Dr. Tom Jones, Jamie Raskin, Jake Tapper and Bret Baier joined WMAL on Friday morning.
Mornings on the Mall
Friday, July 10, 2015
Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor
Executive Producer: Heather Smith
5am – A/B/C George W. Bush charged wounded vets group $100k for speech
Washington (CNN) – Former President George W. Bush is under fire for charging $100,000 to speak to a group of veterans wounded in a pair of wars he started when he was in office, just the latest front in a political battle over speaking fees that has hit both sides of the aisle. Members of the Texas-based Helping a Hero charity told ABC News that Bush charged $100,000 for his 2012 speech at a charity fundraiser for veterans who lost limbs in the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. The former president was also given use of a private jet at a cost of $20,000 and former First Lady Laura Bush was paid $50,000 to speak to the group last year. The fees infuriated one of the board members, who told CNN Wednesday that Bush should not have accepted any money. “The point here is that a leader should not charge to speak on behalf of the men that he sent into combat, at any level, let alone the commander in chief,” said Eddie Wright, a Marine who lost both his hands in a 2004 rocket attack in Fallujah, Iraq.
5am – D Trump Backlash News:
- Protesters want Trump’s name removed from D.C. building. Protesters and city officials gathered Thursday across the street from the future Trump International Hotel in Washington, calling on federal officials to remove Trump’s name from the building.“We understand that there are legal formalities,” said D.C. shadow Sen. Paul Strauss (D), who wrote a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell calling for the removal of the name, which appears in large capital letters on the building. “But they have the legal ability to change what’s displayed on federal land.”
- Trump leads GOP presidential field in new national poll. Media coverage of Donald Trump’s controversial immigration remarks have lifted the GOP presidential candidate to the top of the Republican field, according to a new Economist/YouGov poll. Trump was the preferred GOP nominee for president for 15 percent of respondents — 4 points ahead of former Gov. Jeb Bush (Fla.) and Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), who were tied for second place. Gov. Scott Walker (Wis.), Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) and former Gov. Mike Huckabee (Ark.) shared the third spot with 9 percent each.
- Trump: Reince Priebus didn’t tell me to ‘tone it down’ (Politico) — Donald Trump remembers that phone call with Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus a bit differently. The Donald took to Twitter on Thursday morning to slam a Washington Post report that Priebus spent nearly an hour on the phone with him this week, during which Priebus told him multiple times to “tone it down.” “Totally false reporting on my call with @Reince Priebus. He called me, ten minutes, said I hit a ‘nerve’, doing well, end!” Trump wrote.
- FAA to dump navigation points named for Donald Trump. WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Aviation Administration is dumping Donald Trump. The agency said Thursday it intends to rename three navigation points near Palm Beach International Airport in Florida that currently are named for the billionaire and Republican presidential candidate. It’s fairly common for the FAA to name such points, which are used by pilots and air traffic controllers, for local figures. Trump has a home in Palm Beach. In 2010, a local air traffic controller named the points DONLD, TRMMP and UFIRED. The last is a reference to the catchphrase “You’re fired” from Trump’s reality TV show “The Apprentice.”
5am – E Pope News:
- Pope Francis is not impressed by communist crucifix. Pope Francis was none to impressed when Bolivian President Evo Morales handed him a crucifix mounted on a carved wooden hammer and sickle during an official gift-exchange ceremony in La Paz today. His response, captured above: “That’s not right.” Morales, it seemed, had assumed that because Francis has embraced a message of social and economic justice, he would also be willing to embrace communism itself. But the pope was noticeably distressed when he first saw the gift, and looked embarrassed and uncomfortable as Morales spoke during the exchange. Morales later explained that the figurine was a replica of a similar cruficix made by Father Luis Espinal, a Jesuit priest who was kidnapped and murdered by Bolivian death squads in 1980.
- Pope Francis changes in Burger King before Mass in Bolivia. SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia (AP) — Burger King has long been providing quick meals. Pope Francis has now used it for a quick change. With hundreds of thousands of Catholic faithful waiting, Pope Francis needed a place to don his vestments to celebrate Mass at the Christ the Redeemer square in Santa Cruz. He had just spent more than 30 minutes in his popemobile waving to thousands lined up on the streets as he drove to the square for the service. Enter the restaurant known for Whoppers and fries. The famously unpretentious pope used the fast food joint, which was closed for the morning for the papal visit, before walking to the nearby altar and beginning the Mass. Alfredo Troche, manager of the Burger King, said the papal entourage approached the restaurant and “asked for help because this was an appropriate place and we had closed” to customers. Minutes later, during his homily, Francis blasted consumerism. He said that by materialistic logic, everything becomes an object that can be consumed and negotiated.
6am – A/B/C Jeb Bush criticized for saying Americans want to work ‘longer hours.’ Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush on Wednesday seemed to propose a bold solution for economic troubles: “People need to work longer hours,” drawing negative reactions from critics who suggested the last thing Americans need is to work more. The GOP presidential contender made his suggestion during an interview with the conservative New Hampshire newspaper, The Union Leader, on Wednesday to address a variety of issues, including a tax reform agenda that Americans could expect under his administration, ABC News reported. Bush said, “My aspiration for the country and I believe we can achieve it, is 4 percent growth as far as the eye can see. Which means we have to be a lot more productive, workforce participation has to rise from its all-time modern lows. It means that people need to work longer hours.” John Podesta tweeted: “Americans are working pretty hard already & don’t need to work longer hours — they need to get paid more.” Late Wednesday evening, Clinton herself weighed in, sharing a graph from the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute showing wages stagnating as productivity has risen over the last four decades:
6am – D Michigan judge detains children for refusing lunch with father. (Fox News) – A Michigan judge ordered three children be sent to a juvenile detention facility until they were 18-years-old after the trio refused to go to lunch with their father. According to June 24 court transcripts, Oakland County Judge Lisa Gorcyca told the mother and children, aged 15,10, and 9, that the case, stemming from a contentious divorce that began in 2009, was tied for the worst “parental alienation” case she had ever seen. She blamed the mother for alienating the two older boys and their younger sister from their father. “Your children — you need to do a research program on Charlie Manson and the cult that he has,” the judge told the mother, according to court transcripts. During the hearing, the son attempted to explain to Gorcyca why he didn’t want to spend time with his dad. “Because he is violent and I saw him hit my mom,” the boy said in court documents. Gorcyca claimed the child had been brainwashed and held all three in contempt of court and sent them to the Children’s Village, a detention facility, where they were to be held until they turn 18-years-old. “I felt like I was watching them be executed,” the children’s mother told My Fox Detroit. “No matter how bad the divorce gets, I think the court should not punish the kids for that.” The children remained in custody Thursday, according to the office of attorney Lisa Stern, who is representing the mother.
6am – E Russia is top US national security threat: US Gen. Dunford. Russia presents the greatest threat to U.S. national security and its behavior is “nothing short of alarming,” Marine Corps General Joseph Dunford told lawmakers on Thursday as they weighed his nomination to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Dunford also added his voice to those Pentagon officials who have supported providing lethal arms to Ukraine to help it defend itself from Russia-backed separatists, a step that President Barack Obama has so far resisted. “My assessment today, senator, is that Russia presents the greatest threat to our national security,” said Dunford, the Marine Corps commandant, who is expected to swiftly win Senate confirmation to become the top U.S. military officer. Relations between Moscow and the West have plunged to a post-Cold War low since Russia’s intervention in Ukraine upended assumptions about the security of NATO’s eastern flank. “If you want to talk about a nation that could pose an existential threat to the United States, I’d have to point to Russia. And if you look at their behavior, it’s nothing short of alarming,” he said.
7am – A INTERVIEW – DR. TOM JONES – former NASA astronaut, author of Skywalking and co-author of “Planetology: Unlocking the Secrets of the Solar System.”
- NASA probe set to make history at Pluto. CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (CNN) — It’s traveled more than 3.6 billion miles to get there, and it will only stay a few hours, but a small space probe is expected to revolutionize the way we look at Pluto. NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft will be within 6,200 miles (9,978 kilometers) of Pluto’s surface at 7:49 a.m. ET on July 14, becoming the first spacecraft to do a flyby of the icy world. It also will pass about 17,000 miles from Pluto’s largest moon, Charon. The spacecraft will be traveling about 31,000 miles per hour (14 kilometers per second) during the main encounter, which will last about eight to 10 hours, NASA says. The mission will complete what NASA calls the reconnaissance of the classical solar system, and it makes the U.S. the first nation to send a space probe to every planet from Mercury to Pluto.
7am – B OPM Head Has No Tech Or Cyber-Security Experience, Won’t Resign. (Daily Caller) — More than 21.5 million current and former federal employees had their personal information hacked from the Office of Personnel Management, including the fingerprints of everyone who has applied for a security clearance. The director of OPM, Katherine Archuleta, has refused to resign, saying she is “committed” to repairing the historic data breach. But Archuleta has no background in tech or cyber-security. In the official White House press release on her first day, Archuleta was heralded as “the first Latina” to run the OPM and someone who “[w]ith her breadth of experience as an educator, public administrator, and community leader, Katherine Archuleta possesses an abundance of skills to bring talented people together with different ideas and fresh perspectives to strengthen our federal workforce.” The release focused mainly on Archuleta’s history of political appointments, in the Clinton and Obama administrations, and diversity. Archuleta “also worked as the National Political Director for President Obama’s reelection campaign, where she traveled around the country listening to the many issues facing Americans,” according to the White House.
7am – C McDonald’s gets complaints that new toy uses curse words. OAK BROOK, Ill. (AP) — McDonald’s says some customers have complained that a talking toy included in recent Happy Meals uses curse words. The fast-food restaurant introduced a Happy Meal on July 3 with toys inspired by the movie “Minions.” The Oak Brook, Illinois-based company has issued a statement saying the sounds the small yellow figures make are nonsense words, nothing offensive or profane. The statement says “a very small number of customers” have been in touch with the company about the toy. “Minions,” a prequel of the “Despicable Me” movies, premieres Friday.
7am – D INTERVIEW – Maryland State Senator JAMIE RASKIN and candidate for Maryland’s 8th District congressional race
- Protesters want Trump’s name removed from D.C. building. Protesters and city officials gathered Thursday across the street from the future Trump International Hotel in Washington, calling on federal officials to remove Trump’s name from the building.“We understand that there are legal formalities,” said D.C. shadow Sen. Paul Strauss (D), who wrote a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Sally Jewell calling for the removal of the name, which appears in large capital letters on the building. “But they have the legal ability to change what’s displayed on federal land.”
- D.C. Protesters to Trump: ‘You’re Fired!’ Dozens of protesters gathered July 9 at the Old Post Office Pavilion, the site slated to become the Trump Hotel next year, to join forces against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. Maryland state Sen. Jamie Raskin (D) called upon the Republican Party and its constituents to recognize Trump’s controversial comments. He also urged citizens of Maryland, D.C. and Virginia to “boycott Trump hotels, boycott Trump casinos and boycott Trump politics.”
- Raskin reports $500K in contributions for Md. 8th District congressional race. (Washington Post/July 7) –– State Sen. Jamie Raskin has raised more than a half-million dollars in his Democratic primary campaign for Maryland’s 8th Congressional District. The congressional seat is being vacated by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), who is running for the U.S. Senate.
7am – E Snake News:
- Realtor accused of selling ‘snake house’ wants dismissal. ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A real estate agent is asking a judge to throw out a lawsuit claiming the agent knowingly sold an Annapolis house infested with snakes. The Capital reports that Barbara Van Horn, of Champion Realty Inc., and her attorney last week filed a motion in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court to dismiss the lawsuit. In the motion, Van Horn says mediation has not taken place. She says the contract from the sale of the house states mediation is a prerequisite to any action in court.
- Former Oakland Raiders QB Kenny ‘The Snake” Stabler dead at 69. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Former Oakland Raiders quarterback Kenny Stabler, one of the NFL’s most colorful players, has died at the age of 69. Stabler was known as “The Snake,” a nickname he earned in high school from his coach at Foley High School following a long, winding touchdown run. Stabler was recruited by Paul “Bear” Bryant to play at Alabama, joining the team in 1964. As a junior in 1966, he led the Crimson Tide to an undefeated 11-0 season. He finished his senior season with 8 wins. Stabler went on to play in the National Football League for the Oakland Raiders from 1970-79, the Houston Oilers from 1980-81 and the New Orleans Saints from 1982-84.
8am – A INTERVIEW – JAKE TAPPER – CNN host of State of The Union and The Lead with Jake Tapper – shared his thoughts on the latest 2016 news.
8am – B How Martin O’Malley wants to lighten the load of college debt. (Washington Post) – Democratic presidential hopeful Martin O’Malley on Wednesday put forward an ambitious five-year goal of allowing students to graduate debt-free from public colleges and universities across the country. O’Malley, who detailed his plan during a morning event in New Hampshire, called on states to freeze tuition rates at public colleges and universities — as Maryland did for four years — and proposed other measures that would help those carrying debt. Under O’Malley’s plan, students and parents would be able to refinance their debt at lower interest rates. And O’Malley would base the repayment terms for student borrowers on their income upon graduation. For the long term, O’Malley said he would set a goal of limiting college tuition to 10 percent of a state’s median income at four-year institutions and 5 percent at two-year institutions. Federal matching grants would help states that participate in reaching the goal. Under his plan, O’Malley would also increase Pell Grants and revamp federal work-study programs to help cover non-tuition costs, such as room and board.
Martin O’Malley Has $340 THOUSAND In Student Loan Debt. (Daily Caller) — Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley let slip Wednesday that his family has managed to pile up a mind-boggling $339,000 in student loan debt putting his two daughters through college. Though O’Malley’s anecdote is intended to bolster support for his plan to enact debt-free college, experts on student loans say that his huge debt burden really just reflects bafflingly bad financial judgment on the part of the ex-Maryland governor. O’Malley told The Washington Post about his own experience, saying that he and his wife have taken out $339,200 in loans putting their two oldest daughters through college. Grace, 24, graduated from Georgetown University and is now a teacher, while Tara, 23, recently finished as the public College of Charleston and is working as an administrative assistant for the United Nations Foundation. Grace’s story was used to win support in an O’Malley email sent out Tuesday. “I had to make a tough choice: Do I go to the college we can afford or do I take out loans to go to the college of my dreams?” Grace wrote in the email. “At the age of 18, I made the decision to follow my dreams. My family and I now face years of debt — and we know we’re not the only ones.” The average annual cost of attendance at Georgetown is currently over $67,000, making it one of the country’s most expensive schools. Still, experts questioned by Inside Higher Ed said the amount of debt taken on by the O’Malleys was an absolute absurdity that suggested incredibly irresponsible financial management. “[It] makes no sense. It just means they are very poor financial planners,” said Sandy Baum, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute. “No one should borrow money that way.”
8am – C Regis Philbin Joins ‘Today Show’ As Special Contributor — Reunites With Kathie Lee. Reunion alert! Regis Philbin is joining ‘The Today Show’ as a special contributor– reuniting him with his former talk show co-host Kathie Lee Gifford! So much morning talk show nostalgia. On July 9, Regis Philbin, 83, dropped by The Today Show before he was officially confirmed as a special contributor, joining fourth-hour hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb. The news bring Regis back to daytime TV, following his retirement from Live with Regis and Kelly in 2011. Thrillingly, Regis’s Today stint also brings him back together with Kathie Lee, with whom he hosted Live for 15 years before he was joined by Kelly Rippa back in 2000!
8am – D INTERVIEW — BRET BAIER — Anchor, Special Report, Fox News Channel, weekdays at 6 pm
- Discussed his interviews this week With Kasich and Jeb
- Russia is top US national security threat: US Gen. Dunford
- Jeb Bush criticized for saying Americans want to work ‘longer hours’
- Hillary’s Subpoena
- Trump slams Jonah over pants
Monday: Joe diGenova, Amb. John Bolton and Torie Clarke
