Joe diGenova, Emily Jashinsky, Trevor Matich, Christian Toto, Scott Allen and guest host Amber Athey joined WMAL on Monday morning!

Mornings on the Mall

Monday, December 31, 2018

Hosts: Vince Coglianese and Amber Athey

5am – A/B/C/D/E     Latest On Border Wall / Government Shutdown:

• TRUMP SKIPPING MAR-A-LAGO NYE BASH FOR SHUTDOWN..
• PELOSI SPENT SHUTDOWN IN HAWAII…
• Lindsey Graham Floats Deal: Trump Would Trade 700K Work Permits for $5 Billion for Wall, ‘Border Security

6am – A/B/C HERE ARE THE MOST EGREGIOUS FAKE NEWS STORIES OF 2018. (Daily Caller/Amber Athey) — As 2018 comes to a close, it’s time to review the year’s worst cases of media misquotes, misleading narratives, major corrections and straight-up fake news.While last year’s fake reporting largely occurred during the media’s relentless pursuit to prove Russian collusion, this year’s list is much more varied. However, some themes emerged: stories about then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and the U.S. border were routinely flagged for misinformation.

6am – D         Melania Trump’s Skin-Colored Leather Pants Are Freaking Everyone Out (Allure) — Melania Trump’s fashion and beauty choices have had the Internet all riled up in 2018, and the last week of the year is proving to be no exception. The First Lady joined President Donald Trump on a visit to Iraq and Germany, and her travel attire has divided followers on Twitter. The outfit in question appeared on Thursday when The First Lady arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. She wore a $2,480 Prada peacoat, sunglasses, and tight, tan leather pants — but between the camera flash, the dark of night, and her own skin color, Trump’s lower half turned into an optical illusion. Photos of the outfit quickly spread on Twitter, where some latched onto the fact that she was wearing sunglasses in the pitch-black night and others wondered if the First Lady was wearing pants at all. Folks online responded to the news stories about the Trumps’ stateside return with speculation about her ensemble. Some people thought she was wearing a miniskirt and confused her tan leggings with bare legs.

6am – E         Calif. organizers cancel Women’s March for being too white. Local group vows to work on broadening diversity. (Washington Times) — Organizers of the Women’s March in Humboldt County, California, announced Friday that they have canceled the local Jan. 19 event because the marchers are overwhelmingly white. In a Facebook statement, the group said it opted to nix the third annual march “after many conversations between local social-change organizations and supporters of the march,” saying they would work on how to “broaden representation in the organizing committee.” “Up to this point, the participants have been overwhelmingly white, lacking representation from several perspectives in our community,” said the statement. “Instead of pushing forward with crucial voices absent, the organizing team will take time for more outreach.” The Humboldt County group said it was still interested in holding an event in March on International Women’s Day.

6am – F         Chuck Todd says his show is ‘not going to give time to climate deniers.’ NBC’s Chuck Todd at the beginning of “Meet the Press” on Sunday said that his show is “not going to give time to climate deniers” before hosting an hourlong panel with lawmakers and experts about the consequences of climate change. “This morning, we’re going to do something that we don’t often get to do: dive in on one topic,” Todd said after showing video clips of dramatic weather incidents in the last year. He continued that climate change is “a literally earth-changing subject that doesn’t get talked about this thoroughly, at least on television news.” “Just as important as what we are going to do is what we’re not going to do,” Todd said. “We’re not going to debate climate change, the existence of it. The earth is getting hotter and human activity is a major cause, period.”  “We’re not going to give time to climate deniers,” Todd added. “The science is settled even if political opinion is not.”

 

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

• Recap the Mueller probe this year and preview next year // President Trump’s attorney Rudy Giuliani is seeking to put pressure on special counsel Robert Mueller to submit his report on whether the investigation into the Trump campaign and Russia has found collusion, saying Mueller should “put up or shut up.”
• Lindsey Graham’s relationship with Trump
• Kamala Harris and Mazie Hirono are trying to bar observant Catholics from public office.  Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Kamala Harris, D-Calif., have renewed Feinstein’s line of attack, suggesting this month that attorney Brian Buescher may also be unfit to serve as a federal judge on account of his Catholic faith. The only difference between now and September 2017 is that Hirono and Harris are not so explicit in their bigotry. In a set of written questions submitted to the nominee to the U.S. District Court for the District of Nebraska, Hirono and Harris zeroed in on Buescher’s affiliation with the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic charitable organization founded in 1882. Harris’ questions began by noting that Buescher has been a member of “an all-male society comprised primarily of Catholic men” since 1993. She then asked a number of leading questions, including, “Were you aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed a woman’s right to choose when you joined the organization?” and, “Have you ever, in any way, assisted with or contributed to advocacy against women’s reproductive rights?” and, “Were you aware that the Knights of Columbus opposed marriage equality when you joined the organization?”

7am – B/C     INTERVIEW — EMILY JASHINSKY – Culture editor, The Federalist

• Recap of the top culture stories of 2018

• Jashinsky: Kevin Hart Missed A Big Opportunity To Stare Down The Outrage Mob
• Jashinsky: Why ‘SNL’ Still Can’t Find Its Footing In The Trump Era

• Reflect on the passing of her colleague Bre Payton. Bre Payton, 26-year-old conservative writer, dies following sudden illness (CNN) Bre Payton, a commentator and staff writer for The Federalist, died Friday in San Diego after a sudden illness, according to the conservative online magazine. She was 26. Payton quickly became a featured commentator for conservative outlets after joining The Federalist in April 2015, an obituary on the site said, making regular appearances on Fox News, Fox Business Channel and One America News Network, or OANN. “Bre brightened the lives of everyone around her,” it said. “She was joyful, hard-working, and compassionate, and she leaves behind friends and colleagues for whom she brought nothing but sweetness and light.” Payton was found “unresponsive and barely breathing” Thursday, according to a CaringBridge.org page shared on Twitter by The Federalist’s publisher, Ben Domenech. Following a CT scan and extensive testing, she was diagnosed with the H1N1 flu and meningitis.   

7am – D         DC to adopt “No Right on Red.” The District’s Department of Transportation says it will install “No Right Turn on Red” light signs at approximately 100 intersections in 2019. Right before the Christmas holiday, DDOT announced it plans to do away with “Right on Red.” The plan is expected to begin February 2019.  The District’s Department of Transportation says it will install No Right Turn on Red light signs at approximately 100 intersections.  All signs are expected to be installed by July 2019. D-DOT’s list of intersections impacted are separated by Ward:  “We should do more,” said Rachel Maisler, a local D.C. cycling advocate with Handlebars DC. Over the past several months, Maisler helped organize multiple vigil rides for those killed on bikes and scooters. She’s also an advocate for pedestrian safety. “We have 35 people who have been killed by drivers in this city. We’re not a very big city. We’re only a city of 700,000,” said Maisler. As of Wednesday, D.C. Police noted 34 traffic fatalities in the District, a 13.3% jump from this same time last year. While she’s all for safety improvements, Mailser also told WUSA 9 she wants “No Turns on Red” at every intersection. “I think banning no turns on red at only 100 intersections is confusing. I think it’s a step in the right direction, but I don’t think it gets to the root of the problem,” the local activist said.

7am – E         INTERVIEW — TREVOR MATICH – WMAL’s Redskins Analyst — recapped last Redskins game of the season and look ahead to next year. The Redskins’ season came to a crashing end at FedEx Field Sunday night in a 24-0 loss to the Eagles, in front of a crowd that was 70 percent Philadelphia fans.

 

8am – A         INTERVIEW – CHRISTIAN TOTO – Film Critic, HollywoodInToto.com and Host of “The Hollywood in Toto” podcast  (available on iTunes) @HollywoodInToto

• Recap the celebrity deaths of 2018 and top Hollywood stories (it was a bad year in ratings for award shows)
• In Memoriam: Celebrity Deaths 2018: Before we turn the page to 2019, it’s important to look back at the famous people we lost in 2018. In addition to politicians (George H.W. Bush, John McCain), scientists (Stephen Hawking) and televangelists (Billy Graham), we also lost plenty of influential figures in the world of entertainment.
  • Jan. 15 – Dolores O’Riordan – singer of The Cranberries,
  • Feb. 4 – John Mahoney – actor of “Frasier” (played Frasier’s father)
  • March 4 – Russell Solomon – founder of Tower Records
  • April 15 – R. Lee Ermey – actor of “Full Metal Jacket”
  • April 21 – Verne Troyer – actor of “Austin Powers” (Mini Me)
  • May 13 – Margot Kidder – actress of “Super Man” (Lois Lane)
  • June 5 – Kate Spade – clothing designer
  • June 8 – Anthony Bourdain – Chef and host of “No Reservations”
  • June 27 – Joe Jackson – founder of The Jackson 5
  • Aug 16 – Aretha Franklin – singer of RESPECT
  • Aug 24 – Robin Leach – host of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
  • Sept 6 – Burt Reynolds – actor of Smokey and The Bandit
  • Nov 12 – Stan Lee – creator of “Spiderman”
  • Dec 17 – Penny Marshall – actress of “Lawrence & Shirley”

8am – B/C     INTERVIEW — SCOTT ALLEN – Sports reporter, Washington Post – discussed the top 2018 sports stories of 2018.

• The Capitals’ season — from bitter disappointment to a Stanley Cup
• DJ Durkin was fired as Maryland’s football coach this year, after a player’s death and two investigations
• Olympics in South Korea
• Larry Nassar sentencing… USA Gymnastics files for bankruptcy after hefty lawsuits over Nassar

8am – D         “I’m in this fight because I understand what’s happening to working families,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren says after announcing she is formally establishing a presidential campaign exploratory committee.

8am – E         TRANSGENDER WOMAN THREATENS TO ‘TAKE IT OUTSIDE’ WHEN GAMESTOP EMPLOYEE USES THE WORD ‘SIR.’ A transgender woman threw a tantrum at a GameStop in Albuquerque, New Mexico, after claiming the cashier called him “sir” instead of “ma’am.” The trans woman then threatened to “take it outside” with the male store clerk and also wanted the number of the corporate offices to file a complaint. After much cursing and rage expressed, another patron called him sir and asked him to leave the store, in a video released Friday. “If you call me a sir again, I will show you an (expletive) sir!” he said.

8am – F         New Year’s Eve Times Square Ball Drop to Be Dedicated to ‘Press Freedom.’ The committee in charge of putting on the iconic ball drop in New York City’s Times Square this New Year’s Eve dedicated this year’s celebration to “press freedom.” The Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment tweeted Saturday that the organization enlisted a group of journalists to help ring in 2019 during the Times Square celebration, all in the name of honoring press freedom.  “On New Year’s Eve we look back and reflect on the major events of the past year, we look forward with a sense of hope, and we celebrate the people and things we value most,” Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, said in a statement. “This year, we’re celebrating the free press and journalism and those who work to protect, preserve and practice it.” The Times Square Alliance — which named the Committee to Protect Journalists as its “charity honoree” for the evening — got its inspiration for the theme from TIME magazine’s “Person of the Year” for 2018, which honored persecuted journalists like slain Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. The organization listed the group of 11 journalists who would be taking part in the button-pushing ceremony when the clock strikes midnight.