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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 November 10, 2017 20 Comments
In March, I blogged about a report in The Wall Street Journal, in which former CIA Director James Moosley claimed he attended a meeting with former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and Turkish Foreign Ministers to discuss removing Fehtullah Gulen, a Turkish cleric living in Pennsylvania. This meeting happened when Flynn worked on Trump's presidential transition team. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has blamed Gulen for numerous "coups" that have taken place. Now that alleged plan between Flynn and the Turks has come under investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 10, 2017 7 Comments
The House Ways and Means Committee passed its tax reform bill down party lines on Thursday after a week of markups. The House is the next step. The Senate has its own tax bill, which the two chambers will have to reconcile if each approves their own bill. From CNBC:
The House bill, called the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, cuts the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 20 percent, while moderately reducing household income tax rates. It changes some popular provisions such as the mortgage interest deduction, but leaves others, like the 401(k) tax benefit, unchanged.

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 10, 2017 2 Comments
Last weekend, Saudi Arabia began an "anti-corruption" purge as a way to consolidate power for the future leader. While that received a lot of attention, something slipped through the cracks. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri resigned from his post during a trip to Saudi Arabia, "citing the destructive role of Iran and Hezbollah in the Middle East." Now Saudi Arabia has demanded its citizens leave Lebanon immediately due to "a dispute over the influence of Iranian ally Hezbollah in a country that hs been a battleground in the rivalry between Riyadh and Tehran." Lebanon believes the kingdom is holding the prime minister, with some claiming Saudi officials forced him to resign and holding him under house arrest. Two other gulf states have also advised against traveling to Lebanon.

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 09, 2017 0 Comments
Ridley Scott had finished filming All the Money in the World, but has decided to scratch toxic actor Kevin Spacey from the movie and reshoot all his scenes with Christopher Plummer. Hollywood has lashed out at Spacey since actor Anthony Rapp told Buzzfeed that the actor came onto him when he was only 14-years-old. The anger built when Spacey decided to deflect the accusations and come out as a gay man. Then more and more people have come forward, leading the entertainment world to distance themselves from the once celebrated actor.

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 09, 2017 3 Comments
The GOP has lost another in the House: House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) will retire at the end of his term next year. Goodlatte is the third committee chairman to announce his retirement. So far, 19 GOP lawmakers have said they will not seek reelection. Roll Call said that around 22 representatives retire each cycle, but this one has hit hard since a lot of well-known members have decided to leave.

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 09, 2017 163 Comments
A woman has accused Alabama Republican senator candidate Roy Moore of coming onto her when she was only 14-years-old and he was 32. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said that if the sexual assault allegations against Alabama senate candidate Roy Moore are true he must step aside. From Politico:
"If these allegations are true, he must step aside."

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 08, 2017 10 Comments
Former Boston TV anchor Heather Unruh told a press conference today that Kevin Spacey sexually assaulted her then-18-year-old son in 2016 in Nantucket. From CBS Boston:
Fighting back tears, she said her son was a “star-struck, straight, 18-year-old young man, who had no idea that the famous actor was an alleged sexual predator or that he was about to become his next victim.”

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 08, 2017 8 Comments
A judge has issued a gag order in the case of former President Donald Trump chairman Paul Manafort and his protege Rick Gates. From Politico:
U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson's directive Wednesday doesn't ban such statements outright, but prohibits any remarks that "pose a substantial likelihood of material prejudice to this case."

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 07, 2017 40 Comments
CNN, AP, NBC News have called the Virginia governor race for Democrat Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam in the past few days over Republican Ed Gillespie, 51% to 48%. From NBC News:
Both national parties have spent millions of dollars in Virginia and are closely watching it as an early barometer of the political climate and test of campaign tactics in the first major election since Donald Trump's unexpected victory last year. Northam, an Army veteran and pediatric neurologist who serves as the state’s lieutenant governor, struggled to capitalize on his ad-ready biography as the race descended into a nasty culture war. Popular Democrat Gov. Terry McAuliffe is term-limited.

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 07, 2017 10 Comments
SURPRISE! You didn't think the GOP tax reform bill would go off without a hitch, right? Because we all know that the government needs to keep spending so they can't cut too many taxes. The House Ways and Means Committee had a markup session on Monday and reports have emerged that multinational companies like Apple and Ford could possibly pay a 20% tax on any payments they make to offshore affiliates.

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 06, 2017 10 Comments
Disgraced politician Anthony Weiner has reported to the Federal Medical Center Devens in Massachusetts to start his 21-month prison sentence he received for sexting with a minor. Weiner spent his last day of freedom with his father Morton at his Manhattan apartment. His brother Jason dropped him off at the prison.

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 06, 2017 6 Comments
Beloved former Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully has said that he will never watch another football game due to the player protests during the national anthem. From ESPN:
Said Scully: "During the fall and winter, I watch the NFL on Sunday, and it's not that I'm some great patriot. I was in the Navy for a year, didn't go anywhere, didn't do anything, but I have overwhelming respect and admiration for anyone who puts on a uniform and goes to war. So the only thing that I can do in my little way is to not to preach; I will never watch another NFL game."

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 06, 2017 14 Comments
Over the weekend, Saudi Arabia witnessed the arrests of 17 princes, including billionaire Alwaleed bin Talal. The arrests came after the government formed an anti-corruption committee led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, King Salman's favorite son and heir to the throne. Experts said these arrests happened as a way for King Salman to clear "any remaining obstacles to his son's ascension to the throne." However, it may have an affect on the world economy as bin Talal owns 95% of Kingdom Holding, which has stakes in Apple and Twitter.

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 04, 2017 3 Comments
Earlier this week, Politico published an excerpt from former interim DNC chairwoman Donna Brazile where she said she found a document that showed a deal between failed Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and the DNC. Brazile wrote that the agreement "specified that in exchange for raising money and investing in the DNC, Hillary would control the party’s finances, strategy, and all the money raised." NBC News has published this memo, which shows the control given to Hillary and her campaign. This includes hiring of DNC employees acceptable to the fundraising committee Hillary for America (HFA).

Posted by Mary Chastain on November 03, 2017 17 Comments
The New York City Police Department has said it is gathering evidence against Harvey Weinstein after actress Paz de la Huerta's accused him of rape. From Fox News:
The NYPD said they corroborated portions of actress Paz de la Huerta’s account, in which she alleges Weinstein raped her twice in her apartment, and are seeking more evidence in their investigation to obtain an arrest warrant.
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