Film critic Christian Toto, Bret Baier and DC Dept. of Transportation’s Leif Dormsjo joined WMAL on Friday!

Mornings on the Mall

Friday, February 26, 2016

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

 

5am – A/B/C GOP DEBATE HIGHLIGHTS: Winners and Losers

5am – D         WMATA NEWS:

• Metro Transit Police to increase patrols following shooting, spate of high-profile assaults – WMATA. (Washington Post) – Metro Transit Police will up patrols across the transit system, the agency said Thursday, following a shooting on a Green Line train this week and a spate of recent high-profile assaults. The agency said deployment will increase on buses and trains and within Metro stations, and officers who are limited to desk jobs, perhaps because of an injury, will be assigned instead to monitor the insides of stations. The plans were announced Thursday by Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld and Metro Transit Police Chief Ron Pavlik Jr., who said the changes came after consultation with the general manager. The agency said earlier this week that it had beefed up patrols on trains as a result of a recent rash of assaults by young people, and would not further increase patrols as a result of the shooting.
• D.C. Metro No. 1 transit system in the nation. Yes, you read that right. (Washington Post) – Here’s what’s so great about Washington’s Metro system: you can have a trendline of declining ridership; you can have a safety record that’s so scary the Feds have to step in; you can be so down on your luck that it takes a year to hire a new general manager to run the thing; you can even have a series of high-profile crimes, including Tuesday’s midday shooting on the Green Line — and yet still rank as the No. 1 transit system in the U.S. Who knew?The people at SmartAsset, that’s who. The financial analytics firm crunched Census Bureau data to find the nation’s best public transit systems. Metro came out on top. Second place went to San Francisco, followed by Boston, Chicago and New York City.
• Better cell service is coming to Metro but it will cost #WMATA $120M. (Washington Post) – 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. The original plan called for a consortium of Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T to oversee and pay for installation of the cellular cable. At the time, the carriers seemed more than willing to make the large investment because they stood to profit from cellphone use by commuters in the second-busiest subway in the nation. Now, long after the companies were unable to complete the work and the project fell dormant, Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld has announced its rebirth — but with the transit agency, not carriers, footing most of the bill.
• Last days to use a paper farecard to ride WMATA, you can trade them in to add to SmarTrip through Jun. Metro’s paper farecards to be traded in by June 2016. (WTOP) WASHINGTON — Metro’s iconic paper farecards will soon be phased out completely. A Metro board finance committee said Thursday that anyone with extra paper farecards will only have until June 2016 to trade them in before losing the cash value. Beginning in early March, paper farecards will no longer be accepted at fare gates, but the value will still be allowed to be added to a SmarTrip card until June 2016 through existing farecard machines. Beginning July 1, 2016 any value left on paper farecards would remain with Metro.
• DC Streetcar to Begin Passenger Service on Saturday, February 27^th. Fares will be free for an introductory period. (WASHINGTON, DC) – After more than a decade of planning, construction and testing, Mayor Muriel Bowser and District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Director Leif A. Dormsjo announced today that the DC Streetcar will open for full passenger service on Saturday, February 27 at 10:00 a.m., following a brief ceremony. “I’m proud to announce that Streetcar is ready for passenger service,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “I want to thank the residents of the H Street and Benning Road communities for their patience during the construction and testing of the system. As a way of saying ‘thank you,’ fares will be free on the system for an initial period of time.”   The opening ceremony will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 27 on 13th Street, NE between H Street, NE and Wylie Street, NE (intersection of 13th/H). Members of the public are invited to attend the ceremony.

5am – E         University of Missouri fires professor Melissa Click. A University of Missouri professor who was caught on video calling for “some muscle” to get a student journalist removed from a campus protesthas been fired, the University of Missouri Board of Curators system said it voted 4-2 for the firing. The University of Missouri announced on Thursday the firing of Melissa Click, the assistant professor who faced nationwide backlash after a tense confrontation with a student during protests on campus last fall. Click, who taught in the Department of Communication, attracted attention after she was caught on video calling for “muscle” to help her eject a student journalist from a protest site on campus last November as the university was embroiled in protests over the administration’s handling of a series of racially-charged incidents.

6am – A/B     Ex-Mexican president: “I’m not going to pay for that f***ing wall.” Former Mexican President Vicente Fox says his nation will not pay for Donald Trump’s proposed border wall. “I declare — I’m not going to pay for that f—ing wall,” he told Fusion’s Jorge Ramos during an interview Thursday. “[Trump] should pay for it. He’s got the money. “This nation is going to fail if it goes into the hands of a crazy guy,” Fox added of the U.S. “Democracy can’t take us to crazy people that don’t know what’s going on in the world today.” Fox said he was shocked by exit polls from the Nevada GOP presidential caucuses showing some Hispanic support for Trump. “It worries me, this last caucus in Nevada,” he said. “[He won] 44 percent of Hispanics. I’d like to know who those Hispanics are because they’re followers of a false prophet. “He’s going to take them to the desert,” Fox continued. “If they think they would benefit from an administration led by Donald Trump, they are wrong. Please, you Hispanics, Latinos in [the] U.S., open your eyes. It’s not to defend our race. It’s not to defend our creed. It’s to defend this very same nation that is hosting you.” Fox added that Trump lacks any real political ideology and only represents self-promotion.

6am – C         Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval Removes Himself From Supreme Court Consideration. Republican reportedly was being vetted as a possible replacement for the late Antonin Scalia. WASHINGTON—Republican Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval removed himself from consideration for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday, a day after reports he was being vetted by the Obama administration. Mr. Sandoval in a written statement said he informed the White House and Senate leaders “that I do not wish to be considered at this time.” “The notion of being considered for a seat on the highest court in the land is beyond humbling and I am incredibly grateful to have been mentioned,” the governor added.

6am – D         INTERVIEW — LEIF DORMSJO — (LAY-FF) – Director of the District Department of Transportation (DDOT)

DC Streetcar to Begin Passenger Service on Saturday, February 27^th. Fares will be free for an introductory period. (WASHINGTON, DC) – After more than a decade of planning, construction and testing, Mayor Muriel Bowser and District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Director Leif A. Dormsjo announced today that the DC Streetcar will open for full passenger service on Saturday, February 27 at 10:00 a.m., following a brief ceremony. “I’m proud to announce that Streetcar is ready for passenger service,” said Mayor Muriel Bowser. “I want to thank the residents of the H Street and Benning Road communities for their patience during the construction and testing of the system. As a way of saying ‘thank you,’ fares will be free on the system for an initial period of time.” The opening ceremony will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 27 on 13th Street, NE between H Street, NE and Wylie Street, NE (intersection of 13th/H). Members of the public are invited to attend the ceremony.

6am – E         Entertainment News:

• Cheryl Tiegs Criticizes Sports Illustrated for Putting “Full Figure” Model Ashley Graham on Swimsuit Cover. Cheryl Tiegs isn’t happy with Sports Illustrated. The magazine released three different covers for its annual Swimsuit Issue, featuring Ronda Rousey, Ashley Graham and Hailey Clauson. “It’s a nod to female empowerment,” a source told E! News of the publication’s decision to change up its routine. But Tiegs, who has been featured on Sports Illustrated’s covers multiple times, doesn’t agree with the magazine’s choice to feature Graham. Tiegs opened up to E! News Wednesday at the 13th Annual Global Green USA Pre-Oscar Party and said she felt the magazine was promoting an unhealthy lifestyle by featuring her. “I don’t like that we’re talking about full-figured women because it’s glamorizing them because your waist should be smaller than 35 [inches]. That’s what Dr. Oz said, and I’m sticking to it,” she explained. “No, I don’t think it’s healthy. Her face is beautiful. Beautiful. But I don’t think it’s healthy in the long run.”
• Raven-Symone: “If Any Republican Gets Nominated, I’m Gonna Move To Canada.” Raven-Symone said on “The View” on Thursday that she’s planning to move to Canada “if any Republican gets nominated” for president. Raven-Symone made the comment during a “Hot Topics” discussion about “election confessions,” in which she and the co-hosts had to say things they previously hadn’t admitted related to the 2016 presidential election. The actress declared, “My confession for this election is if any Republican gets nominated, I’m gonna move to Canada with my entire family.” And she insisted she wasn’t kidding. “I already have my ticket,” Raven-Symone told her co-stars. “I literally bought my ticket, I swear.” Considering there’s several GOP contenders currently battling it out during the preliminary election rounds, there’s approximately a ZERO percent chance one of them won’t score the Republican nomination. Which means Raven-Symone might want to start packing her bags. Of course, many other people have flippantly made remarks about moving North should Donald Trump win the presidency, but it’ll be interesting to see if “The Cosby Show” star actually sticks to her word.

7am – A/B/C GOP DEBATE HIGHLIGHTS: Winners and Losers

7am – D         Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay tries Girl Scout cookies for the first time–and it’s not good. British celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is in the dog house for dissing a beloved part of Americana. The host of Fox’s “Hell’s Kitchen” went on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” last night to promote the current season of the TV cooking challenge series and had the chance to try Girl Scout cookies. Forewarned by Kimmel Girl Scout cookies are “sacred territory” of Americana — right up there with the American flag and Willie Nelson–it still doesn’t stop the bad boy chef from spitting out Thin Mints after taking a bite. Ramsay was presented with three cookies: Tagalongs (Peanut Butter Patties), Samoas (Caramel Delites) and Thin Mints. Not only was he turned off by the look of the chocolate peanut butter patties, he was fairly blase about the Tagalongs’ taste (for real). “Visually they look like dog biscuits,” says Ramsay of the Tagalongs, before admitting that “they’re OK.” For the Samoas, he says they’re “a bit weird,” of the caramel and coconut combination. (okay, we get that.) When it came to the Thin Mints, you may want to shield your eyes at this part in the video. “These are my favorite … now what I will do is I put these in the freezer and you pull out a sleeve and you eat all of them in one sitting,” said Kimmel. Not going to happen, judging by Ramsay’s reaction. He spat them out. “It’s like a cheap, half-rate dinner mint,” Ramsay said with a scowl on his face. “Gordon Ramsay’s visa just expired,” says Kimmel with a laugh.

7am – E         British lawmakers write to NFL about Redskins nickname. LONDON (AP) — Two British lawmakers have written to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to complain about the nickname of the Washington Redskins ahead of the team’s visit to London next season. Ruth Smeeth and Ian Austin, who are members of the Labour Party, wrote in a letter dated Feb. 2 that the NFL “should consider changing the name of the Washington franchise or, at a minimum, send a different team to our country to represent the sport, one that does not promote a racial slur.” The NFL said it received a letter co-authored by Smeeth and Austin. “A team’s name is a club decision,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said. “We recognize there are strong views on both sides of this.” The NFL has been playing regular-season games in London since 2007. Washington is scheduled to play the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 30 at Wembley Stadium. The letter from the lawmakers said that there is “deliberate insensitivity and apparent hostility to a prominent minority group” by using the Redskins name. It said the “exportation of this racial slur … directly contravenes the values that many in Britain have worked so hard to instill.”

8am – A         INTERVIEW – CHRISTIAN TOTO, editor, HollywoodInToto.com

• The 88th Academy Awards ceremony airs this Sunday at 8.30 p.m. EST and though the winners have yet to be announced, punters have already chosen their victors. The online gambling world believes Leonardo DiCaprio is the clear front-runner in the Best Actor race ahead of Eddie Redmayne, with some sites refusing to even take bets on DiCaprio given his lead. Newcomer Brie Larson is the current favorite in the more closely contested category of Best Actress, while Best Picture is a toss up between investigative reporting drama Spotlight and frontier adventure The Revenant, with the DiCaprio-fronted film edging slightly ahead.

8am – B         Bat could bring delays to Loudoun County school construction. WASHINGTON — A 3-inch-long bat could mean months of delays for the construction of several new schools in Loudoun County. “This is not a joke, this is real,” said Loudoun County School Board member Jeff Morse, who represents the Dulles District. The Northern Long-Eared Bat is considered threatened under the Endangered Species Act and the problem for the school system is the bat’s migratory path, which includes parts of Loudoun County. The clearing of land for construction in the bats’ flight path is prohibited between the months of April and August, according to rules set up by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “This all comes down to our inability to conduct some of the ground work and site clearing during these transit periods for the bats,” Morse told the board during a meeting this week. A new middle school for Dulles South is desperately needed to help with overcrowding. In order for it to open in fall of 2018, Morse said ground clearing at the construction site must happen this year.

8am – C         2nd Marine attacked, left for dead in DC. WASHINGTON (WUSA9) — Not one but two Marines were brutally attacked on February 12 in two unrelated incidents. One attack happened at a McDonald’s when two teenagers assaulted and robbed a veteran Marine. A second Marine, 35-year-old Michael Schroeder, was left for dead after a being attacked in Northwest D.C. that same day, according to his family. Temperatures had dropped down to the teens in weather reports. Laying in the cold, dragged between two cars, face-down, head bashed-in and cash missing is how Schroeder’s family says police found him in the Glover Park neighborhood. Thankfully a dad and son driving by in a taxi saw Schroeder and called the authorities. “It’s an angel whoever found him and I’m very, very grateful,” said the victim’s mother, Diedre Schroeder. She cried recounting the phone call. Her son was missing all day until his twin brother found the 35-year-old at George Washington Hospital. Michael Schroeder suffered a fractured skull, a severe concussion, there were head staples, convulsions, fevers and he could hardly speak, according to his family.

8am – D         INTERVIEW — BRET BAIER – Anchor, Special Report, Fox News Channel – shared his thoughts on the GOP debate.

8am – E         Hillary Confuses The Constitution With Declaration Of Independence During Anti-Gun Diatribe. Hillary Clinton mixed up the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence on Wednesday when she cited “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” as a “constitutional right” during an interview with TV personality Steve Harvey. Clinton made the slip during a harangue against gun ownership rights. “We’ve got to say to the gun lobby, ‘you know what, there is a constitutional right for people to own guns, but there’s also a constitutional right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that enables us to have a safe country where we are able to protect our children and others from this senseless gun violence,’” Clinton said.