Frank Miniter, Stuart Varney and Eli Lake joined WMAL on Thursday morning.

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Mornings on the Mall

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor

Executive Producer: Heather Smith

5am – A/B/C Outrage Over Cecil the Lion:The Minnesota dentist accused of killing one of Africa’s most famous lions reportedly closed his practice. (Business Insider) – When Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer went on his $55,000 safari to Zimbabwe, he probably didn’t expect this. Palmer has been accused of killing Cecil, a beloved 13-year-old lion, and he is now facing poaching charges. The fiercest backlash came from social media, where people have been calling for Palmer to be hunted and killed. The animal-rights group PETA called for Palmer to be hanged, and others have said he should be publicly shamed or have his teeth pulled out without anesthetic. The threats prompted Palmer to close his dental practice. Palmer’s dental practice’s Facebook page was taken offline on Tuesday, Vice News reports; it had received many nasty comments. Vice notes that people” left stuffed animals at the door to his shuttered office Tuesday in a sign of protest.”

5am – D         IRS and State Dept Emails Update:

• Federal judge threatens to hold IRS chief in contempt. (Fox News) — A federal judge threatened to hold IRS Commissioner John Koskinen in contempt Wednesday after the IRS failed to produce, as ordered, newly recovered emails of former IRS official Lois Lerner. U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan had ordered the IRS on July 1 to turn over Lerner emails on a weekly basis in response to a lawsuit by the watchdog group Judicial Watch. The lawsuit focused on the 2013 scandal in which the IRS acknowledged agents had improperly singled out Tea Party and other conservative groups for extra scrutiny when they applied for tax-exempt status during the 2010 and 2012 elections. However at a U.S. District Court hearing in Washington Wednesday, Sullivan threatened to hold officials, including Koskinen, in contempt for not producing the documents as ordered every Monday. “If there is further noncompliance, I will haul into court the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service to show cause why that person should not be personally held in contempt of court. I can’t make that any clearer,” the judge told Geoffrey Klimas, the Justice Department attorney representing the IRS, according to the minutes published on Judicial Watch’s website.
• Judge explodes over Hillary email delays. An irritated federal judge Thursday put the Hillary Clinton email scandal into stark terms, grilling the State Department on a pattern of delayed document releases that has turned a possible bureaucratic logjam into a major problem for the leading Democratic presidential contender. U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon, known for his blunt manner, said he simply did not understand why the State Department has dragged its feet on responses for emails in requests to the Freedom of Information Act. “Now, any person should be able to review that in one day — one day,” the judge said, examining a request for just over 60 emails. “Even the least ambitious bureaucrat could do this.”

5am – E         Rare Blue Moon Returns This Friday After 3-Year Hiatus. (CBS SF) — Skywatchers are in for a rare treat this Friday as a Blue Moon takes center stage for a show that happens once every three years. The saying “once in a Blue Moon,” may hold true for describing uncommon occurrences, but not for depicting the true color of the moon. The moon will actually appear gray or silver like any other moon, but its unique timing is what sets this one apart. The Earth typically experiences 12 full moons, one each month, during most years. This year is an exception with a 13th full moon squeezing into the end of July. These “extra” lunar displays are called Blue Moons. Two full moons in one month happen about every three years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

6am – A/B/C Study: Bullies Have Higher Self-Esteem, Lower Depression Rates. ATLANTA (CBS Atlanta) — Bullying behaviors are linked to higher self-esteem, social status, and a lower rate of depression, according to a new provocative study. Researchers at Simon Fraser University observed a group of high school students finding that bullies had the highest self esteem, greatest social status, and were less likely to be depressed, as reported by National Post. “Humans tend to try to establish a rank hierarchy,” Jennifer Wong, a criminology professor who led the study, told the Post. “When you’re in high school, it’s a very limited arena in which you can establish your rank, and climbing the social ladder to be on top is one of the main ways … Bullying is a tool you can use to get there.” Wong notes that many anti-bullying initiatives try to change the behavior of bullies, but often don’t work. This is likely because behavior is hard-wired and not learned, she says. Experts suggest that schools might expand competitive, supervised activities as an alternative outlet to channel dominating behavior. The new study surveyed 135 teenagers from a Vancouver high school using a standard questionnaire. Questions included things like how often individuals were hit or shoved. Researchers then categorized the students into four groups: bully, bystander, victim, or victim-bully.

6am – D         Boehner calls challenge by Republican ‘no big deal.’ WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker John Boehner brushed aside a challenge to his tenure on Wednesday as the work of a lone dissident Republican amounting to “no big deal.” He said the effort by Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina to strip him of his powerful post “isn’t even deserving of a vote.” Speaking at a news conference, Boehner said, “I’ve got broad support amongst my colleagues.” He was elected to his most recent term as speaker in January over the opposition of Meadows and 24 other rank-and-file Republicans, the most to oppose a winning candidate of their own party in a century.

6am – E         Governors McAuliffe, Hogan get crabby over Maryland’s signature treat. (WTOP) — WASHINGTON — It’s a Chesapeake Bay smackdown! The governors of Maryland and Virginia are slinging a little trash talk — over blue crabs. “You know, Maryland talks about their crabs,” Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said with a chuckle on a WRVA radio show recently. “If anyone from Maryland is listening, I want to make this perfectly clear: All the crabs are born here in Virginia and they end up, because of the current, being taken there (to Maryland). So really, they should be Virginia crabs,” McAuliffe said. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan defends the honor of Maryland crabs with the following statement sent to WTOP: “While a number of Chesapeake Bay crabs may in fact be born in Virginia, they rightfully return to the State of Maryland where they survive and thrive — in our more welcoming, less salty waters. In fact, like most Virginians with any sense, the Virginia crabs eventually move north and become Marylanders.”

7am – A         INTERVIEW – FRANK MINITER – author of “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Hunting”, his second book “The Ultimate Man’s Survival Guide” and “The Future of the Gun”. He is also a former senior editor at Outdoor Life and a former executive editor for American Hunter (an NRA magazine).

• Frank Miniter piece in Forbes: As A Hunter, I Say Hunters Need To Do More About African Lions; ‘Cecil’ Should Be Our Rallying Cry
• The Minnesota dentist accused of killing one of Africa’s most famous lions reportedly closed his practice.

7am – B        Science: D.C. Is Literally Sinking. D.C. is not actually built on a swamp, they said. Well, explain this, pedants: D.C. is literally sinking into the ground, according to geologist Ben DeJong. Science! The city could drop by six or more inches by 2100, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but will add to the already predicted problems of sea-level rise and tidal flooding. Scientists have known for 60 years that sea level in the Chesapeake is rising at twice the global average rate, which has led to the hypothesis that it isn’t just the water rising but the land sinking. Ben DeJong of the University of Vermont and his team have confirmed this by drilling a bunch of holes in Maryland. (Science!)

7am – C           Larry recapped his painting night with his daughter.

7am – D        INTERVIEW – STUART VARNEY – Anchor, Varney and Company, Fox Business

• Donald Trump Dominates In New National Republican Poll. Trump leads Republican presidential race with 25 percent: Reuters/Ipsos poll. WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Billionaire Donald Trump has taken a commanding lead in the race for the 2016 U.S. Republican presidential nomination with the support of 25 percent in a Reuters/Ipsos poll, giving him a double-digit advantage over nearest rival Jeb Bush. The poll shows Bush, the former Florida governor, trailing at 12 percent.       It is a huge jump for Trump, who announced his candidacy for the November 2016 election six weeks ago – and this despite the criticism political rivals leveled at him for remarks this month belittling the military service of Senator John McCain, the party’s candidate in 2008. The five-day rolling online poll had Trump at 15 percent among Republicans on Friday before he rocketed to 24.9 percent on Tuesday.
• The Minnesota dentist accused of killing one of Africa’s most famous lions reportedly closed his practice. (Business Insider) – When Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer went on his $55,000 safari to Zimbabwe, he probably didn’t expect this.       Palmer has been accused of killing Cecil, a beloved 13-year-old lion, and he is now facing poaching charges. The fiercest backlash came from social media, where people have been calling for Palmer to be hunted and killed. The animal-rights group PETA called for Palmer to be hanged, and others have said he should be publicly shamed or have his teeth pulled out without anesthetic. The threats prompted Palmer to close his dental practice. Palmer’s dental practice’s Facebook page was taken offline on Tuesday, Vice News reports; it had received many nasty comments. Vice notes that people” left stuffed animals at the door to his shuttered office Tuesday in a sign of protest.”
• Businesses fleeing Planned Parenthood association.

7am – E        Entertainment News:

• Happy Birthday! Arnold Schwarzenegger Turns 68 Today. Schwarzenegger is one of Hollywood’s biggest actors—both literally and figuratively. A major action movie icon of the eighties, Schwarzenegger has sustained a long acting career fighting, shooting, and stabbing on-screen (minus that time he was governor of California). His meatiest roles include Conan The Barbarian, The Terminator series, and The Expendables series. Marital separation: On May 9, 2011, Shriver and Schwarzenegger ended their relationship after 25 years of marriage, with Shriver moving out of the couple’s Brentwood mansion. On May 16, 2011, the Los Angeles Times revealed that Schwarzenegger had fathered a son more than fourteen years earlier with an employee in their household, Mildred Patricia ‘Patty’ Baena.
• Ben Affleck may take legal action over tabloid story that claimed he was dating his nanny. (USA Today) – The cover headline on the latest issue of Us Weekly screams, “He’s dating the nanny!” And, the “he” in question is recently separated actor Ben Affleck, whose split from actress Jennifer Garner has been fodder for weeks now. However, it’s this headline that could spell legal trouble for Us. A rep for Affleck strongly denies the story, telling USA TODAY, “The story is full of lies. You shouldn’t be able to hide behind ‘blind sources’ and attempt to destroy families going through a difficult time. It’s shameful. We are considering legal options.” In the article, Us claims that Affleck is romancing 28-year-old Christine Ouzounian, who worked as a nanny for the famous couple.
• David Faustino says ‘Married… with Children’ spinoff may happen. (CNN) Start crossing your fingers now, all you lovers of “Married… with Children.” David Faustino, who starred as Bud Bundy on the irreverent Fox comedy, reunited with his former co-star Christina Applegate at the premiere of her new film “Vacation” and told E! he’s working on a spinoff. “Sony has it. They’re excited about it,” Faustino said. “They’re working out some legal issues that we hope they work out.” The series about the Bundy family also starred Ed O’Neill and Katey Sagal as parents Al and Peg Bundy and built a loyal fan base despite never quite shattering ratings records. The show’s 11 seasons ran from 1987-97.

• 2 houses from ‘Breaking Bad’ for sale in Albuquerque. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Two houses featured on the hit AMC-TV series “Breaking Bad” are up for sale in Albuquerque. A mother-daughter realty team said this week they are helping sell the home where the fictitious Jesse Pinkman made methamphetamine. The two-story, 3,500-square foot, four-bedroom home in Albuquerque’s Country Club area is listed for $1.6 million. The sales team created a website to promote the houses, which includes the caveat “Meth lab not included.” Susan C. Feil and Alicia Feil Peterson of Coldwell Banker Legacy list another house that appeared in the series finale in Albuquerque’s North Valley for $2.65 million. That home is where the show’s main character, Walter White, played by Bryan Cranston, threatened his former business partner with two fake assassins.
• Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation – In Theaters FRIDAY

8am – A         INTERVIEW — ELI LAKE – Columnist, Bloomberg View

• RECAP KERRY’S IRAN DEAL HEARING: Secretary of State John Kerry was back on the Hill on Wednesday testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, along with Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Martin Dempsey on the Uran nuclear Deal.

8am – B         2016 News:

• Rick Perry Challenges Donald Trump to a Pullup Contest. Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry challenged Donald Trump to a pullup contest today in response to the billionaire’s charge that Perry wasn’t smart enough to join the presidential debate —- or as a reporter put it to Perry, not tough enough. “Let’s get a pullup bar out there and see who can do the most pullups,” Perry told a reporter, who told him that Trump “questioned your energy, toughness and quote-unquote, ‘brain power’ that it might require to run a successful campaign.” In a story on the Daily Mail, Trump said that Perry was “trying so hard.” “But it’s not about trying,” he said, according to the story. “It’s about energy, it’s about brainpower, it’s about toughness.”
• Donald Trump Dominates In New National Republican Poll. Trump leads Republican presidential race with 25 percent: Reuters/Ipsos poll.       WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Billionaire Donald Trump has taken a commanding lead in the race for the 2016 U.S. Republican presidential nomination with the support of 25 percent in a Reuters/Ipsos poll, giving him a double-digit advantage over nearest rival Jeb Bush. The poll shows Bush, the former Florida governor, trailing at 12 percent.
• Donald Trump: I’d ‘Love’ to Pick Sarah Palin for Cabinet Spot. Donald Trump says he’d “love” to include former GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin in his cabinet if he is elected president. Asked on Sarah Palin’s Mama Grizz Radio’s “The Palin Update with Kevin Scholla” whether he’d tap Palin for a role in his administration, Trump responded “I’d love that.” “She really is somebody that knows what’s happening. She’s a special person, she’s really a special person,” he said. “She’s got a following that’s unbelievable.” Trump noted that both he and Palin are targets of intense scrutiny from political foes and said that he admires the former Alaska governor’s talent for taking criticism in stride.

8am – C         New England Patriots Owner Bob Kraft Defends Tom Brady, Calls NFL Decision ‘Unfathomable’ (ABC News) — New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft today called the NFL’s investigation and decision to uphold quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game suspension “extremely frustrating and disconcerting.” Kraft said he regrets not taking legal action in May when the team was fined by the NFL. “I was wrong to put my faith in the league,” Kraft said, adding that Brady “is a person of great integrity and is a great ambassador of the game both on and off the field.”

8am – D         Governors McAuliffe, Hogan get crabby over Maryland’s signature treat. WASHINGTON — It’s a Chesapeake Bay smackdown! The governors of Maryland and Virginia are slinging a little trash talk — over blue crabs. “You know, Maryland talks about their crabs,” Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said with a chuckle on a WRVA radio show recently. “If anyone from Maryland is listening, I want to make this perfectly clear: All the crabs are born here in Virginia and they end up, because of the current, being taken there (to Maryland). So really, they should be Virginia crabs,” McAuliffe said.