Immigration Reform Law Institute’s Christopher Hajec, Washington Post’s Luz Lazo, Daily Caller’s Saagar Enjeti and Dan Bongino joined WMAL on Monday!

Mornings on the Mall

Monday, April 26, 2018

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

 

5am – A/B/C Trump Voters Driven by Fear of Losing Status, Not Economic Anxiety, Study Finds (NY Times) — Ever since Donald J. Trump began his improbable political rise, many pundits have credited his appeal among white, Christian and male voters to “economic anxiety.” Hobbled by unemployment and locked out of the recovery, those voters turned out in force to send Mr. Trump, and a message, to Washington. Or so that narrative goes. A study published on Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences questions that explanation, the latest to suggest that Trump voters weren’t driven by anger over the past, but rather fear of what may come. White, Christian and male voters, the study suggests, turned to Mr. Trump because they felt their status was at risk. “It’s much more of a symbolic threat that people feel,’’ said Diana C. Mutz, the author of the study and a political science and communications professor at the University of Pennsylvania, where she directs the Institute for the Study of Citizens and Politics. “It’s not a threat to their own economic well-being; it’s a threat to their group’s dominance in our country over all.”

5am – D         Va. governor says tree sitters’ pipeline protest is ‘unlawful,’ cites health concern. (Washington Post) — RICHMOND — Gov. Ralph Northam said Wednesday that it’s “unlawful” for a mother and daughter to sit in trees and block a natural gas pipeline across their property outside Roanoke, and that he’s particularly worried about the older woman’s health. But Northam (D) stopped short of saying he would order state police to do anything to resolve the standoff. Theresa “Red” Terry, 61, and daughter Theresa Minor Terry, 30, have been on wooden platforms in trees on Bent Mountain since April 2, preventing workers for the Mountain Valley Pipeline from clearing trees on a path through their land. Roanoke County police have prohibited supporters from delivering food and water to the women for nearly two weeks. On Sunday, the day a story about the women’s crusade ran in The Washington Post, officials gave the women pizza and bologna sandwiches. They have not, however, fulfilled Red Terry’s request for cigarettes. Northam had not previously criticized the women for their stand but on Wednesday called it “unfortunate.” “I want them to be safe, and so we want to make sure that they have food and water,” he said in a Facebook Live interview at the WTOP-FM radio station. “The one that’s up in one of the trees referred to as ‘Red’ has been asking for cigarettes. I worry about her health. She’s 61 years old; she’s up in the . . . weather; she’s smoking cigarettes,” said Northam, a pediatric neurologist. “You know, the First Amendment is important, but also the safety of individuals in Virginia is important, so we hope that there’s going to be a resolution to this in the near future,” he said. A spokesman said later that Northam is not ordering any action on the part of state police, who are supporting local police round the clock at the base of the trees. Roanoke County police said they will continue to keep supporters away for safety reasons, with the platforms hanging more than 30 feet above. They said Sunday was the first time the women had complained of being out of basic necessities. “Roanoke County will provide protesters with what is needed to ensure their physical needs are met,” public information officer Amy Whittaker said in a prepared statement. The women are now being given three bags of food per day — generally sandwiches and fruit. Tree sitters are also protesting the pipeline in at least two other locations, though one came down from a tree in the Jefferson National Forest earlier this week.

5am – E         Aware of disparities, Montgomery County wants to weigh ‘equity’ in making policy decisions. (Washington Post) – Maryland’s largest jurisdiction is poised to create a new policy mandating that all its actions be weighed against how they might affect equity — racial and otherwise — among its roughly 1 million residents. The Montgomery County Council voted unanimously Tuesday to develop the policy, which mirrors similar efforts underway in Seattle, Takoma Park and Fairfax County. This month, Baltimore City Council member Brandon M. Scott (D), who is running for lieutenant governor, proposed creating a racial equity program and a multimillion-dollar fund to assist efforts to attack institutional racism in that city. Montgomery council vice president Nancy Navarro (D-Midcounty) — who sponsored the resolution along with council member Marc Elrich (D-At Large) — said the measure probably wouldn’t be in place until the fall of 2019, after elections this November that will bring a new county executive and at least four new council members. “I think this is a really good time, as we are in the dawn of a total leadership shift in Montgomery County, to begin to put into place some structural components that I think would continue to help us reach our ultimate policy goals,” Navarro said. The legislation was co-sponsored by the rest of the nine-member council — including Roger Berliner (D-Potomac-Bethesda) and George L. Leventhal (D-At Large), who along with Elrich are running for county executive in the June 26 Democratic primary. While the four other candidates seeking the office agreed that ending inequity was important, Tuesday’s vote also drew some skepticism. Democrat Rose Krasnow, the county’s deputy planning director and a former mayor of Rockville, said she worried the measure would lead to “paralysis by analysis.” She also questioned the timing of the resolution: “It seems like such a political statement in an election year.” Del. C. William Frick (D-Montgomery) said growing “private-sector jobs” and wages is the best way to eliminate disparities. Businessman David Blair applauded the vote but the Democrat wrote in an email that “we shouldn’t confuse activity with progress. . . . Where’s the progress been the past 12 years?” The sole Republican in the race, attorney Robin Ficker, issued a statement saying, “The need for such a study now, after 3 County Executive candidates have been on the council for 10+ years each, means that there must be substantial doubt as to whether they have done their job to treat all equitably.”

6am – A/B/C KANYE-TRUMP TWEETS:

• Kanye West defies liberal critics and lights the internet on fire over Trump
• Kanye West tweets a photo of himself wearing Trump’s red ‘Make America Great Again’ hat
• KANYE WEST @kanyewest:  You don’t have to agree with trump but the mob can’t make me not love him. We are both dragon energy. He is my brother. I love everyone. I don’t agree with everything anyone does. That’s what makes us individuals. And we have the right to independent thought.
• TRUMP: Thank you Kanye, very cool!
• KANYE: Obama was in office for eight years and nothing in Chicago changed.
• KANYE WEST @kanyewest: my wife just called me and she wanted me to make this clear to everyone. I don’t agree with everything Trump does. I don’t agree 100% with anyone but myself.
• KIM KARDASHIAN: He’s a free thinker, is that not allowed in America? Because some of his ideas differ from yours you have to throw in the mental health card? That’s just not fair. He’s actually out of the sunken place when he’s being himself which is very expressive
• Sarah Sanders: ‘I’ll Keep You Posted’ Whether Donald Trump Will Meet with Kanye West Again (Breitbart) — White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said she was unaware of any recent communications between President Donald Trump and rap superstar Kanye West. “I don’t know of any conversation that they’ve had over the last week or so,” Sanders said when asked about the rapper during the White House press briefing. Sanders said that she was only aware of West and Trump meeting at Trump Tower after the election. I’ll keep you posted if that changes at any time,” she added.

6am – D/E     COMEY CNN TOWNHALL:

• Comey, who President Trump has called a “slime ball,” says he doesn’t have a nickname for Trump: “I call him President of the United States because I respect the office”
• Comey, Anderson Cooper clash over whether memo release violated FBI rules. Comey struggles to explain to Anderson Cooper why he is not a leaker
• Comey searched YouTube for evidence that Trump laughs
• Comey: ‘There Is No Deep State… That’s Nonsense’

6am – F         BALTIMORE MAYOR THINKS BUSINESSES SHOULD CLOSE EARLIER TO PREVENT CRIME:

• Baltimore has seen a surge in murders this month. (WJZ) — BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Baltimore has seen a surge in murders this month with 33 people killed in the past 30 days and a number of brazen shootings. City leaders are continuing a program they began late last year to saturate high-crime areas with resources. In Penn North, where riots scarred the neighborhood three years ago this week, Baltimore agencies have picked up trash and boarded up vacant houses. Mayor Catherine Pugh has also expressed concern about corner stores being a magnet for crime and has called for closer inspections and earlier closing hours.
• Baltimore mayor walks blighted areas after spike in violence. (Baltimore Sun) — In a cramped convenience store on Pennsylvania Avenue, she peered into a booth where a cashier stood behind plexiglass. “What time do you-all close?” the mayor asked the man behind the counter. “11:30,” the cashier replied. “Isn’t that late?” the mayor said. “That’s a little late. It keeps the crowds around here. Nine o’clock is nice. We need you-all to close at 9 o’clock at night.”
• Baltimore merchants push back against Mayor Pugh’s claim that corner stores are crime hubs. (Baltimore Sun) — Owners of the mini-markets that dot Baltimore’s poorest neighborhoods pushed back Wednesday against Mayor Catherine E. Pugh’s criticism that they attract crime. Pugh repeated her criticism of the stores during a walking tour of Penn North this week. Her claims are backed by some community leaders, who associate the businesses with drug dealing. Store owners defended themselves on Wednesday, and said the mayor risked driving taxpaying businesses out of struggling neighborhoods and depriving poor consumers of options. Dhrumil Patel’s family owns the Shop N Go convenience store in Pigtown, among other businesses. He said reducing the number of the stores, as the mayor has proposed, would limit competition and drive up prices for the city’s poorest residents. “As far as the stores are concerned, their job is to serve people in the community,” Patel said. “They can’t look at whether you’re a drug dealer or a lawyer or a judge or work in a hospital. The job of a convenience store is convenience.” Cailey Locklair Tolle, president of the Maryland Retailers Association, said stores that are proved to be involved in crimes should be held accountable under existing laws. She said Pugh was relying on an “extraordinary amount of assumptions” by saying the businesses are causing criminal activity. “These convenience stores are some of the only places people may have to go to grab something within a mile of their home,” Tolle said. “I don’t know that we should be trying to discourage them from remaining in communities.”

 

7am – A         RONNY JACKSON:

• VA nominee considers withdrawing as new allegations emerge of drinking, wrecking government vehicle.
• Democratic Sen. Jon Tester says embattled Veterans Affairs nominee Ronny Jackson was known for handing out prescriptions “like candy,” adding that “in the White House they call him the candy man”
• NBC’s Hallie Jackson @HallieJackson 12h12 hours ago: NEW: Ronny Jackson tells reporters he never wrecked a car; said it should be pretty easy to prove; said he’s moving forward as planned.
• Sarah Sanders: “Dr. Jackson’s record as a White House physician has been impeccable. In fact, because he’s worked within arm’s reach of three presidents, he has received more vetting than most nominees”

7am – B/C     Interview – Christopher Hajec, (high-ECK) – our director of litigation, Immigration Reform Law Institute – discuss the travel ban SCOTUS arguments and DACA decision.

• Kennedy, conservatives appear to back Trump on travel ban. The Supreme Court finally heard arguments on the travel ban — and Trump looks likely to win. Washington (CNN) Conservative justices and swing vote Justice Anthony Kennedy appeared to side with the Trump administration Wednesday as the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on President Donald Trump’s travel ban. More than a year after Trump caused chaos in the airports by following through on a campaign promise and restricting travel from several Muslim-majority countries, the justices considered the legality of a third version of the original travel ban to decide whether the President ultimately exceeded his authority. Coming out of oral arguments, the justices wrestled with the travel ban, at times breaking down on ideological lines. Kennedy’s vote could be key, and while he did express some reservation about a candidate’s expressions of animus against Muslims during the campaign, he didn’t seem to have overall concerns about the President’s authority to ban entry, noting that the travel ban could be reviewed every 180 days. Other justices, including Chief Justice John Roberts and Samuel Alito, also highlighted the President’s power in this area. The Trump administration argued forcefully in favor of the travel ban, with Solicitor General Noel Francisco emphasizing “this is not a so-called ‘Muslim ban.'” “It excludes the vast majority of the Muslim world,” he told the justices, saying the presidential order was based on neutral criteria and written “after a worldwide multi-agency review.” Alito also noted that the ban only impacts a handful of Muslim-majority countries, at one point stating this does “not look like a Muslim ban.”
• ANOTHER Federal Judge Says Trump Must Restart DACA — And His Ruling Goes Further Than The Others. (Daily Caller) — A third federal judge has ruled against President Donald Trump’s decision to wind down an executive amnesty for younger illegal immigrants, saying the administration must restart the program for former recipients and, possibly, new applicants. U.S. District Court Judge John Bates said Tuesday the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) legal rationale for ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program was too shaky. “DACA’s rescission was arbitrary and capricious because the Department failed adequately to explain its conclusion that the program was unlawful,” Bates, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote in his 60-page opinion. “Neither the meager legal reasoning nor the assessment of litigation risk provided by DHS to support its rescission decision is sufficient to sustain termination of the DACA.” Like two other district court judges who have already ruled against the Trump administration, Bates ordered immigration authorities to resume accepting renewal applications. His order goes a step further than the others, however, by giving the Department of Homeland Security 90 days to come up with a more convincing justification for ending DACA. If it fails to do so, the government must start processing first-time applications, as well, Bates ruled. The Trump administration canceled DACA in September based on the opinion of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who said the Obama-era program was unconstitutional. DHS said the program would officially sunset on March 5, but multiple court rulings have forced the agency to continue accepting renewal applications. Bates is the first Republican appointee to rule against the Trump administration’s move to end DACA. Two district court judges appointed by former President Bill Clinton — one in San Francisco and one in Brooklyn — had already issued injunctions requiring the administration to keep the program going for previous recipients.

7am – D         Interview – LUZ LAZO –  “loose la-zo” – Transportation reporter, Washington Post – discussrf the growth of scooters around the D.C. area – why so many scooters are showing up and what the rules are for leaving scooters around the city.

• BIO: LUZ LAZO is a Washington Post Transportation reporter covering Washington’s Metro, buses, Capital Bikeshare and taxis, and the region’s road network
• Washington Post: First the dockless bikes, now scooters. The electric scooter is the latest entrant into the app-based mobility market. Residents and visitors in the nation’s capital, and in many other U.S. cities, now have access to motorized scooters that rent for as little as $1 plus 15 cents per minute. The services work similarly to the dockless bike systems, allowing users to track down a scooter via an app and to drop it off just about anywhere after a trip is completed.  No docking is required. The new transportation product is touted as another option for commuters to make first- and last-mile trips in complement to traditional transit. Motorized scooters follow the entry of the dockless bike-share systems last year and continue the evolution of app-based shared services that began with Uber in the past decade. But the scooter systems have not been without controversy, having already raised concerns about people riding on sidewalks and without helmets. Electric scooters arrived in the District last month, when California-based Waybots launched. LimeBike, which started dockless bike operations in the city last fall, is adding scooters to its fleet this week.Scooter operations are being allowed in the city as part of the District’s exploration of new mobility services. In September, the city opened its doors to five dockless bike systems.

7am – E         ALFIE EVANS UPDATE: Alfie survives THIRD night

• ALFIE’S PARENTS LOSE LAST APPEAL: Alfie Evans’ parents lost their latest attempt to overturn an appeal Wednesday that barred the terminally ill child from being taken to Rome for care. The Court of Appeal rejected the appeal application by Evans’ father, Tom Evans, 21, Sky News reported. Later, the court also rejected the appeal application by the toddler’s mother, Kate James, 20.
• Alfie’s family ‘will meet with doctors today to discuss taking him home’ (Life News) — Alfie Evans’ parents will meet with staff from Alder Hey Children’s Hospital today to request permission to take Alfie home. His father Tom Evans says he would not try to take Alfie to Italy if allowed to bring Alfie home, but that he would have doctors and support staff help Alfie from their home. Alfie has survived for a third day after hospital doctors removed his life support without their permission. “I wouldn’t take advantage of having Alfie home. I would have Alfie home and I would sustain his life at home with a private doctor, private team,” Evans said. “We would do everything we can to keep Alfie home, comfortable and happy.” Speaking to Nick Ferrari on LBC, Alfie’s father Tom said: “For the third day now, there’s been not one single problem with him. The nurses come in and said ‘wow.’” “Today, we’re going to have a meeting with the doctors at Alder Hey and we’ll now start asking to go home. Alfie doesn’t need intensive care anymore.” In the new interview, Evans said, “Alfie does not need intensive care – Alfie is lying on the bed with one litre of oxygen going to his lungs and the rest is him. Some people say it’s a miracle – it’s not a miracle its a misdiagnosis.”
• ’62 hours of independent breathing’ // Alfie has now been breathing ‘independently’ for more than 60 hours, those close to his family say. An admin of the ‘Alfies Army Official’ Facebook page posted shortly before noon: “62 hours of independent breathing.” It comes as the little boy’s parents are making a bid to take him home from hospital.
• How Alfie’s mum has helped him fight through the night. Alfie’s dad has praised the toddler’s mum, saying she has helped their son to fight through the past two nights by cradling him on her chest. Speaking to LBC today, Tom said: “Alfie’s fought through the night the last two nights because he’s been lying on her chest nonstop. “And him and his mum have become closer now more than ever before.”
• Alfie’s dad claims Alder Hey doctors “hate” family. Alfie’s dad has claimed Alder Hey doctors “hate” him and Kate. Speaking to LBC presenter Nick Ferrari this morning, Tom described how staff at the Liverpool hospital “avoid” them. Nick asked him: “How do you view the senior clinicians, the doctors, the people who are making the decisions?” In response, Tom claimed: “They hate us, they don’t like us.”

 

8am – A         Interview – SAAGAR ENJETI – White House reporter, The Daily Caller – discussed the breaking news of Dr. Ronny Jackson withdrawing his nomination for VA Secretary and also Kanye West lighting the internet on fire over Trump.

8am – B         President Trump Reacted To Dr. Ronny Jackson Withdrawing His Nomination           

8am – C         Ronan Farrow: Hillary Tried to Cancel Interview Because I Was Reporting on Weinstein. (Breitbart) — Wednesday on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” author Ronan Farrow said former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tried to cancel an interview for his new book about the State Department because he was reporting on the extensive sexual misconduct allegations of longtime Clinton donor Harvey Weinstein.

8am – D         INTERVIEW – DAN BONGINO – NRATV Host, former Secret Service agent and author of “Protecting the President” and host of “The Dan Bongino Show” podcast — rips on the attacks on Dr. Ronny Jackson.

8am – E         Joy Reid’s Hacking Story Filled With Holes. (Daily Caller) — MSNBC host Joy Reid blamed hackers for anti-gay statements on her old blog, The Reid Report.  Reid’s claim is undermined by the facts, her own public statements and an independent cyber security expert who spoke with us. Reid previously admitted to writing anti-gay posts about former Florida Republican Gov. Charlie Crist. MSNBC host Joy Reid blamed hackers for placing homophobic remarks and jokes on her now-defunct blog between 2005 and 2007, but an analysis by The Daily Caller News Foundation and a cyber security expert raises serious doubts on the veracity of her claims. On April 19, left-wing Twitter user @Jamie_Maz resurfaced archived posts of Reid’s old blog, The Reid Report, showing her accusing prominent political figures of being gay, saying she was repulsed by the thought of sex between two gay men, and describing herself as “probably” homophobic. The posts were similar in substance to homophobic posts that Reid admitted to writing about former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist. Reid apologized to Crist on Dec. 3 for the “insensitive” posts that referred to Crist as “Miss Charlie” and accused him of being gay. After Mediaite asked Reid about the most recent posts, the MSNBC host released a statement Monday indicating that unknown, anonymous hackers had fabricated the anti-gay posts. NBC has not yet taken a position on the controversy.