Rep. Mike Rogers, Ray Stagich, Janice Dean, Susan B. Anthony List’s Marjorie Dannenfelser, MD Highway’s Charlie Gischler, Fox 5’s Tucker Barnes, Fix WMATA’s Chris Barnes & Bret Baier joined WMAL on Friday!

Mornings on the Mall

Friday, January 22, 2016

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

 

5am – A         DRIVE AT FIVE INTERVIEW — REP. MIKE ROGERS — former Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee

• Clinton campaign accuses GOP of ‘coordinated leak’ in email scandal
• Robert Gates: “Odds Are Pretty High” Russia, China and Iran Compromised Hillary’s Server

5am – D         Bowser Apologizes for Wednesday Snow Response, Pivots to Weekend Blizzard. It began with an apology. Flanked by D.C. officials at the Farragut Salt Dome in Northeast on a freezing Thursday morning, Mayor Muriel Bowser said she was sorry for the District’s reaction to a clipper Wednesday night that turned roads icy and forced many workers to endure hours-long commutes home, even along major thoroughfares. “I want to say first and foremost to the residents of D.C. that we are very sorry for an inadequate response,” Bowser said. “We should have been out earlier with more resources.” According to the Department of Public Works and the District Department of Transportation, which both oversee road treatment for winter storms, deployment of trucks and personnel started at 4 p.m. yesterday, with the brining (or “pre-treatment”) of major arterial roads, bridges, ramps, and other elevated structures. The brine (in part composed of beet juice) was intended to lower the temperature at which ice would bind to roadways, and is still being dispensed throughout today. The District eventually tripled the number of salt plows on the streets, to 150, on Wednesday night. Bowser’s office also advised residents to avoid travel if possible and clear their sidewalks. “As we saw yesterday, conditions can change at any moment,” the mayor added. As for D.C.’s preparation for the incoming blizzard that’s expected to produce double-digit snow accumulations and wind speeds, Bowser announced that she would declare a “snow emergency” starting at 9:30 a.m. Friday, meaning people must remove their vehicles from snow-emergency routes or face fines.

5am – E         INTERVIEW — RAY STAGICH — Meteorologist for The Weather Channel – previewed the snow forecast for this weekend.

6am – A/B/C DC Metro to shut down amid weekend blizzard. The Washington, D.C., Metro subway and bus system is planning to shut down on Saturday and Sunday amid an expected blizzard thhat could dump more than a foot of snow on the capital area. The agency that operates the D.C. Metro said Thursday that, in an “unprecedented” move, it will stop running trains at 11 p.m. on Friday evening and halt buses after 5 p.m. The system will remained closed throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday, bringing to a halt the nation’s second busiest subway system as the D.C. area grids for a predicted 16 inches of snow. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) general manager Paul Wiedefeld said the decision to close was made with passenger safety in mind, despite the inconvenience.

6am – D         EPA Administrator Quits Amid Flint Water Crisis. (NBC News) — The Environmental Protection Agency director overseeing a region that includes Flint, Michigan, is stepping down after contaminated water in that city exposed residents to lead poisoning. EPA Region 5 Administrator Susan Hedman offered her resignation effective Feb. 1, and the offer was accepted, the EPA said in a statement Thursday. The agency said Hedman’s resignation was accepted “given Susan’s strong interest in ensuring that EPA Region 5’s focus remains solely on the restoration of Flint’s drinking water,” suggesting her position could be a distraction. Residents in the town of nearly 100,000 have been warned not to drink unfiltered tap water and the National Guard has been distributing bottled water in Flint. Water from the Flint River wasn’t properly treated, allowing lead to leach from pipes. The EPA on Thursday also announced an emergency order requiring that the state and city “take a series of immediate steps to address the drinking water contamination in Flint.” It said the city and state’s response to the crisis has been “inadequate to protect public health.” The EPA’s emergency order comes nearly four months after advocacy groups petitioned the agency to step in. In October, the National Resources Defense Council, the American Civil Liberties Union and local groups petitioned the EPA to use its emergency powers to secure safe water in Flint. In December, EPA responded that it would “defer action” until the city had the corrosiveness of its water under control.

6am – E         INTERVIEW – JANICE DEAN THE WEATHER MACHINE – Fox News senior meteorologist and author of “Freddy the Frogcaster and the Big Blizzard” — previewed the snow forecast for the DC area.

 

7am – A         INTERVIEW — MARJORIE DANNENFELSER — President of the Susan B. Anthony List, an political organization that seeks to advance pro-life women in politics. Marjorie is a speaker the March for Life today.

• I’ve Always Been Republican, but Here’s How My Views on Abortion Changed. (The Blaze) — By Marjorie Dannenfelser – President, Susan B. Anthony List– This Friday I will join hundreds of thousands of pro-life activists on the National Mall to advocate for the lives of millions of unborn boys and girls at the March for Life. It will be my 15th March. On one of the most important days of the year, I want to offer words to inspire young, pro-life women to consider running for elected office. I will share the stage with one of the nation’s most courageous supporters of the pro-life cause – my friend and presidential candidate Carly Fiorina. Many qualities have attracted me to Carly, but her steely resolve to stay true to her character and her moral conscience is what has impressed me most. My own involvement in the pro-life movement as president of the Susan B. Anthony’s List may suggest I’ve always held these convictions about life, but that’s not the case. When I attended Duke University, the College Republicans appointed me the “pro-choice chair” as part of their big-tent strategy to draw in more members. I remember challenging pro-life men on campus with this bold line: “When you become a woman, come back and talk to me.” I moved to Washington, D.C. for a summer internship at The Heritage Foundation in 1986. The intern house, known as the “Right House,” was split in a culture war between two groups – traditional conservatives and libertarians. The libertarians were more my crowd. Looking back, I thought they were more fun. At the same time, I became friends with a devout Catholic and Georgetown graduate named Chris. He was one of the best apologists for the pro-life stance I’ve ever met, before or since. Through conversations with him, I began to doubt my strongly held beliefs about abortion.

7am – B/C     INTERVIEW — CHARLIE GISCHLER — Maryland State Highway spokesperson

• Md. State Police, SHA Declare Snow Emergency Plans for Friday at Noon. Maryland State Police and the State Highway Administration have announced that snow emergency plans will go into effect at noon Friday in advance of the predicted severe storm expected Friday and Saturday. The statewide snow emergency requires vehicles restricts traveling on all highways designated as snow emergency routes be equipped with chains, snow tires or all season radials.       Additionally, special hauling permits for commercial vehicles are not valid during snow emergencies. The snow emergency plan also allows Maryland State Police to call tow companies to remove abandoned vehicles in the road or on the shoulder and restricts all parking on designated snow emergency routes. Officials said significa nt snowfall, high winds and treacherous driving conditions are expected from late Friday, all day Saturday and into Sunday.       If forecasts materialize as expected and more than two feet of snow falls, cleanup will take several days and extend into early next week.

7am – D         NATIONAL REVIEW VS TRUMP:

• National Review, conservative thinkers stand against Trump.       (CNN) National Review, the conservative magazine founded by William F. Buckley, published a special issue on Friday opposing Donald Trump’s bid for the presidency. The cover — with the headline “Against Trump” — was tweeted by the magazine on Thursday night.
• Trump Responds To National Review: They Want To Get Publicity, It’s A “Dying Paper”
• RNC disinvites National Review as debate partner. The Republican National Committee has disinvited National Review from a presidential debate partnership following the release of an edition devoted to taking down Donald Trump, the conservative magazine reported late Thursday.

7am – E         Snow Update

8am – A         INTERVIEW – CHRIS BARNES – FIXWMATA.COM

• DC Metro to shut down amid weekend blizzard. The Washington, D.C., Metro subway and bus system is planning to shut down on Saturday and Sunday amid an expected blizzard thhat could dump more than a foot of snow on the capital area. The agency that operates the D.C. Metro said Thursday that, in an “unprecedented” move, it will stop running trains at 11 p.m. on Friday evening and halt buses after 5 p.m. The system will remained closed throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday, bringing to a halt the nation’s second busiest subway system as the D.C. area grids for a predicted 16 inches of snow. Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) general manager Paul Wiedefeld said the decision to close was made with passenger safety in mind, despite the inconvenience.

8am – B         INTERVIEW – TUCKER BARNES – Fox 5 Meteorologist — previewed the snow forecast.

8am – C         More on the DC Metro Closing.

8am – D         INTERVIEW — BRET BAIER – Anchor, Special Report, Fox News Channel, weekdays at 6 pm – discussed the National Review’s attack on Trump, Hillary Clinton losing steam to Bernie Sanders and the latest Trump ad attacking Cruz.

8am – E         INTERVIEW – JANICE DEAN THE WEATHER MACHINE – Fox News senior meteorologist and author of “Freddy the Frogcaster and the Big Blizzard” — previewed the snow forecast for the DC area.