Raheem Kassam, HHS Secretary Alex Azar, film critic Christian Toto, Washington Post’ Scott Allen, and White House’s Hogan Gidley joined WMAL on Tuesday!

Mornings on the Mall

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

5am – A/B/C SCOTUS LEGALIZES SPORTS BETTING (USA Today) — The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of New Jersey on Monday effectively killed the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), the federal law that essentially limited sports betting to one state for the last 25 years. PASPA was declared unconstitutional in the 7-2 decision, meaning it will be up to states – including New Jersey, which has sought to establish sports gambling for years – to decide whether to allow its residents to bet on sports.

5am – D/E     U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem Opens:

• U.S. opens embassy in Jerusalem. Sixty miles away, dozens of Palestinians are killed.
• Israelis kill more than 50 Palestinians in Gaza protests, health officials say
• Marines reinforce U.S. compounds as violence flares after Trump moves embassy to Jerusalem
• No Democrats attend opening…
• Schumer: “In a long overdue move, we have moved our embassy to Jerusalem. Every nation should have the right to choose its capital. I sponsored legislation to do this two decades ago, and I applaud President Trump for doing it.”

 

6am – A         WH LEAKERS:

• WH Dep Press Secretary Raj Shah says Kelly Sadler’s comment about “dying” John McCain “has been dealt with internally,” signaling there may be no public apology.
• Raj Shah on Kelly Sadler’s joke about McCain: “If you aren’t able in internal meetings to speak your mind or convey thoughts or say anything that you feel without feeling like your colleagues will betray you, that creates a very difficult work environment.”
• Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump 12h12 hours ago: The so-called leaks coming out of the White House are a massive over  exaggeration put out by the Fake News Media in order to make us look as bad as possible. With that being said, leakers are traitors and cowards, and we will find out who they are!
• White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Monday she expects to see a staff shakeup in the wake of the furor over leaked comments made during an internal meeting last week. “I had several discussions with the president on this very topic today,” Conway said on Fox News.  Asked by “The Story’s” Martha MacCallum if she expects personnel changes as a result, Conway said “I do, actually. Yes, I do.”

6am – B         Michael Avenatti Threatens To Sue Daily Caller News Foundation Reporters Personally

6am – C         Melania Trump hospitalized after kidney surgery:

• First Lady Melania Trump underwent embolization procedure to treat a benign kidney condition – spokeswoman
• Trump tweets he’s heading to visit first lady Melania Trump at Washington-area hospital after ‘successful procedure’: Donald J. Trump ‏ @realDonaldTrump: 13h13 hours ago: Heading over to Walter Reed Medical Center to see our great First Lady, Melania. Successful procedure, she is in good spirits. Thank you to all of the well-wishers!

6am – D         MEDIA COVERAGE OF HAMAS PROTESTS:

• U.S. opens embassy in Jerusalem. Sixty miles away, dozens of Palestinians are killed.
• MSNBC reporter Matt Bradley falsey claims Palestinian rioters in the Gaza Strip were “unarmed,” then admits they “had some light weapons.”
• White House Deputy Press Sec. Raj Shah on deadly Palestinian protests: “We believe that Hamas is responsible for these tragic deaths, that their rather cynical exploitation of the situation is what’s leading to these deaths.”
• Anti-Israel WH Reporters Demand Israel Show ‘Restraint,’ Blame Them for Palestinian Deaths

6am – E         ‘Superman’ Star Margot Kidder Dies at 69. (Billboard) — Margot Kidder, the film and television actress perhaps best known for her role as Lois Lane on 1978’s Superman, has died, her rep, Camilla Fluxman Pines, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. She was 69. The actress died May 13, according to the Franzen-Davis Funeral Home in Livingston, Montana. No cause of death was disclosed. Kidder, known for her role as Lois Lane in Superman I-IV, also starred opposite leading men including Robert Redford in The Great Waldo Pepper and Richard Pryor in Some Kind of Hero. She even appeared in Superman-inspired television series Smallville in 2004 (though as another character).  DC Comics’ official Twitter account posted a tribute on Monday: “Thank you for being the Lois Lane so many of us grew up with. RIP, Margot Kidder.” Kidder brought comedic charm and keen intelligence to the role of Lois, which she played onscreen from 1978-87. Her impatient and confident Lois provided a perfect foil for Christopher Reeve’s timid Clark Kent, while her star-crossed romance with Superman became the gold standard for superhero movie relationships.

6am – F         Meghan Markle’s Father Reportedly Won’t Be Attending the Royal Wedding After It Was Revealed He Staged Photos

 

7am – A         INTERVIEW RAHEEM KASSAM – editor in chief of Breitbart London and author of books “Enoch was Right” and “No Go Zones”  — discussed the protests to the US Embassy in Jerusalem and what more Trump should do regarding Palestine and Gaza.

7am – B         Transgender Miss BumBum contestant’s fury after rivals tried to get her kicked out because she was born a man (The Sun) — Paula Oliveira, 27, says her critics are just scared they’ll lose to a transgender woman ONE of Brazil’s first transgender Miss Bumbum contestants is fuming after her rivals allegedly tried to get her booted out of the competition. Several contestants vying for the coveted title said only those “who were born women” should be allowed to compete, reports claim. Paula shows of the butt she hopes will win Miss Bumbum But trans contestant Paula Oliveira, representing Amazonas state, says they’re just scared they’ll lose to someone who was born a man. She told SunOnline: “I’m not offended by what they said, because it’s clear they want me out because I’ve got a much sexier ass. “They are feeling threatened because they are seeing a trans who is more beautiful than them.” Her rivals are reported to have questioned how the competition could be open to “bottoms which are men’s bottoms… whichever way you look at it”. Miss Bumbum organisers have defended the inclusion of Oliveira and fellow trans entry Giovanna Spinella, representing Rio Grande do Norte, for the first time ever.

7am – C         Lewandowski joining Pence team, will focus on midterms and 2020 elections. (Fox News) — EXCLUSIVE: Corey Lewandowski, who helped Donald Trump win the Republican nomination, is getting back in the campaign game. He is joining Vice President Pence’s political action committee, which will enable him to travel with the VP and puts him firmly back in the president’s 2020 reelection orbit, say sources familiar with the move. Lewandowski discussed the move with Trump before accepting the offer and is taking the job with the president’s blessing, these sources say. By hiring such a high-profile Trump adviser, Pence is also sending a signal that there’s no daylight between him and his boss, despite some media chatter that the PAC could help further his own ambitions if Trump winds up not running again. The Great America Committee is the first such political arm created by a sitting vice president, but can only be used to donate to other campaigns and not to back any future Pence effort. An official announcement is expected soon. Lewandowski has been traveling with Pence recently as they discussed the potential job. Lewandowski is leaving the pro-Trump group America First Policies, which has served as something of a way station for presidential advisers in transition.

7am – D         INTERVIEW — HHS SECRETARY ALEX AZAR on Trump’s drug pricing initiative

• HHS Secretary Alex Azar: Trump drug-price plan is boldest ‘in history’
• (Forbes) — On Friday, the administration released a 44-page blueprint for executive action on drug pricing entitled “American Patients First.” The blueprint represents the most comprehensive, serious, and thorough effort by any presidential administration to address the problem of high prescription drug prices. That doesn’t mean it’s perfect. There are plenty of areas where the blueprint can improve. But it considers many good ideas for addressing the problem of high prices, including:
  •     Reforming the FDA’s internal procedures in order to reduce artificial barriers to generic competition.
  •     Promoting the use of biosimilars (i.e., generic biotechnology drugs) and reducing barriers to their take-up.
  •     Preventing branded drug manufacturers from gaming FDA risk management strategies and 180-day generic launch rules to forestall generic competition.
  •     Providing avenues for Medicare to bulk-purchase costly drugs so as to limit the pricing power of monopolies.
  •     Requiring drug rebates negotiated by PBMs to be passed directly on to the patients using those drugs, instead of being used to reduce premiums for all policyholders. This should incentivize more and wider use of rebates, because price-sensitive consumers will benefit from lower prices on the drugs they themselves use.
  •     Requiring drug companies to disclose list prices for their drugs in television ads, just as they do for side effects and other drug risks. This should make companies think twice about charging egregious prices, knowing that there will be a PR blowback

7am – E         American Airlines Says Leave That Emotional Support Goat at Home.

American Airlines Announces New Support Animal Policy: Goats Not Allowed, Trained Mini Horses Are. – Starting July 1, ferrets, goats and hedgehogs can no longer fly American Airlines, even if they’re support animals. They’re just three of a somewhat lengthy list of barred animals the airline has put out in response to an increase in customers transporting a service or support animal onboard their aircraft — more than 40 percent from 2016 to 2017. “We support the rights of customers, from veterans to people with disabilities, with legitimate needs for a trained service or support animal,” AA said in a statement. “Unfortunately, untrained animals can lead to safety issues for our team, our customers and working dogs onboard our aircraft.” Some of the changes include additional restrictions on animal types, including sugar gliders and snakes. American will now enforce the existing 48-hour advanced notice and pre-clearance policy for emotional support animals, but will have procedures in place for emergency travel booked within 48 hours of departure.

 

8am – A         INTERVIEW – CHRISTIAN TOTO – Film Critic, HollywoodInToto.com and Host of “The Hollywood in Toto” podcast  (available on iTunes) – reflected on the passing of Margot Kidder aka Lois Lane.

8am – B/C     INTERVIEW — SCOTT ALLEN – Sports reportér, Washington Post – discussed the STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS: Caps playoffs shifts to the nation’s capital on Tuesday. The Caps spanked the Lightning over the weekend. That’s two consecutive spankings! What is going on here?

8am – D         INTERVIEW – HOGAN GIDLEY – White House Deputy Press Secretary – discussed the latest White House news: Jerusalem Embassy opening, White House leakers and the latest on First Lady Melania Trump’s condition.

• Anti-Israel WH Reporters Demand Israel Show ‘Restraint,’ Blame Them for Palestinian Deaths
• White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Monday she expects to see a staff shakeup in the wake of the furor over leaked comments made during an internal meeting last week. “I had several discussions with the president on this very topic today,” Conway said on Fox News.  Asked by “The Story’s” Martha MacCallum if she expects personnel changes as a result, Conway said “I do, actually. Yes, I do.”
• Melania Trump hospitalized after kidney surgery. First Lady Melania Trump underwent embolization procedure to treat a benign kidney condition – spokeswoman

8am – E         Amazon, Starbucks blast Seattle City Council’s approval of head tax compromise. (KOMO) — SEATTLE – The Seattle City Council on Monday approved a controversial but compromise head tax on large businesses to pay for programs for the homeless. The tax would raise about $48 million a year – less than the original proposal of $75 million but more than the $40 million that Mayor Jenny Durkan had proposed. “This was a tough debate. Not just here at City Hall, but all across this city,” Durkan said at a news conference Monday evening. “No one is saying that this will solve everything, but it will make a meaningful difference.” “This legislation will help us address our homelessness crisis without jeopardizing critical jobs. Because this ordinance represents a true shared solution, and because it lifts up those who have been left behind while also ensuring accountability and transparency, I plan to sign this legislation into law,” Mayor Durkan said. Amazon, downtown Seattle’s economic giant, immediately blasted the proposal in what it said was a, “hostile approach to larger businesses that forces us to question our grown here.” Drew Herdener, an Amazon vice president, released this statement: “We are disappointed by today’s City Council decision to introduce a tax on jobs. While we have resumed construction planning for Block 18, we remain very apprehensive about the future created by the council’s hostile approach and rhetoric toward larger businesses, which forces us to question our growth here. City of Seattle revenues have grown dramatically from $2.8 billion in 2010 to $4.2 billion in 2017, and they will be even higher in 2018. This revenue increase far outpaces the Seattle population increase over the same time period. The city does not have a revenue problem – it has a spending efficiency problem. We are highly uncertain whether the city council’s anti-business positions or its spending inefficiency will change for the better.”