Joe diGenova, Susan Ferrechio and Trevor Matich joined WMAL on Monday!

Mornings on the Mall

Monday, September 17, 2018

Hosts: Mary Walter and Hans Von Spakovsky

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

5am – A/B/C A Federal Court Just Limited Your First Amendment Right to Freely Associate (Hans von Spakovsky         / Daily Signal) — Should you be forced to disclose your charitable donations to the government? Is it an invasion of your privacy and a violation of your First Amendment rights if the government requires nonprofit membership organizations that you join and contribute to—such as the NAACP, NARAL Pro-Choice America, the National Right to Life Committee, or Americans for Prosperity—to send your name to the government? Unfortunately, a three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals sees nothing wrong with such invasive mandates in a dubious decision that threatens the ability of Americans to support the causes and organizations they believe in that are an integral part of how our democracy works. The 9th Circuit is going against the spirit of one of the most famous and important decisions of the Supreme Court during the height of the civil rights era, NAACP v. Alabama (1958). On Sept. 11, in Americans for Prosperity v. Becerra, the 9th Circuit threw out an injunction issued by a district court and reinstated a California law that requires nonprofit organizations soliciting donations in the state to disclose to the state attorney general all of their members who have donated more than $5,000—regardless of whether they are even residents of California. The plaintiffs, Americans for Prosperity Foundation and the Thomas More Law Center, were both found in violation of California’s mandatory disclosure provision. Neither group had submitted a copy of its IRS Schedule B form (which lists all donors over $5,000) since 2001, but it was not until more than a decade later that they received a demand from then-state Attorney General Kamala Harris to file their disclosure forms. Schedule B is not a public form. While it has to be filed with the IRS, it is not made available to the general public. Many have questioned the right of the IRS to ask for such donor information, since it is not needed for tax purposes. In fact, the Trump administration has recognized that, and in July, the IRS announced that it will no longer require many nonprofits to file Schedule B forms.

5am – D         JUSTIN BIEBER: I’M GONNA BECOME A U.S. CITIZEN … But I Still Love Hockey!!! (TMZ) — America has its share of problems these days, but Justin Bieber is looking at the glass half full because we’ve learned he’s applying to become an American citizen.  Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ … Justin has applied for dual citizenship. He’ll retain his Canadian citizenship, but he will become an American citizen as well. When you think about it, it’s no surprise … J.B. spends most of his time in the U.S. and those ties will only get stronger when he marries Hailey Baldwin. We’re told he has a deep love for the U.S. and an appreciation for this country, where he became extremely rich and successful. Justin was born in Ontario, Canada but moved to Atlanta when he was 13. He’s been grounded in the U.S. of A ever since.

5am – E         Paul Manafort pleads guilty, agrees to cooperate in deal with Mueller team. (Fox News) — Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort pleaded guilty in federal court Friday as part of a plea agreement that involves cooperation with Special Counsel Robert Mueller and allows him to avoid a second trial. “I plead guilty,” Manafort, 69, told U.S. District Judge Amy Berman in Washington. Prosecutor Andrew Weissmann told the judge that Manafort’s deal includes a cooperation agreement with prosecutors, who are investigating whether any Trump associates played a role in Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election. That could include interviews with prosecutors and testifying in court. A defense attorney for Manafort told Fox News the deal includes “full cooperation.” But the president’s team downplayed the significance of Manafort’s plea. “Once again an investigation has concluded with a plea having nothing to do with President Trump or the Trump campaign,” Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani said in a statement to Fox News. “The reason: the president did nothing wrong.”

6am – A/B/C KAVANAUGH ACCUSER:

• California professor, writer of confidential Brett Kavanaugh letter, speaks out about her allegation of sexual assault
• The Judiciary panel is currently scheduled to hold a vote to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination on Thursday
• Democrats have demanded a delay in a key Senate vote this week on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation after a woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual assault when they were teens came forward Sunday

6am – C         Redskins name Alex Ovechkin honorary captain for home opener at FedEx Field. WASHINGTON – Star hockey player Alex Ovechkin swapped his regular red and blue for burgundy and gold, walking out with the Redskins at FedEx Field for the season home opener on Sunday. The Champion Washington Capitals Captain was made an honorary captain for the Skins as the team celebrated their first home game of the season. Ovi was received with a stadium full of applause

6am – D/E/F Florida Taco Bell employee fired after refusing to serve customer who wouldn’t speak Spanish. (Fox News) —  A Taco Bell employee in Florida who refused to serve a woman in the drive-thru line because she wouldn’t speak Spanish has been fired. The incident took place Wednesday night in Hialeah, a predominantly Spanish-speaking town, when Alexandria Montgomery tried to place an order in English, the Miami Herald reports. Video of the argument between Montgomery and the employee who identified herself as Luisa was shared on social media. In it, Montgomery can be heard asking for a manager, but the employee says in Spanish that she is “in her house sleeping” and there is no one available to take her order, according to the Herald. “Can you move please? I have an order behind you. There is no one who speaks English,” Luisa continues. Despite Montgomery’s persistence, the employee still won‘t take her order and eventually closes the drive-thru window. Montgomery then has to leave without any food. She told el Nuevo Herald she contacted the manager to tell her what happened, but “all she did was apologize and say thank you and the call was disconnected.”

7am – A/B/C             INTERVIEW — JOE DIGENOVA – legal analyst and former U.S. Attorney to the District of Columbia

• California professor, writer of confidential Brett Kavanaugh letter, speaks out about her allegation of sexual assault
• The Judiciary panel is currently scheduled to hold a vote to advance Kavanaugh’s nomination on Thursday
• Democrats have demanded a delay in a key Senate vote this week on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation after a woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual assault when they were teens came forward Sunday
• Paul Manafort pleads guilty, agrees to cooperate in deal with Mueller team

7am – D         INTERVIEW — SUSAN FERRECHIO – chief congressional correspondent for the Washington Examiner @susanferrechio

• Senators call for delay of Kavanaugh confirmation vote after woman reveals sexual assault allegations. Democrats have demanded a delay in a key Senate vote this week on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation after a woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual assault when they were teens came forward Sunday

7am – E         Paul McCartney on handling crowds, and why he calls Donald Trump “the mad captain” (BBC) — “People who deny climate change… I just think it’s the most stupid thing ever,” says the star. “So I just wanted to make a song that would talk about that and basically say, ‘Occasionally, we’ve got a mad captain sailing this boat we’re all on and he is just going to take us to the iceberg [despite] being warned it’s not a cool idea.’”

That mad captain, could it be anyone in particular? “Well, I mean obviously it’s Trump but there’s plenty of them about. He’s not the only one.”

Other songs take a more serious tone – such as Who Cares, which addresses the brutality of internet bullying. “I was actually thinking about Taylor Swift and her relationship to her young fans and how it’s sort of a sisterly thing,” says Sir Paul of the song’s origins.

“And I was imagining talking to one of these young fans and saying, ‘Have you ever been bullied? Do you get bullied?'”

“Then I say, ‘Who cares about the idiots? Who cares about all this? Who cares about you? Well… I do.'”

8am – A         INTERVIEW — TREVOR MATICH — WMAL’s Redskins analyst

• Redskins offer little reason for hope in frustrating home opener, losing 21-9 to Colts. Adrian Peterson, the future Hall of Fame running back, kept talking about “a lack of energy.” Josh Norman, the star cornerback, fretted about “adjustments” that were seen but not made. Jay Gruden, the head coach, looked forlornly at a lectern before him and said: “They out-executed us.” None of the Washington Redskins who shuffled slowly through their FedEx Field locker room late Sunday afternoon seemed able to properly describe the game they left behind. A 21-9 loss to the Indianapolis Colts burned on the scoreboard outside in a decisive defeat that brought boos from the crowd in a stadium unfilled and sent many of their fans to the parking lot with several minutes left to play. Last Sunday had not prepared them for this feeling. Last Sunday’s three-touchdown rout of Arizona on the Cardinals’ field had built up a euphoric buzz, a booming sense that after several seasons of disappointment they were ready to unleash havoc on the rest of the NFC East. Then, in less than three hours, that bravado was crushed.

8am – B/C     University announces “White Awake” safe space for white students. (Campus Reform) — The new group is now one of four in the university’s “Diversity Issues” program series. The announcement has been met with wide criticism from students on social media.

Update: After publication of this article, University of Maryland-College Park changed the name of the group to “Anti-Racism and Ally Building Group,” along with a shorter description, which reads,  “Do you want to improve your ability to relate to and connect with people different from yourself? Do you want to become a better ally? Members will support and share feedback with each other as they learn more about themselves and how they can fit into a diverse world.”

In a statement provided to Campus Reform on Friday, the university explained the name change: “Our Counseling Center acknowledges that we did not choose the right words in raising awareness about this research-based initiative, and how this group has been perceived is counter to the values of inclusiveness and diversity that we embody. Therefore, we are renaming the group to better reflect our intention and values.”

Original story: The University of Maryland at College Park announced a new diversity support group this week to create a “safe space” for white students to discuss their feelings about “interactions with racial and ethnic minorities.”

The support group, called “White Awake,” will help white students who may “sometimes feel uncomfortable and confused before, during, or after interactions with racial and ethnic minorities.”

“This group offers a safe space for White students to explore their experiences, questions, reactions, and feelings,” the description explains. “Members will support and share feedback with each other as they learn more about themselves and how they can fit into a diverse world.”

8am – D         KAVANAUGH ACCUSER

• California professor, writer of confidential Brett Kavanaugh letter, speaks out about her allegation of sexual assault
• Senators call for delay of Kavanaugh confirmation vote after woman reveals sexual assault allegations. Democrats have demanded a delay in a key Senate vote this week on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation after a woman accusing Kavanaugh of sexual assault when they were teens came forward Sunday
• Update this morning: Christine Blasey Ford willing to testify to Senate Judiciary Committee, lawyer says. (Politico) — The woman who has accused Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her when they were in high school “will do whatever is necessary to make sure that the Senate Judiciary Committee has the full story,” including testifying before the committee, her attorney said Monday. Debra Katz, the attorney for Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford, told “CBS This Morning” that her client hopes to tell “her story in a manner that is a fair proceeding.” “My client will do whatever is necessary to make sure that the senate judiciary committee has the full story and the full set of allegations to allow them to make a fully informed decision,” Katz said. “She’s willing to do what she needs to do.”