Weather Channel’s Jeff Eno, WMAL’s Redskins analyst Trevor Matich, Joe diGenova, Fox 5’s Mike Thomas and correspondent Alan Scaia in Tampa joined WMAL on Monday!

Mornings on the Mall

Monday, September 11, 2017

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

5am – A         HURRICANE NEWS:

• Irma is now a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph
• More than 3.3 million homes and businesses are without power as Hurricane Irma continues up Florida coast
• SWAT standoff as looters steal GUNS from a sporting goods store: At least 19 burglars are arrested across Florida and one is shot by police during Irma crime spree
• Hurricane Irma eerily pushed water away from bays and ports, but experts say the water rushes back as winds shift
• ALABAMA HELPS OUT: As thousands of Floridians flee Hurricane Irma’s path for higher, drier land, one Alabama community is helping keep them fed on the road to safety. Residents of Fairhope, Alabama, set up a tent at the Alabama Welcome Center on Interstate 10 and started cooking hot dogs for the road-weary travelers.
• MIAMI INVOKES THE BAKER ACT: On what is likely the last clear day in Florida before Hurricane Irma’s monster wind and rain, social workers and police officers are giving Miami’s estimated 1,100 homeless people a stark choice: Come willingly to a storm shelter, or be held against their will for a mental health evaluation. “We’re going out and every single homeless person who is unwilling to come off the street, we are likely going to involuntarily Baker Act them,” said Ron Book, chairman of the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust. Invoking the “Baker Act” — a law that enables authorities to institutionalize patients who present a danger to themselves or others — is not something law enforcement does lightly, but officers detained at least six people by Friday afternoon. Under the law, they can be held up to 72 hours before the state would have to go to court to prolong their detention.

• WALT DISNEY WORLD CLOSING: Walt Disney World is closing all four of its theme parks for at least two days as Irma is projected to overwhelm the Florida peninsula this weekend.
• LOCAL RELIEF HEADS OUT: Another convoy of supplies and donations gathered by D.C. Police officers are headed to Florida to help aid in the cleanup and recovery once Hurricane Irma runs its course through the state. Two trailers full of food, water, clothing, cleaning supplies and other items rolled out from a D.C. Police supply depot just after 9 a.m. on Sunday.
• Hurricane Irma strands manatees on beach – until Floridians come to the rescue. As Hurricane Irma charged up Florida’s west coast Sunday afternoon, it sucked up water along the way, draining waterways and bays. As a result, two manatees found themselves stranded on now-dry land just north of Sarasota. “Went out to the bay and saw two objects out where the water receded so we took off our shoes and walked out through the shells to find two beached manatees,” Michael Sechler wrote in a Facebook post Sunday afternoon that has since been shared more than 3,300 times.

5am – B   BEN SHAPIRO’S SPEECH:

• Berkeley Agitators Say Orthodox Jew Ben Shapiro Is A ‘White Supremacist’ (Daily Caller) — Left-wing agitators have falsely labeled conservative commentator Ben Shapiro a “white supremacist,” in an apparent attempt to inflame tensions ahead of Shapiro’s speech at the University of California, Berkeley on Thursday. Shapiro, the editor in chief of The Daily Wire, is an Orthodox Jew and a vocal opponent of the alt-right and other fringe white nationalist groups. Nevertheless, Refuse Fascism, a group that has previously organized violent demonstrations in Berkeley, labeled Shapiro a “fascist thug” and “white supremacist” over the weekend. “Fascist thug [and] white supremacist Ben Shapiro is coming to UC Berkeley — The issue is not ‘Free Speech,’” the group wrote in a Facebook post. “The Issue is Fascism.”
• While Irma rages, Los Angeles Times headline: “Berkeley braces for right-wing talk show host Ben Shapiro’s visit” (LA Times) – Girding itself for a visit from another polarizing political figure and the possibility of more violent protests, UC Berkeley is tightening campus security. In a message sent earlier this week, Provost Paul Alivisatos said the university was taking precautions in advance of the Sept. 14 visit by conservative political commentator and former Breitbart editor Ben Shapiro. There will be a “closed perimeter” around the building where Shapiro is scheduled to speak, and an “increased and highly visible police presence.” A number of university buildings near Zellerbach Hall, the event’s location, will be closed that afternoon. In order to pass through security barriers, people will have to show tickets for the speech. The university also is offering counseling to students and faculty worried about the event, which is being held at the invitation of the Berkeley College Republicans. “We are deeply concerned about the impact some speakers may have on individuals’ sense of safety and belonging,” Alivisatos said in the memo posted on the university’s website. “No one should be made to feel threatened or harassed simply because of who they are or for what they believe.” The memo drew scorn from conservative websites, including the Daily Wire, where Shapiro serves as editor in chief. The site called the measures extreme and criticized them as a sign of the university’s intolerance.

5am – C   Trump to preside over his 1st 9/11 ceremony as president.  (ABC News) —

To mark the 16th anniversary Monday of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will attend a commemoration ceremony in the morning at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial.  Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford will host the ceremony honoring the 184 people killed in the attack at the Pentagon. At 9:37 a.m. on Monday, the exact time that American Airlines Flight 77, carrying 64 people on a flight bound for Los Angeles, was flown into the side of the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2011, the president will lead a moment of silence. It’s the first time Trump will lead a Sept. 11 commemoration ceremony as commander-in-chief. Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, for a separate ceremony at the location of the Flight 93 Memorial. Last week, Trump proclaimed Sept. 11 as “Patriot Day.”

5am – D         HILLARY’S INSUFFERABLE BOOK TOUR: Hillary Clinton will begin promoting her most recent work, “What Happened,” with a book signing Tuesday in New York City, the first stop on a tour that will stretch through the end of the year. The former secretary of state also is making the rounds on television, including appearances on Sunday morning political talk shows and with “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert this week.

5am – E         INTERVIEW – JEFF ENO – Weather Channel

• Irma is now a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph

6am – A         BANNON / 60 MINUTES: Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon joined 60 Minutes in an interview Sunday night. Speaking with interviewer Charlie Rose last Wednesday during a session recorded at Bannon’s home in Washington, which also is the headquarters of Breitbart News, the occasion marked Bannon’s first TV interview since leaving the White House. He returned to his job as the head of Breitbart News. Bannon weighed in on everything from RUSSIA, DACA, the GOP establishment and more.

6am – B         Authorities to pursue felonies for abandoning pets… (USA Today) — Dozens of dogs abandoned, left unable to escape as Irma bears down. Authorities in south Florida may pursue felony charges against people who abandoned their animals as Hurricane Irma approached the Florida peninsula.   Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control director Dianne Sauve said the agency recovered roughly 40 dogs in the days before Irma made landfall in Florida. Some were tied up, others were in pens or in enclosed yards, unable to escape. She said such abandonment is one of the worst things someone can do to their pet, saying “There is absolutely no excuse for doing that.” On Sunday morning, the Florida Department of Public Health reiterated the dangers posed when pets are abandoned during a storm. Sauve said the agency will pursue felony animal cruelty charges if they are able to gather enough evidence and find and identify a pet’s owners, which can be difficult. The agency’s shelter also took in about 40 other cats and dogs relinquished by their owners. Sauve said that’s not unusual, but the number of surrenders is higher than in previous storms.

6am – C         Sessions considering giving lie detector tests to entire National Security Council: report. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is considering giving lie detector tests to the  entire staff of the National Security Council (NSC) in an effort to weed out leakers, Axios reported on Sunday. The attorney general’s idea is reportedly to have every NSC staffer interrogated about the leaked transcripts of phone conversations between President Trump and world leaders. While it’s unclear if he actually plans to go through with the idea, Sessions has raised the subject with multiple people, according to Axios. Leaks about Russian election interference and the Trump administration have been a recurring burden for the president, who this past summer criticized Sessions after the attorney general formally recused himself from the Russia investigation. In August, Sessions announced a government-wide crackdown on leakers, prompting Trump to once again praise his Justice Department head.

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

• Eagles ecstatic after 30-17 victory over Redskins

6am – E         “IT” IS A BOX OFFICE SMASH: (Hollywood Reporter) —  The film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel shattered numerous records, including landing the biggest opening ever for a horror movie; ‘Home Again’ stalls, while Charlie Sheen drama ‘9/11′ bombs. There is nothing clownish about New Line Cinema and Warner Bros.’ It, which grossed a massive $117.2 million from 4,103 theaters in its North American box-office debut over the weekend. The horror film is also a hit overseas, launching to record $62 million from 46 markets for a global start of $179.2 million. The R-rated film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel — about a group of misfit kids in the 1980s who battle the demonic Pennywise the Dancing Clown — jolted the domestic box office back to life after seven straight down weekends and the worst summer in recent memory.

Jennifer Lawrence says hurricanes may be nature’s ‘wrath’ for Trump victory.

Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence suggested the devastating hurricanes in Texas and approaching Florida were signs of “Mother Nature’s rage and wrath” at America for electing Donald Trump and not believing in man-made climate change. Lawrence, who is promoting her new drama “Mother!,” appeared on British network Channel 4 on Wednesday, where she discussed topics ranging from the movie to the gender pay gap and Trump. “It’s scary,” the actress responded to the interviewer’s assertion that there was “an end-of-days feeling” across the world and especially in the U.S. “You know, it’s this new language that’s forming. I don’t even recognize it. It’s also scary to know that climate change is due to human activity, and we continue to ignore it, and the only voice that we really have is through voting.” “And you have voted very recently, as a country” the reporter noted – to which Lawrence replied that “it was really startling” Trump was elected. She then suggested the recent hurricanes devastating Texas and nearing Florida may have been prompted by Trump winning the presidency. “You know, you’re watching these hurricanes now, and it’s really hard, especially while promoting this movie, not to feel Mother Nature’s rage and wrath,” Lawrence said.

6am – F         BOLLING OUT AT FOX:

• Eric Bolling is out at Fox News over sex pictures, while Charles Payne returns to Fox Business. Sexual harassment investigations at Fox News had on-air hosts coming and going on Friday. The network has cut loose Eric Bolling, who was suspended on Aug. 5, and has also canceled his daily program “Fox News Specialists.” The law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, investigated allegations that Bolling used his cellphone to send unsolicited photos of male genitalia to current and former female colleagues at the network. The firm has been handling harassment claims at the 21st Century Fox unit. “Fox News Channel is canceling the ‘Specialists,’ and Eric Bolling and Fox have agreed to part ways amicably,” a Fox News spokesperson said in a statement. “We thank Eric for his 10 years of service to our loyal viewers and wish him the best of luck.”  His co-hosts, Kat Timpf and Eboni Williams, will remain with Fox News as contributors. An hourlong newscast will fill the 5 p.m. Eastern hour starting Monday. Earlier Friday, Fox News confirmed that Fox Business host Charles Payne is returning to his job at the network after he was cleared in an internal investigation of sexual harassment claims lodged by a female political analyst who was a frequent guest on his program.
• Trump retweets condolences to fired Fox News host Eric Bolling. Donald Trump has retweeted condolences from Kellyanne Conway and Sean Hannity that lamented the death of Fox News host Eric Bolling’s only son. Eric Chase, 19, was the only child of Bolling, 54, and his wife, Adrienne. He died on Friday evening, just hours after his father had parted ways with the cable giant amid claims of sexual harassment. Conway wrote on Saturday: ‘Love and prayers for friends Adrienne & Eric Bolling. May Eric Chase know eternal peace.’
• Eric Bolling @ericbolling Sep 9: Adrienne and I are devastated by the loss of our beloved son Eric Chase last night. Details still unclear. Thoughts, prayers appreciated.
• Eric Bolling‏ @ericbolling Sep 9: Authorities have informed us there is no sign of self harm at this point. Autopsy will be next week. Please respect our grieving period.
• Eric Bolling‏ @ericbolling 20h20 hours ago: We are overwhelmed by the love and support we have received. Adrienne and I thank you all and ask that you please keep us in your prayers.

7am – A         INTERVIEW — JOE DIGENOVA – legal analyst and former U.S. Attorney to the District of Columbia

TOPICS:

• LOIS LERNER:
  • GOP outraged after Trump’s DOJ refuses to charge Lois Lerner in IRS scandal  (Washington Examiner) — The Department of Justice told members of Congress Friday that it wouldn’t reconsider the question of whether to prosecute former IRS official Lois Lerner for her role in the tax agency’s targeting of conservative groups, eliciting criticism from House Republicans. After being asked by Republicans in April to take a “fresh look” at the case against Lerner, the Trump administration responded Friday that it had reviewed the case and decided against it. “[T]he Department determined that reopening the criminal investigation would not be appropriate based on the available evidence,” Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd wrote in a letter to Kevin Brady, the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.  Brady called that a “terrible decision” that suggested political appointees are not held accountable under the law. “I have the utmost respect for Attorney General [Jeff] Sessions, but I’m troubled by his Department’s lack of action to fully respond to our request and deliver accountability,” the Texas lawmaker said in a statement.
  • Judicial Watch Statement on Justice Department’s Decision Not to Charge Lois Lerner in IRS Scandal.  Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton made the following statement regarding the  Department of Justice’s decision not to bring charges against Lois Lerner, former director of the Exempt Organizations Unit of the IRS, whose own emails place her at the heart of the politicization of the IRS for the targeting of conservative groups: ” I have zero confidence that the Justice Department did an adequate review of the IRS scandal. In fact, we’re still fighting the Justice Department and the IRS for records about this very scandal. Today’s decision comes as no surprise considering that the FBI collaborated with the IRS and is unlikely to investigate or prosecute itself. President Trump should order a complete review of the whole issue. Meanwhile, we await accountability for IRS Commissioner Koskinen, who still serves and should be drummed out of office.”
• DACA
  • Bannon Worries Trump’s DACA Decision Will Cost Republicans The House And Will Cost A Civil War
  • DACA lawsuit dropped, Texas AG says. (Fox Business) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday said he is withdrawing his lawsuit against President Trump over the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. “We are dropping that lawsuit. The president did a good job today, Jeff Sessions, we’re pleased with the result and we are going to move on, we’re going to withdraw this lawsuit, they did the right thing,” he told FOX Business’ David Asman on ‘After the Bell.’ President Trump ordered to end the Obama-era executive action, which allowed children brought to the U.S. illegally to stay, but left it up to Congress to rule on the action.
  • Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on DACA this Wednesday.
• RUSSIA
  • Mueller gives White House names of 6 aides he expects to question in Russia probe. (Washington Post) — Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III has alerted the White House that his team will probably seek to interview six top current and former advisers to President Trump who were witnesses to several episodes relevant to the investigation of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election, according to people familiar with the request. Mueller’s interest in the aides, including trusted adviser Hope Hicks, former press secretary Sean Spicer and former chief of staff Reince Priebus, reflects how the probe that has dogged Trump’s presidency is starting to penetrate a closer circle of aides around the president.
  • (Politico) – Notes from former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort on a meeting he attended last year with a Russian lobbyist and Donald Trump Jr. are not seen as damaging to the Trump family or campaign officials, according to government officials and others who have looked at the notes.
  • Kamala Harris: Trump may be called to testify about Russia Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., said it was possible that President Trump could be called to testify before senators concerning the ongoing Russia investigation. “Is the testimony or potential hearing with the president Donald Trump off the table for this investigation?” asked MSNBC host Ari Melber on Thursday. “No,” Harris, who serves on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, responded. “So it’s possible that the Senate could seek his testimony?” Melber pressed. “I think it’s possible. Yes,” Harris replied. Harris has been rumored to be looking at a 2020 presidential bid. Before being elected to the Senate, she served as California attorney general. “Under what conditions?” Melber asked in a follow-up question. “We’ll see where the facts lead us,” Harris said.
• EQUIFAX
  • NY TIMES: Seriously, Equifax? This Is a Breach No One Should Get Away With
  • Can you join a class action suit if you use Equifax’s free identity theft protection?

7am – B         Media coverage of Hurricane Irma

7am – C         U.S. Park Police Tear Down Anti-Trump Camp.(Daily Caller) – Officials allegedly affiliated with the United States Park Police removed tents, tables, chairs, and other gear affiliated with the occupation of Farragut Square early Saturday morning in Washington, D.C. The police action that protestors on the ground described as a “raid” began around 4:00 a.m. Saturday, and ended roughly an hour later, according to the Facebook Live feed published by the group Impeachment Square. Although the video is dark, it’s possible to see that some members of a local police force are removing items, but it’s unclear if the Park Police led the charge. Officials with the Park Police DC office were unable to confirm whether the department was responsible for the raid when contacted by The Daily Caller News Foundation. Protesting organizers claim to have applied with the Parks Service for a permit for their action. The permit has yet to be approved, according to the group.

7am – D         Miss America Goes Political! Hear Contestants’ Answers to Tough Trump, Environmental Questions. (People) – Contestants faced questions on collusion with Russia and the removal of Confederate statues.

7am – E         HURRICANE NEWS:

• Florida sheriff pleads with people not to FIRE their guns into Irma after a Facebook event went viral. The Sheriff’s Office in Pasco County, Florida, has warned residents to not shoot guns at Hurricane Irma after a Facebook event went viral. Two residents of the state started the event, titled ‘Shoot At Hurricane Irma’, and, as of Saturday evening, more than 53,000 people said they were interested in the event and 25,000 said they were participating.  A description for the event read: ‘YO SO THIS GOOFY LOOKING WINDY HEADA** NAMED IRMA SAID THEY PULLING UP ON US, LETS SHOW IRMA THAT WE SHOOT FIRST’. Deputies warned, however, that shooting at a hurricane could have devastating consequences.  ‘To clarify, DO NOT shoot weapons @ #Irma. You won’t make it turn around & it will have very dangerous side effects,’ the Sheriff’s office tweeted on Saturday evening.
• INTERVIEW — MIKE THOMAS — WTTG FOX 5 Meteorologist

• Irma is about to lose hurricane status as Florida continues to rip her apart. Winds down to only 75mph, a weaker category 1 storm.

8am – A         INTERVIEW — ALAN SCAIA (SKY-uh) — our Correspondent in Tampa, Florida

• Hurricane Irma set all sorts of records for brute strength before crashing into Florida, flattening islands in the Caribbean and swamping the Florida Keys. Alan is riding out the storm in Tampa
• Hurricane Irma: Nearly half of Florida in the dark, Tampa takes pounding. Irma weakened to a Category 1 storm as the massive hurricane zeroed in on the Tampa Bay region early Monday after hammering much of Florida with roof-ripping winds, gushing floodwaters and widespread power outages. The hurricane’s maximum sustained winds weakened to 85 mph with additional weakening expected. As of 2 a.m. EDT, the storm was centered about 25 miles northeast of Tampa and moving north-northwest near 15 mph. Irma continues its slog north along Florida’s western coast having blazed a path of unknown destruction. With communication cut to some of the Florida Keys, where Irma made landfall Sunday, and rough conditions persisting across the peninsula, many are holding their breath for what daylight might reveal. Forecasters say they expert Irma’s center to stay inland over Florida and then move into Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee.

8am – B         BANNON / 60 MINUTES: Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon joined 60 Minutes in an interview Sunday night. Speaking with interviewer Charlie Rose last Wednesday during a session recorded at Bannon’s home in Washington, which also is the headquarters of Breitbart News, the occasion marked Bannon’s first TV interview since leaving the White House. He returned to his job as the head of Breitbart News. Bannon weighed in on everything from RUSSIA, DACA, the GOP establishment and more.

8am – C         Nationals win NL East, 1st MLB team to clinch playoff spot. WASHINGTON (AP) — Stephen Strasburg and teammates zipped through their quickest home game of the season, then waited along with several hundred fans at Nationals Park.  About 90 minutes after finishing a victory over the Phillies, Washington broke out the champagne to celebrate its continued NL East supremacy. Strasburg extended his scoreless streak to a franchise-record 34 innings, and the Nationals beat Philadelphia 3-2 on Sunday in a tidy 2 hours, 16 minutes. A little while later, Washington clinched its fourth NL East title in six seasons when the Braves beat the Marlins on an 11th-inning homer in Atlanta. Fans remained in the stands to watch the Braves rally with three runs in the ninth, and fireworks erupted from the upper deck after Atlanta finished off Miami, making the Nationals the first team in the majors to clinch a playoff spot this year.  Players poured out of the dugout wearing ski goggles, embraced their wives, girlfriends and children and flung hats and T-shirts into the crowd.

8am – D         9/11 Remembrance:

• Trump to preside over his 1st 9/11 ceremony as president.  (ABC News) —
• To mark the 16th anniversary Monday of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will attend a commemoration ceremony in the morning at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial.  Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford will host the ceremony honoring the 184 people killed in the attack at the Pentagon. At 9:37 a.m. on Monday, the exact time that American Airlines Flight 77, carrying 64 people on a flight bound for Los Angeles, was flown into the side of the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2011, the president will lead a moment of silence. It’s the first time Trump will lead a Sept. 11 commemoration ceremony as commander-in-chief. Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, for a separate ceremony at the location of the Flight 93 Memorial. Last week, Trump proclaimed Sept. 11 as “Patriot Day.”
• Rare images from 9/11 terror attacks including Pentagon clock ‘frozen in time’ and shell-shocked President Bush. (The Mirror) – The Department of Defence released the stunning pictures as the US prepares to mark 16 years since the worst terror attack in history. The clock remains frozen in time at just after 9.30am. That’s when the gang of Al-Qaeda hijackers plunged American Airlines flight 77 into the Pentagon killing all 64 people on board and 125 in the building. America will never forget Tuesday, September 11, 2001, when a series of coordinated terror attacks left nearly 3,000 dead and changed the world forever. As the US prepares to mark 16 years since the atrocities, the Department of Defence has released an astonishing set of rarely-seen images. They include candid pictures of then-President George Bush as they horrific events unfolded. In one he turns to watch a television which is showing the smouldering Twin Towers in the background, while in others he consults with his shell-shocked White House team.
• Below is a timeline of events from that day, beginning with the departure of the first plane:

7:59 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 11, a Boeing 767, departs Boston for Los Angeles with 92 people on board.

8:01 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 93 departs Newark International Airport for San Francisco with 45 people on board.

8:14 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 175, a Boeing 767, departs Boston for Los Angeles with 65 people on board.

8:45 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 11 crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center.

9:03 a.m.: United Airlines Flight 175 crashes into the south tower of the World Trade Center.

9:31 a.m.: President Bush calls the crashes an “apparent terrorist attack.”

9:40 a.m.: American Airlines Flight 77, a Boeing 757, crashes into the north side of the Pentagon, collapsing a side of the building. It was en route from Washington Dulles International Airport to Los Angeles with 64 people on board.

9:50 a.m.: Two World Trade Center — the second tower hit — collapses.

8am – E         HILLARY’S INSUFFERABLE BOOK TOUR: Hillary Clinton will begin promoting her most recent work, “What Happened,” with a book signing Tuesday in New York City, the first stop on a tour that will stretch through the end of the year. The former secretary of state also is making the rounds on television, including appearances on Sunday morning political talk shows and with “Late Show” host Stephen Colbert this week.