Trevor Matich, Tony Shaffer, Robert McCartney and Grover Norquist joined WMAL on Friday!

Mornings on the Mall

Friday, April 21, 2017

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Mary Walter

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

 

5am – A/B/C   Trump eyes cap on charitable deductions. (The Hill) — The Trump administration is taking a serious look at capping tax deductions for charitable contributions, according to a source familiar with the discussions. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trump’s other senior advisers are mulling their next steps on tax reform, and the proposal to limit deductions for charitable giving hasn’t yet gained widespread acceptance, two officials said. A senior Senate aide said limiting charitable giving is “within the realm of possibility,” although Mnuchin has not raised it explicitly in his meetings with some GOP senators. A White House spokeswoman, Natalie Strom, said “all options are on the table until we have a plan to announce.” Limiting tax deductions for major charitable gifts would be a way to raise revenue by targeting wealthier taxpayers. A major criticism of Speaker Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) border-adjustment tax proposal is that it would hit middle- and low-income Americans by increasing the costs of consumer products. Capping charitable deductions would fit with the secretary’s declaration last year that “there would be no absolute tax cut for the upper class.”

5am – D         Chuck Grassley expects Supreme Court resignation ‘this summer’ (Fox News) — Mere days after Justice Neil Gorsuch was seated on the Supreme Court, restoring the panel to full strength, a top Senate Republican said the court could soon be down a member once again – in turn giving President Trump another big appointment. “I would expect a resignation this summer,” Sen. Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told Iowa’s Muscatine Journal. Grassley, R-Iowa, said there was a “rumored” retirement in the offing, though he wouldn’t disclose which justice was considering stepping down. Grassley’s comments echo those made in February by fellow Judiciary Committee member and former Supreme Court litigator Sen. Ted Cruz. “I think we’ll have another Supreme Court vacancy this summer,” said Cruz, R-Texas. “If that happens, as much as the left is crazy now, they will go full Armageddon meltdown.”

5am – E         US prepares charges to seek Julian Assange’s arrest. (CNN) US authorities have prepared charges to seek the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, US officials familiar with the matter tell CNN. The Justice Department investigation of Assange and WikiLeaks dates to at least 2010, when the site first gained wide attention for posting thousands of files stolen by the former US Army intelligence analyst now known as Chelsea Manning. Prosecutors have struggled with whether the First Amendment precluded the prosecution of Assange, but now believe they have found a way to move forward. Last week in a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, CIA Director Mike Pompeo went further than any US government official in describing a role by WikiLeaks that went beyond First Amendment activity. He said WikiLeaks “directed Chelsea Manning to intercept specific secret information, and it overwhelmingly focuses on the United States.” “It’s time to call out WikiLeaks for what it really is: A non-state hostile intelligence service often abetted by state actors like Russia,” Pompeo said.

6am – A/B     White House could provoke a spending showdown over funding for border wall. White House budget director Mick Mulvaney said Thursday that he hopes to use negotiations to keep the government open past April 28 in an effort to force Democrats to back some funding for creating a new wall along the U. S-Mexico border — a risky move that could provoke a spending showdown with congressional Democrats next week. Mulvaney said the White House would be open to funding some of the Democrats’ priorities — such as paying insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act — if Democrats agree to fund some of the more controversial parts of President Trump’s agenda, notably the border wall. The new request threatens to undermine weeks of negotiations between Republican leaders and Democrats in Congress to pass a stopgap spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. The negotiations so far have excluded talk of the border wall, which Republicans have argued should be taken up later to keep the government open. “We have our list of priorities,” Mulvaney said at an event hosted by the Institute of International Finance. “We want more money for defense. We want to build a border wall. We want more money for immigration enforcement, law enforcement.” Mulvaney stopped short of saying that the White House would refuse to sign a spending agreement that does not include those priorities, but he made clear that he expects Democrats to reopen talks. Democrats saw Mulvaney’s comments as evidence that the White House is meddling to undermine what they described as successful, bipartisan talks.

6am – C         ROCK STAR DINNER AT THE WH! Donald Trump hosted Sarah Palin, Kid Rock and Ted Nugent at the White House for dinner Wednesday night. Trump Dines With Sarah Palin, Kid Rock And Ted Nugent At The White House. Donald Trump hosted Sarah Palin, Kid Rock and Ted Nugent at the White House for dinner Wednesday night. Though the meal was not on the president’s schedule, the former governor of Alaska posted a photo of the three of them around the desk in the Oval Office. Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner was also in the room. “A great night at the White House,” Palin said on Facebook. “Thank you to President Trump for the invite!”

And they trolled Hillary’s portrait! (Breitbart) — The trio were photographed in the Oval Office with President Trump, and they even took a photo in front of the Hillary Clinton portrait. “A great night at the White House,” Palin wrote on Facebook. “Thank you to President Trump for the invite!” Palin wrote about the dinner, explaining her choice of guests to bring: President Trump’s invitation for dinner included bringing a couple of friends; it was the highest honor to have great Americans who are independent, hardworking, patriotic, and unafraid share commonsense solutions at the White House. (Asked why I invited Kid Rock and Ted Nugent I joked, “Because Jesus was booked.“) CNN’s Jake Tapper and Palin posted photos of the event on Facebook. Nugent and his wife also posted pictures of the occasion on Facebook. Nugent wrote: “So today is the 242nd anniversary of The Shot Heard Round The World is it! Well well well looky looky here boogie chillin’, I got your Shot Heard Round The World right here in big ol greazyass Washington DC where your 1 & only MotorCity Madman WhackMaster StrapAssasin1 dined with President Donald J Trump at the WhiteHouse to Make America Great Again! Got that? Glowing all American over the top WE THE PEOPLE gory details coming ASAP!! BRACE!”

6am – D         CAMPUS LUNACY:

• Berkeley reverses decision to cancel speech by conservative firebrand Ann Coulter after protests at other events. UC Berkeley flip-flops on Ann Coulter, proposes May date. (AP) — University of California, Berkeley officials said they have a “grave concern” of violence on campus if Ann Coulter follows through on her vow to speak next week at the university. Chancellor Nicholas B. Dirks instead proposed an alternate May 2 date for the conservative author, reversing a decision from a day earlier when officials canceled the event. Coulter took to Twitter to reject the offer, saying she will appear next Thursday as originally planned. “I’m speaking at Berkeley on April 27th, as I was invited to do and have a contract to do,” tweeted Coulter, who was invited to speak by campus Republicans. In a separate tweet she said she’s not free May 2. Coulter’s rejection potentially sets the stage for another political brawl at Berkeley, where violent protesters forced the cancellation of a speech by former Breitbart News editor Milo Yiannopoulos in February.
• Western Kentucky University’s Student Government Association passed a resolution Tuesday supporting reparations for African-American students. The resolution calls on WKU to create a task force to “assess the feasibility of test-optional admissions and geographically-weighted admissions,” citing research showing that using standardized test scores in the college admissions process “restricts the college opportunities for needy students, helping higher education perpetuate inequality.” The resolution passed with a margin of 19-10, with one person declining to vote.
• Meanwhile, in NY……… Palestinian-American activist (with ties to HAMAS) Linda Sarsour will be this year’s commencement speaker at the taxpayer-funded City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy.
• On Tuesday, five Bucknell faculty members proposed a bill to adopt a modified version of the popular University of Chicago Freedom of Expression statement that protects faculty and student’s right to freedom of expression. Similar statements have already been adopted at several prestigious American universities such as Princeton, Columbia, Johns Hopkins, and Vanderbilt.

6am – E         PARIS ATTACK:

• Man arrested in Belgium in connection with Paris shooting. A suspect sought by France in the wake of an attack in Paris last night, which left one policeman dead and two injured, has turned himself in to Belgian police, France’s interior ministry said this morning. “The man in the wanted notice issued by Belgian authorities presented himself to a police station in Antwerp,” ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet told AFP. A known terror suspect was shot dead after killing one policeman and wounding two others on the Champs Elysees last night in an attack claimed by the so-called Islamic State militant group days before the presidential election. Observers had feared violence ahead of Sunday’s vote in France following a string of atrocities since 2015 and the attack is thought likely to move security to the front of voters’ minds.
• French President Francois Hollande says he is convinced the circumstances of the Paris shooting points to terrorist act.
• French Interior Ministry said the Champs Elysees shooting deliberately targeted police officers guarding the area
• Trump on Paris shooting: ‘It just never ends’
• Islamic State claims responsibility for Paris shooting
• Paris attack comes three days before France’s presidential election.
• Police source says arrest warrant has been issued for 2nd suspect in the Paris Champs Elysees shooting who arrived from Belgium by train
• Paris shooting: Election campaign halts as investigation gathers pace
• terror. Paris (CNN)The French presidential election campaign was stopped in its tracks on Friday after a deadly attack on a police bus on the Champs-Elysees in the heart of Paris. The attacker — named by the Paris prosecutor’s office as Karim Cheurfi — killed one police officer and badly injured two others in the attack at around 9 p.m. local time on Thursday. A second man, suspected of being linked to the shooting, surrendered himself in Belgium. ISIS claimed that the attack — days before the first round of voting and just as candidates were taking part in a TV debate — was carried out by one of its “fighters,” whom it called “the Belgian.” French media reported Cheurfi was on the radar of intelligence services. But a spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor, Agnes Thibault Lecuivre, said he was not on the official “Fiche S” surveillance list, which tracks individuals suspected of being radicalized.

6am – F         GOP California Rep. Duncan Hunter, a long-time defender of e-cigarettes and tobacco in the military, has written a letter to the Navy, urging the service to reconsider its suspension of vaping and e-cigarettes. (Daily Caller) — Hunter put forward a series of questions to Stackley regarding the ban on e-cigarettes, in a letter sent Thursday to acting Navy Secretary Sean Stackley. “I would also ask that the Navy consider joining me in reducing any risks associated with system use rather than taking such an extraordinary step to deny a life-saving alternative to traditional tobacco use,” Hunter wrote in the letter. The Navy issued a press release April 14 announcing the ban of “Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems,” citing the dangers of exploding lithium-ion batteries to Marines and sailors and also to equipment. The suspension will come into effect on May 14. “It has come to my attention that the Navy has banned vaping on ships citing battery explosions and related injuries,” Hunter said. “Given the reduced health risks vaping represents compared to tobacco products, I would like to better understand the Navy’s position in eliminating access to vaping products for sailors and Marines who are attempting to take a positive step to improve their health.”

 

7am – A         INTERVIEW – TREVOR MATICH – WMAL’s Redskins Analyst

• WMAL carrying Redskins games on the station this season
• Redskins 2017 schedule released: The Washington Redskins have released their 2017 regular season schedule, which includes five primetime games on the 16-game slate including back-to-back Thursday night NFC East matchups in November.

REGULAR SEASON:

DATE OPPONENT (NETWORK) TIME (ET)

Sunday, Sept. 10     vs. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (FOX)        1 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 17     at Los Angeles Rams (FOX)          4:25 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 24     vs. OAKLAND RAIDERS (NBC) #            8:30 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 2         at Kansas City Chiefs (ESPN)#    8:30 p.m.

• The Redskins are scheduled to play five prime-time games, including Thanksgiving night at home against the New York Giants.
• Redskins LB Trent Murphy banned for first four games of 2017.Trent Murphy of the Washington Redskins has been suspended without pay for the first four games of the 2017 regular season for violating the NFL policy on performance enhancing substances.  Murphy is eligible to participate in all offseason and preseason practices and games. The 26-year-old has spent three years in the NFL, all with the Redskins. He has registered 15 sacks in his career, including nine last season which was the second-highest total on the team.  Murphy’s rookie contract was signed at a four-year, $4.47M with $2.6M guaranteed. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2018. Considering Murphy is in his contract year and 60% of his career sacks came in just one season (last season), it is almost safe to assume that Murphy was taking performance enhancing drugs.

7am – B         DRINK NEWS:

• ‘I have unicorn c**p on my hair and in my nose!’ Starbucks barista has a total meltdown over ‘stress’ caused by the release of viral Unicorn Frappuccino in hilarious video. (Daily Mail) — A Starbucks barista has taken to social media hoping to make orders for the coffee chain’s much buzzed about Unicorn Frappuccino disappear. Starbucks’ entry into the unicorn food craze was released on Wednesday and its popularity proved to be too much for 19-year-old Colorado barista Braden Burson, who posted a video online after his shift complaining that it was difficult to keep up with orders for the drink and he’s ‘never been so stressed out’ in his life. ‘I don’t normally do this as much as I want to,’ Burson says at the start of the clip, which was filmed in his car. ‘But today I need to rant just a little bit.   ‘As most of you know, I work at Starbucks, and the new Unicorn Frappuccino came out today… So, the Unicorn Frappuccino came out on the internet a few weeks ago, and it has been the number one Frappuccino ever.  ‘Because it has been so popular online, everyone is like, “Oh my gosh, I need to try it when it comes out.” Well today it came out, and I have to tell you, please don’t get it!’ The Unicorn Frappuccino is a sweet and sour pink and blue cream swirl topped with what Starbucks calls ‘fairy powder’.
• Juicero offering refunds to all customers after people realize $400 juicer is totally unnecessary. Juicero: Juicing boss defends $400 machine. (BBC) — A US start-up that sells a wi-fi connected juicing machine for $399 (£310), has offered refunds after the gadget was mocked on social media. Juicero makes the bulk of its sales by supplying pouches of pre-cut fruit and vegetables which fit the contraption. But the product was ridiculed by some after it emerged how the sachets could be squeezed just as easily by hand. Chief executive Jeff Dunn said the criticism overlooked the “experience” of the machine. He claimed the “hacking” of the pouches did not produce the same quality of juice. saying the machine was calibrated to deal with different ingredients differently. But Juicero has now given customers the chance to return the machine and get their money back, including those who bought it at its launch price of $699.
• STUDY: Daily Diet Soda TRIPLES Stroke Risk… Coca killer Just ONE Diet Coke or Pepsi Max a day can ‘TRIPLE the risk of a deadly stroke’ and dementia, researchers claim. Study finds those who drink artificially-sweetened beverages such as Diet Coke or Pepsi Max are at three times the risk of suffering strokes compared to non-drinkers. JUST one diet drink a day can triple the risk of a deadly stroke, a study suggests. The researchers also found links to dementia described as a “worrying association” by experts. Just one diet drink a day can triple the risk of a deadly stroke, a study suggests. Just one diet drink a day can triple the risk of a deadly stroke, a study suggests. But the findings were dismissed by some British authorities, while others have called for more investigation. The US study found those who drank a can of artificially-sweetened pop — such as Diet Coke or Pepsi Max — daily were at three times the risk of suffering the most common form of stroke compared to non-drinkers. They were also 2.9 times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s. But after accounting for all lifestyle factors, the researchers found the link to dementia was statistically insignificant.

7am – C         Hillary camp scrambling to find out who leaked embarrassing info. (PageSix) — The knives are out in Hillary Clinton’s camp about who leaked embarrassing information to the authors of a bombshell new book about her “doomed presidential campaign.” There is a witch hunt under way among Clinton’s presidential campaign staffers after the release of the autopsy book, “Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign” by journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes. We’re told the details in the book, which depicts the campaign as inept, “could only have come from someone in the inner circle.”  Dennis Cheng, the finance director of Clinton’s presidential campaign, has been sending out messages to determine where the leaks came from. One source said, “The knives are out to find the people who spoke about the campaign to the authors of this book. Dennis has been texting prominent campaign staffers, asking who talked. He’s on a witch hunt to find out who talked to save their own skin, throwing Hillary and her campaign manager Robby Mook under the bus.” The source added, “There’s some speculation that Huma Abedin cooperated to save her own reputation. However, she and Hillary are still very close.” Also, Huma is writing her own book, and is said to be seeking $2 million for it.

7am – D         INTERVIEW — LT. COL TONY SHAFFER – a CIA trained former senior intelligence officer and the New York Times bestselling author of ” Operation Dark Heart.”

• PARIS ATTACK: ISIS issues statement claiming an Islamic State “fighter” carried out attack on Champs-Elysees in Paris
• Trump: Tehran Not ‘Living Up to the Spirit’ of the Iran Deal. (Fox News) — President Trump said Thursday that Iran is “not living up to the spirit” of the nuclear deal struck under the Obama administration, warning that his team is analyzing it “very, very carefully.”   The president made the comments during a White House press conference, a day after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced a “comprehensive review” of the nuclear deal. Even as the administration this week formally certified that Iran is complying with the deal’s terms, Trump said Thursday that Tehran is not doing enough. “They are doing a tremendous disservice to an agreement that was signed,” Trump said. “They are not living up to the spirit of the agreement.” The president did not go into specifics, and left open the door to whether the administration might scrap, uphold or try to revise the Obama-era agreement. “We will see what happens,” Trump said.
• NORTH KOREA: (The Sun) – The announcement ominously warned the regime would “reduce America to ashes” and added: “Don’t mess with us.” But US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson appeared to tone down America’s stance and said it is looking for ways to “bring pressure on the regime” to “re-engage”. The latest insults come just one day after footage emerged of a bizarre North Korean musical in which an American city was destroyed by North Korean nukes.

7am – E         CONGRESS NEWS:

• Trump Wants Health Care Bill Passed Next Week. Paul Ryan says they’re putting ‘finishing touches’ on a compromise. (Newser) – “This thing is very much alive,” Rep. Tom Cole tells CNN regarding the Republican health care proposal that appeared to have died in the House last month.  Politico reports the White House is hoping to try a second time to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act as early as next Wednesday. Sources say President Trump has recently been pestering Paul Ryan about a Republican health care bill—sometimes multiple times a day.  Senior White House officials says Trump is worried his failure on health care—he had promised to repeal the ACA on “day one”—will be the big story in retrospectives on his first 100 days in office next week. Ryan says Republicans are adding “finishing touches” to a new health care proposal, and sources say the text of a new bill could be released Friday.
• MNUCHIN CHANGING HIS TUNE ON TAX REFORM: The Trump administration is close to bringing forward “major tax reform,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday, after he previously tempered expectations for how quickly it will pass. Mnuchin, who this week backed off of his earlier goal of passing tax reform by August, said the White House will unveil a plan “very soon.” However, the Trump administration previously set deadlines for releasing its tax plan that it did not meet.
• Trump eyes cap on charitable deductions. The Trump administration is taking a serious look at capping tax deductions for charitable contributions, according to a source familiar with the discussions. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trump’s other senior advisers are mulling their next steps on tax reform, and the proposal to limit deductions for charitable giving hasn’t yet gained widespread acceptance, two officials said.
• Chaffetz says ‘absolutely’ no scandal is forcing him out. The Utah Republican said in an interview that he planned to stay in office for at least several more months. (Politico) — Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz — who shocked the political establishment when he announced his retirement earlier this week — said that he has already started looking for post-congressional employment, and hopes to serve on boards of directors and link up with a television network. “I started poking around to see what I might be worth and what sort of possibilities are there,” Chaffetz said in a phone interview with POLITICO Thursday afternoon. “And I got a series of ‘Let us know when you’re serious.’ Well now I can say, ‘Can you tell I am serious?’… I’ll take a little bit of time to sort out. I’d be thrilled to have a television relationship. But there’s a number of things I’d like to do.” Chaffetz, 50, is leaving a high-profile perch. He is the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee — the top investigatory body in the chamber. He was first elected to the House in 2008, and signaled to reporters that he would stay in Washington until he reached his term limit atop the committee. But a series of strange events unfolded over the past few days. He first announced in a Facebook post that he wouldn’t run for any office in 2018, and now, he is saying that he might leave Congress in the next couple of months. “I might depart early,” he said in the interview. “It’s not tomorrow, it’s not next week. If it is, it’s going to be in the months to come.” Asked if he is resigning because of a yet-to-be revealed scandal, Chaffetz said, “Absolutely, positively not.”

 

8am – A         INTERVIEW – ROBERT MCCARTNEY – The Washington Post’s senior regional correspondent, covering politics and policy in the greater Washington, D.C area.

• Metro GM Wiedefeld proposes ‘new business model’ and $500 million a year in new funding to save transit agency
• Dedicated funding proposals for D.C. area Metro system face pushback from Virginia, transit union.
• Hogan on metro funding: Hogan said he also raised the issue of money for Metro in his recent meeting with Chao. Dedicated funding, which WMATA has always lacked, is “not on the table,” he said, though the governor has signaled support for allowing Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties to tax their own residents to fund Metro. But the governor is interested in getting more federal funding. “The discussion I had with the Secretary of Transportation was 40 percent of the people who ride Metro are federal government workers, and you need to step up and pay more,” Hogan said.

8am – B         DC driver’s licenses to make city name change after confusion. WASHINGTON – Officials in the District are changing the city’s name on driver’s licenses after residents reported confusion among some who think they do not live on American soil. The ID-related issues came up after licenses changed the name from “Washington, D.C.” and began using “District of Columbia.” For people renewing their license of applying for a new one, the change will take place in June. Existing licenses will be valid until they expire.

8am – C         Book before this date to save money on your summer vacation. (AOL) — June in France, July in Thailand or August at New England’s best beaches are all totally doable. Break out your calendar and outsmart the airlines by planning your summer vacation around the cheapest dates to book a flight. According to USA Today, if you’re staying domestic it’s best to book before May 20, because airfare increases on May 21. If you can’t make that date, definitely book before June 15, or wait for a late summer trip post August 30.

8am – D         INTERVIEW – GROVER NORQUIST – President, Americans for Tax Reform

• MNUCHIN CHANGING HIS TUNE ON TAX REFORM: The Trump administration is close to bringing forward “major tax reform,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday, after he previously tempered expectations for how quickly it will pass. Mnuchin, who this week backed off of his earlier goal of passing tax reform by August, said the White House will unveil a plan “very soon.” However, the Trump administration previously set deadlines for releasing its tax plan that it did not meet.
• Trump eyes cap on charitable deductions. The Trump administration is taking a serious look at capping tax deductions for charitable contributions, according to a source familiar with the discussions. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Trump’s other senior advisers are mulling their next steps on tax reform, and the proposal to limit deductions for charitable giving hasn’t yet gained widespread acceptance, two officials said.

8am – E         Anti-Trump protestors aid Trump supporter who collapsed. (Washington Post) For Ana Draa, a Trump protester, the most shocking part of her coming to the aid of a fallen Trump supporter, was that others were shocked. Draa, a 53-year-old stay-at-home mom and self-described passionate advocate for women’s reproductive rights, joined a pack of protesters and supporters outside the Wisconsin manufacturing company where President Donald Trump spoke Tuesday afternoon (April 19). In the mass of people, she found herself standing next to a seated older man holding a defund Planned Parenthood sign.The man started complaining that he wasn’t feel well, and Draa, a former CPR instructor, could tell he didn’t look good. He asked her to find him some ibuprofen, even offering to hold her sign, which read: “Trump, Who Are You In Bed With Because It Sure Ain’t Melania. Show Your Taxes!!!” Soon after, she heard what she described as “the sickening thud of someone’s head hitting the concrete.” He had said he felt faint before he passed out and toppled off his seat. As he lay on the ground, Draa held his hand, assuring him that he would be fine, that the ambulance would be there soon to take care of him. She tried to keep him calm as another anti-Trump activist, who happened to be a nurse, also stayed by his side until emergency workers arrived. After he was taken away in the ambulance, Draa said a local reporter asked her why she helped him. “Why? Wouldn’t you?” Draa said she responded. “He’s an old man. He felt the power of his convictions and he was very respectful. We need to respect and value the humanity in each other. Just because we have different opinions it doesn’t make them evil. I was really taken aback that they were shocked.”