Mornings on the Mall

Monday, October 7, 2019

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

Legal analyst Joe diGenova, WMAL’s Redskins Analyst Trevor Matich and Andrew McCarthy joined WMAL on Monday!

5am – A/B/C Science Says the Most Successful Kids Have Parents Who Do These 9 Things.

5am – D         ‘THE JOKER’ DEBUT:

• ‘Joker’ dominates box office revenue this weekend in record-breaking debut. “Joker” dominated the competition at the box office this weekend on its way to setting a handful of records. (Fox Business) – On Friday alone, Warner Bros. “Joker” took in an estimated $39.9 million and raked in $93.5 million for the weekend. The film is currently released in 73 international markets, which drew in $32.7 million on Friday in overseas box office sales alone, according to IMDb. The film has already broken records for October Thursday night previews with $13.3 million, beating out the previous record-holder, “Venom,” which earned $10 million last October. “Joker” also broke the record for most theaters showing the film with 4,374 total, despite some locations showing trepidation over the film’s release due to the potential threat of mass violence, causing increased police presence at theaters nationwide.

• JOKER OPENS TO MIXED REVIEWS: (Daily Mail) – The R-rated supervillain flick smashed October opening-day box office records after taking home $39.9 million in domestic ticket sales on Friday, and is on pace to take in an eye-watering $92 million weekend total. But not everyone is embracing the dark, ultra-violent film, which sees Joaquin Phoenix portray Arthur Fleck, the embattled clown who later transforms into Batman’s most iconic nemesis.  On fan wrote on Twitter: ‘Literally just walked out of a screening of Joker. Way too terrifying to be there with all this going on the way the movie glamorizes gun violence and mental health issues.’

5am – E         NPR Regrets Interviewing Republican Who Called Out Schiff and Democrats on ‘Political Impeachment’ (Breitbart News/Penny Starr) — National Public Radio (NPR) regrets a live radio interview with a Republican lawmaker who called out Democrats and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, which is overseeing investigations against President Donald Trump, for what he called a “political impeachment.” NPR sent out its public editor, Elizabeth Jensen, to defend the taxpayer-funded left-wing media outlet for it “journalistically strong” coverage of the impeachment effort after its supporters criticized an interview with Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN): “Unlike some of the critics, I think that overall the coverage has the handling of misinformation in an interview on Wednesday’s All Things Considered with Rep. Jim Banks, an Indiana Republican, raised journalistic concerns that I don’t think are explained away as purely partisan posturing (although there has also been plenty of partisan pushback from both sides about the interview). And once again, the journalistic challenge resulted from a format choice: the decision to interview a politician on live radio. Live interviews have increased greatly on NPR’s newsmagazines in recent years. As readers of this column well know, listeners (and I) have raised many concerns about their execution. When they work, live interviews are a valuable way to hear the point of view of a newsmaker in their own words. An interview runs into problems, however, when the guest says something that is provably inaccurate or seriously misleading. At that point the host is obligated to push back to correct it, which to some listeners sounds partisan (and it can be unpleasant and unproductive when an interview turns argumentative).” Even before Jensen was tapped to defend NPR, host Michel Martin added commentary at the end of the transcript of the interview on NPR’s website.

6am – A/B/C SECOND WHISTLEBLOWER / IMPEACHMENT NEWS:

• SECOND WHISTLEBLOWE: Whistleblower’s Attorneys Say Second Complainant With Firsthand Knowledge Has Come Forward Against Trump. Attorneys for the whistleblower who filed a complaint against President Donald Trump over a phone call with the Ukrainian president say they are now representing a second complainant who has firsthand knowledge of Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. This second individual reportedly also works for the intelligence community and has already spoken to the IC’s inspector general about the information he has relating to Trump’s attempts to get Ukraine to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden.
• Trump calls for Pelosi, Schiff impeachment over whistleblower actions. (Fox News) – President Trump on Sunday tweeted that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., should be impeached over their handling of the whistleblower investigation. Trump said “Nervous Nancy” was aware of “Shifty Adam Schiff” and his “massive frauds perpetrated upon Congress and the American people.” Trump pointed to Schiff’s recent “parody” speech in Congress where he read a dramatization of the president’s July 25 call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire’s hearing. Trump has been under an impeachment investigation over his interaction Zelensky after it was revealed that he requested that Ukraine government officials investigate the Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, improvised parts of the transcript for effect and framed it as satire. Trump was also apparently eluding to reports that Schiff’s false earlier claim that the unnamed whistleblower did not speak to his committee. Click here for more on our other top story.
• MARK LEVIN TWEET: 1. Since the first so-called whistleblower flopped, now the same lawyers reportedly and suddenly have a second so-called whistleblower.  The choreography with this leftwing law firm, the Democrats, and the media goes on.  But we all have the transcript of the phone call… 2. So why does it matter how many so-called whistleblowers are paraded out by this law firm?  This is all about trying to create the impression of a scandal.  Trying to influence public opinion… 3. Trying to pick off congressional Republicans. Trying to build momentum toward impeachment.
• PRESIDENT TRUMP TWEET: The first so-called second hand information “Whistleblower” got my phone conversation almost completely wrong, so now word is they are going to the bench and another “Whistleblower” is coming in from the Deep State, also with second hand info. Meet with Shifty. Keep them coming!
• Whistleblower Did Not Disclose Contact With Schiff’s Office, Intel Inspector General Told Congress. (Daily Caller) – Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson told the House Intelligence Committee on Friday that a CIA whistleblower did not disclose contact with Chairman Adam Schiff’s office before filing a complaint against President Donald Trump, a source familiar with the watchdog’s testimony told The Daily Caller News Foundation. Fox News’ Catherine Herridge first reported that Atkinson said that the whistleblower did not disclose having contact with Schiff’s office, and so he did not investigate the matter.
• DEM VOTES FOR IMPEACHMENT: House Dems believe they have enough votes to pass articles of impeachment. (Fox News) – Trump’s tweets on Pelosi and Schiff came as a senior member of the House Democratic Caucus told Fox News that House Democrats believe they have the required 217 votes needed to pass articles of impeachment against the president stemming from his controversial Ukraine call and send articles to the Senate — even before the completion of their formal inquiry and planned hearings. The senior House Democrat said it’s unlikely Pelosi will give in to the president’s demand for an “inquiry vote.” The source said that while leadership hasn’t officially whipped or nose-counted a vote to “impeach,” they believed the numbers were there based on the 227 votes already on record for an inquiry and were working under that assumption.
• CHUCK TODD LOSES HIS MIND: ‘Senator Johnson, please!’: Enraged Chuck Todd of NBC tears into Republican on Ukraine

6am – D         INTERVIEW – TREVOR MATICH – WMAL’s Redskins Analyst

• Patriots lead Redskins, 33-7, in fourth quarter, behind Tom Brady’s three TD passes. Final: Patriots 33, Redskins 7. New England scored 33 consecutive points after the Redskins took a 7-0 lead on a 65-yard touchdown run by rookie wide receiver Steven Sims Jr. in the first quarter. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady completed 28 of 42 passes for 348 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. The 42-year-old moved past Brett Favre and into third-place on the NFL’s all-time passing yards list with a third-quarter completion to Julian Edelman. Redskins quarterback Colt McCoy struggled in his first start since he broke his leg last December, completing 18 of 27 passes for 119 yards and an interception. McCoy also took a beating, getting sacked six times. Excluding Sims’s touchdown run, Washington, which finished with 220 total yards, averaged three yards on its 52 plays. The Redskins are 0-5 for the first time since 2001. Next up: a trip to Miami to play the 0-4 Dolphins.
• Redskins fire Coach Jay Gruden after 0-5. Washington Redskins Coach Jay Gruden has been fired, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Gruden was summoned to the team’s facility in Ashburn for a 5 a.m. meeting Monday by owner Daniel Snyder and team president Bruce Allen, who informed him of the decision. Bill Callahan, previously the team’s offensive line and assistant head coach, will take over as interim head coach, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

6am – E         DEATH OF THE SHOPPING MALL? Death of the shopping mall? Mall vacancies reach post-recession high as department stores vanish. More and more stores are closing their doors for good.  (Fox Business) — Vacancies in shopping malls throughout the United States have hit an eight-year high as a wave of retail bankruptcies leave once-thriving shops with empty shelves and papered-over windows. The rate of unoccupied storefronts surged 10 basis points to 9.4 percent during the last three months of summer, according to data published Friday by Reis, a unit of Moody’s Analytics. That figure matched the post-financial crisis high in 2011, according to a report by Seeking Alpha. Metro areas with the emptiest malls include Long Island, New York; Tucson, Arizona; Charleston, South Carolina; Baltimore and Syracuse, New York. Occupancy levels picked up, meanwhile, in Louisville; New Haven, Connecticut; suburban Virginia and Florida’s Tampa Bay area. The rankings, according to the data, are loosely tied to shifts in employment as new restaurants in some areas replace closed stores. The increase in vacancies, fueled partly by debt-laden retail companies that couldn’t meet payments, has also been blamed on the rise of online commerce and may exacerbate worries that the challenges facing brick-and-mortar stores will worsen. In February, Payless ShoeSource decided to close all 2,100 U.S. stores. Gymboree has shut down its remaining 750 stores, and fast-fashion retailer Forever 21. filed for bankruptcy this week and will close as many as 178 of its 700-plus U.S. stores. Sears, the Amazon of the pre-Internet area, filed for bankruptcy protection in late 2018, after closing many of its U.S. stores, and Toys ‘R Us, hobbled by $5 billion in debt and more intense competition, did the same about a year earlier.

6am – F         ‘Impeach the motherf—er!’: Protesters mark 1 year since Kavanaugh confirmation with calls for impeachment. (Washington Examiner) – Dozens of protesters marched outside the Supreme Court to call for Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s impeachment on the one year anniversary of his confirmation. The protesters stood in front of the court and blocked traffic while chanting “Impeach the motherf—er!” referring to Kavanaugh, and perhaps also President Trump. Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley joined the protesters at one point during the day to give support for their cause. “Kavanaugh may have that seat — for now —but what you, what we are fighting for is so much bigger than one insecure man blinded by his privilege,” Pressley told the protesters. “You are fighting for the liberation, injustice, for all of us. Because you know that our destinies are tied for generations we have softened our language and moderated our tone,” she continued. “No more.” Kavanaugh was confirmed to the court last year by a vote of 50-48 after a confirmation battle that involved multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and rape leveled at the justice.

7am – A/B/C INTERVIEW – JOE DIGENOVA – legal analyst and former U.S. Attorney to the District of Columbia – discussed the second whistleblower and the Supreme Court coming back this week.

• SECOND WHISTLEBLOWER: A second whistleblower “in connection to” the allegations surrounding the call between President Trump and the president of Ukraine will be coming forward, according to that person’s attorney. Attorney Mark Zaid, who represents both whistleblowers said the second person can corroborate information in the original whistleblower complaint. Meanwhile, Democrats subpoenaed the White House as part of the impeachment investigation into the President. The White House said the “subpoena changes nothing.”
• SCOTUS BACK THIS WEEK: The Supreme Court returns from its summer recess on Monday starting a term that will include major cases on gay and transgender rights, immigration, abortion, guns and religion. The Justices are due to tackle a larger number of consequential cases than they did in their previous term. Tomorrow, the high court will consider how far states can go toward eliminating the insanity defense in criminal trials as they review the case of a Kansas man sentenced to die for killing four relatives.

7am – D/E     RECAP: YOUNG BLACK LEADERSHIP SUMMIT: Young black leaders gathered Friday in the White House for the Young Black Leadership Summit. The president spoke to approximately 300 of his supporters in the East Room of the White House during the Young Black Leadership Summit, an event hosted by Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit.

• PRESIDENT TRUMP: You BUILT THIS NATION: President Donald Trump implicitly addressed the institution of slavery in the United States during an event with young black supporters on Friday, asserting that black Americans did more to build the nation than they are given credit for. Trump: “African Americans built this nation. You built this nation. You know, you’re just starting to get real credit for that, OK? I don’t know if you know that … You built the nation. We all built it. But you were such a massive part of it. Bigger than you were given credit.”
• ETHIOPIAN WOMAN PRAYED FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP: One voice urged the room asking for a moment to pray for President Donald Trump. Mahalet, once an abandoned, impoverished orphan from Ethiopia, earned smiles and cheers from the president and the gathered crowd. Mahalet was born in Ethiopia. Abandoned by her parents, she lived as an impoverished orphan. Mahalet was adopted by a loving, Christian American family at 11.
• A MAN FROM CAMEROON AND MILITARY VET THANKED PRESIDENT TRUMP: Ben Okereke, who legally immigrated to America when he was 14-years-old, took part in Turning Point USA’s 2019 Young Black Leadership Summit Friday at the White House, where he thanked President Donald Trump for everything he has “done for the African American community so far.” With us this afternoon is Ben Okereke,” Trump said as he introduced the young veteran. “When Ben was 14- years-old, he legally immigrated to the United States after suffering many hardships in Cameroon, which I hear is a beautiful, beautiful place.” Offered the opportunity to say a few words, Okereke took to the podium to express his  thanks to President Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. “Thank you,” Okereke said. “Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, Mr. Vice President. And thank you, Charlie Kirk.” He added, “And finally, most importantly, sir, thank you for saving America and thank you.” “Finally, we want you to build a wall, sir,” Okereke concluded. “Frankly, because we don’t oppose immigration, but we oppose — but we oppose illegal immigration. So we want you to come to this country legally, if you’re going to come to this country.”
• CANDACE OWENS RIP THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S ROLE IN HARMING THE BLACK COMMUNITY: Candace Owens speaking at the Young Black Leadership Summit
  

8am – A         INTERVIEW – ANDREW MCCARTHY – Former federal prosecutor, is a contributing editor at National Review and author of “Ball of Collusion.”

• ANDREW MCCARTHY: Ignore the hype — this is not an impeachment inquiry. (The Hill) — The House has not voted as a body to authorize an impeachment inquiry. What we have are partisan theatrics, proceeding under the ipse dixit of Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). It raises the profile, but not the legitimacy, of the same “impeachment inquiry” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) previously tried to abracadabra into being without a committee vote. Moreover, there are no subpoenas. As Secretary Pompeo observed in his fittingly tart response on Tuesday, what the committee chairmen issued was merely a letter. Its huffing and puffing notwithstanding, the letter is nothing more than an informal request for voluntary cooperation. Legally, it has no compulsive power. If anything, it is rife with legal deficiencies. The Democrats, of course, hope you don’t notice that the House is not conducting a formal impeachment inquiry. They are using the guise of frenetic activity by several standing committees — Intelligence, Judiciary, Foreign Affairs, Oversight and Reform, Financial Services, and Ways and Means — whose normal oversight functions are being gussied up to look like serious impeachment business.

• Trump calls for Pelosi, Schiff impeachment over whistleblower actions. President Trump on Sunday tweeted that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., should be impeached over their handling of the whistleblower investigation. Trump said “Nervous Nancy” was aware of “Shifty Adam Schiff” and his “massive frauds perpetrated upon Congress and the American people.” Trump pointed to Schiff’s recent “parody” speech in Congress where he read a dramatization of the president’s July 25 call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during acting Director of National Intelligence Joseph Maguire’s hearing. Trump has been under an impeachment investigation over his interaction Zelensky after it was revealed that he requested that Ukraine government officials investigate the Joe Biden and his son Hunter. Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, improvised parts of the transcript for effect and framed it as satire. Trump was also apparently eluding to reports that Schiff’s false earlier claim that the unnamed whistleblower did not speak to his committee. Click here for more on our other top story.
• House Dems believe they have enough votes to pass articles of impeachment. Trump’s tweets on Pelosi and Schiff came as a senior member of the House Democratic Caucus told Fox News that House Democrats believe they have the required 217 votes needed to pass articles of impeachment against the president stemming from his controversial Ukraine call and send articles to the Senate — even before the completion of their formal inquiry and planned hearings. The senior House Democrat said it’s unlikely Pelosi will give in to the president’s demand for an “inquiry vote.” The source said that while leadership hasn’t officially whipped or nose-counted a vote to “impeach,” they believed the numbers were there based on the 227 votes already on record for an inquiry and were working under that assumption.

8am – B/C     INTERVIEW – TREVOR MATICH – WMAL’s Redskins Analyst

• Patriots lead Redskins, 33-7, in fourth quarter, behind Tom Brady’s three TD passes.
• Redskins fire Coach Jay Gruden after 0-5. Washington Redskins Coach Jay Gruden has been fired, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

MORE SPORTS NEWS:

• NATS LOSE:  NLDS Game 3: Dodgers bats woke up and crushed the Nationals to take 2-1 series lead. After Game 3 haymaker, the Nationals need more punch to stay in the fight.
• WASHINGTON CAPITALS HOME OPENER WIN: Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov wins long-awaited NHL debut vs. Islanders.
• WASHINGTON MYSTICS WIN:  MYSTICS 94, SUN 81 | WASHINGTON LEADS SERIES 2-1. Delle Donne Returns; Mystics Are on Cusp of W.N.B.A. Title

8am – D         Elizabeth Warren Said She Was Pushed Out Of Teaching Job For Being ‘Visibly Pregnant’ — But She Told A Different Story In 2007.   Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has repeatedly claimed on the presidential campaign trail that she was pushed out of her job as a special needs teacher after one year because she was “visibly pregnant” — but she told a different story in 2007. The Democratic senator today portrays herself as a victim of discrimination; however, in 2007 she linked her departure to lacking proper credentials for a permanent teaching position.

8am – E         Parents call cops on daughter after finding 24 pipe bombs, dozens of mass shooting books in her Florida room. (NY Daily News) – A potential catastrophe was averted in Florida this week after a Tampa Bay-area couple made an alarming discovery in their adult daughter’s bedroom. The 27-year-old woman, who authorities said was “consumed” by the Columbine High School and Oklahoma City mass murders, had a cache of weapons and homemade bombs and planned to use them to hurt people, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Michelle Kolts, 27, was arrested Thursday night shortly after her parents called police describing what they’d found in her room in Wimauma, Sheriff Chad Chronister said at a news conference Friday. “Who knows the amount of harm that could’ve been done or how many lives that could’ve been lost had these parents not found the courage and called the sheriff’s office to seek help?” he said. Chronister said the amount of “highly destructive materials” police found in the home was “astonishing.” They included 24 pipe bombs Kolts had personally made, 23 knives, six handguns, two rifles, two hatchets, nunchucks and fuse materials, he said. The woman also had dozens of books and DVDs about mass killings, domestic terrorism and bomb making, according to the sheriff. Kolts reportedly admitted to making the explosive devices and told deputies she intended to use them to hurt people, though authorities said they were not aware of any specific plans or potential targets she may have had.