Joe diGenova, TX Attorney General Ken Paxton and film critic Christian Toto joined WMAL on Monday morning!

Mornings on the Mall

Monday, February 27, 2017

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Mary Walter

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

5am – A/B/C   Trump vs Media:

• White House blocks CNN, New York Times from press briefing hours after Trump slams media. The White House on Friday barred news outlets — including CNN, the New York Times, Politico and the Los Angeles Times — from attending an off-camera press briefing held by spokesman Sean Spicer, igniting another controversy concerning the relationship between the Trump administration and the media.
• Trump declines to attend White House correspondents’ dinner. (CNN) President Donald Trump has announced that he will not attend this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a move that comes amid increasingly hostile relations between the media and the White House. “I will not be attending the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!” Trump tweeted on Saturday. The black-tie dinner, which raises money for journalism scholarships, takes place every spring and is usually attended by the president, journalists, celebrities and Washington insiders. The last president to miss the dinner was Ronald Reagan, who sat out because he was he recovering from an assassination attempt in 1981, although he still delivered remarks by phone. Several news organizations had already withdrawn from the April 29 event in protest of Trump’s treatment of the media. Vanity Fair and Bloomberg, which usually co-host an exclusive, star-studded after-party, have canceled that gala, while The New Yorker similarly canceled its pre-party April 28. Most other news organizations, including CNN, have yet to announce their official plans for the weekend. But some are said to be rethinking their attendance in the wake of the White House’s decision to block CNN, The New York Times and other outlets from an off-camera White House press briefing on Friday.

5am – D         Oscars 2017:

• If you fell asleep during last night’s Oscar as it droned on and on, you missed one heckuva twist ending: The winner of Best Picture was ‘La La Land’ … until it wasn’t! Announcer Warren Beatty pulled a Steve Harvey – and his reason for the flub just added to the intrigue. 

• You had one job: Meet the firm behind the Oscars’ biggest blunder. Before Sunday night, PricewaterhouseCoopers was known to the general public for one thing — counting Academy Awards ballots. Now it’s known for the most epic blunder in the history of the awards. The firm PwC admits that it was an error on its part that caused the best picture award to be mistakenly presented to La La Land instead of Moonlight on Sunday’s show, and it apologized for the error.

5am – E         DC Metro Update:

• Metro needs $800 million in loans and grant by September or faces ‘a real problem’ (Washington Post) — Metro’s financial problems are so severe that the agency needs to obtain $800 million in loans and a long-delayed federal grant by September to avoid running out of money, District officials said this week. Describing Metro’s cash-flow condition as “very serious,” an official in the District said that without the infusion of cash, “they’re insolvent.” Metro said it is confident it can get the money, but the situation highlights the agency’s fragile financial status as General Manager Paul J. Wiede­feld has begun warning that significant new funding is necessary to keep the system running beyond summer 2018 The agency’s “unrestricted cash,” a key measure of available funds, is expected to drop to $15.8 million in March. That’s a small reserve in a $3 billion budget, but it would go even lower if the loans and grant aren’t obtained, according to Metro financial forecasts. The Metro board will have to approve fare increases and service cuts in the coming year to help deal with the budget pressures, according to Chairman Jack Evans and other board members. That’s necessary even though Metro has taken aggressive cost-cutting measures and plans more. The agency also needs significant additional revenue to make up for steep ridership losses­ and higher-than-expected costs for repairs and maintenance.
• Metro, union in court fight over anti-fatigue policy. WASHINGTON — Metro and the union representing its bus and train operators are in a court fight over work rules and overtime pay. The transit agency filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court on Friday, arguing that it must have an anti-fatigue policy which can block bus and train operators from working seven straight days. Under Metro’s contract with Amalgamated Transit Union Local 869, senior operators have the right to choose to work seven straight days — the seventh day pays double-time. Metro says that it’s concerned over the safety risk of potential fatigue, but to honor the labor contract, it has been paying some of these senior workers not to work, using next eligible employees, who are presumably more rested. “It’s unfortunate Metro is trying to stand behind safety and say the union is against safety, in implementing their safety-fatigue policy,” said Esker Bilger, financial secretary-treasurer, Local 689.

6am – A/B/C Transgender boy wins controversial girls state title.  (AP) – Mack Beggs had just won a state wrestling title Saturday in a category he didn’t want to be in. But instead of wallowing in a debate about what should or should not have happened this weekend at the Texas state girls wrestling tournament, the 17-year-old transgender boy simply decided to be a good teammate. Beggs completed an undefeated season by winning a controversial title in an event clouded by criticism from those who believe the testosterone he’s taking as he transitions from female to male created an unfair advantage. His family has said he would rather be wrestling boys, but state policy calls for students to wrestle against the gender listed on their birth certificates. So the junior from Euless Trinity beat Chelsea Sanchez 12-2 in the 110-pound weight class to improve to 56-0 and earn the championship.

6am – D/E/F  Fines for slow left-lane drivers in Va. may be lower than planned. RICHMOND — Slow drivers in the left lane who do not get out of the way may not face as steep a fine as first approved by the Virginia General Assembly. On the final day of the General Assembly session Saturday, the House of Delegates approved an amendment proposed by the governor that would make the new fine $100 instead of $250. Del. Israel O’Quinn, a Republican representing southwest Virginia who introduced the original bill, decided to support the change. “I do not think that that at all is in the spirit of what I was trying to get done here. However, that being said, I think that I want to go ahead and accept the governor’s amendment and see what happens with this over the next year, see if it’s actually enforced,” O’Quinn said. “If you wanted to get something done, and advance the ball forward, you can vote yes,” he told his colleagues. The Senate will take up the proposal in April when the General Assembly returns for a one-day session to address bills vetoed or amended by the governor.

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

• Sen. Ted Cruz “Mark my word, Judge #Gorsuch will be confirmed.” #CPAC
• Republicans divided on Russia probe, calls for special prosecutor over AG Sessions. White House does not rule out Sessions recusal on Russia probes
• Bergdahl lawyers ask U.S. Army court to dismiss case due to Trump comments

7am – B         Tom Perez takes the reins at the DNC, marking a new era. The race to lead the Democratic National Committee seemed to go on quite a while, but at a party gathering in Atlanta over the weekend, it wrapped up in an interesting way. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), the early favorite for the post who enjoyed the support of many of the party’s congressional leaders, was a very competitive second. When Perez was gracious enough to offer the Minnesota Democrat the party’s vice chairmanship, Ellison was equally gracious in accepting.

7am – C         RIP Wapner and Paxton:

• Joseph Wapner, who presided over ‘The People’s Court’ on TV, has died. Judge Joseph Wapner of ‘The People’s Court’ dead at 97. (CNN) Judge Joseph Wapner, of the popular reality television program “The People’s Court,” died at age 97 on Sunday at his home in Los Angeles, California, according to his son, Los Angeles County Judge Fred Wapner. He died of natural causes. The famed judge taped more than 2,000 episodes of “The People’s Court” during his 12-year tenure on the program, inspiring decades of similar courtroom shows, including “Judge Judy” and “Judge Joe Brown.”
• Bill Paxton Dead at 61 Due to Complications from Surgery. Actor Bill Paxton died due to complications from surgery, PEOPLE confirms. “It is with heavy hearts we share the news that Bill Paxton has passed away due to complications from surgery,” a family representative said in a statement. “A loving husband and father, Bill began his career in Hollywood working on films in the art department and went on to have an illustrious career spanning four decades as a beloved and prolific actor and filmmaker. Bill’s passion for the arts was felt by all who knew him, and his warmth and tireless energy were undeniable. We ask to please respect the family’s wish for privacy as they mourn the loss of their adored husband and father.” The Texas native, who was nominated for an Emmy for his work in the TV mini-series Hatfields and McCoys, began acting in the 1970s. His earliest acting credits include minor roles in blockbusters such as Terminator (1984) and Aliens (1986).

7am – D/E     INTERVIEW — KEN PAXTON – TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL – discussed a number of issues of he has been active in handling in Texas.

• Supporting President Trump on his immigration EO
• Prosecuting voter fraud offenders (and defending Voter ID in federal court)
• Halting Obama’s transgender bathroom directive
• Opposing the Clean Power Plan
• Discuss latest on how Texas is dealing with sanctuary cities

8am – A         INTERVIEW — CHRISTIAN TOTO — Film Critic and Host of “The Hollywood in Toto” podcast  (available on iTunes) – recapped the Oscars.     

8am – B         Town Halls And Congress Coming Back for Joint Session Speech:

• Big crowd in Silver Spring for town hall opposing President Trump. SILVER SPRING, Md. – Hundreds of people turned out for a town hall at the Silver Spring Civic Center Sunday to meet with Maryland congressional Democrats and voice opposition to President Donald Trump and his policies. The People’s Town Hall Forum was organized by Takoma Park Mobilization and co-sponsored by other groups that make up the Maryland Resistance Coalition.
• Trump to lay out healthcare revamp details in speech to Congress. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he will offer details on how he would like to overhaul President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law in a speech to the U.S. Congress on Tuesday. Since they now control the White House and Congress, Republicans are under pressure to fulfill their pledge to repeal and replace the Obamacare law although they have found no easy way to do it. The law has proven popular in many states, even those controlled by Republicans, and it enabled millions of previously uninsured people to get affordable coverage, although steep premium increases angered some. Trump is to talk about healthcare, among other topics, in a nationally televised address on Tuesday night to a joint session of Congress.

8am – C         Critter News:

• DC elementary school reopens Monday after bed bug infestation. WASHINGTON (WUSA9) – Students at Savoy Elementary school in Southeast D.C. will return to school Monday morning after the school closed due to a bed bug infestation. The school has been shut for three weeks. Crews removed all the soft materials where those bugs like to live and then gave the school a thorough cleaning. In the meantime, students went to class at Ferebee Hope School. Now that Savoy has passed a post-cleaning inspection, students can now return.
• Pet Lions, Crocodiles, Monkeys Could Soon Be Banned in Arlington County. (NBC Washington) — Surprised they aren’t already? Turns out, many D.C.-area jurisdictions ban exotic or wild animals as pets — but Arlington isn’t one of them. Yet. Now the Arlington County Board is considering whether to hold a public hearing on whether to ban keeping these animals as pets. “Under current County Code, Arlington bars the keeping of pigs, fowl and poisonous reptiles. But there’s nothing now on the books to prevent residents from raising a lion, monkey or even a crocodile,” Arlington officials said in a press release Friday. The change would also prohibit the keeping of wolves, raccoons, lynxes, alligators, tarantulas, hedgehogs and sugar gliders. Non-poisonous snakes or other reptiles longer than four feet would also be banned. However, there would be an exception for some exotic pets already owned by residents. Those pet owners would be able to keep their animals if they register them with animal control, officials said. Officials said the ban would aim to prevent humans from getting hurt and animals from being mistreated.

8am – D/E     Trump vs Media:

• White House blocks CNN, New York Times from press briefing hours after Trump slams media. The White House on Friday barred news outlets — including CNN, the New York Times, Politico and the Los Angeles Times — from attending an off-camera press briefing held by spokesman Sean Spicer, igniting another controversy concerning the relationship between the Trump administration and the media.
• Trump declines to attend White House correspondents’ dinner. (CNN) President Donald Trump has announced that he will not attend this year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, a move that comes amid increasingly hostile relations between the media and the White House. “I will not be attending the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner this year. Please wish everyone well and have a great evening!” Trump tweeted on Saturday. The black-tie dinner, which raises money for journalism scholarships, takes place every spring and is usually attended by the president, journalists, celebrities and Washington insiders. The last president to miss the dinner was Ronald Reagan, who sat out because he was he recovering from an assassination attempt in 1981, although he still delivered remarks by phone. Several news organizations had already withdrawn from the April 29 event in protest of Trump’s treatment of the media. Vanity Fair and Bloomberg, which usually co-host an exclusive, star-studded after-party, have canceled that gala, while The New Yorker similarly canceled its pre-party April 28. Most other news organizations, including CNN, have yet to announce their official plans for the weekend. But some are said to be rethinking their attendance in the wake of the White House’s decision to block CNN, The New York Times and other outlets from an off-camera White House press briefing on Friday.