Chris Geldart, Sec. Jim Nicholson, Guy Benson, Amb. Francis Rooney & Larry Kudlow joined WMAL on Tuesday!

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Mornings on the Mall

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor

Executive Producer: Heather Smith

5am – A/B/C Walker drops out of Republican race, asks others to help defeat Trump. WASHINGTON—Sixty days ago, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was a conservative hero leading the Republican presidential polls in Iowa. On Monday, he was out of the race. Walker, once a top contender for the party nomination, withdrew from the election after a comprehensive collapse to 0 per cent in national polls over the course of two months. In a sad-eyed speech in his home state, he said he was “helping to clear the field” for someone other than Donald Trump.

5am – D/E     Half in US Continue to Say Gov’t Is an Immediate Threat. PRINCETON, N.J. — Almost half of Americans, 49%, say the federal government poses “an immediate threat to the rights and freedoms of ordinary citizens,” similar to what was found in previous surveys conducted over the last five years. When this question was first asked in 2003, less than a third of Americans held this attitude. The latest results are from Gallup’s Sept. 9-13 Governance poll. The lower percentage of Americans agreeing in 2003 that the federal government posed an immediate threat likely reflected the more positive attitudes about government evident after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The percentage gradually increased to 44% by 2006, and then reached the 46% to 49% range in four surveys conducted since 2010. The remarkable finding about these attitudes is how much they reflect apparent antipathy toward the party controlling the White House, rather than being a purely fundamental or fixed philosophical attitude about government.

6am – A/B/C Many outraged over scalping of free Papal visit tickets. Some trying to sell tickets online for $1,000 or more. BALTIMORE — Evidently some of those lucky enough to have tickets to see Pope Francis during his upcoming visit to the U.S. are scalping them. The Archbishop of New York said the tickets were given away for free for a reason: to give everyone the opportunity to see the pope, including those with modest means. Many people are obviously upset that there are some who are trying to profit off the Catholic Church’s generosity as demand greatly outweighs supply for the papal visit tickets. The pope will appear at events next week in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City. Those seeking to sell their tickets are demanding a hefty price tag for them, something Baltimore resident Adrianne McWeeney is upset about.

Online sales of free pope tickets show how the Internet transformed commerce. NEW YORK – For many people, especially faithful Roman Catholics, being able to see Pope Francis in New York is an opportunity of a lifetime, made possible through the generosity of the church. But many people are taking advantage of that generosity by trying to sell the tickets, which they won for free in a ticket lottery, through outlets like Craigslist and EBay. Federal, city and church authorities are trying to crack down on the online sales, which may be unethical, but aren’t illegal. The practice is demonstrating how the online economy are creating new realities for the overall economy. One ad on Craigslist advertises two tickets to the Pope Francis Central Park procession for $750. Another advertises a pair of tickets to the same event for $600. But most of the ads get taken down by watchful administrators at these online sales outlets shortly after they’re posted.

6am – D/E     Walker drops out of Republican race, asks others to help defeat Trump. WASHINGTON—Sixty days ago, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was a conservative hero leading the Republican presidential polls in Iowa. On Monday, he was out of the race. Walker, once a top contender for the party nomination, withdrew from the election after a comprehensive collapse to 0 per cent in national polls over the course of two months. In a sad-eyed speech in his home state, he said he was “helping to clear the field” for someone other than Donald Trump.

 7am – A         INTERVIEW – CHRIS GELDART, DIRECTOR of the District of Columbia’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA)

• POPE VISIT PREVIEW: How DC’s Homeland Security Department Is Preparing For Security Concerns Regarding the Pope’s Visit

7am – B         Food News:

• The Myth That Links Poor Families to Fast Food. (The Atlantic) — A new CDC study further debunks the misconception that low-income Americans are the biggest consumers of quick-chain fare. Among many moth-eaten perceptions about the American diet is one that links the disproportionate consumption of fast food to low-income families. Back in 2011, a national study by a team at UC Davis concluded that as American salaries grow into the upper echelons of middle income, so does fast-food intake.
• McDonald’s supports struggling UN effort to feed Syrian refugees. McDonald’s is leading a group of companies to provide badly needed assistance to the United Nations’ World Food Programme as it struggles to feed millions of Syrian refugees. McDonald’s (MCD) did not donate money directly to the WFP. Instead, it donated funds for the WFP make a 30-second commercial to raise money for the displaced families. The help is arriving as the overwhelmed WFP was forced to scale back food assistance amid a growing crisis in war-torn Syria and the surrounding region. The WFP said it provides food to 4 million people inside Syria and to 1.3 million refugees in neighboring countries.
• Study: West Virginia has second highest obesity rate. CHARLESTON (AP) — West Virginia has the second-highest rate of obesity among adults in the nation, according to a report released Monday. The report released by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found West Virginia had an obesity rate of 35.7 percent, second only to Arkansas’ 35.9 percent rate. Mississippi was third at 35.5 percent. West Virginia and Mississippi tied for first last year. Both nonprofit groups analyzed CDC figures in releasing the reports.
• Caramel apples removed from Giant shelves after manufacturer’s recall. WASHINGTON — Giant supermarkets have removed a brand of caramel apples from their shelves after the manufacturer recalled them, saying the apples have peanut in them, a potential allergen that’s not listed among the ingredients. Tastee Apple has recalled three-ounce Tastee Caramel Apples with a UPC of 3526600027 and a best-by date of Sept. 29, 2015, Giant says in a statement. People with an allergy or a severe sensitivity to peanuts “may run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume this product,” Giant says.
• Study: Apples most popular fruit among American kids. (CNN) – A study out Monday suggests that apples are among the most popular fruits for American children. The study in the medical journal Pediatrics shows that apples account for nearly 20 percent of fruit intake for those ages 2 to 19. Nearly half of all fruit consumption was made up of apples, apple juice, citrus juice and bananas, according to the study. The study also found that kids consumed 1.25 cups of fruit daily.

7am – C         “I’m walking here!” Watch a rat carry a slice of pizza into the subway: (Yup.). A viral video shows a very determined rat carrying a slice of pizza down stairs and into our hearts. The disturbing and oddly endearing 14-second video is going viral on Facebook and Twitter, being touted by many as “the most New York thing ever.” The YouTube clip was ostensibly shot in New York City on stairs leading down to the subway.

7am – D         INTERVIEW — SECRETARY JIM NICHOLSON – former Ambassador to the Holy See (2001-2005) and Secretary of Veterans Affairs (2005-2007) and Chairman of the RNC (1997-2001)

7am – E         INTERVIEW — GUY BENSON – Best friend of Mary Katharine Ham and Townhall.com Political Editor and Co-author of the book ‘End of Discussion’

>> Jake Brewer, Husband To Fox’s Mary Katharine Ham, Killed During Cancer Ride — Mourners Start Memorial Fund

8am – A         INTERVIEW: AMBASSADOR FRANCIS ROONEY – former U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See under George W. Bush from 2005 to 2008 and author of “The Global Vatican” – previewed the Pope’s visit.

8am – B         Carly Fiorina SINGS about her lazy dog ‘Snickers’, compares Trump to Putin and insists ‘a Muslim CAN be President of the USA’ in charming appearance on Jimmy Fallon. (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina impressed many with her strong performance in the second presidential debate, as she railed passionately against Planned Parenthood and outlined her hardline views on foreign policy. But she showed off a lighter side during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday night, making jokes about Vladimir Putin and comparing him to fellow GOP candidate Donald Trump. Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard CEO who has jumped to second-place in several public opinion polls, ends her appearance on the show by sharing a song she’d made up about her lazy dog, Snickers, who would prefer to sleep than take walks. ‘My name’s Snick and you’re going to have to carry me,’ she sang to the tune of ‘Rock Around the Clock,’ earning loud applause.

8am – C         No Handshakes, Fist Bumps for Pope’s Speech to Congress. (AP) — No handshakes, selfies or fist bumps when Pope Francis enters the House chamber for his historic speech to Congress. That’s the message from House and Senate leaders, who in a letter asked lawmakers to refrain “from handshakes and conversations along and down the center aisle during the announced arrivals of the Senate, dean of the Diplomatic Corps, U.S. Supreme Court, president’s Cabinet and Pope Francis.” The pontiff will be on a tight schedule Thursday, and congressional leaders want to avoid anything that could slow him down, such as members of Congress shaking hands with the chief of one of the departments or greeting a Supreme Court justice or even the pontiff himself.

8am – D         INTERVIEW – LARRY KUDLOW – CNBC Senior Contributor and host of The Larry Kudlow Show on WMAL Saturdays at 7 pm

>> Walker drops out of Republican race, asks others to help defeat Trump. WASHINGTON—Sixty days ago, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was a conservative hero leading the Republican presidential polls in Iowa. On Monday, he was out of the race. Walker, once a top contender for the party nomination, withdrew from the election after a comprehensive collapse to 0 per cent in national polls over the course of two months. In a sad-eyed speech in his home state, he said he was “helping to clear the field” for someone other than Donald Trump.

>> Larry Kudlow ‘leaning towards’ Senate run after Iran vote

>> Pope is coming to DC. Larry’s thoughts on the Pope

TOMORROW: Michael Steele, KT McFarland and more!