Ken Klukowski, Guy Benson and Jane Hampton Cook joined WMAL on Tuesday morning!

Mornings on the Mall

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

 

5am – A         Iran News:

• White House snubs Chaffetz, refuses to let aide testify after controversial Iran remarks. The White House confirmed Monday that Obama adviser Ben Rhodes will not be allowed to testify before House lawmakers on the Iran nuclear deal, after a last-ditch attempt by Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz to pry the controversial aide loose for the hearing. Chaffetz and the White House have been engaged in an escalating feud, all on the heels of a New York Times Magazine piece where Rhodes was quoted boasting about the administration’s success in crafting a public narrative for the Iran deal. The profile on Rhodes quotes him saying they built an “echo chamber” of experts who sold that narrative to young, often inexperienced reporters. Chaffetz, R-Utah, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, wanted the deputy national security adviser to testify at a hearing set for Tuesday titled, “White House narratives on the Iran Nuclear Deal.”
• Iran: U.S. Encouraging Islamic Republic to Keep Illicit Missile Tests Secret. State Department declines to respond. (Washington Free Beacon) — A senior Iranian military commander claimed that U.S. officials are quietly encouraging the Islamic Republic to keep its illicit ballistic missile tests a secret so as not to raise concerns in the region, according to Persian language comments. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace and Missile Force, said in recent remarks that the Obama administration does not want Iran to publicize its ongoing missile tests, which have raised questions about the Islamic Republic’s commitment to last summer’s comprehensive nuclear agreement. “At this time, the Americans are telling [us]: ‘Don’t talk about missile affairs, and if you conduct a test or maneuver, don’t mention it,’” Hajizadeh was quoted as saying during a recent Persian-language speech that was translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute.
• Congressman: Classified Details of Iran’s Treatment of U.S. Sailors Will Shock Nation. Lawmaker says new details being withheld by Obama administration. (Washington Free Beacon) – The classified details behind Iran’s treatment of several U.S. sailors who were captured by the Islamic Republic during a tense standoff earlier this year are likely to shock the nation, according to one member of the House Armed Services Committee, who disclosed to the Washington Free Beacon that these details are currently being withheld by the Obama administration. Rep. Randy Forbes (R., Va.) told the Free Beacon in an interview that the Obama administration is still keeping details of the maritime incident under wraps. It could be a year or longer before the American public receives a full accounting of the incident, in which several U.S. sailors were abducted at gunpoint by the Iranian military. “I’ve had a full classified briefing” from military officials, Forbes told the Free Beacon. “It could be as long as a year before we actually get that released.”

5am – B         Judicial Watch Asks Court to Require Hillary, Aides to Testify. A conservative watchdog group is requesting former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and several of her aides be called to testify in its lawsuit over her use of a private email server. “Mrs. Clinton’s testimony will help the courts determine whether her email practices thwarted the Freedom of Information Act,” said Tom Fitton, Judicial Watch president. Judicial Watch initially filed the FOIA lawsuit in 2014 to get information about talking points given to then-U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice about the 2012 Benghazi attacks. According to the group’s website, it seeks testimony covering:

Searches of emails relating to the Benghazi attack and its aftermath, including preparation of Clinton’s congressional testimony on January 23, 2013.

State Department policies for accounting for Clinton’s records, including emails, before she left office.

The use of a private email system to conduct official State Department business by Clinton and her staff.

Besides Clinton, Judicial Watch also wants to secure testimony from staff members Cheryl Mills, Jacob Sullivan, Lauren Jiloty, Monica Hanley, Clarence Finney and other officials who can testify officially on behalf of the agency.

5am – C         Yes, Oreo Bagels Are Now A Thing. You’re reading this right. Oreo bagels, baked with cookie chunks and slathered with Oreo cream cheese, are now being sold at The Bagel Nook in Freehold, NJ. This is what it’s come to. We are all to blame. Featuring a swirl-style dough that’s clearly influenced by the now-infamous rainbow bagel trend, the Oreo Bagel includes chunks of the Nestle-trademarked sweet cooked right into its very essence. Plus, The Bagel Nook has begun slipping actual Oreo cookies inside the thing. It’s like the cookies-and-cream equivalent of a bacon-egg-and-cheese. The sweet-savory yin and yang of bagels must be maintained, and this is the price we all pay.

5am – D         Obama awards Medal of Valor to 13 police officers. WASHINGTON — President Obama awarded the nation’s highest honor for law enforcement to 13 police officers Monday, recognizing officers who put themselves in harm’s way — one fatally — to protect citizens. The Public Safety Medal of Valor recognizes police, firefighters and other first responders for exceptional courage. Obama said the actions of the 13 recognized Monday helped to save countless lives.

5am – E         Metro announces speed, acceleration restrictions. Speed restrictions are in place along four segments of Metrorail and the restrictions in three of those areas will continue indefinitely. (Fox 5) — WASHINGTON – Metro has ordered trains to slow down through the heart of the rail system to reduce the risk of dangerous smoke and electrical fires. WMATA announced on Monday that they have implemented speed and acceleration restrictions in certain areas to reduce the electrical power draw by trains. Trains in the following areas will depart stations more slowly and travel at a maximum speed of 45 mph:

Red Line between Grosvenor and Dupont Circle

Orange Line between Rosslyn and Minnesota Ave

Silver/Blue Line between Rosslyn and Benning Road

The restrictions may result in congestion and increased travel times. Metro said they will work to minimize the impact of these restrictions to the greatest extent possible.

6am – A/B/C Bill Clinton Would Be ‘in Charge of Revitalizing the Economy,’ Hillary Clinton Says. FORT MITCHELL, Kentucky — Hillary Clinton has always made known that she wants Bill Clinton to have some kind of role in the White House should she become president, and over the past few weeks, she’s begun to reveal more about what exactly that would be. During a campaign event in Fort Mitchell today, the Democratic presidential candidate was more blunt than ever about what her husband’s role would be in a future Clinton administration — saying she plans to to put the former president “in charge of economic revitalization.” “My husband, who I’m going to put in charge of revitalizing the economy, ’cause you know he knows how to do it,” Clinton told the crowd at an outdoor organizing rally. “And especially in places like coal country and inner cities and other parts of our country that have really been left out.”

6am – D         TSA’s Long Lines:

• Stranded travelers sleep on cots in TSA nightmare. The TSA’s notorious checkpoint delays were so bad at Chicago’s O’Hare airport over the weekend that an airline had to set up cots for its fliers. “We held 30 flights [on Sunday], and 450 passengers missed their flights because of TSA delays,” American Airlines spokesman Ross Feinstein told The Post. “This weekend was probably the worst since spring break,’’ said the rep, whose airline was forced to put out about 100 cots for stranded customers. “Our concern is the summer, which is spring break every day from June till September.’’ A federal source blamed the nightmare weekend on the Transportation Security Administration’s long-standing issues of too little manpower combined with a seasonal surge in air traffic.
• TSA Lines Causing Frowns? Send in the Clowns! (and Tiny Horses). (NBC News) –  With mounting delays around the country being blamed on Transportation Security Administration cutbacks and increased passenger traffic, airports are turning to musical performers and free sweets to keep travelers’ tempers in check. And some airports are getting a little more creative. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is now inviting miniature therapy horses and their handlers from the non-profit Seven Oaks Farms Miniature Therapy Horses program in Hamilton, Ohio to visit the terminals several times a month. “Animals help reduce stress and anxiety levels and put smiles on people’s faces,” said Mindy Kershner, a spokeswoman for the airport. “Unlike service animals, who are working and should not be touched, therapy animals can be patted and hugged.” And while many other airports have therapy dog programs in the terminals, “We figured this is Kentucky, after all, so we need horses,” Kershner said. San Diego International Airport is bringing in the clowns. As part of a performing arts residency program, Fern Street Circus will be offering performances, rehearsals and workshops in the airport over the next eight months.

6am – E         Entertainment News:

• Sinead O’Connor was found safe after being reported missing. Sinead O’Connor was found safe in a Chicago suburb after a police search on Monday. The Wilmette, Ill., Police Department issued an updated statement on Monday, saying, “Sinead O’Connor has been located. She is safe and is no longer listed as a missing/endangered person.” Police had previously issued a “check for well-being” after O’Connor had been missing for more than a day after not returning from a bike ride on Sunday morning.
• Barbra Streisand announces Verizon Ccenter show during 9-city summer concert tour: LOS ANGELES (AP) — Barbra Streisand will launch a nine-city tour this summer, including a stop right here in the nation’s capital. Streisand’s manager said Monday the entertainer will appear at arenas across the country, performing songs from her six-decade career. The tour plans one-night stops in Los Angeles; Las Vegas; San Jose, California; Chicago; Boston; Philadelphia; Toronto; and Washington, D.C., where she’ll perform Aug. 18 at Verizon Center. Tickets go on sale May 25 and will include a copy of Streisand’s new album.

7am – A         INTERVIEW — KEN KLUKOWSKI – Breitbart legal editor

• Supreme Court sends Obamacare case back to lower court. Washington (CNN) The Supreme Court on Monday avoided issuing a major ruling on a challenge brought by religiously affiliated non-profit groups to the Affordable Care Act’s contraceptive mandate. The justices, in a unanimous decision, wrote that they were not deciding the case on the merits but instead sent the case back down to the lower courts for opposing parties to work out a compromise. “The court expresses no view on the merits of the cases,” the justices wrote, adding that “given the gravity of the dispute” and the fact that the parties have clarified their positions during the course of the litigation the parties should be able to “arrive at an approach.” The decision to send the case back to the appellate level appears to be a direct impact of Justice Antonin Scalia’s death in February. Scalia, a stalwart conservative, would likely have ruled against the Obama administration.

7am – B         2016 News:

• Nevada Democrats: Sanders Campaign Has Violent Streak. LAS VEGAS — Nevada’s Democratic party on Monday warned the Democratic National Committee that Sen. Bernie Sanders’ supporters have a penchant for violence and may seek to disrupt the party’s national convention in July, as they did during the Nevada convention Saturday. The allegation is the latest fallout from a divisive Nevada Democratic convention that had to be shut down because security at the Paris Las Vegas hotel could no longer ensure order on Saturday night. The gathering closed with some Sanders supporters throwing chairs; later, some made death threats against state party chairwoman Roberta Lange.
• Reid blames Sanders supporters for chaos at Nevada convention. — Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Monday blamed Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders’s supporters for the chaos that ensued at Nevada’s Democratic Convention this past weekend.
• Mark Cuban says Donald Trump as president could wreak havoc on Wall Street. Mark Cuban is rich, outspoken and hosts a reality show — all commonalities with Donald Trump. But he told CNN on Monday that if the election were held today, he’d probably vote for Hillary Clinton. Speaking to Erin Burnett, Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, was critical of Trump for not investing the time to do a “deep dive” and understand the issues. In fact, he says that Trump presents a problem for Wall Street, in that it likes certainty and not shifting positions.

7am – C         Smaller pay raises, class sizes could be coming to Montgomery. County Council Votes to Cut Pay Increases, Reduce Class Sizes. Monday’s straw votes begin week that could see approval of property and recordation tax increases. WASHINGTON — Thousands of Montgomery County employees who were expecting a raise will get less than they bargained for, and parents may see smaller class sizes in their children’s classrooms. That’s because the Montgomery County Council — in a preliminary vote — approved a plan to reduce the compensation packages for unions that represent teachers, firefighters, police officers and service workers. Instead of boosting some county employees’ wages by up to eight percent, the savings will be applied to a plan to cut class size and attack the county school system’s persistent achievement gap between black and Latino students and their white and Asian-American peers. The plan got a cold reception from union members in the audience for Monday’s council vote.

7am – D/E     INTERVIEW — GUY BENSON — Townhall Political Editor and co-author of “End of Discussion: How the Left’s Outrage Industry Shuts Down Debate, Manipulates Voters, and Makes America Less Free (and Fun)”

• Hillary Clinton says she’ll put Bill ‘in charge’ of fixing economy.
• GUY BENSON: WH: The GOP Lied About the Iran Deal, So Our Embattled Spinmeister Won’t Testify. White House Spokesman Josh Earnest repeatedly ducked questions about whether presidential national security adviser Ben Rhodes should testify before a Congressional committee hearing exploring the controversial Iran nuclear deal on Tuesday.
• Guy previewed the Kentucky and Oregon primaries today.

8am – A/B/C 30^th Anniversary of the Release of Top Gun. What movie was your favorite military movie?

8am – D         INTERVIEW — JANE HAMPTON COOK — Presidential Historian and Author of upcoming book “The Burning of the White House: James and Dolley Madison and the War of 1812   Janecook.com

• Jane is also a featured historian in the upcoming Newt Gingrich film “The First American”
• Bill Clinton Would Be ‘in Charge of Revitalizing the Economy,’ Hillary Clinton Says

8am – E         Internet News:

• Congressional Candidate Accidentally Shares Porn Tastes On Facebook. (Daily Caller) — A Congressional candidate in Virginia’s 8th District has posted a photo on Twitter that incidentally includes a glimpse of his pornography tastes. Mike Webb initially ran as a Republican for the 8th District seat, which covers Arlington and Alexandria and is considered safely Democratic.  He lost the nomination, though, and is now running as an independent, though he is, to say the least, unlikely to win. Webb published a post on his campaign page Monday that included a screenshot of his computer desktop.  And as it happened, Webb hadn’t bothered to close his pornography tabs when he took his screengrab.

• Twitter will reportedly stop counting photos and links in 140-character limit. Twitter to Stop Counting Photos and Links in 140-Character Limit. Twitter Inc. is making a major shift in how it counts characters in Tweets, giving users more freedom to compose longer messages. The social media company will soon stop counting photos and links as part of its 140-character limit for messages, according to a person familiar with the matter.  The change could happen in the next two weeks, said the person who asked not to be named because the decision isn’t yet public.  Links currently take up 23 characters, even after Twitter automatically shortens them. The company declined to comment. It’s a step in a larger plan to give users more flexibility on the site. Chief Executive Officer Jack Dorsey said in January that the company was looking for new ways to display text on Twitter, and would experiment based on how people use the service. For example, some people tweet screenshots of longer text in articles, or send many tweets one after the other to tell a story.