Marymount Manhattan College’s Student Newspaper Volume 20, Issue 6 December 11, 2017 Republicans go for big with new tax bill Photo from seattletimes.com By Sara Murphy $11 million will be taxed, instead of potential decrease in business could in our country today. This bill is ob- the limit of $5.5 million currently. hurt working class Americans. viously partisan, aimed at the Re- Staff Writer Other industries such as real estate The new bill is expected to raise publican party and its supporters, Early on Saturday, December investment trusts, gas and oil oper- the deficit by one trillion dollars and passed on party support. Aside 2, the Republican tax bill passed ators, and car dealerships will also over the next ten years, contradict- from the single Republican senator in the Senate, getting the 51-49 benefit from new, lower rates, or ing the claim by Republicans that who voted “Nay,” the vote was split vote it needed. The bill passed de- other exemptions in this new plan. the bill would pay for itself. The directly down party lines. Even spite having no Democratic sup- Along with other benefits to gas main argument for this bill was that though this tax plan is supposed to port and a negative vote from Ten- and oil operators, the bill also al- it would grow the economy, but if boost the economy, and therefore nessee Republican Senator Bob lows oil drilling in a section of the tax cuts are being given to the rich, benefit all of the American people, it Corker. The bill is a major win for Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the bill is encouraging multination- is quite obvious that we are divided Republicans, but has faced a very Alaska. This is a turn away from al companies to go offshore, will and in opposition with each other. convoluted path filled with many green energy, encouraging fossil this really have the intended effect? Even then, we still haven’t seen revisions to reach this point. The fuel companies, and is a loss for Not only that, but if the bill was the finished version of this bill final legislation was being written conservationists. Alaska’s indige- edited on the very night of the vote, quite yet. The Republican tax bill on the night of the passing, re- nous people could also be harmed then we can’t truly know if those has now passed in both the House leased only shortly before the vote. by this increased oil drilling. who voted were even fully knowl- of Representatives and the Senate, The new bill cuts taxes for a va- The bill encourages multina- edgeable of what they were voting but the Republican party still has riety of developers, industries, and tional companies and banks to go for. Some lobbyists even received to now reconcile the two different the top one percent. This bracket offshore or invest in offshore sub- copies of revisions of the bill be- versions of the bill passed in ei- is being taxed at a rate of 29.6 per- sides. Companies that go offshore fore Democratic senators. Was ther house into one cohesive bill. cent, a full 10-percent drop from the may pay less on profits not earned this really an informed decision More edits may be yet to come, current 39.6 percent. The estate tax in the United States. This encour- on the behalf of our legislators? meaning we may still not be see- has also been decreased, meaning ages business to be taken overseas, This bill and all it stands for only ing the plan in its final form that that now only inheritances of over away from the United States. This emphasizes the party divide visible will overhaul our tax system. Inside this issue... Learn to shop Net Neutrality Mosque attacks in smart page 5 pages 6 and 7 Egypt page 9 Page 2 MMC’s The Monitor Letter from the Editor-in-Chief Thank you so much for taking the time to reading the final issue of the semester. With final exams and projects on everyone’s mind, it is crititcal to prevent our attentions from becoming too distracted. Do not ignore the important, potentially life-changing events happening all around us. Do your part in preventing the narrative from being written in ways that systematically harm others. Stay woke! Best, Court Blackman EIC MMC’s The Monitor MMC News Page 3 Early Christmas music takeover receives mixed responses By Jack Irvin success into the month of Decem- question many ask year after year: sic, Hannon comes to Christ- ber. Pentatonix, on the other hand, is it too early for Christmas music? mas’s defense. “I don’t think it Staff Writer has somewhat of an advantage as Many believe that listening to hurts the holiday at all because December is here, which means the album has already been wild- Christmas music too early, as well it brings the feelings of nostalgia Christmas is coming, Mariah Car- ly successful on the charts, peak- as the overall prominence of the that are signature of the season.” ey is regaining power yet again, ing at number one last year. The holiday throughout the month of Nostalgia seems to be the fac- and Christmas music has taken album is the group’s third Christ- November, takes away from the tor allowing festive tunes to ex- over the charts. The famous tree mas collection, following PTX- Christmas season itself. Thanks- ist early. Woodhouse agrees, “I in Rockefeller Center has been lit mas and That’s Christmas to Me, giving’s biggest event, the afore- don’t think it would hurt Christ- and celebrated with performanc- which have charted at numbers mentioned parade, features almost mas only because the songs and es aired live on NBC for the world seven and two, respectively. The entirely Christmas musical perfor- events are normally ‘happy’ to help to see. While this is the month rerelease of A Pentatonix Christ- mances, and Santa himself even keep the Christmas spirit alive.” when most people start listening mas has already brought the album makes an appearance each year. One artist with one of the to Christmas music, it is almost as back to number five on the chart, Marymount students Jack Han- most successful Christmas cata- though the musical festivities have recently supported by an hour non and Skylar Woodhouse have logues of all time is Mariah Car- already passed, or at least started. long Christmas concert broadcast- no problem with the early popu- ey, whose annual New York City The most high-profile Christ- ed on NBC. Similarly, Stefani will larity of Christmas music. “I listen Christmas concert series took mas music releases of the year have also have an hour long Christmas to Christmas music on the day af- place in the first week of Decem- been Gwen Stefani’s You Make It special on NBC later this month. ter Halloween; [Ariana Grande’s] ber this year. Her experience Feel Like Christmas, Sia’s Everyday The special will not mark the Christmas and Chill though, is an with the season may conscious- is Christmas, and the deluxe re-re- beginning of Stefani’s promotion- all-year-round affair,” Hannon says. ly lead her to wait for the month lease of the already successful A al campaign, as she has already Similarly, Woodhouse exclaims, of December to truly celebrate. Pentatonix Christmas, by acapella performed Christmas songs on “Honestly, I think it is appropriate With the big day approach- group Pentatonix. Stefani and Sia’s the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Pa- to listen to Christmas music during ing, only a couple of weeks away, efforts are currently sitting at num- rade and at the Rockefeller Cen- any time of year. I know that I have time will tell if the early high-pro- bers 44 and 27 respectively on the ter tree lighting ceremony, both been driving around on a summer file release dates affect the albums’ Billboard 200 albums chart. While of which were also broadcasted day, and I will listen to a couple of success throughout the season. If this might not seem very high for on NBC. The tree lighting cere- Christmas songs because they are MMC students find themselves in such high-profile artists, the al- mony also featured a performance super catchy and good sing-alongs.” these artists’ demographics, it is not bums were released on October 6 from Pentatonix. The prominence As far as whether or not likely they will be hurting for sales. and November 17, and these chart of Christmas music and popular the Christmas season is affect- positions do not yet reflect their events promoting such raises the ed by the early arrival of its mu- Award nominations announced for the 2017-2018 season By Stephen Hladik ing part of the Grammy nomina- ry Styles’ “Sign of the Times” the begun screening for critics and the tions comes from its diverse array best song of the year. Other art- response has been pretty rapturous. Staff Writer of nominees. Regarding Broadway ists who have been frequenting The supporting acting awards cast recordings, Best Cast Album, on these lists are St. Vincent, Per- went to Willem Dafoe for The Flor- The 2017 Grammy nomina- the shows nominated in the Best fume Genius, LCD Soundsystem, ida Project and Laurie Metcalf for tions were announced this past Musical Theater Album category Father John Misty, and Jay-Z. Lady Bird. Lady Bird also picked week. Jay-Z received eight nom- includes Dear Evan Hansen, Come While we are still a few weeks up a Best Director award for Gre- inations this year, the most for From Away, and Hello, Dolly!.