Amanda Carpenter, Kt McFarland and Rep. Jeff Miller joined WMAL on Wednesday!
Mornings on the Mall
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor
Executive Producer: Heather Hunter
5am – A/B/C DRIVE AT FIVE INTERVIEW — PROFESSOR WILLIAM JACOBSON – Professor of Law and Director of the Securities Law Clinic at Cornell Law School and author of the conservative law blog, Legal Insurrection.
MU Communications professor resigns, following fallout from trying to stop a reporter covering campus protest. COLUMBIA, MO (KTVI)- The MU Dean of Journalism announced Tuesday that the courtesy title for a Communications professor is in the process of being removed. Video taken Monday shows Assistant Professor Melissa Click confronting journalists, blocking their access to Monday protests on the Columbia, MO campus. Student protesters were bringing attention to their feelings that that university had not responded adequately to recent reports of racism on campus. The protesters gained the support of the Mizzou football team over the weekend and the actions eventually led to the resignations of Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin and President Tim Wolfe on Monday. Dean David Kurpius praised photojournalism senior Tim Tai for how he handled himself while trying to gain access to the protest site. He was working as a freelancer for ESPN on Monday when protesters blocked his access to the campsite on the Carnahan Quad as he tried to get reaction to the resignations. Click is a member of the MU Communications Department, and holds a courtesy appointment in the School of Journalism. Dean Kurpius said that appointment is being reviewed.
5am – D GOP Debate Highlights: The eight top Republican presidential candidates gathered for the fourth debate of the 2016 campaign Tuesday night in Milwaukee. It was a more understated affair than the last GOP debate sponsored by CNBC but still managed to yield some bests and worsts. * Marco Rubio: Rubio’s line about welders making more money than philosophy majors will be quoted all over the place in the post-debate analysis. (And, no, it wasn’t totally accurate.) Rubio knocked it out of the park when debating military spending and the right role for America in the world with Rand Paul. He got a meatball of a question when asked by the moderators about Hillary Clinton’s résumé as compared with his own; he, unsurprisingly, answered it well and easily. Time and time again, he oozed knowledge while appearing entirely relaxed. One nit to pick with Rubio: He can — and did at times Tuesday night — come across as slightly too rehearsed, the student reciting things back to the teacher from memory but without actually understanding what any of it means
5am – E Veterans Day freebies across D.C. region. (WTOP) — WASHINGTON — From free meals to free haircuts and free oil changes, many retailers and restaurants are thanking veterans and active duty members of the military.
Applebees: Free meal for veterans and active duty military.
Arlington National Cemetery: The free National Veterans Day Observance begins with a Prelude Concert at 10:30 a.m., but you’re encouraged to arrive early.
Bob Evans: Free breakfast for veterans and active military.
Buffalo Wild Wings: At participating locations from 4-7 p.m., free small wings and side of fries for veterans and active duty members of the military.
Colonial Williamsburg: Military families get free admission Friday, Nov. 6 through Wednesday, Nov. 11.
Cracker Barrel: Military veterans get a free slice of Double Chocolate Fudge Coca-Cola Cake.
Denny’s: 5 a.m.-noon at participating restaurants, active, inactive and retired members of the military get a free Build Your Own Grand Slam.
Golden Corral: 5-9 p.m., free Military Appreciation Night dinner for anyone who has served or is serving in the U.S. military
IHOP: At participating restaurants, free Red, White and Blue pancakes for members of the military.
IKEA: The Baltimore, College Park and Woodbridge locations are offering a free entree for active, reserve or retired military service members Nov. 8-11.
Olive Garden: Free entree for veterans and active duty military.
Outback: Free Bloomin’ Onion and drink for members of the military. Those who are deployed can get a rain check to enjoy the giveaway later.
Red Hot & Blue: Monday, Nov. 9 through Wednesday, Nov. 11, free entree (worth up to $10) for active, inactive and retired members of the military with purchase of an entree and two drinks with coupon.
Starbucks: Free tall brewed coffee for active duty members of the military, reservists, veterans and military spouses.
6am – A/B/C In Republican Debate, Candidates Battle Sharply on Immigration. (NY Times) — MILWAUKEE — After weeks of personal sniping, the Republican presidential candidates clashed sharply over immigration and other policies in their debate here on Tuesday, with Gov. John Kasich of Ohio and former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida trying to energize their campaigns by heaping scorn on Donald J. Trump’s plan to deport unauthorized immigrants. In the most substantive Republican debate so far, Mr. Kasich and Mr. Bush, who have been fading in polls, presented themselves as experienced chief executives who had practical solutions to deal with national challenges like immigration. Yet Mr. Trump and another candidate, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, inveighed against what they called amnesty and argued that undocumented workers were driving down Americans’ wages. The splintering over immigration, in a campaign dominated so far by the personas, speeches and backgrounds of the candidates, illuminated the brightest dividing line between Republican hopefuls like Mr. Bush and Mr. Kasich, who favor a comprehensive immigration overhaul, and the many primary voters who have embraced Mr. Trump’s harsh language about immigrants in the country illegally.
6am – D/E No more heading: US Soccer out with new guidelines for youth soccer. The days of kids 10 years old or younger heading the ball in a soccer game or practice are over. In resolving a class-action lawsuit regarding the large number of concussions in the sport, the U.S. Soccer Federation has issued new guidelines either banning or limiting players heading the ball depending on their age. Children 10 years or under will no longer be allowed to head the ball in practice or games, while players ages 11 to 13 will only be allowed to do it during practice, not games. The changes have come after a class-action lawsuit brought by a group of parents and players last year in U.S. District Court in California that sought rule changes preventing head injuries. The lawsuit charged FIFA, U.S. Soccer and the American Youth Soccer Organization with negligence for not addressing the issue. In 2010, more high school soccer players suffered concussions (50,000) than athletes in wrestling, baseball, basketball and softball combined, the lawsuit noted, according to The New York Times. The changes come at a time when concussions have become a serious concern, particularly in youth soccer and football.
7am – A INTERVIEW — AMANDA CARPENTER – CNN CONTRIBUTOR and writer at Conservative Review, and Former Communications Director to Senator Ted Cruz – analyzed the GOP debate.
7am – B Vietnam Vet Pushes for National Memorial for 9/11 Veterans. (AP) — Jan Scruggs knew as a young Army infantryman returning from Vietnam that his fellow veterans and his entire country needed a place to go to heal. More than three decades later, the man who led efforts to build the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, said it’s now time such a wall be built for post-9/11 combat veterans, even though service members are still dying in Iraq and Afghanistan. “A lot of these veterans were hurt physically. There are high rates of PTSD, just like among Vietnam veterans, and if we wait until the war on terror is over, they will never see it happen,” he said. Building a wall on the National Mall would require action from Congress to overturn the 1986 Commemorative Works Act, which stipulates that work cannot begin until 10 years after a war has ended.
7am – C Dunkin’ Donuts releases festive alternative to Starbucks’ controversial cups. (NY Post) — Their cups runneth over — with Christmas spirit! Dunkin’ Donuts has released a line of holiday cups featuring the word “Joy” surrounded by images of wreaths and holly — a festive alternative to rival Starbucks’ conservative, and controversial, new design. The launch comes as Starbucks continues to be blasted for their coffee containers, which feature an all-red design adorned with only their logo. Java junkies cheered the Dunkin’ cups.
Erik Bransteen @erikbransteen: Dunkin Donuts new slogan: “Dunkin Donuts: Jesus Doesn’t Hate Our Coffee Cups.” #StarbucksRedCup 10:37 PM – 9 Nov 2015
7am – D INTERVIEW — KT MCFARLAND – Fox News National Security Analyst – reflected on Veterans Day and analyzed the GOP debate.
7am – E Entertainment News:
Alexandria is center stage for what could be the next ‘Downton Abbey’ (WTOP) — It doesn’t get much better for tourism promoters than having a PBS miniseries set in your home city that’s scheduled to air after the wildly popular “Downton Abbey.” That’s what’s happening now in Alexandria, which served as the backdrop for a six-episode miniseries, “Mercy Street,” that will begin airing Jan. 17 on WETA, the D.C. area’s PBS station. Alexandria is predicting, at least initially, a more conservative 10 percent bump in visitors, which would mean about 330,000 more visitors next year. But Alexandria could stand to see more of a jump if the show gets picked up for a second season, Mouledoux said. The show focuses on the lives of three women — two nurses on opposite sides of the war and a former slave working as a laundress — in Civil War Alexandria as it is occupied by the Union Army. The show is produced by famed Hollywood director Ridley Scott. The show stars, among others, Josh Radnor of “How I Met Your Mother” fame and Gary Cole, most recently known for his role as Kent on “Veep.”
Benedict Cumberbatch receives royal honor from the Queen. (Huffington Post) – Eddie Redmayne may have bested Benedict Cumberbatch at last year’s Oscars, but the “Sherlock” actor just received the highest honor of them all. Cumberbatch was made a CBE — meaning Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire — by the Queen Elizabeth herself at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday morning. Recognized for his contributions to stage and screen, as well as his tireless activism on behalf of refugees, Cumberbatch was joined by wife Sophie Hunter, who looked positively royal in a lilac dress, to receive the honor.
Ronda Rousey: ‘To Be Honest,’ There’s No Way I’ll Vote For Hillary Clinton. Rousey endorses Bernie Sanders for president. (Daily Caller) — UFC bantamweight champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey will not be voting for Hillary Clinton. In a recent interview with Maxim, Rousey — who will defend her belt this Saturday against challenger Holly Holm — formerly endorsed self-proclaimed socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders for president “because he doesn’t take any corporate money.” “I don’t think politicians should be allowed to take money for their campaigns from outside interests,” the blossoming movie star explained. Additionally, she noted that if Sanders fails to receive the Democratic nomination, Rousey doesn’t plan on putting another Clinton in the White House.
Your ‘Call Of Duty: Black Ops 3’ Character Can Be Any Color You Want, So Long As It’s White. (Forbes) — It takes the classic relentless drive that the Call of Duty series is known for, adds in some player choice, sets it all in a more striking sci-fi world that the series has ever gone to before, and tops things off with Christopher Meloni. We’ll get to more of that later. But the game stumbles before you even start the campaign: for the first time in this series, we get a character selection. You can choose between a male or a female player character, a nice idea even if, as Paul Tassi talks about, it’s not that well implemented. We also get to choose their face, shown in the screenshot below. Notice anything in this picture? That’s right, you can have any color you want, so long as it’s white. I can think of few images that would better sum up this particular facet of the modern gaming industry than this screen: an illusory choice between nine nearly-identical white faces. Eighteen if you count both genders. “Choices”! There’s an ostensible reason for this, of course. All of the faces in the selection screen are modeled after the actors that play the male and female counterparts (Ben Browder and Abby Brammell). But the fact that there’s a character selection at all doesn’t really work. If the game simply told us to pick one of two characters and left it at that, that’d be one thing. But that screen says “create operative” on it. Call of Duty is boasting more customization than ever before, right down to your operative’s appearance. Just don’t do anything ridiculous – like wanting a non-white character. It’s hard to believe that it would have been impossible to just include some slightly different facial structures with different skin tones. Games like the Mass Effect series or Fallout 4, out today, both feature fully-voiced protagonists available with more customizable faces representing different races. Considering the fact that you almost never see your character’s face in a first-person game like Black Ops 3, and that the player character isn’t even developed enough to have a name, it’s hard to argue that something about this character’s essence was so unshakeable that it absolutely needed a certain look.
Mystery Science Theater 3000′ Creator Raises $500K Toward New Season. (NPR) – Hours after launching a Kickstarter campaign to revive a TV show that made it fun to watch horrible movies, Mystery Science Theater 3000 creator Joel Hodgson has raised more than $500,000 — a quarter of his $2 million goal. If the fundraising campaign is successful, the Mystery Science Theater team could start a new run of up to 12 feature-length episodes next July, depending on the amount of donations over the next month.
8am – A/B/C Winners and Losers of the GOP Debate / Highlights and Calls
8am – D INTERVIEW — REP JEFF MILLER – Chairman, House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and serves on the Armed Services and the Intelligence committees.
Miller has represented Florida’s 1st Congressional District since 2001. He is chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee and serves on the Armed Services and the Intelligence committees.
TOPIC: Veterans Day — his thoughts reflecting on the state of the military today and also the latest on solving the problems with the VA
8am – E Local News:
Montgomery Co. to phase out high school final exams. FOX 5’s Jennifer Davis reports on what the decision will mean for students. SILVER SPRING, Md. – The Montgomery County Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to phase out final exams for all high school students in the county. School board members have decided to replace the current two-hour semester final exams with in class projects, papers, essays and group tests. That means Montgomery County high school students will still take tests. But starting this spring in four subjects – and next year in all subjects – there will be no more end of semester final exams. Interim superintendent Larry Bowers said the move is about equity and closing the achievement gap.
Montgomery Co. schools to close for Muslim holiday. WASHINGTON — After years of debate, the Montgomery County Public School system has decided to accommodate families who celebrate the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha by closing school for students on Sept. 12 of 2016. The day could still be used as an in-service day for teachers — but those details have yet to be worked out. The move came after school board member Christopher Barclay suggested the calendar change. “We are putting ourselves in a place that we give lip service to the diversity that we have in this incredible community that we live in and serve — but in fact, the most important things are the actions that we take,” Barclay told his colleagues. Interim School Superintendent Larry Bowers had originally suggested studying the question of scheduling professional and in-service days for teachers and how to accommodate the Muslim holiday further, but Barclay said, “I think we have an opportunity right here, right now.”
Bei Bei is practicing his little panda bear roar and Learns to Walk. WASHINGTON — (WMAL) Look out world! Bei Bei is finally walking! The National Zoo posted a short video of the little cub taking his first clumsy steps around his enclosure. At the end of the video his mother, Mei Xiang scoops him up into her arms and gives him a bear hug. Bei Bei is also practicing his little bear roar – he can be heard squeaking throughout the video. In a few months he’ll have more space to roam when he leaves the den for the much larger panda exhibit at the National Zoo.
Tysons Corner is getting a new name. It will be official on all maps and social media applications. (Patch) – Tysons Corner is getting a name change. After 161 years as being known as “Tysons Corner,” the “Corner” is being dropped from its name. In 1854, William Tysons purchased the property at the intersection of Route 7 and Route 123, and it became referred to as “Tysons Corner.” Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) and the Tysons Partnership announced jointly on Nov. 9, 2015 that the U.S. Census Bureau has agreed to have the Tysons Corner Census Designated Place name changed to “Tysons.” The Census’ public-facing geographic products will reflect the change beginning in the summer of 2016. “When I was first elected to local government in 1995, we embarked on an ambitious vision to re-make Tysons into America’s next great city,” said Connolly. “After years of planning with community stakeholders and the business community, and a lot of hard work, that vision is becoming a reality.”