WABA’s Gregory Billing, Daily Caller’s Saagar Enjeti, Former FDA Associate Commissioner Peter Pitts, Jennifer Lucey of ACLU of Virginia and guest host Amber Athey joined WMAL on Friday!

Mornings on the Mall

Friday, April 5, 2019

Hosts: Vince Coglianese and Amber Athey

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

 

5am – A/B/C Pete Buttigieg Says Crying ‘Socialism’ is Tired: Obamacare Was a Conservative Idea…Which They Called ‘Socialist’

5am – D/E     Google’s brand-new AI ethics board is already falling apart. (Vox) — Just a week after it was announced, Google’s new AI ethics board is already in trouble. The board, founded to guide “responsible development of AI” at Google, would have had eight members and met four times over the course of 2019 to consider concerns about Google’s AI program. Those concerns include how AI can enable authoritarian states, how AI algorithms produce disparate outcomes, whether to work on military applications of AI, and more. Of the eight people listed in Google’s initial announcement, one (privacy researcher Alessandro Acquisti) has announced on Twitter that he won’t serve, and two others are the subject of petitions calling for their removal — Kay Coles James, president of the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, and Dyan Gibbens, CEO of drone company Trumbull Unmanned. Thousands of Google employees have signed onto the petition calling for James’s removal. James and Gibbens are two of the three women on the board. The third, Joanna Bryson, was asked if she was comfortable serving on a board with James, and answered, “Believe it or not, I know worse about one of the other people.” Altogether, it’s not the most promising start for the board. The whole situation is embarrassing to Google, but it also illustrates something deeper: AI ethics boards like Google’s, which are in vogue in Silicon Valley, largely appear not to be equipped to solve, or even make progress on, hard questions about ethical AI progress.

6am – A         Chick-fil-A banned from second airport in two weeks. Plans for a Chick-fil-A restaurant at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport in New York were nixed late last week, a New York state lawmaker said.  Democratic Assemblyman Sean Ryan of Buffalo said the airport’s food vendor notified him that they would not add a Chick-fil-A restaurant to the food court.  Ryan applauded the decision, saying that the owners of the fast-food chain have a history of supporting and funding anti-LGBTQ organizations. “The views of Chick-fil-A do not represent our state or the Western New York community, and businesses that support discrimination have no place operating in taxpayer-funded public facilities,” he said in a statement.

6am – B         A ‘teen’ claimed he was a boy who vanished in 2011. The FBI says otherwise. (Washington Post) — A man found on a street corner in Newport, Ky., this week who told authorities he was a child missing since 2011 was not the person he claimed to be, police said Thursday. Police in Newport said the man was not Timmothy Pitzen but Brian Michael Rini, from Medina, Ohio, whom they identified based on a DNA test. He is 23 years old, not 14, the age Timmothy would be, Chief Thomas Collins told The Washington Post. The disclosures marked a stunning turn of events. Rini had told authorities he was Timmothy, making a claim to a high-profile case that had attracted media attention from across the county. Even some members of Timmothy’s family told reporters they were cautiously optimistic about the news before Rini was formally identified. But that case will remain open. “To be clear, law enforcement has not and will not forget Timmothy, and we hope to one day reunite him with his family,” Timothy Beam, FBI supervisory special agent, said in a statement Thursday. “Unfortunately, that day will not be today.” Police said Rini was in custody as prosecutors weighed possible charges, such as falsely reporting an incident. He appears to have a criminal record. He had recently been released from prison in Ohio after a more-than-year-long sentence stemming from convictions for burglary and vandalism, according to state prison records. In May 2011, 6-year-old Timmothy was last seen leaving his elementary school in Aurora, Ill., with his mother, Amy Fry-Pitzen. Three days later, she was found dead in a motel room from an apparent suicide. The boy and his Spider-Man backpack were gone. The 43-year-old mother left behind several cryptic notes about her son’s whereabouts and unanswered questions that have haunted family members and authorities with each passing year.

6am – C         Prince Harry Wants ‘Fortnite’ Banned

6am – D         INTERVIEW – GREGORY BILLING – Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) – discussed the push for bike lane parking enforcement in D.C.

• THIS WEEK: Councilmember Todd Introduces Bill To Improve Bike Lane Parking Enforcement. Washington, DC – Today, Councilmember Brandon Todd (D-Ward 4) introduced legislation that would advance Vision Zero and cyclist safety by improving parking enforcement in DC bike lanes. When bike lanes are illegally blocked by trucks or idling vehicles, cyclists are forced to swerve into traffic, endangering themselves and motorists. Currently, the Department of Public Works (DPW), which oversees parking enforcement, is not a member of the Bicycle Advisory Council (BAC), which advises the Mayor and the District on cycling issues
• D.C. wants to make clear to drivers that bike lanes aren’t for parking, idling or loading. The District Department of Transportation wants to make clear to drivers that the city’s bike lanes are not to be used for parking, or to pick up or drop off passengers; it also wants to leave no doubt about the rules for traffic enforcement officers. Chiefly, they say, the lanes are for bike riders. Vehicles are not allowed to enter the lanes unless safely turning at an intersection, into a driveway or alley, or entering a legal parking space. That means drivers are not allowed to move into the lanes to avoid conflict with other traffic. Taxis, Ubers and Lyfts are not permitted to pick up or drop off passengers there either. Commercial trucks should look elsewhere to load or unload merchandise. Motor vehicles are allowed to stop in a bike lane only when necessary to enter a legal parking space or to follow the directions of a police officer, according to proposed revisions to existing city regulations.
• DC moves forward with controversial bike lanes through Northwest neighborhoods. By Max Smith | @amaxsmith   March 30, 2019 5:10 am After heated debate, the District is moving forward with new two-way protected bike lanes between Dupont Circle, Foggy Bottom and the National Mall. The disagreements include complaints about the plans from some drivers and neighbors, and support for the bike lanes from people who expect to bike through the area. A recommended alternative revealed Friday would see the cycle track built on the west side of 20th Street from Connecticut Avenue near the deep Dupont Circle Metro escalators at Q Street, south across Pennsylvania Avenue through the George Washington University campus. Bike riders would then use G or F streets, NW to reach the rest of the protected bike lane down 21st Street across Virginia Avenue, past the State Department to Constitution Avenue near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Today, there are parking spaces along parts of the route.

6am – E/F      SMOLLETT NEWS:

• CHICAGO VERSUS SMOLLETT: Chicago is vowing a civil suit against Jussie Smollett after the “Empire” actor “refused to reimburse” the city for the cost of investigating his controversial case … In a statement obtained by Fox News, the city’s law department said that Smollett, 36, “has refused to reimburse the City of Chicago for the cost of police overtime spent investigating his false police report on Jan. 29, 2019.” The statement said that the law department “is now drafting a civil complaint that will be filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County.”
• Jussie Smollett owes Chicago $130,000, and the city is taking him to court to make him pay up. (NY Daily News) — The city of Chicago plans to go after Jussie Smollett in civil court after the “Empire” actor failed to pay his $130,000 bill for the police investigation into his alleged assault. Bill McCaffrey, spokesman for the Chicago Department of Law, said in a statement to the Daily News that his department is currently drafting a civil complaint to be filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County “in the near future.” “As part of this legal action, the Law Department will pursue the full measure of damages allowed under the ordinance,” McCaffrey said. Late last week, the city demanded an “immediate payment” of about $130,000 from Smollett in order to pay for the cost of the police investigation, according to a letter from the Chicago Department of Law, acquired by The News.
• Pressure continuing on Kim Foxx to explain Jussie Smollett decision. New mayor says she wants answers “The State’s Attorney’s office here which made the decision unilaterally to drop the charges has to give a much more fulsome explanation”
• FOP7Chicago and Cook Co. Suburban Police chiefs are calling on State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to resign.

7am – A         INTERVIEW – SAAGAR ENJETI – White House correspondent, The Daily Caller – discussed the latest White House news: Trump heads to the border today, Mueller and Trump’s tax returns.

• Trump Coming To California For Border Wall Update, SoCal Fundraiser. LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Heads up, travelers: President Donald Trump is coming to Southern California later this week. Trump is scheduled to fly into El Centro in Imperial County late Friday morning and travel to Calexico to view a newly completed section of border wall, according to White Hose officials. Following the border wall visit, the president will arrive at Los Angeles International Airport in advance of a planned Southland fundraiser Friday night. Trump made his first visit to California as president last March, and most recently came to the Southland in November to tour the devastation of the Woolsey Fire in Malibu.

7am – B         BEZOS EX-WIFE MAKES BILLIONS AND JEFF KEEPS 75% OF AMAZON STOCK:

• MacKenzie Bezos to receive more than $35 billion of Amazon stock, which will make her the world’s 3rd richest woman
• Jeff Bezos to keep 75% of couple’s Amazon stock after finalizing divorce
• MacKenzie Bezos tweets that her marriage with Jeff Bezos has been dissolved and he will retain all interest in the Washington Post, Blue Origin, and 75% of their Amazon shares and voting control of her shares
• MacKenzie Bezos tweeted some of the terms of her divorce with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, saying she’s giving 75% of their shared Amazon stock to him

7am – C         Trump expected to nominate Herman Cain to Federal Reserve. (Fox Business) — President Trump wants to appoint Herman Cain, the former Republican presidential candidate, to the Federal Reserve Opens a New Window. board, but is waiting for the completion of his background check before making a formal announcement. “He won’t formally announce until the vet is completed … But he likes Cain and wants to put him on there,” a senior official who has discussed the matter with the president told Axios Opens a New Window. , which first reported the news.  Bloomberg  previously reported in January that Trump was considering nominating Cain, the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, to the board. Doing so, however, raises the possibility of Capitol Hill testimonies regarding sexual harassment allegations against Cain, which ultimately derailed his 2012 candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination. Cain previously served multiple positions within the Kansas City Federal Reserve between 1989 and 1996.

7am – D         CAITLYN COLLINS AN INSUFFERABLE COLLEGE PROFESSOR:

• Caitlyn Collins is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Washington University in St. Louis. She is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies​. Caitlyn Collins conducts cross-national qualitative research on gender inequality in the workplace and family life. She is broadly interested in the relationship between policy, culture, and social inequality.
• Twitter posting of her proudly lecturing a construction worker about why there were not enough women working at his job site and he’s completely confused: https://twitter.com/amber_athey/status/1113892960968613888

7am – E         Eric Swalwell to announce White House bid alongside Parkland shooting survivor: report. (The Hill) — Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) will reportedly announce next week that he is running for president in 2020 and will center his campaign around gun control. The Atlantic reported Thursday that Swalwell will announce his plans during an appearance on CBS’s “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” where he will be joined by Cameron Kasky, a survivor of the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Swalwell, who is hosting a town hall on gun control next week in Florida, did not confirm his plans to The Atlantic, but said he thinks gun control should be a top issue in 2020. “We are doing a town hall in Parkland,” he told The Atlantic. “And I do believe that gun safety has to be a top 2020 issue.” Swalwell has pinned a Wednesday tweet at the top of his Twitter page with a voicemail from a man cursing at him over his advocacy for gun reform. “I’m not afraid of this guy. I’m not afraid of the NRA. I’m not afraid. No fear,” Swalwell wrote. Swalwell has said for months that he is considering a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, saying last month that he intended to make a final decision by the end of March.

8am – A         INTERVIEW – PETER PITTS – Co-Founder, Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, Former FDA Associate Commissioner and Visiting Professor, Universite Paris Descartes Medical School discussed the MD General Assembly approving a bill to raise minimum smoking age to 21 for buying tobacco and vaping products.

• MD General Assembly Approves Bill Raising Legal Age To Buy Tobacco, Vaping Products From 18 To 21.  ANNAPOLIS (WJZ) — The Maryland General Assembly has approved a bill raising the legal age to buy tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21. The bill now goes to Gov. Hogan. The American Heart Association said they applauded the bill’s passing. “We applaud the legislature’s commitment to protect our children,” said Kerry Johnston with the American Heart Association.
• The proposed law is one of several similar measures advancing across the country this year and comes as the Food and Drug Administration has taken steps to crack down on flavored cigars and vaping cartridges popular with young people. Outgoing FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb has said teen vaping use nationwide has become “an epidemic.”

8am – B/C     2020 News:

• HOWARD SCHULTZ QUESTIONS TIMING OF BIDEN ACCUSERS
• Biden to make 1st appearance since complaints about behavior. On Friday, Biden will make his first public appearance since several women began recounting encounters with him that left them uneasy.  The former vice president will be speaking Friday to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, representing approximately 775,000 members in the construction, manufacturing, railroad and utilities fields – the kind of blue-collar workers who helped propel Donald Trump to the White House in 2016.
• The hits keep coming for BIDEN… WAPO: A photo of me and Joe Biden went viral. I want him to take ownership for his actions. (This accuser has already been public…)
• Buttigieg regrets saying ‘all lives matter,’ stresses importance of ‘Black Lives Matter’
• Pete Buttigieg tells Stephanopoulos he’s “going to be making a big announcement on April 14th. It’s the kind of announcement you only get to make once

8am – D         INTERVIEW – JENNIFER LUCEY – coordinating attorney for the ACLU of Virginia – discussed the fight over police using license plate readers in Virginia.

• THURSDAY: Fairfax County police chief fighting rule forbidding license plate reader data. MCLEAN, Va. (FOX 5 DC) – The Fairfax County Chief of Police is fighting a judge’s ruling that would forbid the department from storing data from license-plate readers – a decision the chief says would harm the department’s ability to investigate a variety of incidents and crimes. Police point to a March 2015 investigation as proof that the license-plate readers can be instrumental. A man under guard inside Inova Fairfax Hospital overpowered a security guard, stole her weapon, and escaped. He then later carjacked two vehicles before being re-captured in the District. Police say the manhunt was assisted by license-plate readers on cruisers and fixed posts around the county. “The license plate reader system helped us determine a finite tag number and description of the car which was then used through social media to help the community find the suspect in D.C.,” Police Chief Edwin Roessler said. The chief also notes that the data has helped police find people during Silver and Amber alerts.
• MONDAY: Judge orders Fairfax police to stop collecting data from license plate readers. (Washington Post) — A Fairfax County judge on Monday ordered the Fairfax County police to stop maintaining a database of photos of vehicle license plates, with the time and location where they were snapped, ruling that “passive use” of data from automated license plate readers on the back of patrol cars violates Virginia privacy law. The ruling followed a related finding by the Virginia Supreme Court last year, meaning the case could affect how long — if at all — Virginia police can keep license plate data. The ruling by Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Robert J. Smith is a victory for privacy rights advocates who argued that the police could track a person’s movements by compiling the times and exact locations of a car anytime its plate was captured by a license plate reader. Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr. said Monday night that he would ask the county attorney to appeal the ruling.

8am – E         Google’s brand-new AI ethics board is already falling apart. (Vox) — Just a week after it was announced, Google’s new AI ethics board is already in trouble. The board, founded to guide “responsible development of AI” at Google, would have had eight members and met four times over the course of 2019 to consider concerns about Google’s AI program. Those concerns include how AI can enable authoritarian states, how AI algorithms produce disparate outcomes, whether to work on military applications of AI, and more.