Joe Concha, Guy Benson, Kathy Hollinger and guest host Mary Walter joined WMAL on Friday!

Mornings on the Mall

Friday, February 17, 2017

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Mary Walter

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

 

5am – A/B/C   Donald Trump delivers a series of raw attacks on the media in a news conference for the ages.

5am – D         DC mayor lets 8-week paid family leave bill take effect. WASHINGTON — More than a half-million workers in the nation’s capital will get up to eight weeks of paid family leave under a law that Mayor Muriel Bowser has allowed to take effect without her signature. Bowser joined many leaders in the business community in opposing the bill, calling it a burden on businesses because it imposes a new tax. She also spoke out against the fact that benefits would be available to people who work in the District but live elsewhere. “It is wrong to raise District taxes to fund a costly, new government program that sends 66 percent of the benefits outside of the city, and leaves District families behind,” she said in a statement in December, when the D.C. Council gave its final approval. On Wednesday, Bowser wrote a letter to the council saying she would not veto the bill and hopes to work with lawmakers to address its shortcomings. The bill provides up to eight weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. It also allows for up to six weeks of paid time off to care for a family member who is ill, and two weeks of personal paid sick time. The new benefits would not apply to federal workers or city employees. Council members passed the measure with a veto-proof majority of 9 to 4. To pay for the new benefits, a .62 percent tax will be imposed on all D.C. businesses, and some council members expressed concern that it might be too much for small businesses to bear. “The question is, do you support a tax on businesses to do it? What’s not lost on me is what that cost might be to those businesses,” said Council member Kenyan McDuffie. Taxing businesses is expected to generate $250 million annually. The new law still has to survive a review by Congress, which has the final say over local laws in the District.

5am – E         Trump’s pick to replace Michael Flynn as national security adviser turns down offer, people familiar with decision say. (Washington Post) — Retired Vice Adm. Robert Harward has turned down President Trump’s offer to become his new national security adviser, according to two people with knowledge of the decision. Harward would have replaced Michael Flynn, who announced his resignation late Monday amid allegations that he discussed U.S. sanctions with a Russian official before Trump took office and then misrepresented the content of that conversation to Vice President Pence and other administration officials. One factor in Harward’s decision was that he couldn’t get a guarantee that he could select his own staff, according to a person close to Trump with knowledge of the discussions. Other officials said his decision was motivated by financial concerns about leaving his job at aerospace firm Lockheed Martin, where he is a senior executive, and the impact it would have on his family. One senior U.S. official said that “family considerations changed his mind.” A friend of Harward’s added that he was also not fully comfortable with the quickly moving process. All requested anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.

6am – A/B/C Mother Of 4 Defies Deportation Order, Takes Sanctuary In Church. DENVER (CBS4) – A mother of four is defying a deportation order by taking sanctuary at a church in Denver. Jeanette Vizguerra came to the United States illegally 14 years ago. She declined to meet with immigration officials in Centennial on Wednesday because of fears that she would be deported. Her Stay of Deportation expired last week. She was concerned that if she met with immigration officials, she would be deported. Dozens of supporters rallied in Centennial, calling for immigration officials to allow Vizguerra to stay. She has taken sanctuary in the First Unitarian Society of Denver church located at 1400 N Lafayette St. in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. She says she has been fighting to stay in this country for the last eight years. “This is not just an attack on me but an attack on the whole immigrant community,” said Vizguerra. “We have to look and see what we’re going to do, how we’re going to take action to protect ourselves.” Vizguerra has been convicted of possession of forged documents.

6am – D         TRUMP NEWS:

• Pres. Trump planning to replace halted travel ban with new executive order. President Trump to replace halted travel ban with new executive order
• Trump says health care plan could come as early as March
• Donald J. Trump ‏@realDonaldTrump 1h1 hour ago: Despite the long delays by the Democrats in finally approving Dr. Tom Price, the repeal and replacement of ObamaCare is moving fast!
• President Donald J. Trump signed a bill halting new coal mining regulations

6am – E         Monopoly ditches classic game piece. (Fox News) — Monopoly purists may not be thrilled that the thimble, which has been part of the popular board game since 1935, is being phased out. Yes, you can still pass “Go” and collect $200 on the Monopoly board, but soon you may see hashtags, emojis and even a rubber duck in the new version of the game.  Voters rejected the thimble as Hasbro tries to update the board game’s pieces for the next generation of players. Back in 2013, Hasbro Inc. dropped another game piece, the iron, from Monopoly.

6am – F         President Trump to Chris Christie: Try the Meatloaf. “This is what it’s like to be with Trump,” Christie said. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says President Donald Trump made him order meatloaf when they dined together at the White House this week. Christie and his wife, Mary Pat, joined Trump at the White House on Tuesday. The Republican governor said while guest hosting a New York sports talk radio show Thursday that Trump pointed out the menu and told people to get whatever they want. Then he insisted he and Christie were going to have the meatloaf. “This is what it’s like to be with Trump,” Christie said. “He says, ‘There’s the menu, you guys order whatever you want.’ And then he says, ‘Chris, you and I are going to have the meatloaf.'” Trump said, “I’m telling you, the meatloaf is fabulous,” according to Christie.

 

7am – A         INTERVIEW – JOE CONCHA – Media Reporter, The Hill – analyzed President Trump’s press conference and the president’s comments about media bias.

7am – B/C/D/E         Donald Trump delivers a series of raw attacks on the media in a news conference for the ages.

8am – A         INTERVIEW — GUY BENSON – Townhall.com Political Editor and co-authof of ‘End of Discussion’ — shared his takeaways of the Trump press conference.

8am – B/C     INTERVIEW — KATHY HOLLINGER – President & CEO – The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW)

• ABOUT RAMW: The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) is the regional trade association representing restaurants and the foodservice industry in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. Established in 1920, RAMW is an advocate, resource and community for its members. The Association works to promote and sustain the growth and development of the industry while providing its members legislative and regulatory representation, marketing and small business support, programming and events.
• TOPIC: Thoughts on two news stories impacting restaurant business in DC:
• DC mayor lets 8-week paid family leave bill take effect
• Restaurants, schools close in ‘Day Without Immigrants’ protest

8am – D         Businesses across U.S. close, students skip school on ‘Day Without Immigrants.’ Washington, DC, restaurants and schools were prepared for a “Day Without Immigrants” protest Thursday. Across the nation, thousands of protesters took part in “Day Without Immigrants” events, from marching to boycotting jobs to keeping kids out of school in the hopes of underscoring how migrants form the lifeblood of the country’s economy and society.

8am – E         Scarlett Johansson: ‘I don’t think it’s natural to be a monogamous person’ (Fox News) — Scarlett Johansson is having second thoughts on monogamy. In Playboy’s March/April 2017 issue, the 32-year-old “Ghost in the Shell” star admitted she isn’t sure people are designed to be monogamous in relationships. “I think the idea of marriage is very romantic; it’s a beautiful idea, and the practice of it can be a very beautiful thing,” said the actress. “I don’t think it’s natural to be a monogamous person. I might be skewered for that, but I think it’s work. It’s a lot of work.” Johansson also stressed that marriage is “a legally binding contract that has weight to it” and will impact relationships no matter what stage they’re in. “Being married is different than not being married, and anybody who tells you that it’s the same, is lying,” she said. “It changes things. I have friends who were together for 10 years and then decided to get married, and I’ll ask them on their wedding day or right after if it’s different, and it always is. It is. It’s a beautiful responsibility, but it’s a responsibility.”