The Vince Coglianese Show

INTERVIEW - LARRY MICHAEL - Voice of the Redskins - previewed this weekend's game: NEW YORK JETS (2-7) at WASHINGTON (1-8) -- Sunday, 1 p.m. EST.  Also, discussed Redskins cooperating with investigation regarding Montae Nicholson.

INTERVIEW - GREGG JARRETT - author of Witch Hunt: The Story of the Greatest Mass Delusion in American Political History" – shared his analysis of the impeachment inquiry hearings this week.

Former US ambassador to Ukraine expected to face grilling in second day of public Trump impeachment hearings. A former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who was abruptly recalled from her post is scheduled to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Friday as Democrats cap off the first week of public hearings in their impeachment inquiry of President Trump. Republicans are set to hammer Marie Yovanovitch, a longtime diplomat who served under six presidential administrations over 33 years, with an aggressive cross-examination related to her previous statements under oath, as well as her reported role in shielding a George Soros-linked nonprofit allegedly connected to documented Ukrainian election interference efforts.

Mornings on the Mall Podcast - 2019-11-15

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Mornings on the Mall

Friday, November 15, 2019

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

Gregg Jarrett, Larry Michael, Tom Fitton and Star Parker joined WMAL on Friday!

 

5am – A/B/CIMPEACHMENT INQUIRY HEARING: Today is another day of public hearings in the House impeachment inquiry. The House will hear from Marie Yovanovitch, the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine. She was allegedly targeted by President Trump's allies for removal in a smear campaign now central to the probe.

 

5am – D         SCHOOL SHOOTING IN CA: Investigators are trying to determine why a 16-year-old suspect pulled a gun at a Los Angeles-area high school campus, killing two students and wounding three before turning the gun on himself. The boy is hospitalized in critical condition after Thursday morning's attack at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita. The attack took place on the boy's 16th birthday.

 

5am – E         'Unusual restrictions' spook witnesses in DOJ inspector general investigation into alleged FISA abuses. (Washington Examiner) -- With the public release of a Justice Department watchdog report on alleged Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act abuses forthcoming, witnesses are said to be nervous about the final product. People interviewed about the FBI's actions during the Russia investigation are concerned the report will portray their words inaccurately and feel as though they are being put in a defenseless position because of "unusual restrictions," according to the Washington Post. Inspector General Michael Horowitz has invited witnesses and their lawyers to review relevant portions of a draft report, allowing them the opportunity to offer input and objections. The Washington Post report cited sources who said the comments can only be conveyed verbally, not in writing as is the norm, leaving witnesses without the ability to develop a paper trail should they want to contest anything they view as inaccurate or misleading in the final report. But Stephanie Logan, a spokesperson for the inspector general's office, said they are "clarifying" to witnesses that they have the opportunity to comment in writing. "As part of our factual accuracy review, and consistent with our usual practice, we are providing witnesses with the opportunity to review portions of the report that relate to them," Logan told the Washington Examiner in a statement. "Also consistent with our practice, we undertake every effort to ensure witnesses can provide their comments and we are clarifying to them that they will be able to provide written comments, consistent with rules to protect classified information." The Washington Post report also said witnesses were being asked to view these sections of the document, which is marked "Top Secret," in a secure area, must sign nondisclosure agreements, and have been told they are not allowed to remove any notes they make about the report.

 

6am – A         WHISTLEBLOWER NEWS:

HUGE! — ‘Whistleblower” Eric Ciaramella Was Hosting 2016 WH Meeting Where Ukrainian Officials Were Told to Drop Investigation on Hunter Biden! (Gateway Pundit/Jim Hoft) - Anti-Trump CIA whistleblower Eric Ciaramella filed his second-hand “whistleblower” complaint against President Trump after speaking with Adam Schiff’s team in September. Ciaramella claimed he was concerned about President Trump’s discussion of Hunter Biden during his call with Ukrainian President Zelensky. Now we know why Ciaramella was so concerned. According to White House visitor logs Eric Ciaramella was hosting the January 19, 2016 White House meeting where Ukrainian officials were told to drop the investigation into Hunter Biden. Investigative reporter John Solomon at The Hill reported in April on the January 2016 meeting between Ukrainian officials and Obama officials at the White House. The other case raised at the January 2016 meeting, Telizhenko said, involved Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company under investigation in Ukraine for improper foreign transfers of money. At the time, Burisma allegedly was paying then-Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter as both a board member and a consultant. More than $3 million flowed from Ukraine to an American firm tied to Hunter Biden in 2014-15, bank records show. According to Telizhenko, U.S. officials told the Ukrainians they would prefer that Kiev drop the Burisma probe and allow the FBI to take it over. The Ukrainians did not agree. But then Joe Biden pressured Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to fire Ukraine’s chief prosecutor in March 2016, as I previously reported. The Burisma case was transferred to NABU, then shut down. According to Stephen McIntyre the demand that Ukrainian top prosecutor Viktor Shokin be fired as a condition for IMF loan almost certainly originated with Biden staff. The demand was first announced to Ukrainian prosecutors at a January 19, 2016 meeting with US officials hosted by Eric Ciaramella.

 

6am – B/C     Jeffrey Epstein case: Sasse warns prison bureau director to 'come prepared' for Senate grilling. (Fox News) - Days before the Bureau of Prisons [BOP] is set to face its first public grilling about the death of Jeffrey Epstein, Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., sent a heated letter to the department’s director warning her to “come prepared” to give “substantial answers” about the Epstein case during her testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee this coming Tuesday. “To pretend like this issue, which is by far the public’s top concern with your agency, won’t be a significant focus of attention at this hearing is naïve – to the point of being laughable,” Sasse wrote to BOP Director Dr. Kathleen Hawk Sawyer. “While there may be particular details that you cannot yet answer, deflecting difficult questions won’t cut it.” The letter was sent Monday, a week before the annual BOP oversight hearing because, according to Sasse’s office, the Justice Department indicated its  “unwillingness to provide substance” on the Epstein death investigation during questioning. The Federal Bureau of Prisons has been under fire since Epstein was found dead in his jail cell on Aug. 10 at the Metropolitan Correctional Center [MCC] in Manhattan. The Medical Examiner in New York classified Epstein’s death as a suicide by hanging, but Epstein’s brother, Mark, said he could have been murdered. “There are a whole lot of people out there who breathed a sigh of relief who believe their secrets died in that jail cell with him,” Sasse told Fox News in a phone interview about Epstein, who was accused of operating a child sex trafficking network. “It’s unconscionable that the guy that had all this information on co-conspirators was not guarded each and every minute.”

 

6am – D         US-born Alabama woman who joined ISIS is not an American citizen, judge rules. (Fox News) -- A federal judge ruled Thursday that an American-born woman who traveled to Syria to join the Islamic State (ISIS) group and now wants to return to her family in Alabama is not a U.S. citizen. U.S. District Court Judge Reggie Walton dismissed a lawsuit brought by the family of Hoda Muthana to force the federal government to let her in the country. Muthana, 25, currently lives with her 2-year-old son in a refugee camp in Syria and has since repudiated the terrorist group. A court motion said she and child, identified only as John Doe, were moved from the Roj refugee camp after receiving death threats from ISIS supporters and that their lives are in danger, The New York Times reported. “The citizenship status of minor John Doe depends upon the status of Ms. Muthana; accordingly, regardless of the choices made by his mother, the health and survival of a young U.S. citizen depends upon the expeditious resolution of Ms. Muthana’s civil case,” the claim said. In addition to dismissing a lawsuit, Walton also ruled that Muthana's father, Ahmed Ali Muthana, could not provide financial support to his daughter or grandson without being subject to charges of providing material support of terrorism. Walton ruled that Ali Muthana, who formerly represented Yemen in the United Nations, is still a diplomat. Children born to diplomats are not granted automatic citizenship in the U.S.

 

6am – E         'Inexcusable': Browns' Myles Garrett denounced for helmet attack on Steelers' QB. An otherwise unremarkable game between the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers descended into chaos Thursday night when, with the game long decided, the Browns' Myles Garrett ripped the helmet off Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and hit him in the head with it. "It's inexcusable," Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield — Garrett's own teammate — told Fox Sports after the game, which the Browns won, 21-7, in Cleveland. "I don't care, rivalry or not. We can't do that." Garrett and two other players, Cleveland defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi and Pittsburgh center Maurkice Pouncey, were ejected — Ogunjobi and Pouncey for their roles in the melee that ensued upon Garrett's attack, which came with just eight seconds left in the game. During the brawl, Pouncey appeared to throw at least two punches and to kick Garrett in the helmet while he was on the ground.

 

6am – F         KAVANAUGH’S FIRST PUBLIC SPEECH:

Brett Kavanaugh makes his first public speaking appearance as a justice with a speech to the conservative legal organization instrumental to his nomination.

Protesters hound Brett Kavanaugh with Christine Blasey Ford video outside DC event. Protesters hounded Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on Thursday night outside an event in Washington, greeting him with shouts of “Impeach Kavanaugh” and a large screen replaying accuser Christine Blasey Ford’s congressional testimony. The demonstration outside the annual Federalist Society gala, where Kavanaugh was a featured speaker, continued a string of public harassment against conservatives in recent years. The screen playing Ford’s testimony -- in which she accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault when they were teenagers -- was on a truck rolled up to the event by liberal activist group Demand Justice, The Washington Post reported. Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied the allegations and was confirmed to the Supreme Court by a narrow margin in the Senate in October 2018, shortly after Ford gave her testimony to Congress.

The Federalist’s Sean Davis @seanmdav: At the Federalist Society annual gala tonight, Rod Rosenstein refused to stand when Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, the keynote speaker, was introduced. Recall that Rosenstein allegedly offered to wear a wire against Trump and refused to testify under oath about it.

Brett Kavanaugh calls Ruth Bader Ginsburg an 'inspiration,' heaps gratitude on allies. (ABC News) -- In his first public speech as justice, one year after a polarizing Supreme Court confirmation, Brett Kavanaugh heaped gratitude on his supporters and extended an olive branch to critics with praise for the court's liberal wing. "They are patriots," Kavanaugh said of his eight colleagues on the bench, adding the conservative Federalist Society on Thursday night. "They love our court and love our country." They are "collegial, gracious and respectful," he added. "A team of nine." Kavanaugh notably singled out Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- a celebrated feminist icon reviled by some right-wing activists -- as an "inspiration." "I'm grateful for Justice Ginsburg for being so generous to me," he said of her repeated praise and public recognition of Kavanaugh being the first justice in history to hire a staff of all-women clerks. "Ruth Ginsburg is an inspiration," he said. "Thank you, Ruth Ginsburg." Kavanaugh also highlighted the spirit of decency shown by two of the court's ideological opposites: Justices Clarence Thomas and Ginsburg. "Very different people. Very different judges. But two dedicated, hardworking, generous souls," he said. "I think the collegiality of our court today is perhaps best represented after every oral argument when Justice Thomas and Justice Ginsburg walk arm-and-arm down the steps in back of the bench."

 

7am – A         INTERVIEW - GREGG JARRETT - author of Witch Hunt: The Story of the Greatest Mass Delusion in American Political History" – shared his analysis of the impeachment inquiry hearings this week.

Former US ambassador to Ukraine expected to face grilling in second day of public Trump impeachment hearings. A former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine who was abruptly recalled from her post is scheduled to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Friday as Democrats cap off the first week of public hearings in their impeachment inquiry of President Trump. Republicans are set to hammer Marie Yovanovitch, a longtime diplomat who served under six presidential administrations over 33 years, with an aggressive cross-examination related to her previous statements under oath, as well as her reported role in shielding a George Soros-linked nonprofit allegedly connected to documented Ukrainian election interference efforts.

 

7am – B/C     INTERVIEW - LARRY MICHAEL - Voice of the Redskins - previewed this weekend's game: NEW YORK JETS (2-7) at WASHINGTON (1-8) -- Sunday, 1 p.m. EST.  Also, discussed Redskins cooperating with investigation regarding Montae Nicholson.

 

7am – D/E     INTERVIEW - TOM FITTON - president of Judicial Watch – discussed this week’s impeachment inquiry hearings.

 

8am – A/B/C INTERVIEW - STAR PARKER -  President of Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE) and author of new book "Necessary Noise: How Donald Trump Inflames the Culture War and Why This Is Good News for America"

ABOUT BOOK: Necessary Noise: How Donald Trump Inflames the Culture War and Why This Is Good News for America (Hardcover – November 12, 2019) Popular FOX commentator Star Parker explains why today's noisy political rhetoric is good for you and provides specifics on why Trump's presidency is vital for America's future. Star Parker was among the many reeling and confused as Donald Trump became the 45th president of the United States. But, she argues, a silver lining to this outcome is the debate that has since ruled our media and private conversations. The ongoing noise of debate can seem overwhelming, but our country needs the authentic and candid dialogue of its people. And Trump's presidency provides us with an opportunity like never before to engage and work to preserve the values upon which America was built. Necessary Noise honestly examines the crossroads where we find ourselves and suggests ways of moving toward resolution and restoration. Tackling a wide range of topics on which citizens should get noisy--from immigration, to education, to abortion, to welfare--Necessary Noise provides the framework for how to take part in this important time in history using our voices.

             

8am – D         DEMS WAVERING ON IMPEACHMENT VOTE: Nancy Pelosi said Trump committed “bribery,” an impeachable offense, by trying to force Ukraine into tarnishing a political rival to help him in the 2020 election. Still, she cautioned, she isn’t yet ready to say whether the House will vote to impeach.

Interview - William Perry Pendley - Acting Director of the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management – discussed the move of 40 jobs from DC to the new HQ in Grand Junction, CO and more than 200 total moving out West. While this move is controversial to some, the BLM believes it can lead more effectively with decision-makers closer to the lands they manage out West. This week, employees will be receiving letters of their reassignment.

INTERVIEW - SEAN DAVIS - Co-founder of The Federalist

Flaws revealed in impeachment witnesses’ testimony during first day of public hearings. All eyes were on moderate House Democrats in swing districts Wednesday night, after the first day of public hearings in the impeachment inquiry against President Trump wrapped up with no major revelations but also highlighted weaknesses in Democrats' key witnesses, who relied primarily on second-hand information and never once interacted with the president. Critics may argue that Democrats' first witnesses failed to directly prove that Trump, in a July 25 phone call, tried to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into investigating Joe Biden's family business dealings in the country in exchange for the release of about $400 million in military aid.

INTERVIEW - ADAM KENNEDY - Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Communications at The White House – reacted to the first impeachment inquiry hearing yesterday.

INTERVIEW - JOHN SOLOMON - Investigative reporter / His website is: JohnSolomonReports.com – shared his thoughts on the public impeachment inquiry hearing.

The real Ukraine controversy: an activist U.S. embassy and its adherence to the Geneva Convention | John Solomon Reports. The first time I ever heard the name of U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch was in early March of this year. It did not come from a Ukrainian or an ally of President Trump. It came from a career diplomat I was interviewing on background on a different story. The diplomat, as I recall, suggested that Yovanovitch had just caused a commotion in Ukraine a few weeks before that country’s presidential election by calling for the firing of one of the prosecutors aligned with the incumbent president. The diplomat related that a more senior State official, David Hale, was about  to travel to Ukraine and was prepping to be confronted about Yovanovitch’s comments. I remember the diplomat joking something to the effect of, “we always say that the Geneva Convention is optional for our Kiev staff.” The Geneva Convention is the UN-backed pact enacted during the Cold War that governs the conduct of foreign diplomats in host countries and protects them against retribution. But it strictly mandates that foreign diplomats “have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that State” that hosts them.

INTERVIEW - Lynn Shaw -- discussed the launch of the Alliance To End Human Trafficking on Capitol Hill.

Mornings on the Mall Podcast - 2019-11-14

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Mornings on the Mall

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

Lynn Shaw, John Solomon, White House’s Adam Kennedy, The Federalist’s Sean Davis and Interior Department’s William Perry Pendley joined WMAL on Thursday morning!

 

5am – A/B/C/D/E     Flaws revealed in impeachment witnesses’ testimony during first day of public hearings. (Fox News) - All eyes were on moderate House Democrats in swing districts Wednesday night, after the first day of public hearings in the impeachment inquiry against President Trump wrapped up with no major revelations but also highlighted weaknesses in Democrats' key witnesses, who relied primarily on second-hand information and never once interacted with the president. Critics may argue that Democrats' first witnesses failed to directly prove that Trump, in a July 25 phone call, tried to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into investigating Joe Biden's family business dealings in the country in exchange for the release of about $400 million in military aid. That might make more moderate Democrats hesitant to impeach Trump. The House is now composed of 431 members, meaning Democrats need 217 yeas to impeach Trump. There are currently 233 Democrats, so they can't lose more than 16 votes and still impeach the president. The key potential complication is this: Thirty-one House Democrats represent more moderate districts that Trump carried in 2016. Still, the first day of testimony offered one previously undisclosed allegation. Career diplomat William Taylor, the charge d’affaires in Kiev, asserted that the president was overheard by a member of his staff on July 26 asking EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland about “the investigations." Sondland supposedly responded that “the Ukrainians were ready to move forward.” Taylor said that following Sondland’s call with Trump, the member of his staff asked what Trump thought about Ukraine. But Republicans pointed out that Taylor's testimony was unverifiable hearsay, several layers deep -- and that Sondland has previously testified that Trump explicitly told him there were "no quid pro quo’s of any kind" with Ukraine.

 

6am – A/B/C IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY HEARING THEATER:

COMFORT DOGS ON THE HILL: Therapy dogs will be ruff-ing it on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Room 902 of the Hart Senate Office Building and rooms 2043 and 2044 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

DRAG QUEEN AT THE HEARING: Spotted towering over the gray and blue suits packed into the first day of President Donald Trump’s impeachment hearing was an enormous blond wig — that of Pissi Myles, a drag performer from Asbury Park, New Jersey.

DC BARS CASH IN: Duffy's Irish Pub, in the District's H Street NE neighborhood, will feature what it's dubbing "happy hearing hours," with $5 rail drinks and $2 off all drafts and wine during all impeachment hearings. The watering hole — which boasts eight large, flat-screen TVs with a "stadium sound" system — says it's also whipping up a pair of impeachment beverages to mark the occasion. Bartenders will be serving a "Subpoena Colada" and a drink called "James and the Giant Impeachment."

 

6am – D         INTERVIEW - Lynn Shaw -- discussed the launch of the Alliance To End Human Trafficking on Capitol Hill.

 

6am – E         UF student president faces impeachment over Trump Jr. visit. (TampaBay) -- A push to oust Student Body President Michael Murphy comes after an email surfaces, suggesting he worked with the Trump campaign to bring a political speech to campus. GAINESVILLE — Last month’s visit to the University of Florida by President Donald Trump’s oldest son is still reverberating through campus, with some student leaders pushing to oust the student body president who invited him. For only the second time in the school’s 115-year history, a student president faces impeachment — and this time it’s happening with a U.S. president under the same threat. The parallels with Washington, D.C., don’t stop there. The looming battle in Gainesville is a struggle between the executive and legislative branches, fanned by partisan loyalties. And it features newly uncovered evidence — an email — seen by many as a smoking gun, much like the now-famous call that touched off the widening impeachment inquiry into Trump senior. Michael C. Murphy received a formal resolution for his impeachment Tuesday afternoon, which was signed by more than 100 students and alumni. It was delivered to his on-campus office and sent to his UF email. The school’s Senate president Emily Dunson, received a copy, too, in accordance with student government rules. Those behind the effort say Murphy conspired with an official for Trump’s 2020 reelection campaign to bring Donald Trump Jr. and Trump campaign adviser Kimberly Guilfoyle to campus for speeches on Oct. 10.

 

6am – F         Deval Patrick announces presidential campaign. (CNN) -- Deval Patrick officially announced a late-entry 2020 presidential campaign on Thursday, thrusting the former Massachusetts governor into an already crowded field of Democratic candidates less than three months before the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary. "In many ways, it has felt to me watching the race unfold that we are beginning to break into camps of nostalgia on the one hand and big ideas -- my way or no way -- on the other," Patrick told reporters in New Hampshire. "We have to be about how we bring people in, how we bring people along and how we yield to the possibility that somebody else, or even some other party may have a good idea, as good or better than our own." The announcement is a stark reversal for Patrick, who decided in December 2018 not to run for president, citing in a Facebook post the "cruelty of our elections process" and the impact it would have on those close to him.

 

7am – A         INTERVIEW - JOHN SOLOMON - Investigative reporter / His website is: JohnSolomonReports.com – shared his thoughts on the public impeachment inquiry hearing.

The real Ukraine controversy: an activist U.S. embassy and its adherence to the Geneva Convention | John Solomon Reports. The first time I ever heard the name of U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch was in early March of this year. It did not come from a Ukrainian or an ally of President Trump. It came from a career diplomat I was interviewing on background on a different story. The diplomat, as I recall, suggested that Yovanovitch had just caused a commotion in Ukraine a few weeks before that country’s presidential election by calling for the firing of one of the prosecutors aligned with the incumbent president. The diplomat related that a more senior State official, David Hale, was about  to travel to Ukraine and was prepping to be confronted about Yovanovitch’s comments. I remember the diplomat joking something to the effect of, “we always say that the Geneva Convention is optional for our Kiev staff.” The Geneva Convention is the UN-backed pact enacted during the Cold War that governs the conduct of foreign diplomats in host countries and protects them against retribution. But it strictly mandates that foreign diplomats “have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that State” that hosts them.

 

7am – B/C     PUBLIC INQUIRY HEARING HIGHLIGHTS

 

7am – D         INTERVIEW - ADAM KENNEDY - Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Director of Communications at The White House – reacted to the first impeachment inquiry hearing yesterday.

 

7am – E         Dolly Parton's faith-based CMAs performance praised by fans: ‘Everyone should be made to listen to this.’ (Fox News) - Dolly Parton is never short on delivering heart-stopping moments. Wearing multiple hats on one of country music’s biggest nights, the “9 to 5” songstress traded her hosting duties for a pulpit when she took center stage Wednesday at the 2019 CMAs and belted out a trio of faith-based anthems for a medley of her own. Tapping Christian pop duo King & Country for their collaboration of “God Only Knows,” Parton set the audience up for an unexpected trip to church when she then brought out Zach Williams for a rendition of “There Was Jesus,” before going solo and summoning a gospel choir for her offering of “Faith,” in which she collaborates with Galantis and Mr. Probz. Fans viewing at home immediately took to Twitter to share in their praise for the Dollywood operator, calling Parton’s showing “the best performance of the night.” “Thank you @DollyParton for the BEST performance of the night! @KeithUrban did an awesome job too!” wrote one user, while another echoed the sentiment, adding, “Literally sat here like a giddy child watching Dolly Parton sing on the CMAs.” However, while many fans were in awe of the 73-year-old Parton’s ability to set the stage ablaze with just her voice, others were head-over-heels in love with the fact they were able to witness faith-based music from Parton on national TV. "Can't believe @ABCNetwork allowed songs about Jesus, Faith, and God. Thank you Dolly Parton!" wrote one user on Twitter.

 

8am – A         INTERVIEW - SEAN DAVIS - Co-founder of The Federalist

Flaws revealed in impeachment witnesses’ testimony during first day of public hearings. All eyes were on moderate House Democrats in swing districts Wednesday night, after the first day of public hearings in the impeachment inquiry against President Trump wrapped up with no major revelations but also highlighted weaknesses in Democrats' key witnesses, who relied primarily on second-hand information and never once interacted with the president. Critics may argue that Democrats' first witnesses failed to directly prove that Trump, in a July 25 phone call, tried to pressure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky into investigating Joe Biden's family business dealings in the country in exchange for the release of about $400 million in military aid.

 

8am – B/C     PUBLIC INQUIRY HEARING HIGHLIGHTS

 

8am – D         Interview - William Perry Pendley - Acting Director of the Interior Department's Bureau of Land Management – discussed the move of 40 jobs from DC to the new HQ in Grand Junction, CO and more than 200 total moving out West. While this move is controversial to some, the BLM believes it can lead more effectively with decision-makers closer to the lands they manage out West. This week, employees will be receiving letters of their reassignment.

Interior Department Delivers Hundreds of Relocation Notices to Employees. The Interior Department delivered hundreds of relocation notices on Tuesday, starting a 30-day clock for employees to either agree to move to a location in the western United States or face removal.  The official “management directed geographic reassignments” were delivered in-person today to each of the employees at the Bureau of Land Management headquarters facing relocation. BLM is moving 27 employees to a new headquarters in Grand Junction, Colorado, and about 220 more Washington, D.C.-based workers to field offices in western states. The employees will have until Dec. 12 to agree to their specific new post or they will be placed into removal proceedings.  BLM held an all hands meeting Tuesday morning to go over the details of the plans, according to multiple employees who attended. Staffers pressed management on what extensions might be available as many of those affected are still looking for new jobs in Washington. Top officials at BLM said “special consideration” for more time would be considered on a case-by-case basis and those making such a request must be prepared to provide both a personal and business justification.  Each impacted employee was slated to have a one-on-one meeting with a top BLM official on Tuesday to receive their letter and additional details on the process. If an employee agrees to move, they will have an additional 90 days to arrive at their new duty post. Those who decline the relocation will have certain appeal rights to challenge the resulting termination notice.

Mornings on the Mall Podcast - 2019-11-13

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Mornings on the Mall

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Hosts: Mary Walter and Vince Coglianese

Executive Producer: Heather Hunter

 Sen. Rand Paul, Kristy Swanson, Susan Ferrechio, Cal Thomas and Ray Stagich joined WMAL on Wednesday!

 

5am – A/B/CLATEST ON THIS WEEK'S PUBLIC HEARINGS: NY POST COVER: 'GUILTY! NOW FOR THE TRIAL'

Historic Trump impeachment hearings set to begin, as Dems predict 'phenomenal week.' (Fox News) - In a pillared House chamber at 10 a.m. ET Wednesday, in the shadow of the 2020 presidential and congressional elections, House Democrats are set to host the first public hearing involving the potential impeachment of a president since Nov. 19, 1998 -- and, they insist, they aren't happy about it. However, behind the scenes, House Democrats were predicting a "phenomenal week," Fox News is told. At the same time, Republicans have been preparing a methodical and vigorous cross-examination of Democrats' witnesses, whose accounts of President Trump's alleged wrongdoing have been based largely on hearsay and intuition, critics say.

The allegations: With the bang of a gavel, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., will open the impeachment hearings Wednesday into Trump's alleged pressure on Ukraine to investigate 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden's dealings in the country. The former vice president has boasted about pressuring Ukraine to fire its top prosecutor, as his son Hunter Biden held a lucrative role board of a Ukrainian natural gas company despite having little relevant expertise. An anonymous whistleblower's complaint about Trump's July 25 telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky ignited the impeachment investigation. During the hearing Wednesday, a key exchange during that 30-minute call, which has been outlined in a Sept. 24 transcript released by the White House, is expected to take center stage. Democrats say Trump wanted the investigations in exchange for the release of about $400 million in military aid to Ukraine. The president, Democrats allege, tried to use the power of his office to pressure a foreign government into helping him politically. Zelensky has said he felt no pressure during the call. Trump has said the call was "perfect" and contained no "quid pro quo," or this for that.

Key Witnesses: Democrats chose Ambassador Bill Taylor, the U.S. chargé d'affaires in Ukraine, and George Kent, deputy assistant secretary of state for Europe, to kick off the public hearings. The two likely will describe the foreign policy toward Ukraine led by Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and other White House officials. Democrats also told Fox News that Taylor had "the best view of the scheme. He is a habitual note-taker. He is your worst nightmare. Very prepared." Still, Taylor wasn’t on the phone call between Trump and Zelensky. Fox News is told Republicans will cross-examine Taylor repeatedly over his lack of "first-hand knowledge" about the call. Kent, a career foreign service officer, testified Oct. 15 there were three words Trump wanted to hear from the Ukraine president: "Investigations, Biden and Clinton." He also told the investigators about the "campaign" of smears Giuliani led against former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch. That led to her being recalled from the position. Yovanovitch is set to testify Friday.

Three witnesses are expected to testify:

Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at approximately 10:00 a.m. (ET): The top US diplomat in Ukraine, Ambassador Bill Taylor, and deputy assistant secretary of state George Kent.

Friday, November 15, 2019 at approximately 11:00 a.m. (ET): Former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.

MORE HEARINGS NEXT WEEK: The Intelligence panel announced it would hold five impeachment hearings next week over three days, all for officials who have already appeared for closed-door depositions:

Jennifer Williams, an aide to Vice President Mike Pence, and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a National Security Council aide next Tuesday morning

Kurt Volker, the former US special envoy to Ukraine, and Tim Morrison, a National Security Council aide, next Tuesday afternoon

US Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland on the morning of November 20

Laura Cooper, a deputy assistant secretary of defense and David Hale, the under secretary of State for political affairs, on the afternoon of November 20

Former White House Russia expert Fiona Hill on the morning of November 21

 

5am – D         No. 1 Milk Company Declares Bankruptcy Amid Drop In Demand. (WMAL/AP) -- Dean Foods, America’s biggest milk processor, filed for bankruptcy Tuesday amid a decades-long drop-off in U.S. milk consumption blamed on changing trends and a growing variety of alternatives. The Dallas company said it may sell itself to the Dairy Farmers of America, a marketing cooperative owned by thousands of farmers. “Despite our best efforts to make our business more agile and cost-efficient, we continue to be impacted by a challenging operating environment marked by continuing declines in consumer milk consumption,” CEO Eric Berigause said in a statement. Since 1975, the amount of milk consumed per capita in the U.S. has tumbled more than 40%. Americans consumed around 24 gallons per year in 1996, according to government data. That dropped to 17 gallons in 2018. An increasing variety of beverages, including teas and sodas, has hurt milk consumption. So have protein bars and other on-the-go breakfasts, which take the place of a morning bowl of cereal. More recently, health and animal-welfare concerns have also contributed, as more shoppers seek out non-dairy alternatives like almond milk. Oat milk, for example, saw U.S. sales rise 636% to more than $52 million over the past year, according to Nielsen data. Sales of cow’s milk have dropped an average of 6% per year over the last four years, Nielsen said. That has hit dairy farms and milk sellers hard, leading some smaller family farmers to quit the business.

 

5am – E         INTERVIEW - RAY STAGICH - Weather Channel Meteorologist -- discussed the cold blast hitting the D.C. area.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny skies cannot overcome this cold air mass, as temperatures only top out in the mid- to upper 30s. Winds at least lighten up to about 5 to 10 mph from the northwest. The air is very dry, with dew points dropping to about 8 to 12 degrees in the morning.

 

6am – A/B/C WHISTLEBLOWER NEWS:

Schiff Warns GOP: Name Whistleblower In Public Hearings, And Face Possible Ethics Probe. Rep. Adam Schiff suggested Monday that any lawmaker who identifies the alleged Trump whistleblower during public congressional hearings could be subject to a House ethics investigation. Schiff made the thinly-veiled threat in a memo laying out the procedures for testimony that begins this week in the impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump. Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, referred to federal laws that protect intelligence community whistleblowers from “reprisal or the threat of reprisal.” He then cited the Committee on Ethics, which investigates lawmakers’ abuse of office. “The Committee has a long, proud, and bipartisan history of protecting whistleblowers—including from efforts to threaten, intimidate, retaliate against, or undermine the confidentiality of whistleblowers,” Schiff wrote.

Inspector General Complaint: Trump Whistleblower May Be Soliciting Illicit Donations. The anonymous whistleblower at the center of the House’s impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump is allegedly soliciting illicit donations through a GoFundMe account, according to a complaint filed with the Intelligence Community Inspector General (ICIG). The complaint claims that the whistleblower, who reportedly works at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), violated federal law by collecting over a quarter of a million dollars from largely anonymous sources. Fox News first reported on the complaint, which was filed last week. Federal law prevents government employees from soliciting donations “given because of the employee’s official position” or donations from “prohibited sources,” meaning individuals who may have been substantially affected by the employee’s performance or agency. The complaint argues that the GoFundMe donations were clearly made due to the whistleblower’s “status, authority or duties,” and that the 6,000 donors couldn’t possibly have been screened to make sure they aren’t prohibited sources.

'Saw everything': Alleged whistleblower Eric Ciaramella had extensive access in Trump White House. (Washington Examiner) - Eric Ciaramella , the alleged Ukraine whistleblower, was long suspected of deliberately attempting to damage President Trump's foreign policy from the inside and had access to policy information far beyond his regional expertise, according to former National Security Council officials. “The person that I always felt extremely uncomfortable around was Eric Ciaramella. He was one of the few guys around who seemed to know where the filing cabinets were, so to speak,” one former official told the Washington Examiner, adding that Ciaramella was antagonistic at an early Trump administration gathering when it was said that the goal was to turn Trump’s campaign promises and platform into policy.

 

6am – D         INTERVIEW - CAL THOMAS - Syndicated columnist

THIS WEEK'S PUBLIC HEARINGS: Historic Trump impeachment hearings set to begin, as Dems predict 'phenomenal week.' In a pillared House chamber at 10 a.m. ET Wednesday, in the shadow of the 2020 presidential and congressional elections, House Democrats are set to host the first public hearing involving the potential impeachment of a president since Nov. 19, 1998 -- and, they insist, they aren't happy about it. However, behind the scenes, House Democrats were predicting a "phenomenal week."  Key Witnesses: Democrats chose Ambassador Bill Taylor, the U.S. chargé d'affaires in Ukraine, and George Kent, deputy assistant secretary of state for Europe, to kick off the public hearings. The two likely will describe the foreign policy toward Ukraine led by Trump's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani and other White House officials.

REMINGTON LAWSUIT: The Supreme Court has ruled that a survivor and relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting can pursue their lawsuit against the maker of the rifle used to kill 26 people at the Newtown, Connecticut school in 2012. The justices rejected an appeal from Remington Arms, which argued it should be shielded by a 2005 federal law preventing most lawsuits against firearms manufacturers when their products are used in crimes.

DACA: The Supreme Court's conservative majority seems prepared to allow the Trump administration to end DACA, the program that allows some immigrants to work legally in the United States and protects them from deportation. There did not appear to be any support among the five conservatives for the challengers to the administration's decision to wind down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). The program currently protects an estimated 660,000 immigrants who came to the United States as children. The high court's decision is expected by June, at the height of the 2020 presidential campaign. Prior to the justices hearing the arguments, President Trump tweeted “many of the people" benefitting from DACA are "no longer very young," and "are far from angels.”

6am – E         More than 100 Marylanders opt for ‘X’ gender on driver’s licenses. (Baltimore Sun) More than 100 Marylanders opted to list their gender as “X” or “unspecified” on their driver’s licenses and identification cards under a state law that went into effect on Oct. 1. In the first month that Marylanders had the option of “X” — in addition to “F” for female and “M” for male — 88 people changed their gender identification, according to the Motor Vehicle Administration. Another 15 new licenses and identification cards were issued with the “X” designation. State lawmakers passed a law earlier this year requiring the additional gender option to accommodate the needs of residents who are “non-binary,” meaning they don’t identify as male or female. An individual does not need to provide proof of gender when selecting among F, M and X. Sen. Will Smith, who sponsored the bill, said he was pleased to see the change making a difference in people’s lives. The Montgomery County Democrat said the bill was a relatively low-cost way “to make us a more radically inclusive place.” Several other states and the District of Columbia have adopted the unspecified choice for licenses and ID cards.

 

6am – F         Cyclists beware: Someone may be smearing feces on the undersides of Bikeshare bike handles. (WUSA9) -- A Twitter user tweeted someone near 15th and W Streets Northwest has been spreading feces on the handles. If you're a user of Bikeshare, you may want to check the handles before you hop on. There has been a report of someone smearing feces on the underside of Capital Bikeshare handles. A Twitter user tweeted that someone near 15th and W Streets Northwest has been spreading feces on the handles.  Capital Bikeshare said the affected bikes have been removed from service. "Capital Bikeshare takes any incidence of vandalism very seriously," a Bikeshare spokesperson said. "The affected bikes have been removed from service and thoroughly inspected and cleaned by staff who are trained in hazmat recovery and removal." Capital Bikeshare said the bikes reported in the tweet have been fully cleaned in their warehouse and were inspected again before they're deemed ready to ride. Capital Bikeshare said they have specific staff trained in "Hazmat recovery and removal." Martha Spieker @martha_spieker eighborhood heads up: someone near 15 and W NW has been spreading poop on the undersides of @bikeshare bike handles for the last two Sundays. Gross and a health hazard. Glad @bikeshare is fixing it, but bikers beware @PoPville

Bikeshare bikes also are routinely inspected. And if you ever see something wrong with a bikeshare bike, you can report it.

 

7am – A         INTERVIEW - SUSAN FERRECHIO - chief congressional correspondent for the Washington Examiner – previewed the public hearing today on Capitol Hill.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, D-Calif., will open the impeachment hearings Wednesday into Trump's alleged pressure on Ukraine to investigate 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden's dealings in the country.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at approximately 10:00 a.m. (ET): The top US diplomat in Ukraine, Ambassador Bill Taylor, and deputy assistant secretary of state George Kent.

 

7am – B/C     Maryland, Virginia To Expand American Legion Bridge, One Of The Region’s Worst Traffic Bottlenecks. (WAMU) - Maryland and Virginia are partnering to expand the American Legion Bridge, one of the worst chokepoints in the region, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday. The project aims to rebuild the existing eight lanes and add two new Express Lanes in each direction, creating a 12-lane bridge. Hogan said the expansion will ease traffic, bring cleaner air and better quality of life. Officials touted the project as a “once-in-a-generation” endeavor for the region. The American Legion Bridge spans the Potomac River, connecting Fairfax County in Virginia and Montgomery County in Maryland, the region’s two largest jurisdictions. The bridge opened in 1962, but both states say it’s been operating beyond its capacity for nearly four decades. More than 235,000 vehicles cross the bridge daily. It’s often a site of lengthy backups. “More than 40% of the region’s population travels this segment of the Capital Beltway, and the region expects to grow by another 1.2 million people by 2040,” Virginia’s press release said. “Both governors have made it a top priority to identify a long-term, seamless solution for the Capital Beltway.” Hogan and Northam dubbed the project the “Beltway Accord” during a surprise announcement made at Tuesday morning’s Capital Region Transportation Forum, but many details are still to be determined.  A joint interstate agreement such as the American Legion Bridge expansion is rare and complicated — both states have been trying to work out a solution for decades, Hogan said.

 

7am – D         2020 NEWS:

Hillary Clinton: 'I'm under enormous pressure' to run in 2020. (Washington Examiner) -- Hillary Clinton said she is fielding a plethora of calls urging her to rethink her decision to sit out of the 2020 race. "As I say, never, never, never say never," the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee told BBC Radio 5 Live host Emma Barnett when asked if she was ruling out a future in public office. "I will certainly tell you, I'm under enormous pressure from many, many, many people to think about it," Clinton said. "But as of this moment, sitting here in this studio talking to you, that is absolutely not in my plans.” Clinton, 72, admitted that she thinks “all the time” about what kind of president she would have been if she had won the 2016 election instead of President Trump. “Of course I think about it. I think about it all the time,” Clinton said.

Mark Sanford suspends GOP primary challenge to President Trump. WASHINGTON — Former Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina said on Tuesday that he was ending his long-shot primary challenge to President Trump just two months after announcing it, arguing that the impeachment inquiry had made it impossible for his message of fiscal conservatism to break through. “You’ve got to be a realist and what I did not anticipate is an impeachment,” Mr. Sanford said at a news conference in Concord, N.H., where he announced the end of his campaign.  Mr. Sanford conceded that his bid had been “a long shot, but we wanted to try and interject this issue, how much we’re spending, into the national debate, which comes along once every four years.” He said he found no “appetite for a serious nuanced debate with impeachment in the air.”

ED O'KEEFE: NEW IOWA POLL by @MonmouthPoll: Buttigieg 22% (+14 since Monmouth Aug. poll) Biden 19% (-7) Warren 18% (-2) Sanders 13% (+5) Klobuchar 5% Harris 3% (-9) Steyer 3% Yang 3% Booker 2% Gabbard 2% Another 7 candidates earn 1% or less. ... "Less than 3-in-10 likely caucusgoers (28%) are firmly decided on their candidate choice. Most are open to the possibility of supporting a different candidate on caucus night, including 16% who say there is a high possibility that they could change their minds."

 

7am – E         Disney+ Slaps Trigger Warnings on ‘Dumbo,’ ‘Lady and the Tramp’ over ‘Outdated Cultural Depictions’ (Breitbart News) - The new Disney+ streaming service has added social justice trigger warnings to some of its classic movie titles, telling subscribers that beloved Disney movies including Dumbo, Swiss Family Robinson, Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier, and the original Lady and the Tramp may contain “outdated cultural depictions.” The generic trigger warnings appear in the plot synopses that users see on the Disney+ interface before clicking to play a title. “This program is presented as originally created,” the warnings say. “It may contain outdated cultural depictions.” The warnings appear to focus on titles that depict indigenous people, African Americans, Asians, and other minorities in ways that some now regard as stereotypical. The original animated Dumbo, which was first released in 1941, features a supporting cast that includes a flock of black crows whose mannerisms and voices are now considered to be racist depictions of black Americans. Contemporary cultural critics have also cited the portrayal of Native Americans in Davy Crockett (1955) and Southeast Asians in Swiss Family Robinson (1960) as racist. Lady and the Tramp, the original 1955 animated movie, features the musical sequence “We Are Siamese,” performed by a pair of Siamese cats in whispery, Asian-accented voices. Disney+ has even slapped a trigger warning on the 1942 animated short film How to Fish, featuring Goofy. It remains unclear how the seven-minute film could be construed as offensive. The new streaming service, which debuted Tuesday, is one of the multimedia giant’s most ambitious efforts to date.

 

8am – A         Historic Trump impeachment hearings set to begin, as Dems predict 'phenomenal week.' (Fox News) - In a pillared House chamber at 10 a.m. ET Wednesday, in the shadow of the 2020 presidential and congressional elections, House Democrats are set to host the first public hearing involving the potential impeachment of a president since Nov. 19, 1998 -- and, they insist, they aren't happy about it. However, behind the scenes, House Democrats were predicting a "phenomenal week," Fox News is told. At the same time, Republicans have been preparing a methodical and vigorous cross-examination of Democrats' witnesses, whose accounts of President Trump's alleged wrongdoing have been based largely on hearsay and intuition, critics say.

 

8am – B/C     INTERVIEW - SEN. RAND PAUL - author of new book  "The Case Against Socialism" – discussed his new book, shared his thoughts on the whistleblower and the upcoming public hearing today on Capitol Hill.

NEW BOOK: In The Case Against Socialism, Rand Paul outlines the history of socialism, from Stalin’s gulags to the current famine in Venezuela. He tackles common misconceptions about the “utopia” of socialist Europe. As it turns out, Scandinavian countries love capitalism as much as Americans, and have, for decades, been cutting back on the things Bernie loves the most.

Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul named the alleged whistleblower Eric Ciaramella and called for him to testify as part of the impeachment hearings. During a Wednesday interview on Washington, D.C.-based WMAL, Paul was asked about a controversial remark he made last week when he called for the press to name Ciaramella as the whistleblower but refused to do so himself. On Wednesday, Paul named Ciaramella himself and said he should be brought in testify to clarify whether he is indeed the whistleblower. “I think Eric Ciaramella needs to be pulled in for testimony, and then I think it will be ultimately determined at that point,” said Paul. “But I think he is a person of interest in the sense that he was at the Ukraine desk when Joe Biden was there when Hunter Biden was working for the Ukrainian oligarch. So simply for that alone, I think he’s a material witness who needs to be brought in.”

 

8am – D         INTERVIEW - KRISTY SWANSON - Actress, famously known for her role as Buffy in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and recently performed as Lisa Page in the play "FBI Lovebirds"  https://twitter.com/KristySwansonXO

Discussed receiving an award tonight from The Independent Women's Forum (IWF): Independent Women’s Forum is its 2019 Annual Awards Gala tonight. This year's program will honor three influential leaders who are dedicated champions of women: Betsy DeVos, Secretary of Education; Larry Kudlow, assistant to the president for economic policy and director of the National Economic Council; and actress Kristy Swanson, star of the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Kristy will be honored with IWF's "Resilience Award."

Talked her latest work acting in the "FBI Lovebirds" play. Swanson’s latest project was appearing live-on-stage in Washington, D.C., in “FBI Lovebirds: Undercovers,” a play Politico dubbed “Hamilton for the MAGA crowd.” It was the brainchild of filmmaker Phelim McAleer, who created the script of the four-person play using transcripts of the email messages, and subsequent congressional testimonies, of two Trump-loathing former FBI employers and lovers, Peter Strzok and Lisa Page—the lovebirds. Dean Cain, another conservative actor, was Strzok and Swanson was Page.

Discussed being a Hollywood conservative in the Trump era: Around 2008, something happened to get Swanson in touch with other Hollywood conservatives—she met the late Andrew Beitbart, conservative writer and founder of Breitbart, at a party. The meeting was a game-changer. Breitbart introduced her to other conservatives. ““There’s this whole Hollywood underground of conservatives. There are more of us than people realize. We’d have lunches and events and talk about things we couldn’t talk about at work, where you can’t be open about your conservatism. You can lose jobs if you’re a conservative, and that is a big threat. I became part of that group—it’s like a fellowship, basically. And I really enjoyed meeting all these people.” Swanson might have remained part of this silent minority—except that Trump hatred was permeating every facet of life in Hollywood.