Mark Krikorian, Bill Kristol, Susan Ferrechio, DC Councilmember Elissa Silverman and Jake Tapper joined WMAL on Thursday!

Mornings on the Mall

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

5am – A/B/C Interview – Mark Krikorian – Center for Immigration Studies

• Looking ahead on how President-Elect Trump will deal with illegal immigration

5am – D         Trump Transition:

• Nikki Haley meeting with Trump Thursday for administration job, sources report. COLUMBIA – Gov. Nikki Haley is scheduled to meet with President-elect Donald Trump Thursday amid growing reports she is being considered for a spot in his administration. News of the meeting, set for the morning in New York, began to filter out late Wednesday night from multiple press outlets. It also came after Trump-ally Lt. Gov. Henry McMaster told The Post and Courier earlier in the day he and Haley are being considered for Cabinet positions in Trump’s White House. McMaster said Haley is being considered for several posts including secretary of state. McMaster, one of Trump’s earliest statewide political endorsers, said the daughter of Indian immigrants could provide a fresh set of eyes in foreign affairs.

• WSJ: Trump Considers Rick Perry For Energy Secretary. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry is being considered for Secretary of the Department of Energy in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration. According to The Wall Street Journal, Perry — who governed Texas from 2000-2015 and who was a Republican candidate for president in the 2012 and 2016 elections — is on Trump’s shortlist. As The Hill notes, Perry couldn’t remember the name of the Department of Energy while trying to deliver a line during a 2011 presidential debate. “It’s three agencies of government when I get there that are gone: commerce, education, and the uh … what’s the third one, there? Let’s see… The third one. I can’t,” Perry said. “Oops.” Perry has stayed in the spotlight since withdrawing from the 2016 campaign last September. He endorsed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in January, but once it was clear Trump would be the party’s nominee, he threw his support to Trump in May.
• Bret Baier lays out the transition and media overreacting.

5am – E         Latest happenings in Congress:

• Mitch McConnell to lead Senate GOP, Chuck Schumer new Democratic leader
• Bernie Sanders And Elizabeth Warren Win Senate Leadership Posts. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) will both have seats at the Senate Democratic leadership table this upcoming session, after party elections put them in new positions of power. Sanders, who caucuses with Democrats, was named to a new “Chair of Outreach” position. Warren, who was already in leadership, was elevated to a vice-chair title.
• House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has formally announced she is seeking re-election to the job. In a letter to House Democrats Wednesday she tells them she already has support from two-thirds of the caucus.
• Amid rumbles of discontent, House Democrats push back leadership election as Pelosi faces possible challenge

6am – A/B/C Protester Violence:

• Trump supporter, 15, beaten during Rockville protest. (WTOP) — WASHINGTON — A student is facing assault charges after a student protest of the election of Donald Trump to the presidency turned violent Wednesday. Hundreds of students from Richard Montgomery High School were carrying signs reading, “Love Trumps Hate,” and chanting near the Rockville courthouse on Maryland Avenue in a protest that began at about 10 a.m. when a 15-year-old boy wearing one of the Trump campaign’s “Make American Great Again” hats was attacked by about four students. The group surrounded the teen, punching him repeatedly, then threw him to the ground and kicked him repeatedly in the ribs. It is not yet clear what led up to the incident, but Maj. Michael English with Rockville police said the victim was not the aggressor. “They jumped him and beat him up pretty bad,” Max Stucky, a bystander who witnessed the attack, told WTOP. The teen, who wasn’t seriously hurt, was seen clutching the back of his head in pain. He was helped to his feet by medics and taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. So far, police have identified one student, a 17-year-old, involved in the beating and filed charges of second-degree assault, English said. The student is not in custody, Police officers are talking with witnesses.
• Student protesters may face consequences, Montgomery Co. schools chief says. WASHINGTON — After violence broke out Wednesday morning at a student-led protest of Donald Trump’s presidential election victory, Montgomery County’s schools chief is asking students to stop protesting during school hours — and warning they may face disciplinary action if they continue.  The protests outside Richard Montgomery High School and other parts of Montgomery County marked the third day of protests in the D.C. region by students opposing Trump’s election to the presidency. On Tuesday, hundreds of D.C. high schools students walked out of class for a series of peaceful protests at Trump’s downtown D.C. hotel, the Capitol building and the Supreme Court.

6am – D/E     Hillary Clinton Makes First Public Appearance Since Conceding the Election. Hillary Clinton, making an emotional plea, urged supporters “not to give up” and to “stay engaged” in politics at a charity gala in Washington D.C. Wednesday night. The appearance, which aides say was planned long before last week’s stunning loss, marked Clinton’s first public remarks since conceding the election to President-elect Donald Trump. “I know many of you are deeply disappointed about the results of the election,” she said to the crowd at a Children’s Defense Fund gala. “I am too, more than I can ever express.” Clinton said appearing in public wasn’t the easiest thing for her. “There have been a few times this past week when all I wanted to do is just to curl up with a good book or our dogs and never leave the house again,” the former presidential nominee said. Nevertheless, she attempted to inspire her audience and emphasized a line of Martin Luther King Jr. that is oft quoted by President Barack Obama throughout her speech: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”   During the rest of her speech, she emphasized bipartisanship, advocacy, volunteerism and investing in the children of the United States — no matter their race, religion or immigration status. “America is worth it. Our children are worth it,” she said. “Believe in our country, fight for our values and never, ever give up.”

7am – A         INTERVIEW — BILL KRISTOL – Editor of The Weekly Standard

• Trump’s transition and possible admin picks:
• Trump considering Ted Cruz for US attorney general
• Gov. Nikki Haley meeting with Trump Thursday for administration job, sources report
• WSJ: Trump Considers Rick Perry For Energy Secretary
• Media whining over Trump transition in disarray
• Nancy Pelosi could be in trouble as House Democrats delay vote

7am – B         DNC Leadership:

• Trump’s the ‘single worst person’ to win a major party’s nomination, says progressive congressman vying to lead the Democrats: His behavior was ‘deplorable.’ (Daily Mail) — Democratic Congressman Keith Ellison, a leading candidate for party boss, is practicing his barbs against the Republican president-elect. ‘Donald Trump is the single worst person ever to win the nomination of a major party,’ Ellison said in an episode of Vice News Tonight. Trump is a ‘bad person’ who made numerous racist and sexist comments throughout the course of the 2016 campaign, said Ellison, an African-American Muslim who represents Minnesota in Congress.  ‘It’s just deplorable,’ Ellison said, catching himself.  Losing presidential candidate Hillary Clinton generated a media firestorm when she referred to Trump’s supporters as a ‘basket of deplorables’ over the summer.
• Former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley not running for DNC chair. WASHINGTON — Former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley said that he will not be running to be the head of the Democratic National Committee. In a statement, O’Malley said that the DNC needs a chair who can “do the job fully and with total impartiality.” Since the election, O’Malley said that he has been approached by many Democrats who urged him to consider running for the position. He said in that he was “taking a hard look at the DNC chair,” adding that there needs to be reform in the nominating process and an articulation of a bold progressive vision.

7am – C         Jack Evans vs Larry Hogan:

• Maryland Governor’s Office to Metro Board Chair: Provide Rational Leadership, or “Find Someone Who Can” (WMAL) — UPDATE: Metro Board Chairman Jack Evans’ office has issued the following statement: “Councilmember Evans appreciates Governor Hogan affirming his commitment to the Metro system and looks forward to working with him and his administration to give Metro General Manager Paul Wiedefeld the resources necessary to fix the system. Wiedefeld has outlined a clear plan to improve the safety and reliability of the system through his SafeTrack and Customer Accountability Report (CARe) initiatives. As the region works to address an anticipated $290 million shortfall in the upcoming Metro budget to fund these initiatives and mitigate declining ridership, Councilmember Evans will continue to advocate for greater contributions from the jurisdictions to avoid unwise fare increases or devastating service cuts for riders from Maryland, DC, and Virginia.” WASHINGTON — (WMAL) Area leaders have worked to create harmonious cross-jurisdictional relationships to try to fix the beleaguered Metro system over the past few months, but a spokesperson for Maryland’s Governor is now suggesting it may be time for Metro Board Chairman Jack Evans to be removed. This comes after Evans claimed Governor Larry Hogan doesn’t care about Metro or the counties it serves. Hogan spokeswoman Amelia Chasse said Evans’ comments were inaccurate and unhelpful. “Mr. Evans’ comments are not only unfortunate and inappropriate, they’re flat-out wrong,” Chasse said in a statement to WMAL. “Governor Hogan and this administration care deeply about Metro, and provide nearly $450 million in funding each year.” Chasse went on to question Evans’ fitness for the chairmanship. “The system needs strong, balanced, and rational leadership, and if this Chairman can’t provide it, then it’s time to find someone who can,” she said.
• Metro Board Chair: Gov. Hogan “Doesn’t Really Care about Metro” UPDATE: Governor Larry Hogan’s office has provided WMAL with a statement, which can be read here. WASHINGTON – (WMAL) Metro Board Chairman Jack Evans is looking to scrounge up as much support as possible to keep Metro from raising fares and cutting service next year. Both were proposed in General Manager Paul Wiedefeld’s budget draft. However, he’s finding more resistance than he’d like from Maryland Governor Larry Hogan’s representatives. Each of the three jurisdictions would have to pony up about $12 million more each next year in order to offset the new revenue and money saved from implementing fare increases and service cuts. Evans said the District is already on board, but it’s been a non-starter for Maryland. Hogan has said he’d like to see Metro improve its safety and reliability before he gives more money to the agency. “It is vital that Metro work for Maryland, and I don’t see that reciprocity coming back,” Evans exclusively told WMAL. “Their argument will be that they have other things that are necessary out of their trust fund. They have a Metro system in Baltimore, highways that need money, so they don’t have any more money to give to Washington’s Metro.” Evans further speculated that Hogan received little support from the D.C. suburbs during his run for Governor, and that could be factoring into his decision-making when he looks at spending money in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. “Those two counties didn’t support him, and actually the heads of one of those counties, (Prince George’s County Executive) Rushern Baker’s looking at running against him, so I suspect that if I were sitting the Governor’s office in Maryland, that would be part of my calculus,” Evans said. Evans said 72 percent of Metro’s workforce commutes in from Maryland. “It leads me to conclude that the Governor’s office doesn’t really care about Metro, otherwise they wouldn’t be starving it.”

7am – D         INTERVIEW — SUSAN FERRECHIO — Washington Examiner’s chief Congressional correspondent.

• Latest happenings in Congress:
• Mitch McConnell to lead Senate GOP, Chuck Schumer new Democratic leader
• Bernie Sanders And Elizabeth Warren Win Senate Leadership Posts.
• House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has formally announced she is seeking re-election to the job. In a letter to House Democrats Wednesday she tells them she already has support from two-thirds of the caucus.
• Amid rumbles of discontent, House Democrats push back leadership election as Pelosi faces possible challenge

7am – E         Entertainment News:

• President Obama Names Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama named 21 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. The awards will be presented at the White House on November 22nd. The following individuals will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Ellen DeGeneres, Robert De Niro, Bill and Melinda Gates, Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen and more.
• Bob Dylan Says He’ll Skip Nobel Ceremony (He’s Busy). The Nobel Prize in Literature may be the world’s most important literary award, but not everyone who wins can make it to the ceremony. Among the reasons given by past laureates for failing to travel to Stockholm to accept the award: being gravely ill and in a wheelchair (Harold Pinter, 2005); being so anxious and agoraphobic that you are “not suited as a person to be dragged into public” (Elfriede Jelinek, 2004); and being a Soviet dissident terrified to leave the country because you might not be allowed back in (Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, 1970). Bob Dylan’s excuse? “Pre-existing commitments.”

8am – A         INTERVIEW – D.C. COUNCILMEMBER ELISSA SILVERMAN – At-Large

• Council debates downsizing stand along inaugural parade route. Some members of the D.C. Council are trying to curtail the city’s traditional spending on the presidential inauguration this January, when Republican ­Donald Trump will assume office in a city that voted overwhelmingly against him. A proposal first floated by council member Elissa Silverman (I-At Large) would eliminate or drastically reduce the District’s funding for a stand built on the steps of the John A. Wilson Building on Pennsylvania Avenue NW to view the inaugural parade. Silverman said her suggestion to scale back the city’s inauguration spending was at least partially motivated by nonpartisan concern over wasteful spending. In 2013, the glass-enclosed stand was carpeted, heated and included flat-screen televisions. About 2,000 people — including elected officials, their staffs and constituents — used the stand during the course of the day, and it cost about $342,000. But Silverman said she also wanted to trigger a discussion among the District’s elected officials about their stance toward the upset presidential victor who will soon be their neighbor on Pennsylvania Avenue.

8am – B         Calls on the Inaugural Parade

8am – C         Critter News:

• Bear Attacks Woman in Frederick County, Maryland. It may be the first bear attack on record in the state. A 63-year-old woman is recovering from a broken arm and other injuries after she was attacked by a bear in Frederick County, Maryland. The woman was in a driveway along Irongate Lane when she was attacked Thursday night, Maryland Natural Resources Police said. The attack, apparently prompted by a perceived threat on the bear’s cubs, stopped when the woman dropped to a fetal position.  “She went into a fetal position and called 911 laying there,” said Paul Peditto with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. “At that point, the bear probably realized the threat to her cubs had subsided.” The Department of Natural Resources is using a tracking device to find the bear and have locked onto a mother bear wearing an electronic collar in the immediate area.  The bear they are tracking has three cubs and authorities believe the victim may have gotten between the bear and her cubs. Department protocol is to euthanize a bear that attacks a human.  The victim suffered a broken arm, cuts to her head and puncture wounds to both arms.
• Emu Escape! Birds Break Out in Prince William County. With a glint of determination in their black, beady eyes, several emus made a brief break for freedom in Prince William County Tuesday morning. The birds escaped from their enclosure and had to be apprehended near Chimneys West Drive in the Haymarket area by two Prince William County police officers. These are some big birds — the only bird bigger is an ostrich, which is a close relative of the emu.  Fortunately for the pun-happy Prince William Police Department, these birds were well-behaved.

8am – D         INTERVIEW — JAKE TAPPER – Anchor of CNN’s THE LEAD and STATE OF THE UNION – discussed the nationwide anti-Trump protests.

8am – E         Tucker:

• Tucker Carlson Takes on Anti-Trump Protest Organizer. Following Donald Trump’s election victory, protests have sprung up on college campuses across the country. Tonight, Tucker Carlson took on Alex Uematsu, a Rutgers University student and organizer of anti-Trump protests.
• Tucker Carlson’s New Show Has Epic Ratings Premiere — Beats CNN And MSNBC Combined. (Daily Caller) — The premiere of Tucker Carlson’s new show scored a ratings high for Fox News Monday night. According to Nielsen Media Research, 3.7 million viewers tuned in for the debut of “Tucker Carlson Tonight” — making it the network’s biggest audience of the year during that time slot. An estimated 750,000 of those viewers were in the crucial age demographic of 25-54. “Tucker Carlson Tonight” beat the competition at CNN and MSNBC combined. Fox News announced that Carlson had been named the new host last week. He previously was the co-host of “Fox & Friends Weekend.” Carlson said he hoped to challenge people who are in power with his show.