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Author: Mary Chastain

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Mary Chastain

Mary is the resident libertarian. She covers stories in every vertical, but her favorite thing to do is take on the media. She saw its bias against the right when she was a socialist.

Mary loves the Chicago Cubs, Chicago Blackhawks, tennis, cats, Oxford comma, Diet Coke, and needlework.

China has decided to implement tariffs on $75 billion worth of U.S. goods as the U.S. plans to impose tariffs on $300 billion worth of Chinese products. These additional tariffs will cover almost all of the remaining U.S. products imported to China.

Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper dropped out the presidential race on August 15 after failing to make an impact. Rumors swirled the day before that he considered dropping out to run for the Senate even though he often stressed he is "not cut out to be a senator." That stance officially changed on Thursday. Hickenlooper announced his Senate campaign to unseat Republican Sen. Cory Gardner in 2020.

Italy's government has collapsed as Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned after Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini tabled a no-confidence vote. Conte unloaded on Salvini in a speech to the Senate, accusing him of putting his individual wants ahead of the country. Salvini has demanded snap elections since opinion polls have shown that his Northern League as the most popular party in Italy.

Officials charged CNN political analyst April Ryan's bodyguard with assault after he allegedly physically removed a local journalist from an event that featured Ryan. Ryan has not spoken about the incident. She has become one of the loudest voices to bash President Donald Trump over his words against the media. She has also contributed to the hyperbole that Trump's administration presents a danger to the free press.

Legal Insurrection has blogged a few times these past two years that Democrats have quietly discussed plans to find someone to primary Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Republicans have also jumped on the idea. At least seven have filed to run against Ocasio-Cortez in the Democrat-heavy 14th Congressional district.

Former political journalist Mark Halperin fell from grace in 2017 after numerous women accused him of sexual misconduct and harassment. Politico reported this weekend that Halperin has a new book coming out soon about how to beat President Donald Trump. The women who accused him of misconduct not only lashed out at the publishing company, but the Democratic strategists who helped him.

New York City Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Barbara Sampson determined multimillionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide by hanging himself:
“After careful review of all investigative information, including complete autopsy findings, the determination on the death of Jeffrey Epstein is below — Cause: Hanging. Manner: Suicide.”

Former South Carolina Governor and US House Rep. Mark Sanford announced he will make a decision by Labor Day if he will launch a primary challenge against President Donald Trump in 2020. From CNN:
Sanford told CNN's Jake Tapper that he's been encouraged to run for president by people who "have said we need to have a conversation about what it means to be a Republican."

Rumors have started to float around that Corey Lewandowski, a former campaign manager to then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, plans to run for the Senate in New Hampshire. Those rumors gained fuel after news came out that Lewandowski will join Trump in New Hampshire on Thursday.