Weather Channel’s Ray Stagich, Joe diGenova and Larry Michael joined WMAL on Thursday!

Mornings on the Mall

Thursday, August 30, 2018

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

 

5am – A/B/C PALIN NOT INVITED TO MCCAIN FUNERAL:

• Sarah Palin was reportedly not invited to John McCain’s memorial services. Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who was Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)’s running mate in the 2008 presidential election, has been excluded from his funeral. Breitbart News has independently confirmed an earlier report in People magazine, which reported that Palin was not sent an invitation, and was told through intermediaries to stay away from the ceremony. McCain fundraiser Carla Eudy confirmed to People that Palin had not been invited — possibly, People speculated, at the behest of the McCain family.
• The news comes on the tenth anniversary of the date in 2008 when Palin was announced as McCain’s pick for Vice President.
• Palin now joins President Donald Trump on the list of those barred from the funeral. But unlike Trump, Palin never feuded with McCain and never criticized him.
• Sarah Palin was reportedly not invited to John McCain’s memorial services. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was reportedly not invited to John McCain’s memorial services. Palin was McCain’s running mate in his 2008 bid for the presidency. “Out of respect to Senator McCain and his family we have nothing to add at this point,” a Palin family source told NBC News. “The Palin family will always cherish their friendship with the McCains and hold those memories dear.” McCain’s family did not comment on the service’s invite list.

5am – D         DON MCGAHN TO LEAVE WHITE HOUSE:

• Don McGahn to Leave White House Counsel Job This Fall, Trump Says. White House counsel Donald McGahn, who has led the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the judiciary while confronting turmoil in the West Wing surrounding the ongoing special counsel probe, will leave his post in the coming weeks, President Trump announced Wednesday. The exit of McGahn — a low-key, 50-year-old lawyer who has been at Trump’s side since the early days of the 2016 presidential campaign — comes at a fragile moment inside the White House amid escalating tensions between the president and the Department of Justice in recent weeks.
• Don McGahn, White House Counsel Who Helped Reshape Federal Judiciary, To Step Down
• Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump: White House Counsel Don McGahn will be leaving his position in the fall, shortly after the confirmation (hopefully) of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court. I have worked with Don for a long time and truly appreciate his service!

5am – E         INTERVIEW – RAY STAGICH – Meteorologist for The Weather Channel

• How the long the heat wave will last?
• What does Labor Day weekend weather will look like?
• Any signs of fall soon?

 

6am – A/B/C Women are better drivers than men, study finds (Sky News) — Male drivers seem to have more accidents than their female counterparts – costing insurers more money in claims pay-outs. While some men may brag about being better drivers, women are officially superior behind the wheel, a new study has found. Confused.com research analyzing everything from insurance claims to court proceedings for speeding suggests that female drivers are less likely to make a claim and also less likely to commit an offence. And on average, men have paid £3,327 more for their car insurance over the past decade, the report says. While the gap has narrowed following an EU gender directive banning insurers from rating on a driver’s sex in 2012, there is still a difference – with the current average premium for women standing at £701 a year, with men paying around £793. Official figures show that 585,000 drivers in England were taken to court last year for motoring offences – with just under 80% of those being men. Male drivers also seem to have more accidents than women – costing insurers more money when it comes to claims pay-outs – the research found. Last year, two out of three insurance claims were made by men, of which 17% were fault claims. The report also found that men’s claims are generally more expensive than women’s, which could be down to the fact that they often own more expensive cars – with an average of £8,654 for men compared to £7,090 for women. The study suggests that men are more likely to have bad driving habits – with 23% of male motorists admitting to not indicating when switching lanes compared to 17% of women.

6am – D/E     DeSantis accused of ‘racist dog whistle’ after telling Florida voters not to ‘monkey this up’ by electing Gillum. (Orlando Weekly) – During a Wednesday appearance on Fox News, where he’s made a home for the past months undermining the Russia investigation and defending President Trump, DeSantis said that Florida was going in a good direction. Voters, he added, shouldn’t “monkey this up” by electing Andrew Gillum, his progressive Democratic challenger who could become the state’s first African-American governor. “He is an articulate spokesman for those far-left views, and he’s a charismatic candidate,” DeSantis said about Gillum to the Fox News host. “I watched those Democratic debates. None of that is my cup of tea but he performed better than the other people there, so we’ve got to work hard to make sure that we continue Florida going in a good direction. Let’s build off the success we’ve had on Gov. Scott. The last thing we need to do is to monkey this up by trying to embrace a socialist agenda with huge tax increases and bankrupting the state. That’s not going to work. That’s not going to be good for Florida.”

MISLEADING NEWS STORIES:

• CNN @CNN: Fresh off his victory in the Florida Republican gubernatorial primary, Rep. Ron DeSantis says voters would “monkey this up” if they elected his African-American opponent, Andrew Gillum, to be governor because of his “socialist agenda”
• The Hill @thehill: DeSantis: Florida voters shouldn’t “monkey this up” by voting for black candidate
• GILLUM RESPONDS: Andrew Gillum Responds to Ron DeSantis on Fox News: Racist Dogwhistles Are Now ‘Full Bullhorns’
• FL DEM PARTY RESPONSE: Earlier Wednesday, the chairman of the Florida Democratic Party accused DeSantis of “racist dog whistles.” “It’s disgusting that Ron DeSantis is launching his general election campaign with racist dog whistles,” said Terrie Rizzo, chair of the Florida Democratic Party, in a statement.
• DESANTIS RESPONSE: DeSantis spokesperson David Vasquez called the accusations against the Trump-endorsed candidate “absurd.” “Ron DeSantis was obviously talking about Florida not making the wrong decision to embrace the socialist policies that Andrew Gillum espouses,”  Vasquez said in a statement. “To characterize it as anything else is absurd. Florida’s economy has been on the move for the last eight years and the last thing we need is a far-left Democrat trying to stop our success.”

6am – F         CONSERVATIVE FACBOOK WORKERS:

• Conservative Facebook employees create a group to complain about ‘political monoculture’ (Mashable) — At Facebook, some employees have joined an online group to complain about what they say are the company’s left-leaning politics, reports the New York Times.  It’s named FB’ers for Political Diversity, and was created by Brian Amerige, a senior engineer at the social media giant. Amerige wrote a post called “We Have a Problem With Political Diversity” on Facebook’s internal message board, which was shared with the Times. “We are a political monoculture that’s intolerant of different views,” reads the post. “We claim to welcome all perspectives, but are quick to attack — often in mobs — anyone who presents a view that appears to be in opposition to left-leaning ideology.” The Times said around 100 Facebook employees have joined the group, according to “two people who viewed the group’s page and who were not authorized to speak publicly.” The company has more than 25,000 employees.  The group says its aim is to “create a space for ideological diversity” within the company, but the post has also received criticism. One engineer told the Times that several employees have complained to their managers about the post.  Google faced a similar problem when former engineer, James Damore, sent around a memo arguing that the lack of diversity in tech was due to women being biologically inferior to men. As you might expect, it didn’t go over so well, and Damore was fired shortly after the memo was sent. He is now part of a class-action lawsuit against the company.

 

7am – A/B/C INTERVIEW – JOE DIGENOVA – legal analyst and former U.S. Attorney to the District of Columbia

• Don McGahn to Leave White House Counsel Job This Fall, Trump Says. White House counsel Donald McGahn, who has led the Trump administration’s efforts to reshape the judiciary while confronting turmoil in the West Wing surrounding the ongoing special counsel probe, will leave his post in the coming weeks, President Trump announced Wednesday. The exit of McGahn — a low-key, 50-year-old lawyer who has been at Trump’s side since the early days of the 2016 presidential campaign — comes at a fragile moment inside the White House amid escalating tensions between the president and the Department of Justice in recent weeks.
• Don McGahn, White House Counsel Who Helped Reshape Federal Judiciary, To Step Down

7am – D         INTERVIEW – LARRY MICHAEL – Voice of the Redskins

• PREVIEW GAME: Redskins at Ravens – game tonight at 7:30 pm

• RG III to face Redskins for first time in final audition with Ravens. OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Robert Griffin III said there is no extra motivation for him with his final audition for the Baltimore Ravens coming against his former team. The Ravens will wrap up the preseason Thursday against the Washington Redskins at M&T Bank Stadium, where Griffin will have one last chance to make the case for Baltimore to keep him on the 53-man roster. It’s been nine years since the Ravens have carried three quarterbacks on their season-opening roster. This will mark the first time Griffin faces the Redskins since being released by Washington in 2016.
• Baltimore Ravens vs. Washington Redskins odds: Ravens are 16-point favorites. Though it’s Week 4 for the preseason — a contest that usually features a bunch of players destined to be cut and on the streets just days later  — bettors will do what they do best and gamble on these seemingly arbitrary games.Having won all four of their preseason games so far this year, the Baltimore Ravens are the clear favorites for their Thursday game against the Washington Redskins. As of Wednesday night, Odds Shark has the Ravens listed as 16-point favorites over the Redskins. Washington heads into their final game of the preseason on the heels of a 29-17 loss at the hands of the Denver Broncos last week. Meanwhile, Baltimore is trying to keep the momentum going after a strong 27-10 away victory over the Miami Dolphins last week. In addition to their current four-game win streak, the Ravens have won their last 12 preseason games spanning back to September 2015.
• Mayor tells Redskins to ‘bring it home’ for new stadium. (Washington Times) Mayor Muriel Bowser made her case on Wednesday for the Washington Redskins to come back to the District when it’s time to build the team’s next stadium. In a five-minute address at the team’s annual “Welcome Home” luncheon that was long on emotion but short on detail, Bowser said the Redskins need to “bring it home.” The mayor dangled a financial carrot in front of the franchise’s executives, citing the city’s recent public-private development projects with the District’s other sports teams. The Redskins‘ lease for their current stadium, FedEx Field in Landover, expires in 2027. “There’s no exaggeration to what’s happening in the sports capital in 2018,” Bowser said before citing the recent success of teams like the Washington Capitals and the Mystics. “But we think there is something missing.” Bowser said the city was not shy about partnering with its teams and remained focused on investing “in the future of sport.”
• Jonathan O’Connell ‏@OConnellPostbiz 16h16 hours ago: DC Mayor Muriel Bowser just gave speech to VIP Redskins crowd pitching DC as the team’s home. She said the team’s name, she said they need to be “home.” She left no doubt: She wants an NFL stadium.

7am – E         LA’s Infamous Dine-and-Dash Dater Caught, Hit With 10 Felony Extortion Counts. The serially bad dater is in trouble now. Looks like the law has finally caught up with Los Angeles’s infamous dine-and-dash dater. In a new statement out today via the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, the man — identified as Paul Guadalupe Gonzales — is being charged with ten felony counts including extortion and grand theft. The issue stems from an alleged years-long con by Gonzales to take women on dates, rack up a lavish bill, and then jet before the night could be paid for. The statement describes the despicable behavior like this: From May 2016 through April 2018, Gonzales is accused of taking financial advantage of women he met mostly through dating apps and websites. He allegedly went to dinner with them at restaurants in Pasadena, Long Beach, Burbank and Los Angeles, where he ordered and consumed food and drinks, then allegedly left without paying any of the bill. News of the dine-and-dasher quickly spread, but Gonzales managed to stay out of jail until Saturday, when he was nabbed and tagged with a bail set at some $315,000. Now he’s on the hook for ten felony charges, because authorities say he defrauded the women and some of the restaurants (who kindly offered to pick up the tab in his stead) for more than $950, the legal financial threshold for making something a felony. Just ask Adam Perry Lang and his so-called Felony Knives, which are listed on the menu at his APL restaurant at $950.01, just in case one ever gets stolen. Smitty’s in Pasadena, Tam O’Shanter, Mercado, and BJ’s Bar and Grill in Long Beach are among the restaurants that were hit by the dine-and-dasher. So far, Gonzales has pleaded not guilty to the charges, but if convicted he could face some 13 years in state prison, as well as fines for his actions.

8am – A/B/C PALIN NOT INVITED TO MCCAIN FUNERAL:

• Sarah Palin was reportedly not invited to John McCain’s memorial services. Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, who was Sen. John McCain (R-AZ)’s running mate in the 2008 presidential election, has been excluded from his funeral. Breitbart News has independently confirmed an earlier report in People magazine, which reported that Palin was not sent an invitation, and was told through intermediaries to stay away from the ceremony. McCain fundraiser Carla Eudy confirmed to People that Palin had not been invited — possibly, People speculated, at the behest of the McCain family.
• The news comes on the tenth anniversary of the date in 2008 when Palin was announced as McCain’s pick for Vice President.
• Palin now joins President Donald Trump on the list of those barred from the funeral. But unlike Trump, Palin never feuded with McCain and never criticized him.
• Sarah Palin was reportedly not invited to John McCain’s memorial services. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was reportedly not invited to John McCain’s memorial services. Palin was McCain’s running mate in his 2008 bid for the presidency. “Out of respect to Senator McCain and his family we have nothing to add at this point,” a Palin family source told NBC News. “The Palin family will always cherish their friendship with the McCains and hold those memories dear.” McCain’s family did not comment on the service’s invite list.

8am – D         Homeless Man Sues Couple Who Raised Him $400,000 For Allegedly Mishandling Funds. Here’s Their Side Of The Story. (Daily Wire) — Couple says they’ve received death threats over the false allegations. A New Jersey couple raised thousands of dollars for a homeless man on GoFundMe. Now that homeless man is suing the couple, claiming they’ve stolen money that rightfully belongs to him. Mark D’Amico and Katie McClure set up the account in gratitude for Johnny Bobbitt after he gave McClure his last $20 when she found herself stranded on a Philadelphia highway with an empty gas tank. The story captivated the nation and the GoFundMe raised some $400,000. Bobbitt is now claiming the couple mishandled the funds, allegedly spending the money on personal vacations and a new car, and has filed suit against them. “Bobbitt’s lawsuit contends the couple committed fraud by taking money from the fundraising campaign for themselves. He’s seeking undisclosed damages, and his lawyers want a judge to appoint someone to oversee the account,” reports Fox 26 Houston. But that’s only one side of the story. D’Amico and McClure have denied the allegations, telling Megyn Kelly on “Megyn Kelly Today” that they used hundreds of thousands of dollars from the fund on shelter and necessities for Bobbitt, but fear giving him any more large sums of cash since he blew through past offerings on drugs. “If he needed anything, he got it, there was never a question,” D’Amico told Kelly. The couple said they spent a large chunk of the funds on a camper for Bobbitt (which was originally parked on land owned by McClure’s family), clothing, food, a laptop, a television, and hotel bills. There is currently around $150,000 left in funds, they said. D’Amico told Kelly that he initially began handling the money simply because Bobbitt did not have a bank account or any identification. And after Bobbitt allegedly spent $25,000 in less than two weeks on drugs in December, they were worried he’d end up “back where he was.” “We saw the pattern that was developing,” said D’Amico of Bobbitt’s alleged drug habit.