The Vince Coglianese Show

Mornings on the Mall

Thursday, March 2, 2020

Hosts: Vince Coglianese and Mary Walter

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

Cal Thomas, Charles Payne, Jack Wilson and Bernie Kerik joined WMAL on Thursday!

 

5am – A/B/CSchiff drafting legislation to set up 9/11-style commission to review coronavirus response.  Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) is drafting legislation that would set up an independent commission that would investigate why the country was unprepared for the coronavirus pandemic.   “After Pearl Harbor and 9/11, we looked at what went wrong to learn from our mistakes,” the House Intelligence Committee chairman said in a tweet. “Once we've recovered, we need a nonpartisan commission to review our response and how we can better prepare for the next pandemic.” Schiff did not give specifics regarding when the legislation will be dropped, but suggested it would be after Congress finishes the task at hand: mulling a series of stimulus packages aimed at alleviating the economic impact of the pandemic. Sources familiar with the legislation told NBC News the legislation is "very preliminary."

Democratic Members of the House Homeland Security Committee want an independent commission to review the nation’s preparedness and response to COVID-19. The 25-member group would release a public report 18-months after their first meeting, similar to the commission that was convened after the September 11 attacks.

TWEET: Adam Schiff @RepAdamSchiff: After Pearl Harbor and 9/11, we looked at what went wrong to learn from our mistakes. Once we've recovered, we need a nonpartisan commission to review our response and how we can better prepare for the next pandemic. I’m working on a bill to do that.

TWEET: Adam Schiff @RepAdamSchiff: We lost precious weeks in responding to the coronavirus pandemic. But it's not too late for us to make the right decisions to slow the spread. A nationwide stay-at-home order. Increasing testing capacity. Investing in vaccine research and development. What we do now matters. https://twitter.com/RepAdamSchiff/status/1245503612048019459

5am – D         Trump Suggests Iran Is Planning ‘Sneak Attack’ On US Forces In Iraq.     President Donald Trump suggested Wednesday that Iran and its proxies are planning sneak attacks on U.S. forces and assets in Iraq.   “Upon information and belief,” he wrote, “Iran or its proxies are planning a sneak attack on U.S. troops and/or assets in Iraq.”  “If this happens, Iran will pay a very heavy price, indeed!”

5am – E         CNN avoids majority of White House virus presser, trashes Trump for 'shameless' focus on 'political' anti-cartel efforts.  The network again chose not to air Trump's prepared statements at the beginning of the briefing, cut in briefly to hear remarks from Defense Secretary Mark Esper, but cut away again as the president took questions about the apparent attack that Iran was planning against U.S. troops in Iraq because of the briefing's focus on the administration newly-announced narcotics operations conducted by the military to halt the flow of drugs from coming into the U.S.    "We're going to continue to monitor this briefing and see if they get back to the issue of the coronavirus," CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer told viewers. "That's what we're primarily interested in right now given the horrible numbers that we've been told over the past couple of days maybe 100,000 maybe as many as 240,000 Americans in the coming weeks or months may end up dead as a result of this virus." [...]  "It is remarkable, and some would say shameless," CNN chief national correspondent John King reacted. "This is a coronavirus task force briefing. The country is in a middle of a pandemic. Americans are afraid. They tune into these briefings to try to get information from the White House. ... You could schedule an event at the Pentagon, at the Justice Department, or in the White House briefing room if you think it's that big of a deal, but call it what it is. Say you have an announcement on the war on drugs. Instead, they walk up into the coronavirus task force briefing and the president is trying to have a bit of a political statement here."

ARI FLEISCHER: The demand by some liberal reporters to take Trump’s press conferences off live TV is a continuation of the disease they caught on Election Day 2016 - refusing to accept the results. Resist. Overturn. Boycott. Impeach. Now it’s censor. Beat Trump if you can. Don’t censor him.

Fox News Channel Sees Highest Viewership Numbers In 2020 Amid Coronavirus Coverage.  Fox News Channel (FNC) delivered its highest-rated week in total viewers of 2020 amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to Nielsen Media Research. FNC saw its highest ratings week in 2020 for the week of March 23 as the novel coronavirus coverage has continued. The network garnered 2.6 million viewers and had 571,000 eyeballs for the 25-54 demographic, which is the highest since 2016’s election week. Primetime received 4.3 million viewers and had 838,000 in the 25-54 age group. This was the network’s highest primetime average all year so far. [...]

Behaving ‘Like The Political Opposition’: White House Reporter Jonathan Karl Blasts CNN’s Jim Acosta In New Book.  “Front Row at the Trump Show,” published March 31 and written by ABC journalist and WHCA president Jonathan Karl, blasts Acosta for sometimes acting like an “opinion journalist.” Karl also wrote that Acosta has played “right into the explicit Trump strategy of portraying the press as the opposition party,” The Free Beacon reported.  “The surest way to undermine the credibility of the White House press corps is to behave like the political opposition,” Karl writes in his new book. “Don’t give speeches from the White House briefing room. … Don’t talk about holding protests against the president in Lafayette Square.”

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6am – A         IMMIGRATION NEWS: (VINCE)

President Trump announced an enhanced counter-narcotics operation against Mexican drug cartels that plan to exploit the U.S. focus on COVID-19. He warned the drug operators about bringing illegal drugs into the country saying the both ships and aircraft are already patrolling the Eastern Pacific and the Caribbean for narcotic shipments.

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Mark Milley: "Drug cartels will try to take advantage” of coronavirus pandemic  “We’re at war with COVID-19, we’re at war with terrorists and we’re at war with the drug cartels … You will not penetrate this country.”

‘Demented’: Tucker Carlson Blasts Chad Wolf, Calls On Trump To End Visa Programs That Will Take American Jobs During Crisis: “Today, on April 1st, the Department of Homeland Security released 20,000 new H-2B Visas for seasonal guest workers to come into America and take jobs in industries like landscaping, food processing and resorts,” Carlson said. “Another 15,000 Visas will become available next month in May.” “Now these are bonus Visas by the way,” the Fox News host continued. “By law, the United States only has to offer 66,000 H-2B Visas a year, but Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf has used his discretionary powers to add 35,000 extra Visas. So that’s a total of 100,000 workers coming to this country to take jobs during the single biggest unemployment crisis in a century. It’s demented.”  Carlson went on to describe that already, tens of thousands of new H-1B Visa lottery “winners” can “begin filling out their full Visa applications for jobs that will begin in October” when “unemployment could be reaching its peak” and coronavirus could be making a comeback. “In practice, the Visas are used to import tens of thousands of tech workers from India so Silicon Valley can profit from a cheaper workforce,” Carlson said. “The big winners in this scheme are companies like Apple, Google and IBM which take in hundreds of H-1B workers every year.”

6am – B/C     ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:

Bette Midler slammed for tone-deaf ‘salute’ of ‘housekeepers’ amid coronavirus pandemic: ‘Are you for real?’ (Fox News) --  Bette Midler came under fire on Tuesday when she publicly praised “housekeepers around the globe” after she got better acquainted with her household appliances during the coronavirus pandemic in which people worldwide have been asked to stay home in a rigorous effort to reduce the spread and flatten the curve. “I never knew my appliances as well as I’m starting to know them. So grateful to #Kenmore and #Maytag,” Midler tweeted to her nearly 2 million followers. “This is no joke. I salute housekeepers around the globe, doing your best to keep your families well, safe and alive.” The Broadway star, who is seemingly holed up in her home like the rest of the world and enjoys a net worth reportedly in the ballpark of $230 million, was immediately lambasted on the social platform after her remarks by many who felt her praise of “housekeepers around the globe” was a bit out of touch with the reality many are facing.

Lead singer of hit single 'Stacy's Mom' dies from complications related to coronavirus. (Washington Examiner) - The lead singer of the hit single "Stacy's Mom" died due to complications from the coronavirus. Adam Schlesinger, the lead singer of the band Fountains of Wayne, died this week after contracting COVID-19. “As many of you are aware, Adam had been hospitalized with Covid-19 and although he had been making some small improvements over the last few days, Adam's condition was critical and he was ultimately unable to recover from Covid-19 complications," a statement from an attorney to the band read. "He was truly a prolific talent and even more so, a loving and devoted father, son and friend. "We are terribly sorry to convey this loss." Earlier this week, his family released a statement online that said Schlesinger was hospitalized in order to treat his condition, later thanking fans for their thoughts and support. "He is receiving excellent care, his condition is improving and we are cautiously optimistic. His family appreciates all of the love and support," the statement read. Schlesinger was most known for his vocal performance of "Stacy's Mom," a song released in 2003 that tells a story of a young boy who has a crush on his friend's mother. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award. Schlesinger was also the recipient of several Tony Award nominations for his work in musicals, such as "Cry Baby."

6am – D         INTERVIEW - CAL THOMAS - Syndicated columnist and author of new book "America's Expiration Date: The Fall of Empires and Superpowers . . . and the Future of the United States" 

6am – E         PRISONS AND GUN SALES:

DAs blast de Blasio as violent offenders set for release from Rikers despite mayor's promise.   New York City prosecutors blasted Mayor Bill de Blasio after he appeared to go back on a vow that domestic violence and sex offenders would not be included among those released from the Rikers Island correctional facility due to the coronavirus pandemic.  The district attorneys from Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island, as well as the city's special narcotics prosecutor, said that while they agreed to release hundreds of people due to health concerns, they had serious concerns with some of those recommended for release by de Blasio's administration.   "We were assured that the release would not include those serving time for domestic violence or sex offenses, given the risks to victims,” said the letter to de Blasio and Department of Corrections Commissioner Cynthia Brann, obtained by Fox News. “Unfortunately, we later learned that such individuals were indeed included in the ranks of those to be released.”

FBI sees record-breaking requests for gun background checks over pandemic

March Shatters Monthly Gun Sales Record as U.S. Faces Down Threat of Coronavirus.  Gun sales exploded across the United States as the coronavirus pandemic spread, with retailers experiencing the highest sales volume in recorded history.  More than 2.5 million guns were sold in March as fears over the effects of the coronavirus spread, according to an analysis of FBI background check data released Wednesday by Small Arms Analytics and Forecasting (SAAF). The buying craze marked the busiest month on record for gun stores, even as some faced shutdown orders from state and local authorities. The record-setting monthly sales nearly doubled the 1.4 million guns sold in March 2019.   A separate analysis from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the firearms industry's trade group, reached the same conclusion."Our adjusted numbers are the largest month on record," Mark Oliva, a spokesman for the group, told the Washington Free Beacon.

6am – F         DR. FAUCI NEWS:

 Dr. Anthony Fauci Receives Security Detail Amid Threats.   Dr. Anthony Fauci, a key member of President Donald Trump’s White House coronavirus task force, has reportedly received a security detail.  A source familiar with the situation confirmed to The Hill that Fauci was given the security detail after receiving threats. The nature of the concerns included “threats as well as unwelcome communications from fervent admirers,” The Washington Post reported, citing sources inside the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Justice.  “Fauci did not directly answer when asked by The Hill at Wednesday’s press briefing if he’d been given additional protection, deferring the question to the Department of Health and Human Services inspector general,” wrote The Hill’s Brett Samuels. “A second person familiar with the situation said the additional security was under discussion last month and was likely implemented in recent days.”  “He doesn’t need security,” Trump told reporters as the topic was being discussed Wednesday. “Everybody loves him. Besides that, they’d be in big trouble if they ever attacked him.”

From cupcakes to candles, you can now find Dr. Anthony Fauci's face on everything:

Melt-In Your Mouth, a bakery in North Carolina, is now selling cupcakes featuring Fauci's face -- and the treats are helping keep the business afloat amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Donuts Delite, a doughnut shop in Rochester, New York, has also seen a demand for its donuts featuring Fauci's face.

People are now selling: graphic t-shirts, with slogans like "I Heart Dr. Fauci"; Dr. Anthony Fauci fan club buttons; and even Fauci prayer candles.

Custom Face Designs, a company that sells customized items like shirts and blankets, has a new best seller: socks with Fauci's face all over them. "I am making them because I love Dr. Fauci," Jermaine Cooper, one of Custom Face Designs' owners, told CNN. "And he is a sign of hope for all of us and a trusted adviser."

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7am – A/B/C BIDEN AND BERNIE NEWS:

Joe Biden offers to call President Trump to discuss COVID-19 response: report

Donald Trump 'Absolutely' Welcomes Phone Call from Joe Biden on Coronavirus

NY TIMES: Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Wednesday night called for moving the Democratic National Convention from mid-July to August, making him the most prominent member of his party to say the convention must be rescheduled because of the coronavirus outbreak. “I doubt whether the Democratic convention is going to be able to be held in mid-July, early July,” Mr. Biden told Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show.” “I think it’s going to have to move into August.”

In an interview with MSNBC this week, prospective Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said it’s “hard to imagine” a normal convention July 13-16 in Milwaukee. But the former vice president also noted on “The 11th Hour with Brian Williams” that Democrats “have more time” to figure things out as party officials consider contingencies that could range from delaying the convention to making parts of the proceedings virtual so that not as many people attend. “We were able to do it in the middle of a Civil War all the way through to World War II, have Democratic and Republican conventions and primaries and elections and still have public safety,” Biden said. “We’re able to do both.”

Party leaders agree with Joe Biden – the Democratic National Convention cannot proceed as originally planned

Biden allies wants Sanders out, sooner rather than later

Sen. Bernie Sanders when asked why he’s staying in the race: "Last I heard, people in a democracy have a right to vote, and they have a right to vote for the agenda that they think can work for America.” “We are assessing our campaign,” he adds.

Bernie Sanders, acknowledging 'narrow path' to nomination, continues to push agenda amid pandemic. "There is a path," Sanders, I-Vt., told Seth Meyers, when asked in an appearance on "Late Night" about his chances to win the Democratic presidential nomination, before continuing. "It is admittedly a narrow path."

 

7am – D         INTERVIEW - CHARLES PAYNE - the host of "Making Money with Charles Payne" on Fox Business and author of "Unstoppable Prosperity" -- analyzed the economic data amid the coronavirus pandemic.

7am – E         OJ SIMPSON THINKS 'TIGER KING' STAR CAROLE BASKIN FED HER HUSBAND TO TIGERS...

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8am – A         INTERVIEW - Jack Wilson - Chairman, Republican Party of Virginia

Strange timing of Gov. Northam's stay-at-home order around June's primaries. Virginia Republicans on Tuesday challenged the length of the “stay-at-home” order Gov. Ralph Northam issued, arguing that it will hamper some of the party’s June primaries. Northam’s order, which went into effect Monday, seeks to further restrict public activity amid the COVID-19 pandemic by ordering people to stay home except for essentials. The order will remain in effect through June 10, one day past the state’s June 9 primaries. Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Jack Wilson said in an interview Tuesday that Northam should “be more clear publicly so that voters know they are permitted to go vote on June 9.” In a letter to Northam, Wilson said that the June 10 date was “arbitrary,” and conflicts with the Republican U.S. Senate primary, in which a handful of GOP candidates are vying to take on Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va.

 8am – B/C     SECURITY ISSUES WITH ZOOM: Zoom announces 90-day feature freeze to fix privacy and security issues. Zoom has skyrocketed to 200 million daily users from 10 million in December. (The Verge) -- Zoom’s recent growth has put it in the spotlight over a series of privacy and security issues, and the company is now promising to address them over the coming 90 days. In a detailed blog post, Zoom CEO Eric S. Yuan explains how the company has been responding to a massive increase in users. Zoom has never shared user numbers before, but Yuan reveals that back in December the company had a maximum of 10 million daily users. “In March this year, we reached more than 200 million daily meeting participants, both free and paid,” says Yuan. That’s a huge increase that has seen people use Zoom for reasons nobody expected before the coronavirus pandemic. “Our platform was built primarily for enterprise customers,” explains Yuan. “We did not design the product with the foresight that, in a matter of weeks, every person in the world would suddenly be working, studying, and socializing from home. We now have a much broader set of users who are utilizing our product in a myriad of unexpected ways, presenting us with challenges we did not anticipate when the platform was conceived.”

The challenges of supporting 200 million users compared to just 10 million a few months ago are significant enough, but the privacy and security issues that have been uncovered recently present greater challenges for the company. Zoom is now freezing its feature updates and focusing on its security and privacy issues instead. “Over the next 90 days, we are committed to dedicating the resources needed to better identify, address, and fix issues proactively,” explains Yuan. “We are also committed to being transparent throughout this process.”

8am – D         INTERVIEW - BERNIE KERIK - former New York City Police Commissoner and he is a signatory to the Right on Crime Statement of Principles 

Kerik advocates using risk assessments when deciding whom to release from prison to stop the spread of coronavirus. 

Prior to becoming Commissioner, Mr. Kerik oversaw the City's jail at Rikers Island. 

Coronavirus spread at Rikers is a 'public health disaster', says jail's top doctor. Cases of Covid-19 at the New York jail complex have soared in days as doctor says it’s ‘unlikely’ they will be able to stop growth. He also called for the release of “as many vulnerable people as possible”.

DOJ Considers Moving Some Inmates From Prison Because of Coronavirus. In the last few weeks, there has been growing discussion throughout Washington about taking a dramatic step toward fighting the spread of coronavirus:  namely, the transfer and release of several inmates of U.S. prisons, considered prime breeding grounds for the spread of COVID-19. On March 26, Attorney General William Barr sent a two-page memorandum to Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Director Michael Carvajal directing him to “grant home confinement for inmates seeking transfer in connection with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.” One former law enforcement official who has been particularly outspoken on this issue is former New York City Police Commissoner Bernard Kerik, who himself served a stint in prison. “Elected officials overseeing jails and state prisons must not commit to blanket releases of inmates,” Kerik told us, “And must sensibly protect public health and safety by basing any release decision upon one’s risk to the community. The tools and the knowledge to do this already exist. It’s time to apply them.” Risk assessments, added Kerik, “to identify and individually release those defendants who do not constitute a significant public safety risk are critical. These assessments, would avoid misclassifying low-risk people and prevent the release of high-risk people who ought to be held. Anyone discharged on their own recognizance must be confined to home confinement or electronic monitoring, where appropriate.”

DAs blast de Blasio as violent offenders set for release from Rikers despite mayor's promise.  New York City prosecutors blasted Mayor Bill de Blasio after he appeared to go back on a vow that domestic violence and sex offenders would not be included among those released from the Rikers Island correctional facility due to the coronavirus pandemic.  The district attorneys from Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island, as well as the city's special narcotics prosecutor, said that while they agreed to release hundreds of people due to health concerns, they had serious concerns with some of those recommended for release by de Blasio's administration.

8am – E         Delivery dog offers curbside wine pickup during the coronavirus lockdown. (NY Post) -- Maryland is getting the real-life equivalent of the brandy barrel-bearing St. Bernard of Alpine rescue lore — although instead of life-giving spirits, it’s carrying spirit-giving wine. It’s the social-distancing solution of Stone House Urban Winery in Hagerstown, which has introduced a delivery dog to its intrepid staff. His name is Soda Pup, a 75-pound brindle boxer with all the breeding necessary for curbside service, plus horse saddle bags and a vest with two pouches. Soda, the wino dog, helps make curbside no-contact wine deliveries for Stone House Urban Winery in Maryland. Soda the wino dog helps make curbside no-contact wine deliveries for Stone House Urban Winery in Maryland.Stone House Urban Winery. He doesn’t work the streets alone, either. The winery puts someone on “dog patrol,” letting pup-happy customers know not to give Soda snacks other than ice cubes.

Malaysia calls on women to 'stop nagging, use makeup' in coronavirus advice. (Reuters) - Coronavirus lockdown advice issued by Malaysia that urges women to dress up at home and avoid nagging their husbands sparked a sexism row on Tuesday, with critics saying it promotes gender stereotypes. In a series of online posters with the hashtag #WomenPreventCOVID19, Malaysia’s women’s affairs ministry issued advice on how to avoid domestic conflicts during the partial lockdown, which began on March 18. One of the campaign posters depicted a man sitting on a sofa, and asked women to refrain from being “sarcastic” if they need help with household chores. Avoid nagging your husband, another poster said, attempting to inject humour by using a voice similar to the anime character Doraemon - a blue robot cat popular across Asia.  The ministry also urged women to dress up and wear their makeup while working from home.

 

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Mornings on the Mall Podcast - 2020-4-2

[00:00:00] 4:59 am - Mornings on the Mall

[01:00:16] 5:59 am - Mornings on the Mall

[02:00:26] 6:59 am - Mornings on the Mall

[03:00:36] 7:59 am - Mornings on the Mall

[04:00:46] 8:59 am - Mornings on the Mall

INTERVIEW – General Jack Keane is a retired 4 star general, former Vice Chief of Staff of the US Army, the chairman of the Institute for the Study of War and Fox News Senior Strategic Analyst — discussed the military’s role in tackling the coronavirus pandemic.

    USNS Comfort arrives in NYC but more help is needed says Cuomo, de Blasio

    Captain of the USS Roosevelt pleads for help and urges Navy to let 4,000 sailors off the warship

INTERVIEW – Robert Perez – Deputy Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — discussed the recent travel restrictions along our Northern and Southern land borders due to COVID-19 and how many are risking their lives to protect our borders.

INTERVIEW – Dr Dana Cheng, Senior Editor of China News for The Epoch Times — discussed how Epoch Times is finding that China is not being honest about their coronavirus numbers.

    Chinese Government Finally Acknowledges Underreporting Coronavirus Cases. A top Chinese health official said Wednesday that the government will begin counting coronavirus patients without symptoms in its official tally of cases of the virus, in what is a tacit acknowledgement that Beijing has underreported data on the pandemic.China’s National Health Commission disclosed that the government is monitoring 1,541 people who have tested positive for coronavirus but have no symptoms.Chang Jile, the head of the health agency, said at a press conference in Wuhan that the government will start reporting asymptomatic patient numbers Wednesday.“From April 1, we will publish reports, outcomes and management of asymptomatic people in daily epidemic notifications, and respond to social concerns in a timely manner,” Jile said, according to CCTV. Jile’s statement is the first time that the government has officially acknowledged that it has undercounted patients.

    CHINA’S LAB: “A growing body of evidence indicates the virus may have been under study in a Chinese laboratory and escaped, either through an infection of a worker or through an infected lab animal.” https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/mar/30/china-researchers-isolated-bat-coronaviruses-near-/

Mornings on the Mall

Wednesday, March 1, 2020

Hosts: Vince Coglianese and Mary Walter

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

Dana Cheng, CBP’s Robert Perez and Gen. Jack Keane joined WMAL on Wednesday!

5AM -ABC — DOJ IG Checked 29 More FBI Spy Warrants, And Found Problems With All Of Them. The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General has a “lack of confidence” in the FBI’s procedures to validate information used to obtain spy warrants on American citizens, the watchdog said in a report released Tuesday. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found errors in all 29 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrant applications that were subject to the review. The audit is a follow-up to an investigation of the FBI’s surveillance of Carter Page, the former Trump campaign aide.

    CHECK OUT HOW THE NY TIMES SPINS IT ON FIRST DRAFT... “But it also helps the FBI politically because it undercuts the narrative among President Trump and his supporters that the bureau cut corners to surveil the adviser, Carter Page, as part of a politically motivated conspiracy.”

    Jim Jordan Presses Jerry Nadler To Hold Hearing On FISA Abuse Following Another Damning IG Report. Jordan renewed his request of Nadler after Horowitz released the preliminary results of an audit his office conducted of a sample of 29 applications that the FBI submitted to a federal court in order to spy on American citizens.

5- D — ‘This Is Mind Boggling’: Arlington Store Owner Defends Employee Jailed For Shooting Masked Burglars. Hamzeh Abusharia, 33, was sleeping in a back room of Arlington Smoke Shop when he was awakened early Sunday morning by three masked juvenile suspects who had broken in to “steal cash and merchandise,” WJLA reported. Abusharia grabbed a gun and, according to police: “opened the door to the sales floor and discharged the weapon, striking one juvenile subject. The employee retreated to the back room but reentered the sales floor and discharged his weapon again as the subjects were attempting to flee the business.” Abushariah reportedly faces charges of malicious wounding, violation of a protective order and reckless handling of a firearm. Jowan Zuber, the store’s owner, spoke out on Tuesday night’s edition of “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”

5- E — REPUBLICANS SPONSOR BILL TO RESCIND $25 MILLION TO KENNEDY CENTER:

    Kennedy Center Axes National Symphony Orchestra Staff After Receiving $25 Million in Stimulus Funds.The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Tuesday laid off approximately 20 administrative staffers who support the National Symphony Orchestra. The announcement comes just four days after President Donald Trump signed a stimulus bill that provided $25 million in relief funds for the cultural institution.The news, which was delivered on an all-staff conference call organized by the National Symphony Orchestra’s executive director Gary Ginstling, followed another announcement from Kennedy Center president Deborah Rutter on Friday indicating that National Symphony Orchestra musicians would stop receiving paychecks after April 3—a move that infuriated the musicians, whose union immediately filed a grievance and spurred GOP lawmakers to begin trying to claw back the money sent to the organization in the stimulus package. […] “Nancy Pelosi literally held the bill up for days to get her pet projects, including the money for the Kennedy Center,” Scalise said. “Interesting she’d use the choice of words, ‘fiddlers,’ because it was the fiddlers, the violin players, all the musicians at the Kennedy Center that got laid off right as the bill was signed. They ought to give that money back,” he added in reference to Pelosi’s Sunday morning attacks on President Trump.

    PHILIP WEGMANN: NEW: According to internal discussions and documents obtained by RCP, the Kennedy Center intends to furlough 60% of their full time staff. Furloughs are expected on a rolling basis This after already furloughing 725 part time staff and accepting $25 million in federal relief.

    Republican Rep. Bryan Steil Introduces Bill To Rescind $25 Million For Kennedy Center In Coronavirus Package, As They Lay Off Musicians. Republican Wisconsin Rep. Bryan Steil introduced a bill Friday to rescind the $25 million for the Kennedy Center that was included in the $2 trillion coronavirus package, as they have laid off musicians. Steil’s bill, which has 15 cosponsors including House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, would pull the $25 million for the Kennedy Center. According to Steil, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was likely the one who had the idea for the funding for the Kennedy Center in the first place. In a phone call with the Daily Caller, Steil said “So we were negotiating this bill. Nancy Pelosi holds up getting relief to Americans to try to get this and other things in the bill. And so the day that the House passed this bill, I drove from Janesville, Wisconsin, to Washington, D.C. to be there.” “I spoke on the bill, spoke about how I thought the funding for the Kennedy Center was inappropriate. And then before I left Washington, D.C. to drive back home, the day we passed the bill, I dropped this bill into the hopper and introduced it to start day one. The moment after we passed a bill to begin the work of improving it and getting out of the bill, inappropriate funding. A handful of days later, after this passes and you find out that the Kennedy Center is laying people off. That’s almost the icing on the cake,” Steil continued.

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6-A — CHRIS CUOMO / CORONAVIRUS:

    CNN’s Chris Cuomo addresses testing positive for coronavirus: “You do not want this” http://hill.cm/xIGsmKx

    “We do not have the testing data to make real sense of our reality beyond what we know is the face of [coronavirus] for an overwhelming number who get sick,” says @chriscuomo. “That face is mine. I tested positive.”

    Well-wishes pour in across media for Chris Cuomo after coronavirus diagnosis http://hill.cm/k1zuLgR

    “He’s strong, not as strong as he thinks,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said of his brother, Chris Cuomo, who tested positive for Covid-19

    “Everyone is subject to this virus. It is the great equalizer. I don’t care how smart, how rich, how powerful you think you are. I don’t care how young, how old.” – @NYGovCuomo on @ChrisCuomo ‘s coronavirus diagnosis. The governor also had some kind words to say about his brother:

6–BCDEF – HIGHLIGHTS: Tuesday’s White House coronavirus task force briefing

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7-A — INTERVIEW – Dr Dana Cheng, Senior Editor of China News for The Epoch Times — discussed how Epoch Times is finding that China is not being honest about their coronavirus numbers.

    Chinese Government Finally Acknowledges Underreporting Coronavirus Cases. A top Chinese health official said Wednesday that the government will begin counting coronavirus patients without symptoms in its official tally of cases of the virus, in what is a tacit acknowledgement that Beijing has underreported data on the pandemic.China’s National Health Commission disclosed that the government is monitoring 1,541 people who have tested positive for coronavirus but have no symptoms.Chang Jile, the head of the health agency, said at a press conference in Wuhan that the government will start reporting asymptomatic patient numbers Wednesday.“From April 1, we will publish reports, outcomes and management of asymptomatic people in daily epidemic notifications, and respond to social concerns in a timely manner,” Jile said, according to CCTV. Jile’s statement is the first time that the government has officially acknowledged that it has undercounted patients.

    CHINA’S LAB: “A growing body of evidence indicates the virus may have been under study in a Chinese laboratory and escaped, either through an infection of a worker or through an infected lab animal.” https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/mar/30/china-researchers-isolated-bat-coronaviruses-near-/

7-B — USS ROOSEVELT:  Captain of the USS Roosevelt pleads for help and urges Navy to let 4,000 sailors off the warship.

    ‘Sailors Do Not Need To Die’: Captain Of Aircraft Carrier With Coronavirus Cases Begs Navy For Help. Capt. Brett Crozier sent a multi-page letter asking officials to send the ship resources so his men don’t die, according to the letter obtained by The Chronicle. Theodore Roosevelt, the aircraft carrier, has been siting in a Guam dock after a novel coronavirus outbreak on board less than one week ago. […] The ship’s crew is over 4,000 strong, and most of the crew remains on board. Only a few of those infected have been allowed off, despite it being nearly impossible to adhere to the social distancing guidelines and 14-day quarantine mandate, The Chronicle wrote. “Due to a warship’s inherent limitations of space, we are not doing this,” according to Crozier. “The spread of the disease is ongoing and accelerating.”“Removing the majority of personnel from a deployed U.S. nuclear aircraft carrier and isolating them for two weeks may seem like an extraordinary measure … This is a necessary risk. Keeping over 4,000 young men and women on board the TR is an unnecessary risk and breaks faith with those Sailors entrusted to our care.”

    Mark Esper Admits He Hasn’t ‘Had A Chance’ To Read Desperate Plea From Captain Of Aircraft Carrier Filled With Sick Sailors. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper told CBS’s Norah O’Donnell Tuesday that he hasn’t yet read the four-page plea for help “in detail” from the captain of an aircraft carrier filled with sailors who have the novel coronavirus. Capt. Brett Crozier sent a four-page letter asking Navy officials to send the ship resources so his men don’t die, according to the letter obtained by The Chronicle. The USS Theodore Roosevelt has been sitting in a Guam dock after a novel coronavirus outbreak on board less than one week ago. “Well, I have not had a chance to read that letter, read it in detail,” Esper admitted after discussing the situation for a few minutes with O’Donnell. “Again, I’m going to rely on the Navy chain of command to go out there to assess the situation and to make sure they provide the captain and the crew all the support they need to get the sailors healthy and get the ship back at sea.”

7-D — INTERVIEW – Robert Perez – Deputy Commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — discussed the recent travel restrictions along our Northern and Southern land borders due to COVID-19 and how many are risking their lives to protect our borders.

7 – E — Boss accidentally transforms into potato during videoconference. A company videoconference went hilariously awry after its boss accidentally transformed herself into a potato due to a filter mishap and couldn’t undo it, much to the amusement of her colleagues. A tweet chronicling her inadvertent makeover has racked up almost 697K likes and over 161K retweets since Monday morning. “My boss turned herself into a potato on our Microsoft teams meeting and can’t figure out how to turn the setting off,” reads the viral tweet by Rach Clegg. Indeed, her boss Lizet Ocampo, the political director at People for the American Way, can be seen in an accompanying pic looking like a tater with eyes and a mouth.

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8 – A — INTERVIEW – General Jack Keane is a retired 4 star general, former Vice Chief of Staff of the US Army, the chairman of the Institute for the Study of War and Fox News Senior Strategic Analyst — discussed the military’s role in tackling the coronavirus pandemic.

    USNS Comfort arrives in NYC but more help is needed says Cuomo, de Blasio

    Captain of the USS Roosevelt pleads for help and urges Navy to let 4,000 sailors off the warship

8-B/C — NEW PSAs BY THE SITUATION AND LARRY DAVID WARNING ABOUT SOCIALIZING… AND UPDATE ON THOSE SUPER SPREADER SPRING BREAKERS:

    Mike ‘The Situation’ says ‘the time for parties is over’ in coronavirus PSA. “Jersey Shore” star Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, 37, is working with Garden State officials to urge people to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic. “This message is for the people, by the people: We got a situation,” he said in the clip, posted Monday.

    “New Jersey is tough,” the reality TV star said. “We love to party and we love even harder. But the time for parties is over.”

   

Larry David urges ‘idiots’ still out socializing to ‘watch TV’ in funny coronavirus PSA. “Curb Your Enthusiasm” star Larry David offered a pretty, pretty, pretty good public service announcement on Tuesday, urging the “idiots” who aren’t following social distancing guidelines to “watch TV.” “Obviously, somebody put me up to this ’cause it’s generally not the kind of thing I do, but I basically want to address the idiots out there — and you know who you are,” David began in a video shared by the Office of the Governor of California. “You’re going out — I don’t know what you’re doing. You’re socializing too close, it’s not good.” “You’re hurting old people like me — well, not me. I have nothing to do with you. I’ll never see you. But, you know, other — let’s say, other old people who might be your relatives! Who the hell knows.” The “Seinfeld” creator warned viewers that they’re “passing up” on a “fantastic opportunity, a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to stay home, “sit on the couch, and watch TV.”

   

WERE THOSE SPRING BREAKERS SUPER SPREADERS? ANSWER: YEP!

   

At least 28 Texans test positive for COVID-19 after spring break in Mexico.

    Austin, Texas, health officials are investigating a cluster of at least 28 confirmed coronavirus cases after a group of young adults returned from a spring break trip to Mexico. The Austin Public Health Department confirmed in a Tuesday statement that earlier this month, about 70 adults “in their 20’s” chartered a plane for a spring break trip to Cabo San Lucas. Following their return, 28 have tested positive for COVID-19 and dozens more are “under public health investigation.” Four of the confirmed cases did not present any symptoms before testing positive. Some of the people in the group returned to the U.S. on commercial flights. The 28 confirmed patients are self-isolating, according to the department’s Tuesday statement. The department has contacted all of the spring breakers who went on the plane and are monitoring them.

   

Spring Breakers May Have Taken Coronavirus From South Florida Across US: Data Firm. The firm used cell phone use data of those on Fort Lauderdale Beach earlier in March. Now the data firm Tectonix GEO is posting on its social media accounts a video that it says shows the cell phone activity of spring breakers on just Fort Lauderdale Beach. The heat signals show where they went after going home – Tectonix suggests it’s an example of how the virus spread through the eastern United States.

    “As we zoom further out, it becomes clear just how massive the potential impact just one single beach gathering can have in spreading this virus across our nation,” the video says.

   

LAST WEEK: Florida college students test positive for coronavirus after going on spring break. At least five students from the University of Tampa have tested positive for coronavirus after traveling with other students from the school for spring break, the university announced on Twitter. This comes after crowds of spring-breakers in Florida were criticized for ignoring social distancing guidelines and packing beaches in complete disregard of the potential risk. University of Tampa announced on Friday that it learned that one student, who resides off-campus, tested positive for the virus. Just a day later, the school confirmed that five students, who were part of a larger group traveling together during spring break, had tested positive.

   

As Florida coronavirus cases surge, spring breakers express regret. Spring breakers are now expressing regret they went, but some say the government wasn’t clear enough in its message to practice social distancing. The clip went viral. “If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I’m not gonna let it stop me from partying,” said Brady Sluder, a spring breaker in Miami. On Monday, Sluder posted a lengthy apology on his Instagram, first reported by The Cincinnati Enquirer, in which he said he “wasn’t aware of the severity of my actions.” Of course, Sluder, 22, of Milford, Ohio, has elderly people in his life whom he “adores.” He didn’t want to put anyone at risk. Now, he understands how serious the virus is and is encouraging people to follow the guidelines on how to stay safe and reduce risk. Most of all, he’s sorry.

8-D – ‘This Is Mind Boggling’: Arlington Store Owner Defends Employee Jailed For Shooting Masked Burglars. Hamzeh Abusharia, 33, was sleeping in a back room of Arlington Smoke Shop when he was awakened early Sunday morning by three masked juvenile suspects who had broken in to “steal cash and merchandise,” WJLA reported. Abusharia grabbed a gun and, according to police: “opened the door to the sales floor and discharged the weapon, striking one juvenile subject. The employee retreated to the back room but reentered the sales floor and discharged his weapon again as the subjects were attempting to flee the business.” Abushariah reportedly faces charges of malicious wounding, violation of a protective order and reckless handling of a firearm.

Jowan Zuber, the store’s owner, spoke out on Tuesday night’s edition of “Tucker Carlson Tonight.”

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Mornings on the Mall Podcast - 2020-4-1

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Mornings on the Mall Podcast - 2020-3-31

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