Callista and Newt Gingrich, Trevor Matich and Bret Baier joined WMAL on Friday!

Mornings on the Mall

Friday, October 16, 2015

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor

Executive Producer: Heather Smith Hunter

5am – A/B/C Democratic Gun Grab:

• Are you a one issue voter on guns? Would that change your vote this election?
• Hillary Clinton attacks rival Bernie Sanders on gun laws. Hillary Clinton has attacked her main rival Bernie Sanders over US gun laws at the Democratic presidential debate. When asked if the Vermont senator was strong on gun control, she said, “No, not at all,” before vowing to go after the makers of guns used in shootings. Mr Sanders also attacked Mrs Clinton, saying her support for a no-fly zone in Syria would create “serious problems”. His rallies have drawn big crowds and he has challenged Mrs Clinton’s frontrunner status in some key states. Mrs Clinton and Mr Sanders dominated the debate. The three other candidates on stage in Las Vegas – former Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley, former Virginia Senator Jim Webb and former Rhode Island Senator Lincoln Chafee – struggled to make headway.
• Israel eases gun laws in bid to cope with Palestinian ‘lone wolf’ attacks. Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan on Wednesday approved a number of measures to ease the requirements for firearm permits, as Israel copes with a wave of “lone wolf” terrorism. “In recent weeks many citizens have helped the Israel Police subdue terrorists who carried out attacks,” he said. “Citizens with firearms training are a multiplying force for the police in their fight against terrorism and therefore I will take measures to ease the restrictions at this time.” The measures are to allow local authorities in “high priority” areas to give approval to carry weapons in certain instances, as opposed to previously when only the firearms licensing branch of the Public Security Ministry could do so.
• McAuliffe bans open carry of guns in some state buildings. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Thursday banned the open carry of guns in some state-owned buildings and pledged to pursue a muscular and multifaceted strategy to combat gun violence in Virginia. McAuliffe — flanked by U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, law enforcement officers and parents of victims killed in high-profile gun-related crimes — indicated he would exercise as much executive authority as he could on gun control measures while also trying to pressure the Republican-controlled General Assembly to enact gun control legislation. “Gun crimes are not acts of God,” McAuliffe. “But for too long, certain politicians and lobbyists have told us that gun violence in America is some kind of natural phenomena, something we cannot do anything about.” McAuliffe’s executive order immediately bans the open carry of firearms, except by law enforcement officials, in offices used by executive branch agencies. The governor also instructed a state administrator to propose regulations within the next 30 days to ban concealed weapons in the same offices. Virginia allows both the open carry and concealed carry of guns in public spaces.

5am – D         Here’s What Americans Are Most Afraid Of. (TIME) — Corruption of government officials is currently Americans’ number one fear, according to a recent survey by researchers at Chapman University. The researchers asked a random sample of 1,541 adults to rate the level of fear for 88 different fear options across a variety of domains (like crime and natural disasters). Based on their findings, here were the top 10 fears for 2015:

Corruption of government officials (58.0%)

Cyber-terrorism (44.8%)

Corporate tracking of personal information (44.6%)

Terrorist attacks (44.4%)

Government tracking of personal information (41.4%)

Bio-warfare (40.9%)

Identity theft (39.6%)

Economic collapse (39.2%)

Running out of money in the future (37.4%)

Credit card fraud (36.9%)

5am – E         IRS spends millions to upgrade to obsolete version of Windows. (The Washington Times) — If you were a half-dozen years behind on your taxes, Uncle Sam would almost certainly be knocking at the door. But at the Internal Revenue Service, millions of dollars are still being spent to upgrade computers to the 6-year-old Windows 7 operating system, which is two generations outdated. The long-overdue upgrades are leaving fiscal watchdogs scratching their heads and have security specialists worried about vulnerabilities to hackers. Windows 7 was introduced to the market in October 2009, and the IRS didn’t begin upgrading until 2011. After four years and nearly $140 million, the IRS still had not upgraded thousands of Windows XP computers to the already outdated Windows 7 operating system by their “end of life” deadlines, according to a report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). In all, the IRS had 110,000 workstations to upgrade from Windows XP and 6,000 servers to upgrade from Windows Server 2003, but according to the report, the IRS had not accounted for the location or migration status of approximately 1,300 workstations and upgraded only about half of its Windows servers from the 2003 software version to Windows 7. Now, the “new” operating system required for IRS computers is 6 years old and the XP system is no longer supported by Microsoft, leaving taxpayers’ information vulnerable, the watchdog warned. Since the upgrades began, Microsoft has issued two newer generations of its operating software, Windows 8 in August 2012 and Windows 10 this year.

6am – A/B/C The Republican front-runner’s campaign objects to lack of opening and closing statements and risk of a 2-plus-hour debate. (Politico) — A Republican National Committee conference call to discuss plans for the Oct. 28 GOP debate with top advisers to the presidential campaigns spiraled into chaos on Thursday afternoon, as Donald Trump threatened to pull out of the debate if his demands for the format are not met. At issue is whether CNBC, which is hosting the debate, to be held in Boulder, Colo., will allow candidates to give opening and closing statements. A day earlier, the RNC and CNBC held a conference call to discuss logistics that turned heated — with CNBC saying it wouldn’t allow opening and closing statements, and several campaigns saying they wanted them. On Thursday’s call — which the RNC abruptly scheduled earlier in the morning — Corey Lewandowski, Trump’s campaign manager, said that if the debate does not include opening or closing statements and is longer than two hours total, including commercial breaks, the real estate mogul would have to drop out of the debate.

Fiorina: I Think Three Hours of Questions Has Trump and Carson Worried. (Mediaite) — Carly Fiorina spoke with Megyn Kelly tonight, where she was asked to give her thoughts about Donald Trump and Ben Carson‘s joint letter stating they would boycott the next GOP debate if it doesn’t meet their series of demands. One of the complaints provided by Trump and Carson was that they did not agree on the debate being stretched for three hours. Fiorina, however, said she wouldn’t mind a longer debate, and actually wondered whether they were nervous about answering questions for that long. “We have ten candidates on the stage. I don’t think three hours is a long time,” Fiorina said. “I think the American people really like them, and we ought to stand and answer as many questions as we can.”

6am – D         MT students celebrate as school drops Michelle O’s lunch rules. (EAGNews) — BOZEMAN, Mont. – Montana’s Bozeman High School is proving schools can serve students nutritious meals they’ll love without Michelle Obama’s guiding hand. Last year, Bozeman school board members voted 5-3 to pull the high school out of the National School Lunch Program because federal regulations on calories, fat, sugar, sodium, whole grains and other nutritional elements championed by the first lady were driving students off campus for lunch, the Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports. Instead of forking over their lunch money on the government-mandated goods, students instead opted to visit local fast food restaurants and gobble down gas station fare – severely impacting the district’s food service budget. School officials realized it was financially advantageous to forgo $117,000 in federal food subsidies tied to the National School Lunch Program to draw students back into the cafeteria, and it seems they were correct.

6am – E         New Image Shows Billy the Kid Playing Croquet. (FoxNews.com) –A rare coin dealer in California has concluded that a grainy image of legendary gunman Billy the Kid playing croquet is the real thing and could be worth as much as $5 million. That is not bad for a photo purchased by Randy Guijarro of Freemont, Calif. for $2 as a part of a miscellaneous lot at a Fresno junk shop in 2010, according to Kagin’s. The company is negotiating a private sale of the photo. “We have a couple of people who are interested right now,” Kagin’s senior numismatist David McCarthy told FoxNews.com said. The 4×5-inch tintype – which depicts Billy the Kid and several members of his gang, The Regulators, relaxing in the summer of 1878 – will be the subject of a two-hour documentary airing Sunday on the National Geographic Channel.

7am – A         INTERVIEW — CALLISTA GINGRICH — author of new book “Christmas in America” — discussed her new book, singing before the Pope and whether she would consider becoming Speaker of the House.

• BOOK EVENT THIS WEEKEND: They would like to promote a books signing on Saturday, October 17th (TOMORROW) in Fairfax: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17TH @ 1 PM – BARNES & NOBLE FAIR LAKES PROMENADE – 12193 FAIR LAKES PROMENADE DRIVE, FAIRFAX, VA 22033

7am – B         INTERVIEW — NEWT GINGRICH — former Speaker of the House, former presidential candidate and author of new fiction book, a DC thriller, titled “Duplicity” – discussed his new book, shared his thoughts on the House Speaker race and Trump/Carson’s fight with CNBC over the debate.

7am – C         Fewer Teens Smoking Cigarettes, But Twice as Many Using Pot: CDC.

THURSDAY, Oct. 15, 2015 (HealthDay News) — While worried parents may take comfort in new statistics that show smoking among American teenagers has dropped 64 percent in recent years, the same report also shows that marijuana use has doubled. And plenty of youngsters still light up. A full 30 percent of white, black and Hispanic teens smoked cigarettes, cigars or marijuana in 2013, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. The researchers tracked teen smoking rates from 1997 to 2013.

7am – D/E     Obama halts troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Should We Have a Permanent Base in Afghanistan?

• Obama: 5,500 troops to stay in Afghanistan. (USA Today) — President Obama has abandoned his plan to withdraw nearly all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, saying Thursday that he will keep a force of 9,800 in the country for most of next year and a contingent of 5,500 for 2017, the year he leaves office. “While America’s combat mission in Afghanistan may be over, our commitment to Afghanistan and its people endures,” Obama said in announcing a policy reversal that basically prolongs American involvement in the longest war in U.S. history. Obama, who had planned to reduce the number of U.S. troops to around 1,000, stressed the bigger residual force will not be engaged in combat operations. They will instead be involved in the “narrow but critical missions” of counter-terrorism operations and the ongoing training of Afghan security forces, he said. The 5,500 troops who will remain in Afghanistan after 2016 will be stationed at a “small number of bases,” Obama said, calling the extension “modest, but meaningful.” While Afghan forces have improved in recent months, he said, they are “still not as strong as they need to be” and require sustained U.S. assistance.

8am – A         INTERVIEW – TREVOR MATICH — Redskins elite long snapper and WMAL’s Redskins analyst

• PREVIEW: Washington Redskins vs New York Jets – Sunday, October 18, 1:00 PM on FOX, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
• Washington Redskins’ offensive line banged up heading into Jets game. FLORHAM PARK — The Jets’ defensive line—already having a fabulous season—not already welcomed back end Sheldon Richardson from suspension this week, which almost seems unfair. And now it gets to face a Washington offensive front that’s hurting. Washington’s only two veteran starters on the offensive line—left tackle Trent Williams and center Kory Lichtensteiger—did not practice Thursday because of injuries, casting doubt on whether either will be able to go against the Jets at 1 p.m. Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Williams has a neck injury, one day after he was limited and listed on the injury report with a spine. Lichtensteiger has a shoulder, finger, and neck after having been limited Wednesday with a shoulder and finger. According to Liz Clarke of the Washington Post, Williams had said Wednesday he would he play if there’s any way he can. But that was before he didn’t practice Thursday.

8am – B         Food News:

• Lucky Charms is releasing a marshmallow-only cereal: (E! Online) — No need to look for four-leaf clovers, because it’s already your lucky day! The time has come, dear friends, when you no longer need to forage through the box of Lucky Charms for the sweet treasure of marshmallow-y goodness. General Mills, the makers of Lucky Charms, is granting wishes and releasing our favorite childhood (and adulthood, lets face it) cereal with only its famous marshmallows. But, there is a catch… They are only making 10 boxes. The way to get your hands on an entire box of your sugar-ladden dreams is by entering the Lucky Charms contest. Snap a selfie of you and the imaginary box-o-mallows and you could be selected to win one of the elusive cereal treats.
• Tom Brady calls Coca-Cola “poison for kids”—don’t even get him started on Frosted Flakes: (E! Online) — Speaking on Boston radio station 93.7 WEEI FM’s The Dennis & Callahan Morning Show this week, the 38-year-old New England Patriots quarterback talked about nutrition after being asked about his personal trainer and business partner Alex Guerrero, who has his own line of nutritional supplements and whose practices were criticized by Boston magazine. Guerrero had not responded. “You probably go out and drink Coca-Cola and think, ‘Oh yeah, that’s no problem,'” Brady said. “Why? Because they pay lots of money for advertisements that think that you should drink Coca-Cola for a living? No. I totally disagree with that. And when people do that, I think that’s quackery. And just the fact that they can sell that to kids, I mean, that’s poison for kids. But they keep doing it.” A Coca-Cola spokesperson said in response all of the company’s beverages “are safe and can be enjoyed as part of a balanced lifestyle.” In his radio interview, Brady also points the finger at Frosted Flakes. No, he does not think they’re “grrreat!” He joked how people “believe” Frosted Flakes cereal is “actually a food,” saying, “You keep eating those things and you keep wondering why we do have just incredible rates of disease in our country.”
• McDonald’s all-day breakfast has been a disaster. McDonald’s franchisees say the launch of all-day breakfast has been a disaster — griping that it has slowed down service, lowered average bills and sparked chaos in the kitchens. Mark Kalinowski, an analyst for the Japanese finance company Nomura, surveyed 29 operators overseeing 226 different locations in the US and found that many were pulling their hair out due to the new menu options, which rolled out last Tuesday to much praise from Egg McMuffin lovers. “In small stores, the problems are vast with people falling over each other and equipment jammed in everywhere,” one franchisee wrote in response to Kalinowski’s survey.

8am – C         Frost and freeze could hit D.C. area this weekend. (WTOP) – Thursday and Friday will be near seasonable with temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. However, after a strong, moisture-starved cold front passes through the region midday Friday, a huge tumble in temperatures comes our way. Daytime highs on Saturday will only top out in the mid to upper 50s, thanks to a Canadian high pressure building into the region Friday night into Saturday. It will also be a little breezy on Saturday, which will make it feel much cooler. The National Weather Service has issued a freeze watch from late Saturday night through early Sunday morning for areas along Interstate 81 as overnight lows during that period will drop into the mid 20s to the low 30s. Unprotected vegetation sensitive to freezing temperatures will be killed or damaged as temperatures dip that low. Another freeze watch will be possible for Sunday night east of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and another chilly night is expected Sunday into Monday. Sunday’s daytime temperatures will top out anywhere from the upper 40s north and west of D.C. to the mid 50s around the District. There will be plenty of sunshine. But again the temperatures will feel more like November.

8am – D         INTERVIEW — BRET BAIER – Anchor, Special Report, Fox News Channel, weekdays at 6 pm

• CNBC agrees to Trump demand for two-hour debate
• Obama halts troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Obama: 5,500 troops to stay in
• Gates: Obama’s Distrust of Military ‘Particularly True In Afghanistan’ – Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said President Obama distrusted the military, and “this was particularly true in Afghanistan” in an interview that was taped earlier in the week and broadcast on Thursday’s “Special Report” on the Fox News Channel.
• Looking ahead to next week’s Benghazi hearing…

8am – E         Entertainment News;

• Netflix Releases Awesome Trailer For ‘A Very Murray Christmas.’ Netflix is coming out with a star studded Christmas special titled “A Very Murray Christmas” and judging from the recently released trailer it looks awesome. The premise revolves around Bill Murray worrying if anybody will show up to his TV show because of a snow storm. The film stars Bill Murray, George Clooney, Miley Cyrus, Chris Rock, and many more. The film will be released on Netflix in December.
• John Stamos has been charged in his DUI case—and he could be facing jail time: John Stamos Charged With 1 Count of DUI, Faces Up to 6 Months in Jail After Drugs Found in System. (E! Online) — Nearly three months after he checked out of rehab, John Stamos has been charged in his DUI case. The Los Angeles District Attorney tells E! News that the 52-year-old actor has been charged with one misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of drugs, stemming from his June arrest for DUI in Beverly Hills. If convicted, the Fuller House star faces a maximum sentence of six months in county jail. An arraignment is schedule for tomorrow in Los Angeles. Police pulled over Stamos on June 12 after receiving “numerous calls” about a possible drunk driver.
• Khloé Kardashian Is Making Medical Decisions For Lamar Odom. (Buzzfeed) — Khloé Kardashian is “devastated” and “inconsolable” as she makes medical decisions for her estranged husband, Lamar Odom, who remains in critical condition in a Nevada hospital after being found unconscious in a brothel, a source close to the family told BuzzFeed News Thursday. Kardashian filed for divorce in 2013, but since a judge has yet to sign the papers, the reality TV star is making welfare decisions as the NBA star’s wife, the source said, adding: “He is not doing well.” Dennis Hof, owner of the Love Ranch South brothel, located in the rural town of Crystal, told BuzzFeed News that two women who were with Odom at the time said he appeared to have taken too much “herbal Viagra.” “I was told he was not looking good,” Hof said. Odom had arranged for five days of 24-hour companionship — including sex, meals, and hanging out — with two women for $75,000, Hof said. Before he was found unresponsive, Odom had been considering extending his stay through this Saturday to celebrate Hof’s birthday, the ranch owner said.

MONDAY: Joe diGenova and Trevor Matich