Free Range mom Danielle Meitiv, KT McFarland. Michelle Malkin & MD State Sen. Catherine Pugh joined WMAL Wednesday morning.
Listen here to Wednesday’s show!
INTERVIEW — KT MCFARLAND – Fox News National Security Analyst @KTMcFarland
INTERVIEW – MICHELLE MALKIN – New York Times bestselling author, columnist and author of new book “Who Built That: Awe-Inspiring Stories of American Tinkerpreneurs”
INTERVIEW – MARYLAND STATE SENATOR CATHERINE PUGH – (Baltimore City) – discussed the crime problem in Baltimore.
Mornings on the Mall
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor
Executive Producer: Heather Smith
5am – A/B/C Obama suffers stinging defeat on immigration in federal court. A federal appeals court dealt President Obama a defeat on Tuesday as it declined to lift a judge’s order blocking his sweeping executive action on immigration. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with a Texas judge who issued an injunction preventing the programs from going into effect. The appeals judges ruled 2-1 that the order must stay in place. “Because the government is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its appeal of the injunction, we deny the motion for stay and the request to narrow the scope of the injunction,” the judges wrote. The court’s order makes it tougher for Obama to implement what the White House had seen as one of the signature programs of his second term, with just 20 months left to go in his administration. After Congress declined to pass an immigration overhaul last year, Obama ordered the creation of a new program that allows parents of U.S. citizens or legal resident children to apply for temporary deportation relief and work permits.
5am – D Security News:
- Boeing debuts powerful electromagnetic pulse weapon. (Digital Journal) — The U.S. Air Force has officially announced it — along with three other companies — has developed an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) device unlike anything seen before. According to the Motley Fool (via Nasdaq), the system is called the Counter-electronics High-powered Microwave Advanced Missile Project, or CHAMP, and is analogous to the EMP version of a sniper rifle, rather than a bomb. The main development of CHAMP comes from Boeing, and it appears the project has been underway for several years. The system draws power from a microwave-emitting generator capable of killing electronics with a much higher accuracy rate. Rather than targeting entire blocks or even cities, the CHAMP targets only specific buildings. In addition to its accuracy, it’s also got another advantage; it can fire multiple times, unlike previous EMP devices that can only be used once at a time. In theory, the CHAMP could quickly take out several targeted buildings in rapid succession.
- Hundreds of TSA Badges Missing From Airports. (Fox News) — Hundreds of Transportation Security Administration badges have gone missing, sparking fears that the lost or stolen badges can be used to gain access to secure areas at airports. Doug McKelway reported on “On The Record” tonight that Congress has known for more than two months about the missing Secured Identification Display Area (SIDA) badges. McKelway reported that more than 270 badges went missing at the San Diego International Airport in the last two years and that more than 1,400 badges are missing from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Sen. John Thune (R-SD ) sent a letter to TSA officials in March demanding answers regarding the missing, lost or stolen badges. “Clearly there are an awful lot of things falling through the cracks and there’s just no room for an error when it comes to this issue,” Thune wrote. “We need answers. They’re not providing them.”
- IRS Says Thieves Stole Tax Info From 100,000. (AP) — Sophisticated criminals used an online service run by the IRS to access personal tax information from more than 100,000 taxpayers, part of an elaborate scheme to steal identities and claim fraudulent tax refunds, the IRS said Tuesday. The thieves accessed a system called “Get Transcript,” where taxpayers can get tax returns and other filings from previous years. In order to access the information, the thieves cleared a security screen that required knowledge about the taxpayer, including Social Security number, date of birth, tax filing status and street address, the IRS said. “We’re confident that these are not amateurs,” said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. “These actually are organized crime syndicates that not only we but everybody in the financial industry are dealing with.” Koskinen wouldn’t say whether investigators believe the criminals are based overseas — or where they obtained enough personal information about the taxpayers to access their returns. The IRS has launched a criminal investigation. The agency’s inspector general is also investigating. Identity thieves, both foreign and domestic, have stepped up their efforts in recent years to claim fraudulent tax refunds. The agency estimates it paid out $5.8 billion in fraudulent refunds to identity thieves in 2013.
5am – E Fifa officials arrested in Zurich as part of corruption and bribery probe.
Swiss police detain soccer officials ahead of FIFA congress. ZURICH (AP) — Swiss federal prosecutors opened criminal proceedings related to the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, throwing FIFA deeper into crisis only hours after six soccer officials were arrested Wednesday in a separate U.S. corruption probe. The Swiss prosecutors’ office said in a statement they seized “electronic data and documents” at FIFA’s headquarters on Wednesday as part of their probe. And Swiss police said they will question 10 FIFA executive committee members who took part in the World Cup votes in December 2010. The Swiss investigation against “persons unknown on suspicion of criminal mismanagement and of money laundering” again throws into the doubt the integrity of the voting to award Russia the 2018 World Cup and the 2022 tournament to Qatar.
6am – A/B/C Protests Against Virginia Gun Shop Owner:
- With little recourse in gun-friendly Va., Arlington resists store opening. Nova Firearms, a gun shop in McLean, is planning to open for business at the Arlington location this summer, with a grand opening planned for August. Owner James Gates said he chose Arlington because a friend knew the landlord and heard about the vacancy. After outgrowing his McLean shop, Gates had been looking for a second location inside the Capital Beltway; the business’s Web site, which offers free shipping, brags that Nova Firearms is “The original gun shop inside the Washington, DC Beltway!” Gates, a Marine Corps veteran who also provides personal protection and IT security services, said his future neighbors have nothing to fear.
- Marine Corps veteran’s proposed gun shop riles Arlington, Virginia.(Washington Times) — Residents of Arlington, Virginia — which in 2012 overwhelmingly voted for President Obama and sits directly across the Potomac River from the nation’s capital — are trying to bully Marine Corps veteran James Gates, 28, from opening a gun shop in their neighborhood. Last week, a petition was formed by local resident Susan Newton protesting the shop’s opening and demanding property owner Kostas Kapasouris renege on his lease to the young veteran. The shop’s grand opening is planned for August.
6am – D INTERVIEW – DANIELLE MEITIV – Free Range mom in Silver Spring, Maryland
- Maryland’s ‘free range’ parents cleared of neglect in one case. (Washington Post) — A Maryland couple investigated for neglect after they let their two young children walk home alone from local parks have been cleared in one of two such cases, according to the family’s attorneys and documents. The new Child Protective Services finding, which follows an appeal, comes as the experiences of “free range” parents Danielle and Alexander Meitiv have drawn national attention, sparking debate about parenting choices and how far local officials should go to enforce laws designed to protect children. It overturns a previous CPS decision that held the Meitivs responsible for “unsubstantiated” child neglect, a finding typically made when there is conflicting or insufficient information for a more definitive conclusion.
6am – E 2016 News:
- Hillary Clinton rolls out the pantsuit tee. (CBS News) — “Pantsuit up,” Hillary Clinton tweeted this morning. It’s an imperative that will mean less fuss for Clinton supporters who want to take the order to heart, now that the Democratic presidential candidate is selling a $30 “everyday pantsuit tee,” a red tee shirt printed with pantsuit lapels, a necklace and “H” broach.
- Sen. Rand Paul: Obama is being disingenuous about the NSA program. He could stop the program.
- Bernie Sanders rips your choice of 23 different deodorant brands. Bernie Sanders Condemns Existence of 23 Different Deodorant Brands While Children Go Hungry. (Free Beacon) — Self-proclaimed socialist and progressive favorite Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) laments the idea that Americans can choose between “23 underarm spray deodorants” as children go hungry under President Obama’s economy. “You don’t necessarily need a choice of 23 underarm spray deodorants when children are hungry in this country,” Sanders told John Harwood in an interview posted Tuesday. Sanders will make his official campaign Democratic presidential announcement alongside the Ben and Jerry’s cofounders in Burlington on Tuesday.
7am – A/B/C JORGE RAMOS asks ANN COULTER about having said illegals should be feared more than ISIS.
7am – D INTERVIEW — KT MCFARLAND – Fox News National Security Analyst @KTMcFarland
- US defense secretary says fall of Ramadi shows Iraqi forces lack will to fight ISIS
- Iraq launches counterstrike to take Ramadi from ISIS. Iraq’s government announced Tuesday that its military had launched a counterattack aimed at driving the Islamic State terror group out of the western part of Anbar province just days after militants captured the city of Ramadi.
7am – E Food and Booze News:
- Adios fake pepper: Taco Bell and Pizza Hut to get rid of artificial flavors. Goodbye, black pepper flavor; hello, actual black pepper. (LA Times) — Yum Brands chains Pizza Hut and Taco Bell said they plan to remove artificial flavors and colors from their food, following the lead of companies including Panera Bread and Nestle USA. Irvine-based Taco Bell said it would replace the artificial ingredients with natural alternatives by the end of 2015, and would look to remove additional artificial preservatives and additives by the end of 2017. Pizza Hut, based in Plano, Texas, said it would remove artificial flavors and colors from its pizzas no later than the end of July. These changes include swapping artificial color Yellow No. 5 for turmeric to color the chain’s banana peppers. Taco Bell said it planned to remove other additives such as added trans fat, and that Tuesday’s announcement will affect more than 95% of the chain’s menu. Taco Bell said it will also switch from using artificial black pepper to “natural black pepper flavor.” The company wouldn’t disclose what was in the artificial black pepper, saying that is proprietary information.
- Olive Garden: At least 1 more breadstick creation on the way NEW YORK (AP) — Olive Garden isn’t finished dreaming up new ways to use its breadsticks. The Italian restaurant chain said earlier this month it would introduce “breadstick sandwiches” as part of a broader menu revamp intended to play up its most popular offerings. The sandwiches don’t arrive until June 1, but Olive Garden already has a follow-up act planned with “breadstick crostini” in August. The “breadstick crostini” — or toasted bread — will be sliced and used as part of an appetizer, said Jose Duenas, Olive Garden’s executive vice president of marketing. “The flavor profile of the breadstick is powerful,” Duenas said in an interview.
- Republican Wants to Make Whiskey Cheaper. (Free Beacon) — A House Republican wants to make liquor cheaper by introducing a bill that would significantly lower the excise tax on distilled spirits, which accounts for more than half the store cost of bottles of whiskey. The Hill reports: “House Republican Todd Young (Ind.) has introduced legislation to reduce the excise tax on vodka, rum, gin and whiskey. Excise taxes are paid when purchases are made on a specific good and often included in the price of the product. The Distillery Innovation and Excise Tax Reform Act unveiled Tuesday would drop the current tax rate for distilled spirits from $13.50 per proof gallon to $2.70 per proof gallon on the first 10,000 gallons of productions for all distillers and then $9 per proof gallon after that. While Democratic cities such as Boston are considering increasing taxes on alcohol, Young wants to cut current taxes for liquor, which are taxed higher than beer and wine. Young said “more than half the purchase price of a bottle of spirits is used for taxes and fees, making it one of the most heavily taxed products in the country,” according to the report.”
8am – A INTERVIEW – MICHELLE MALKIN – New York Times bestselling author, columnist and author of new book “Who Built That: Awe-Inspiring Stories of American Tinkerpreneurs”
- “Who Built That: Awe-Inspiring Stories of American Tinkerpreneurs” –Firebrand conservative columnist, commentator, Internet entrepreneur, and #1 New York Times bestselling author Michelle Malkin tells the fascinating, little-known stories of the inventors who have contributed to American exceptionalism and technological progress. In July 2012, President Obama infamously proclaimed: “If you’ve got a business—you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.” Malkin wholeheartedly disagrees. Who Built That is a rousing tribute to the hidden American capitalists who pioneered everyday inventions. They’re the little big things we take for granted: bottle caps and glassware, tissue paper, flashlights, railroad signals, bridge cables, revolutionary plastics, and more.
8am – B Gun News:
- D.C. Requests Stay on Ruling Declaring Gun Law Unconstitutional. Update: Plaintiffs file motion asking D.C. be held in contempt of court. Update, 8:56 P.M.: The Second Amendment Foundation has filed a motion asking Judge Frederick J. Scullin to hold the District of Columbia in contempt of court. The request comes after the Metropolitan Police Department sent a letter to one applicant notifying him the city would not be issuing him a permit for at least another 90 days despite Scullin’s ruling. The letter said the 90 day period was to allow the city’s attorneys time to clarify the ruling but the Second Amendment Foundation said in their motion the ruling was clear and the city is not complying with it.The District of Columbia has filed a request for a stay on last Monday’s ruling declaring part of the city’s gun carry law unconstitutional.
- With little recourse in gun-friendly Va., Arlington resists store opening. Nova Firearms, a gun shop in McLean, is planning to open for business at the Arlington location this summer, with a grand opening planned for August. Owner James Gates said he chose Arlington because a friend knew the landlord and heard about the vacancy. After outgrowing his McLean shop, Gates had been looking for a second location inside the Capital Beltway; the business’s Web site, which offers free shipping, brags that Nova Firearms is “The original gun shop inside the Washington, DC Beltway!” Gates, a Marine Corps veteran who also provides personal protection and IT security services, said his future neighbors have nothing to fear.
8am – C Critter News:
- Sheep stay silent in war of words over whether animals can suffer verbal abuse. (ABC) — A case of alleged animal abuse in the far west of New South Wales has led to debate about whether sheep can comprehend human speech. It began in September last year, when the New South Wales branch of the RSPCA received a tip-off about the alleged mistreatment of sheep, including verbal abuse, that were being shorn at Boorungie Station, 130 kilometres from Broken Hill. The complaint was lodged by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which had apparently obtained footage and testimony from an undercover operative working at the station. For Ken Turner, who operates Boorungie Station, the complaint itself suggests the sheep could at least understand English. “The basis for the concerns was the rights of the animals, that they might have been harassed by viewing things they shouldn’t have seen or verbal abuse by people using bad language,” he said. “To my knowledge, there was no actual cruelty on the job. “The allegation was that bad language was used by an employee on the property in front of the sheep, and that they could have been offended by the use of bad language.”
- 5 animal cams going dark at National Zoo. WASHINGTON — Some of the National Zoo’s animal cams are going away. On June 1, the Asian small-clawed otter, clouded leopard, orangutan, fishing cat and naked mole rat cams will go dark. The change comes due to the zoo no longer being able to operate the software on the older live cameras. The good news: The panda, lion and elephant cams won’t be affected. In a news release, the zoo says it hopes expanded funding and new technology will bring new viewing opportunities in the future.
8am – D INTERVIEW – MARYLAND STATE SENATOR CATHERINE PUGH – (Baltimore City) – discussed the crime problem in Baltimore.
TOMORROW: Dr. Gridlock, Stuart Varney and Greg Gutfeld
