Image 01 Image 03
Sign In or RegisterLogout

Author: Mary Chastain

Profile photo

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 January 03, 2017 18 Comments
The House Republicans sure do know how to get the ball rolling on a new session. They kept control, but still can't seem to operate properly! Someone seriously needs to provide a proper communications course for all Republicans in D.C. In one of their first moves, the House Republicans caused a fuss over the weekend after Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) proposed changes to an independent watchdog group, the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE). According to the media, House Republicans gutted their own independent watchdog group and that Republicans wanted more power. In other words, mass hysteria! A close look at the amendment, which I notice missing from many articles, shows that Goodlatte actually attempted to strengthen the OCE by pushing it farther from the House, thus making it even more independent, and making sure the board does not violate the rights of those accused. But if the Republicans had rolled out the idea a tad better, they may have avoided the backlash and not been forced to retreat with their tails between their legs.

Posted by Mary Chastain on January 03, 2017 13 Comments
Ford has announced the company will cancel the $1.6 million plant it planned to build in Mexico. Instead, the company will invest $700 million in Michigan:
Ford (F) CEO Mark Fields said the investment is a "vote of confidence" in the pro-business environment president-elect Donald Trump is creating. However, he stressed Ford did not do any sort of special deal with Trump. "We didn't cut a deal with Trump. We did it for our business," Fields told CNN's Poppy Harlow in an exclusive interview Tuesday.

Posted by Mary Chastain on January 03, 2017 48 Comments
NBC News has released a statement confirming that Fox News superstar Megyn Kelly will join its news organization:
Kelly will become anchor of a new one hour daytime program that she will develop closely with NBC News colleagues. The show will air Monday through Friday at a time to be announced in the coming months. As part of the multi-year agreement, Kelly will also anchor a new Sunday evening news magazine show and will become an important contributor to NBC’s breaking news coverage as well as the network’s political and special events coverage.

Posted by Mary Chastain on January 02, 2017 16 Comments
Reports have indicated that the marching band from Talladega College, Alabama's oldest historically black college, will march at President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. Of course, people have gone irate over the news, even though the school has not confirmed its participation:
"We were a bit horrified to hear of the invitation," said Shirley Ferrill of Fairfield, Alabama, a member of Talladega's Class of 1974. "I don't want my alma mater to give the appearance of supporting him," Ferrill said of Trump on Monday. "Ignore, decline or whatever, but please don't send our band out in our name to do that."

Posted by Mary Chastain on January 02, 2017 14 Comments
That strict gun control in Chicago has obviously worked. America's third largest city had 762 homicides in 2016, the most in two decades and more than New York and Los Angeles combined. It also saw 3,500 shooting incidents, which is 1,100 more than it had in 2015. From WGN:
According to the Chicago Police Department, there were 762 murders in the city in 2016 and 3,550 shooting incidents with 4,331 shooting victims. A department spokesman says more than 80% of the fatal and non-fatal shooting victims were previously identified by police as being likely to be involved in an act of gun violence, either as a victim or an offender. Most of the murders occurred on the city's South and West Sides.

Posted by Mary Chastain on January 01, 2017 1 Comment
Authorities in Turkey have launched a manhunt for a gunman dressed as Santa Claus who stormed into a nightclub in Istanbul in the first hour of 2017 and slaughtered 39 people. Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahim said the victims included 15 foreign nationals. Officials identified five as Turkish nationals while others came from Lebanon, Morocco, Israel, Libya, and Saudi Arabia. Police officer Burak Yildiz, 22, and security guard Hatice Karcilar, 29, also lost their lives.

Posted by Mary Chastain on December 31, 2016 7 Comments
A gunman dressed as Santa Claus killed at least 35 people at a Reina Club in Istanbul, Turkey, in the early morning hours of New Year's Day. From the Associated Press:
An armed assailant who is believed to have been dressed in a Santa Claus costume opened fire at a nightclub in Istanbul during New Year's celebrations, killing at least 35 people and wounding 40 others, according to Istanbul's governor Vasip Sahin and Turkey's state-run news agency. Sahin called the incident a "terror attack" but did not say who might have carried it out.

Posted by Mary Chastain on December 31, 2016 15 Comments
For crying out loud. More fake news by the media. First outlets claim that Russia hacked the election and now they say that Russian hackers penetrated a Vermont power grid. Look at this Washington Post headline:
Russian operation hacked a Vermont utility, showing risk to U.S. electrical grid security, officials say.
NO. That is NOT what happened. The fact that the Post did not even bother contacting Burlington Electric makes this even worse.

Posted by Mary Chastain on December 30, 2016 24 Comments
On Thursday, President Barack Obama passed sanction against Russia for allegedly interfering with our presidential election. This includes expelling 35 diplomats and closing down two compounds. Two weeks ago, Politifact ran an article to call President-elect Donald Trump a liar about his doubts on Russia and accusing Obama of not acting against Russia until after Clinton lost. On Twitter, @neontaster pointed out evidence that contradicts Politifact's "facts." It turns out, the administration has known for months about Russian involvement and did absolutely nothing because they thought Hillary Clinton would beat Donald Trump. No concerns about our national security because they thought their candidate would win.

Posted by Mary Chastain on December 30, 2016 20 Comments
Oh, Russia. President Vladimir Putin remains the biggest troll in the world. Of course the Kremlin promised retaliation against America after President Barack Obama slammed them with new sanctions for allegedly trying to interfere with our presidential election. The sanctions included expelling 35 diplomats and their families and closing down two Russian compounds. Putin claimed he would do the same, but backed off and decided to take a road to help renew American-Russian relations. (Yeah right!)

Posted by Mary Chastain on December 30, 2016 13 Comments
I love San Francisco, but now I'm glad I haven't visited it in years. Turns out someone had to develop an online map to help people avoid human feces on the street. How disgusting:
After 20 years of envelope-pushing changes to grow government and ease law enforcement, the once-shining City by the Bay has turned into a place where:
  • Property crime runs amok
  • An online map is needed to track human feces on city streets
  • Discarded syringes are common sightings
  • Public urination is so widespread it has damaged subway elevators and escalators, building walls and power poles

Posted by Mary Chastain on December 29, 2016 42 Comments
President Barack Obama has placed more sanctions against Russia and expelled intelligence operatives from America for allegedly interfering with our 2016 election. The sanctions include expelling 35 Russian intelligence officers and closing two Russian compounds. The FBI and Department of Homeland Security found some information that Russians may have phished into the Democratic National Committee over the summer. (Before I go on, I need to correct the media. NO ONE hacked the election. Saying Russia hacked the election implies Russians invaded our voting booths and physically changed votes. That did NOT happen.)

Posted by Mary Chastain on December 28, 2016 19 Comments
U.S. senators have traveled to NATO nations to perform their typical lip service, promising America stands behind the organization and the nations involved. NATO nations have grown concerned over America's role since Donald Trump won the election in November:
“I am convinced and certain that our relations, and the American relationship with NATO, will remain the same,” Mr. [John] McCain said at a news conference with Estonia’s new prime minister, Juri Ratas.

Posted by Mary Chastain on December 27, 2016 5 Comments
We ned some good news, don't you think? Cancer patient Josh Katrick won free pizza for a year from Mario's Pizza in Northampton, PA. However, he told manager Frank Grigoli he wanted to donate the prize elsewhere:
"I've been getting so much from family, friends, people I don't even know well, the last few months," Josh says. "Getting so much love and support, I just wanted to give back to people that could use it more than I could." Josh wrote Mario's back and asked if he could give his free pizza to someone else.
Accessibility by WAH