Meet the Martian Hopefuls: Elon Musk and All the Others Trying to Get to Mars

Ready set go. Elon Musk still really wants to put people in a canister, set off a controlled explosion beneath them, and shoot them out of the Earth’s atmosphere towards a barren, airless piece of rock—preferably one 33 million miles away. On Friday at the International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide, Australia, Musk announced an updated version…

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Genetically Engineered Bacteria Spread by Mosquitos’ Breeding Could Eradicate Malaria

Scientists spent ten years developing the special bug. The mosquito micro biome influences what parasites take hold. The mosquito is a delicate insect, with spindly legs and a graceful proboscis. The parasitic, single-celled organisms that spread malaria are even smaller and more fragile, and scientists are trying their hardest to remove them from the planet.…

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A Brief History of North Korean Diplomatic Name Calling

Tennessee Star

by George Rasley, CHQ Editor   The Leftwing media and the failed DC foreign policy establishment have been having a meltdown over President Trump’s reference to North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un as “Rocket Man,” and have spent the past two days suggesting that giving Kim a demeaning nickname is somehow indicative of a lack of diplomatic acumen, or maybe even mental imbalance, on Trump’s part. Former Secretary of State John Kerry said President Donald Trump’s United Nations speech may have put America in isolation and danger. Appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” show Wednesday, Kerry criticized Trump’s harsh rhetoric against North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. Kerry said, “You have to ask yourself: Is America safer because of ‘rocket man?” He was referring to Trump’s characterization of Kim. Kerry said that kind of harsh language will make it harder for the United States to engage in diplomacy on North Korea and other international issues. Kerry seems to have forgotten that back in 2014 the North Koreans once referred to him as, “A wolf with a hideous lantern jaw,” and also described Kerry as a “wolf donning the mask of sheep.” The trigger for these insults was then-Secretary of State Kerry’s statement…

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Six Apps to Add Blockbuster Special Effects to Your Smartphone Videos

And…action! Add professional effects by simply tapping your phone’s screen. David Nield/Popular Science The smartphone revolution hasn’t just put a video camera in your pocket. It’s given you a whole movie-making studio in one compact package. With the right apps, you can add special effects and filters that the Hollywood experts would be proud of—and you…

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Trump’s November Asia Trip to Include First China Visit

U.S. President Donald Trump will embark on a trip to Asia in November with the goal of garnering global support against the North Korean threat, while attending regional summits and discussing trade, the White House announced Friday. “The president’s engagements will strengthen the international resolve to confront the North Korean threat and ensure the complete, verifiable,…

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First Lady Melania Trump Isn’t Happy An Elementary School Rejected Her ‘Racist’ Dr. Seuss Books

First Lady Melania Trump slammed an elementary school librarian’s rejection of so-called “racist” Dr. Seuss books gifted by the first lady to the school. Trump responded to Liz Phipps Soeiro, a school librarian at Cambridgeport Elementary School in Massachusetts, who rejected 10 Dr. Seuss books from the first lady in a Wednesday letter, reported Fox News.…

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Women Share Struggles at Worship Event in Thompson’s Station Friday to Inspire Others

THOMPSON’S STATION, Tennessee — Tammy Daniel believes in the power of story. The Christian author, speaker and worship leader is open about the struggles in her life, and has launched a ministry giving women a platform to share their own stories to help and inspire others. A handful of women spoke of their journeys Friday evening at Thompson Station Church, where Daniel’s ministry held a “Women’s Night of Worship.” Around 100 people attended the event to pray, sing praise songs and listen to painful stories of abuse, infertility, health problems and disabilities, relationship challenges and self-destructive choices. A common chord running through all the stories was that God offers hope and redemption. “You are not too broken,” said Ginny Priz. “There is nothing you can do that God can’t redeem.” Priz co-hosts an inspirational TV show called “Bloom Today” that airs on WHTN/CTN, and has written a book called Ditch the Drama. Born without a full right arm, which requires her to wear a prosthetic, Priz has also struggled with coming to terms with her Christian faith. She spoke Friday of reckless and wrong behaviors she engaged in before accepting that following God means walking a path of obedience. Michelle Moore, a…

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Domenic Sarno, Dem Mayor of Dr. Seuss’ Hometown, Slams Librarian for Trump Snub

The Democratic mayor of Dr. Seuss’ hometown of Springfield, Massachusetts, slammed an elementary school librarian who publicly rejected first lady Melania’s Trump’s book donation, calling the rejection “political correctness at its worst.” Mayor Domenic Sarno on Thursday offered to take the books instead and invited President Trump and his wife to visit the Dr. Seuss museum,…

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Texas Supreme Court Judge Don Willett Nominated to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals

Outspoken conservative and Texas’ official Tweeter Laureate Justice Don Willett was nominated to the join the federal bench as a Circuit Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit by the Trump Administration, the White House announced Thursday. Upon hearing the nomination was made public, Judge Willett took to Twitter to let his 101,000 followers know: No words. I am honored & humbled by @POTUS's nomination to the 5th Circuit. Thank you, Mr. President—also Senators @JohnCornyn & @TedCruz. pic.twitter.com/499LFNdjbC — Justice Don Willett (@JusticeWillett) September 29, 2017 “For over a decade on the Texas Supreme Court, Don Willett has proven himself to be a jurist of the highest order,” Ted Cruz said in a statement lauding the Administration’s decision. “His service on the court was simply one more step in a career of public service, from the Texas Governor Office, to the White House, to the Department of Justice, to the Texas Attorney General’s office. Every step along the way, Justice Willett has stood out as man of intellect and principle, and I am excited to see what he will accomplish on the Fifth Circuit.” Justice Don Willett was appointed to the Texas Supreme Court by Governor Perry in…

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Sudanese Refugee Who Allegedly Murdered Woman at Antioch TN Church Motivated by Revenge for Shootings at Black Church

A black man who opened fire at a Sunday church service in Tennessee left a note that referenced retaliation for a white supremacist’s shooting massacre at a black church in South Carolina, the Associated Press reports. (more) Credit: Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Investigators found the note in the car of 25-year-old Emanuel Kidega Samson, who opened…

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Faith: Verse of the Day for Saturday, September 30

Tennessee Star - Verse of the Day

  VERSE OF THE DAY Be blessed and be a blessing September 30, Saturday Proverbs 14:4-6 Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox come abundant harvests. 5 An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies. 6 The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning. Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another 1 Corinthians 15:33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

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Tom Price Resigns as Secretary of HHS Under Pressure

Secretary of Health and Human Services Tom Price has resigned as Secretary of Health and Human Services and President Trump has accepted his resignation, according to CNN and multiple press reports. Price’s resignation comes “in the midst of a scandal over his use of private planes,” CNN reports: Price’s departure came as he’s being investigated by the department’s inspector general for using private jets for multiple government business trips, even to fly distances often as short as from Washington to Philadelphia. The scandal infuriated Trump, who viewed the controversy as a needless distraction from his agenda. Over the course of the week, Trump fumed to aides about Price’s flights, which he deemed “stupid,” according to multiple sources. Instead of moving past the storm, Price’s offer to reimburse the government for only a fraction of the flights’ costs enraged Trump further. Price and his aides have insisted that the trips he took by private charter jet had been approved through the usual legal and ethics offices at HHS. But the appearance of a millionaire Cabinet secretary flying routes easily navigated by far cheaper means proved an optics nightmare for an administration already accused of being out of touch with regular Americans.…

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Titans’ Delanie Walker to Fans: Stay Home

The Tennessee Titans’ tight end Delanie Walker may believe money grows on trees, for he apparently does not think ticket-buying fans pay his salary. The NFL player smack-talked his team’s fan base earlier this week when he said those who are upset about high-salaried players kneeling for the national anthem should stay home, Fox News Insider quoted from other media reports. Or perhaps the athlete thinks people pay to hear his political opinions rather than watching him compete in a sporting event. “OK. Bye,” the tight end was reported saying about Titans’ fans. Walker has a two-year, $13.3 million contract. Coach Mike Mularkey told the media that he thought it was a team-wide decision to remain in the locker room Sunday, Sept. 24. The Titans media office declined to comment to The Tennessee Star on Walker’s remarks and referred to their Sept. 24 statement: “As a team, we wanted to be unified in our actions today. The players jointly decided this was the best course of action. Our commitment to the military and our community is resolute and the absence of our team for the national anthem shouldn’t be misconstrued as unpatriotic.” Jessie James Decker, the country singer and wife of…

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State Senator Mark Green To Speak Tuesday At First Tuesday Event

State Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville) will speak Tuesday at Tim Skow’s First Tuesday event. A Republican activist, Skow in an email to First Tuesday fans mentioned the “political earthquake centered in Alabama,” where Roy Moore this week won the state’s GOP Senate primary runoff. Wondering what this might mean for Tennessee politics, Skow called Green “the man who will be in the eye of the storm.” Green had announced plans to run for governor, but then was nominated by President Trump to be Army secretary. He withdrew from consideration after leftists protested past statements he had made about LGBT activism and Islam. He decided against rejoining the governor’s race, leading to speculation about what other race he might join, if any. U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) on Tuesday announced he will not seek re-election. His announcement came on the same day the anti-establishment Moore was cruising to victory in Alabama. Green’s name has come up as a possible candidate for Corker’s seat. So far, Andy Ogles, the former head of Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee, is the only announced candidate for the Republican nomination. Green has also been mentioned as a possible candidate to replace U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-7) should she…

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Mae Beavers Calls on Randy Boyd to Return and Refuse Donations from Haslam Family

Tennessee Star

Mae Beavers released the following statement today on the NFL protests, Randy Boyd, and the Haslam family’s support for the radical leftists pushing the un-American protests of the National Anthem. “Randy Boyd should immediately return any donations the Haslams have made to his campaign,” Beavers opened. “What’s more, Randy Boyd should refuse to accept any further financial support from the Haslam family,” Beavers said. Jimmy and Dee Haslam, the owners of the Cleveland Browns, have embraced the radical, un-American NFL protests against the National Anthem and the American Flag,” Beavers asserted. “The NFL remained silent when the Rams attacked law enforcement with their “hands up don’t shoot” demonstration, the NFL refused to allow the Dallas cowboys to honor fallen officers massacred by Black Lives Matter, and defying belief, the NFL even barred their players from honoring 9/11 victims,” Beavers said. “Browns owner Jimmy Haslam has not only refused to condemn the disrespectful actions of his players, he has encouraged them “The Haslams have been involved in a variety of business deals with Boyd over the years,” Beavers noted. “Governor Haslam appointed Randy to his position at ECD by  and the Haslam family has been one of Boyd’s largest contributors.” “Randy Boyd needs…

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Cleveland, Tennessee Businessman Pulls Ads From NFL Broadcasts

A Cleveland, Tennessee, businessman is yanking his commercials from TV and radio broadcasts of NFL games for the rest of the season because of national anthem protests. Allan Jones is the founder of Check Into Cash and runs commercials for Check Into Cash, Buy Here Pay Here USA, and U.S. Money Shops. “Our companies will not condone in any form the unpatriotic behavior demonstrated by the NFL,” Jones said in a letter to his ad agency in Knoxville. Jones said on Facebook not to look for Hardwick Clothes ads anymore, either. Jones helped the longtime Cleveland business when it was fighting bankruptcy in 2014, reports WTVC NewsChannel 9. The Tennessee Titans were among players nationwide protesting this past Sunday after President Trump slammed the practice. The Titans did not even take the field during the playing of the national anthem. Football players have said they are protesting racism and inequality. WTVC also spoke with former Buffalo Bills General Manager Buddy Nix this week. Nix, who lives today in Chattanooga, said he thinks the protests are disrespectful. “I believe firmly in standing for the national anthem and being respectful to the flag in this country,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any excuse for…

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Beacon Center of Tennessee Calls for Referendum on Funding New Soccer Stadium

The Beacon Center of Tennessee is calling for a public referendum to allow taxpayers to vote on whether tax dollars should be used to build a new Major League Soccer stadium in Nashville. Mayor Megan Barry has worked out a preliminary private-public deal to use tax dollars to help fund a stadium if Major League Soccer chooses Nashville for an expansion team. The Beacon Center is a nonpartisan Nashville-based think tank that promotes the free market. The center is against Metro Nashville using tax dollars to fund the stadium but believes residents should make the decision, spokesman Mark Cunningham said in a news release Thursday. He said: Research shows that using taxpayer money to fund a professional sports stadium is a terrible investment for taxpayers and is a prime example of government overreach. Nashville taxpayers should not be forced by politicians to fund millionaire franchise owners and developers. Time after time, stadiums, and specifically MLS stadiums, have proven to be big losers for taxpayers. We are tired of hearing politicians spout the same evidence-free lines on taxpayer-funded stadiums, that this is what the people of Nashville want. If Nashville politicians really believe that funding this stadium with tax dollars is…

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Ryan Anderson of Heritage Foundation Gives Lecture on Religious Liberty at Union University

Religious liberty is a fundamental human right, one that even Americans who aren’t religious should value, Ryan Anderson of The Heritage Foundation said at Union University earlier this month. Anderson spoke at the Southern Baptist school in Jackson, Tennessee, Sept. 12 as part of an annual Constitution Day lecture series, according to a school news release. Constitution Day is celebrated Sept. 17 and honors the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787. Religious freedom is guaranteed in the First Amendment. “All of us have a human right to be able to seek out the truth about God on our own, come to conclusions about the truth about God on our own, and then live our lives in conforming with that truth as we understand it,” said Anderson, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Anderson said there are limits to the right of religious freedom if it is used to harm others or infringes on their rights. It gets complicated in issues such as same-sex marriage and gender identity. What’s important is to remember that people can disagree without being bigots and that government coercion isn’t the answer, Anderson said. “There is anti-gay bigotry in the United…

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Commentary: Will Speaker Ryan and Majority Leader McConnell Pass President Trump’s Tax Plan?

by CHQ Staff   President Trump has released the framework for his tax reform and reduction plan to positive reaction from conservatives. Our friends at the Club for Growth issued a statement saying, “Fundamental tax reform comes around only once in a generation, and this is our chance.  The outline is both aggressive and very pro-growth with its rate reductions.  Club for Growth congratulates the members of the Big Six for their hard work and will continue to support the pro-growth efforts of the Trump administration and Congress as they seek to make tax reform a reality.  To this end, the Club will also work with Congress to pass a budget in order to get reconciliation tax instructions.” The House Freedom Caucus, the steadfast conservative warriors who have held establishment Speaker of the House Paul Ryan’s feet to the fire on many issues were also positive about the President’s Plan: President Trump has delivered a forward-looking tax reform framework that will let hard working Americans keep more of their money, simplify our system, end carve outs for special interests, and will help make our businesses competitive abroad. The Freedom Caucus looks forward to sending a final bill based on this…

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President Trump Lifts Puerto Rico Shipping Restrictions

President Donald Trump lifted US shipping restrictions on storm-battered Puerto Rico for 10 days Thursday, temporarily removing a legal obstacle blamed for slowing the disaster relief response to Hurricane Maria, the White House said. A 1920 law that restricts shipments between American ports to US-owned and operated cargo ships has been preventing foreign-flagged ships from delivering…

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Haslam Considering Senate Run

Tennesse Star

On Thursday Gov. Bill Haslam said he is considering a run for the U.S. Senate. Earlier in the week, Haslam’s good friend and his brother’s college roommate, Senator Bob Corker (R-TN), shocked the political world when he said he would not be running for a third term in 2018. The ever cautious Haslam couched his comments about a potential run in his comments to the local Tennessee press, as WBIR reported: “It merits spending some time thinking about it and praying about it,” Haslam told reporters. The governor said he’s talked to Corker about the idea in recent days, adding that he had fully expected the U.S. senator to run for a third term. “I’ve heard from a lot of folks on the national political scene and a lot of people around Tennessee,” Haslam said. “But at the end of the day it’s more of a personal decision about what you want to do with your life. And it’s a question about can I be helpful in this role?” Haslam did not give a timetable as to when he will reach a decision, noting he won’t draw the process out for a month. Haslam added that Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN)…

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Birmingham City Council Passes Sweeping Protections For LGBT People

The Birmingham City Council in Alabama this week passed non-discrimination ordinances that include sweeping protections for LGBT people and spell out criminal penalties for violators. The council on Tuesday unanimously passed an ordinance addressing discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations, and a companion measure addressing discrimination in  awarding city contracts. The council will create a human rights commission “to promote principles of diversity, inclusion, and harmony” and to hear complaints. The ordinances also mention other statuses such as race and disability, but the main intent was to offer protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity, which are not covered under Alabama law. The legislation is the first of its kind in the state, though there are more than 200 cities and counties across the country with similar protections. Sexual orientation is defined in the Birmingham legislation as “actual or perceived homosexuality, heterosexuality, or bisexuality.” Gender identity is defined as “actual or perceived gender related identity, expression, appearance, or mannerisms or other gender related characteristics of an individual, regardless of the individual’s designated sex at birth.” Violators found to be discriminatory can be fined up to $500. In 2014, the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest pro-LGBT activist group, launched an…

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Julia Louis-Dreyfus Stricken with Cancer: ‘Today, I’m the One’

Award-winning “Veep” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus has breast cancer, she announced through social media on Thursday. The 56-year-old American actress revealed the diagnosis to her 750,000 Twitter followers, posting a note that read: “One in eight women get breast cancer. Today, I’m the one.” “The good news is that I have the most glorious group of supportive…

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Physicists Report New, Solid Observation of Gravitational Waves

It’s pretty much official now: there are gravitational waves. A collaboration between the LIGO Lab and the Virgo interferometer collaboration just reported the first joint detection of gravitational waves, adding much more weight to previous detection events. It’s not the first time gravitational waves had been detected. Physicists had recorded three previous events, offering serious proof to support the hypothesis first proposed by Albert Einstein a hundred years ago. Both the LIGO and Virgo detectors picked up the same event – a binary black hole system colliding.…

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Progressive University of Tennessee-Knoxville Professors Lead Discussion on Privilege and Oppression

Two progressive University of Tennessee-Knoxville professors who endorse critical race theory led a discussion on campus Tuesday about privilege and oppression. The Hodges Library hosted the discussion “to begin dialogue on the topic of racial inequality and other aspects of oppression,” according to The Daily Beacon, the student newspaper. Band-aids matching a person’s skin tone was one example of privilege mentioned at the event, though the newspaper did not say who mentioned it. The event, part of a “Lunch and Learn” series, was open to students and others on campus. “I like to remind folks that we’re living in the legacy of 344 years of overt systemic racism in America,” said Michelle Christian, an assistant professor of sociology, according to The Daily Beacon. “We were systemically racist a lot longer than we supposedly did away with these policies.” Jioni Lewis, an assistant professor of psychology, led the event with Christian. She defined privilege as “unearned access to resources or social power only readily available to some people as a result of their advantaged status or advantaged social group membership.” She defined oppression as “a system that maintains advantage and disadvantage based on social group memberships and operates intentionally, and unintentionally,…

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Commentary: Are the Haslams the First Family of the Never Trumpers?

There may be plenty of “Never Trumpers” on the Republican side of the aisle, with John Kasich and Jeb Bush immediately coming to mind, but no family can claim more current political power in the “Never Trumper” sphere than the Haslam family of Tennessee. The controversial NFL protests against the National Anthem and the American Flag have been embraced by Jimmy and Dee Haslam, the owners of the Cleveland Browns. Jimmy Haslam is Governor Bill Haslam’s older brother. The family owns Pilot-Flying J, the 14th largest privately owned company in the country. Jimmy Haslam is the company’s CEO. The Haslams have supported their players’ protests and issued a harsh statement speaking out against Trump’s comments where he called for NFL owners to fire any players or employees who take a knee or don’t stand at attention during the National Anthem. Statement from Dee and Jimmy Haslam pic.twitter.com/QvCmKPkKwc — Cleveland Browns (@Browns) September 24, 2017 “We must not let misguided, uninformed and divisive comments from the President or anyone else deter us from our efforts to unify,” the statement said in part. The Haslam family’s animosity towards President Trump is nothing new. During the 2016 Presidential election Governor Bill Haslam announced…

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President Trump Deletes Tweets Endorsing Luther Strange after Judge Roy Moore Win

Several of President Trump’s past endorsements of Sen. Luther Strange disappeared from the president’s personal Twitter account after the Republican senator lost Tuesday’s GOP primary runoff to former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore. Mr. Trump repeatedly touted the Republican incumbent’s campaign on Twitter leading up to Alabama’s special election this week, but at least three of…

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