Sen. Michael Hough, Stuart Varney, Michael Steele and Jake Tapper joined WMAL on Thursday!

Mornings on the Mall

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

 

5am – A/B/C In Surprise Move, Obama Admin. Deals Blow To ‘Sanctuary’ Cities. With little fanfare, the Obama administration has changed its policies regarding the handover of deportable federal prisoners to cities and counties with so-called “sanctuary” policies. With the change, which Attorney General Loretta Lynch discussed during a House budget hearing on Wednesday, the Bureau of Prisons now allows Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), instead of states and municipalities, the first opportunity to take illegal aliens into custody and deport them. “Particularly where we’re dealing with a jurisdiction that is not prone to honoring ICE detainers…our policy is going to be that ICE will instead have the first detainer and that individual will go into ICE custody and deportation,” Lynch told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies. “We have in the past deferred because…we work with our state and local colleagues and we want to make sure that they can in fact adjudicate their cases as well,” Lynch added. Texas Rep. John Culberson , who chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee, indicated that he was pleased with the new policy.

5am – C         Storms cause power outages, flooded roads in DC region. BALTIMORE (AP) — Storms brought heavy rains and strong winds through Maryland and Washington, leaving thousands without power and motorists stranded by flooded roads. Fire officials in Montgomery County in Maryland say a man was rescued after a basement wall collapsed on him in a Silver Spring home Wednesday night. Roads in several areas, including an exit from Interstate 95 in Baltimore and Interstate 495 in Columbia, Maryland, were closed because of high water.

5am – D/E     White House considers Nevada Gov. Sandoval for Supreme Court. WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is considering Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval of Nevada as a possible nominee to the Supreme Court, two people familiar with the process said Wednesday. The nomination of a Republican would be seen as an attempt by President Barack Obama to break the Senate GOP blockade of any of his choices. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has said his 54-member GOP caucus is opposed to holding confirmation hearings or vote on Obama’s pick, insisting that the choice rests with the next president. The officials declined to be named because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. Mari St. Martin, Sandoval’s communications director, said Wednesday that the governor hasn’t been contacted by the White House. “Neither Gov. Sandoval nor his staff has been contacted by or talked to the Obama administration regarding any potential vetting for the vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court,” she said.

6am – A/B/C Mitt Romney suggests there’s a “bombshell” in Donald Trump’s taxes.Former Republican nominee Mitt Romney called Wednesday on the 2016 GOP hopefuls to release their tax returns, saying he suspects there’s a “bombshell” in frontrunner Donald Trump’s — a comment that prompted Trump to call Romney a “fool.” “We’re now, you know, in late February and we still haven’t seen either Donald Trump’s or Marco Rubio’s or Ted Cruz’s taxes,” Romney said in an interview on Fox News. “Frankly, the voters have a right to see those tax returns before they decide who our nominee ought to be.” In 2012, critics of the then-nominee Romney repeatedly called on him to release his tax returns, an issue that dogged the former Massachusetts governor’s campaign for months. This time, though, it’s Romney who is going on the attack over GOP candidates’ tax returns. He expressed particular concern about Trump’s finances, saying: “I think in Donald Trump’s case it’s likely to be a bombshell.” “Well, I think there’s something there,” Romney explained. “Either he’s not anywhere near as wealthy as he says he is or he hasn’t been paying the kind of taxes we would expect him to pay, or perhaps he hasn’t been giving money to the vets or to the disabled like he’s been telling us he’s been doing.”

6am – D         The Everything Donut Is EVERYTHING. (The Gothamist) — Listen up you taste-blind Cronut-licking suckers: The Everything Donut has arrived like an asteroid of authenticity, streaking through a constellation of poseurs to slam into this unworthy planet and vaporize tasteless turd discs forever. What is The Everything Donut? It’s a yeast donut with sweet cream cheese glaze and a ring of black sesame seeds, garlic, poppy seeds, pepitas and sea salt. But only a fool would reduce The Everything Donut to its ingredients. The Everything Donut is Everything you aren’t: worldly, gracious, bold. The Everything Donut takes the subway but never misses its train. The Everything Donut tips 25% (always). The Everything Donut does not need to festoon itself with the color spectrum to be loved. When you bite into an Everything Donut, its toppings fall to the ground like the memories of so many lesser donuts. Sweet collides with salty, sesame seeds and pepitas turn the roof of your mouth into an Etruscan fresco of bliss. And the garlic—the garlic!

6am – E         Lynch confirms career Justice Department attorneys involved in Clinton email probe. Attorney General Loretta Lynch confirmed to Congress Wednesday that career Justice Department attorneys are working with FBI agents on the criminal investigation of Hillary Clinton’s email practices and the handling of classified material. Legal experts say the assignment of career Justice Department attorneys to the case shows the FBI probe has progressed beyond the initial referral, or “matured,” giving agents access to the U.S. government’s full investigative tool box, including subpoena power for individuals, business or phone records, as well as witnesses. The Associated Press reported earlier this month that career lawyers were involved, but Lynch’s comments are the most expansive to Congress. “If the FBI makes the case that Hillary Clinton mishandled classified information and put America’s security at risk, will you prosecute the case?” Republican Congressman John Carter asked Lynch during a budget hearing.

7am – A         INTERVIEW – Frederick County SEN. MICHAEL HOUGH

• Frederick County Sen. Michael Hough wants to repeal the state law that allows automated speed and red-light cameras, which issue tens of thousands of citations each year. Hough, a Republican representing District 4, said he believes the cameras have turned into a revenue generator for governments and lost their focus as safety tools. Hough’s bill is co-sponsored by Sen. C. Anthony Muse, a Democrat from Prince George’s County, who said he believes the cameras unfairly target poorer communities. Organizations that oppose Hough’s bill include the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association, Maryland Sheriffs’ Association, Maryland Association of Counties and Maryland Municipal League. The Montgomery County Police Department and Prince George’s County Chief Executive’s Office called the cameras “force-multipliers” that allow police to be reassigned to other duties, while still keeping areas such as school zones safer.

7am – B/C     Taking your calls on speed cameras in Maryland.

7am – D         INTERVIEW – STUART VARNEY – Anchor, Varney and Company, Fox Business Network

• STUART thinks TRUMP has Super Tuesday locked up
• Mitt Romney suggests there’s a “bombshell” in Donald Trump’s taxes
• Apple is said to be developing security measures to make it harder for the government to break into iPhones.

7am – E         Metro says it will bear most of the cost for bringing cell service to tunnels. Metro said Wednesday that it will spend about $120 million to bring cellphone service and better radio communications to its subway tunnels, revamping a failed, years-old plan that originally called for four cellular carriers to bear the bulk of the cost. The new deal between Metro and the four companies — under which the transit agency will install radio and cellular cables in its tunnels, paying for the project using capital-improvement funds — appears to be radically different from an earlier version, reached about eight years ago and discussed as recently as September.

D.C. Streetcar service to begin Feb. 27. WASHINGTON — The long-awaited short first stretch of the new D.C. Streetcar system will open to passengers Saturday, Feb. 27, just after 10 a.m. On Thursday, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the opening date of the service connecting Union Station and H Street Northeast Thursday afternoon. There will be free rides for a while until fare rates are determined.

8am – A         INTERVIEW — MICHAEL STEELE – MSNBC contributor, former Republican National Committee chairman and former Maryland Lt. Governor

• Mitt Romney suggests there’s a “bombshell” in Donald Trump’s taxes. Former Republican nominee Mitt Romney called Wednesday on the 2016 GOP hopefuls to release their tax returns, saying he suspects there’s a “bombshell” in frontrunner Donald Trump’s — a comment that prompted Trump to call Romney a “fool.” “We’re now, you know, in late February and we still haven’t seen either Donald Trump’s or Marco Rubio’s or Ted Cruz’s taxes,” Romney said in an interview on Fox News. “Frankly, the voters have a right to see those tax returns before they decide who our nominee ought to be.”
• WASHINGTON POST: Republican leaders’ silence on Trump is inexcusable — and irrational. By Editorial Board “Winning can quiet many complaints, it is true. But it cannot and will not be an antidote to the moral poison of Mr. Trump’s campaign. Party leaders who support and celebrate his victory will be accomplices to an attack on the fundamental values of American democracy. Winning will not wash away the stain. Like many GOP leaders, Mr. Priebus has shown that he knows that Mr. Trump is a problem. He condemned Mr. Trump’s plan to ban Muslims from entering the United States. But, also like many top Republicans, the party chairman has nevertheless given Mr. Trump a wide berth to run a flamboyant insult of a campaign. There are several pretexts Republican officials might offer to avoid giving Mr. Trump the public thrashing he deserves: condemnations from “establishment” politicians might only make him stronger; the results of the GOP nominating process deserve some respect, and Republicans must abide by the rules; maybe Mr. Trump would beat the Democrats in November. None of these excuse silence. Particularly not the third. The argument that any Republican would be better than any Democrat is a depressing reflection of irrational partisanship. Mr. Priebus and everyone else “leading” the GOP are Americans before they are Republicans. They should act like it.”
• Super Tuesday preview: Trump — who won three of those first four races, including Tuesday’s rout in the Nevada caucuses — now prepares to face rivals in a slate of 11 contests next week on “Super Tuesday,” followed by a string of primaries throughout March and April.

POLLS:

• New poll shows Cruz, Trump tied in TEXAS (Star Telegraph) – Republican presidential hopefuls Ted Cruz and Donald Trump are neck-and-neck in the race for Texas voters, a new WFAA Texas TEGNA poll found, although more North Texans give the edge to the New York businessman and former reality TV star. Cruz and Trump were knotted at 32 percent statewide, while Marco Rubio lagged with 17 percent, according to a new poll conducted for Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV. In North Texas, likely voters answering the survey favored Trump over Cruz by 34 percent to 28 percent.These latest results come just days before Texans head to the polls on Tuesday.
• Poll: Donald Trump tops John Kasich in OHIO. (CNN) — Washington (CNN) Despite his immense popularity in Ohio, Gov. John Kasich trails Donald Trump there, a new poll finds. The Quinnipiac University survey released Tuesday shows GOP presidential front-runner Trump beating Kasich 31% to 26% in Ohio, which will holds its primary on March 15 in a winner-take-all contest. A loss in his home state would be a blow to Kasich, who has largely staked his campaign on winning there and other delegate-rich, mid-March Midwestern contests. The 2016 Ohio primaries will be held on Tuesday, March 15th, 2016.

8am – B         Kerry on Gitmo Detainee Who Returned to Terrorism: ‘He’s Not Supposed to Be Doing That.’ Secretary of State John Kerry lamented Wednesday that a terrorist who the Obama administration released from the military prison at Guantanamo Bay subsequently returned to fight for al Qaeda, telling lawmakers “he’s not supposed to be doing that.” Appearing before the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Kerry made the statement while testifying about the State Department’s budget request for the fiscal year 2017. During the hearing, Sen. Mark Kirk (R., Ill.) asked Kerry for his thoughts on Ibrahim al Qosi, the former Guantanamo detainee who is now a prominent al Qaeda leader, and had staffers hold up a picture of the terrorist for Kerry to see. “Let me just ask one question,” Kirk said to Kerry. “I want to show you a picture of Ibrahim al Qosi, who was recently released by the administration to the Sudanese, and he appeared on some al Qaeda videos recruiting people for AQAP [al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula].”

8am – C         Melania Trump defends Donald Trump in interview and misstates his ban on Muslims. Melania Trump, the Slovenian-born ex-model and wife of the GOP front-runner for president, spoke publicly this morning. While many spouses of candidates eschew the spotlight, the wife of the very vocal Donald Trump has remained nearly mute throughout his campaign, opening up for some of her first comments following his win in South Carolina Saturday. After her husband’s win in Nevada Tuesday night, Melania Trump told MSNBC in an interview that she doesn’t think her husband insulted Mexicans by characterizing them as rapists and that she just might disagree with the Donald’s foul language on the trail. “I don’t feel he insulted the Mexicans,” Melania Trump said. “He said illegal immigrants. He didn’t talk about everybody.” When asked about her own immigration status (she moved to the U.S. in 1996), Melania stressed that she went through the proper channels: “I follow the law. I follow a law the way it was supposed to be.”

8am – D         INTERVIEW — JAKE TAPPER – Anchor, “The Lead” and host of CNN’s “State of the Union”

8am – E        Critter News:

• Labrador retrievers hit their 25th year as top U.S. dog breed. NEW YORK (AP) — Labrador retrievers still reign supreme after a quarter century as America’s most prevalent purebred dog. But French bulldogs are riding their je ne sais quoi toward new heights, and some lesser-known breeds are climbing the popularity ladder, according to American Kennel Club rankings released Monday. Here’s a look at how breeds stack up: Known for being easygoing, multitalented and friendly, Labs have held the top spot for longer than any other breed since the AKC started counting in the 1880s. Rounding out the top 10 for 2015, in order: German shepherds, golden retrievers, bulldogs, beagles, French bulldogs, Yorkshire terriers, poodles, Rottweilers and boxers.
• Virginia weighs shooting destructive hogs from helicopters. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia lawmakers are weighing a proposal to let wildlife officials shoot feral hogs from helicopters. The Virginian-Pilot reports that (bit.ly/1L3k9Qe) the measure introduced by Del. Barry Knight seeks to give the state a new strategy to eliminate the destructive wild hogs at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park. America is home to as many as 5 million feral hogs but their number in Virginia is thought to be in the thousands. The animals wreak havoc on marshes, shrubs and wheat fields and can carry diseases that can be passed on to livestock. The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries says it would likely contract with federal officials, who have their own helicopters and marksmen.
• Meerkat expert cleared of assaulting monkey handler in love spat over llama-keeper. Because truth really is stranger than fiction … and an AP story like this is impossible not to take note of. “Meerkat Expert Cleared of Assault in Zoo Love Triangle” reads the headline. “A former meerkat expert at London Zoo was cleared Tuesday of assaulting a monkey handler in a love spat over a llama-keeper,” says the lead sentence. Those zoo workers are clearly having all the fun. If only Caroline Westlake were an accountant and Kate Sanders a teacher (no offense to accountants and teachers) the tale of their heated encounter may not have gone beyond the High Court. But when you throw a meerkat expert and monkey handler, respectively, in the mix – and then toss in a llama-keeper – well there’s just no way to keep a lid on it. According to the AP file, in October a lower court found Westlake, 30, guilty of assaulting Sanders, who suffered a cut cheek from a wineglass after the two women argued at a zoo Christmas party. The source of the conflict? They both had been romantically involved with colleague Adam Davies, yes, the llama-keeper. Westlake allegedly had no recollection of hitting her colleague with the glass.