Mornings on the Mall 10.24.16

Joe diGenova, Trevor Matich and Rep. Jim Jordan joined WMAL on Monday!

Mornings on the Mall

Monday, October 24, 2016

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

5am – A/B/C U.S. Soldiers Told To Repay Thousands In Signing Bonuses From Height Of War Effort. In most cases, when an employer pays a signing bonus to attract new workers, that payment is understood to be essentially unrecoverable. But the Pentagon has a different understanding — and it’s ordering the California National Guard to claw back thousands of dollars paid to soldiers who re-enlisted to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. And in many cases, an employer would also have a tough time arguing that decade-old lapses in its own oversight should trigger wage garnishments and tax liens against its workers. But again, this is the U.S. military, and its officials say the law requires them to reclaim the overpayments. That’s the gist of a report by The Los Angeles Times, which says nearly 10,000 soldiers are now scrambling to pay back signing bonuses that helped the Pentagon cope with the task of using an all-volunteer service to fight two prolonged international conflicts.

5am – D Clinton Ally Aided Campaign of FBI Official’s Wife. The political organization of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, an influential Democrat with longstanding ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton, gave nearly $500,000 to the election campaign of the wife of an official at the Federal Bureau of Investigation who later helped oversee the investigation into Mrs. Clinton’s email use. Campaign finance records show Mr. McAuliffe’s political-action committee donated $467,500 to the 2015 state Senate campaign of Dr. Jill McCabe, who is married to Andrew McCabe, now the deputy director of the FBI. The Virginia Democratic Party, over which Mr. McAuliffe exerts considerable control, donated an additional $207,788 worth of support to Dr. McCabe’s campaign in the form of mailers, according to the records. That adds up to slightly more than $675,000 to her candidacy from entities either directly under Mr. McAuliffe’s control or strongly influenced by him. The figure represents more than a third of all the campaign funds Dr. McCabe raised in the effort. Mr. McAuliffe and other state party leaders recruited Dr. McCabe to run, according to party officials. She lost the election to incumbent Republican Dick Black.

5am – E Halloween News:

‘Clown bans’ likely unconstituional… Kemper County (Miss.) bans clown costumes, likely violates the First Amendment. The Kemper County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an ordinance during its regular meeting on Monday that makes it unlawful for any person of any age to appear in public in Kemper County in a clown costume, clown mask or clown makeup. The ordinance was signed into effect by Kemper County Board President Johnny Whitsett at 11:28 a.m. on Monday and expires the day after Halloween. The ordinance is enforceable by the Kemper County Sheriff’s Office and violators can be fined up to $150. But this likely violates the First Amendment. Wearing costumes is constitutionally protected, as the Supreme Court held in Schacht v. United States (1970), a case dealing with actors who were prosecuted for wearing a military uniform as part of political street theater; and the court has long protected speech engaged in for entertainment purposes as much as speech engaged in for overtly political purposes (e.g., Winters v. New York (1948); Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Ass’n (2011), the violent video game case). Now some restrictions on wearing uniforms might be upheld if limited to situations where the uniform is dangerously deceptive, e.g., when people wear police uniforms without authorization and in a context where they would be perceived as real police officers; but that obviously doesn’t apply here.
University of Florida has hotline on offensive Halloween costumes. The University of Florida has a hotline for people who see offensive Halloween costumes. UF sent out the alert earlier this month saying how important it was to have an “inclusive definition of diversity.” October brings fall weather and Halloween. If you choose to participate in Halloween activities, we encourage you to think about your choices of costumes and themes. Some Halloween costumes reinforce stereotypes of particular races, genders, cultures, or religions. Regardless of intent, these costumes can perpetuate negative stereotypes, causing harm and offense to groups of people. Also, keep in mind that social media posts can have a long-term impact on your personal and professional reputation. The University of Florida’s Division of Student Affairs Diversity and Social Justice Statement reminds us that UF fosters a community that values and respects diversity. An inclusive definition of diversity recognizes the variety of personal and social experiences that make individuals and communities different from one another. As a community, we aspire to demonstrate integrity, respect, and compassion that strives to maintain an affirming campus climate for all members of our community. If you are troubled by an incident that does occur, please know that there are many resources available. Please take advantage of the 7 day a week presence of the U Matter, We Care program at the University of Florida

6am – A/B/C 13 habits you’re teaching your kids that could keep them from becoming rich. (Business Insider) — I’ve been advising wealthy individuals for more than 30 years at my job as a CPA. Plus, I spent five years studying the money habits of the rich and the poor in my Rich Habits Study. Here are some statistics from my five-year study on the daily habits of the rich:

72% of the wealthy know their credit score

6% of the wealthy play the lottery

80% of the wealthy are focused on at least one goal

62% of the wealthy floss their teeth every day

21% of the wealthy are overweight by 30 pounds or more

63% of the wealthy spend less than one hour per day on recreational internet use

83% of the wealthy attend back-to-school night for their kids

29% of the wealthy had one or more children who made the honor roll

63% of wealthy listen to audio books during their commute

67% of the wealthy watch less than one hour of TV per day

9% of the wealthy watch reality TV shows

79% of the wealthy network five hours or more per month

79% of the wealthy believe they are responsible for their financial circumstances

The self-made millionaires in my study said they attributed most of their wealth to the rich habits their parents taught them as children.

6am – D Trump lays out plan for first 100 days in ‘Gettysburg Address’ While offering a number of concrete policy initiatives, the Republican billionaire also attacked his critics, threatening to sue the “liars” who have accused him of sexual assault, and saying Clinton should have been barred from running. Trump’s campaign team cast his 45-minute speech in Gettysburg – where Abraham Lincoln delivered his key Civil War address to try to unite the nation – as his “closing arguments” with 17 days to go before Election Day. His appearance in Pennsylvania – a key swing state in the November 8 battle for the White House where his Democratic rival was due to stage rallies later in the day – came at the start of a weekend battleground campaign blitz.

6am – E Cubs Win: Cursed by a Billy Goat, bedeviled by Bartman and crushed by decades of disappointment, the Chicago Cubs are at long last headed back to the World Series. The final out of the game as Yasiel Puig hit into a double play.

7am – A INTERVIEW – JOE DIGENOVA — legal analyst and former U.S. Attorney to the District of Columbia

Clinton Ally Aided Campaign of FBI Official’s Wife. The political organization of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, an influential Democrat with longstanding ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton, gave nearly $500,000 to the election campaign of the wife of an official at the Federal Bureau of Investigation who later helped oversee the investigation into Mrs. Clinton’s email use. Campaign finance records show Mr. McAuliffe’s political-action committee donated $467,500 to the 2015 state Senate campaign of Dr. Jill McCabe, who is married to Andrew McCabe, now the deputy director of the FBI. The Virginia Democratic Party, over which Mr. McAuliffe exerts considerable control, donated an additional $207,788 worth of support to Dr. McCabe’s campaign in the form of mailers, according to the records. That adds up to slightly more than $675,000 to her candidacy from entities either directly under Mr. McAuliffe’s control or strongly influenced by him. The figure represents more than a third of all the campaign funds Dr. McCabe raised in the effort. Mr. McAuliffe and other state party leaders recruited Dr. McCabe to run, according to party officials. She lost the election to incumbent Republican Dick Black.

7am – B Sports News:

Lions Top Redskins 20-17 on Stafford’s TD Pass to Boldin. Next Sunday the ‘Skins take on the Cincinnati Bengals in London. Matthew Stafford threw a go-ahead, 18-yard touchdown pass to Anquan Boldin with 16 seconds left to lift the Detroit Lions to a 20-17 win over the Washington Redskins on Sunday. The Lions (4-3) extended their winning streak to three games. The Redskins (4-3) had won four straight. Stafford, who set up game-winning kicks in the previous two games, led his team to another win in the 100th game of his career. He was 18 of 29 for 266 yards, one TD and no turnovers. Kirk Cousins scored a go-ahead TD on a 19-yard run with 1:05 left. The Redskins, though, failed to stop Stafford from throwing or running on his last possession and could not overcome mistakes that included turnovers, a missed field goal and penalties.
Eli Manning denies calling out Donald Trump’s name in audible. (USA Today) — LONDON – Eli Manning denied that the New York Giants used an audible play call that referenced Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump during Sunday’s victory over the Los Angeles Rams – but not before sparking a swathe of internet chatter. The Giants quarterback ignited much speculation during the second quarter of his team’s hard-earned 17-10 triumph at Twickenham Stadium, with several viewers taking to social media to voice their belief that Manning had yelled: “Trump! Trump Trump!” on a 1st-and-10 at midfield. “Trump? Trump? No, no Trump, no Trump calls,” Manning said in his post-game news conference. “We are using something very similar. But there is not a Trump, not an audible we are using. Nothing there, nothing there.” By then, however, the topic was already trending online as many wondered if Manning had concocted a new audible that would surely rival his brother Peyton’s iconic “Omaha!” in terms of interest.

7am – C Joe Biden wishes he could beat up Donald Trump. (Huffington Post) –

Vice President Joe Biden implied on Friday that he wishes he could beat up Donald Trump over vulgar and predatory comments the GOP presidential nominee made toward women. Biden was asked about comments Trump made in a 2005 tape in which he bragged about making unwanted sexual advances toward women and being able to “grab them by the pussy” because he was a celebrity. “’Because I’m a billionaire I can do things other people can’t.’ What a disgusting assertion for anyone to make,” Biden said while campaigning for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania. “The press always ask me, don’t I wish I was debating him? No, I wish we were in high school, and I could take him behind the gym. That’s what I wish.”

7am – D Hundreds of people wearing yoga pants parade past man’s house in R.I. Women defend wearing yoga pants in peaceful parade. (Boston Globe) — A group organized to parade past the Rhode Island house of a man who criticized women wearing yoga pants in public. BARRINGTON, R.I. — The saga began Wednesday with a letter to the editor in a local Rhode Island newspaper criticizing women over 20 who wear yoga pants in public. Quickly, it snowballed into a “Yoga Pants Parade” Sunday afternoon with hundreds of people walking past the letter writer’s house — and a few death threats, according to the author, who said he had only intended satire. “To all yoga pant wearers, I struggle with my own physicality as I age,” wrote Alan Sorrentino, 63, in the letter published by the Barrington Times last week. “I don’t want to struggle with yours.” The letter, which said adult women wearing yoga pants in public was comparable to men wearing Speedos to the grocery store, went viral. The backlash was immediate, passionate, and international.

7am – E Government-loving Montgomery County seems poised to adopt term limits. (Washington Post) — Unhappiness with a recent run of council decisions has reached a kind of critical mass among a swath of voters that includes union members, real estate developers, business leaders, members of neighborhood associations, and liberals and conservatives. Many are reacting to a record property-tax increase this spring, a hike in the recordation tax for property sales, cuts in raises negotiated in collective bargaining agreements and — on the political right — the county’s protective policies toward undocumented immigrants. And just about no one liked the vote to raise council members’ salaries to more than $130,000 by the end of 2017. “If there was ever a time that the actions of the council would drive a term-limits initiative, this is probably the year,” said Steve Silverman, a former council member and county economic development director who describes the breadth of support for Question B as a “convergence of strange bedfellows.” The proposal has put some elected officials on edge. Council President Nancy Floreen (D-At Large), a four-term incumbent, predicted that Question B would lose next month. But she sounded exasperated and defensive in a short debate with Ficker that was broadcast Friday on NewsChannel 8. “Here’s an idea. Why don’t we have a rule against people running for office too frequently?” Floreen asked, a not-so-subtle reference to Ficker’s many runs — at least six since 2000 — for local or national office.

8am – A INTERVIEW — TREVOR MATICH — Redskins elite long snapper, WMAL’s Redskins analyst and Comcast SportsNet co-host

Lions Top Redskins 20-17 on Stafford’s TD Pass to Boldin
Next Sunday the ‘Skins take on the Cincinnati Bengals in London.

8am – B Entertainment News:

Oprah to undecided voters: “You don’t have to like” Hillary Clinton to vote for her. (Huffington Post) — Oprah Winfrey has a message for anyone still undecided about the presidential election: Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton is the only reasonable choice ― even if you dislike her. “There really is no choice, people,” Winfrey told T.D. Jakes during an interview on his namesake show on Winfrey’s OWN network. The full interview is set to air next week. “All the people sitting around talking about they can’t decide … this is what I really want to say,” Winfrey said. “I hear this all the time, you get in conversations … where people say, ‘I just don’t know if I like her.’ She’s not coming over to your house. You don’t have to like her. You don’t have to like her.” Winfrey suggested there are much bigger questions voters should be asking themselves about this election. “Do you like this country?” Winfrey asked. “You better get out there and vote. Do you like the country? Do you like freedom and liberty? Do you like Democracy? Or do you want a demagogue?” Winfrey didn’t mention Republican nominee Donald Trump by name.
Bill Murray Gets a Cubs Win and the Mark Twain Prize. The ceremony will be broadcast on PBS on Friday night. (NY Times) – WASHINGTON, D.C. — Wanting an award, Bill Murray once said, is “like a virus. It’s an illness.” At the Kennedy Center here on Sunday, Mr. Murray was the willing recipient of the Mark Twain Prize, one of comedy’s most significant honors. But his attendance hadn’t been guaranteed: His favorite baseball team, the Chicago Cubs, needed to seal a World Series berth the night before or else he would have been tempted to skip the ceremony for the final game. “I’m glad they won last night so I could be here this evening,” Mr. Murray said. “If they hadn’t won last night I would have had to have been there, because, honestly, I do not trust the media to report the story.” Perched in a box seat for more than two hours, Mr. Murray watched with a grin as frequent collaborators and prominent admirers offered tributes. He laughed often and acknowledged the audience between sets, shouting “More!”
Miley Cyrus Flubs Bill Murray’s Event: Out of a star-studded lineup of top actors, comedians and musicians in attendance at the Kennedy Center to toast Bill Murray, it was Miley Cyrus who generated the most attention from the honoree. After Cyrus botched her performance at Sunday night’s salute to Murray, who received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the actor stood from his seat in the balcony and declared, “We’re safe now. How ’bout those pipes? Do it again! Do it again!” “This is live entertainment!” shouted Murray, 66, as the audience roared with laughter. “This is happening now in Washington, D.C. — the 51st state! If it had statehood, that wouldn’t have happened!”
The time Miley Cyrus knocks on dorm room doors to campaign for Hillary Clinton. Washington (CNN)For Miley Cyrus, Saturday’s “Party in the USA” took place on the campus of George Mason University. The singer and actress went door-to-door at the northern Virginia university urging star-struck students to support the Democratic presidential ticket. “Do you have any idea why I’m here dressed like an American flag?” Cyrus asked three male students. “I’m here supporting Hillary (Clinton) and Tim Kaine.” One of the students replied that he already voted absentee in Ohio. “You’ll be proud to know I voted for Hillary,” he said. The two then shared a celebratory high-five. The colorfully dressed Cyrus — she was wearing a furry blue jacket, strapless top with a massive blue bow, plus a fuzzy, hot pink headband — shocked many of the students whose doors she knocked on. It was kind of surreal,” student and Atlanta native Vashti Aveirls said. “It’s nice to know Hillary has people out here that actually care about her message, coming door-to-door, knocking on college students’ doors. So, I felt really happy.” In several of her conversations with students, Cyrus said she was inspired to campaign for Clinton after a trip home to Nashville, Tennessee.

8am – C Clinton campaign manager: She “always met the highest ethical standards when she was secretary of state”

8am – D INTERVIEW – REP. JIM JORDAN – R-Ohio and Member of House Oversight Committee