Trevor Matich, J.B. Gates, Katie Pavlich and Bret Baier joined WMAL on Friday!

Mornings on the Mall

Friday, September 1, 2017

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

5am – A/B/C   Owners must surgically ‘debark’ loud dogs, court rules. The Oregon Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that a southern Oregon couple must quiet their incessantly barking dogs by sending them to the vet to have their voices surgically squelched. The Appeals Court ruled “debarking” surgery is an appropriate solution to a noisy and relentless problem that neighbors living next to the dogs have had to endure for more than a decade on their rural property outside Grants Pass.  Debarking operations, also known as devocalization, are highly controversial. Groups such as the Oregon Humane Society and American Humane have spoken out against them. Six states have outlawed the procedure under certain circumstances, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. The surgery involves cutting the vocal cords. Opponents say removing a dog or cat’s prime means of communication is cruel and unnecessary. Proponents say if done correctly, it can save problematic animals from being euthanized and still allow them to express themselves with a soft, raspy bark or muffled squeak.

5am – D/E     SPLC:

• Southern Poverty Law Center Transfers Millions in Cash to Offshore Entities. Left-wing nonprofit pays lucrative six-figure salaries to top management. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), a liberal, Alabama-based 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization that has gained prominence on the left for its “hate group” designations, pushes millions of dollars to offshore entities as part of its business dealings, records show.
• SPLC Says Army Bases Are Confederate Monuments That Need To Come Down. The Southern Poverty Law Center has declared three of America’s largest Army bases Confederate monuments “with the potential to unleash more turmoil and bloodshed” if activists don’t “take down” the Army bases.
• The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has now branded hundreds of counties, cities, schools and U.S. military bases as potential catalysts to “unleash more turmoil and bloodshed” – because of their names.

6am – A         HILLARY NEWS:

• Sens. Grassley and Graham say evidence suggests Comey’s decision not to file charges against Clinton was ‘prejudged’ (Politico) – Former FBI Director James Comey began drafting a statement rejecting the idea of criminal charges against Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton over her private email account about two months or more before Clinton was interviewed in the FBI probe, according to partial transcripts of interviews released Thursday by two Republican senators. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Sen. Lindsey Graham said they obtained the transcripts from the Office of Special Counsel, a government watchdog agency that launched an investigation into whether Comey’s actions violated a federal law against government employees engaging in political activity while on duty.
• COMEY PLANNED ON PARDONING HILLARY BEFORE THE INTERVIEWS WERE COMPLETE: (CBS News) –  Fired FBI Director James Comey drafted a statement to announce the conclusion in the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server before the FBI interviewed key witnesses, including Hillary Clinton herself, top Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee claim.  Committee chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, reached that conclusion from transcripts of interviews with people close to Comey and provided by the Department of Justice’s Office of Special Counsel (OSC). Those transcripts, the Republicans said in a Thursday letter to current FBI Director Chris Wray, show Comey had already drafted a conclusion for his investigation before interviewing 17 key witnesses, including Clinton, and before the DOJ had reached immunity agreements with former Clinton aides Cheryl Mills and Heather Samuelson.
• CONFIRMED: Comey Decided He Wasn’t Going to Refer Hillary For Prosecution Long Before FBI Investigation Was (Katie Pavlich/TownHall) – According to new transcripts released by the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday afternoon, former FBI Director James Comey made the decision not to refer then Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for prosecution long before ever interviewing key witnesses. Members of the Committee allege Comey made the decision months before FBI agents were finished with the criminal investigation into her mishandling of classified information during her time as Secretary of State.  The transcripts were revealed in a letter sent to current FBI Director Christopher Wray, in which lawmakers are demanding an explanation and more documents surrounding the case.

6am – B         Student Recites Pledge of Allegiance in English & Spanish to Kick Off Kamala Harris Town Hall. (Breitbart) – A fifth-grade student from the elementary school that Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) attended kicked off Harris’ Oakland town hall event on Wednesday by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in English and Spanish. Harris announced at the event that she intends to co-sponsor Sen. Bernie Sanders’ (I-VT) single-payer “Medicare-for-all” healthcare bill. She spoke about issues regarding racial and social justice, passionately defended former President Barack Obama’s executive amnesty programs, and got the ball rolling on mobilizing various communities to ensure that they are properly counted in the 2020 Census. She implied that President Donald Trump may not care about the 2020 Census after highlighting that Trump has not named his pick to be the new Census director.

6am – C         VDOT supervisors accused of accepting bribes to award snow-removal contracts. (WTOP) — WASHINGTON — Two Virginia Department of Transportation supervisors are accused of accepting thousands of dollars in bribes from the owners of trucking companies who received snow-removal contracts totaling more than $9 million. Anthony “Andy” Willie, 54, of Culpeper, and Kenneth “Kenny” Duane Adams, 41, of Fairfax, were arrested Thursday and charged with conspiracy and fraud, federal prosecutors in Alexandria announced. In addition, four Northern Virginia trucking company owners were arrested and are facing federal fraud and conspiracy charges. The maximum sentence for all the charges is 20 years in prison. Prosecutors said the two VDOT supervisors, who worked in an office in Burke, Virginia, negotiated the bribe agreements with the company owners.  Under the arrangement, the company owners agreed to pay Willie and Adams a flat rate out of their hourly contracts as bribes in exchange for receiving the snow-removal contracts, which amounted to $9.1 million between 2013 and 2016. All told, Willie and Adams pocketed approximately $140,000 in exchange for awarding the contracts, prosecutors said.

6am – D         INTERVIEW – TREVOR MATICH – WMAL’s Redskins analyst

— RECAP Redskins last preseason game – Skins vs Buccs & preview the season

• Buccaneers vs Redskins, NFL Preseason @ Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
• Washington Redskins (2-2)  13 – 10  Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3)
• Redskins beat Buccaneers 13-10 to finish preseason. TAMPA, Fla. — Ready or not, here come the Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With every starter, and many key reserves, sitting out on both sides, the Redskins dominated statistically for much of a preseason finale in which neither team was able to get the ball into the end zone until Josh Harvey-Clemons scored on an interception return with less than six minutes remaining in a 13-10 victory Thursday night.

6am – E         CRIME NEWS:

• 5 men with ties to MS-13 arrested in slaying of Md. Teen. WASHINGTON — Five men have been arrested in connection with the death of a Montgomery County teen whose remains were found in Woodbridge, Virginia, two years ago. Police in Prince William County said four men — located in Indiana, New Jersey and Texas earlier this month — have been charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of 19-year-old Guillermo Hernandez Leyva. A fifth man, who has been charged with accessory to murder before the fact, was located in Montgomery County. Prince William County Police said the suspects and Hernandez Levya had ties to the MS-13 street gang.
• Man wanted for firing at victim on escalator at Columbia Heights Metro station taken into custody. (Fox 5 DC) – WASHINGTON – A man wanted for firing a gun at a person on an escalator at the Columbia Heights Metro station in Washington D.C. last week has been taken into custody in Maryland, police say. Montgomery County Police Capt. Paul Starks confirmed that 22-year-old Cesar Morales was apprehended Thursday night. No further details were given. Morales was wanted for assault with a dangerous weapon after D.C. police say he was seen on surveillance video chasing after a victim in the 1400 block of Irving Street in Northwest D.C. at around 12:15 p.m. Friday. Surveillance video shows the suspect pulling out a handgun and pointing it at the victim after they both reach the escalator. The suspect fires one gunshot before running away the area. The victim also fled the scene.

6am – F         Google Issues Ultimatum to Conservative Website: Remove ‘Hateful’ Article or Lose Ad Revenue. (PJ Media) — On Tuesday evening, Google sent a conservative website an ultimatum: remove one of your articles, or lose the ability to make ad revenue on your website. The website was strong-armed into removing the content, and then warned that the page was “just an example and that the same violations may exist on other pages of this website.” “Yesterday morning, we received a very bizarre letter from Google issuing us an ultimatum,” Shane Trejo, media relations director of the Republican Liberty Caucus of Michigan, wrote on The Liberty Conservative. “Either we were to remove a particular article or see all of our ad revenues choked off in an instant. This is the newest method that Big Brother is using to enforce thought control.” The ultimatum came in the form of an email from Google’s ad placement service AdSense. The email specifically listed an article on The Liberty Conservative’s site, stating that the article violated AdSense’s policies.

7am – A         INTERVIEW – JAMES “J.B.” GATES – local gunshop owner of NOVA Firearms

• A Facebook post accuses a McClean gunshop owner of participating in the KKK’s rally in Charlottsville. The owner says a correction came too late. A McClean gunshop owner thinks an accusatory Facebook post may have cost him a lease for a new space. After the violent rally in Charlottsville, someone posted a picture on facebook of a man at the rally draped in a confederate flag and claiming it was Nova Firearms owner JB Gates. Gates says the day after the post was made he got an email from the property owner saying the landlords decided not to lease to a gun shop. Parents have been protesting the store’s location near an elementary school for years. Jane Strauss represents the area on the Fairfax County School Board.  A Facebook post accuses a McClean gunshop owner of participating in the KKK’s rally in Charlottsville. The owner says a correction came too late. The accusatory facebook post was made on August 13. At the time Nova Firearms owner J.B. Gates was in the end stages of formalizing a lease for a new shop in McClean. But the day after the post came out

7am – B         HURRICANE NEWS:

• Trump to donate $1 million to Texas recovery. Washington (CNN)President Donald Trump will donate $1 million of his fortune to recovery efforts in Texas, though the White House says he hasn’t determined which group or groups will receive the contribution. “He would like to join in the efforts that a lot of people we have seen across the country do,” press secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at the White House, saying the funds would come from the President’s “personal money.”
• CITY LOSES WATER SUPPLY: A major hospital in Beaumont is evacuating Thursday morning after the entire city lost its water supply.  The city of 118,000 lost its two water pumps that supply pressure the system.
• PIZZA HUT DELIVERS: Hurricane Harvey victims in one Sugar Land neighborhood got surprise servings of Pizza Hut pizzas on Tuesday after workers delivered the pizzas by kayak. Shayda Habib, the manager of Pizza Hut on West Airport, said she made the decision to deliver pizzas after one of her shift managers told her people in the Village of Oak Lake neighborhood were hungry and low on food. “We packed 120 pizzas into kayaks and took them out to people in their homes,” Habib said. “The people in the houses didn’t expect us to come. It was so nice to see their smiles after so much gloom.”
• Harvey, holiday price hikes causing pain at the pumps: ANNAPOLIS, Md. (ABC7) — It’s a sight playing out across the state of Texas—long lines, as people wait, sometimes hours, to get gas. Refineries were shut down as the storm approached.
• Major gasoline pipeline that supplies DC and New York to shut down. The imminent shutdown is expected to cause fuel shortages and price spikes. Gasoline prices are rising steadily on both the spot and futures markets, meaning prices are going up and are unlikely to settle for some time. Colonial confirmed the closure that began in small increments on Wednesday and through the night into Thursday. Diesel and jet fuel deliveries were suspended last night. The gasoline delivery portion of the pipeline complex will be shut down later on Thursday. Gasoline Line 1 had been working at reduced capacity over the last few days, but due to damage, flooding and a large chunk of refinery capacity offline, it will have to be closed until assessment and repairs are made, the company said.

7am – C         Apple Will Unveil New iPhones on Sept. 12. CALIFORNIA — (CNN) iPhone users awaiting the arrival of Apple’s next-generation smartphone now have a date to circle on the calendar. Apple will hold its annual product launch — where it typically shows off new iPhone models and other product updates — on Tuesday September 12. This year is expected to be a big one for Apple, since 2017 marks the 10-year anniversary of the iPhone. Rumors indicate the company will introduce three new devices at the event: the iPhone 7S, iPhone 7S Plus and the so-called iPhone 8, which will be the 10th anniversary edition. The iPhone 7S line is expected to feature incremental updates, but the anniversary phone could get a whole new look. Apple CEO Tim Cook was recently photographed with a taller iPhone in his pocket, which lines up with rumors that it’ll come with a 5.8 inch display. To put that into perspective, the iPhone 7 is 4.7 inches and the iPhone 7 Plus is 5.5 inches. The anniversary device is also expected to include an OLED display that has richer colors, wireless charging, a virtual home button and facial recognition technology.

7am – D         DACA

• White House discussing whether DACA deadline can be moved. Washington (CNN)The Trump administration is looking to buy itself time on a decision on a popular program that protects young undocumented immigrants, especially amid the extensive destruction of Hurricane Harvey. The White House is looking at whether the state attorneys general who are pushing for a decision on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program would be willing to extend their deadline of September 5 for action from Trump, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
• Trump expected to announce end to Obama-era DACA, official says  (FOX News) — President Trump, as early as Friday, is expected to announce plans to end the Obama administration program that gave a deportation reprieve to hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants, a senior administration official told Fox News. Trump promised to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, during the presidential campaign — but since taking office had left the door open to preserving parts of it.
• SANDERS DENIES DECISION HAS BEEN MADE: White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders declined to confirm the Fox News report on Thursday afternoon. A “final decision on this has not been made … it has not been finalized.
• ZUCKERBERG STUDY FINDS ENDING DACA WOULD OPEN UP 700,000 JOBS.  A study by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s open borders organization revealed that if an Obama-created amnety program for young illegal aliens is ended, it would open nearly 700,000 American jobs.

7am – E         Mnuchin: Treasury could scrap plans to replace Jackson on $20 bill. (The Hill) – Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday that the Treasury Department could scrap plans finalized under President Barack Obama to replace President Andrew Jackson on the front of the $20 bill with Harriet Tubman. Mnuchin told CNBC that he’s not focused on the planned currency changes, and wouldn’t commit to following through on them. He said the primary reason the Treasury changes the design of bills is to prevent counterfeiting, something Obama administration officials also emphasized when announcing the changes in April 2016. “It’s not something that I’m focused on at the moment” Mnuchin said. “The issues of why we change it will be primarily related to what we need to do for security purposes.”

8am – A         INTERVIEW — KATIE PAVLICH -the Editor at Townhall.com

• Donald J. Trump‏ @realDonaldTrump 5m5 minutes ago: Wow, looks like James Comey exonerated Hillary Clinton long before the investigation was over…and so much more. A rigged system! 1,958 replies 1,662 retweets 4,940 likes 7:56 AM – 1 Sep 2017

• CONFIRMED: Comey Decided He Wasn’t Going to Refer Hillary For Prosecution Long Before FBI Investigation Was (Katie Pavlich/TownHall) – According to new transcripts released by the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday afternoon, former FBI Director James Comey made the decision not to refer then Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton for prosecution long before ever interviewing key witnesses. Members of the Committee allege Comey made the decision months before FBI agents were finished with the criminal investigation into her mishandling of classified information during her time as Secretary of State.  The transcripts were revealed in a letter sent to current FBI Director Christopher Wray, in which lawmakers are demanding an explanation and more documents surrounding the case.

8am – B         CNN Host W. Kamau Bell Spoke At Antifa Rally (Daily Caller) — CNN host W. Kamau Bell spoke at the “No Hate In The Bay” rally in Berkeley, California, over the weekend that featured Antifa violence. The rally was organized in opposition to a “Patriot Prayer” event led by founder Joey Gibson, who has vehemently denounced neo-Nazis and white supremacists. The black-clad antifa protesters chased the small number of “Patriot Prayer” attendees out of the park and threatened and attacked right-wingers and journalists. Bell, a comedian who hosts the CNN program “United Shades of America,” spoke at the rally and said, “when the Nazis leave, as they have left…you have to stand up for the brown people, the black people, the LGBT people, the immigrants–everybody everyday!”

8am – C         Four companies selected to build prototypes for Trump’s border wall. (Fox News) — As President Trump battles with Congress over funding, four companies have been selected by the federal government to build concrete prototypes of the president’s long-promised wall along the border with Mexico. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Thursday that Caddell Construction Company of Montgomery, Ala.; Fisher Sand & Gravel of Tempe, Ariz.; Texas Sterling Construction Company of Houston, Texas; and WG Yates and Sons Construction of Philadelphia, Miss. have been awarded contracts. The agency issued requests for proposals in March for multiple prototypes. “Through the construction of prototypes, we are partnering with the industry to identify the best way to build new and replacement infrastructure along our border before we make further investments,” Customs and Border Protection Acting Deputy Commissioner Ronald Vitiello said during a Thursday press conference.

8am – D         INTERVIEW – BRET BAIER – ANCHOR of SPECIAL REPORT on FOX NEWS CHANNEL

• White House discussing whether DACA deadline can be moved. Washington (CNN)The Trump administration is looking to buy itself time on a decision on a popular program that protects young undocumented immigrants, especially amid the extensive destruction of Hurricane Harvey. The White House is looking at whether the state attorneys general who are pushing for a decision on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program would be willing to extend their deadline of September 5 for action from Trump, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
• Trump expected to announce end to Obama-era DACA, official says  (FOX News) — President Trump, as early as Friday, is expected to announce plans to end the Obama administration program that gave a deportation reprieve to hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants, a senior administration official told Fox News. Trump promised to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, during the presidential campaign — but since taking office had left the door open to preserving parts of it.
• MENENDEZ: New Jersey Senator Menendez’s graft trial could sway D.C. power balance. NEW YORK (Reuters) – More than two years after U.S. Senator Bob Menendez was indicted on federal corruption charges, the New Jersey Democrat finally faces trial next week in a case whose verdict could sway the balance of power in Washington. Menendez, 63, is accused of taking bribes, including luxury trips and campaign contributions, from a wealthy patron since shortly after he was first elected to the Senate in 2006. He has denied any wrongdoing, and his lawyer, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement that the senator “is in good spirits, has faith in the American system of justice, and is confident that when all the facts are heard, he will be vindicated.” Menendez is running for re-election next year despite the charges. If he is convicted, he would face significant pressure to resign, and the Republican-controlled Senate could seek to expel him. His replacement, at least until January, would be named by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, a Republican and ally of President Donald Trump. That would add to the Republicans’ 52-48 Senate majority only months after their bid to repeal former President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare law failed by a single vote.
• CONGRESS COMES BACK NEXT WEEK — what to expect?

8am – E         Two Robbers Walk Into The Wrong Bar — Where Police Are Partying. Two masked men walked into a bar in the Baltimore area Tuesday evening and approached the carryout counter, demanding cash. A group of Baltimore County police officers were celebrating the retirement of a longtime sergeant in the next room at Monaghan’s Pub. Several of the officers chased the robbers and arrested Joseph McInnis III and Tyree McCoyand. They were charged with armed robbery, theft and related offenses. “It’s kind of odd you would even attempt it,” restaurant owner Jack Milani told The Baltimore Sun. “[Officers] are always in here. There was a decent amount of them.” The bar is around the corner from the Baltimore County Police Department precinct station.