Dr. Michelle Cretella, Rep. Tom Davis, Rep. Mike Rogers and Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer joined WMAL on Thursday!

Mornings on the Mall

Thursday, July 27, 2017

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

5am – A/B/C   Trump Says Transgender People Will Not Be Allowed in the Military.

Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he plans to reinstate a ban on transgender individuals from serving “in any capacity” in the US armed forces. The decision reversed a policy initially approved by the Defense Department under President Barack Obama, which was still under final review, that would allow transgender individuals to openly serve in the military. Defense Secretary James Mattis announced last month that he was delaying enactment of the plan to begin allowing transgender individuals to join the US military.

5am – D/E     VA TECH & VICK: Public opposition to Michael Vick’s induction into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame is mounting. As of Tuesday afternoon, two online petitions at change.org had received more than 90,000 combined signatures opposing the enshrinement of the controversial quarterback, who served 19 months in federal prison on 2007 dogfighting convictions.

6am – A/B/C OBAMACARE:

• Senate rejects repeal-only ObamaCare plan. Senators on Wednesday rejected a key proposal that would repeal much of ObamaCare, despite intense pressure from conservatives. Senators voted 55-45 against an amendment from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) that would repeal the Affordable Care Act and give lawmakers two years to come up with a replacement. GOP Sens. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), Susan Collins (Maine), Dean Heller (Nev.), John McCain (Ariz.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Rob Portman (Ohio) joined all Democrats and independents in voting no.
• Health care debate: Senate vote-a-rama and the ‘skinny bill’ (CNN) —    Thursday is expected to hold the famous US Senate process known as vote-a-rama.     Throughout the week, Democratic aides said they were fully prepared to flood the zone. Washington (CNN)The Senate will enter the home stretch of a dramatic debate to overhaul Obamacare on Thursday, with lawmakers bracing for what could be a long and grueling marathon series of votes that extends well into the night and morning. And the text of the GOP plan — what is expected to be a so-called “skinny bill” that rolls back Obamcare’s individual and employer mandates — remains unseen by senators or the public.
• PATHETIC: McCain, Alexander, Portman, Murkowski voted AGAINST straight repeal bill they had voted for when Obama was prez.
• 7 GOP no votes on straight repeal:

• Alexander (TN)
• Capito (WV)
• Collins (ME)
• Heller (NV)
• McCain (AZ)
• Murkowski (AK)
• Portman (OH)

6am – D         INTERVIEW – DR. MICHELLE CRETELLA  –  president of the American College of Pediatricians

• BIO: Michelle Cretella, M.D., is president of the American College of Pediatricians, a national organization of pediatricians and other health care professionals dedicated to the health and well-being of children.
• I’m a Pediatrician. How Transgender Ideology Has Infiltrated My Field and Produced Large-Scale Child Abuse. (Michelle Cretella /Daily Signal) – Transgender politics have taken Americans by surprise, and caught some lawmakers off guard. Just a few short years ago, not many could have imagined a high-profile showdown over transgender men and women’s access to single-sex bathrooms in North Carolina. But transgender ideology is not just infecting our laws. It is intruding into the lives of the most innocent among us—children—and with the apparent growing support of the professional medical community.

6am – E         FOOD NEWS:

• McDonald’s employee fired after he shares disgusting photos of inside ice cream machine. If you’re someone who goes to McDonald’s just for a McFlurry or soft serve ice cream, you might want to rethink your next trip.  According to the Huffington Post, the employee of the chain was fired after he shared photos to his Twitter that showed mold, dust and caked up ice cream on the drip tray he pulled from the ice cream machine.
• McDonald’s adds Big Mac onesie, sweats to items it delivers. With McDonald’s now offering a delivery service, the fast food giant is looking to make customers comfortable eating at home with a new clothing line that includes an adult-size Big Mac onesie. Oak Brook, Illinois-based McDonald’s describes the McDelivery Collection as “a selection of fun, fashion forward items you can wear or use whenever and wherever you order.” It also includes french fry-themed sweatsuits and sandals, hamburger pillowcases and a picnic blanket dotted with McDonald’s items.
• Couple one visit away from visiting every Cracker Barrel in America. Ray and Wilma Yoder of Goshen, Indiana, are on a quest to make Cracker Barrel history. The couple, married for 60 years, are just one visit away from visiting all 645 Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations in 44 states across the U.S. “I’ve not had a bad experience anytime,” Ray Yoder, 80, told ABC News. “I’ve always walked away feeling refreshed.” Yoder began stopping at Cracker Barrel restaurants in the 1960s as he made his way across the U.S. as an RV driver.

6am – F         These are not the papers you are looking for: Three American science journals publish spoof ‘scientific study’ full of Star Wars references that was authored by ‘Dr Lucas McGeorge’ and ‘Dr Annette Kin.’  (Daily Mail) — It must have been a Jedi mind trick. A neurology expert has revealed they were able to convince a trio of medical journals to publish their Star Wars-themed ‘fake’ manuscript, despite it being packed full of references to George Lucas’ iconic series. The author, who writes online under the name Neuroskeptic, said their paper titled ‘Mitochondria: Structure, Function and Clinical Relevance’ was poorly written and ‘an absurd mess of factual errors, plagiarism and movie quotes’. ‘I wanted to test whether ‘predatory’ journals would publish an obviously absurd paper,’ the hoax’s author wrote for Discover Magazine.  ‘So I created a spoof manuscript about “midi-chlorians” – the fictional entities which live inside cells and give Jedi their powers in Star Wars. The name of the authors given in the fake piece are thinly-veiled references to Lucas – Star Wars’ creator – and Anakin Skywalker.  Neuroskeptic went on in their blog post to explain the paper was picked up by four different journals – the American Journal of Medical and Biological Research, the International Journal of Molecular Biology: Open Access, the Austin Journal of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and American Research Journal of Biosciences.

7am – A         Entertainment News:

• “Dancing with the Stars” reportedly eyeing Sean Spicer. Sean Spicer’s next possible gig literally “has legs,” according to a new report. Spicer has been spotted meeting with television executives since he announced his resignation as White House press secretary on Friday. He has reportedly met with the top brass of ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox News in Manhattan over the past week. While actor Zack Braff jokingly tweeted that he couldn’t wait to see Spicer on the ABC show “Dancing with the Stars,” television insiders confirmed to Page Six that the show has indeed reached out to the outgoing White House press secretary.
• Julio Jones Hires Dive Team to Locate $150K Earring Lost in Lake Lanier. Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones is not hurting for money, but the two-time All-Pro pulled out all the stops to locate a $150,000 earring he lost while riding a jet ski.  Per Brendan Keefe and Christopher Buchanan of WXIA 11 Alive, Jones hired a dive team to scour Lake Lanier for the valuable piece of jewelry after it fell into the water when he hit a boat wake. Unfortunately for Jones, it doesn’t sound like the chances of finding his earring are good.
• CELEBS REACT ON TRANSGENDER
  • LADY GAGA: @ladygaga: The message you have just sent has endangered the lives of people all over the United States and overseas bravely serving our nation @POTUS
  • Caitlyn Jenner says Trump broke his promise to fight for LGBT people
  • DEMI LOVATO: @ddlovato: I just want to tell the transgender  community that I love you and you ARE supported no matter what. #ProtectTransTroops
  • MARK HAMIL (LUKE SKYWALKER/STAR WARS): @HamillHimself: A salute to the 15,000+ transgender patriots now currently serving in the United States Military. #ThankYouLGBT  #TransRightsAreHumanRights
• Justin Bieber hits photographer with pickup truck. (USA Today) — LOS ANGELES — Justin Bieber hit a paparazzo while driving a pickup truck Wednesday night, the Beverly Hills Police Department confirmed. Authorities responded to a radio call just before 9:30 p.m. local time about a car accident involving the pop star and a 57-year-old pedestrian, Beverly Hills Police Sgt. Matthew Stout told USA TODAY. The photographer was transported to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, Stout said. According to police, Bieber “fully cooperated” and was released without receiving a citation.

7am – B/C     INTERVIEW – REP TOM DAVIS — former Virginia congressman, he had children who went to JEB Stuart High

• Tom Davis, a Republican, represented J.E.B. Stuart High School for 14 years while serving on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and represented Virginia’s 11th Congressional District in the House from 1995 to 2008. Two of his children attended J.E.B. Stuart High School.

• TOPIC:  JEB Stuart vote on Thursday
• School Board Votes On J.E.B. Stuart Name Change This Week: FALLS CHURCH, VA—Two years since students at J.E.B. Stuart High School began demanding the Confederate general’s name be removed, the Fairfax County School Board will vote on a name change Thursday. The vote is set, but members still appear divided, the Associated Press reported. The school was named for the Confederate general when it opened in 1959. Some speculate the name was a pointed reaction to desegregation efforts, although it could simply be a way to honor the Confederate military leader.
• DAVIS: There’s no ‘compelling need’ to change the name of J.E.B. Stuart High School.  (Washington Post Opinion) – The proposal to change the name of J.E.B. Stuart High School presents the Fairfax County School Board, in fact the entire community and nation, with a teachable moment. The school board adopted Regulation 8170.7 requiring “sufficient support” and “some compelling need” for a school name change. “Sufficient support” is not defined, nor is “compelling need,” but it is clear, through surveys, that the majority of the Stuart community and the student body do not support a name change. Equally important, the J.E.B. Stuart High School’s Parent Teacher Student Association, service clubs and booster clubs have not stepped forward to support a change. The most important fact is that no “compelling need” has been demonstrated

7am – D         INTERVIEW — REP. MIKE ROGERS – former Michigan congressman, former head of the House Intelligence Committee

• HIS CNN SHOW: National security expert Mike Rogers reveals details about one of the newest threats to US cybersecurity. “Declassified” airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
• HE HAD A RECENT EPISODE OF “DECLASSIFIED” ABOUT RUSSIAN SLEEPER CELLS
• RUSSIA HEARING YESTERDAY: Foreign Agents Take Center Stage In Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing. (NPR) — A senior FBI official said Wednesday the nation is “under relentless assault” from foreign adversaries, as the Senate Judiciary Committee continued its probe into Russia’s interference with last year’s presidential election.
• Sen. Grassley: Fusion GPS Founder Has Agreed To Discuss Trump Dossier. (Daily Caller) — Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Chuck Grassley said on Wednesday that the founder of opposition research firm Fusion GPS has agreed to discuss his involvement with the now-infamous Trump dossier as well as his interactions with the FBI.  Grassley said that he withdrew the subpoena after Simpson agreed to discuss “his involvement in creating the Trump dossier and interactions with the FBI” as well as “his alleged work with the unregistered foreign agents who met with the Trump family and campaign officials.”
• Deal reached to send Russia sanctions bill to Trump’s desk.  (CNN) House and Senate Republicans have reached a deal that is paving the way to send a bill to President Donald Trump’s desk that slaps Russia with new sanctions and limits Trump’s ability to remove them. After a day of trading barbs, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker reached an agreement Wednesday evening on the legislation for new sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea, Corker’s office announced.
• Trump pressures Sessions to replace the acting FBI director. (LA Times) – President Trump ratcheted up pressure on Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions to fire the acting FBI director, who has been a periodic target of conservative attacks.  In two tweets Wednesday morning, Trump criticized Sessions for not replacing Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, whose wife ran for office in Virginia as a Democrat in 2015 and received contributions from the state Democratic Party. “Why didn’t A.G. Sessions replace Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe,” Trump wrote.

7am – E         Melania and Ivanka Trump land on ’50 most beautiful’ list of Washingtonians. First lady Melania Trump and President Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, both landed on a “50 Most Beautiful” list of Washingtonians Wednesday. Three other female White House staffers made the list: White House Domestic Policy Council Zina Bash; Mallory Hunter, executive assistant to Chief of Staff Reince Priebus

8am – A/B/C INTERVIEW — LT. COL TONY SHAFFER – a CIA trained former senior intelligence officer and the New York Times bestselling author of ” Operation Dark Heart.”

• TOPIC:  Trump Says Transgender People Will Not Be Allowed in the Military

8am – D         OBAMACARE NEWS:

• Senate rejects repeal-only ObamaCare plan. Senators on Wednesday rejected a key proposal that would repeal much of ObamaCare, despite intense pressure from conservatives. Senators voted 55-45 against an amendment from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) that would repeal the Affordable Care Act and give lawmakers two years to come up with a replacement. GOP Sens. Lamar Alexander (Tenn.), Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), Susan Collins (Maine), Dean Heller (Nev.), John McCain (Ariz.), Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Rob Portman (Ohio) joined all Democrats and independents in voting no.
• Health care debate: Senate vote-a-rama and the ‘skinny bill’ (CNN) —    Thursday is expected to hold the famous US Senate process known as vote-a-rama.     Throughout the week, Democratic aides said they were fully prepared to flood the zone. Washington (CNN)The Senate will enter the home stretch of a dramatic debate to overhaul Obamacare on Thursday, with lawmakers bracing for what could be a long and grueling marathon series of votes that extends well into the night and morning. And the text of the GOP plan — what is expected to be a so-called “skinny bill” that rolls back Obamcare’s individual and employer mandates — remains unseen by senators or the public.
• PATHETIC: McCain, Alexander, Portman, Murkowski voted AGAINST straight repeal bill they had voted for when Obama was prez.
• 7 GOP no votes on straight repeal:

• Alexander (TN)
• Capito (WV)
• Collins (ME)
• Heller (NV)
• McCain (AZ)
• Murkowski (AK)
• Portman (OH)

8am – E         MOOCH UPDATE:

• Scaramucci tells Hannity: Senior people are leaking… I’m hermetically sealing the communications department from that. Anthony Scaramucci on Wednesday doubled down on his war on White House leaks, warning he will root out the senior White House staff who are asking “junior people to leak for them.”  “I know I’m in a cesspool called Washington, or a swamp called Washington, so it will be virtually impossible to get rid of every leak, but I think we can take dramatic steps,” the newly appointed White House communications director told Fox News host Sean Hannity.  Those dramatic steps could include more firings among the staff, he said. He noted the resignation of White House press aide Michael Short on Tuesday.
• Scaramucci: ‘I’m more of a front-stabbing person’ compared to DC backstabbers (The Hill) – New White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci said on Fox News Wednesday that he’s “more of a front-stabbing person” as opposed to those in Washington who “take a shiv or a machete and stab you in the back.” The perspective comes after “Fox & Friends” co-host Ainsley Earhardt asked Scaramucci if President Trump will continue calling out Republican lawmakers by name, such as Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). Murkowski voted no on Tuesday to bring up debate on a bill repealing portions of ObamaCare, prompting the president to criticize her on Twitter early Wednesday. “Senator @lisamurkowski of the Great State of Alaska really let the Republicans, and our country, down yesterday. Too bad!” Trump wrote to his 34.5 million followers. “The right thing to do is stand side-by-side with the president, so when you’re not doing that, imagine you’re a football coach in the locker room, do you think you’re gonna get chewed a little bit?” Scaramucci continued. “To me, that’s a classic New Yorker letting you know how you feel.” “What I don’t like about Washington is that people don’t let you know how they feel,” he added. “They’re very nice to your face and then they take a shiv or a machete and stab you in the back.” “I’m a Wall Street guy. I’m more of a front-stabbing person,” he concluded.