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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.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 29, 2016 2 Comments
On Tuesday, voters will decide if former DNC chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz is worthy enough to advance to the election in November after a summer filled with controversy. She came under fire this summer when "leaked emails showed that staffers at her organization appeared to be plotting ways to undermine the presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)." She resigned as chairwoman on the eve of the DNC.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 26, 2016 17 Comments
Advocacy group Student Matters filed a federal lawsuit in Connecticut to make education a constitutional right due to the state's restriction on magnet, charter schools, and school choice programs. It alleges the state's limited school choice for parents force "thousands of low-income and minority students to attend low-performing schools." The group insists now is the time for the federal courts to recognize education as a fundamental right:
“The fundamental principles of equality in our country demand that every child have a chance to get an education, to learn and to have that platform to succeed,” said Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., an attorney for the plaintiffs.
The Washington Post reported:
An advocacy group best known for using the courts to challenge California’s teacher tenure laws has now taken its legal strategy to Connecticut, where it has sued state officials over “anti-opportunity” laws that restrict the growth of magnet and charter schools and that limit inner-city students’ ability to transfer to more affluent suburban school districts.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 26, 2016 22 Comments
A federal judge in Florida ordered the State Department turn over any emails between Hillary Clinton and the White House that were sent or received during the week of the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack by September 13, only three days after a federal judge in DC gave officials a September 23 deadline. Judicial Watch has been investigating Clinton's emails for months, discovering that she did not use a secure private email server and that Clinton Foundation donors asked her for special favors when she served as Secretary of State.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 25, 2016 12 Comments
The Department of Justice has released a transgender training video for police, giving them guidance on how to handle situations they may come across with transgender people. The DOJ said:
“Transgender Americans, like all Americans, deserve to be treated with courtesy and respect by law enforcement officers,” said Acting Director Paul Monteiro of CRS [DOJ Community Relations Service]. “The information provided in this video will help strengthen the relationship between police and the transgender community, allowing for more effective investigations and safer encounters for officers and citizens alike.”

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 25, 2016 16 Comments
Indiana Democrat Senate candidate Evan Bayh wants to win back the seat he gave up in 2011, but does he even live in the state? He told WISH-TV:
“Well,” he said, “1142 C Canterbury Court, Indianapolis, Indiana. It’s on my drivers license.”
But Independent Journal Review found that his address is actually on Canterbury Square. This has only added fuel to claims that he doesn't actually live in Indiana and rarely visits.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 25, 2016 42 Comments
Mylan came under fire after it recently hiked the price of their EpiPen, a life saving allergy shot. They have now decided to offer the medicine at a discount price for some patients. In a statement, the company said it will use a savings card "which will cover up to $300" for the medicine. Mylen claims that those who "were previously paying the full amount of the company's list price for EpiPen®, this effectively reduces their out-of-pocket cost exposure by 50%."

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 24, 2016 34 Comments
The Clinton Foundation has a dark cloud over them due to emails showing major donors asking then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for huge favors. They have tried to mend their ways by deciding to stop accepting foreign donations if Hillary wins the presidency, but they may have taken a big step back. Chelsea just decided to remain on the board even if her mom wins. Conflict of interest much? Besides Bill, who else has better access to Hillary than Chelsea?

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 24, 2016 16 Comments
The GOP has worried it may lose its Senate majority in November and Toomey may be one of the victims. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) has received an endorsement from former Democratic congresswoman Gabby Giffords as he faces a tough reelection in November. The endorsement from Giffords and her anti-gun violence group Americans for Responsible Solutions might be just what Toomey needs to defeat his Democratic challenger Katie McGinty, who has slightly pulled ahead in four polls.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 23, 2016 9 Comments
How is this for an armed citizen story?! A 91-year-old man in Michigan shot a man who tried to rob him on Monday in a parking lot at a local Rite Aid pharmacy. As the suspect walked closer, the man told him he holds a concealed pistol license (CPL), but the suspect didn't care. When the suspect aimed something at him, the elderly man whipped out his gun and shot him:
"The person who fired the shots had a CPL and was lawfully carrying a handgun," said [deputy Chief Eric] Keiser. "He said he defended himself when he was attacked."

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 23, 2016 10 Comments
The FBI has decided to investigate a stabbing in Virginia as a possible terrorist attack after the man allegedly yelled "Allah Akbar." Wasil Farooqui, 20, stabbed two people at an apartment complex on Saturday night. Both people survived. Witnesses told the police Farooqui yelled "Allah Akbar" as he attacked them.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 23, 2016 58 Comments
I've been keeping an eye on the tough Congress elections headed into November, especially since the GOP could easily loses its majority in the Senate. North Carolina could lose one of its GOP senators while New Hampshire could lose its only GOP senator in Kelly Ayotte. The tough reelection has led her to distance herself from GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump. Ayotte said she would vote for Trump, but stopped before giving him her full endorsement. This has frustrated the independent voters she needs to win. She didn't even attend a rally attended by Vice President candidate Mike Pence where he told the crowd they need her "back in the U.S. Senate." As The Washington Post described it, she "is stuck between Donald Trump and a hard place."

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 23, 2016 12 Comments
Judicial Watch revealed another batch of Hillary Clinton emails they received from their Freedom of Information Act request they sent in last year. The group insists Hillary has not fully explained why she had a private server, but the investigation has presented details that a lot more went on than we thought. This latest batch has grown the hole Hillary dug for herself as major donors to her Clinton Foundation used her status as secretary of state to ask for special favors for friends. Unlike the previous release, though, these emails shows donors asking for access to Hillary herself. In other emails, they asked for access to other State Department officials. The release comes on the same day a federal judge told the State Department to quickly release another 15,000 Hillary emails the FBI discovered in July.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 22, 2016 3 Comments
The House Oversight Committee recently received classified documents and notes from the FBI's untaped interview with Hillary Clinton in order to understand why Director James Comey didn't recommend charges against her. The FBI said it wants to remain as transparent as possible, but Chairman Jason Chaffetz said he has a few problems with the documents, especially since many are heavily redacted:
"Hillary Clinton is out there saying there's not very much sensitive information in there, that she didn't trade in sensitive classified information. It's so sensitive and so classified that even I as the chairman of the Oversight Committee don't have the high level of clearance to see what's in those materials," Chaffetz said. "I think the documents are overly classified. We're going to call on the FBI this week to give us a version where there's non-classified, the unclassified material and the classified material redacted so that that could be out there in the public. I think that's the right thing to do."

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 22, 2016 14 Comments
The GOP has panicked lately about their majority in Congress, especially in the Senate, as the party divides over Donald Trump and the lack of fundraising. Their worst fears appear to becoming true in North Carolina, once seen as a lock for the GOP. The Wall Street Journal reports that Democrat Deborah Ross may beat two term GOP Senator Richard Burr. The Democrats also gained a rise because Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has placed North Carolina high on her priority list. Ross tends to climb the polls as Clinton does the same. When Clinton went up nine points, Ross found herself up two points on Burr for the first time in the election.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 22, 2016 17 Comments
Whoops! Judicial Watch's investigation into the Hillary Clinton email scandal continues as a federal judge told the State Department to expedite the release of 15,000 emails the FBI discovered that her attorneys did not turn over. The watchdog group has kept a close eye on the scandal, at first questioning Clinton aide Huma Abedin's jobs before she went to the State Department. It unraveled to show that Hillary used an unsecure server and that many of her foundation's donors asked her for special favors when she served as Secretary of State.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 21, 2016 31 Comments
The rise of Donald Trump has divided the GOP more than ever, leading many to worry if the party could maintain their majority in Congress whether he wins or loses the presidency. The Democrats have noticed and now Politico reports that Hillary Clinton plans to raise $1 billion to defeat the vulnerable GOP members of Congress:
The new concern inside the highest levels of Republican politics is that Hillary Clinton will raise $1 billion for Democrats and the party will train some of their efforts -- and that money -- on defeating House and Senate Republicans. Party leaders privately concede that the Senate could be lost either way. But senior House Republicans say they’re in good shape across the country, and see no evidence that the control of the chamber is in play.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 21, 2016 6 Comments
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said a suicide bomber aged between 12-14 murdered 51 people at a wedding late Saturday night in Gazientep, which is located only 60 miles north of Aleppo, Syria. He also said the authorities believe the Islamic State was behind the terrorist attack:
"The initial findings of the governor and our police forces indicate the attack has been perpetrated by Daesh," said Erdogan, using another term for the terror group.
Mahmut Tagrul, lawmaker with the Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party, said the majority "of the victims that died were children."

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 21, 2016 23 Comments
Judicial Watch has tried for years to get records of Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin's employment outside of the State Department, which has led to questions about Clinton's private email server. The watchdog group has continuously received her emails from her time as Secretary of State, but overall the group does not believe Hillary has ever provided a justified answer as to why she used this server. Now, Judge Emmet G. Sullivan of Federal District Court in Washington put Judicial Watch a step closer by telling Hillary she must provide written testimony under oath, also known as interrogatories, about her private email server in connection to Judicial Watch's lawsuit.
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