Amanda Carpenter, James Rosen and Tom Bevan joined WMAL on Friday!

Mornings on the Mall

Friday, February 19, 2016

Hosts: Brian Wilson and Larry O’Connor

 

5am – A/B/C Pope Francis Suggests Donald Trump Is ‘Not Christian.’ ABOARD THE PAPAL AIRLINER — Inserting himself into the Republican presidential race, Pope Francis on Wednesday suggested that Donald J. Trump “is not Christian” because of the harshness of his campaign promises to deport more immigrants and force Mexico to pay for a wall along the border. “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Francis said when a reporter asked him about Mr. Trump on the papal airliner as he returned to Rome after his six-day visit to Mexico. The pope’s remarks came during a wide-ranging, midair news conference in which he also waded into the question of whether the Roman Catholic Church should grant an exception to its prohibitions on abortion and birth control in regions where the Zika virus is causing a public health emergency, including in much of Catholic-dominated Latin America.

5am – D         CBS’ Pelley Asks Hillary ‘Have You Always Told the Truth?’ Things got a little awkward on CBS Evening News tonight when Scott Pelley asked Hillary Clinton about honesty. After Clinton said she has “tried in every way I know how” to level with people, Pelley asked, “Have you always told the truth?”

She said, “I’ve always tried to, always. Always.”

5am – E         D.C. Streetcar service to begin Feb. 27. WASHINGTON — The long-awaited short first stretch of the new D.C. Streetcar system will open to passengers Saturday, Feb. 27, just after 10 a.m. On Thursday, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the opening date of the service connecting Union Station and H Street Northeast Thursday afternoon. There will be free rides for a while until fare rates are determined. While former Mayor Vincent Gray’s administration promised several times that the streetcar would open, and there were other times where it seemed close to opening to riders, this will be the first time passengers can ride a streetcar in D.C. in decades. D.C. has not yet figured out how fares will be collected on the system. Eventually, the D.C. Department of Transportation does plan to charge riders. There are plans over the next decade to extend the streetcar to the Benning Road Metro Station to the east and to Georgetown in the west. Those plans would include dedicated lanes for the streetcar in many stretches, something the current line does not have.

6am – A         INTERVIEW — AMANDA CARPENTER – Contributing Editor at Conservative Review, former Communications Director to Sen. Ted Cruz, and former Speechwriter to Sen. Jim DeMint. She is also a CNN contributor – discussed last night’s town halls and previewed the South Carolina primary.

6am – B/C     Who would you vote for in the South Carolina primary?

6am – D/E     President Obama Is Criticized Over Funeral for Scalia. WASHINGTON — The White House on Thursday tried to fend off criticism of President Obama’s decision not to attend the funeral this weekend of Justice Antonin Scalia, but even some administration allies lamented the move as a missed opportunity to ease the partisan warfare that has followed the justice’s death. Mr. Obama and his wife, Michelle, will pay their respects by visiting the Supreme Court on Friday, when Justice Scalia will lie in repose in the Great Hall. Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., who is Catholic — as was Justice Scalia — and had a personal relationship with him and his family, will attend the funeral on Saturday at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception along with his wife, Jill. Facing questions again on Thursday about the decision, Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, did not offer a direct answer but implied that one reason was the potential for the extensive presidential security detail to be disruptive.

 

7am – A         INTERVIEW – JAMES ROSEN – Fox News chief Washington correspondent – discussed the state of play in the election.

7am – B/C     Sports:

• Maryland lost to Minnesota and fans didn’t take it very well. Maryland men’s basketball lost to Minnesota Thursday night. The Golden Gophers came into the game toting an 0-13 record in conference play, and shouldn’t have been a threat to the Terps’ hopes of rebounding from their loss to Wisconsin. But hey, that’s why they play the game. Maryland trailed for most of the night, but took a lead late in the second half. However, the Terps quickly lost their one-point lead and could only watch as Minnesota fans stormed the court.
• Free Agent Quarterback: KIRK COUSINS, WASHINGTON REDSKINS: Kirk Cousins proved he is a capable starter, maybe even a long-term solution. Given his first real opportunity as a full-time starter with the Washington Redskins after their dismay with Robert Griffin III, Cousins performed admirably. He completed an impressive 69.8 percent of his passes for 4,166 yards, 29 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He was sacked only 26 times – less than two per game – and was one of only six starters with a passer rating above 100 (he finished at 101.6). His completion percentage was best among all full-time starters, which shouldn’t be taken lightly. Despite the rhetoric and negotiating ploys being advanced, it would be surprising if Cousins reaches the free-agent market before the negotiating period with other teams begins on March 7.
• Nationals’ Spring Training: Spring training is finally here. Nationals pitchers and catchers report Thursday, which is merely a procedural “Hey, I’m in Viera” check-in. Friday is typically for physicals and medical checkups. The first formal group activity will be Saturday, when pitchers and catchers line up for their first official bullpen sessions. The rest of the team must arrive by Tuesday. Games begin March 2.

7am – C         ‘Barbie’ Leads Charge Of The Drones At New York Toy Fair. (Forbes) – Drones for Barbie and Minecraft join drone-augmented Hover Racer video game to take New York Toy Fair to the skies. Toy drones have been on the ascendance for some time. These products look to bring flight-ed play to children eager to get their hands on this high profile technological advance. But drones are expensive, difficult to fly and easy to break. Not an ideal combination for a toys that must be value for money, robust and simple. Thankfully, toy drones seem to have turned a corner at this year’s New York Toy Fair. As last year there are a wide range of tech companies offing lower end quad-copters for children, but we are now seeing new lines that offer easy to fly features and combine drones with big name brands.

7am – D         INTERVIEW – TOM BEVAN – Executive Editor of Real Clear Politics – discussed the latest presidential candidate polls and the state of play of the election.

7am – E         D.C. Streetcar service to begin Feb. 27. WASHINGTON — The long-awaited short first stretch of the new D.C. Streetcar system will open to passengers Saturday, Feb. 27, just after 10 a.m. On Thursday, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the opening date of the service connecting Union Station and H Street Northeast Thursday afternoon. There will be free rides for a while until fare rates are determined. While former Mayor Vincent Gray’s administration promised several times that the streetcar would open, and there were other times where it seemed close to opening to riders, this will be the first time passengers can ride a streetcar in D.C. in decades. D.C. has not yet figured out how fares will be collected on the system. Eventually, the D.C. Department of Transportation does plan to charge riders. There are plans over the next decade to extend the streetcar to the Benning Road Metro Station to the east and to Georgetown in the west. Those plans would include dedicated lanes for the streetcar in many stretches, something the current line does not have.

8am – A/B/C Pope Francis Suggests Donald Trump Is ‘Not Christian.’ ABOARD THE PAPAL AIRLINER — Inserting himself into the Republican presidential race, Pope Francis on Wednesday suggested that Donald J. Trump “is not Christian” because of the harshness of his campaign promises to deport more immigrants and force Mexico to pay for a wall along the border. “A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian,” Francis said when a reporter asked him about Mr. Trump on the papal airliner as he returned to Rome after his six-day visit to Mexico. The pope’s remarks came during a wide-ranging, midair news conference in which he also waded into the question of whether the Roman Catholic Church should grant an exception to its prohibitions on abortion and birth control in regions where the Zika virus is causing a public health emergency, including in much of Catholic-dominated Latin America.

8am – D         Bruce Jenner: Being Transgender in Hollywood Easier Than Being Republican. After spending the past year living as a woman, reality TV star and Olympic gold medalist Bruce Jenner concludes that there is only one thing more difficult in Hollywood than changing genders … being a Republican. Speaking to students at the University of Pennsylvania on Wednesday, the 66-year-old one-time Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year noted that his conservative political leanings have been harder to explain away than his designer dresses and cosmetic procedures. “I have gotten more flak for being a conservative Republican than I have for being trans,” Jenner said to a student who asked why he is not a Democrat.

8am – E         D.C. police release video of assault on decorated Marine vet. Police have released video showing several suspects who may be involved in assaulting and robbing a decorated Marine veteran at a Washington, D.C., McDonald’s last week. Newly released surveillance footage from the McDonalds shows a black male wearing a tank top hitting Marquez in the head as he leaves the restaurant. .Identified as Person of Interest 1, he and at least one other person can be seen kicking Marquez while the Marine vet is on the ground after people have gone through his pants pockets for valuables. Police are also looking for a black female identified as Person of Interest 2 and another person identified as Person of Interest 3, whose gender cannot be determined from the surveillance video. “Anyone who can identify these individuals or who has knowledge of this incident should take no action but call police at (202) 727-9099 or text your tip to the Department’s TEXT TIP LINE to 50411,” according to a Metropolitan Police Department news release. The case number is CCN #16-022-175.