U.S. women defeat Germany 2-0, advance to World Cup final: The U.S. Women’s National team defeated Germany Tuesday night to advance to the final of the Women’s World Cup. The Women’s National Team took the lead in the 69th minute with a goal from Carli Lloyd after Germany racked up a yellow card. Annike Krahn took down Alex Morgan inside the box two minutes before to be booked for the foul. Then Kelley O’Hara knocked in another goal in the 84th minute. Earlier in the game, US midfielder Morgan Brian banged knocked heads with German forward Alexandra Popp. Both women returned to the game, despite Popp having a bloody head. The USA shut out its competition in both the round of 16 and the semifinals, besting Colombia 2-0 and China 1-0 respectively. It is set to play the winner of Japan and England in the final on July 5.
• Nats to introduce Calvin Coolidge as latest Racing President. (Washington Post) — The White House Historical Association’s annual Christmas ornament this year is dedicated to Calvin Coolidge, among the presidents most closely associated with baseball. This led to the inclusion of a baseball on the ornament design, which in turn led the association to propose a formal partnership with the local nine. And that, finally, led the group to imagine the impossible: the nation’s 30th president, Silent Cal, joining some of his more famous (but equally silent) brethren on their nightly journeys around the Nationals Park warning track. “That was our dream,” said the group’s president, Stewart McLaurin. “We didn’t know what form that dream would take. But their vision met our dream, and we were off to the races.”

8am – C         Alex Trebek raps the ‘Fresh Prince’ theme song on ‘Jeopardy.‘ (Reuters) You may think you know Alex Trebek. After all, he has hosted “Jeopardy” since 1984. But did you know Trebek can rap? And that he is –apparently– a “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” fan? The “Jeopardy” host came across a clue related to Will Smith’s iconic ’90s sitcom, and he opted to rap the lyrics that were written in the answer.

8am – D         Trump files $500M lawsuit against Univision over Miss USA cancellation. (Fox News) — Republican presidential candidate and business mogul Donald Trump filed a $500 million lawsuit against Univision Tuesday in response to the broadcaster’s decision to cut ties with him and the Miss Universe pageant over remarks he made about Mexican immigration. The Spanish language station made the decision to terminate the contract with the Miss Universe Organization, and not to air the July 12 Miss USA contest, after comments Trump made in a June 16 campaign speech in which he said Mexico brings drug dealers, criminals and rapists into America. Trump’s spokesman, in announcing the lawsuit, branded Univision’s move “a politically motivated attempt to suppress Mr. Trump’s freedom of speech under the First Amendment as he begins to campaign for the nation’s presidency.” On Fox News’ ‘The O’Reilly Factor” Tuesday, Trump stood by his views, citing a report by Fusion (owned by Univision) that he said shows 80 percent of Central American women and girls are raped crossing into the U.S.