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Mornings on the Mall

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor

Executive Producer: Heather Smith

5am – A/B/C Report: Clinton wants to showcase her humor, heart. Hillary Clinton is going to try to show off her humor and her heart this fall, The New York Times reported Monday. “The true game changer is when there’s a personified opponent,” Clinton communications director Jennifer Palmieri told the Times. According to the report, she’ll get the chance to show off this demeanor at “larger events and backyard parties.”

5am – D Congress returns to tight deadlines, key votes on Iran deal, Planned Parenthood. Congress returns Tuesday to face several key decisions and short-term deadlines — including votes on the Iran nuclear deal and a spending bill that if connected to efforts to defund Planned Parenthood creates the potential for another government shutdown. The House and Senate could vote as early as this week on the Iran deal.

5am – E Loudoun Supervisor Resigns Following Arrest For Assault. Loudoun County Supervisor Shawn M. Williams, 44, was arrested this morning and charged with simple assault and unlawful entry after he allegedly pushed his way into a neighbor’s home in Ashburn, according to the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office. Williams, a first-term Republican who was running for the board’s chairman seat earlier this year until details of past arrests came to light, was taken to the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center, where he remained as of this morning. Deputies were called to the 21800 block of Wingfoot Court in Ashburn around 1 a.m. for reports of a man who “pushed his way into neighbor’s home and pushed the victim during a dispute.”

Loudoun board member issues apology after arrest, resignation. Loudoun County Supervisor Shawn M. Williams, who resigned his seat Sunday after his arrest on assault charges, issued a statement on Monday apologizing for his actions and acknowledging that he has an alcohol problem. Williams, 44, was arrested after he barged into a neighbor’s home about 1 a.m. in the 21800 block of Wingfoot Court in Ashburn and confronted him. Police said Williams pushed his neighbor during the confrontation. He was charged with simple assault and unlawful entry and taken to the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center. “On Saturday night, after a long neighborhood party, I confronted my good friend and neighbor after he gave me what I know was intended as friendly advice,” Williams (R-Broad Run) said in a statement released through his Facebook page and the county’s public affairs office. Williams apologized to the neighbor and the neighbor’s family, as well as to his family, colleagues, other neighbors, friends and constituents. Ron Meyer, a public relations professional who is the Republican nominee to replace Williams after his term expires, said Monday that he did not want to be the appointee.

6am – A/B/C Muslim flight attendant says she was suspended for refusing to serve alcohol. (CNN) A Muslim flight attendant says she was suspended by ExpressJet for refusing to serve alcohol in accordance with her Islamic faith. In a bid to get her job back, Charee Stanley filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Tuesday for the revocation of a reasonable religious accommodation. She wants to do her job without serving alcohol in accordance with her Islamic faith — just as she was doing before her suspension, her lawyer said. “What this case comes down to is no one should have to choose between their career and religion and it’s incumbent upon employers to provide a safe environment where employees can feel they can practice their religion freely,” said Lena Masri, an attorney with Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. Stanley, 40, started working for ExpressJet nearly three years ago. About two years ago she converted to Islam. This year she learned her faith prohibits her from not only consuming alcohol but serving it, too, Masri said.

6am – D/E Obama weighs options on Syrian refugee crisis. (USA Today) — WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is opening the door to the possibility of allowing more Syrian refugees into the United States, marking a subtle but significant change in the White House’s thinking about how best to respond to the mounting humanitarian crisis. “The administration is actively considering a range of approaches to be more responsive to the global refugee crisis, including with regard to refugee resettlement,” said Peter Boogaard, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said Monday.

7am – A INTERVIEW – GROVER NORQUIST – President, Americans for Tax Reform

• Back from Burning Man
• Thoughts on Trump signing the RNC loyalty pledge

7am – B 60,000+ sign petition to rename Ronald Reagan Airport. ARLINGTON, Va. (WUSA9) — More than 60,000 people have signed a petition to rename Ronald Reagan National Airport. The petition, started by Credo Action, was created in reaction to criticism following President Obama’s decision to rename Alaska’s Mount McKinley to Denali, according to their website. The petition urges people to, “Tell Speaker Boehner: Rename Ronald Reagan airport back to Washington National Airport.”

7am – C Surprise! Md. 4th-graders and middle-schoolers get Chromebooks after all. (Washington Post) — The fourth-graders at Belmont Elementary are using Chromebook laptops in their classrooms this year. They will collaborate on projects, practice math skills, do research and write. All of this was a bit of a surprise. Struggling with a major budget shortfall in June, school officials in Montgomery County decided they could not afford the computers and delayed the second phase of a major technology initiative that ranks among the nation’s largest school laptop programs. Then, shortly before school started, the district said it had found money to purchase 20,000 new Chromebooks, largely by using funding slated to replace desktop computers in offices, computer labs and workstations.

7am – D Later school start for Fairfax Co. triggers traffic alert for “Terrible Traffic Tuesday” SPRINGFIELD, Va (WJLA) — Tuesday most high school students in Fairfax County are starting their school day 50 minutes later than last year — good for extra sleep, but potentially bad for traffic. With a few exceptions, most high schools now start at 8:10 a.m. The majority of them started at 7:20 a.m. last year. The county’s school board voted last fall to push back high school start times in response to studies that show teens don’t get enough sleep when school starts early. It’s something many — but not all — high school students have been looking forward to. But when the school board passed the new times, one of the arguments against them involved traffic. Teen drivers who used to be on the roads early will now be on the roads at the height of rush hour. There’s concern that will make Fairfax County’s notorious traffic even worse this school year.

7am – E 2016 News:

• Bernie Sanders Leads Hillary Clinton by 9 in New Hampshire, Gains in Iowa: Poll. Bernie Sanders has jumped out to a nine-point lead over front-runner Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire, and he’s gained ground on her among Iowa voters in the Democratic presidential race, according to a pair of brand-new NBC News/Marist polls. In New Hampshire, the Vermont senator gets the support of 41 percent of Democratic voters, Clinton gets 32 percent and Vice President Joe Biden gets 16 percent. No other Democratic candidate receives more than 1 percent. Bernie Sanders Overtakes Hillary Clinton by 9 Points in New Hampshire 3:12
• Poll: Biden more popular than Clinton in Iowa, NH. Two new polls find Vice President Joe Biden, who’s reportedly nearing a decision on a 2016 White House run, is more popular among Democrats and all voters in two key early voting states than Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. The NBC News/Marist polls released Sunday found Biden with a net 57 percent favorability rating among Democrats in Iowa and a net 2 percent unfavorability rating among all registered voters in the Hawkeye State. By comparison, Clinton holds a net 40 percent favorability rating among Democrats and a net 29 percent unfavorability rating among all voters.
• Report: Clinton wants to showcase her humor, heart. Hillary Clinton is going to try to show off her humor and her heart this fall, The New York Times reported Monday. “The true game changer is when there’s a personified opponent,” Clinton communications director Jennifer Palmieri told the Times. According to the report, she’ll get the chance to show off this demeanor at “larger events and backyard parties.”
• Poll shows Trump receiving 25% of black vote against Hillary. It is being called a “shock poll” because Democrats take for granted the support of 90%-plus of the black vote, and expect black turnout rates to equal or surpass those of other ethnic groups, simply because of President Obama’s status as the first black commander in chief. But it really should not be surprising that the one Republican candidate to strongly campaign on the issue of illegal immigration should appeal to a large swath of the African American community. Survey USA’s poll sample is a somewhat small 900 total, of which presumably about 115 were African-American. So there is a margin of error of several points, no doubt.
• Paul Krugman just wrote an op-ed praising Donald Trump for being ‘right on economics’ Economist Paul Krugman thinks Donald Trump’s presidential campaign actually gets a few things right. Krugman previously derided the Republican real-estate mogul as a “belligerent, loudmouth racist with not an ounce of compassion.” But in a Monday op-ed in The New York Times, the left-leaning writer praised Trump’s “heresies” from Republican orthodoxy when it comes to economic policy. “So am I saying that Mr. Trump is better and more serious than he’s given credit for being?” Krugman asked, making it clear that he is still not a Trump supporter. “Not at all — he is exactly the ignorant blowhard he seems to be. It’s when it comes to his rivals that appearances can be deceiving. Some of them may come across as reasonable and thoughtful, but in reality they are anything but.”

8am – A INTERVIEW – JOE DIGENOVA – LEGAL ANALYST AND FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY TO THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

• Kim Davis asks Kentucky governor to free her in same-sex marriage case. Kentucky clerk Kim Davis seeks exemption on gay marriage licenses.
• Bergdahl Charged with ‘Misbehavior Before the Enemy’ in Addition to Desertion.
• Clinton says no email apology: ‘What I did was allowed’

8am – B Entertainment News:

• Queen Elizabeth is an unofficial ‘Downton Abbey’ fact-checker. The queen seems to have found another biggie. She noted a young British officer in an episode was wearing military medals that would not have been awarded when he was alive.
• Tonight: Stephen Colbert to debut on The Late Show. New York City, NY. – A new era in late-night television begins tonight on CBS. Stephen Colbert makes his debut on The Late Show in the Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway. George Clooney will be among the first guests tonight. “He’s not only a gifted actor and director ­- and I don’t even have to say that, because he already said he’ll do the show – but he works hard about things he cares about to make the world a better place,” Colbert says about Clooney. “And that’s a very interesting thing to be able to talk about in an honest way with somebody.” Republican Presidential Candidate Jeb Bush will also appear in tonight’s premier.
• Sam Smith Confirmed To Sing James Bond ‘Spectre’ Theme Song. Grammy-winning British vocalist Sam Smith has been confirmed as co-writer and performer of the theme song of upcoming James Bond film “Spectre.” The song “Writing’s On The Wall” will be released on Sept. 25, a month ahead of the movie’s theatrical debut on Oct. 26 in the. U.K. The North American release of “Spectre” is set for Nov. 6. The announcement by distributor Sony Pictures Entertainment came only a day after Smith dropped a heavy hint on social media. He posted on Twitter and Instagam accounts a photo of him wearing a “Spectre” ring.
• Katy Perry outs herself on being a first timer at Burning Man after epic Segway fail. This gives new meaning to Katy Perry’s 2010 single The One That Got Away. The singer posted this Instagram video showing her unsuccessful attempt at riding a Segway at Burning Man. In the beginning of the vid, Perry seems to be in total control completing a 360-degree turn, then somehow she takes a misstep and falls off the Segway before seemingly having a good laugh at her clumsy expense.

8am – C Surprise! Md. 4th-graders and middle-schoolers get Chromebooks after all. The fourth-graders at Belmont Elementary are using Chromebook laptops in their classrooms this year. They will collaborate on projects, practice math skills, do research and write. All of this was a bit of a surprise. Struggling with a major budget shortfall in June, school officials in Montgomery County decided they could not afford the computers and delayed the second phase of a major technology initiative that ranks among the nation’s largest school laptop programs. Then, shortly before school started, the district said it had found money to purchase 20,000 new Chromebooks, largely by using funding slated to replace desktop computers in offices, computer labs and workstations.

8am – D INTERVIEW – LARRY KUDLOW – CNBC Senior Contributor and host of The Larry Kudlow Show on WMAL Saturdays at 7 pm

• Paul Krugman just wrote an op-ed praising Donald Trump for being ‘right on economics’
• Congress returns to tight deadlines, key votes on Iran deal, Planned Parenthood. Congress returns Tuesday to face several key decisions and short-term deadlines — including votes on the Iran nuclear deal and a spending bill that if connected to efforts to defund Planned Parenthood creates the potential for another government shutdown. The House and Senate could vote as early as this week on the Iran deal.

8am – E Pope News:

• The pope is visiting. Federal workers should treat it like THREE SNOW DAYS, the government says. The Washington Post — Traffic congestion will be so bad that federal employees in the Washington area should try not to come into work when Pope Francis comes to town for three days this month, the government said Tuesday. While federal offices will stay open from Sept. 22 through Sept. 24, the Office of Personnel Management is urging agencies to let employees with work-from-home arrangements use them. “Due to the increase in traffic, road closures, significant detours, crowded trains and buses, longer wait times at stops and stations, and related commuting disruptions on these days, federal employees who work in the Washington, D.C., [region] should expect significant commuting delays and travel disruptions,” Beth Cobert, OPM’s acting director, wrote in a memorandum.
• Pope radically simplifies Catholic marriage annulment procedures. VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis, making the most substantial changes to Catholic marriage annulment procedures in centuries, radically simplified them on Tuesday and said bishops should provide greater help to divorced couples. In a move that again showed his desire for the Church to be more merciful to Catholics in difficulty, Francis reaffirmed traditional teaching on the “indissolubility of marriage”, but streamlined annulment procedures which many considered cumbersome, lengthy, outdated and expensive. Last week Francis made it easier for women who have had abortions to receive absolution if they are truly contrite over their action and confess it to their local priest during the Church’s upcoming Holy Year of Mercy, which starts in December.
• Pope calls on Catholics to shelter Europe’s migrants. (USA Today) — BERLIN — Pope Francis called on religious communities and Catholic parishes across Europe on Sunday to take on the crush of migrants that have been pouring into the continent recently. He said the Vatican will shelter two families who are “fleeing death.” Francis cited Mother Teresa, the European-born nun who cared for the poorest in India, in making his appeal. “Faced with the tragedy of tens of thousands of refugees who are fleeing death by war and by hunger, and who are on a path toward a hope for life, the Gospel calls us to be neighbors to the smallest and most abandoned, to give them concrete hope,” Francis said, adding that it’s not enough to say, “Have courage, hang in there.”