VA Del. Scott Taylor, Waze’s Meghan Kelleher, KT McFarland, Bill Kristol, Ken Cuccinelli and guest host Jessie Jane Duff joined WMAL on Wednesday!

 Mornings on the Mall

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Hosts: Brian Wilson and guest host Jessie Jane Duff

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

5am – A/B/C Virginia will no longer recognize concealed carry permits from 25 states that have reciprocity agreements. RICHMOND — Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D) announced Tuesday that Virginia will no longer recognize concealed carry handgun permits from 25 states that have reciprocity agreements with the commonwealth. Under the policy, Virginians with a history of stalking, drug dealing or inpatient mental-health treatment cannot obtain a permit in a state with comparatively lax laws and carry a handgun legally at home. Herring said severing the out-of-state agreements can prevent people who may be dangerous or irresponsible from carrying a concealed handgun.

5am – D         Evangelist Franklin Graham slams, quits GOP. (Fox News) – Evangelist Franklin Graham announced Tuesday he is leaving the Republican Party over the GOP-led spending bill passed last week, calling it “wasteful” and likening funding of Planned Parenthood to Nazi concentration camps. “Shame on the Republicans and the Democrats for passing such a wasteful spending bill last week,” he said. “And to top it off, funding Planned Parenthood!” Graham, who had previously slammed both political parties, let his frustration flow on a Facebook posting. “Seeing and hearing Planned Parenthood talk nonchalantly about selling baby parts from aborted fetuses with utter disregard for human life is reminiscent of Joseph Mengele and the Nazi concentration camps!,” he wrote. “That should’ve been all that was needed to turn off the faucet for their funding. Nothing was done to trim this 2,000 page, $1.1 trillion budget.”

5am – E         Appeals court trademark ruling boosts Redskins in legal fight over team name. (AP) — WASHINGTON — A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that the government can’t refuse to register trademarks that might be considered disparaging or offensive, a decision that could bolster the Washington Redskins in their legal fight over the team name. The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit sided with an Asian-American rock band called The Slants, which has spent years trying to register the name. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office had refused to give it legal protection on the ground that it disparages Asians. Writing for a nine-judge majority, Judge Kimberly Moore said the First Amendment protects “even hurtful speech that harms members of oft-stigmatized communities.” She said a federal law barring offensive trademarks is unconstitutional.

6am – A/B/C It’s time for the Festivus Airing of Grievances. What’s yours?

• Festivus is both a parody and a secular holiday celebrated on December 23 that serves as an alternative to participating in the pressures and commercialism of the Christmas season. It has been described as “the perfect secular theme for an all-inclusive December gathering”. Originally a family tradition of scriptwriter Dan O’Keefe, who worked on the American sitcom Seinfeld, Festivus entered popular culture after it was made the focus of the 1997 episode “The Strike”.The holiday’s celebration, as it was shown on Seinfeld, includes a Festivus dinner, an unadorned aluminum Festivus pole, practices such as the “Airing of Grievances” and “Feats of Strength”, and the labeling of easily explainable events as “Festivus miracles”. The episode refers to it as “a Festivus for the rest of us”, referencing its non-commercial aspect. It has also been described both as a “parody holiday festival” and as a form of playful consumer resistance.

6am – D         INTERVIEW – VA DELEGATE SCOTT TAYLOR – the President of OPSEC, and a delegate in the Virginia House of Delegates (R-Virginia Beach).

• BIO: Scott Taylor is a former Navy SEAL, an American politician, real estate broker, and chairman of Special Operations OPSEC Education Fund, and a former U.S. Navy SEAL. He is the member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 85th district.
• Virginia will no longer recognize concealed carry permits from 25 states that have reciprocity agreements

6am – E         2016 News:

• Donald Trump up 4 points over Ted Cruz in Quinnipiac poll. Washington (CNN) Donald Trump’s lead over Ted Cruz has shrunk to just 4 percentage points in the second national poll after last week’s Republican debate. Trump wins 28% support in a Quinnipiac poll released Tuesday, with Cruz nipping at his heels with 24%.
• Six Republican candidates expected in Fox Business debate. (CNN) — The sixth Republican primary debate will likely see as few as six candidates on the main stage, relegating candidates like Rand Paul and John Kasich to the undercard round, according to criteria released by Fox Business Network on Tuesday evening. The Jan. 14 primetime debate will include the top six candidates based on the average of the five most recent national polls, as well as those who finish in the top five in Iowa or New Hampshire. Polls must meet Fox Business standards and be released before January 11 at 6 p.m. ET.

 

7am – A         INTERVIEW: MEGHAN KELLEHER – Waze spokesperson

• Travel predictions for Holiday Traffic in the DC, MD and Northern VA area
• ABOUT WAZE: Waze is the world’s largest community-based traffic and navigation app. Other drivers in your area share real-time traffic and road info, saving everyone time and gas money on their daily commute.
• Washington, DC:
  • Worst Day to Drive: Wednesday: While there is low usage during the regular morning peak, there is a large increase in usage from 11:00AM until EOD. There is also a 17.6% increase in hazard reports this day.
  • Thursday: Large increase in usage from 11:00AM until 15:00 PM.
  • Best Day to Drive: Friday: Usage is below average for the entire day. Increase of 41% in accidents reports.

7am – B         Gun, badge stolen from Secret Service agent’s car. (The Hill) — A gun, badge and other sensitive items belonging to a Secret Service agent were stolen from his car on Monday. The incident, first reported by CNN, occurred in broad daylight near the agency’s headquarters close to the White House. The suspect allegedly took the agent’s Sig Sauer handgun, Secret Service badge, radio, handcuffs and a USB flash drive from his personal vehicle, according to a police report obtained by the network. The report, filed with the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington, says the agent noticed the back rear window of his car was “unzipped” and that a bag containing the property was missing. The alleged theft took place at around 4 p.m., the report added. The Secret Service confirmed the report, but declined to provide additional comment.

7am – C         NORAD prepares to track Santa’s journey. The North American Aerospace Defense Command has been working for weeks to tackle the one-day mission. The North American Aerospace Defense Command has been working for weeks to tackle the one-day mission. Miles of wire, dozens of computers and 157 telephone lines will greet hundreds of volunteers Thursday, The (Colorado Springs) Gazette reported. Volunteers will be answering calls from an estimated 125,000 children around the globe looking for Santa’s whereabouts. “We keep adding stuff every year,” said Staff Sgt. Kyle Kelly after he and a team of airmen taped down phone wires in the call center Monday. The call center in a training building will be staffed for 23 hours and Christmas Eve. Volunteers will also share Santa’s location on Facebook and Twitter. Last year, Santa got 1.6 million Facebook likes. “We start in November,” Kelly said. “We have to test every phone before we bring it in here.” NORAD’s 60th year of tracking Santa involves more than the military. The program is underwritten by contractors who pay for the phones, the computers and the website. First lady Michelle Obama is expected to volunteer, with calls forwarded to her on Christmas Eve.

7am – D         INTERVIEW — KT MCFARLAND – Fox News National Security Analyst

• Remember when McCain & Graham called for arming Syrian rebels? Study finds 60% of major Syrian rebel groups are Islamic extremists. ​​
• Iraq’s army storms centre of ISIL-held Ramadi. Two-front attack met with sniper fire and suicide bombers as troops seek to retake key city from fighters.
• Obama Blames the Media for Failure of His ISIS Strategy

7am – E         Entertainment News:

• ‘Miss Universe’ Honchos Want Steve Harvey Back, Despite Live TV Snafu. (The Wrap) — Pageant is expected to return to Fox network in 2016. “Miss Universe” host Steve Harvey might not have many friends in Colombia, but Hollywood executives and pageant brass are still on his side. Higher-ups from the “Miss Universe” production want Harvey to return as host for next year’s live show, which is expected to stay at the Fox network, according to an individual familiar with terms of the deal. WME-IMG Chief Content officer Mark Shapiro said Harvey is “absolutely” welcome to return as host for the pageant, which was sold to the entertainment company by Donald Trump in September. “If anything, I’m sure FOX would support it, because as I said, he did a great job. He was funny, he was informative, he’s high energy, he’s got a great following,” Shapiro said in an interview with radio host Jim Rome. “I definitely want him back, and I would hate to see him not come back. He’s going to want a shot to redeem himself,” Shapiro said. “Look, the world forgives, the world forgets. It could happen to the best of us. He was so well intended, and he’s such a good guy, and it was really such a mistake that I hope people don’t hold this over him other than for just a good laugh and let it pass.” On Sunday evening, Harvey incorrectly named Miss Colombia as the winner of the Miss Universe crown — who in fact was the first runner up, behind actual victor Miss Philippines. His attendance at rehearsals was the subject of a Monday story suggesting that the talk show host and comedian missed a “crucial” part of an earlier run-through, according to a report by Entertainment Tonight, resulting in the name flub and subsequent scandal.
• Publicist: Nicolas Cage was buyer of stolen dinosaur skull. NEW YORK (AP) — Nicolas Cage has agreed to give back a national treasure from Mongolia. A publicist for the star of the “National Treasure” adventure films confirmed Tuesday that Cage was the unwitting buyer of a dinosaur skull that federal prosecutors in New York say was stolen. Prosecutors announced last week that they were seeking court approval to take custody of the 32-inch fossil so it could be returned to the Asian nation, but they did not name the buyer. Cage purchased the skull at auction from Los Angeles-based I.M. Chait gallery and auction house and received a certificate of authenticity, publicist Alex Schack said in an email. After being notified last year that authorities suspected the item was stolen, the actor “fully cooperated with the investigation, including arranging an inspection of the fossil by agents,” and later agreed to forfeit it, Schack said.

8am – A         INTERVIEW — BILL KRISTOL – Editor, The Weekly Standard

•  Bill Kristol: ‘We’ll Have to Start’ New Party If Trump Wins Nomination
• Donald Trump up 4 points over Ted Cruz in Quinnipiac poll. Trump wins 28% support in a Quinnipiac poll released Tuesday, with Cruz nipping at his heels with 24%.
• GOP DEBATES:

• Fox News Announces Moderator Line-Up For Their Second Republican Debate. Fox News announced in a press release Monday that their moderators for the first Republican debate– Bret Baier, Megyn Kelly, and Chris Wallace— would once again host the network’s second debate.
• 14 primetime debate: Six Republican candidates expected in Fox Business debate

8am – B         Critter News:

• Comfort dogs at Dulles Airport are helping ease travelers’ stresses this holiday season. CHANTILLY, Va. (AP) — A team of professionally trained comfort dogs at Dulles International Airport are helping ease travelers’ stresses this holiday season. The dogs are part of the United Airlines United Paws Program. For the first half of Christmas week, the airline has invited the comfort animals to seven of its hub airports nationwide. The dogs’ purpose is to reduce stress and anxiety for holiday travelers. The dogs walk the terminal during a morning and afternoon shift and will continue through Wednesday.
• The ‘Paris Hilton effect’: Plane passengers are buying doctor’s notes off the internet to allow them to take their pets into the cabin at no extra charge. In the U.S, most airlines allow pets on board for relief of emotional distress. But notes have to be obtained from medical professional or psychologist. Accusations that some people are faking illness to bring animals onboard. (Daily Mail) — Plane passengers are lying about illness and disability so they can take their pets on board. In the U.S, under the terms of the Air Carrier Access Act, people are permitted to take animals on board a flight at no extra cost if they can’t function without the support of the animal. However, in recent years, there have been a rise in applications from passengers to take animals into the cabin for ’emotional support.’ The New York Post believes that people are now abusing the system to get their pets on board, highlighting that doctor’s notes can now be purchased on the internet. ‘The people who really need support animals despise people who fake it,’ Eric Lipp, executive director of Open Doors Organization told the paper. ‘I call it ‘the Paris Hilton effect,’ where people want to take their cute little dogs everywhere.’

8am – C         What happens when you don’t register your drone with the FAA. Starting today, all individuals who own drones that weigh .55 pounds or more will be required to register their devices with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The registration process costs $5, but the FAA, in an effort to foster compliance, has said that it will waive the processing fee for users who register by January 20th, 2016. Given the safety implications of a sky filled with innumerable drones, the FAA is championing its registration process a way to “build a culture of accountability and responsibility.” Additionally, if there’s a security or safety incident involving a drone, the FAA wants to be able to trace the device back to its owner. In light of all that, the penalties for not registering a drone are much more severe than you might otherwise assume.

8am – D/E     INTERVIEW – KEN CUCCINELLI – president of Senate Conservatives Fund (SCF) and former Virginia Attorney General

• Virginia will no longer recognize concealed carry permits from 25 states that have reciprocity agreements