KT McFarland, Fairfax County Public Schools spokesperson John Torre, Byron York and Richmond Times-Dispatch's Jeff Schapiro joined WMAL on Wednesday.
Mornings on the Mall
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor
5am – A/B/C Boehner Fends Off Dissent as G.O.P. Takes the Reins
WASHINGTON — Representative John A. Boehner beat back an embarrassing challenge to his speakership from aggrieved conservatives on Tuesday as Republicans assumed control of both houses of Congress, pledging to restore function and civility to a body that has become a symbol of disorder for most Americans. Two dozen Republicans voted against Mr. Boehner, and one withheld his support, clouding what should have been a day of euphoria for the party after its definitive midterm election victory. It was the largest number of votes against a speaker from members of his or her own party in at least two decades. But the defections on the right, which were double what the speaker withstood when he was elected two years ago, illustrated the serious challenges Republicans confront now that they own the political liability that comes with being the majority on Capitol Hill at a time when disgruntled voters are poised to turn against the party in power. Addressing the House chamber after the vote, Mr. Boehner made no overt mention of the discord within his party, but urged his colleagues to set aside their differences and prove their skeptics wrong
5am – D Md. councilman threatens newspaper over the use of his name. (WTOP) — WASHINGTON — A local council member is demanding a newspaper get his permission before printing his name, and the newspaper is responding. Frederick County Councilman Kirby Delauter says he will sue if the Frederick-News Post mentions him in print ever again without getting his approval. Delauter made the threat on Facebook after he was referenced in an article over the weekend. He wrote that Frederick News-Post reporter Bethany Rodgers would “be paying for an attorney” if she used his name again without his authorization. Rodgers had written in a story that Delauter shared another councilmember’s concern about a lack of reserved parking spaces for councilmembers at the county government building. “It’s a ridiculous request, it’s something that we’ve never seen before, and it’s something that, it’s just not going to happen,” Managing Editor Terry Headlee tells WTOP.
5am – E Earnest on Keystone: "Raises Questions About Willingness Of Republicans" To Work With Obama
ED HENRY, FOX NEWS: You were talking yesterday at the podium about cooperation and trying to work with Republicans, there's this meeting next Tuesday. [Are you] not concerned at all about day 1 of the new Congress — you've been sitting on this veto threat, 'well, we don't know yet.' Day 1 we'll veto this bill. Doesn't that send an odd signal for cooperation?
JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE: I guess, you know, Ed, to pick up on your metaphor about pipelines, I guess that spirit of good feelings flows both ways between Congress and Capitol Hill. Congressional Republicans are well aware of the position of this administration which is we believe clearly that this administrative process is the one that should determine the viability of this project. That is a long-held view. That is a view that we have clearly expressed in the previous Congress. And so, I guess, based on the construction of your question, maybe it raises questions about the willingness of Republicans to actually cooperate with this administration when you consider that the very first bill that's introduced in the United States Senate is one that Republicans know the president opposes.
6am – A/B/C DRIVE AT FIVE INTERVIEW: JOHN TORRE – Spokesman for Fairfax County Public Schools
- VA school districts apologize for weather difficulties. WASHINGTON — After what some are calling the worst commute in recent memory, Fairfax County, Loudoun County and Arlington County public schools all issued apologies to parents Tuesday. All three school systems opened on time and did not delay their openings when the snow started, leading people to question the decisions. Teachers and parents questioned the decision, saying that driving in the snow put teachers and young drivers in dangerous situations. “We apologize for any inconvenience, but the timing of this was the worst possible situation we could have imagined,” Assistant Superintendent of Fairfax County Public Schools Jeffrey Platenberg told WTOP. Administrators expected a dusting, but were surprised when the snow came down heavy and traffic became a major issue, Platenberg says.
6am – D Ex-Va. gov sentenced to 2 years in prison for corruption. RICHMOND, Va. — Former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell, who asked a judge Tuesday for mercy for his wife and himself, was sentenced to two years in federal prison for public corruption. McDonnell was convicted Sept. 4 of trading access to the power of the governor's office for more than $165,000 in loans and high-end gifts. Prosecutors had wanted him to spend more than 10 years in prison, but early in the four-hour hearing Judge James Spencer said federal officials misinterpreted the guidelines, contending the range was more like 78 to 97 months — 6½ to a little more than 8 years. Then Spencer discarded the recommendations entirely but rejected the 6,000 hours of intensive community service that McDonnell's lawyers had suggested.
6am – E Things Turning 20 in 2015
- 1995 was a busy year. Does 1995 feel like just yesterday or a lifetime ago? No matter how you feel about it, these events are about to hit their 20th anniversaries:
- The World Trade Organization was formed (Jan. 1).
- North America’s largest airport opened (Feb. 28.
- Selena was murdered (Mar. 31).
- The Oklahoma City Bombing took place (Apr. 19).
- The last episode of Full House aired (May 23).
- Christopher Reeve was paralyzed (May 27): Reeve, who played Superman on film, was thrown from his horse and broke two vertebrae in his neck. He was paralyzed below the neck and relied on a respirator to breathe until his death in 2004.
- Hugh Grant was arrested for lewd conduct (June 27).
- eBay went live (Sept. 3).
- Toy Story opened in theaters (Nov. 22).
- Operation Desert Storm officially ended (Nov. 30).
- The final “Calvin and Hobbes” strip was published (Dec. 31).
7am – A INTERVIEW — BYRON YORK – Chief political correspondent for The Washington Examiner @ByronYork
- Boehner Fends Off Dissent as G.O.P. Takes the Reins
- Re-elected speaker, Boehner says Obama should back GOP bills on energy, jobs.
- White House issues veto threat over Keystone pipeline bill.
7am – B Redskins close to signing a new GM. WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Redskins are close to a deal to bring in Scot McCloughan as general manager, the franchise’s latest major front office shake-up after another losing season. Redskins-owned radio station ESPN 980 reported that McCloughan met with team owner Dan Snyder for six hours Tuesday and that McCloughan, if hired, would be given final say over the roster. The Redskins have struggled to come up with the right front office structure for picking and signing players under Snyder’s ownership. Coach Mike Shanahan had control over player personnel until he was fired a year ago. This year, team president Bruce Allen had the final authority, and the team went 4-12.
7am – C Stop Everything Now and Watch Bao Bao the Panda’s First Roll in the Snow. It's literally the only good thing about the winter. It’s snowing across the East Coast, and people are pretty miserable about it. But not Bao Bao the panda. As snow covered the grounds of Washington D.C.’s Smithsonian National Zoo, the baby panda had her very first tumble through the winter flurries with her mother, Mei Xiang. Bao Bao was born after much anticipation on Aug. 23 2013. The 16-month-old, known by her trainers as being sassy, is the reigning princess of our nation’s capital, and we celebrate her movements with pomp and circumstance. But seriously, the sight of the cub rolling through the snow may just melt your frozen heart.
7am – D INTERVIEW: KT MCFARLAND – Fox News National Security Analyst
- Shooting reported at Paris magazine Charlie Hebdo. Casualties reported at newspaper that published satirical cartoons of Mohammed, with reports of seven dead. Several people have been killed by armed gunmen in a shooting at the Paris offices of a satirical magazine, according to French media reports. Shooting was heard at the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical magazine known for publishing controversial cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in 2011. Initial reports said between seven and 10 people had been killed. The attackers reportedly escaped in a black Citreon DS, wounding a policemen, then knocking over and wounding "several" pedestrians.
7am – E Entertainment news:
- Shirtless Justin Bieber Play Drums in New Calvin Klein Ad. (Billboard) – Today, Justin Bieber fans got the bad news that the 20-year-old had broken his foot playing soccer over the weekend in the Caribbean. It's a sad day for Beliebers to be sure, but rest assured, there's some Bieber love to brighten the afternoon:
- Calvin Klein ✔ @CalvinKlein: Drum roll… #mycalvins 1:00 PM – 6 Jan 2015
- New Sony Walkman plays hi-res audio to the tune of nearly $1,120: Walkmans have come a long way since the '80s. Sony unveiled a new Walkman on Monday at Consumer Electronics Show 2015 in Las Vegas. The portable audio player, the Walkman NW-ZX2, plays high-resolution audio that reproduces "master quality recordings just as the artists originally intended," according to a statement from the company. The upscale audio player will retail at $1,119.99, according to news reports. The device, which will be available in the spring, has 128GB of built-in memory and a micro-SD card slot. It will support MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, AIFF, WAV, ALAC and DSD file formats.
- Saved By the Bell's Screech Is Going to Trial for Stabbing a Dude. Dustin Diamond posted bail, but he's not going very far—a judge ruled Monday that he'll have to stand trial after allegedly stabbing a man with a switchblade over the holidays. Cops arrested Diamond—best known for his roles on the seminal television show Saved By the Bell and the seminal sex tape Saved by the Smell [Ed. note—not a joke title]—after he and his fiancée began "tussling" with two other patrons at a Milwaukee bar on Dec 26. Diamond later told cops he stabbed the man accidentally while defending his fiancée. He's reportedly been charged second-degree recklessly endangering safety, disorderly conduct and carrying a concealed weapon and could face jail time.
8am – A INTERVIEW — JEFF SCHAPIRO — Politics columnist, Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch (@RTDSchapiro)
- Ex-Va. gov sentenced to 2 years in prison for corruption. (WVEC-TV) — RICHMOND, Va. — Former Virginia governor Bob McDonnell, who asked a judge Tuesday for mercy for his wife and himself, was sentenced to two years in federal prison for public corruption. McDonnell was convicted Sept. 4 of trading access to the power of the governor's office for more than $165,000 in loans and high-end gifts. Prosecutors had wanted him to spend more than 10 years in prison, but early in the four-hour hearing Judge James Spencer said federal officials misinterpreted the guidelines, contending the range was more like 78 to 97 months — 6½ to a little more than 8 years.
8am – B BREAKING: Charlie Hebdo: Gun attack on French magazine kills 12. Gunmen have attacked the Paris office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 people and injuring seven in an apparent Islamist attack. At least two masked attackers opened fire with assault rifles in the office and exchanged shots with police in the street outside before escaping by car. The gunmen shouted "we have avenged the Prophet Muhammad", witnesses say. President Francois Hollande said there was no doubt it had been a terrorist attack "of exceptional barbarity". A major police operation is under way in the Paris area to catch the killers. The satirical weekly has courted controversy in the past with its irreverent take on news and current affairs. It was fire-bombed in November 2011 a day after it carried a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad. The latest tweet on Charlie Hebdo's account was a cartoon of the Islamic State militant group leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. People had been "murdered in a cowardly manner", President Hollande told reporters at the scene. "We are threatened because we are a country of liberty," he added, appealing for national unity. UK Prime Minister David Cameron said in a tweet: "The murders in Paris are sickening. We stand with the French people in the fight against terror and defending the freedom of the press." Charlie Hebdo is part of a venerable tradition in French journalism going back to the scandal sheets that denounced Marie-Antoinette in the run-up to the French Revolution.
8am – C Md. councilman threatens newspaper over the use of his name. (WTOP) — WASHINGTON — A local council member is demanding a newspaper get his permission before printing his name, and the newspaper is responding. Frederick County Councilman Kirby Delauter says he will sue if the Frederick-News Post mentions him in print ever again without getting his approval. Delauter made the threat on Facebook after he was referenced in an article over the weekend.
8am – D More on the latest news about the Paris terror attack.
TOMORROW: Steve Emerson, Stuart Varney and Newt Gingrich
