Weather Channel’s Ray Stagich, Robert Thomson aka Dr. Gridlock, Judicial Watch’s Tom Fitton, FAIR’s Dan Stein and Fox’s Bret Baier joined WMAL on Friday!
Mornings on the Mall
Friday, March 3, 2017
Hosts: Brian Wilson and Mary Walter
Executive Producer: Heather Hunter
5am – A/B/C SESSIONS/RUSSIA:
Jeff Sessions Recuses Himself From Russia Inquiry. Trump: Sessions ‘did not say anything wrong’
Pelosi: Sessions’ Russia Contacts ‘Completely Different’ From Loretta Lynch’s Secret Meetings With Bill Clinton
Democratic lawmakers who met with Russian Ambassador: Landrieu, Cantwell, Casey, Klobuchar, Reed, Whitehouse, McCaskill
5am – D INTERVIEW – RAY STAGICH – Weather Channel
DC wakes up to dusting of snow, roads wet, slick in some spots.
WORD OF THE DAY: PERDUNCLE!! When Will the Cherry Blossoms Return? Think March. Experts at the NPS monitor the five stages of bud development closely to create the most accurate peak bloom prediction. The NPS makes at least one official prediction of peak bloom dates each year and sometimes later revises that date. The blooming period kicks off when the flowers begin developing as green buds; then florets become visible. The florets become extended, which is followed by a stage known as peduncle elongation. Once the cherry blossoms reach the puffy white stage, we know peak bloom is around the corner. Because of the delicate growth process, even the slightest weather change could alter or halt cherry blossom development. According to the National Park Service, cool and calm weather can make the bloom period last longer, but rainy or windy conditions could bring an abrupt end to the already fleeting bloom period. Snow could completely prevent the trees from blooming.
5am – E Military News:
US launches first military action in Yemen since Navy SEAL Ryan Owens killed. (Fox News) — The U.S. on Thursday engaged in its first military action in Yemen since the raid that killed Navy SEAL Ryan Owens in January, three U.S. defense officials confirmed to Fox News. The early-morning airstrikes — more than 20 in all — targeted Al Qaeda fighters, Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said. The strikes hit three south-central provinces suspected to have terrorist activity: Abyan, Shabwa and Bayda. At least four Al Qaeda fighters were killed, a Yemeni official told The Associated Press. The strikes will degrade the AQAP’s ability to coordinate external terror attacks and limit their ability to use territory seized from the legitimate government of Yemen as a safe space for terror plotting. Targets of the strikes included militants, equipment, infrastructure, heavy weapons systems and fighting positions,” Davis added, saying the U.S. coordinated the military action with Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. Chief Petty Officer Ryan Owens was killed as part of the Navy SEAL Team Six operation against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula on January 29.
Touring Warship, Trump Pushes Plan to Expand Military. (NY Times) — NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — President Trump on Thursday used the country’s most advanced, 100,000-ton aircraft carrier as the action-movie-like backdrop for his push to rebuild America’s armed forces with a $54 billion increase in military spending. Speaking in the hangar bay of the nuclear-powered Gerald R. Ford, which this year will become the nation’s largest and most powerful warship, Mr. Trump said the Navy — and other military services — must grow and modernize.
6am – A/B/C SESSIONS/RUSSIA:
Jeff Sessions Recuses Himself From Russia Inquiry. Trump: Sessions ‘did not say anything wrong’
Pelosi: Sessions’ Russia Contacts ‘Completely Different’ From Loretta Lynch’s Secret Meetings With Bill Clinton
Democratic lawmakers who met with Russian Ambassador: Landrieu, Cantwell, Casey, Klobuchar, Reed, Whitehouse, McCaskill
‘Do You See This as a Witch Hunt?’: Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Interviews Jeff Sessions
6am – D/E Patrick Stewart Is Becoming A U.S. Citizen So He Can Fight Donald Trump. “There is one thing you can do. Fight, fight, oppose, oppose.” (Huffington Post) — Patrick Stewart is gearing up for a new battle ― but this one will take place off the screen. The “X-Men” star said on “The View” on Thursday that he is becoming an American citizen so he can fight President Donald Trump. Stewart, who is promoting the new film “Logan.” “I’m not a citizen. However, there is, maybe it’s the only good thing as the result of this election: I am now applying for citizenship because I want to be an American too, because all of my friends in Washington said, ‘There is one thing you can do. Fight, fight, oppose, oppose.’ But I can’t do it because I’m not a citizen.”
6am – F BEZOS VS. MUSK SPACE RACE:
Amazon announces plans to ship packages to the MOON by 2020 to help set up a human settlement (and the CEO has already reserved a parking spot). (Daily Mail) — More than four decades after man last walked on the moon, space experts are delivering lunar equipment so we can set up a permanent home. Jeff Bezos, the boss of Amazon, says he wants to start delivering equipment to the moon to help set up the first human settlement. The Earth-to-Moon cargo delivery service would carry as much as 10,000 pounds of goods to the Moon’s South Pole and could be lifting off in 2020. Bezos owns a private space company called Blue Origin and he hopes it will provide the lunar equivalent of Amazon Prime. It will mainly be delivering equipment that early moon settlers would need, he wrote in a white paper outlining his ideas. Bezos has already reserved his parking spot near the Shackleton Crater on the South Pole. It’s a prime spot because it has constant sunlight and water nearby could be used as a source of hydrogen for rocket fuel, according to The Verge.
7am – A INTERVIEW — ROBERT THOMSON aka Washington Post’s DR. GRIDLOCK
TOPICS: Latest DC Metro News: New surge, financial turmoil and union fighting management
Metro’s Safetrack Surge 13 starts Saturday
Metro GM Paul Wiedefeld slams union robocall, calling it a ‘threat’
Metro scramble to fill budget hole leads to charged exchanges on board
7am – B Rachel Dolezal is homeless, on food stamps and still white but NOW HAS CHANGED HER NAME:
Rachel Dolezal, activist who identified as black, changes name. (Reuters) — Rachel Dolezal, a former civil rights activist who was embroiled in controversy after identifying as black despite being the biological daughter of white parents, has changed her name to Nkechi Amare Diallo, court records showed on Thursday. Diallo, 39, was profiled in a story last week by British newspaper The Guardian that mentioned she had changed her name on legal documents. Court records posted online by Spokane County, in Washington state, indicated that Dolezal petitioned to change her name to Diallo, which has African roots, and that a judge granted the request last Oct. 7. She could not immediately be reached for comment. Dolezal resigned in 2015 as president of the Spokane chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, following an uproar when media reports disclosed her parents were white. Diallo was raised in a home with adopted black siblings, attended historically black Howard University in Washington, D.C., and has produced artwork and taught classes about black culture. Her parents have told U.S. media she has Caucasian roots. Despite receiving heavy criticism for identifying as African-American, Diallo has continued to insist she considers herself to be black. She told The Guardian she had been unable to obtain even a low-level job, receiving only offers to appear in reality television and pornographic films. She also said she had to resort to food stamps to feed her family and feared she might become homeless. “Right now the only place that I feel understood and completely accepted is with my kids and my sister,” Diallo told The Guardian.
7am – C Jose Andres News:
DC United taps Jose Andres for soccer stadium food. WASHINGTON — D.C. United says Washington celebrity chef Jose Andres, a big soccer fan, will serve as the culinary curator for food served at its new home, Audi Field. The partnership, through food concessions and restaurant company Levy, means Andres will oversee all food and beverage offerings at the new Soccer stadium when it opens next year. Financial terms of the 10-year partnership weren’t disclosed. “Soccer and food are two things that are very close to my heart, so I am excited to be able to work with Levy and D.C. United to reinvent the soccer game experience,” Andres said. “With Audi Field, together we can re-imagine what it means to have a dining experience when you’re watching a soccer match,” he said. Andres’ favorite team is FC Barcelona, from his home country Spain. A D.C. United statement said Andres will create a menu that is representative of the global nature of soccer. Levy also provides food services at Verizon Center, Nationals Park and FedEx field. DC United broke ground on Audi Field Feb. 27. The $300 million stadium with a capacity of 20,000, is expected to be ready in time for DC. United to play the majority of its 2018 season home games.
EARLIER THIS WEEK, JOSE ANDRES WAS ONE OF THE IMMIGRANTS INVITED TO PRESIDENT TRUMP’S JOINT SESSION: Democrats Are Using Their Guests at the Joint Address to Troll President Trump. (TIME) – At least 21 Democrats will have guests who have been either impacted by the president’s executive order banning travel from seven majority-Muslim countries and pausing refugee resettlement or his aggressive new immigration enforcement orders. The biggest troll of the night will surely go to Rep. Filemon Vela of Texas, who has invited celebrity chef José Andrés to join him in the chamber. Andrés was infamously sued by Trump after backing out of a deal to open a restaurant at the president’s new D.C. hotel.
7am – D/E INTERVIEW — TOM FITTON – PRESIDENT, JUDICIAL WATCH
Jeff Sessions Recuses Himself From Russia Inquiry. Trump: Sessions ‘did not say anything wrong’
Pelosi: Sessions’ Russia Contacts ‘Completely Different’ From Loretta Lynch’s Secret Meetings With Bill Clinton
Democratic lawmakers who met with Russian Ambassador: Landrieu, Cantwell, Casey, Klobuchar, Reed, Whitehouse, McCaskill
‘Do You See This as a Witch Hunt?’: Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Interviews Jeff Sessions
8am – A INTERVIEW – DAN STEIN – President of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR)
ABOUT FAIR: Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country’s largest immigration reform group. With over 1.3 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced.
Thoughts on President Trump’s address to Congress. FAIR: Trump Demonstrates Keen Understanding of Immigration’s Impact on Jobs, Crime, National Security
EARLIER THIS WEEK: Trump open to legal status for illegal immigrants: report. (Washington Times) – A White House official told television networks Tuesday that President Trump would like to see Congress work on a new broad immigration bill, reigniting a festering debate on Capitol Hill. The revelation came from network anchors, who regularly meet with presidents ahead of big speeches to Congress — though the official who made the statement was not named. Mr. Trump’s plan would allow illegal immigrants to live and work in the U.S., but would stop short of granting most of them full citizenship, CNN reported. Dreamers, the young adult illegal immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, would be an exception, likely eligible for full status. The official said both sides would have to compromise.
Trump’s revision of the executive order on immigration is rumored to be coming on today. Sources suggest Iraq could be dropped from the list of countries that the administration is limiting travel from
New FAIR Study: States Using E-Verify Now Lead the Way in Economic Recovery. States that require the use of E-Verify are leading the way in recovery efforts following the worst economic downturn since the great depression, according to a new study released by the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).
8am –B Confirmation News:
Ryan Zinke, New Interior Secretary, Rides Horse to First Day of Work. Newly confirmed Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke decided to come to work on his first day the cowboy way — by riding in on a horse through the streets of Washington, D.C. Thursday morning. The former Republican congressman from Montana, who was sworn into President Donald Trump’s Cabinet on Wednesday, was seen getting to work in traditional northwestern fashion rocking a cowboy hat alongside U.S. Park Police.
Day 1: Zinke repeals lead ammo ban, opens lands to more sportsmen. (Guns) – After riding to work on a horse, the new Secretary of Interior on his first day on the job signed orders overturning a pending ban on the use of lead ammunition and seeking to expand public land access for hunting and fishing. Former Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke, now Interior Secretary, was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday and showed up ready to work on Thursday atop a borrowed U.S. Park Police horse. After greeting staff, Zinke got down to business by signing a pair of directives, 3346 and 3347, halting a planned ban on lead ammunition and expanding access to public lands. The first order, 3346, scraps the controversial directive issued by the outgoing Obama-era U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administrator to require the use of “nontoxic ammunition and fishing tackle to the fullest extent practicable” on lands and waters controlled by the agency by January 2022. Zinke’s second action, 3347, directs bureaus and agencies under the Department of Interior such as the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service, among others, to identify areas where outdoor activities can be expanded for recreation, hunting and fishing. This process would be assisted by a reformed Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council, made up of members appointed by the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior.
Ben Carson Confirmed As Secretary Of Housing And Urban Development. Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson has been confirmed as the secretary of Housing and Urban Development, by a 58-41 Senate vote. Six Democrats and one Independent joined with the Republicans to approve the nomination — mostly Democrats who are up for re-election next year and represent states that voted for President Trump, NPR’s Arnie Seipel reports. “Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who received blowback from liberals for voting for Carson in committee, voted against his nomination today,” Arnie says. Carson was a controversial nominee to lead HUD because of his lack of experience in either housing or development — or government in general.
8am – C Hogan Teams Up With ‘House of Cards’ Star:
Hogan declares state of emergency on heroin crisis. REISTERSTOWN, Md. (AP) — Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency Wednesday in response to Maryland’s continuing problems with heroin and opioid addiction. The Republican governor announced $50 million in new funding over five years to help support the state’s prevention, recovery and enforcement efforts.
‘House of Cards’ star helps Maryland battle opioid crisis. Washington, D.C. — A star of Netflix’s hit series “House of Cards” series and the governor of Maryland are joining forces, to help battle a deadly problem in the state. Michael Kelly who plays Doug Stamper on “House of Cards” and Larry Hogan are featured in a public service announcement which is encouraging parents to talk to their kids about drug use and abuse. This television spot comes a day after the governor announced a state of emergency in response to the state’s heroin crisis. Kelly is no stranger to the state of Maryland, as “House of Cards” has filmed in Maryland for its four seasons. In a news release, Gov. Larry Hogan thanked the actor for participating in the video and said the ad is one of the many ways the state is trying to educate the public about drug abuse.
8am – D INTERVIEW — BRET BAIER – Anchor of Special Report on Fox News Channel and author of new book “Three Days in January: Dwight Eisenhower’s Final Mission”
Jeff Sessions Recuses Himself From Russia Inquiry. Trump: Sessions ‘did not say anything wrong’
Pelosi: Sessions’ Russia Contacts ‘Completely Different’ From Loretta Lynch’s Secret Meetings With Bill Clinton
Democratic lawmakers who met with Russian Ambassador: Landrieu, Cantwell, Casey, Klobuchar, Reed, Whitehouse, McCaskill
‘Do You See This as a Witch Hunt?’: Fox News’ Tucker Carlson Interviews Jeff Sessions
NEW BOOK: Bret has been on book tour. How is the book going?
8am – E Alec Baldwin Hints He Might Play Trump At WHCD. (Daily Caller) — Alec Baldwin hinted that he might play President Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner after Trump announced he wouldn’t attend. During “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Wednesday night, the 58-year-old actor told the host that many performers are “lobbying to play” the president and suggested he is one of them. Baldwin’s impersonations of Trump on “Saturday Night Live” have led to huge ratings for the show. “There are people who now…it is interesting now that he’s not going to the White House correspondents’ dinner, there are people who are lobbying to play Trump at the White House correspondents’ dinner,” Baldwin said.