Rep. Andy Harris, Fox’s Ed Henry and CNN’s Dana Bash joined WMAL on Wednesday!

Mornings on the Mall

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Mary Walter

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

 

5am – A/B/C   Van Jones on Trump: ‘He became President of the United States in that moment, period.’ (CNN) Shortly after President Donald Trump addressed a Joint Session of Congress for the first time since taking the oath of office, CNN’s Van Jones called one particularly moving moment from the speech the real estate mogul’s most presidential to date. Less than an hour after Trump honored the widow of a slain NAVY Seal, the Democratic commentator suggested that the commander in chief had officially begun to look the part. “He became President of the United States in that moment, period,” said Jones, after the evening’s most emotional point was replayed by CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “That was one of the most extraordinary moments you have ever seen in American politics,” Jones added.

5am – D         Trump’s Executive Orders:

• Trump signs laws to promote women in STEM. Two new laws will let NASA and the National Science Foundation push for women and girls to get into STEM.  The White House just gave women in STEM a boost. President Donald Trump signed two laws on Tuesday that authorize NASA and the National Science Foundation to encourage women and girls to get into STEM fields. Those are science, technology, engineering and math. The INSPIRE Act directs NASA to promote STEM fields to women and girls, and encourage women to pursue careers in aerospace. The law gives NASA three months to present two Congressional committees with its plans for getting staff — think astronauts, scientists and engineers — in front of K-12 girls studying STEM.
• Trump executive order scraps EPA water rule. President Trump will sign an executive order Tuesday scrapping a controversial Environmental Protection Agency rule that expanded the agency’s jurisdiction over the nation’s waterways during the second term of former President Obama. The regulation, known as the Waters of the U.S. rule, broadened the definition of the type of water body that would fall under EPA’s formidable clean water enforcement powers, making everything from streams to ditches and watering holes subject to the EPA’s and Army Corps of Engineers’ oversight. The rule has been a top target for the GOP on Capitol Hill for more than two years, with Republicans and some Democrats opposing the regulation, which was renamed the Clean Water Rule after being made final by EPA. Trump vowed to repeal the regulation during his campaign. The executive order is meant to be a sign that he intends to keep his promises to supporters, who want to rein in the Obama administration’s overreaching rules. The executive order makes the legal argument that the rule oversteps the agencies’ statutory authority, and therefore must be remanded back to the agencies and reconsidered, White House officials told reporters.

5am – E         Kemp Mill Records About to Sell Its Last Music. Once-dominant record store chain closing last location in March. (NBC Washington) — After more than 40 years of selling music in D.C., Maryland, Virginia and Delaware, Kemp Mill Records will sell its last record next month, affecting music lovers and local musicians alike. In the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s Kemp Mill was one of the dominant record store chains in the region with 36 locations. Shawn Marshall, a Kemp Mill customer for decades, was disappointed to see the going out of business signs in the window of the last location in Prince George’s County. “You can’t hardly find a record store in D.C. anymore,” he said. “They’re just going away.” The Kemp Mill store on Branch Avenue is the last remaining “This is it,” co-owner Armando Cruz said. “This is the last of the Mohicans, as everyone calls it.”

6am – A/B/C Trump open to legal status for illegal immigrants: report. (The Washington Times) — A White House official told television networks Tuesday that President Trump would like to see Congress work on a new broad immigration bill, reigniting a festering debate on Capitol Hill. The revelation came from network anchors, who regularly meet with presidents ahead of big speeches to Congress — though the official who made the statement was not named. Mr. Trump’s plan would allow illegal immigrants to live and work in the U.S., but would stop short of granting most of them full citizenship, CNN reported.  Dreamers, the young adult illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, would be an exception, likely eligible for full status. The official said both sides would have to compromise. White House deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders said she could not confirm the comments made during the luncheon.  But she said “massive reform” of immigration laws has always been Mr. Trump’s goal.

6am – D         INTERVIEW — CONGRESSMAN ANDY HARRIS – R-MD (M.D.)

• Andrew P. “Andy” Harris is an American politician and physician who has been the U.S. Representative for Maryland’s 1st congressional district since 2011. Harris served in the Navy Medical Corps and the U.S. Naval Reserve as a lieutenant commander on active duty during Operation Desert Storm and currently serves as a commander.[3] He has worked as an anesthesiologist, as an associate professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine, and as chief of obstetric anesthesiology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Harris also served as commanding officer for the Johns Hopkins Naval Reserve Medical Unit from 1989 to 1992.
• His thoughts on President Trump’s address to Congress

6am – E         McAuliffe Vetoes Bill to Investigate Virginia Voter Rolls With More Registered Than Eligible Voters. (Washington Free Beacon) — More than 1,000 people in eight Virginia counties illegally registered to vote, report finds. Democratic Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe vetoed a bill that would require investigations of jurisdictions in the state whose voter rolls contain more registered voters than citizens who are eligible to vote. The bill, first introduced by Republican state Sen. Mark D. Obenshain, was prompted by a report that shed light on eight Virginia counties that had more registered voters on their voter rolls than eligible voters. Obenshain’s bill would require “the local electoral boards to direct the general registrars to investigate the list of persons voting at an election whenever the number of persons voting at any election in a county or city exceeds the number of persons registered to vote in that county or city,” according to its summary. “The Department of Elections is required to provide certain data to any general registrar conducting such an investigation for the registrar’s use during the investigation. The local electoral boards are required to make reports of the findings to the State Board. These reports are public documents.” McAuliffe, who vetoed the bill on Friday, claimed that the bill “would increase the administrative burden on local election officials” in his veto statement.

6am – F         March Weather:

• Cherry blossom peak bloom prediction will be announced Wednesday. (Washington Post) — Organizers of the National Cherry Blossom Festival will announce Wednesday morning their prediction for when this year’s beloved cherry blossoms in the nation’s capital will reach peak bloom — a forecast that will certainly be affected by unseasonably warm temperatures this winter. “Peak bloom” refers to the point when 70 percent of the cherry blossoms along the Tidal Basin are in bloom. Last year, the blossoms hit their peak around March 25, ahead of the average date, around April 1. Capital Weather Gang, The Washington Post’s weather blog, predicted Tuesday that peak bloom could come as soon as March 15, noting that the bloom process had already started during a warm February.  “Our confidence in this outlook is only moderate, simply because we’re in somewhat uncharted territory with the bloom process so advanced so soon,” Jason Samenow and Kevin Ambrose wrote.
• Strong Storms Possible Wednesday for DC Area. (NBC Washington) — March is certainly coming in with a roar! A line of strong storms will move into the area late Wednesday afternoon, bringing the possibility of gusty winds, lightning and hail.  Storm Team4 has declared Wednesday a Weather Alert Day.  The rain is expected to arrive in the D.C. area between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. The main threat from these storms will be high winds.  There is some good news. Before the stormy weather dampens the day, temperatures will soar into the mid to upper 70s. Some areas could even get close to 80 degrees. The rain will taper off around 9 p.m., but it will get windy and colder. The region will only see temperatures in the mid 50s Thursday.

7am – A         INTERVIEW — ED HENRY – Fox News Chief National Correspondent; Author of upcoming book “42 Faith” (to be released in April)

7am – B/C     Calls Reacting To The President’s Address To Congress

• 7-in-10 speech-watchers say Trump boosted optimism. (CNN) President Donald Trump’s first address to Congress received largely positive reviews from viewers, with 57% who tuned in saying they had a very positive reaction to the speech, according to a new CNN/ORC poll of speech-watchers. Nearly 7-in-10 who watched said the President’s proposed policies would move the country in the right direction and almost two-thirds said the president has the right priorities for the country. Overall, about 7-in-10 said the speech made them feel more optimistic about the direction of the country. The survey, conducted among a group of Americans who said in interviews conducted before the speech that they planned to watch and agreed to be re-contacted, only reflects the views of those who watched the speech.

7am – D         Warren Buffett: There Are Only Two Major Newspapers With an ‘Assured Future’ (Mediaite) — Warren Buffett yesterday weighed in on the state of print media, sharing his belief that there are only two major newspapers with an “assured future.” He said on CNBC’s Squawk Box that he’s talking about The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal because “they have a successful internet model to go with their print model… [and] have developed an online presence that people will pay for.” Buffett, whose company Berkshire Hathaway owns a number of newspapers across the country, added that The Washington Post has a chance. But as far as he’s concerned, there are hundreds of newspapers that “haven’t figured out a way to make the digital model complement the print model in such a way as to guarantee the future.”

7am – E         Redskins place exclusive franchise tag on Kirk Cousins. (ESPN) — The Washington Redskins placed the exclusive franchise tag on quarterback Kirk Cousins on Tuesday. Cousins received the nonexclusive tag last year. It’s the first time in history a team has used the franchise tag twice on the same quarterback. He reacted to being tagged on Twitter. Kirk Cousins @KirkCousins8: Tag! I’m it! 1:26 PM – 28 Feb 2017

Because it’s the exclusive tag, Cousins can’t negotiate with other teams. The Redskins can still trade the quarterback, if they choose to, but in that scenario the Redskins would have to grant Cousins permission to talk to other teams and work out a long-term deal before a trade likely would be completed. If he were to be traded, Cousins’ preferred destination is the San Francisco 49ers, according to a source close to the quarterback, as he loved playing for new 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan when Shanahan was the Redskins’ offensive coordinator and really likes his system. The Redskins can negotiate with Cousins on a long-term deal until July 15. At that point, there can be no deal struck until after the Redskins’ season. Cousins will make $23.94 million under the tag.

8am – A         INTERVIEW — DANA BASH – Chief Political Correspondent, CNN

• Analysis of the President’s Address To Congress Last Night
• CNN TOWN HALL TONIGHT: CNN Town Hall with Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham will air TONIGHT at 9:00pm (ET) for live broadcast. The event will be moderated by CNN Chief Political Correspondent DANA BASH.

8am – B/C     Calls Reacting To The President’s Address To Congress

• Van Jones on Trump: ‘He became President of the United States in that moment, period.’ (CNN) Shortly after President Donald Trump addressed a Joint Session of Congress for the first time since taking the oath of office, CNN’s Van Jones called one particularly moving moment from the speech the real estate mogul’s most presidential to date. Less than an hour after Trump honored the widow of a slain NAVY Seal, the Democratic commentator suggested that the commander in chief had officially begun to look the part. “He became President of the United States in that moment, period,” said Jones, after the evening’s most emotional point was replayed by CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

8am – D/E     Trump open to legal status for illegal immigrants: report. (The Washington Times) — A White House official told television networks Tuesday that President Trump would like to see Congress work on a new broad immigration bill, reigniting a festering debate on Capitol Hill. The revelation came from network anchors, who regularly meet with presidents ahead of big speeches to Congress — though the official who made the statement was not named. Mr. Trump’s plan would allow illegal immigrants to live and work in the U.S., but would stop short of granting most of them full citizenship, CNN reported.  Dreamers, the young adult illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, would be an exception, likely eligible for full status. The official said both sides would have to compromise. White House deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders said she could not confirm the comments made during the luncheon.  But she said “massive reform” of immigration laws has always been Mr. Trump’s goal.