Joe Concha, ABC 7’s Kevin Lewis and National Journal’s Josh Kraushaar joined WMAL on Wednesday!

Mornings on the Mall

Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

 

5am – A/B/C Judge Nap: Supreme Court ruling on provocative brand name will push “the First Amendment to its limits” (Fox News) —  A California man whose company carries a provocative name is hoping that the U.S. Supreme Court will rule against a trademark law that he believes violates his freedom of speech. The fashion brand at the center of the hearing is “F–T” – an acronym for “Friends You Can’t Trust.” The United States Patent and Trademark Office denied the trademark in 2014 saying it was in bad taste. The owner of brand, Erik Brunetti, argued the decision denies his First Amendment rights. Judge Andrew Napolitano, a Fox News legal analyst, weighed in on the case on “Fox & Friends” Tuesday saying, “I love when these things are argued because it pushes the First Amendment to its limits.” Brunetti’s lawyer appeared before the Supreme Court on Monday to challenge a federal trademarking law that allows officials to refuse trademarks that they deem “scandalous” or “immoral.”  “We all know what the acronym is and we all know what it sounds like and quite frankly when it was argued in the Supreme Court yesterday, nobody used the word. The ninth justices didn’t and the lawyers didn’t,” Napolitano said on “Fox & Friends.” He added: “What was scandalous at the time the statute was written 75 years ago may not be scandalous now. So, that’s actually what was argued yesterday.” The government is defending the century-old trademarking provision, arguing in court documents that the law encourages trademarks that are appropriate for all audiences. The U.S. position is that the measure isn’t restricting speech, but rather declining to promote it. “In this case, with this acronym that is offensive to some people, the trademark office said no, the trial court said no, the appellate court said yes and now the Supreme Court has it,” Judge Nap said. “Prediction, they’re going to say ‘yes’ because this particular court under John Roberts has expanded First Amendment protection.”

5am – D/E     DEM IN-FIGHTING:

• NYT EXPOSES INFIGHTING: The Rematch: Bernie Sanders vs. a Clinton Loyalist… Gets NEERA TANDEN’s mother involved! Ms. Tanden rejected that characterization and asserted in an email to Mr. Shakir that the center shares “the goals of unity.” Jodi Enda, the editor in chief of ThinkProgress, said that her website is editorially independent and that “we don’t have a favored candidate, and we don’t have a candidate who we disfavor.” Still, Ms. Tanden’s mother, Maya Tanden, says that her daughter “can be very aggressive.” “She’s not going to let anyone rule over her,” she said, “and she has loyalty to Hillary because Hillary is the one who made her.” “Those Bernie brothers are attacking her all the time, but she lets them have it, too,” Maya Tanden said. “She says Sanders got a pass” in 2016, “but he’s not getting a pass this time.”

6am – A         Bernie Sanders town hall delivers a ratings bonanza for Fox News. Sen. Bernie Sanders was criticized by fellow progressives for appearing in a town hall Monday, broadcast live on Fox News and moderated by co-anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum. The viewing public, however, tuned in for the event, which drew 2.6 million viewers, according to early ratings numbers from Nielsen Media Research. That is a very respectable audience for a Monday broadcast which aired at 6:30 p.m., rather than primetime. It also proved to be the highest rated town hall broadcast this year, representing an audience increase of 24 percent when compared to a typical Nielsen rating for that time slot on the network. The Fox News event also bested CNN’s town hall with Mr. Sanders on Feb. 25, which drew 1.3 million viewers.

• DAILY BEAST: Bernie’s Fox News Town Hall Was a Ratings Smash. More Dems May Follow Him There.
• Brit Hume @brithume: Which it was why it was smart of Sanders to do it. He was aggressively questioned, but got plenty of time to make his case. Shows the absurdity of Tom Perez’s whining about Fox’s “higher-ups.”
• AP’s ALEXANDRA JAFFE: Cory Booker told me last night he’s been asked to do a Fox town hall & is considering it; said he wasn’t concerned about bias on the network

6am – B         This photo got Julian Assange kicked out of Ecuadorian embassy. (NY Post) — A photo of Ecuadorian President Lenín Moreno lounging in bed with a giant platter of lobster in front of him may have spurred Julian Assange’s eviction from the country’s London embassy. The snapshot — highly embarrassing to the left-wing Moreno, whose country is reeling under financial strain — was among 200 private e-mails, texts and documents posted to the anonymous Web site INApapers.org early last month. Moreno blamed Assange’s WikiLeaks for the publication of the damning trove, which also included other photos of the president and his wife on lavish European vacations. In a radio interview, Moreno griped that “photos of my bedroom, what I eat and how my wife and daughters and friends dance” were leaked. “Assange cannot lie or, much less, hack into private accounts or private phones,” Moreno raged. WikiLeaks has denied that it was behind the leak, but the online postings seem to be the straw that broke Moreno’s back. On Thursday, the president ended Assange’s seven-year-long asylum in the embassy, opening the door for British police officers to arrest and hold the 47-year-old political lightning rod so he can face extradition to the United States on other hacking charges.

6am – C         Denver-area school districts cancel classes amid ‘credible threat’ of woman ‘infatuated’ with Columbine shooting. (Fox News) — Multiple Denver-area school districts have canceled classes for Wednesday after a Miami woman “infatuated” with the 1999 Columbine massacre made threats and traveled to Colorado where she bought firearms earlier this week, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI. Sol Pais, 18, who has a history of making “concerning” comments, arrived in Colorado from Miami early Monday and bought a pump action shotgun and ammunition, the FBI told reporters Tuesday evening. The FBI’s Miami office had reportedly alerted its Denver counterpart after learning of the potential threat. After consulting with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, Denver Public Schools, Douglas County School District, 27J Schools, Adams 12 Five Star, Aurora Public Schools, Englewood Schools, Jefferson County Schools and Cherry Creek Schools decided to cancel classes for Wednesday, the Denver Channel reported. Authorities said Pais was last seen in the foothills of Denver and remains at large. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is currently leading multiple agencies in a massive manhunt. While no warrant has been issued for her arrest, the FBI said that district attorneys and the U.S. attorney’s office are discussing appropriate charges. The FBI’s Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force issued a notice Tuesday describing Pais as “infatuated with (the) Columbine school shooting.” The alert said police who come into contact with her should detain her and evaluate her mental health.

6am – D/E     LATEST ON THE NOTRE DAME FIRE AND RECOVERY:

• French President Macron vows to rebuild Notre Dame within 5 years. (NBC News) — French President Emmanuel Macron vowed Tuesday to rebuild the fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris within five years, saying an “even more beautiful” landmark is possible. The iconic house of worship was almost destroyed by flames Monday, and Macron said in a nationally televised address that France would spare no money or effort to make it whole again. “And I tell you tonight with force, we are this people of builders,” Macron said, according to a translation by NBC News. “We have so much to reconstruct. So yes, we will rebuild the Cathedral of Notre Dame more beautifully. And I would like it to be achieved in five years from now. We can do it. And we will mobilize.”
• Why it could take 40 years to rebuild Notre Dame. (CBS News) — London — The massive fire that engulfed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris caused devastating damage to the structure, destroying its iconic spire and reducing its ancient wooden roof to ash. But Tuesday morning, as the sun rose over the city, much of the church’s medieval stonework was still standing, and many people began to think about rebuilding. “It’s going to be a case of assessing the damage, strengthening everything that’s there, do a full inventory of what we’ve lost, and then find the building materials,” Dr. Emily Guerry, Senior Lecturer in Medieval European History at Britain’s University of Kent, told CBS News. “In the modern world, we don’t build like we used to.” Wood: The roof and spire of Notre Dame, which was completely incinerated in Monday’s fire, were made of ancient oak. There were 13,000 beams in the church’s ceiling, and Guerry said about 3,000 trees would be needed to replace them. “In the Middle Ages … it was possible to find huge amounts of beautiful strong oak,” but overuse of the material led to the destruction of many of Europe’s oak forests,” Guerry said. “The ability to find around 3,000 more big, strong trees in the next two decades is going to be tricky.” But Guerry said the very tall, old trees needed for the project might exist in the Baltic, where most of Europe’s oak comes from today.
• Notre Dame Alarm Raised 23 Minutes Before Blaze Was Detected. (Daily Beast) — The massive fire that destroyed much of Paris’s famed Notre Dame cathedral Monday night left destruction and hope. PARIS—An alarm was raised at Notre Dame at 6:20 p.m. on Monday night—23 minutes before the structure was engulfed in flames—but officials found no sign of a fire. Firefighters who responded to a second alert raced to the scene but were then unable to tame an inferno that ripped through the 12th century cathedral for the next 9 hours. Paris public prosecutor Rémy Heitz announced on Tuesday that a full investigation would uncover how a massive fire was allowed to gut the cathedral. “What we know at this stage is that there was an initial alarm at 6:20 p.m., followed by a procedure to verify this but no fire as found,” Heitz explained. “Then, there was a second alarm at 6:43 p.m. and at that point a fire was detected in the structure.”
• HERO PRIEST: ‘Hero’ Priest Helped Human Chain Save Artifacts from Notre Dame: (People) – ‘He Showed No Fear’ Amid Blaze. Jean-Marc Fournier, the chaplain of the Paris fire brigade, also comforted victims in the 2015 Paris terror attacks. With France’s Notre Dame Cathedral in flames and time of the essence, a hero priest rushed to the scene to assist firefighters in their efforts to save invaluable artifacts from the historic landmark. According to The Guardian, father Jean-Marc Fournier — the chaplain of the Paris Fire Department — helped in a human chain of first responders who worked together to save religious relics from the world-famous landmark, which suddenly caught aflame Monday night. The devastating fire burned through the roof of the 856-year-old building and caused its spire to collapse, and put many of the centuries-old items inside at risk of damage or destruction. A powerful image of Fournier, tweeted by reporter Etienne Loraillère of the country’s KTO Catholic television network, showed him working into the night to save artifacts such as the Crown of Thorns and the Blessed Sacrament. “Father Fournier, [the] chaplain of the Paris Fire Brigade, went with the firefighters into Notre Dame Cathedral to save the Crown of Thorns and the Blessed Sacrament,” Loraillère tweeted, in a translation by BuzzFeed News. The Crown of Thorns is a Catholic relic believed to be a piece of the item worn by Jesus when he was crucified, while the Blessed Sacrament represents the body and blood of Christ in the form of blessed bread and wine.

• France’s 3 richest families lead $700 million fundraising effort for Notre Dame. London (CNN Business)France’s three wealthiest families are coming to the rescue of a national icon, spearheading a fundraising drive to rebuild Notre Dame that has topped $700 million. The billionaires behind luxury giants LVMH Group, Kering and L’Oreal on Tuesday pledged a combined €500 million ($565 million) after a massive fire ripped through the Paris cathedral. LVMH (LVMHF) and its CEO Bernard Arnault have promised €200 million ($226 million). The donation has been matched by the Bettencourt Meyers family, which controls L’Oreal (LRLCF). The Pinault family, which operates luxury conglomerate Kering (PPRUF), has pledged €100 million ($113 million). The three fashion dynasties have invoked patriotism and shared cultural identity in explaining their generosity following the devastating fire. Other French companies have also written big checks: The oil and gas company Total (TOT) has promised €100 million ($113 million), while tech and consulting firm Capgemini will give €1 million ($1.1 million).

6am – F         State’s Attorney Kim Foxx calls Jussie Smollett ‘washed up celeb who lied to cops’ in text message: report. (Fox News) — Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx described “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett as a “washed up celeb who lied to cops” in texts messages released Tuesday by her office in response to a public-records request by the Chicago Tribune. Foxx compared Smollett’s case to her office’s pending indictments against R&B singer R. Kelly in text messages to Joseph Magats, her top assistant, on March 8, the paper reported. “Pedophile with 4 victims 10 counts. Washed up celeb who lied to cops, 16 (counts),” she wrote. “… Just because we can charge something doesn’t mean we should.” “On a case eligible for deferred prosecution I think it’s indicative of something we should be looking at generally,” Foxx continued. Smollett, who is openly gay, was indicted on 16 counts of disorderly conduct on suspicion of staging a Jan. 29 hate crime attack on himself. He claimed two men beat and shouted slurs at him and wrapped a noose around his neck. Foxx and Magats continued to communicate via text message about aspects of the investigation. On March 3, Magats reported that he gave Foxx’s phone number to Michael Avenatti, who had joined the case, according to text messages. “…….. so Michael Avenatti reached out. Apparently he’s coming in to represent the Nigerian brothers in Smollet. I gave him your office number,” Magats wrote. Foxx issued a statement on Feb. 19 recusing herself from high-profile case. Prosecutors, last month, argued that Foxx never formally recused herself amid questions over her office’s decision to drop the charges against Smollett. That decision created a firestorm of protest from local officials.

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

• Bernie Sanders town hall delivers a ratings bonanza for Fox News. Sen. Bernie Sanders was criticized by fellow progressives for appearing in a town hall Monday, broadcast live on Fox News and moderated by co-anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum. The viewing public, however, tuned in for the event, which drew 2.6 million viewers, according to early ratings numbers from Nielsen Media Research. That is a very respectable audience for a Monday broadcast which aired at 6:30 p.m., rather than primetime. It also proved to be the highest rated town hall broadcast this year, representing an audience increase of 24 percent when compared to a typical Nielsen rating for that time slot on the network. The Fox News event also bested CNN’s town hall with Mr. Sanders on Feb. 25, which drew 1.3 million viewers.
• Buttigieg, Swalwell, Ryan & Castro are all interested in a Fox debate…
• ALEXANDRA JAFFE: Cory Booker told me last night he’s been asked to do a Fox town hall & is considering it; said he wasn’t concerned about bias on the network
• TRUMP SWIPES AT BRET: “So weird to watch Crazy Bernie on [Fox News]. Not surprisingly, [Bret Baier] and the ‘audience’ was so smiley and nice,” said Trump via Twitter. “Very strange, and now we have [Donna Brazile]?”
• CNN RATINGS: CNN Ratings Continue To Plummet To All-Year Low. (Daily Caller) — CNN had its lowest primetime weekly ratings overall and in the key age demographic last week, according to Nielsen Media Research. From April 8-12, the network only averaged an audience of 690,000 people and 180,000 in the key 25-54 age demographic. Their coverage last week included three presidential town halls with New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro. (Every CNN Presidential Town Hall Finished Behind MSNBC And Fox News In Ratings) Gillibrand’s town hall only had 507,000 viewers, compared to Inslee’s 549,000 and Castro’s 654,000. Comparatively, last week, MSNBC’s prime time lineup averaged 1,600,000 viewers with 249,000 in the key demo. Fox News managed to beat CNN and MSNBC combined, with a total viewership of 2,438,000 and 394,000 in the age range.
• Fox News anchors cut off guests speculating about cause of Notre Dame fire

7am – B         2020 NEWS:

• Trump predicts ‘Crazy Bernie Sanders,’ ‘Sleepy Joe Biden’ will be 2 Dem ‘finalists’ in 2020 race: Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump:  I believe it will be Crazy Bernie Sanders vs. Sleepy Joe Biden as the two finalists to run against maybe the best Economy in the history of our Country (and MANY other great things)! I look forward to facing whoever it may be. May God Rest Their Soul! 9:24 PM – Apr 16, 2019
• DEMS AND CHARITY GIVING: Here’s how much of their income 2020 Dems gave to charity in 2017:  
  • Beto – 0.31% (no, that’s not a typo)
  • Harris – 1.4%
  • Gillibrand – 1.7%
  • Klobuchar – 1.9%
  • Sanders – 3.4%
  • Inslee – 4%
  • Warren – 5.5%

• UVa Student Asks Beto Why He Gave Less To Charity Than A College Student. An unnamed student at the University of Virginia asked former Democratic Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, during a Tuesday meet-and-greet on campus, why he gave less to charity than a recent college graduate. “Thank you for coming,” the student began. “You just released your tax returns. I was talking to my sister about this and we were wondering why, as someone who earns seven times as much of an income as she as a recent college graduate does, gives less in charitable donations than she does.” O’Rourke offered up a word salad in response, in which he first appeared to strike at President Donald Trump for not releasing his tax returns.

7am – C         Frederick, MD Man Accused of Spreading HIV to Unsuspecting Women. (WMAL) — WASHINGTON– Police in Frederick, Md are looking for women who may have had sexual relations with 34 year old Rudolph Smith. Smith, who is HIV positive, is accused of  knowingly spreading the virus to “multiple females” according to a statement from the police department. “He was specifically going out and targeting women on dating sights and having intercourse with them,” said Sgt Andrew Alcorn. Alcorn says an investigation has been underway for 21 months. In that time, police identified “multiple victims” and conducted a number of searches before handing the case off to a grand jury. Smith is now facing four counts of First Degree Assault, four counts of Reckless Endangerment and 4 counts of Knowing Transfer of HIV Prohibited. The Frederick Police department is looking to hear from women who may have had a sexual relationship with Mr. Smith around or after July 2017.

7am – D         INTERVIEW – KEVIN LEWIS – ABC 7 REPORTER

• ‘I’ll wear it again’: Duo allegedly attacks, robs immigrant for wearing MAGA baseball cap. (ABC7) — Atsu Mable scarfed down a hefty supper Saturday, prompting him to take an evening stroll in his Germantown neighborhood to help burn some calories while also enjoy the fresh springtime air. Mable — a proud supporter of President Donald Trump — decided to sport his bright red “Make America Great Again” baseball cap during the leisurely walk. As he rounded the corner to his building at the Seneca Club Apartments near Northwest High School, three men approached Mable and began to make snide remarks. “They were asking me, ‘Hey bro, why did you put that hat on?’ And I didn’t say anything, I just passed by.” Mable continued to make his way down the apartment complex sidewalk when two of the three men began to pummel his head and upper body with their fists. “All of a sudden, I got a punch on my head. Boom!” Mable said. “They took my headphones and smashed it to the ground and tried to take my phone.” Fearing serious injury, Mable — a married accountant with no children — fought back. Meanwhile, an eyewitness called 911 to report the two-on-one assault. “I was falling back onto the ground,” Mable said. “They were punching me on my head. Suddenly I thank God for that bystander that came by and called the police.” The shrill of responding police cruisers’ sirens sent the suspects running. Officers later caught Jovan Crawford, 27, of Gaithersburg, and Scott Roberson, 25, of Northwest Washington, reportedly hiding amongst a group of children playing basketball.

7am – E         OVECHKIN FIGHT:

• Alex Ovechkin says he hopes Andrei Svechnikov is okay after knocking out Carolina rookie
• Alan May, UFC and Andrei Svechnikov’s brother react to Alex Ovechkin’s knockout blows

8am – A         INTERVIEW – JOSH KRAUSHAAR – political editor for National Journal – discussed the latest 2020 news and Dem in-fighting.

• Daily Kos: Bernie’s Decision To Appear On Fox News Just Goes To Show That He’s Not A Team Player
• NY TIMES: ‘Stop Sanders’ Democrats Are Agonizing Over His Momentum
• DAILY BEAST: Bernie’s Fox News Town Hall Was a Ratings Smash. More Dems May Follow Him There.
• Buttigieg, Swalwell, Ryan & Castro are all interested in a Fox town hall…
• Trump predicts ‘Crazy Bernie Sanders,’ ‘Sleepy Joe Biden’ will be 2 Dem ‘finalists’ in 2020 race: Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump:  I believe it will be Crazy Bernie Sanders vs. Sleepy Joe Biden as the two finalists to run against maybe the best Economy in the history of our Country (and MANY other great things)! I look forward to facing whoever it may be. May God Rest Their Soul! 9:24 PM – Apr 16, 2019

8am – B         IMMIGRATION NEWS:

• TRUMP APPLAUDS CHER FOR HER STANCE ON SANCTUARY CITIES: The president, who has threatened to release illegal immigrants to sanctuary cities, tweeted Monday that “I finally agree with @Cher!” after the singer questioned whether Los Angeles can absorb an influx of migrants because the city is already unable to handle people who have fallen through the cracks. “I Understand Helping struggling Immigrants, but MY CITY (Los Angeles) ISNT TAKING CARE OF ITS OWN. WHAT ABOUT THE 50,000+Citizens WHO LIVE ON THE STREETS. PPL WHO LIVE BELOW POVERTY LINE,& HUNGRY?” Cher wrote in a tweet on Sunday. “If My State Can’t Take Care of Its Own(Many Are VETS)How Can it Take Care Of More.”
• Cher rips Trump as ‘ignorant thug’ after he says he agrees with her on immigration. (The Hill) — Singer and actress Cher blasted President Trump as an “ignorant thug” early Tuesday after Trump said he agreed with her on immigration. “I AGREE… THAT DEMS STILL DONT GET,THEY’RE PLAYING POLITICS,& trump’s PLAYING BUTCHER YOUR ENEMIES& CREATE CONSTANT MAYHEM. HE’S IGNORANT THUG WITH LIZARD BRAIN THAT GUARANTEES HIS SURVIVAL ABOVE ALL ELSE,” Cher tweeted. She added in a subsequent tweet that she “felt misunderstood” and wondered how people could “condemn” her. “Worked,Tried To Explain Myself,,Cried About Notre Dame,Worked,Felt Misunderstood,Worked, Wondered how ppl could condemn me after all I’ve said & Done in life,Worked & Compartmentalized my Emotions,Took Care Of Those In My Care,” she wrote.
• AG BARR ENDS RELEASING ASYLUM SEEKERS ON BOND: Attorney General Bill Barr decided Tuesday that asylum seekers who meet the “credible fear” threshold are no longer eligible to be released on bond, stymying at least one method illegal immigrants use to gain access to the United States. The new rule will apply to all asylum seekers who demonstrate “credible fear” in their home countries, regardless if they turned themselves in at ports of entry or if they were detained between the ports.

8am – C         FREDERICK MAN KNOWINGLY GIVING WOMEN HIV:

• Frederick, MD Man Accused of Spreading HIV to Unsuspecting Women. (WMAL) — WASHINGTON– Police in Frederick, Md are looking for women who may have had sexual relations with 34 year old Rudolph Smith. Smith, who is HIV positive, is accused of  knowingly spreading the virus to “multiple females” according to a statement from the police department. “He was specifically going out and targeting women on dating sights and having intercourse with them,” said Sgt Andrew Alcorn. Alcorn says an investigation has been underway for 21 months. In that time, police identified “multiple victims” and conducted a number of searches before handing he case off to a grand jury. Smith is now facing four counts of First Degree Assault, four counts of Reckless Endangerment and 4 counts of Knowing Transfer of HIV Prohibited. The Frederick Police department is looking to hear from women who may have had a sexual relationship with Mr. Smith around or after July 2017.

8am – D         SPEAKER PELOSI’S INTERVIEW WITH CNN YESTERDAY:

• Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “Everything is at stake in this election.”
• CNN’s CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR asks about ILHAN OMAR. PELOSI: I don’t think she’s anti-semitic… She criticizes President Trump for his tweet, saying he used video of 9/11 “as a political tool. He was wrong to do that.
• Nancy Pelosi: We have “no taint” of anti-Semitism in the Democratic Party
• Nancy Pelosi doesn’t “even know what” Ilhan Omar said

8am – E         Ralph Northam Cancels Public Appearances, Still Resisting Resignation Calls. (Huffington Post) —  The Virginia governor will not speak at graduation events this spring as he refuses to quit in the blackface photo scandal. Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) dropped out of several planned public appearances this week as he continues to reject calls for his resignation over a racist photo of him wearing blackface. Northam, who has mostly kept a low profile since the yearbook photo ballooned into a major scandal engulfing several top state lawmakers more than two months ago, will not speak at the May 16 commencement ceremony of his alma mater, the Virginia Military  Institute, or any other graduation events this spring, The Roanoke Times reported Monday. “In order to ensure that commencements remain focused on celebrating graduates, their families, and their achievements, the governor has decided he will not participate in any ceremonies this spring,” Northam’s spokeswoman told the newspaper. Northam on Sunday canceled a planned appearance at a fundraiser for state Sen. David Marsden (D) because of protesters, according to The Washington Post. His office cited “concerns for the safety and security of everyone in attendance.”