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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 04, 2017 11 Comments
At a rally for President Donald Trump, West Virginia Governor Governor Jim Justice announced he will switch from the Democrat party to the Republican Party. From KGOU:
"Today I will tell you with lots of prayers and lots of thinking, I'll tell you West Virginians, I can't help you any more being a Democrat governor," Justice said. "The Democrats walked away from me," the governor argued, and reflected that his late mother, who was a big fan of former President Ronald Reagan, was looking down on him thinking, "Jimmy, it's about damn time you came to your senses."

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 03, 2017 35 Comments
Special Counsel Robert Mueller has launched a grand jury in Washington, D.C., for his investigation into alleged Russian influence into our presidential election. The Wall Street Journal reported:
The grand jury, which began its work in recent weeks, is a sign that Mr. Mueller’s inquiry is ramping up and that it will likely continue for months. Mr. Mueller is investigating Russia’s efforts to influence the 2016 election and whether President Donald Trump’s campaign or associates colluded with the Kremlin as part of that effort.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 03, 2017 5 Comments
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted in favor of the Taylor Force Act 17-4, which now heads to the Senate floor. Five Democrats voted yes: Ben Cardin, Robert Menendez, Christopher Coons, Time Kaine, and Edward Markey. The act is named after American veteran and college student Taylor Force, who was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist in March 2016 in Israel. This act "severely restricts American taxpayer funding for the Palestinian Authority until the State Department verifies that it is no longer inciting terror and has ended its policy of paying monthly salaries to convicted terrorists and their families."

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 03, 2017 41 Comments
We all know that CNN's Jim Acosta enjoys playing the role as an activist instead of a journalist, anything to bring attention to himself. He attempted to do just that on Wednesday, but fell flat on his face and made a fool of himself and his employer. President Donald Trump's policy advisor Stephen Miller attended the White House press briefing to explain the RAISE act, an immigration policy, that Trump endorsed Wednesday morning. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) and Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) developed the plan and Trump explained that the "application process will favor applicants who can speak English, financially support themselves and their families and demonstrate skills that will contribute to our economy." Acosta tried to debate Miller on the English speaking part of the RAISE act and failed miserably.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 02, 2017 19 Comments
Republicans have suggested that Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz should testify to explain why she kept IT aide Imran Awan on her payroll after he became a subject of an FBI investigation in March. Wasserman Schultz did not fire Awan until last week when authorities arrested him at Dulles Airport on bank fraud charges. The Capital Police placed Awan along with his wife and two brothers under investigation months ago for breaching House IT systems and stealing equipment. Other House lawmakers fired the four, but Wasserman Schultz kept Awan on payroll.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 02, 2017 9 Comments
The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee has added more conditions to the Taylor Force Act, which includes cutting aid to Palestinian Authority (PA) since it rewards terrorists who kill Jews. From Algemeiner:
A revised version of the Taylor Force Act — amended by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in advance of a vote this Thursday — places even more stringent conditions on aid to the PA as long as it operates a policy dubbed by critics as “pay-to-slay.” Currently, the PA spends more than $300 million of foreign aid money per year on monthly salaries to terrorists and their families that far outstrip the wages paid to Palestinian professionals, including the PA’s own civil servants.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 02, 2017 9 Comments
President Donald Trump has signed a bill that imposes sanctions on Russia for alleged interference in our presidential election and on Iran and North Korea for their missile programs. However, in a signing statement, Trump called the bill "significantly flawed." From ABC News:
The bill limits the president's ability to lift or waive sanctions against Russia and keeps in place sanctions the Obama administration imposed last year. It also allows the U.S. to deny entry and revoke visas for individuals who have engaged in certain activities, such as selling arms to the Syrian government or abusing human rights.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 01, 2017 6 Comments
Republican Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has vetoed the Democrat education funding bill because he viewed it as a major bailout for Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The Chicago Tribune reported:
Rauner rewrote the measure to take away a $250 million block grant that Chicago Public Schools has long received and also changed how the funding formula weights CPS pension funding when dividing up new money for schools.

Posted by Mary Chastain on August 01, 2017 40 Comments
U.S. District Judge James Cacheris in Alexandria, VA, ruled that politicians who block followers on social media violates free speech. From The Wall Street Journal:
A federal court in Virginia ruled that a local politician violated the free-speech rights of a constituent she banned from her Facebook page, in a case the judge said raises “important questions” about the constitutional restrictions that apply to social media accounts of elected officials.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 31, 2017 11 Comments
In 1969, 23-year-old James McCloughan served as a private first class combat medic in the U.S. Army in Vietnam. But at Tam Ky, the enemy constantly fired upon his unit for 48 hours. McCloughan did not stop fighting. He risked his life and managed to save 10 fellow soldiers on nine occasions during those two days. For that heroic behavior, President Donald Trump awarded McCloughan with the Medal of Honor.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 31, 2017 6 Comments
Over the weekend, females gathered in Istanbul's Maçka Democracy Park to protest against harassment other females have received for not dressing conservatively enough. The Hürriyet Daily News reported:
Women shouted slogans, chanting, “Do not mess with my clothes, my shorts, my life” and “Women are powerful together.” People sitting in the park showed their support to the protest with applauses. Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) lawmaker Selina Doğan also attended the protest.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 31, 2017 49 Comments
After a mere ten days, Anthony Scaramucci is out as White House Communications Director. From The New York Times:
Mr. Scaramucci’s abrupt removal came just 10 days after the wealthy New York financier was brought on to the West Wing staff, a move that convulsed an already chaotic White House and led to the departures of Sean Spicer, the former press secretary, and Reince Priebus, the president’s first chief of staff.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 31, 2017 16 Comments
Desperation and panic have shown up in the Democrat Party today. Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman, told The Hill that the party will not withhold funds from Democrat pro-life candidates:
“There is not a litmus test for Democratic candidates,” said Luján, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman. “As we look at candidates across the country, you need to make sure you have candidates that fit the district, that can win in these districts across America.”

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 31, 2017 19 Comments
After failing to do anything with Obamacare, Congress has gone on recess without addressing the debt ceiling. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has warned Congress to address the debt ceiling for the past seven months and do something before recess. Mnuchin said the government needs to raise the debt ceiling before September 29 or it will run out of money to pay the bills.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 31, 2017 8 Comments
President Donald Trump has said that he will sign a bill that will place new sanctions against Russia, North Korea, and Iran. The sanctions against Russia have received the most attention, especially since Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to retaliate. But the bill has sanctions against North Korea and Iran over nuclear weapons and missiles, which both countries vow to continue working on.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 30, 2017 22 Comments
I have noticed lately that people are happy about Wonder Woman since she provides young girls with a positive role model. I enjoy that, too, but she has superpowers. I have no problem with young girls looking up to her, but it's unrealistic. Whether we like it or not, kids of both sexes look up to actors and actresses as role models. How about ordinary females in lead roles who overcome adversity without the help of superpowers? One blog I came across pointed out that these superhero females still give females the "short shrift." Females can be badass, strong, and powerful without the superpowers. To me, those are better role models. I've listed six everyday ordinary females who kicked ass and took names without superpowers.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 29, 2017 18 Comments
Cook County Circuit Judge Daniel Kubasiak dismissed a challenge to the county's beverage tax as unconstitutional, which means the tax will go into effect on Wednesday. From The Chicago Tribune:
In the immediate aftermath of Friday's ruling, retailers and beverage industry groups lamented the setback, while health groups and county officials cheered. Cook County Circuit Judge Daniel Kubasiak also dissolved the temporary restraining order that had halted implementation of the tax, which originally had been set to take effect July 1 and applies to both sugar- and artificially sweetened drinks.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 29, 2017 53 Comments
Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has asked the private sector to help foot the bill to fix the subway in New York City. From New York Daily News:
"We have to change our attitude. This is our MTA [Metropolitan Transportation Authority], right? This is our transit system," Cuomo told members of the Association for a Better New York as he stood beneath a jumbo screen that flashed the words “We must change our attitude: OUR MTA.”
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