Joe Concha, Larry Michael, Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer and Josh Kraushaar joined WMAL on Friday!

Mornings on the Mall

Friday, September 15, 2017

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

5am – A/B/C   DACA Controversy: Why Did You Vote For President Trump? Do You Feel He’s Stayed True To The Issues You Voted Him For?

5am – D         ESPN FORGIVES ONE HOST, FIRES ANOTHER STAFFER: ESPN, the network that’s standing by their writer and former host Jemele Hill after she went on a Twitter tirade earlier this week accusing President Donald Trump of being a white “supremacist” and calling his supporters racists, has reportedly suspended longtime SportsCenter anchor Linda Cohn, a female pioneer in the world of sports journalism for the past three decades, for daring to say the network is moving away from straight sports coverage and embracing politics.

ESPN says it accepts Jemele Hill’s apology after anti-Trump tweets. ESPN host Jemele Hill’s tweet calling President Trump a “white supremacist” earned a stinging rebuke from Trump’s press secretary on Wednesday. From the White House podium, Sarah Sanders said Hill’s criticism of the president was a “fireable offense by ESPN.”  It was a highly unusual moment — a White House official seemingly recommending that a Trump critic be booted from a television network. Trump aides have pressured media executives about anti-Trump commentators in the past, but those complaints were made in private. This time it was on-camera for all to see. Many people strongly defended Hill’s comments, while many other people strongly condemned her and the network that employs her. At the end of the day on Wednesday, Hill issued a new statement, not about what Sanders said, but about the overall controversy. “My comments on Twitter expressed my personal beliefs,” Hill said. “My regret is that my comments and the public way I made them painted ESPN in an unfair light. My respect for the company and my colleagues remains unconditional.” A few minutes later, ESPN issued a followup statement: “Jemele has a right to her personal opinions, but not to publicly share them on a platform that implies that she was in any way speaking on behalf of ESPN. She has acknowledged that her tweets crossed that line and has apologized for doing so. We accept her apology.”

5am – E         EQUIFAX NEWS:

• Government warns of phishing scams after massive Equifax data breach. The government is warning Americans about scammers looking to capitalize on the recent Equifax data breach through fraudulent emails or phone calls.  The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued an alert Thursday warning consumers to beware of phone calls from individuals purporting to be Equifax representatives asking for account or personal information. “Don’t tell them anything,” the alert says. “That’s just one scam you might see after Equifax’s recent data breach.”
• FTC probes Equifax, top Democrat likens it to Enron. WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Federal Trade Commission said on Thursday it was investigating Equifax Inc’s massive data breach, and a top Democrat suggested the credit-monitoring company’s corporate leaders might need to resign.  Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer compared Equifax to Enron, the U.S. energy company that filed for bankruptcy in 2001 after revelations of a widespread accounting fraud. “It’s one of the most egregious examples of corporate malfeasances since Enron,” Schumer said, calling Equifax’s treatment of consumers “disgusting” and its inability to protect data “deeply troubling.”
• CNBC’s Jim Cramer: Equifax CEO “should be fired today.” CNBC Mad Money host Jim Cramer said today that Equifax CEO Richard Smith should be fired after the huge data breach last week: “What does it take to get fired in this country? I mean this was, you blame it on them, you blame it on the offensive line, you’re the head coach. Honestly, he should be fired.”
• Why it matters: The breach could affect as many as 143 million American citizens, and 40 states have begun investigating the incident, according to CNBC. Smith is testifying on October 3 before a House panel. Rep. Greg Walden and Rep. Bob Latta said they looked forward to hearing from Smith, as the breach “has raised serious questions about the security of consumers’ personal information.”

6am – A/B/C Conservatives Outraged Over Alleged DACA Deal:

• Ann Coulter: ‘If We’re Not Getting a Wall, I’d Prefer President Pence’
• Trump die-hards divided over DACA deal. Breitbart calls him ‘Amnesty Don,’ but other conservatives say they’re open to helping Dreamers.

• Tucker Sounds The Alarm: GOP In Danger Of Collapsing Over Immigration Betrayals
• REP. Steve King: “Trump base is blown up, destroyed, irreparable, and disillusioned beyond repair”

6am – D         Hero grandpa steps up, removes man jumping from roof to roof. An elderly grandfather threw a man off his roof, ending an hours-long standoff in which the agitated suspect jumped from home to home in a La Puente neighborhood on Tuesday. LA PUENTE, Calif. (KABC) –An elderly grandfather threw a man off his roof, ending an hours-long standoff in which the agitated suspect jumped from home to home in a La Puente neighborhood on Tuesday. The suspect was on top of homes in the 14000 block of Beckner Street for hours, refusing commands from deputies and crisis negotiators asking him to come down. Capt. Tim Murakami of the Industry sheriff’s station said the standoff ended when 83-year-old homeowner Wilford Burgess “got tired of his games and pushed him off.”

Stand off w/man jumping on roof tops ended by 83 yr old man who got tired of his games and pushed him off The grandpa did what we couldn’t

— Captain Tim Murakami (@IndustryCaptain) September 13, 2017

Burgess told Eyewitness News he was determined to get the man off of his home. “You come to my house, you don’t have to worry about him because I’ll be all over it ’cause I’m going to load up,” he said. Burgess said he took his neighbor’s ladder and told deputies he was climbing onto the roof.

6am – E         DC socialite worries the hexes she put on people might have killed them. (Fox News) –  longtime Washington socialite is raising eyebrows with her new book on spirituality as she claims the hexes she put on three people in the past may have led to their deaths. Sally Quinn – a journalist who was famously married to Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee – admits to being an Occultist in her new “spiritual memoir” titled Finding Magic. Quinn says she feels guilty about her hexes and won’t do them anymore. She also says she refuses to cast a spell on President Trump as some of her friends have asked. “Believe me, since Trump was elected, and since the election, I can’t tell you how many friends have asked me to put a hex on Donald Trump, and I won’t do it,” Quinn said in a book interview with USA Today. “I just said no. I don’t do that anymore.” Quinn also claims all the women in her family are psychic. She said her mother also put hexes on two people who died.

6am – F         LONDON TERROR ATTACK

• London Underground: ‘Terror incident’ at Parsons Green station. London (CNN) London’s Metropolitan Police are investigating a Tube incident which has shut down part of a busy London Underground line as terrorism. It’s not yet clear what caused the security alert, which occurred at about 8:20 a.m. local time (3:20 a.m. ET) at the height of rush hour on a busy commuter line into central London. But witnesses told CNN they heard announcements from officials that “some kind of explosion” had occurred on a train at Parsons Green Tube station.
• London Subway Explosion: 18 People Taken To Hospital After Apparent Attack. (NPR) – London’s Metropolitan Police are investigating an explosion that struck a subway station Monday morning as a terrorism incident. “We can confirm we have taken 18 patients to hospital following the incident at Parsons Green underground station,” said Natasha Wills, of the London Ambulance Service. No deaths have been reported as a result of the blast, which seems to have left a small fire burning in a bucket inside a train car.
• Theresa May to chair emergency Cobra meeting at 1pm today in wake of London Tube attack. Theresa May will chair a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee at lunchtime today over the attempted terrorist attack on a London Underground train. The Prime Minister said on Twitter: “My thoughts are with those injured at Parsons Green and emergency services who are responding bravely to this terrorist incident.” The attack was also  condemned by US president Donald Trump, who suggested the Metropolitan Police knew who the identity of the terrorists but had not acted in time.
• TRUMP TWEETS ON LONDON ATTACK:
• Donald J. Trump‏ @realDonaldTrump 56m56 minutes ago: We have made more progress in the last nine months against ISIS than the Obama Administration has made in 8 years.Must be proactive & nasty!
• Donald J. Trump‏ @realDonaldTrump 1h1 hour ago: Loser terrorists must be dealt with in a much tougher manner.The internet is their main recruitment tool which we must cut off & use better!
• Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump 1h1 hour ago: Another attack in London by a loser terrorist.These are sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard. Must be proactive!

7am – A         After backlash, Harvard rescinds Chelsea Manning’s visiting fellow invitation, calling it a ‘mistake’ (Washington Post)  – Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government rescinded a visiting fellowship offered to Chelsea Manning, the former military intelligence analyst who spent seven years in prison for leaking classified government secrets, after the university faced forceful backlash from CIA Director Mike Pompeo among others. “I now think that designating Chelsea Manning as a Visiting Fellow was a mistake, for which I accept responsibility,” Douglas W. Elmendorf, the school’s dean, wrote in a 700-word statement released shortly after midnight Friday. Manning was one of four visiting fellows announced two days earlier by the Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics. As part of the program, visiting fellows appear on Harvard’s campus for speaking engagements and events, interacting with undergraduate students on “topical issues of today,” the school’s initial announcement explained. Elmendorf decided to withdraw the invitation after realizing that “many people view a Visiting Fellow title as an honorific,” though the school had not intended to “honor [Manning] in any way or to endorse any of her words or deeds.” She is still welcome to spend a day at the Kennedy School and speak at the school’s John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum, the dean said. “I apologize to her and to the many concerned people from whom I have heard today for not recognizing upfront the full implications of our original invitation,” Elmendorf added. Manning’s website generates an automatic response to media requests and indicates she’s not giving interviews. On Twitter, however, she accused the school of suppressing “marginalized voices” and caving to pressure from the CIA.

7am – B         TV NEWS:

• Oprah Winfrey’s ’60 Minutes’ debut to kick off season 50. Winfrey, Who Cut Her Teeth In Baltimore News, Joins ’60 Minutes’ For 50th Anniversary.  NEW YORK (AP) — CBS’ “60 Minutes,” the newsmagazine that can credit consistency for much of its success as it enters its 50th anniversary year, is about to see a major change with the addition of Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey will debut Sept. 24, reporting on a story about America’s political divisions.It’s a testament to the power of the Sunday-night newsmagazine that it seeks to absorb one of television’s biggest stars into its fabric instead of the other way around. One of the medium’s best-known celebrity interviewers will do some, but will largely work against type in reporting stories, said Jeff Fager, the show’s executive producer. “She wants to do stories with impact,” he said. “She’s driven by that and so are we. That’s part of why this is such a good fit for her.”
• “Spicer delivered Kimmel’s highest ratings on any night in six months….” (Deadline) — As President Donald Trump has pointed out, Sean Spicer is a ratings magnet. The long-suffering White House press secretary’s sit-down with Jimmy Kimmel put ABC’s late-night show on top in the metered markets last night. Spicer delivered Kimmel’s highest ratings on any night in six months, excluding episodes fueled by NBA Finals lead-ins. Among Wednesday night editions, it was  Jimmy Kimmel Live’s best showing in eight months. Spicer out-clocked NBC’s Tonight Show by 17% in homes (2.1/6 vs. 1.8/5).
• Hallmark Channel isn’t winning Emmys, but red states love it. (LA Times) – At the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards on Sunday, Hollywood glitterati probably will bestow TV’s highest honors on dark, edgy programming such as the dystopian dramas “Westworld” on HBO and Hulu’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Conspicuously absent from the show will be the kind of light, family-friendly series and romantic comedies — the TV equivalent of a warm bubble bath — that populate the Hallmark Channel. The cable network, owned by the Kansas City, Mo., greeting card giant, is routinely ignored by TV industry members who vote on the Emmys. Hallmark’s appeal is strongest in the Midwest and the South. Though the channel’s programming is politically agnostic, if you highlighted its strongholds in red on a map, it would look a lot like the electoral college results in the 2016 election. Ratings for Hallmark programs are higher by 50% or more outside of the top 10 TV markets that include blue state centers New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and Chicago, according to Nielsen data for 2017. Hallmark isn’t the only channel that has tapped into the programming divide. Discovery Communications’ TLC also is picking up viewers with programs that cater to middle America. TV viewers who said they voted for Trump are more likely to favor shows that depict traditional family values. They prefer male leads and heroes who are not conflicted and “tend to do the right thing,” according to the study. They are likely to tune out entertainment shows with depictions of gay people in sexual situations, negative portrayals of religion and political humor.

7am – C         Denny’s Diners questionable new mascot is being roasted on Twitter. (Fox News) – Denny’s has released a new mascot, and it’s getting a crappy reception. The nationwide diner revealed its newest addition to the Denny’s team – a smiling breakfast sausage link with arms and legs, wearing a fedora hat – earlier this summer, and the social media feedback hasn’t been kind.

AmericanPropagandist @ArmyStrang: The Dennys turd is here with lunch 1:07 PM – Sep 9, 2017

On Twitter, users have been relentlessly taking pot shots at the chain, universally likening the new character to feces. One user indelicately called the mascot “a turd in a fedora.” Another said he reminded them of a “South Park” character, Mr. Hankey – which others agreed.

7am – D         INTERVIEW – JOE CONCHA – Media Reporter, The Hill

TOPICS:

• DACA coverage
• ‘Amnesty Don’ goes viral after Breitbart slams reported Trump deal with Democrats.  The hashtag “AmnestyDon” was a top trending topic on Twitter in Washington, D.C., Wednesday following reports of President Trump’s agreement to work with Democratic leaders to give amnesty to nearly 800,000 immigrants who came to the country illegally as children. “Amnesty Don” is the headline of a Breitbart News story slamming the president for working with Democrats on the deal.
• Drudge labels Trump, Pelosi ‘Dream Team’
• Laura Ingraham scolds Trump: ‘When does American working class’ get amnesty?

ESPN host

• ESPN says it accepts Jemele Hill’s apology after anti-Trump tweets
• Donald J. Trump‏ @realDonaldTrump 13m13 minutes ago: ESPN is paying a really big price for its politics (and bad programming). People are dumping it in RECORD numbers. Apologize for untruth!

CLINTON’s BOOK TOUR / CLINTON rips media:

• Hillary Clinton: I Wanted to Make Voodoo Dolls of Reporters, Lawmakers and Stick Them with Pins
• Hillary Clinton pounds NY Times for ‘schizophrenic’ email coverage
• Hillary Clinton: Democrats Have Media ‘Disadvantage’ Thanks to Breitbart News

7am – E         INTERVIEW – LARRY MICHAEL – Voice of The Redskins

• Washington Redskins vs Los Angeles Rams / Sunday, September 17, 4:25 PM on FOX / L. A. Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
• Redskins head to LA familiar with Rams’ McVay. LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay will welcome some old friends to the Los Angeles Coliseum on Sunday. After watching nearly everything go right in their 46-9 demolition of the Indianapolis Colts, the Rams (1-0) will face a Washington Redskins team trying to avoid an 0-2 start. McVay spent seven seasons with Washington, including the last three as offensive coordinator, during which time he helped develop quarterback Kirk Cousins. It’s safe to say he knows a little bit about the team’s offense.

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

• North Korea Launches Another Missile, Escalating Crisis.
• London Underground: ‘Terror incident’ at Parsons Green station.
• London Subway Explosion: 18 People Taken To Hospital After Apparent Attack.

8am – B/C     INTERVIEW — JOSH KRAUSHAAR – is the political editor for National Journal – discussed the debate over DACA and Harvard rescinding Chelsea Manning’s visiting fellow invitation, calling it a ‘mistake.’

• Trump Disarms His Party’s Hardliners. The president is finding out he’s the only Republican who can take on his base while working with Democrats—and not suffer much at all. (Josh Kraushaar @HotlineJosh / National Journal) – “If nothing else, President Trump’s first eight months in office are a fascinating political-science experiment. How resilient are the country’s judicial checks and balances, if a president devises sloppy executive orders testing the limits of his authority? (Very.) How much chaos are Republicans willing to take in the service of a president in the same party? (A lot.) What are the campaign consequences of a president opposing a respected senator from his own party? (Severe, for any Republican member of Congress who dares break from the Trump White House.) But this week brought the most consequential test yet: What happens when a president turns on his base, and embraces the Democratic leadership on the main issue that propelled him into the White House? Trump’s stunning about-face on immigration, pledging to protect the DREAMer population without any guarantees that he’ll get his Mexico wall, is already sending shockwaves through the Republican Party. Could this be Trump’s Nixon-to-China moment, defusing an issue that has bitterly divided the GOP? Or will his base finally defect over a litmus-test issue that has humbled many otherwise-conservative Republicans? Is Trumpism a nationalist-populist ideology that is poised to overrun the Republican Party’s traditional conservatism? Or is it a personality cult that will only last as long as Trump’s presidency?”

8am – D         Conservative Outrage Over The Alleged DACA Deal With Dems

8am – E         Ben Shapiro speaks at UC Berkeley despite arrests and protests. (Fox News) – Conservative star Ben Shapiro spoke at the University of California at Berkeley on Thursday night amid extraordinary security measures – costing around $600,000 – prompted by fears of an outburst by violent agitators possibly descending on the campus. All the precautions were to ensure that the 33-year-old conservative could deliver a speech on a college campus that was home to the Free Speech Movement in the 1960s. The scene was a stark change from Shapiro’s 2016 UC Berkeley talk, where the security costs were minimal. “No violence, no nothing. And now we are spending well into six figures so that I can say many of the same things. It’s utterly absurd,” Shapiro told the audience Thursday. Metal detectors, concrete barriers and police barricades put the campus on effective lockdown. But the violent protesters known as Antifa, or “anti-fascists” – spooked by the security – did not show up to shut down Shapiro’s speech in their usual fashion and instead were allegedly in the audience challenging him, the Washington Times reported.