Legal analyst Jonna Spilbor, DC City Administrator Rashad Young, Sen. Mike Lee & National Cherry Blossom Festival’s Diana Mayhew and guest host Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer joined WMAL on Thursday.

Listen here to Thursday’s show!

Mornings on the Mall

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Hosts: Larry O’Connor and Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer

Executive Producer: Heather Smith

5am – A/B/C             Q&A with Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer 

• Bowe Bergdahl deserted and tried to join the Taliban as part of ‘deliberate plan’: NCIS report ‘damning findings’ about freed PoW.  Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer said  Bowe Bergdahl ‘had Afghan contacts and he was actually trying to offer himself up with the Taliban’. The former military intelligence officer said he had been told the information by two senior sources who knew about a 2009 Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigation into Bergdahl’s activities. Bergdahl is charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. (Daily Mail) — The U.S. Army Sergeant who left his post in Afghanistan and was held by the Taliban for five years was found to have be ‘going over to the other side with a deliberate plan,’ according to a former military intelligence officer. Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer said on Fox News’ The O’Reilly Factor on Monday night that Bowe Bergdahl ‘had Afghan contacts and he was actually trying to offer himself up with the Taliban.’ The former military intelligence officer said he had been told the information by two senior sources who knew about a 2009 Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigation into Bergdahl’s activities.  The investigation reportedly included a forensic review of Bergdahl’s computer which showed his apparent intent to travel to Uzbekistan. ‘He had made contact with local Afghans and wanted to be moved to Uzbekistan and then made contact with the Russians because he wanted to talk to Russian organized crime,’ Shaffer told O’Reilly.
• U.S., Afghan soldiers killed in firefight between Afghan, NATO forces. (Reuters) – An American and an Afghan soldier were killed on Wednesday when a firefight broke out between Afghan and NATO coalition forces at a compound where a senior U.S. diplomat met a provincial governor in eastern Afghanistan, police and U.S. sources said. Soldiers from both sides were wounded in the shooting, which erupted shortly after the diplomat left the compound aboard a helicopter, according to U.S. and Afghan sources. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, estimated that around six American personnel were wounded, but the Pentagon said only that “several” were injured in the attack.

5am – D         Homeland Security Expert: DC Power Outage Shows Vulnerability.(Newsmax) – Whether or not the power outage in Washington was caused by an attack of some sort, homeland security expert Peter Vincent Pry tells Newsmax TV that it shows there is vulnerability. The power outage was the result of an explosion at a power plant in Maryland, which affected the electricity at the White House, the Capitol, local museums, train stations, and suburbs as well as the University of Maryland. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the Department of Homeland Security hasn’t linked the outage “to terrorism or anything like that.” Pry, executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, told J.D. Hayworth and Miranda Khan on “America’s Forum” on Wednesday that “even though the official explanation is that this was a mechanical failure — this small explosion — I’m not sure I trust that,” adding that “the electric power industry has a long history of concealing actual attacks on our electric grid.”

5am – E         Is the world ready for a members-only coffee shop? (Fox News) — Starbucks may have its premier coffee subscription, but are discerning java drinkers ready to pay up for a coffee club? SL28 is London’s—and maybe the world’s—first members-only coffee shop. Housed in the modern, co-working office space Net.Works., SL28 is run by bar manager Per Svensk who wouldn’t dare throw any old K-Cup in the hands of dedicated coffee fans, according to Sprudge. Net.Works. is one of a handful of burgeoning work-play office spaces designed for young entrepreneurs, bloggers and other creative individuals who prefer not to work from home. Designed as an updated version of storied private clubs like Shoreditch House and The Arts Club, Net.Works. appeals to self-employed millennials who just need reliable Wi-Fi and a beautiful, airy workspace to be productive. Membership to the space starts at £199 (about $298) a month but non-members can enjoy three cups of artisanal coffee for about $15. Any additional coffee will cost you.

6am – A         INTERVIEW — JONNA SPILBOR – legal analyst

• Tsarnaev guilty of all 30 counts in Boston bombing.  Survivors of the bombing said they were relieved by Wednesday’s verdict. “Obviously we are grateful for the outcome today,” bombing survivor Karen Brassard said after the verdict was announced. “It’s not a happy occasion, but it’s something that we can put one more step behind us.” Jurors in the Boston Marathon bombing trial have found Dzhokhar Tsarnaev guilty of all 30 counts, including 17 that carry a possible penalty of death. The trial will next move into a penalty phase, where the jury will hear testimony and arguments from both sides and ultimately be tasked with deciding whether he gets the death penalty. A date for that phase of the trial has not yet been set, according to federal prosecutors.

6am – B         Fairfax County teachers protest budget cuts, fight for promised raises.FAIRFAX, Va. (WJLA) – Fairfax County touts its public school system as one of the best in the country. But some of its teachers say their compensation is substandard. On Wednesday night, frustrated Fairfax County school teachers rallied outside a Board of Supervisors public hearing, fearing they won’t get what they believe are much-needed pay raises. Teacher Jennifer Stark Beasely said, “I could not recommend in good faith that a teacher move to this county for work, because I have a clear vision of this county’s puny commitments to the teachers’ futures.” As it stands right now, the county’s proposed budget falls $14 million short of what the school board asked for. School officials say if that gap isn’t filled teachers may not get promised raises.

6am – C         The Secret Service taught Malia Obama to drive. Washington (CNN) – Secret Service agents have one of the toughest jobs in Washington: They are expected, if necessary, to put their lives on the line in the protection of the President and his family. They’ve also had to teach a teen to drive. First lady Michelle Obama revealed this week that her older daughter, 16-year-old Malia, was taught to drive by the Secret Service and occasionally drives outside the White House grounds on her own. “The Secret Service [taught her], actually, because they wouldn’t let me in the car with her,” Obama told television host Rachael Ray in an interview that’s set to air Thursday. It’s a good thing, too, as the First Lady told Ray she hasn’t driven in seven or eight years, and admitted earlier this week she’s forgotten some of the basics.

6am – D         INTERVIEW – RASHAD YOUNG – DC CITY ADMINISTRATOR

• BIO: Mr. Rashad M. Young was appointed the City Administrator of the District of Columbia on January 2, 2015.  In this role, Mr. Young is charged with ensuring efficient, accountable and well-managed service delivery to all residents, business owners and visitors on behalf of the Mayor.  Mr. Young previously served as City Manager of Alexandria, VA where he is credited with forming the Office of Performance and Accountability (OPA) to develop a culture and practice of performance management and data-driven decision making.
• ABOUT OFFICE OF DC CITY ADMINISTRATOR: The Office of the City Administrator is responsible for the day-to-day management of the District government, setting operational goals and implementing the legislative actions and policy decisions of the Mayor and DC Council. The City Administrator reports directly to the Mayor and has direct oversight over all executive-reporting agencies. The City Administrator prepares the District’s annual operating budget and provides direction to all agencies to ensure they are meeting the needs of District residents.
• Muriel Bowser’s first budget calls for tax hike. Ms. Bowser’s first budget proposal will, the mayor said, balance the budget while meeting her spending priorities by raising the sales tax from 5.75 percent to 6 percent, equal to the sales tax in Maryland and Virginia, and increasing the tax on parking lots and garages by 4 percent. The budget also includes cuts to the University of the District of Columbia and Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals. The new taxes would only effect District of Columbia residents.

6am – E         Food News:

• IKEA tries vegan meatball. (USA Today) — IKEA — almost as well known for its Swedish meatballs as its assemble-it-yourself furniture — is about to give its hungry but socially conscious shoppers a vegetarian option: Veggie Balls. More specifically, vegan Veggie Balls — made with no animal products whatsoever. In a bid to appeal to Millennials and those eager for more sustainable food options, the chain on Wednesday said it will add Veggie Balls to its menu at most U.S. restaurants beginning Thursday. A plate of 10 will sell for $4.49. Also, chicken balls will be sold at its restaurants beginning April 27. Meatballs are no small matter for IKEA. Its U.S. restaurants serve roughly 50 million guests annually — with meatballs ranking as the top-selling menu item. The company first announced plans for the vegetarian meatballs about a year ago. The move comes at a time a growing number of Americans are buying more vegetarian or vegan foods. About 47% of adults and 32% of youths under age 18 say they eat vegetarian meals at least once a week, according to two recent Harris polls.
• Here’s the beef! McDonald’s launching sirloin burgers. Fast food giant McDonald’s is betting on premium burgers and launching new sandwiches made with 100 percent sirloin. The burgers are a limited-time offering weighing in at one-third of a pound that will roll out nationally by May 11 at an average price of $4.99.  The sirloin burger will be available in three versions: bacon and cheese, lettuce and tomato and a steakhouse version with mushrooms, grilled onions and white cheddar cheese. “We know that consumers care about their food,” wrote McDonald’s spokeswoman Lisa McComb in an email. “They want it to be real, fresh and authentic. And more than ever, consumers want to feel good about what they eat.” One New York City McDonald’s said the new burger was already available starting Tuesday.

7am – A         INTERVIEW — SENATOR MIKE LEE –  U.S. Senator from Utah and author of new book “Our Lost Constitution: The Willful Subversion of America’s Founding Document” – discussed his new book and what it’s like to when your three best friends are running for president.

7am – B         Harbaugh: Michigan will watch American Sniper amid controversy. (SI Wire) — Michigan Wolverines football coach Jim Harbaugh tweeted Wednesday that his team will watch American Sniper in the wake of a campus group canceling, and then rescheduling, a planned screening of the film following student complaints.

Coach Harbaugh        ✔ @CoachJim4UM: Michigan Football will watch “American Sniper”! Proud of Chris Kyle & Proud to be an American & if that offends anybody then so be it! 9:38 PM – 8 Apr 2015

The school’s Center For Campus Involvement had scheduled a screening of the film, which depicts American military action in the Middle East, on Friday. On Tuesday, the Center canceled the screening after receiving a petition started by a student, Lamees Mekkaoui, that had accumulated approximately 200 signatures, electing to show the movie Paddington instead. Later that same day, though, the Center tweeted that it would screen American Sniper after all, albeit in a different forum than originally planned that would, “provide an appropriate space for dialogue and reflection.”

7am – C         Marion Barry’s widow sues late husband’s kidney donor over use of his ‘celebrity image’. WASHINGTON (WJLA) – The widow of former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry is suing the woman who donated a kidney to Barry in 2009. The lawsuit claims that Kim Dickens does not have permission to use Barry’s likeness – referred to as his “celebrity image” in court documents – to promote her charity, the Barry Dickens Kidney Foundation. The foundation promotes organ donation and its website says Dickens and Barry founded the group together – a claim that Barry’s widow, Cora Masters Barry, contends isn’t true.

7am – D         New tell-all book quoting ex-staffers reveals drama, fighting in Clinton White House. (Fox News) — A new book about the lives of first families, as told by White House workers, spans 10 administrations — but it’s the lurid tales from the Clintons’ tumultuous eight-year stay that are capturing all the attention.  The anecdotes are contained in “The Residence: Inside the Private World of The White House” by Kate Andersen Brower, whose book dropped just as Hillary Clinton is poised to announce her expected presidential campaign.

7am – E         Foreign Affairs/Terrorism:

• State Dept. recommends removing Cuba from terrorism list. Washington (CNN)  The State Department has sent a recommendation to the White House that Cuba be removed from the State Sponsors of Terrorism List, paving the way for the White House to announce its intent to de-list Cuba as early as Thursday, two administration officials tell CNN. In making the recommendation, the State Department has certified Cuba has not provided support to terrorist groups within the last 6 months. President Barack Obama ordered the review of Cuba’s place on the list after announcing a historic diplomatic breakthrough with Havana in December and pledged to act quickly once he received the recommendation from the State Department. The White House has made clear it wanted to make the announcement before Obama attends the Summit of the Americas later this week with Cuban leader Raul Castro, and ordered the State Department to speed up the process.
• Iran raises the stakes in Yemen faceoff. SANAA, Yemen — Iran dispatched a naval destroyer and a support vessel Wednesday to waters near Yemen as the United States quickened weapons supply to the Saudi-led coalition striking rebels there, underlining how foreign powers are deepening their involvement in the conflict. Iran’s English-language state broadcaster Press TV quoted Rear Adm. Habibollah Sayyari as saying the ships would be part of an anti-piracy campaign “safeguarding naval routes for vessels in the region.” Arab coalition launches airstrikes on Yemen. The maneuver in the Gulf of Aden comes amid an intense Saudi-led Gulf Arab air campaign targeting the Yemeni rebels, known as Houthis, who come from a Shiite sect. Critics say Shiite power Iran backs the Houthis, though both the Islamic Republic and the rebels deny any direct military assistance. Speaking a day earlier in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken blamed the violence in Yemen on the Houthis, and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, saying that the U.S. is committed to defending Saudi Arabia.

8am – A         INTERVIEW: Diana Mayhew, President of the National Cherry Blossom Festival

• Cherry blossoms to hit peak bloom for parade, festival. WASHINGTON – Washington’s famous cherry blossoms are set to hit peak bloom this weekend as the National Cherry Blossom Festival draws big crowds for its annual parade and Japanese street festival. The National Park Service says the cherry trees are predicted to be in peak bloom Saturday through Tuesday. With most of the trees in bloom this weekend, organizers are expecting big crowds around the Tidal Basin and National Mall. Festival President Diana Mayhew says early mornings are a good time to beat the crowds. This year’s peak bloom will coincide with the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade scheduled for Saturday at 10 a.m. That will be followed by the annual Sakura Matsuri Japanese Street Festival on Saturday afternoon. The cherry blossom festival closes on Sunday with a new Anacostia River Festival.

8am – B         Surprise! Barry Manilow Has Married His Manager Garry Kief. (People) — Looks like they made it.  Barry Manilow and his longtime manager Garry Kief tied the knot last year in a private ceremony, multiple sources confirm to PEOPLE.  “It was a surprise,” a friend of the couple says of the wedding, which was held at Manilow’s Palm Springs, California, home and attended by “20 to 30 guests” who had been told they were attending a “lunch.”  Though the couple chose to keep the wedding completely private and did not sign any official paperwork, Manilow and Kief both wear wedding bands and “are committed to one another and have been for a very long time,” a Manilow source says. “They have a great relationship. Garry has always been there for Barry.” News of the nuptials may come as a surprise to some Manilow fans, but the source says the “Copacabana” singer has never tried to hide his sexual orientation.

8am – C         HARRY REID CHANGES HIS STORY ON HOW HE SUSTAINED NEW YEAR’S DAY INJURIES. (Breitbart) — Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is changing the story about how he sustained those gruesome New Year’s Day injuries that have left him blind in one eye. Previously, Reid claimed that an exercise band he was using “broke.” “I was doing exercises that I’ve been doing for many years with those large rubber bands and one of them broke and spun me around and I crashed into these cabinets and injured my eye,” (emphasis added) Reid said at a press conference on January 22. But now, in an interview conducted by Fusion (a joint venture between ABC and Univision), excerpts of which have been released today, Reid tells Univision anchor Jorge Ramos that the exercise band “slipped,” rather than “broke.” “[T]he [elastic band] strap had no handle on it, slipped, spun me around, uh, about, oh I guess four feet (Reid points with his right hand to the wall of the interview room) and so I smashed my face into a cabinet,” Reid tells Ramos.

8am – D         Rand on Interviews With Women: I’ve Been Short-Tempered, “Particularly When It’s A Hostile Interviewer”

TOMORROW:  Scottie Hughes, Bret Baier, Brad Thor and more!