Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes, Larry Michael, Sen. Ron Johnson and Bret Baier joined WMAL on Friday!

Mornings on the Mall

Friday, October 13, 2017

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

5am – A/B     Vince Examines The Filibuster.

5am – C         WMAL’s Free Speech Forum is back! Sunday, October 15th at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Chris Plante, Larry O’Connor, Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese will be live on stage discussing all of the highs and lows in politics today, plus taking your questions… and holding nothing back! AND JUST ADDED: Special Guests Former White House Advisor Dr. Sebastian Gorka and Former US Attorney Joe DiGenova will also take the stage! Join us for an evening of food, drinks and conversation at WMAL’s Free Speech Forum. https://www.wmal.com/freespeechforum/

5am – D         Canadian husband of American woman ‘refuses to board US plane in fear he will be punished for his previous marriage to a terror suspect’ after they are rescued in Pakistan with their three young children following five years in Taliban captivity. (Daily Mail) – A Canadian man who was rescued from his terrorist captors along with his American wife and their three children after spending five years as hostages refused to board a US military plane on Thursday over fears he will now face punishment over his first marriage to a known terror suspect.   Caitlan Coleman, 31, was given back to US commandos along with her husband Joshua Boyle, 34, and their three young children after being rescued by Pakistani forces late on Wednesday night. They were being transported in the trunk of a car from one location to another by their Haqqani-network captors when Pakistani forces ambushed their convoy and rescued them.  There was a shootout and Boyle told relatives the last words he heard were his kidnappers shouting ‘kill the hostages’. He was wounded by shrapnel and his captors were killed, one official said.   President Trump celebrated their release as a joint effort between US and Pakistani officials on Thursday.

5am – E         ObamaCare Update:

• Trump signs executive order to loosen Obamacare rules. (Washington Examiner) — President Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at loosening some Obamacare requirements so that people can buy less comprehensive, but also less expensive, healthcare coverage, in the wake of the Senate’s failure this year to move any legislation to change the law. The executive order directs the departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury to take steps to make it easier for people to band together and buy coverage through what is known as “association health plans.” It also would allow people to buy low-cost, short-term health insurance plans, which the Obama administration limited to three months, and would expand the use of health savings accounts. The process will take several months and will not go into effect in time for open enrollment, which runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15.
• Trump will scrap critical Obamacare subsidy. Scrapping the payments to insurers, which could happen almost immediately, is likely to provide another jolt to Obamacare markets. (Politico) – President Donald Trump plans to cut off subsidy payments to insurers selling Obamacare coverage in his most aggressive move yet to undermine the health care law, according to two sources close to the discussions. The subsidies, which are worth an estimated $7 billion this year and are paid out in monthly installments, may stop almost immediately since Congress hasn’t appropriated funding for the program.

6am – A         WEINSTEIN NEWS:

• WEINSTEIN COMPANY:
  • The Weinstein Co. Nears The Brink As Agencies Cut Off Talent Supply (Deadline) – The dumpster fire that is the Harvey Weinstein scandal will continue to burn awhile longer, as victims and outraged industry members weigh in with statements of outrage over the sickening allegations of sexual harassment and rape. Yet, already the industry has turned to the discussion of the dire future prospects of The Weinstein Company, even after it gets a new name and Harvey Weinstein is scrubbed from the credits of films and TV projects. Agents did not want to be on record, but reactions ranged from not wanting to risk the wrath of clients in the event of more fallout by putting them into TWC projects, and others said that if there was evidence of Weinstein benefiting directly or indirectly in projects, the agencies wanted no part of it. They felt even a re-branded company will carry a tarnish, and hoped that projects would be sold off. This wasn’t unanimous; at least one said that if Bob Weinstein and Glasser could change the messaging, and make it clear that Harvey Weinstein’s indiscretions were not in fact covered up, forgiveness could come over time.
  • Harvey Weinstein’s Contract Allowed for Sexual Harassment  (TMZ) – Harvey Weinstein may have been fired illegally by The Weinstein Company, a company that wrote a contract that said Weinstein could get sued over and over for sexual harassment and as long as he shelled out money, that was good enough for the Company.TMZ is privy to Weinstein’s 2015 employment contract, which says if he gets sued for sexual harassment or any other “misconduct” that results in a settlement or judgment against TWC, all Weinstein has to do is pay what the company’s out, along with a fine, and he’s in the clear. ccording to the contract, if Weinstein “treated someone improperly in violation of the company’s Code of Conduct,” he must reimburse TWC for settlements or judgments. Additionally, “You [Weinstein] will pay the company liquidated damages of $250,000 for the first such instance, $500,000 for the second such instance, $750,000 for the third such instance, and $1,000,000 for each additional instance.”
• MCGOWAN VS AMAZON:
  • Rose McGowan Torches Jeff Bezos on Twitter: ‘Stop Funding Rapists, Alleged Pedos, and Sexual Predators. Actress Rose McGowan, one of the most vocal figures condemning disgraced Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein over alleged sexual harassment, has turned her ire toward Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos.The actress, who was briefly suspended from Twitter yesterday evening, accused Bezos of “funding rapists, alleged pedos and sexual harassers” in a furious tweestorm. She also claimed to have told the head of Amazon’s studio that Weinstein had raped her.
  • Amazon Puts Roy Price on Leave of Absence (EXCLUSIVE) Amazon has suspended top entertainment executive Roy Price. Albert Cheng, COO of Amazon Studios, has been named interim head of the division. “Roy Price is on leave of absence effective immediately,” an Amazon spokesperson told Variety Thursday. “We are reviewing our options for our projects we have with the Weinstein Company.” The Amazon Studios president’s departure on an unpaid leave comes amid renewed sexual harassment allegations and multiple signs that Amazon and others in the industry had withdrawn their support from the embattled executive. Insiders have speculated for months about Price’s possible departure from his role as head of Amazon’s original-video arm. Multiple agents and producers who spoke to Variety in recent weeks speculated that such a departure may come soon. That speculation was driven by concerns over possible sexual harassment and a dramatic shift in Amazon’s approach to original programming — one that was mandated by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and which rejects the strategy employed for years by Price.
  • ROSE McGOWAN SUSPENDED FROM TWITTER (NOW SHE’S BACK) (Breitbart) — Twitter suspended Rose McGowan, the Hollywood actress at the center of sexual misconduct allegations against Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein, according to a post on her Instagram feed. In line with their usual opacity, Twitter has not given a public reason for suspending McGowan, who is one of the loudest voices condemning Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein and his supporters over sexual misconduct allegations.
• HILLARY / WEINSTEIN:
  • Harvey Weinstein Would Deliver Movies Straight To Hillary Clinton (Daily Caller) — Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was so close with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that he would deliver movies to Clinton, who described Weinstein as “so sweet” to one of her aides. Emails from Clinton’s time at the State Department reveal a glimpse into the relationship between Clinton and the producer now accused of sexually harassing or assaulting abusing dozens of women. At least three women have accused Weinstein of rape, while other victims describe being forced to watch while the film producer masturbated in front of them. “As time moves on, I realize I haven’t seen you and Mrs. Clinton in a long time, but I think of you both often,” Weinstein wrote to Capricia Marshall, a State Department aide under Clinton, in August 2010. Clinton. He offered to send the secretary of state a copy of his new movie, “The Kings Speech,” which wouldn’t be released to the public until late November of that year.
  • HUMA CONSOLES HARVEY’S WIFE (Washington Examiner) — Hillary Clinton’s longtime aide Huma Abedin is reportedly comforting Harvey Weinstein’s estranged wife, Georgina Chapman, as the Hollywood mogul faces accusations of sexual harassment and rape. Chapman, a fashion designer, announced Tuesday she is leaving her husband of 10 years. Abedin filed for divorce from former Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner in May, on the same day he pleaded guilty to charges related to sexting with a 15-year-old girl. A source told Page Six that Chapman reached out to Abedin as more and more women came forward to accuse Weinstein had sexually harassed them. The two women know each other because Weinstein hosted fundraising events for Clinton.
• CULTURE OF HARRASSMENT IN HOLLYWOOD:
  • JAMES VAN DER BEEK TELLS HIS TALE OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT: James Van Der Beek took to Twitter Wednesday evening to relate his personal experiences with sexual harassment and express support of the women who’ve come forward to expose sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein. “I’ve had my a– grabbed by older, powerful men,” the “What Would Diplo Do?” actor wrote. “I’ve had them corner me in inappropriate sexual conversations when I was much younger…”
  • Second Woman Accuses Ben Affleck of Groping.A second woman has come forward with allegations that actor Ben Affleck touched her inappropriately at a Hollywood function. Makeup artist Annamarie Tendler took to Twitter Wednesday night to accuse Affleck of grabbing her backside at a Golden Globes party in 2014, hours after the actor apologized for acting “inappropriately” when he apparently groped actress Hilarie Burton during a taping of MTV’s Total Request Live in 2003. “I would also love to get an apology from Ben Affleck who grabbed my ass at a Golden Globes party in 2014,” Tendler wrote in the first of a series of messages on Twitter Wednesday.
• NBC:
  • ‘NBC Is LYING’: Tucker Slams Network For Holding Blockbuster Weinstein Story. Fox News’ Tucker Carlson slammed NBC News Thursday over their treatment of the Harvey Weinstein story.“So let’s be clear. NBC is lying,” Carlson said, in reference to the network’s claims over the spiking of Ronan Farrow’s blockbuster story on Harvey Weinstein’s sexual abuse. Farrow’s story, delayed by NBC News, was taken to The New Yorker and published this week. The Daily Caller co-founder asked, “Why did a purported news organization kill a blockbuster news story? Presumably we will find out at some point. This is a scandal and the truth has a way of emerging from those in the end. One possible explanation is Noah Oppenheim. In the addition to being the head of NBC News, he is a screenwriter with deep ties to the movie business and the Democratic Party establishment. Could it be that Oppenheim had a business relationship with the company?”

6am – B         John Kelly declares ‘I’m not quitting,’ in surprise briefing appearance. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly made a surprise appearance at Thursday’s press briefing to assure reporters that he is “not quitting” and is “not frustrated” in the job — in an apparent swipe at rampant media reports.  Among them was a Vanity Fair report saying he’s struggling in the position, and his relationship with President Trump is “irreparable.”  But Kelly told reporters he’s staying put.  “I’m not quitting today. I don’t think I’m being fired today. I am not so frustrated in this job that I am thinking of leaving,” Kelly told reporters, adding he is “not frustrated.” “I will tell you this is the hardest job I’ve ever had.” Kelly added that, “Unless things change, I’m not quitting. I’m not getting fired and I don’t think I’ll fire anyone tomorrow.”  The appearance was highly unusual — as such special appearances at the White House briefings typically involve Cabinet secretaries or White House officials discussing a specific policy or emergency response effort.  Kelly told reporters that he decided not to do “too much press” until he got his “feet off the ground.”

6am – C         WMAL’s Free Speech Forum is back! Sunday, October 15th at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Chris Plante, Larry O’Connor, Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese will be live on stage discussing all of the highs and lows in politics today, plus taking your questions… and holding nothing back! AND JUST ADDED: Special Guests Former White House Advisor Dr. Sebastian Gorka and Former US Attorney Joe DiGenova will also take the stage! Join us for an evening of food, drinks and conversation at WMAL’s Free Speech Forum. https://www.wmal.com/freespeechforum/

6am – D         PUERTO RICO:

• TRUMP’S TWEETS YESTERDAY:
• Donald J. Trump‏ @realDonaldTrump : “Puerto Rico survived the Hurricanes, now a financial crisis looms largely of their own making.” says Sharyl Attkisson. A total lack of…..
• Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump …accountability say the Governor. Electric and all infrastructure was disaster before hurricanes. Congress to decide how much to spend….
• Donald J. Trump‏ @realDonaldTrump …We cannot keep FEMA, the Military & the First Responders, who have been amazing (under the most difficult circumstances) in P.R. forever!
• FBI in Puerto Rico investigating if corrupt local officials are ‘withholding’ or ‘mishandling’ crucial supplies. (Fox News) — FBI agents in Puerto Rico have been receiving calls from “across the island” with residents complaining local officials are “withholding” or “mishandling” critical FEMA supplies — with one island official even accused of stuffing his own car full of goods meant for the suffering populace. The accusations come in the aftermath of deadly Hurricane Maria, which devastated the U.S. territory last month. “The complaints we’re hearing is that mayors of local municipalities, or people associated with their offices, are giving their political supporters special treatment, goods they’re not giving to other people who need them,” FBI Special Agent Carlos Osorio told Fox News. Osorio, an agent with the FBI in San Juan, said the bureau was investigating the allegations.
• San Juan mayor slams Trump over tweets: He’s a ‘hater-in-chief’. (CNN)San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz criticized President Donald Trump Thursday, saying “rather than being a commander-in-chief, he’s like a hater-in-chief.” In a series of tweets Thursday, Trump suggested that Puerto Rico needs to shoulder more responsibility for recovery efforts from Hurricane Maria, saying the first responders can’t stay there “forever.” “When the President makes this personal, he really is exuding behavior unbecoming a leader of a free world,” she told Don Lemon on “CNN Tonight.” “This isn’t personal. This is life saving. This isn’t politics. This is about saving lives.”

6am – E         VEGAS UPDATE:

• Mandalay Bay just denied a claim that victims are using to blame the hotel for the Las Vegas shooting. MGM Resorts, the parent company of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, shut down police officials’ allegation that there was a six-minute gap between when the first shot was fired on hotel premises and when security was called during the Las Vegas shooting. “The 9:59 p.m. PDT time was derived from a Mandalay Bay report manually created after the fact without the benefit of information we now have,” the company said in a statement on Thursday. “We are now confident that the time stated in this report is not accurate.” According to the statement, shots were fired “at the festival lot at the same time as, or within 40 seconds after, the time Jesus Campos first reported that shots were fired over the radio.”

• What we now know about the Las Vegas shooting: (Axios) — As the police investigation into the mass shooting that killed 58 people and injured 527 in Las Vegas progresses, new details about the shooter, Stephen Paddock, and the night itself that have raised questions about the how the tragedy unfolded. The bottom line: The original police timeline has shifted over the past weeks, and authorities say it may shift again. No detail of the event is certain until the investigation concludes.

6am – F         Washington DC Is SWAMPED With Teenagers Who Have Sexually Transmitted Diseases. (Daily Caller) — Washington, D.C. has the highest rate of reported sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers in the United States — and it’s not even close. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that teens in the District of Columbia report suffering from various sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) at a rate of over 55 cases per thousand. By contrast, Utah — the state with the lowest teen STD rate — has just over 10 cases of STDs for every 1,000 teens. Other states with notably high reported STD rates among youngsters include Alabama (over 40 cases per 1,000), Louisiana (also over 40 cases per 1,000) and Mississippi (about 38 cases per 1,000).

7am – A         INTERVIEW – CHELSEA JANES – Washington Post Nats reporter to recap the epic Nats game last night

• The Nationals’ season is over.  They lost to the Chicago Cubs in Game Five of their National League Division Series last night at Nats Park. The Nats were eliminated in the NLDS for the fourth time in six years.
• Fifth-inning fever: How the Nationals’ season unraveled in a matter of minutes. (USA Today) – WASHINGTON – Thirty-eight baseball players participated in Thursday night’s Game 5 of the National League Division Series, Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals who collectively played tens of thousands of innings leading to this, an elimination game in the prime of their athletic careers. And it’s likely none of them ever witnessed a season-turning half-inning like Thursday’s top of the fifth, a fever dream within a 4 hour, 37 minute hallucination of baseball at Nationals Park.

7am – B         ObamaCare Update:

• Trump signs executive order to loosen Obamacare rules. (Washington Examiner) — President Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at loosening some Obamacare requirements so that people can buy less comprehensive, but also less expensive, healthcare coverage, in the wake of the Senate’s failure this year to move any legislation to change the law. The executive order directs the departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury to take steps to make it easier for people to band together and buy coverage through what is known as “association health plans.” It also would allow people to buy low-cost, short-term health insurance plans, which the Obama administration limited to three months, and would expand the use of health savings accounts. The process will take several months and will not go into effect in time for open enrollment, which runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15.
• Trump will scrap critical Obamacare subsidy. Scrapping the payments to insurers, which could happen almost immediately, is likely to provide another jolt to Obamacare markets. (Politico) – President Donald Trump plans to cut off subsidy payments to insurers selling Obamacare coverage in his most aggressive move yet to undermine the health care law, according to two sources close to the discussions. The subsidies, which are worth an estimated $7 billion this year and are paid out in monthly installments, may stop almost immediately since Congress hasn’t appropriated funding for the program.

7am – C         WMAL’s Free Speech Forum is back! Sunday, October 15th at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Chris Plante, Larry O’Connor, Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese will be live on stage discussing all of the highs and lows in politics today, plus taking your questions… and holding nothing back! AND JUST ADDED: Special Guests Former White House Advisor Dr. Sebastian Gorka and Former US Attorney Joe DiGenova will also take the stage! Join us for an evening of food, drinks and conversation at WMAL’s Free Speech Forum. https://www.wmal.com/freespeechforum/

7am – D         SPOOKY NEWS:

• HAPPY FRIDAY THE 13TH! Friday the 13th is considered an unlucky day in Western superstition. It occurs when the 13th day of the month in the Gregorian calendar falls on a Friday, which can be the case at least once every year, and up to three times a year. In 2017, it occurs twice, on January 13 and October 13.  There will be two Friday the 13ths per year until 2020, where 2021 and 2022 will have just one occurrence. The fear of the number 13 has been given a scientific name: “triskaidekaphobia”; and on analogy to this the fear of Friday the 13th is called paraskevidekatriaphobia, from the Greek words Paraskeví (Παρασκευή, meaning “Friday”), and dekatreís (δεκατρείς, meaning “thirteen”).
• Teen Vogue: ‘The Wall’ and ‘Border Patrol’ Halloween Costumes Send ‘Message of Hate’. An article in Teen Vogue warns that wearing a Halloween costume that looks like a brick wall graffitied “THE WALL” spreads a “message of hate and discrimination.” The magazine advises its teen readers: “Before you don a costume like this one — or the costume bearing a border patrol agent — be conscious of the message of hate and discrimination that you’re silently endorsing.”
• Dad makes graveyard for trends that ‘died’ with graves saying “so long” to “old” Taylor Swift, dabbing, ombre hair. (ABC News) — One man in Mamaroneck, New York, is bringing humor to his Halloween display. Michael Fry, an art teacher and parent to two daughters, made a graveyard on his front lawn of 2017’s dying trends. The art teacher’s gravestones pay homage to normal seasons and watching live tv. His sarcastic gravestones include everything from fashion to pop culture to politics, saying “so long” to “old” Taylor Swift, dabbing, ombre hair and #roseallday, among others.

7am – E         INTERVIEW – LARRY MICHAEL – Voice of the Redskins – Redskins vs 49ers game preview

8am – A         INTERVIEW – SEN. RON JOHNSON (R-Wisconsin) – Member of Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and Chairman of Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

• The executive order that President Trump signed today will extend the length of time short term, limited duration (STLD) can be issued for. This is something Sen. Johnson has been advocating for for months now. In fact, in June he led a letter to Sec. Price calling for him to reverse Obama-era regulations that reduced STLD plans from 364 days to 90.
• U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) led 14 senators in sending a letter to HHS Secretary Tom Price encouraging the administration to reverse Obama-era regulations that limit consumers’ ability to purchase short-term, limited duration insurance plans.
• Trump signs executive order to loosen Obamacare rules. (Washington Examiner) — President Trump signed an executive order Thursday aimed at loosening some Obamacare requirements so that people can buy less comprehensive, but also less expensive, healthcare coverage, in the wake of the Senate’s failure this year to move any legislation to change the law. The executive order directs the departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury to take steps to make it easier for people to band together and buy coverage through what is known as “association health plans.” It also would allow people to buy low-cost, short-term health insurance plans, which the Obama administration limited to three months, and would expand the use of health savings accounts. The process will take several months and will not go into effect in time for open enrollment, which runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15.
• Trump will scrap critical Obamacare subsidy. Scrapping the payments to insurers, which could happen almost immediately, is likely to provide another jolt to Obamacare markets. (Politico) – President Donald Trump plans to cut off subsidy payments to insurers selling Obamacare coverage in his most aggressive move yet to undermine the health care law, according to two sources close to the discussions. The subsidies, which are worth an estimated $7 billion this year and are paid out in monthly installments, may stop almost immediately since Congress hasn’t appropriated funding for the program.

8am – B         Latest Weinstein News

8am – C         WMAL’s Free Speech Forum is back! Sunday, October 15th at The Birchmere in Alexandria, Chris Plante, Larry O’Connor, Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese will be live on stage discussing all of the highs and lows in politics today, plus taking your questions… and holding nothing back! AND JUST ADDED: Special Guests Former White House Advisor Dr. Sebastian Gorka and Former US Attorney Joe DiGenova will also take the stage! Join us for an evening of food, drinks and conversation at WMAL’s Free Speech Forum. https://www.wmal.com/freespeechforum/

8am – D         INTERVIEW – BRET BAIER – Anchor of Special Report on Fox News Channel, weekdays at 6 pm — discussed decertifying Iran, healthcare executive order, John Kelly’s rare presser and the sad night for the Nats.

8am – E         MEN PREFER ‘BROMANCE’ TO ROMANCE. (Daily Mail) — Many men find ‘bromances’ – close friendships with other men – more emotionally rewarding than their romantic relationships with women. Whether it is the lure of going down the pub, to the football match, fishing or just helping a pal with DIY many women feel they play second fiddle to a best mate.