Mornings on the Mall

Monday, December 1, 2014

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor

5am – A         Ferguson protests continue across the country:

• Gov. Deval Patrick on Ferguson: 'Of Course I Wanted to See an Indictment.' (NBC News) –  Outgoing Gov. Deval Patrick, D-Mass., told NBC's Chuck Todd that without seeing all the facts "of course I wanted to see an indictment" from the grand fury reviewing the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson. Patrick explained Sunday on Meet the Press that he wanted an indictment, "mostly because I think a trial and the transparency of a trial would be good for the community."

• Darren Wilson resigns from Ferguson police force, effective immediately.
• Obama to Meet Civil Rights Leaders, Police Amid Ferguson Protests. President Barack Obama will meet with young civil rights leaders, politicians and law enforcement from around the country as protests continue over Ferguson in a bid to build trust between communities of color and police, the White House said Sunday. Obama will welcome the civil rights activists in the Oval Office on Monday. He then will sit down with local leaders, elected officials and police, the White House said. "Recent events in Ferguson, Missouri and around the country have shone a spotlight on the importance of strong, collaborative relationships between local police and the communities they protect and serve," the White House said in a statement.

5am – D         Redskins Can't Stop Luck, Lose 49-27. Andrew Luck showed everyone how franchise quarterbacks are supposed to play. Robert Griffin III spent Sunday taking notes. The long-awaited showdown between the top two draft picks from 2012 was one-sided as Luck threw for 370 yards and a career-high five touchdowns, leading the Indianapolis Colts past Washington 49-27 with Griffin serving as the Redskins' backup. "We were confident that we could hit some chunk (plays), as we say," Luck said after going 19 of 27. "I think that our tempo helped to get some drives together, but we came in thinking that we had a chance at some big ones." Luck, who finished second to Griffin in voting for the 2011 Heisman Trophy and 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, delivered on another milestone day. He broke Peyton Manning's franchise record for most 300-yard games in one season. Luck has 10.

5am – E         Al Qaeda plot to blow up 5 passenger planes in Christmas 'spectacular.' (London Express) — TERRORISTS are plotting to blow up five European passenger jets in a Christmas "spectacular", security experts say. The threat has been taken so seriously it came close to leading to an outright ban on all hand luggage, a senior insider has revealed. Mobile phones and electronic devices could still be banned from plane cabins, with the threat of a 9/11-style coordinated attack on London and other major cities feared imminent. The warning comes as Whitehall officials admit that a terror strike on the UK is now "almost inevitable" particularly with British jihadis returning from fighting alongside the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. An airport security source told the Sunday Express: "We've been told that five planes are being targeted in a high profile hit before Christmas. They've been waiting for the big one. "We have many scares but this one nearly got hand baggage pulled from all airlines. The threat is still alive and real." The plot, which has been known about for the past two months, is thought to involve Islamists smuggling bombs on to planes bound for major European destinations before Christmas.

6am – A/B/C Free speech or hate? Supreme Court to decide whether man's wife killing rap lyrics on Facebook – which landed him in prison – deserve protection under First Amendment. (AP) — Anthony Elonis claimed he was just kidding when he posted a series of graphically violent rap lyrics on Facebook about killing his estranged wife, shooting up a kindergarten class and attacking an FBI agent. But his wife didn't see it that way. Neither did a federal jury. Elonis, who's from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was convicted of violating a federal law that makes it a crime to threaten another person. In a far-reaching case that probes the limits of free speech over the Internet, the Supreme Court on Monday was to consider whether Elonis' Facebook posts, and others like it, deserve protection under the First Amendment. Elonis argues that his lyrics were simply a crude and spontaneous form of expression that should not be considered threatening if he did not really mean it. The government says it does not matter what Elonis intended, and that the true test of a threat is whether his words make a reasonable person feel threatened. One post about his wife said, 'There's one way to love you but a thousand ways to kill you. I'm not going to rest until your body is a mess, soaked in blood and dying from all the little cuts.'

6am – D         Black Friday Weekend Slows Down As Allure Fades. NEW YORK (AP) — Black Friday fatigue is setting in. Early discounting, more online shopping and a mixed economy meant fewer people shopped over Thanksgiving weekend, the National Retail Federation said Sunday. Overall, 133.7 million people shopped in stores and online over the four-day weekend, down 5.2 percent from last year, according to a survey of 4,631 people conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics for the trade group. Total spending for the weekend is expected to fall 11 percent to $50.9 billion from an estimated $57.4 billion last year, the trade group estimated. Part of the reason is that Target, J.C. Penney, Macy's, Wal-Mart and other major retailers pushed fat discounts as early as Halloween. Some opened stores even earlier on Thanksgiving. All that stole some thunder from Black Friday and the rest of the weekend.

Fewer people expected to shop Cyber Monday. Taking advantage of earlier and longer promotions this season, fewer shoppers were in stores or purchasing online over the holiday weekend compared with last year, a trend that's expected to continue into Cyber Monday. The National Retail Federation expects about 127 million people to shop online Monday, down from about 131 million who planned to shop online last year on Cyber Monday. NRF CEO Matthew Shay attributes the shift in shopping patterns to the fact that some consumers may feel better about the economy and are less frantic about chasing deals, combined with shoppers recognizing they can get online deals all season long.

6am – E         Here's Proof Pigs Actually Do Fly (Almost). (ABC News) — A passenger on a US Airways flight took this photo of a pig on the plane. They say pigs don't fly, but this one came close. A pig landed on a US Airways flight out of Connecticut on Wednesday, but was taken off the plane after it became disruptive, a spokesperson told ABC News. Jonathan Skolnik, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a passenger on the flight, told ABC News today he thought the woman with the pig was carrying a duffel bag when she got on the plane and headed straight for the empty seat next to him. "But it turns out it wasn't a duffel bag. We could smell it and it was a pig on a leash," he said. "She tethered it to the arm rest next to me and started to deal with her stuff, but the pig was walking back and forth." "I was terrified, because I was thinking I'm gonna be on the plane with the pig," Snolnik added, saying he guesses the pig weighed between 50 and 70 pounds. But the flight didn't take off with the pig. The woman and the animal eventually deplaned.

7am – A         INTERVIEW: JOE DIGENOVA – legal analyst

>> Obama to Meet Civil Rights Leaders, Police Amid Ferguson Protests

>> Gov. Deval Patrick on Ferguson: 'Of Course I Wanted to See an Indictment'

>> Free speech or hate? Supreme Court to decide whether man's wife killing rap lyrics on Facebook – which landed him in prison – deserve protection under First Amendment

>> Mark Steyn said on our show that legal immigrants have a class action lawsuit.

>> Protesters block traffic on I-395. WASHINGTON (AP/WUSA9) – Demonstrators protesting the Ferguson grand jury decision blocked traffic in D.C. on Sunday. The demonstrators shut down both directions of I-395 near the Third Street Tunnel.

7am – B         Obama calls Chuck Todd ‘sad.’ (NY Post) — The commander in chief doesn’t think much of the man who labeled him “The Stranger.” Shopping at a Washington, DC, bookstore Saturday, President Obama spotted a copy of “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd’s new book about his presidency. “Oh, Chuck Todd!” Obama exclaimed. “Let’s see what Chuck has to say here!” “How is he writing a book already? asked his 16-year-old daughter, Malia. “Sad.” “He’s just sad,” the president joked in response. Obama’s off-the-cuff pan was no surprise, considering what Todd thinks of the president. The book, titled “The Stranger,” blasts Obama as a flip-flopping policymaker whose detached temperament has prevented him from implementing his ideas. It includes what one reviewer called a “stinging indictment” of Obama’s time in the White House and slams the president as unable to fulfill his potential or work with those across the aisle. But its author isn’t having any success in Washington, either. Todd took the helm of the NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sept. 7 aiming to boost the ratings of the languishing Sunday political gabfest.

Obama bought books at Politics & Prose. (MSNBC) —  President Obama and his daughters celebrated “Small Business Saturday” with a visit to Politics & Prose bookstore in Washington, D.C., where the president joked with staffers and chatted with shoppers. One patron told Obama he hopes the U.S. will close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, to which the president replied, “We’re working on it.” The Obamas’ trip to Politics & Prose is becoming something of a tradition for the first family – they visited the store last year on “Small Business Saturday,” which comes after the Black Friday shopping holiday and is meant to be a boost to local businesses.

GOP Staffer Accuses Obama Daughters of Lacking ‘Class’ at Turkey Pardon, Eventually Apologizes. (Mediaite) — On Wednesday, President Barack Obama took part in the annual presidential turkey pardon. The president poked fun at the politics of his immigration executive orders with his daughters at his side. But one congressional staffer thought First Daughters Malia and Sasha Obama acted classless and dressed like they were going to a bar. “Dear Sasha and Malia, I get you’re both in those awful teen years, but you’re a part of the First Family, try showing a little class,” Elizabeth Lauten, the communications director for Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn.). “At least respect the part you play. Then again your mother and father don’t respect their positions very much or the nation foe that matter, so I’m guessing you’re coming up a little short in the ‘good role model’ department.” Lauten went on to criticize how the First Daughters were dressed, suggesting their attire would be appropriate if they were going to a bar. “And certainly don’t make faces during televised, public events,” she wrote. Lauten has since apologized, writing that she “quickly judged” Malia and Sasha. “After many hours of prayer, talking to my parents, and re-reading my words online I can see more clearly just how hurtful my words were.”

7am – C         Why is Creed front man living in a Holiday Inn, broke?  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Creed frontman Scott Stapp says he's broke. The 41-year-old lead singer of the Grammy-winning band said in a rambling 15-minute-long video posted on his Facebook page Wednesday that he's living in a hotel. "Right now, I'm living in a Holiday Inn, by the grace of God, because there's been a couple of weeks where I had to live in my truck," he said in the video. "I had no money, not even for gas or food." Stapp said money has been stolen from his bank account and royalty payments have not  been paid to him. "Eight weeks ago, I began an audit of not only my record company, but my personal finances," he said. "During the course of that audit, a lot of things were uncovered. A lot of money was stolen from me, or royalties not paid, and that's when all hell began to break loose." Stapp denied he's taking drugs or alcohol and said he is "as sober as can be."

7am – D         INTERVIEW: TREVOR MATICH – WMAL'S REDSKINS ANALYST — discussed the Redskins losing again.

7am – E         All-white Moses row: £90m Ridley Scott epic slammed over lack of black actors playing Egyptians. (Daily Mail) — Sir Ridley Scott has found himself embroiled in a race row after his latest film was branded ‘too white’. Twitter users are urging a boycott of Exodus: Gods and Kings, which tells the story of Moses, calling it ‘offensive’ and ‘unacceptable’ that white actors are playing the roles of Egyptians. Sir Ridley, who made his name as a director with Alien and has been Oscar-nominated three times, defended his casting by claiming he would not have been able to finance its £90million budget if he had hired unknown Egyptian actors instead of established Hollywood stars.  The title role is played by Christian Bale, which one Twitter user said was ‘akin to casting George Clooney to play Malcolm X’. The film, which opens on Boxing Day, also features Sigourney Weaver, Australian Joel Edgerton and Aaron Paul, who is best known for his role as Jessie in the hit television series Breaking Bad. While a number of ethnic minority actors have also been cast, including Sir Ben Kingsley, the majority of the non-white performers are in background roles, often even playing slaves or criminals.

8am – A         INTERVIEW — TUCKER CARLSON – Editor, The Daily Caller and co-host of Fox News Channel's Fox & Friends Weekend" – discussed the race debate and the firing of Secretary Chuck Hagel.

8am – B         The White House gets its Christmas tree. (CBS News) — With Thanksgiving in the rear-view mirror, the White House began settling into the Christmas season on Friday, welcoming the arrival of this year's White House Christmas tree. First lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha were on hand to receive the tree, an 18.5 foot Douglas Fir that will be displayed in the executive mansion's Blue Room. "Are they sure they can get this in the door?" She asked several of the men who delivered the tree, who laughed. "All right, girls, what do you think?" Mrs. Obama asked her daughters, who were each walking one of the family's dogs, Sunny and Bo. "It's great," Malia replied. "It's big." "Thumbs up," the first lady said. "It's a go. We're taking the tree." She thanked the men who delivered the tree and declared, "Our work here is done."

Dad breaks world record with giant Christmas light display. (USA Today) — A dad in Australia has claimed the Guinness World Record title for the largest image made of LED lights with a mesmerizing display featuring almost 1.2 million lights. The Christmas scene, masterminded by lawyer David Richards and built with the help of volunteers, features 1,194,380 lights that give the illusion of three interconnected wrapped gifts, set to a backdrop of more lights, according to Guinness World Records. It also features music, "giant bows and strings of cables." The light show will be on display this Christmas season at Canberra's CBD, a shopping area in the country's capital city, and is expected to attract more than 200,000 visitors, according to News Corp Australia.

8am – C         Protesters block traffic on I-395. WASHINGTON (AP/WUSA9) – Demonstrators protesting the Ferguson grand jury decision blocked traffic in D.C. on Sunday. The demonstrators shut down both directions of I-395 near the Third Street Tunnel. "Right now we've reached a tipping point and we are done. So we will disrupt," Erika Totten, an organizer with Think Moor told WUSA9. "We're going to stand up, we're going to disrupt until everyone recognizes that black lives matter," Totten said. Protesters held hands blocking the busy thoroughfare, and police were called to the scene to reroute snarled traffic. Some drivers exited their vehicles to take pictures of the protesters. "They could do it somewhere else, they don't have to stop all this traffic. If it don't have people's attention by now, it's not really going to get it, it's just going to make people mad, " one driver said. "People all across the nation, are standing together and saying we're fired up we're tired and we won't take it no more," Rasheen Aldridge, one of the protesters said.

8am – D         Ray Rice drawing interest from teams. (ESPN) — At least four teams have expressed interest in recently reinstated running back Ray Rice, including Indianapolis and New Orleans, though the Colts and Saints are not expected to pursue him, according to multiple league sources.Two sources declined to identify the other two teams that have been checking into  Rice. It still will be difficult for Rice to find work this season. He turns 28 in January, is coming off a down season and hasn't played football since training camp. But Rice signing this season is not out of the question, either, if the right team should emerge. Multiple NFL executives have said the profile of a team willing to sign Rice would be one that is a contender with injuries in its backfield and a strong-minded head coach.

Janay Rice tells 'Today' show: Goodell not honest. (AP) — Janay Rice says NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wasn't being honest when he said Ray Rice was "ambiguous" about hitting her in a casino elevator. "I know for a fact … that Ray told the honest truth that he's been telling from February," Janay Rice told NBC's "Today" show in an interview that will be broadcast Monday. A second segment will be shown Tuesday. As for Goodell, she said: "I can't say he's telling the truth." An arbitrator Friday threw out Ray Rice's indefinite suspension, making the former Baltimore Ravens running back a free agent. Former U.S. District Judge Barbara Jones called Goodell's decision in September to change Rice's original suspension from two games to indefinite "arbitrary" and an "abuse of discretion."  The Rices met with Goodell in June. He then issued a two-game suspension but increased it to indefinite after an in-elevator video of Rice striking his then-fiancee in February was made public. The Ravens released Rice that day. "I think they did what they had to do for themselves," Janay Rice said, referring to the NFL.

TOMORROW:          Crystal Wright, Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer and Larry Kudlow