Jake Tapper, Scottie Nell Hughes, legal analyst Richard Kelsey and Dr. Walid Phares joined WMAL on Thursday!

Mornings on the Mall

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

5am – A/B/C Supreme Court To Hear Arguments In McDonnell Corruption Case

The U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments Wednesday in a case that tests the corruption conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. At issue is a great deal more than one case. The federal government contends that if the Supreme Court voids the conviction, it could cripple enforcement of laws against public corruption. The defense counters that if the conviction is upheld, it would turn ordinary political acts into crimes.

5am – D/E     2016 News:

• Cruz and Trump, as Clock Ticks Down, Hustle for Crucial Indiana Win
• Ted Cruz announces Carly Fiorina has his VP pick
• Carly Fiorina Comes Out Singing.
• Trump gives foreign policy speech
• Bobby Knight Endorses Donald Trump for President at Indiana Rally.
• Bernie Sanders to Cut Hundreds of Staff Members and Focus on California.

6am – A/B/C Defense bill would require women to register for draft. Women would have to register for the draft under an amendment added to an annual defense bill Wednesday. “If we want equality in this country, if we want women to be treated precisely like men are treated and that they should not be discriminated against, then we should support a universal conscription,” Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) said. The House Armed Services Committee voted 32-30 to include the amendment in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Congress has been debating what to do about the draft since Defense Secretary Ash Carter opened up all combat jobs to women late last year.

6am – D         INTERVIEW – RICHARD KELSEY – Virginia legal analyst

• High court seems poised to overturn former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell’s conviction. CBS News The Supreme Court appears likely to overturn the corruption conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell after the eight justices heard arguments in the case Wednesday morning. Justices on both sides of the ideological spectrum expressed skepticism about the rationale behind the conviction, cautioning that the case presented a potentially slippery slope for criminalizing politicians’ behavior when it comes to exerting political influence for supporters. McDonnell was found guilty on 11 different counts of conspiracy back in 2014, after he and his wife Maureen accepted more than $165,000 in gifts and loans from Jonnie Williams, CEO of the dietary supplement company Star Scientific.

6am – E         Schilling: ESPN Employs ‘Some Of The Biggest Racists In Sports Commentating.’ NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Curt Schilling claims that “some of the biggest racists in sports commentating” work at ESPN. The former pitcher, who was fired as a baseball analyst by the network after posting an anti-transgender meme on Facebook, made the comments Thursday morning before the “Breitbart News Patriot Forum.” “Some of the most racist things that I’ve ever heard come out of people that are on the air at ESPN. There are some of the biggest racists in sports commentating, and you take it for what it is. You know who they are. You know what they are,” the three-time World Series champion said. “I like that they are openly because then you know who they are. You know that they exist.” Schilling said the network only came down on those who went “off topic” with a conservative point-of-view. “It was apparent to me early on that if you wanted to go off topic as a sportsperson, you had to go off topic left or you were going to get into trouble,” Schilling said.

7am – A         INTERVIEW –SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES – political analyst, Trump surrogate and a columnist for Townhall.com, and author of the book “Roar”

>> Ted Cruz announces Carly Fiorina has his VP pick

>> Trump gives foreign policy speech

7am – B/C    Calls: Ted Cruz announces Carly Fiorina has his VP pick

7am – D/E     House Approves Administrative Leave Overhaul. The House on Tuesday voted unanimously to overhaul the administrative leave process, approving a bill to make it more difficult for agencies to place employees on indefinite, paid, non-duty status while they are under investigation. (GovExec) – The Administrative Leave Reform Act, which won bipartisan support, would hinder an agency’s ability to place an employee on administrative leave for “reasons relating to misconduct or performance” for more than 14 days in one year. The bill’s author and chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, has repeatedly highlighted and held hearings on abuses of administrative leave in which workers accused of malfeasance have spent months or years on essentially steady paid vacation. Initially, Chaffetz’s bill set the 14-day administrative leave cap across the board, but an amendment ironed out between the chairman and Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., provided some exceptions. After 14 days, agencies would be required to place employees back on paid duty status. In some cases, proponents of the legislation have said, it would make more sense for agencies to allow employees to telework or to place them in an alternative facility. If employees still represent a threat to public safety, government property or the agency mission, the bill would allow for up to 30 days of administrative leave at a time. Each additional 30-day period would require an explanation from the agency to be provided to Congress.

8am – A         INTERVIEW – DR WALID PHARES — Fox News Mideast Expert and NOW a foreign policy adviser to presidential candidate DONALD TRUMP

• Walid Phares: Trump lays out a new vision for American foreign policy leadership

8am – B         Entertainment News:

• Will Ferrell to Play Former President Ronald Reagan in New Movie. Having already famously portrayed former President George W. Bush in various comedy sketches, Will Ferrell is now setting his sights on another former commander in chief. Sources tell Variety Ferrell is attached to star as President Ronald Reagan in the Black List script “Reagan.” Penned by Mike Rosolio, the story begins at the start of the ex-president’s second term when he falls into dementia and an ambitious intern is tasked with convincing the commander in chief that he is an actor playing the president in a movie. The script was so popular following its announcement on the Black List, an annual catalog of the top unproduced scripts in Hollywood, that a live read was done recently done in March starring Lena Dunham and John Cho.

• Dakota Johnson on ‘tedious’ Fifty Shades Darker: ‘I’ve been simulating sex for seven hours straight and I’m over it.’ Johnson is currently shooting sequels Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed Tt’s tough being a Hollywood actress whose main job at the moment involves shooting back-to-back sex scenes with Jamie Dornan. Dakota Johnson, who plays Anastasia Steele in the Fifty Shades movies, has announced that she is “over” the Red Room where Dornan’s playboy billionaire Christian Grey submits her to all kinds of BDSM action. “We’re not having actual sex,” the 26-year-old told Chrissie Hynde for Interview magazine. “But I’ve been simulating sex for seven hours straight right now and I’m over it. It’s not…comfortable. It’s pretty tedious.”
• Senate passes resolution honoring Prince. The Senate approved a resolution on Wednesday evening honoring Prince after the musician passed away late last week. The resolution—from Minnesota Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken—”honors the life of Prince Rogers Nelson and his achievements as a musician, composer, innovator, and cultural icon.” It also also breaks down Prince’s musical accomplishments, including selling more than 100,000 records worldwide and releasing 39 albums. Klobuchar added that while senators can frequently disagree, lawmakers all believe that “Prince was a one-of-a-kind artist, fiercely independent and uniquely talented.” “For Minnesotans, Prince was our superstar next door. He made ‘Purple Rain’ a household name, First Avenue a landmark, and brought international fame to Minnesota’s music scene,” she said in a statement.

8am – C         Liberty University to allow handguns in dorms next fall. LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) — Liberty University will allow students with concealed handgun permits from the state to keep their weapons in their dorms beginning next fall. The News & Advance reports those students would need permission from the school first. The guns would be kept in safes inside the residence halls at the private Christian university. The policy change was given the go-ahead by the university’s board of trustees last week. University President Jerry Falwell Jr. announced last year that eligible students could carry guns anywhere on campus. Previously, students who qualified could carry guns anywhere except residence halls.

8am – D         INTERVIEW — JAKE TAPPER — Anchor of The Lead and State of the Union

• Cruz and Trump, as Clock Ticks Down, Hustle for Crucial Indiana Win

• Ted Cruz announces Carly Fiorina has his VP pick
• Carly Fiorina Comes Out Singing.
• Trump gives foreign policy speech
• Bobby Knight Endorses Donald Trump for President at Indiana Rally.
• Bernie Sanders to Cut Hundreds of Staff Members and Focus on California.

8am – E         Metro News:

• DC Metro Exec Says Dangerous Incidents ‘Will’ Keep Occurring. A track fire caused stress on the D.C. Metro Saturday as passengers had to be evacuated off a train for the second time in under two weeks, and Metro’s leader says it will continue to happen if the federal government doesn’t hand over more money. Metro Chairman Jack Evans is currently requesting $300 million from Congress to help balance their budget sheet, and $1 billion annually from local governments to conduct the necessary repairs to keep the system running. Evans, who told Congress in April, “next time something happens, I’m blaming you guys,” said Monday safety threats will persist until the money flows, reports WTOP. “Metro has serious problems – the infrastructure, the maintenance, the finances,” Evans, a D.C. Council member, told WTOP. “If we do nothing, if we don’t address this, then it will continue to have problems. The system is wearing out. As it wears out, we have more of these incidents.”
• DC Metro: Recent fires at same station were unrelated. WASHINGTON (AP) — A spokesman for Washington’s Metro subway says a fire on the tracks that caused a station to be shut down briefly during Wednesday morning’s rush hour was unrelated to a fire near the same location on Saturday. Metro spokesman Dan Stessel says Wednesday’s fire at the Friendship Heights station was caused by a problem with a component that covers the electrified third rail. When those insulating pieces are damaged or worn out, electricity can escape and cause fires.
• Arcing insulator responsible for Wednesday fire at Friendship Heights Metro station. A possible arcing insulator is being investigated at a D.C. Metro station. The emergency was reported around 8 a.m. at the Friendship Heights Metro stop. (Fox 5) — WASHINGTON – A D.C. Metro station is back open after an electrical fire filled tunnels with smoke and caused major delays during the morning commute. The incident happened around 8 a.m. when emergency crews were called to the Friendship Heights Metro stop on the D.C. / Montgomery County line.
• Metro to Stay Open Late for Washington Capitals Game. The Metrorail system will stay open late Thursday as the Washington Capitals take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The game begins at 8 p.m. at the Verizon Center. Metro says the system will close at 1 a.m. to accommodate fans leaving the playoff game. Fans must use the following entrances to enter the system after midnight:
• House lawmakers want big changes to Washington’s metro board. Rep. John Delaney is leading a push in the House to overhaul the board that oversees the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) as the beleaguered transit agency scrambles to address ongoing safety issues. Delaney, a Maryland Democrat, is introducing legislation this week that would require the next three federal appointments to the authority’s board of directors to be either a certified transit, management or financial expert. The standard would apply to both new appointees and those renewing their terms. The board has 16 members, with Maryland, Virginia, the District of Columbia and the federal government each appointing four of them.