Red Maryland’s Brian Griffith, author Brad Thor, The Daily Caller’s Kevin Daley, syndicated columnist Cal Thomas, Full Measure host Sharyl Attkisson, and D.C. council member Charles Allen joined WMAL on Wednesday!

Mornings on the Mall

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Hosts: Tony Shaffer and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

 

5am – A/B/C Primary Results:

• Ben Jealous wins Maryland Democratic primary race for governor (Baltimore Sun) – Former NAACP chief Ben Jealous won Maryland’s Democratic primary for governor Tuesday, promising to deliver a progressive agenda that makes college free, legalizes marijuana and raises the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour. Bolstered by support in the Baltimore region, spending from outside groups and an aggressive union-backed turnout machine, Jealous emerged from the six-way primary as Democrats’ bet to take on popular Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in November.  His victory over fellow front-runner Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III, who was backed by the state’s political establishment, demonstrated the growing influence of the progressive wing of the Maryland Democratic Party. His win was part of a wave of victories against establishment candidates in state government.
• A top House Democrat just lost his primary – to a socialist (Vox) – Joe Crowley, one of the top Democrats in the House of Representatives, lost his New York primary in a shocking upset on Tuesday night to community organizer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Crowley, having fundraised nearly $3 million for the race in New York’s 14th District, fell easily to a first-time candidate with a viral introduction video, a Democratic Socialists of America membership card, and a proudly leftist agenda. She ran on Medicare-for-all, a federal jobs guarantee, and getting tough on Wall Street. The race was called just before 10 pm for Ocasio-Cortez.

5am – D/E Supremes deal victory for Trump, uphold travel ban (Daily Caller) – A five-justice majority of the U.S. Supreme Court upheld in full the latest iteration of President Donald Trump’s travel sanctions Tuesday.  The ruling was an unqualified victory for the Trump administration, after earlier variants of the entry ban were greeted with raucous airport protests and break-neck litigation that left the White House reeling.  Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the Court’s opinion, joined by Justices Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch.  “The president has lawfully exercised the broad discretion granted to him under [federal law],” Roberts wrote.

6am – A Laura Loomer Confronts Maxine Waters (Big League Politics) – I confronted Rep. Maxine Waters of California regarding her call for Trump administration officials to be harassed in their everyday lives. Does Maxine Waters think this kind of targeted harassment is civil? Does Maxine Waters stand behind her comments, or was it just agitprop for her Resistance friends?  Many Democrats are disavowing Rep. Maxine Waters for her comments earlier, encouraging people to harass Trump administration officials and Trump supporters in the streets.  But not all Democrat lawmakers are taking the sane path and distancing themselves from Waters.  “So yes, if I saw an administrator in, um, out and about, there’s nothing wrong with confronting that person,” said Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) at the very end of a rant on MSNBC…         

6am – B MSNBC analyst suggests U.S. now worse than Venezuela and Cuba: They don’t have ‘internment camps for babies’ (Washington Free-Beacon) – MSNBC analyst Steve Schmidt said Tuesday the difference now between the United States and the troubled nations of Venezuela and Cuba was that Venezuela and Cuba don’t have “internment camps for babies and toddlers.”  Schmidt, a former GOP strategist, officially left the Republican Party last week in disgust over the Trump administration’s border policies enforcing separation of illegal immigrant parents from their children. On “Morning Joe,” he blasted Trump officials who invoked “Christian virtue” to defend themselves.  “The extraordinary and astounding hypocrisy of it, to see the constancy of the assertion of Christian virtue by political leaders in this country who have established internment camps for babies and toddlers,” Schmidt said. “By the way, and I never in a million years thought I would sit here or anywhere and say this, but the difference now between Venezuela and Cuba and the United States is this. Venezuela and Cuba are the countries without internment camps for babies and toddlers.”

6am – C White House teams up with Hallmark Channel to broadcast Fourth of July special (Washington Examiner) – First lady Melania Trump’s office announced Tuesday that it would be partnering with the Hallmark Channel to broadcast the Fourth of July festivities at the White House to televisions across America.  As with past Independence Day celebrations at the White House, President Trump and the first lady will welcome military families for a picnic on the South Lawn. Country music star Sara Evans, pianist Lola Astanova, and former “American Idol” finalists Jonny Brenns and Jax will perform during the 90-minute special. The U.S. Marine Band, the U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters, and the U.S. Air Force Band’s Max Impact will also make an appearance. Later in the evening, the National Park Service will put on a fireworks display.  “I’m delighted to welcome this new addition to the annual White House July 4th celebration,” the first lady said in a statement. “Americans will be able to tune in from their homes and be part of the festivities. Thank you to the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation, and the event sponsors for helping make this possible.”

6am – D INTERVIEW – Brian Griffiths – Maryland political analyst and Editor-in-Chief of Red Maryland – discussed yesterday’s Maryland primary results       

6am – E Why Jerry Seinfeld doesn’t think it was ‘necessary’ to fire Roseanne Barr (ET) – Jerry Seinfeld is weighing in on the fallout Roseanne Barr has received after she posted a racist tweet, leading ABC to cancel her hit sitcom, and instead, greenlight a spinoff series, titled The Conners, which won’t include her.  ET spoke to the 64-year-old comedian on Monday about a new season of his show,Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, coming to Netflix, and also got his candid thoughts on the controversy surrounding Barr’s remarks.  “I didn’t see why it was necessary to fire her,” Seinfeld said. “Why would you murder someone who’s committing suicide.”  “But I never saw someone ruin their entire career with one button push,” he added. “That was fresh.”

6am – F DC Councilmembers introduce new bill that would outlaw cashless restaurants (Washington City Paper) – Councilmember David Grosso introduced legislation today that would make it illegal for retail food establishments to go completely cashless in the District.

The purpose of the bill is to prevent discrimination against customers who prefer to use cash or who do not have access to credit cards or other non-cash payment methods.  Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and Councilmembers Anita Bonds, Brianne Nadeau, Vincent Gray, and Trayon White co-introduced the “Cashless Retailers Prohibition Act of 2018.”

7am – A INTERVIEW – Brad Thor – NY Times bestselling author and author of new book “Spymaster”           

7am – B Va. Mom shoots intruder who flew from overseas after teen broke off online relationship (WUSA 9) – A Virginia mom is hailed a hero by neighbors after she shot an intruder who was trying to break into her house.  The bizarre thing about it, is where the man came from. He had traveled from New Zealand after the woman’s teenage daughter broke off their online gaming relationship.  The mother’s husband told WUSA9 that he was in the car headed home from work when this whole this happened on Friday.  She called and told him that there was a man trying to break into their house. He told her to get the gun.  The man trying get in the house was Troy George Skinner, 25, according to Goochland County Sheriff James Agnew.

7am – C D.C. Council Proposals:

• Ride Hailing Tax increase passes D.C. council, but lower tax rate proposal in the works (WAMU) – Riders who use Uber, Lyft or Via may notice a slight increase in what they pay for a ride after the D.C. Council approved a new tax on ridesharing services Tuesday. Taxes will go up from 1 to 6 percent per ride, amounting to 60 cents instead of the current 10 cents on a $10 ride, pending approval from Mayor Muriel Bowser.  The increase goes into effect Oct. 1 and will raise $23 million to help pay for D.C.’s $180 million share of dedicated funding for Metro.   
• ‘Youth Vote Amendment Act of 2018’ would lower DC’s voting age to 16 (WUSA 9) – A public hearing is being held Wednesday to discuss the potential lowering of the District’s voting age to 16.  The Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety is holding the public hearing at 2 p.m. on the so-called Youth Vote Amendment Act of 2018.  Councilmember Charles bill would lower the District’s voting age in all elections to 16, according to a press release.  Officials hope that the public hearing will give the some 70 witnesses a chance to weigh in on the bill or the potential changes.

7am – D INTERVIEW – Kevin Daley – Supreme Court reporter, Daily Caller News Foundation – discussed the travel ban and abortion decisions    

7am – E Elaine Chao defends husband Mitch McConnell against protesters (New York Post) – Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on Tuesday sprang to the defense of her husband, Mitch McConnell, as protesters grilled the Senate majority leader over President Trump’s family separation policy.  Chao can be seen outside a Georgetown event on video shouting “Leave my husband alone!” to protesters as they confront the GOP senator with ProPublica audio of children crying at a detention center.  “Why are you separating families?” the protesters yell at McConnell while the audio plays.  “Why don’t you leave my husband alone,” Chao retorts.

8am – A INTERVIEW – Cal Thomas – Syndicated columnist – discussed Maxine Waters’ comments and outrage from Democrats        

8am – B/C INTERVIEW – Sharyl Attkisson – Investigative journalist and host of Sinclair’s Sunday TV news program Full Measure – discussed the upcoming Strzok testimony at the Capitol          

8am – D INTERVIEW – Charles Allen – D.C. council member from Ward 6 – discussed the D.C. proposal to allow 16-year-olds to vote

8am – E DC Lawmakers Propose Lowering Voting Age to 16 (NBC 4) – More D.C. youth may get the chance to vote in the 2020 presidential elections under a proposed law to lower the voting age in the District to 16.  The measure would allow 16-year-old residents to vote in local and national elections.  The law has won support of several council members and Mayor Muriel Bowser. It could take effect ahead of the 2020 presidential elections.  The District would be the only locality in the country that would allow 16-year-olds to vote for president. Three Maryland jurisdictions, Takoma Park, Hyattsville and Greenbelt, already allow 16 and 17 year olds to vote in municipal elections.