Joe diGenova, Coy Wire, Scott Boggins and guest host Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer joined WMAL on Monday!

Mornings on the Mall

Monday, February 26, 2018

Hosts: Vince Coglianese and guest host Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer

5am – A/B/C Companies are cutting ties with the NRA (The Baltimore Sun) — U.S. companies are rethinking their relationships with the National Rifle Assn., taking a closer look at investments, co-branding deals and other ties to the gun industry after the latest school massacre. Members of the NRA have access to special offers, ranging from life insurance to wine clubs, from partner companies that can be accessed through the group’s website. Petitions targeting those companies are circulating online, and #BoycottNRA has trended on Twitter. A growing number of the companies listed on the NRA’s website are cutting ties to the group as it aggressively resists calls for stricter gun control in the wake of the mass shooting last week at a Florida high school that left 17 dead. Here’s a list: First National Bank of Omaha, Enterprise Holdings Inc., Allied and North American van lines, Avis and Budget car rental, Hertz Corp., TrueCar, MetLife Inc., Symantec Corp., Best Western, Wyndham Hotels, Delta Airlines, United Airlines

5am – D         Dems’ rebuttal to GOP FISA memo is released; Trump deems it a ‘bust’ (Fox News) — President Trump on Saturday dismissed a Democratic rebuttal to the GOP memo outlining government surveillance abuses in the 2016 campaign as a “total political and legal bust,” claiming that it only confirms the”terrible things” that were done by the nation’s intelligence agencies. The rebuttal, written by Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee, concluded that officials at the FBI and Justice Department “did not abuse the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) process, omit material information, or subvert this vital tool to spy on the Trump campaign.” Democrats sought to counter claims made in a Republican memo released this month that the FBI and DOJ relied on a Democrat-funded anti-Trump dossier to ask the FISA court for a warrant to monitor Trump adviser Carter Page. Democrats have vehemently claimed that the Republican memo left out important information. Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump: The Democrat memo response on government surveillance abuses is a total political and legal BUST. Just confirms all of the terrible things that were done. SO ILLEGAL!

5am – E         Trump privately talks up executing all big drug dealers (Axios) — In Singapore, the death penalty is mandatory for drug trafficking offenses. And President Trump loves it. He’s been telling friends for months that the country’s policy to execute drug traffickers is the reason its drug consumption rates are so low. “He says that a lot,” said a source who’s spoken to Trump at length about the subject. “He says, ‘When I ask the prime minister of Singapore do they have a drug problem [the prime minister replies,] ‘No. Death penalty’.” He often jokes about killing drug dealers… He’ll say, ‘You know the Chinese and Filipinos don’t have a drug problem. They just kill them.’ — A senior administration official to Axios. But the president doesn’t just joke about it. According to five sources who’ve spoken with Trump about the subject, he often leaps into a passionate speech about how drug dealers are as bad as serial killers and should all get the death penalty. Trump tells confidants a softer approach to drug reform — the kind where you show sympathy to the offenders and give them more lenient sentences — will never work. He tells friends and associates the government has got to teach children that they’ll die if they take drugs and they’ve got to make drug dealers fear for their lives. Trump has said he would love to have a law to execute all drug dealers here in America, though he’s privately admitted it would probably be impossible to get a law this harsh passed under the American system.

6am – A/B/C Should Broward County Sherriff Scott Israel Resign?

• Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel admits he heard reports *before* the CNN town hall that the deputy waited outside the school: “It was spoken about earlier during that day.”
• Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel says he won’t resign in the face of criticism over his agency’s response to the school shooting in Parkland, Florida
• Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel refusing to resign telling @nbc6: “I gave him a gun. I gave him a badge. I gave him the training. If he didn’t have the heart to go in, that’s not my responsibility.” Clip from our one-on-one interview below.
• Florida Gov. Scott on gun-school safety plan: ‘I want my state to be safe’ | Fox News
• NRA’s Dana Loesch: More attention should be paid to Broward sheriff and ‘their abdication of duty’
• Florida Republicans call for Broward County sheriff to be suspended over handling of school shooting
• Peter Schorsch on Twitter: “BREAKING: Florida House Speaker @RichardCorcoran, along with nearly 70 state Representatives, send letter to @FLGovScott requesting he “suspend” Broward Co. Sheriff Scott Israel in wake of #Parkland.
• BuzzFeed discovers 22 more police calls to Cruz home that Broward Sheriff never disclosed

6am – D         WATCH: CPAC crowd boos John McCain over Obamacare vote (Washington Examiner) — Attendees of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference booed Republican Sen. John McCain on Friday, as President Trump slammed him for voting against a bill last year that would have repealed Obamacare. “Remember, one person walked into a room, when he was supposed to go this way, and he said he was going this way, and he walked in, and he went this way and everyone said, ‘What happened? What was that all about?’ “Trump said, eliciting heavy boos from the CPAC crowd. “Boy, oh boy. Who was that?” he said, alluding to McCain. “I don’t want to be controversial, so I won’t use his name. OK. What a mess.” McCain joined two of his GOP Senate colleagues – Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins – in voting against the Obamacare repeal bill that failed in the Senate last September. Republicans later repealed the healthcare law’s individual mandate using tax reform, but the Arizona senator has continued to draw criticism from some conservatives for opposing the earlier chance at a full repeal. McCain is in Arizona undergoing treatment for an aggressive form of brain cancer.

6am – E         CHAIN OF COMMAND MONDAY 9/8c NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL Chain of Command is an intimate portrait of the war against violent extremism, and the men and women devoting their lives to it. With unprecedented access to the U.S. Armed Forces, Chain of Command inhabits the rarely-glimpsed innermost sanctums of the Pentagon, the front lines of battlefields across the world, and even the cockpit of a fighter jet on a mission. National Geographic has a long history of specials about the U.S. military, including the award-winning Restrepo, Inside Combat Rescue, Inside the State Department and On Board Air Force One. Most recently it debuted the critically acclaimed scripted series The Long Road Home, based on the New York Times best-selling book by Martha Raddatz. The series has been praised by critics, veterans and the Army for its accurate and moving depiction of the armed forces and their families. Chain of Command continues the network’s commitment to showcasing the extreme pressures and sacrifices made by members of the armed forces, across its vast global footprint. Chain of Command is produced by National Geographic Studios for National Geographic Channels. Jeff Hasler, Brian Lovett and Scott Boggins are executive producers. Scott Boggins is also show runner. For National Geographic Studios, Jeff Hasler is executive vice president of production and development, and Brian Lovett is vice president of production and development. For National Geographic, Matt Renner is executive producer and vice president of production and Tim Pastore is president of original programming and production.

6am – F         Olympics say good-bye to Pyeongchang with one big party:

• After 16 days of sliding, skating, jumping and sweeping, the Pyeongchang Games have come to a close.
• Team USA final medal count: USA GOLD 9, SILVER 8, BRONZE 6 / TOTAL: 23

• US Olympic skier slams Ivanka Trump for attending closing ceremony: What is she doing here? “So proud of all these people!” Kenworthy wrote on Twitter, attaching a photo of the 2018 U.S. Olympic team ahead of the pageant. “Everybody here has worked so hard to make it to the Olympics and have the opportunity to walk in the closing ceremony! Well… Everyone except Ivanka. Honestly, tf is she doing here??” he continued.
• Olympian slammed for criticizing Ivanka Trump (NY Post) – The post drew some support but also quick backlash from users who wished Kenworthy would have spent his time winning a medal rather than throwing out hate. “She is there doing her JOB! Unlike some people Mr. 12th place,” posted one user Paul Honovi. “So you finish in 12th place, and then tweet this to try your best to stay relevant. Grow up,” said user Keri Fleischmann.

7am – A/B/C INTERVIEW – JOE DIGENOVA – legal analyst and former US Attorney to the District of Columbia – discussed the Schiff Memo, and Broward County Sherriff Scott Israel’s department failures.

7am – D         INTERVIEW – COY WIRE – CNN correspondent currently in Japan on closing of the Olympics – discussed the close of the Olympics, the final medal count, and the USA’s place in the rankings

7am – E         California Democratic Party won’t endorse Dianne Feinstein (AP News) — U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein failed to win the official endorsement of the California Democratic Party as she seeks her fifth term, another sign that the party is divided over how best to battle Republicans in Washington. Democratic activists were more eager to back her primary challenger, state Senate leader Kevin de Leon, who is touting himself as a fresh face with stronger progressive credentials, particularly on immigration. However, he too failed to earn the 60 percent support needed to win the endorsement Saturday at Democrats’ annual convention. That means neither candidate will get the party’s seal of approval or extra campaign cash leading into the June primary. With Democrats still licking their wounds from the 2016 election, some of the party’s biggest stars, including U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris and U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, urged unity ahead of the midterm elections. They reminded more than 3,000 activists gathered this weekend that President Donald Trump is their common enemy.

8am – A         INTERVIEW – SCOTT BOGGINS – Showrunner of National Geographic show “Chain of Command” show, airing tonight – discussed the TV show “Chain of Command” and its portrayal of the war against violent extremism.

8am – B/C     Gun News:

• Students at Florida’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School return to gather their belongings for the first time since a gunman killed 17 classmates and staff members.
• Gun control dominates conversation as Congress returns to session
• Trump tells governors school safety will be on top of their agenda at annual meeting
• FL GUN SHOW SEES RECORD CROWD…Florida Gun Show sees ‘record number’ of attendees despite gun control debate. The manager for the Florida Gun Show, George Fernandez, says they’ve never seen such a big crowd.
• NRA’s Dana Loesch: More attention should be paid to Broward sheriff and “their abdication of duty”
• Teen Parkland survivor David Hogg calls for Spring Break boycott of Florida until gun laws change
• Parkland student survivor and activist David Hogg criticizes NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch: “She owns these congressmen. She can get them to do things. It’s just she doesn’t care about these children’s lives”

8am – D/E     Should Broward County Sherriff Scott Israel Resign?