Saagar Enjeti, Susan Ferrechio and astronaut Tom Jones joined WMAL on Tuesday!

Mornings on the Mall

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

 

5am – A/B/C New crackdown on asylum seekers goes into effect today (Fox News) — The Trump administration on Monday announced a sweeping new policy tightening restrictions for asylum seekers, in a move that could drastically reduce the number of Central American migrants eligible to enter the United States in this way. The new rule, published in the Federal Register, is expected to go into effect Tuesday. It would require most migrants entering through America’s southern border to first seek asylum in one of the countries they traversed – whether in Mexico, in Central America, or elsewhere on their journey. In most cases, only if that application is denied would they then be able to seek asylum in the United States.

5am – D         EPSTEIN UPDATE:

• Jeffrey Epstein is sent back to solitary confinement until his bail hearing on Thursday after prosecutors reveal the FBI found diamonds, piles of cash and a fake passport saying he lived in Saudi Arabia when they raided his $77million mansion (Daily Mail) — Jeffrey Epstein obtained a passport from a foreign government in the 1980s that had his photo but another name, prosecutors revealed in court on Monday. The team of attorneys from the Southern District of New York also said the wealthy financier had piles of cash and diamonds in his $77million Upper East Side mansion when it was raided last week.  Judge Richard Berman ordered Epstein to remain behind bars on sex trafficking charges at the Manhattan Correctional Center until a bail hearing scheduled for Thursday.
• Inside the Victoria’s Secret pipeline to Jeffrey Epstein (New York Post) — In 2004, Elisabetta Tai was a 21-year-old Italian model with big dreams. A month after arriving in Manhattan, her booker gave her an Upper East Side address and told her he had set up a meeting with the man who would be able to get her a gig modeling for the Victoria’s Secret catalog. “He told me this is one of the most important people in modeling,” Tai told The Post. “He said that this man is in charge of Victoria’s Secret and he’s going to change your life.”Jeffrey Epstein did end up changing Tai’s life — but not in the way she expected, she said.

5am – E  Obama officials concede role in slow $20 Harriet Tubman bill rollout: report (Fox News) — After Democrat lawmakers and commentators spent months hammering the Trump administration for supposedly delaying the release of a $20 bill featuring abolitionist Harriet Tubman, several officials appointed by President Barack Obama have reportedly admitted that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has followed the Obama timeline for producing the new currency. The Obama administration said 2016 that it wanted to remove Andrew Jackson from the $20 bill and replace him with Tubman, who helped free slaves through the Underground Railroad, and that the bills would be ready in 2020. But a current “high-ranking government official” appointed by Obama, as well as a former official, confirmed to The Washington Post that the Tubman bill had “had “always been scheduled for release toward the end of the next decade.” Obama Treasury Secretary Jack Lew’s 2016 claims that a “final concept design” of the bill would be released in 2020 were viewed with skepticism internally, according to the report. Larry R. Felix, the director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing from 2006 to 2015, told The Post that too much security work needed to be done to realistically release the bill in 2020.

6am – A/B/C/D/E/F  TRUMP VS “THE SQUAD”

• Donald Trump Triples Down: ‘If You’re Not Happy Here,Then You Can Leave’ (Breitbart) — President Donald Trump is not backing down from calling on progressive Congresswomen critical of the U.S. to move out of the country, saying Monday, “If you’re not happy here, then you can leave.”“If you’re not happy here, then you can leave,” President Trump said, prompting cheers from the audience at a planned “Made in America” event at the White House. “As far as I’m concerned, if you hate our country, if you’re not happy here, you can leave.” “But if you’re happy in the U.S., if you’re complaining all the time, very simply you can leave, you can leave right now. Come back if you want, don’t come back, that’s okay too. But if you’re not happy, you can leave,” he added. The president appears to have been once again referenced Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-MN), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), who in a series of Sunday tweets, seemingly told to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.”
• AOC ‘squad’ refers to Trump as ‘occupant’ of White House, condemns ‘racist’ remarks, as Trump fires back. (Fox News) — In spirited remarks tinged with open animosity, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., standing side-by-side with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, declared at a news conference Monday on Capitol Hill that “it is time for us to impeach this president” for “openly violating” his constitutional oath.

7am – A  INTERVIEW – SAAGAR ENJETI  – Chief Washington Correspondent & Host at The Hill – discussed President Trump taking on “The Squad.”

• Trump Triples Down On Tweets, Criticizes Democratic Congresswomen During Presser. President Donald Trump refused to back down Monday over a series of tweets telling freshman Democratic congresswomen to fix their “corrupt and inept” homelands before legislating in the U.S., asserting that the group of women “hate our country.” The tweets were deemed to be racist by many, as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, and Ayanna Pressley were all born in the United States. Rep. Ilhan Omar was born in Somalia and came to the U.S. as a refugee.
• AOC ‘squad’ refers to Trump as ‘occupant’ of White House, condemns ‘racist’ remarks, as Trump fires back. (Fox News) — In spirited remarks tinged with open animosity, Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., standing side-by-side with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, declared at a news conference Monday on Capitol Hill that “it is time for us to impeach this president” for “openly violating” his constitutional oath. “The eyes of history [are] watching us” in this “pivotal moment,” Omar said. The dramatic moment came just hours after Trump forcefully doubled down on his explosive call this weekend for progressive congresswomen to “go back” to where they came from and “come back and show us how it’s done,” rather than criticize the Trump administration. He also demanded they “apologize” for what he called their apparent anti-American “hate.”
• Pelosi announces House resolution to condemn Trump’s ‘xenophobic tweets.’ House to vote on resolution condemning Trump for comments on progressive ‘squad,’ Pelosi says. A clear line has been drawn in the sand between President Trump and the squad of progressive freshman lawmakers who have emerged as the loudest voices in the Democratic Party — Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass. The president on Monday forcefully stood by his call for the congresswomen to “go back” to where they came from and “come back and show us how it’s done,” rather than criticize the Trump administration. He has demanded they “apologize” for apparent anti-American “hate.” In response, the squad has referred to Trump as a racist “occupant” of the White House who needs to be impeached.
• Schumer plans Senate resolution condemning Trump tweets. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Monday that Democrats will file a Senate resolution condemning President Trump’s tweets telling four Democratic congresswomen of color to “go back” to their home countries.  “Speaker Pelosi has said that the House will introduce a resolution denouncing the president’s comments. Our intention is to do the same in the Senate. We’ll see. We’ll see just how many Republicans will sign on,” Schumer said. His comments were part of a blistering floor speech he delivered on Monday afternoon blasting Republicans for largely remaining silent on the president’s remarks. Schumer didn’t offer any details on the wording of the forthcoming resolution or when it would be introduced.
• Al Green to force impeachment vote following incendiary Trump tweets. Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) said Monday that he plans to force a vote on impeachment this month following President Trump’s inflammatory tweets telling a group of progressive Democratic congresswomen to “go back” to where they came from. Green — who first unsuccessfully forced a vote on impeachment in 2017, with just 58 Democrats supporting the effort on the floor — said he feels he needs to take action due to the president’s recent rhetoric. “I will again, this month, bring impeachment to a vote on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives for bigotry in policy, harmful to our society,” he tweeted.  #RacistPresident #ImpeachNow

7am – B  APOLLO 11 ANNIVERDARY: Apollo 11 launched 50 years ago on July 16, 1969 – Fifty years ago, the Apollo 11 spacecraft lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a three-man crew. Two of them would be the first men to walk on the moon. The Apollo 11, which was part of the Apollo Program, took off at 8:32 a.m. on July 16, 1969. It was set to be the first lunar landing of the program, according to the Lunar and Planetary Institute. Aboard the 363-foot spacecraft were three astronauts: Neil Armstrong, mission commander, Michael Collins, command module pilot and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, lunar module pilot. The crew traveled for a little more than three days to reach the moon’s orbit. Then, they made history.

7am – C  DC STATEHOOD POLL: Most Americans Still Don’t Want Statehood For D.C., Poll Shows.   A full 64 percent of Americans don’t think the District of Columbia should be a state, according to a new Gallup poll (DCist) — It’s a historic year for D.C. statehood: a bill that would make D.C. the 51st state has a record-breaking number of sponsors and co-sponsors in the House of Representatives, and the lower chamber has scheduled a hearing on the measure for the first time since 1993. But even as statehood breaks new ground in government, average Americans apparently remain unconvinced. A full 64 percent of Americans don’t think the District of Columbia should be a state, according to a new Gallup poll released Monday. Only 29 percent are in favor of the idea. The poll is in line with past studies on the issue, which have generally found Americans to be unsupportive of statehood for D.C., according to Gallup. A Rasmussen Reports poll in 2013 showed that only 25 percent of Americans were in favor, and a 1989 Washington Post poll found that 31 percent were in favor.

7am – D  Trump administration announces major crackdown on asylum seekers (Fox News) — The Trump administration on Monday announced a sweeping new policy tightening restrictions for asylum seekers, in a move that could drastically reduce the number of Central American migrants eligible to enter the United States in this way. The new rule, published in the Federal Register, is expected to go into effect Tuesday. It would require most migrants entering through America’s southern border to first seek asylum in one of the countries they traversed – whether in Mexico, in Central America, or elsewhere on their journey. In most cases, only if that application is denied would they then be able to seek asylum in the United States.

Trump moves to eliminate nearly all asylum claims at U.S. southern border (Los Angeles Times) — The new rule, published in the Federal Register and set to take effect Tuesday, would bar asylum claims from anyone who has passed through another country en route to the U.S., which essentially would cover anyone other than Mexican residents, who make up a small fraction of asylum applicants. Only in rare cases, such as when a migrant applies for asylum elsewhere and is denied, would a person be eligible to apply for protection in the U.S. The rule would, in effect, nearly wipe out U.S. asylum law, which establishes a legal right to claim protection for anyone who arrives at the U.S. border and can make a case that they face torture or persecution at home. The law applies regardless of how a migrant reaches the border. The law currently provides a major exception in cases in which the U.S. has negotiated a “safe third country” agreement with another government. Under those agreements, such as the one the U.S. has with Canada, migrants must apply in the first safe country they reach. The new plan would short-circuit that, effectively requiring migrants to apply in any country they land in, whether the U.S. considers that country safe or not.

7am – E         PUERTO RICO IN CHAOS:

• Calls intensify for Puerto Rican governor’s resignation following leaked private chats (CNN) — Calls for Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló to resign are growing after remarks he made in a private group chat were leaked, and more protests are being organized in San Juan. On Sunday, one man yelled over a microphone, “We will kick you out,” as other protesters filling the street in front of the governor’s mansion in Old San Juan joined him chanting, “Ricky resign!” Demonstrators say they feel disrespected and deceived. Many believe the chats indicate corruption and that the governor violated their trust, they say. The Center for Investigative Journalism published nearly 900 pages from the private group chat via Telegram. The exchanges between the governor and his inner circle reveal a vengeful approach in running the government — including attacking journalists by discrediting stories and threatening to turn over political opponents to police.
• Police Fire Tear Gas to Quell Protests Over Puerto Rico’s Governor. SAN JUAN, P.R. — An afternoon of extraordinary protests demanding the immediate resignation of Gov. Ricardo A. Rosselló of Puerto Rico turned chaotic late on Monday when police in riot gear launched tear gas and pepper spray into a crowd of thousands of demonstrators. The volleys of gas just after 8:30 p.m. dispersed much of the gathering that had swelled outside of the governor’s mansion, La Fortaleza. But some protesters defied the authorities, sitting in a row in front of the police wall, raising their arms and holding hands. “¡Somos más y no tenemos miedo!” they yelled. There are more of us, and we are not afraid. One man, his face covered in a black bandanna, urged the officers to move, reminding them that they, too, are Puerto Ricans. Another man, his face bare, stood silently, shaking his head. As the crowd began to approach again, filling the narrow streets of Old San Juan while chanting against the governor, the police released the pepper spray. Still, protesters remained nearby. The officers began pushing out, deploying more gas and, later, shooting rubber bullets. Henry Escalera, the police commissioner, told reporters that some protesters had thrown cobblestones, bottles and tear gas of their own at the officers during the more than two-hour standoff.

8am – A  INTERVIEW – Susan Ferrechio, chief congressional correspondent for the Washington Examiner – discussed President Trump sparring with the Squad.

• Squad: President’s tweets are ‘the agenda of white nationalists’ (Washington Examiner) — A group of minority female liberal freshman Democrats said President Trump’s “blatantly racist attack” on them is “the agenda of white nationalists” and a distraction from the mass deportation of illegal immigrants. Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and three colleagues said President Trump’s tweet calling on them to “go back” to where they came from is aimed at “dividing our country” on race, gender, sexual orientation, and immigration status. Omar held a last-minute press conference Monday with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, in response to Trump’s declaration that if they don’t like the United States, they should leave.
• Trump tweet amps up pressure on Democratic leaders to punish president (Washington Examiner) — House Democrats, already itching to open an impeachment inquiry against the president, stepped up pressure on their leadership to punish him in response to a series of tweets and comments about four minority freshmen. Democrats Monday in a closed-door meeting urged support of a censure resolution against Trump for calling on four freshman liberals to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how it is done.” Trump tweeted the comments at Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.

8am – B         2020 NEWS:

• Sanders campaign: Media ‘find Bernie annoying, discount his seriousness’ (Politico) — His staff is unusually vocal in calling out coverage they dislike, fueling frustration once again among the senator’s supporters about whether he’s getting a fair shot at the White House. If Bernie Sanders’ team had its way, every reporter covering the Vermont senator would put out a tweet disclosing their unvarnished, personal feelings about the candidate. It’s not going to happen, but campaign manager Faiz Shakir thinks he knows what it would reveal anyway. “This isn’t intended to be a sweeping generalization of all journalists,” he told POLITICO, “but there are a healthy number who just find Bernie annoying, discount his seriousness, and wish his supporters and movement would just go away.”
• Biden unveils health care plan: Affordable Care Act 2.0 (Politico) — Democratic front-runner Joe Biden on Monday unveiled a health plan that’s intended to preserve the most popular parts of Obamacare — from Medicaid expansion to protections for patients with preexisting conditions — and build on them with a new government-run public insurance option. Biden would also empower Medicare to directly negotiate drug prices, allow the importation of prescription drugs from abroad and extend tax credits to help tens of millions of Americans buy lower-priced health insurance. The plan — which the campaign says will cost $750 billion over a decade, to be paid for by reversing some of the Trump administration’s tax cuts — is less transformative than the “Medicare for All” proposal advanced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and supported by some other Democrats, which would effectively do away with private insurance and shift all Americans to government-run health coverage.

8am – D  INTERVIEW — DR. TOM JONES —  veteran NASA astronaut and author of book, “Ask the Astronaut”  @TomJones_astro – reflected on the anniversary of Apollo 11.

• Apollo 11 launched 50 years ago on July 16, 1969 (Fox 5) — Fifty years ago, the Apollo 11 spacecraft lifted off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida with a three-man crew. Two of them would be the first men to walk on the moon. The Apollo 11, which was part of the Apollo Program, took off at 8:32 a.m. on July 16, 1969. It was set to be the first lunar landing of the program, according to the Lunar and Planetary Institute. Aboard the 363-foot spacecraft were three astronauts: Neil Armstrong, mission commander, Michael Collins, command module pilot and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, lunar module pilot. The crew traveled for a little more than three days to reach the moon’s orbit. Then, they made history.