Rep. Mac Thornberry, Amb. John Bolton, Sharyl Attkisson and Tom Fitton joined WMAL on Thursday.

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Mornings on the Mall

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor

Executive Producer: Heather Smith Hunter

5am – A/B     DRIVE AT FIVE INTERVIEW – U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry’s (R-Texas) chairmanship of the House Armed Services Committee

• Thornberry urges President to sign defense bill. The first National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to be passed during U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry’s (R-Clarendon) chairmanship of the House Armed Services Committee has been sent to President Obama’s desk. The President said he will veto the bipartisan bill because Congress has not agreed to increase funding for the IRS, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other domestic programs.
• Obama to veto defense bill in high-stakes showdown over spending. WASHINGTON — President Obama will issue a rare veto a of a defense policy bill Thursday in a showdown with Congress over broader spending levels, the White House said. Obama’s main objection is that the bill uses a budget gimmick to increase defense spending without increasing domestic spending first. The president wants Congress to lift the automatic budget caps known as sequestration and included in a 2011 budget agreement.           
• Defense Sec. Ash Carter: With threats multiplying, it’s time to get serious about defense funding. The U.S. Military Needs Budget Certainty in Uncertain Times. With threats multiplying, it’s time to get serious about defense funding. U.S. Army soldiers during an August military exercise in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. (Ashton Carter/Wall Street Journal) – For the seventh year in a row, Congress has failed to pass a defense appropriations bill in time to start the fiscal year. And for the past four years, the Defense Department and other federal agencies have been struggling with the impact of sequestration, which imposed cuts that were never meant to be implemented, but were supposed to prod both parties to come together and reach a budget agreement. The Defense Department has done its best to manage through this prolonged period of budget uncertainty, making painful choices and trade-offs among the size, capabilities and readiness of the joint force. The nation cannot allow this to become the new normal. While Washington struggles to get its house in order, the challenges around the world continue. China continues its dubious and destabilizing land-reclamation activities in the South China Sea. Islamic State continues its barbarous campaign. Russia continues to violate the sovereignty of Ukraine and pour gasoline on the Syrian conflict. In this uncertain security environment, the U.S. military needs to be agile and dynamic. What it has now is a straitjacket. At the Defense Department, we are forced to make hasty reductions when choices should be considered carefully and strategically.

5am – C         House passes Boehner’s D.C. voucher bill. The House today passed a reauthorization of Washington D.C.’s school voucher program, long a priority for outgoing House Speaker John Boehner, by a vote of 240-191. The program provides $45 million in scholarships to D.C. students from low-income families to attend private schools. It is strongly opposed by most Democrats, including President Barack Obama, who has tried to defund the voucher program several times. On the House floor today, Boehner likened the program to “the little engine that could.” “Yes, this issue is personal to me — it has been for a long time,” Boehner said. “But frankly, it ought to be personal to every single member of this body. Those of us who live here, who make a good living — we owe something to the kids in this town.” Democrats laid into the program during floor debate, saying the bill is an affront on home rule for the District and attacking Republicans for wanting to pay for it while cutting $2 billion from education in their proposed spending bill earlier this year.

5am – D         ‘NYC far & expensive’: Russian MP says UN headquarters must be moved from America. (RT) — A lawmaker from ruling party United Russia says the United Nations Organization should move its headquarters from the United States to a place equidistant from all capitals of UN member-countries. The lawmaker added that other centers of power were Brazil and South African Republic – the largest economies in South America and Africa. Nikonov also insisted that the headquarters of the United Nations should not remain in the United States as “over the past 20 years this country has applied illegal sanctions to more than half of all humanity.” “Why should it be in New York City? It’s far away and it’s expensive. Why don’t we choose the following criteria instead – determine a point on Planet Earth that would be equidistant from the capitals of all 183 member-countries of the UN,” RIA Novosti quoted the lawmaker as saying.

5am – E         Joe Biden won’t run for president. (CNN) Vice President Joe Biden ended months of intense speculation about his political future on Wednesday with a sudden announcement that he wouldn’t seek the presidency, abandoning a dream he’s harbored for decades and putting Hillary Clinton in a stronger position to capture the Democratic nomination. With his wife, Jill, and President Barack Obama at his side in the White House Rose Garden, Biden said the window for a successful campaign “has closed,” noting his family’s grief following the death of his son, Beau. Still, Biden, who a spokesman said made his decision Tuesday night, positioned himself as a defender of the Obama legacy, implicitly suggesting that he still views himself as the best possible successor to the President.

6am – A/B/C Paul Ryan Wants to Protect His Family Time. (The Atlantic) — Good luck to him—elite workers rarely succeed at fencing off space for their personal lives. In remarks to his Republican colleagues on Tuesday, Representative Paul Ryan laid out his conditions for taking the hard-to-sell speaker job: He would like widespread support from his party. And one other thing: “I cannot and will not give up my family time.” This has provoked a bit of backlash. Bryce Covert at ThinkProgress highlighted the seeming hypocrisy of such a demand coming from a member of Congress who has opposed policies that would have helped other working parents have more time at home with their kids. Toward the other end of the political spectrum, Laura Ingraham took to Twitter to chastise Ryan for not being willing to sacrifice more for such a crucial job. “John Adams left his wife for years at a time to serve his country. George Washington left Mt Vernon for Valley Forge,” she tweeted.

6am – D         After 100 days in the lead, it gets harder to argue Trump’s not a credible GOP nominee. Donald Trump: On raising rates, running mates and Biden’s decision. BURLINGTON, Iowa — Even Donald Trump admits to being a bit surprised by his phenomenal rise and sustained lead in the Republican presidential race. And he is relishing every minute of it. “I didn’t know it would be this quick,” he told USA TODAY happily. In an interview on the 100th consecutive day he has led in national polls — and approaching 100 days before the opening Iowa caucuses — Trump was more than willing to opine on the big issues that would face a presidential nominee and a president.

Donald Trump Leads in Expectations, Shows Strength on Attributes (POLL) (ABC News) — Donald Trump leads the Republican presidential field in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll, not only in vote preferences but in expectations as well -– a remarkable feat for the non-politician who’s surprised the GOP establishment with his staying power as well as his support. Trump has leveled off with backing from 32 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who are registered to vote, easily enough to retain his frontrunner status. Fellow outsider Ben Carson follows with 22 percent, also flat this month after sharp summertime gains. Notably, even more leaned Republicans — 42 percent — say they expect Trump to win the GOP nomination for president. And given a list of six potential nominees, 43 percent pick Trump as having the best chance to win the general election just more than a year from now.

6am – E         Sesame Street welcomes first autistic character. Julia, a new character on Sesame Street, lives with autism. Since nearly six in 10 autistic kids say they have been bullied, the show’s producers are trying to foster compassion through familiarity. Meet Sesame Street’s First Character with Autism: ‘We Want to Create Greater Awareness and Empathy.‘ (CBS) — Fuzzy favorites Grover, Abby and Elmo are joined by their newest muppet pal, Julia, a character with autism, in Sesame Street Workshop’s new nationwide initiative. Launched Wednesday morning, Sesame Street and Autism: See Amazing in All Children aims to reduce “the stigma of autism” with the introduction of the first muppet with autism. The initiative, created for communities and families with children ages 2 to 5, includes a free downloadable app that incorporates video, digital story cards designed to make daily life tasks easier for families of children with autism and storybook materials for providers, organizations and caregivers. “Children with autism are five times more likely to get bullied,” senior vice president of U.S. social impact, Dr. Jeanette Betancourt, tells PEOPLE. “And with one in 68 children having autism, that’s a lot of bullying. Our goal is to bring forth what all children share in common, not their differences. Children with autism share in the joy of playing and loving and being friends and being part of a group.” Looking to highlight commonalities among children instead of focusing on differences, the app and online videos explain what having autism is like from the perspective of a child with autism.

7am – A         INTERVIEW — AMB. JOHN BOLTON – Former United Nations Ambassador, an American Enterprise Institute senior fellow, is the author of “Surrender Is Not an Option: Defending America at the United Nations and Abroad” (Simon & Schuster, 2007) – previewed the Benghazi hearing.

• Amb. Bolton wrote WSJ op-ed: “Why Benghazi Still Makes a Difference. Hillary Clinton may not see the point, but her Thursday testimony may tell us much about her ability to lead.”

7am – B         Minnesota woman pulled over for drinking coffee while driving. ST. PAUL (KMSP) – Lindsey Krieger says what happened to her is nothing less than police overreach and a complete waste of taxpayer dollars. On Monday morning, she was pulled over after a St. Paul police officer saw her take a sip of coffee while traveling on I-94.

“I was completely dumbfounded,” Krieger said. “I thought it was a joke!” Krieger says she barely got a chance to merge onto I-94 from University Avenue in St. Paul when the officer tailed her and threw on the squad’s lights. “I didn’t even have enough time to merge up to the right speed limit yet, so I wasn’t speeding or anything like that,” Krieger said of the incident.“She was like, ‘Do you know what you were doing wrong? Do you know why you were pulled over?’ I said, ‘no I have no idea what you’re talking about.‘ And finally after asking me a few more times she says, ‘Drinking coffee. It’s against the law to drink coffee while you’re driving.’” Sgt. Mike Ernster with St. Paul Police Department couldn’t comment on the case specifically, but said the cop has the law on her side. “Inattentive driving relates to anything that takes your attention away from those obligations of every driver, which is to pay attention,” Ernster said.

7am – C         CNBC announces lineup for Oct. 28 debate. (USA Today) — CNBC has announced the 10-candidate lineup for next Wednesday’s debate in Colorado, and it looks very familiar. All 10 candidates ascended the stage last month in Simi Valley, Calif.: Donald Trump, Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Mike Huckabee, John Kasich, Chris Christie, and Rand Paul. The only difference from last time: Scott Walker, who dropped out of the race after the last debate at the Ronald Reagan library. The next set-to at the University of Colorado at Boulder starts shortly after 8 p.m. ET. As in California, CNBC will sponsored a preliminary debate with four low-rated candidates: Rick Santorum, Bobby Jindal, George Pataki and Lindsey Graham. That session begins at 6 p.m. ET. Jim Gilmore again failed to make the cut for the undercard debate.

7am – D         INTERVIEW — SHARYL ATTKISSON – Investigative journalist and host of new show “Full Measure” on WJLA ABC Sunday mornings at 9:30 am – previewed the Benghazi hearing.

7am – E         Entertainment News:

• Khloé Kardashian and Lamar Odom Call Off Divorce: ‘This Is a Very Delicate and Difficult Time,’ Source Says. (People) – Khloé Kardashian and Lamar Odom have pumped the brakes on their protracted divorce proceedings. Kardashian’s attorney successfully asked a Los Angeles judge to dismiss their filing in court Wednesday morning, according to a court document obtained by PEOPLE. “This is a very delicate and difficult time for both Lamar and Khloé, and the most sensible thing to do at such a time is not make any big moves and put everything on hold,” a source tells PEOPLE. “So that’s what she is doing.”
• Adele: New album is a ‘make-up record.’ (CNN) It’s been almost five years, Adele, and your fans are growing restless. But this may help whet their appetites. Music fans eager for news about the British singer’s long-awaited third album, reportedly due by the end of the year, got a surprise update Wednesday from the reclusive Adele herself. In a personal statement posted on her official social media accounts, Adele hinted that the album, apparently titled “25,” will explore her journey to adulthood and self-acceptance. “My last record was a break-up record and if I had to label this one I would call it a make-up record,” she said. “I’m making up with myself. Making up for lost time. Making up with everything I ever did and never did.”
• Chris Rock to host 2016 Academy Awards, 11 years after his first stint. Oscars. (CNN) Standup comedians are having a comeback moment. First, Tracy Morgan returned to host “Saturday Night Live” after a devastating car accident and announced that he would tour in 2016. Then, Eddie Murphy dipped a toe back into standup while accepting the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor on Sunday. Now, it’s Chris Rock’s turn. The beloved comic announced on Twitter on Wednesday that he’ll be back to host the Oscars in 2016, for a second time.
• Blake Shelton, often at war with the tabloids, finally reaches his breaking point. Celebrities have different ways of dealing with rumors in the tabloid press. Most ignore the stories. Some tweet denials. Others laugh off the claims in interviews. Only a select few actually spend the resources to file a lawsuit. Blake Shelton is joining their ranks. This week, the country star and judge on NBC’s “The Voice” sued Bauer Publishing, the parent company behind In Touch Weekly. Shelton is suing the magazine for defamation and false light invasion of privacy, seeking damages of at least $1 million. The tabloid published a September cover story titled “The Real Story: REHAB For Blake,” trumpeting all kinds of accusations: “Drinking vodka before noon & slurring his words”; “What he did while wasted that destroyed his marriage”; “How his friends begged him to stop joking about drinking & get help.”

8am – A         INTERVIEW – TOM FITTON – President, Judicial Watch – previewed the Benghazi hearing.

8am – B/C     Taking calls on questions for Hillary Clinton.

8am – D/E     Paul Ryan Wants to Protect His Family Time. (The Atlantic) – Good luck to him—elite workers rarely succeed at fencing off space for their personal lives. In remarks to his Republican colleagues on Tuesday, Representative Paul Ryan laid out his conditions for taking the hard-to-sell speaker job: He would like widespread support from his party. And one other thing: “I cannot and will not give up my family time.” This has provoked a bit of backlash. Bryce Covert at ThinkProgress highlighted the seeming hypocrisy of such a demand coming from a member of Congress who has opposed policies that would have helped other working parents have more time at home with their kids. Toward the other end of the political spectrum, Laura Ingraham took to Twitter to chastise Ryan for not being willing to sacrifice more for such a crucial job. “John Adams left his wife for years at a time to serve his country. George Washington left Mt Vernon for Valley Forge,” she tweeted.

TOMORROW: Bret Baier and Trevor Matich