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Mornings on the Mall

Wednesday June 7, 2017

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

5am – A/B/C  Have we become desensitized to terror?  Is this the new normal? It may be a sign of the times, but the latest round of terrorist attacks in Europe appears not to be having the usual impact on travel demand as tourists show signs of becoming inured to the threat of violence. British Airways has seen no dip in bookings following the recent deaths in London and Manchester, according to the head of its parent group IAG SA, who said international travelers may be growing accustomed to the risks. Deutsche Lufthansa AG also said the market is proving surprisingly resilient. Demand from Asia has advanced more than expected and the weaker pound is encouraging travel from the U.S., IAG Chief Executive Officer Willie Walsh said in an interview in Cancun, Mexico. Both markets have experienced sharp dips and slow recoveries in the wake of previous terrorist attacks.” It would be terrible if people start just considering that this is routine or normal, but we haven’t seen an impact on bookings,” Walsh said at the International Air Transport Association’s annual meeting . “In the past we would expect it to have some impact, but we haven’t seen anything.”

5am – D Transgender freshman sprinter, born a male, wins two girls state championships Transgender sprinter Andraya Yearwood, a freshman who was born a male, won the girls 100-meter and 200-meter dashes at the Connecticut high school Class M state championships — victories that didn’t come without some controversy. Regarding the girls races involving Yearwood, Courant columnist Jeff Jacobs asked, “Was it fair?”His answer: “On a biologically competitive basis, it was not.” But Jacobs also asked if Yearwood, 15, should be allowed to participate with the girls? His answer was yes. “Participation is paramount in high school sports,” Jacobs wrote. “Participation with dignity is the aspiration. But the question of what constitutes fairness in the world of sports remains to be settled.” He added: “I do not pretend to have the answer. Humanity counts. So does biology. For me, somebody who has observed sports and written about all kinds of athletes for four decades, the integrity of the state competition for these two races Tuesday was compromised.” Yearwood will begin consultations about hormonal treatment in June.

5am– E   George and Amal Clooney welcome twins: a boy and a girl The Clooneys welcomed a girl and a boy — Ella and Alexander — on Tuesday morning, the couple announced in a joint statement. Both mother and children, born at a hospital in London, are “happy, healthy and doing fine.” Netflix, ABC Hacker Promises More Leaks: “Hollywood Is Under Attack” “Hollywood is under attack, and we’re at the forefront of this most recent offensive,” wrote the pseudonymous hacking collective to THR. “We’re not in the business to scare anyone. We’re in the business of earning vast amounts of internet money. “But even more alarming, TheDarkOverlord also claims to have studio movies in addition to the unaired series and films from such networks as IFC and National Geographic that have been been previously reported. Though Netflix and Disney/ABC balked at paying ransom demands, others quietly have paid up, according to knowledgeable sources. “Make no mistake, Hollywood is under assault,” the hacking collective wrote to THR.

6am – A/B/C Are drug sniffing dogs in Arlington High schools too much? Arlington school officials moving forward with drug-detection efforts. Arlington Superintendent Patrick Murphy has sloughed off criticism that the school system is going too far in combating drugs on campus, but said there would be more dialogue with parent groups on the matter. Murphy on June 1 told School Board member a partnership with the Arlington County Police Department, using drug-sniffing dogs to check lockers after classes at Arlington high schools, would continue to move forward through the remainder of the school year. The initiative was developed after growing concerns about drug use and substance abuse among students across the region.” This is something that is not acceptable to us,” Murphy said. “A clear message . . . needs to be sent. “No surprise: The proposal evoked a social-media tempest, and drew brushback at the School Board meeting. “I don’t think it is reasonable,” said Juliet Hiznay, an attorney and occasionally vocal activist, who pressed the school system to engage in far more community discussion on the topic. “We do have some substances in the community that are very frightening. I don’t think anybody believes they belong in the schools,” Hiznay said. “But is this the right response?”

6am – D INTERVIEW – CAL THOMAS –  Syndicated Author and Columnist

TOPIC: why did the British ignore the threat of the jihadists last weekend?

• One of the killers was identified as 30-year-old Khuram Butt, a father of two. Incredibly, the police did nothing after Butt was shown in a TV documentary unfurling an ISIS flag in a public park and praying with fellow Muslims.
• Butt was reported to the anti-terror hotline by people who knew him and who feared he was being radicalized by watching extremist YouTube videos. He was reported to have offered children candy and money to listen to him preach about Islam. Though he was on a terrorist watch list, police said there was no evidence he was planning an attack and thus he was not deemed a “priority.”

6am – E Young Reporter Arrested After Berating Cop A young reporter went on an obscenity-peppered tirade Sunday night outside a Philadelphia entertainment venue before getting arrested by local police officer. Employees at the Helium Comedy Club asked Colleen Campbell, a 28-year-old recent graduate of Temple University, if she could be more quiet during actor and comic Craig Robinson’s standup performance, according to Philadelphia Magazine. But as Campbell is escorted out of the building, she allegedly became extremely unruly to the point where a police officer felt compelled to get involved.

Sylvince notes that when she was initially kicked out of the comedy club, she kicked, punched, and even poked the eyes of three different employees.

6am – F  Kirk Cousins contract talks with Redskins on positive track

At last month’s owners meetings in Chicago, Redskins president Bruce Allen and Cousins’ agent, Mike McCartney, had their first face-to-face meeting in the two years since Washington first used the franchise tag on the starting quarterback, sources said. It was the first of two face-to-face meetings between the two sides, as they continue to negotiate a long-term deal. Now there is a belief that even if a deal doesn’t get completed before the NFL deadline for franchise players next month — and it still will be challenging, even with the thawing between the two sides — that one could be struck after next season, keeping Cousins in Washington long term. “There’s no doubt it’s been more positive lately,” said one source familiar with the talks who requested anonymity. “Everything has been much more positive in the past several months.”

7am – A INTERVIEW – KEVIN DALEY – Legal Affairs Reporter, Daily Caller News Foundation
TOPIC: What to expect from Comey’s hearing on Thursday

• Days after Comey was fired, it was reported that he had documented at least one meeting with President Trump in a memo. 
• Senators have a number of key questions for Comey about the events that led up to his firing, but one that’s been talked about focuses on why he didn’t taken action if he believed Mr. Trump had committed an obstruction of justice.

7am – B/C  What questions do you hope the Senate asks Comey?

7am – D Nancy Pelosi Laughs At Joy Behar When Asked About Impeaching Trump House minority leader Nancy Pelosi was visibly uncomfortable and laughed at Joy Behar when she was asked about the possibility of impeaching President Donald Trump. During her Monday appearance on “The View,” the Democrat leader looked away from Behar when she started talking about James Comey testifying this week in relation to the FBI’s investigation into alleged ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

7 -E Trump Picks Christopher Wray to Be F.B.I. Director

8am – A  INTERVIEW – COREY STEWART – Republican Governor Candidate for Virginia

TOPIC: upcoming Virginia primaries

8am – B Speaking in Baltimore, Hillary Clinton praises London mayor for leadership following attack Former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, speaking Monday in Baltimore to an organization that provides leadership training to African-American students, said the world would benefit from “steady, determined leadership” in response to the recent terror attacks in the United Kingdom. Without mentioning President Donald J. Trump by name, or addressing his policies directly, Clinton pointedly said it was leaders overseas — including London Mayor Sadiq Khan — who were reacting to those events with poise and resolve. postings after the attack Saturday that left seven dead and dozens injured. “It’s a time for steady, determined leadership, like we are seeing from local authorities in London, including the mayor of London,” Clinton said at the fundraiser in Fells Point for the Elijah Cummings Youth Program in Israel. “This is not a time to lash out, to incite fear or to use tragedy and terror for political gain.

8am – C 2 Germantown teens set to graduate high school shot to death Two teenagers who were supposed to celebrate their high school graduation Tuesday afternoon were shot to death inside a car in Montgomery Village late Monday evening, according to authorities. The Montgomery County Police Department said 17-year-old Shadi Adi Najjar and 18-year-old Artem S. Ziberov were found suffering from gunshot wounds inside a Honda Civic in the 8200 block of Gallery Court.

8am – D Intercept Editors Face Mounting Criticism for Possibly Outing Leaker The editors of The Intercept are facing mounting criticism for potentially outing a source, after publishing a classified National Security Agency document sent to the website anonymously, which reportedly resulted in the contractor. About an hour after The Intercept published a report detailing Russian efforts to hack into US voting systems days before the November election, based on the NSA document, the Justice Department charged 25-year-old Reality Leigh Winner for leaking a classified report to a news website.

8am – E  Are Pets the New Probiotic? Dogs roll in the mud. They sniff feces and other questionable substances. Then they track countless germs into our homes on their paws, snouts and fur. And if the latest research on pets and human health is correct, that cloud of dog-borne microbes may be working to keep us healthy. Epidemiological studies show that children who grow up in households with dogs have a lower risk for developing autoimmune illnesses like asthma and allergies — and it may be a result of the diversity of microbes that these animals bring inside our homes.