Mornings on the Mall

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

Cal Thomas, Mark Krikorian, Grover Norquist and Scott Allen joined WMAL joined WMAL on Wednesday!

5am – A/B/C Here’s what happened in another wild day of the Trump-Ukraine scandal:

• NY TIMES: Administration and Congress Clash Over Deposition as Impeachment Fights Begin. In the first skirmish in what promises to be an epic impeachment struggle between the executive and legislative branches, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lashed out at three congressional committees that are seeking to depose diplomats involved in American policy toward Ukraine. Mr. Pompeo called their demands for confidential interviews “an act of intimidation.” The House postponed the first of the depositions, which had been scheduled for Wednesday with the former United States ambassador to Ukraine, but not before the impeachment inquiry’s leaders upbraided Mr. Pompeo for questioning their work and for asserting that their bid to swiftly schedule depositions did not allow enough time for a proper response.
• State Department inspector general requests urgent briefing on Ukraine with congressional staff. The State Department’s inspector general has requested an urgent private briefing with staff members of three House committees after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s objected to their request for depositions from five current and former officials. While Pompeo told the committee chairmen that answering questions about President Trump’s July phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky is not feasible, two have agreed to appear: Former special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker will meet on Thursday and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovith appears next week.
• Former US envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker will testify in the House’s impeachment inquiry on Thursday
• Deposition for House impeachment investigation delayed. The House committees investigating Trump and Ukraine have delayed one of those depositions planned for this week, according to an aide, but former US Special Envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker will appear Thursday.
• Giuliani hires a Watergate prosecutor as his attorney in impeachment inquiry. Florida attorney Jon Sale, who worked as an assistant prosecutor on the legal team investigating the Watergate scandal, is representing Giuliani in the matter of the congressional impeachment inquiry, both of them confirmed to CNN on Tuesday.
• Ukraine‘s President says he never met with Giuliani. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he has never met with Giuliani, as Zelensky finds himself in the middle of an American political firestorm. Pompeo accuses House Democrats of intimidation and bullying over Ukraine Pompeo on Tuesday accused lawmakers of “intimidating and bullying” State Department officials by calling them for depositions related to the Ukraine inquiry. Mike Pompeo says House committee should stop trying to ‘bully’ his staffers into giving depositions and refrain from sending them ‘intimidating communications’ in new resistance to impeachment probe
• Pompeo shuts down Dems’ subpoena, says his officials won’t appear for impeachment depositions
• GRASSLEY CAVES: Senate Republican Chuck Grassley (IA) says the whistleblower who was concerned about possible illegal actions during President Trump’s July phone call with the president of Ukraine deserves to be heard and protected. The Senate Finance Committee chairman’s statement was made after recent tweets by the president wanting to meet the whistleblower while suggesting that person is “close to a spy.” Senior GOP senator rebukes Trump, says whistleblower ‘ought to be heard out’
• MAXINE WATERS WANTS TRUMP IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT: ‘Impeachment is too good!’ Maxine Waters says Donald Trump deserves to be in SOLITARY confinement as she accuses him of ‘dog whistling to his white supremacists to create fear’
• SCHIFF – PELOSI PRESSER: Schiff will appear at Pelosi’s weekly presser: Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) will join House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for her weekly news conference on Wednesday

5am – D         Trump inquired about shooting migrants at the border, using trench filled with deadly reptiles: new book (Fox News) – A new report from the New York Times on Tuesday shows the extraordinary measures President Trump inquired about as part of his push to secure the U.S.-Mexico border. In an excerpt from their upcoming book, “Border Wars: Inside Trump’s Assault on Immigration,” Times reporters Michael Shear and Julie Hirschfeld Davis allege that Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of installing a “water-filled trench” and stocking it with deadly reptiles. He also suggested shooting migrants in the legs to “slow them down.” A source who was in the room at the time confirmed the conversation about shooting migrants in the legs to Fox News late Tuesday.

5am – E         BARR & DURHAM WENT TO ROME TO LISTEN TO TAPES OF MIFSUD: The Daily Beast has learned that Barr and Durham were especially interested in what the Italian secret service knew about Joseph Mifsud, the erstwhile professor from Malta who had allegedly promised then candidate Donald Trump’s campaign aide George Papadopoulos he could deliver Russian “dirt” on Hillary Clinton. The Italian Justice Ministry public records show that Mifsud had applied for police protection in Italy after disappearing from Link University where he worked and, in doing so, had given a taped deposition to explain just why people might want to harm him.

6am – A/B/C Fairfax County Police Officer Suspended; Alerted Feds To Immigrant’s Traffic Stop. (WMAL/AP) – FAIRFAX, Va. – A northern Virginia police officer has been suspended with pay after authorities say he violated policy by alerting federal immigration authorities he was detaining a driver who missed his deportation hearing. Since 2007, Fairfax County Police policy bars officers from alerting the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement when they encounter someone wanted on administrative immigration violation, provided that the individual is not otherwise being taken into custody. Chief Edwin Roessler issued a statement Tuesday saying one of his officers temporarily detained an individual involved in a Sept. 21 traffic accident and who had no driver’s license after learning he was wanted by ICE. Roessler says ICE released the driver after fitting him with an ankle monitor, and the officer has been relieved of law enforcement duties while an investigation is conducted.

6am – D         INTERVIEW – CAL THOMAS – Syndicated columnist

• NATS incredible win and how WASHINGTON needs this
• ‘Impeachment is too good!’ Maxine Waters says Donald Trump deserves to be in SOLITARY confinement as she accuses him of ‘dog whistling to his white supremacists to create fear’
• WARREN VS ZUCKERBERG: Mark Zuckerberg said an Elizabeth Warren presidency would ‘suck’ for Facebook, leaked audio reveals

6am – E         Federal judge rules for Harvard in affirmative action case. A federal judge on Tuesday ruled against families suing Harvard for allegedly discriminating against Asian-American applicants in a blow to activists who hoped to chip away at affirmative action programs. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs said Harvard had a compelling interest to consider race in admissions because of the benefits of a diverse student body, citing Supreme Court precedent from the 1978 affirmative action case Regents of the University of California v. Bakke. Burroughs said Harvard’s program was “not perfect” but ruled that it tread lightly enough in considering race that it could be considered constitutional. The organization representing the plaintiffs, Students for Fair Admissions, said it will appeal the decision.

6am – F         TRUMP RESTAURANT GETS MICHELIN STARS:

• D.C. is seeing stars today. Michelin stars that is. Michelin awarded 18 D.C. restaurants stars, including newcomers Gravitas, Little Pearl, Maydan and Sushi Nakazawa. 4 new DC restaurants are awarded stars in Michelin Guide. Gravitas, Little Pearl, Maydan and Sushi Nakazawa join 14 other D.C. restaurants on the 2020 list.  (WUSA9) – D.C. is seeing stars today. Michelin stars that is. The 2020 Michelin Guide awarded a total of 18 D.C. restaurants stars, including four newcomers to the list: Gravitas, Little Pearl, Maydan and Sushi Nakazawa.  “This is a huge honor,” Chef Masaaki Uchino said. “We have always wanted people who visit and live in D.C. to become more familiar with sushi in general, and my hope is that this Michelin star gets more attention for sushi. Michelin has tremendous influence and this is a huge step for the sushi community.”  For the first time since Michelin debuted the D.C. guide, restaurants lost stars. Notably missing from the list this year was Blue Duck Tavern, which had maintained a one-star rating since the inaugural D.C.list in 2016. Siren, which was awarded its first star last year, was removed from the list this year after closing in January. The biggest surprise of the list was the continued omission of Bad Saint. After being removed from the 2020 Bib Gourmand list, rumors circulated that the popular Filipino restaurant, named the second best new restaurant in the country in 2016 by Bon Appetit, would finally be given a star. Chef Aaron Silverman became the most prolific chef/owner on the list with all three of his restaurant concepts (Pineapple and Pearls, Rose’s Luxury and Little Pearl) receiving stars. Previously, Chef Eric Ziebold held the title with both Kinship and Métier in the one-star club.
• The Trump Hotel in Washington Gets Its First Michelin Star. The guide recognizes one of the most divisive restaurants in the U.S. (Bloomberg) – The Michelin Guide is not running a popularity contest in Washington. The international restaurant rainmaker just-released its star rankings for the U.S. capital, and it included several major surprises. The insanely popular Filipino spot Bad Saint—one of the country’s best new restaurants in 2016, according to Bon Appétit, with a wait to get in that has inspired a TaskRabbit industry of line-standers—fell off the list completely. In the 2019 guide, it earned a Bib Gourmand (good value for quality) designation. Sushi Nakazawa, a restaurant that did make the list, is one of the most divisive in the country. It’s not the quality of the fish that causes controversy; it’s located in the Trump International Hotel. “There was no pause about the hotel that it’s located in. It’s all about the food on the plate for the star,” says the chief inspector of the U.S. Michelin team, speaking on condition of anonymity.  The restaurant also holds a Michelin star for its New York flagship. The inspector adds that for $150, the value for the fish on the plate was good, relatively speaking.

7am – A         INTERVIEW – MARK KRIKORIAN – Center for Immigration Studies

• Fairfax County suspends officer who cooperated with ICE. (By Stephen Dinan – The Washington Times) – Fairfax County Police Chief Edwin C. Roessler Jr. said Tuesday he suspended an officer who cooperated with federal deportation officers by turning over an illegal immigrant he encountered during a traffic stop — a move the chief said violated department policy. Chief Roessler didn’t identify the officer but said he “deprived a person of their freedom” by cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The chief called that unacceptable. “Our county is one of the most diverse counties in the nation and no one should have the perception that FCPD is acting as a civil immigration agent for ICE,” he said in a statement. “This matter damages our reputation and the longstanding policy that I have stated many times that our officers shall not act as immigration agents.” The chief said the officer was working a traffic accident in the Huntington section of the Virginia county on Sept. 21 and came across someone without a driver’s license. When the officer ran the name, it returned a flag from ICE, which said the immigrant was a fugitive after failing to appear for a deportation hearing. The county’s system confirmed the warrant. The officer called, and an ICE employee responded. Chief Roessler said the county officer should not have detained the immigrant to turn over to ICE. He said that move broke department policy, which tells officers not to bother to confirm administrative warrants through the county’s system. The majority of administrative warrants are from ICE.

7am – B/C Hillary Clinton says the ‘gutsiest’ decision she’s ever made was to stay in her marriage to Bill Clinton after his cheating scandal.

• Juanita Broaddrick @atensnut No… it’s NOT gutsy to stay married to a rapist.  ITS CALLED GUTLESS.

7am – D         2020 NEWS:

• Kamala Harris Campaign Raises $11.6 Million in Third Quarter
• Harris Calls Herself a ‘Top-Tier’ Candidate Despite Polling at 4 Percent.
• Bernie Sanders raises more than $25 million in the third quarter, his campaign says
• South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s campaign announced he raised more than $19 million in the third quarter.
• TRUMP FUNDRAISING: Trump’s 2020 campaign manager Brad Parscale @parscale: ABSOLUTELY HUGE. More: $125M raised combined… $156M cash on hand… $308M raised YTD… Twice as much cash on hand as Obama had at same point in 2011.
• Trump campaign, RNC raise record $125 million in 3rd quarter: …Booker: $6M… Harris: $11M… Buttigieg: $19M … Bernie: $25M… Trump/RNC: $125M
• WARREN VS ZUCKERBERG: Mark Zuckerberg said an Elizabeth Warren presidency would ‘suck’ for Facebook, leaked audio reveals.
  • LEAKED ZUCKERBERG AUDIO: “You have someone like Elizabeth Warren who thinks that the right answer is to break up the companies … if she gets elected president, then I would bet that we will have a legal challenge, and I would bet that we will win the legal challenge. And does that still suck for us? Yeah. I mean, I don’t want to have a major lawsuit against our own government. … But look, at the end of the day, if someone’s going to try to threaten something that existential, you go to the mat and you fight.”
  • Warren slams Facebook after Zuckerberg says in leaked audio that it would face challenge if she wins in 2020:  Elizabeth Warren @ewarren: What would really “suck” is if we don’t fix a corrupt system that lets giant companies like Facebook engage in illegal anticompetitive practices, stomp on consumer privacy rights, and repeatedly fumble their responsibility to protect our democracy. 9:20 AM – Oct 1, 2019

7am – E         Church Of Sweden Claims Jesus Christ Appointed Greta Thunberg As His ‘Successor’ (Daily Caller) — The Church of Sweden claimed that Jesus Christ has appointed teen climate activist Greta Thunberg as “one of his successors” in a December 2018 tweet that has resurfaced on social media. “Announcement! Jesus of Nazareth has now appointed one of his successors, Greta Thunberg,” tweeted Sweden’s largest Christian church denomination on Dec. 1, 2018. The account, operated by the Limhamns Church, is filled with many such proclamations about climate change activism. The tweet has been rediscovered as Thunberg has left her native Sweden on a climate change odyssey that included stops at the United Nations and a climate strike march in Montreal, where she marched with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The teenager’s activism has not endeared her to everyone, as her critics argue that she is being used by the rich and powerful to advance a leftist agenda. “My message is that we’ll be watching you,” Thunberg warned the room full of world leaders. “You all come to us young people for hope, how dare you? You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words and yet I’m one of the lucky ones … We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you?” The Church of Sweden follows a liberal, social activist tradition and is particularly fond of the climate change movement, noting on their website,”When the Amazon burns, we gather to fight for Mother Earth together.” 

8am – A         INTERVIEW – GROVER NORQUIST – president of Americans for Tax Reform

• How Elizabeth Warren’s gun tax will disarm the poor. The senator’s gun tax is dangerous because it has flown under the radar of most Americans. (Washington Times) — Democrat Beto O’Rourke’s call for gun confiscation sent chills through the nation. When asked about gun confiscation policy for so-called “assault-weapons” he replied: “Hell yes, we are going to take your AR-15.” But Democratic frontrunner Elizabeth Warren has devised a way to disarm the poor — a steep national gun tax of 30 percent and an ammunition tax of 50 percent. Her plan would triple the federal excise tax from its current 10 percent (for handguns) and 11 percent (for shotguns and rifles) and nearly quintuple the ammunition tax from its current 11 percent. The burden of the tax will fall on the people, not the manufacturer. Under the Warren gun tax plan, parents seeking a typical $400 shotgun to protect their family would have to come up with $520.

8am – B/C  SMOLLETT OFFENDED THAT HE’S BEING COMPARED TO HATE HOAXER VA SCHOOL GIRL: Jussie Smollett hits back at comparison to African-American schoolgirl who ‘made-up’ getting her dreadlocks chopped: ‘I haven’t lied about a thing’: Jussie Smollett furiously hits back at self help guru who compared him to the African-American schoolgirl who ‘made-up’ getting her dreadlocks chopped off by three white classmates. (Daily Mail) – Actor Jussie Smollett has hit back at a social media post comparing him to a schoolgirl who made up a story about how she was pinned down and had her dreadlocks cut off by white classmates. Self-help internet star, Derrick Jackson, posted a comment on Instagram comparing the former Empire actor to Amari Allen, who alleged three white boys hacked off her hair and later retracted the claims. Smollett then fired back in a lengthy post, claiming he ‘hadn’t lied about a thing’, when he alleged two men attacked him in a racial and homophobic assault.   The actor was axed from Empire after police determined that he staged a racist hate attack in Chicago – claiming that two men in Trump hats attacked him and put a noose around his neck –  and charged him with filing a false police report. Those charges were then later dropped by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx.  And Smollet is still insistent that the attack took place, hitting back at Jackson yesterday for saying ‘Jussie really is a trendsetter’ in response to a story about 12-year-old Amari Allen’s admission that three white classmates did not attack her.    Smollett then replied around an hour later: ‘With all due respect brother, y’all can clown me all you want but my story has actually never changed and I haven’t lied about a thing.  ‘Y’all can continue to be misinformed, internalized sheep, who believe what actual proven liars feed you or you can read the actual docs. Either way, Imma be alright. I know me and what happened. You don’t. So carry on. All love.’

8am – D         INTERVIEW – SCOTT ALLEN – Sports reporter for The Washington Post – discussed the top local sports stories: Nats hosted the Milwaukee Brewers in an NL wild-card game, Mystics hosted the Connecticut Sun in Game 2 of the WNBA Finals and Stephen A. Smith’s rumor about Redskins coach Jay Gruden.

• NATS WIN WILDCARD GAME:  The Nationals’ wild-card win was both thrilling and emotionally exhausting. Of course it was.
• WASHINGTON MYSTICS LOST: The Mystics Lost Elena Delle Donne And, Obviously, They Lost Game 2: (Deadspin) – The Washington Mystics were likely feeling confident heading into Tuesday’s WNBA Finals Game 2, as they looked all-around fantastic in their Game 1 win against the Connecticut Sun. But just a few minutes into tonight’s match-up, the Mystics would experience a disturbing flashback to last year’s Finals, when they got swept by the Storm in major part because star player Elena Delle Donne wasn’t at 100 percent. The WNBA MVP Delle Donne led her team with 22 points and 10 boards on Sunday, but just three minutes into Game 2, she left with back spasms and didn’t return. The Sun took advantage of their opponent’s bad luck, and they took Game 2 99-87 to even the series.
• REDSKINS – Stephen A. Smith believes Jay Gruden will be fired after the Redskins Week 5 game vs. Patriots. On Tuesday’s edition of ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith shared that he’s been told Gruden will likely be fired next week if the Redskins lose on Sunday to the New England Patriots.  “Jay Gruden has to go,” Smith said. “I’m going to tell you what I’m hearing. Jay Gruden is going to get fired next week. Is it definitive? One can not say so. [The Redskins] do not have a history of letting a coach go in-season. I think the last time [they] did it was in 2000 with Norv Turner.” Just last week, after an embarrassing Washington loss on Monday Night Football, the outspoken Smith called for Gruden to get fired. Now, he’s reporting it may happen and believes the sixth-year head coach is giving up on his squad.

8am – E         NYT Magazine Piece: This Is the Moment Rachel Maddow Has Been Waiting For: Recently, I went to dinner at the home of Rebecca Kee, a preschool principal in San Francisco who turned to Maddow in her depression and confusion over the 2016 election. I brought a bottle of rosé, and she poured it into glasses decorated with charms that featured Russia-investigation figures on one side and characters from “Star Trek: The Next Generation” on the other. I sipped from the Hope Hicks/Beverly Crusher glass, and we watched Maddow’s show over veggie enchiladas. “I think of her as a news doula: You know the news is going to be painful no matter what, so we might as well have someone who helps us survive it,” Kee told me. Last year, Kee had a Maddow-themed birthday party, at which her friends and her two young sons put on big black glasses and slicked their hair to the side. Also in attendance was a life-size cardboard cutout of Maddow, which is now in storage so as not to startle guests.