The International Space Station is becoming more and more independent. Now, astronauts can carry out microbial DNA sampling, which opens up exciting avenues for practical research. NASA astronaut Kate Rubins poses for a picture during the first sample initialization run of the Biomolecular Sequencer investigation. Credits: NASA. Space Germs The mere idea of identifying microbes in…
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Americans for Prosperity – Tennessee (AFP) announced they will host a Legislative Preview event Thursday evening, January 18 to outline their goals for the year. State Senator Dr. Mark Green and State Representative Dr. Bryan Terry will be on hand to share their insiders’ perspective on the 2018 legislative session – what issues to focus on and who and what to pay attention to – for both the state House and Senate. After the speakers’ remarks, there will be an open questions-and-answer period. “Our top policy priorities this year will focus on stopping the now 9-billion-dollar transit plan that will leave Nashville with the highest sales tax in the nation,” said AFP state director Tori Venable in an email to The Tennessee Star. “We’ll even be having a Day of Action this Saturday, January 20th at our Middle Tennessee office to host volunteers willing to call in to Davidson County to ask people to oppose the plan.” Another agenda item for 2018 is stopping civil asset forfeiture abuse. “We’d like to see reforms this year that will make asset forfeiture a criminal matter; meaning one must be convicted of a crime before their assets can be seized,” Venable said. “Despite some…
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At the invitation of Senator Mark Green (R-Clarksville), Tennessee Economic and Community Development (ECD) Commissioner Rob Rolfe presented at this year’s first meeting of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee on the topic of the Memphis Regional Megasite and told the committee that it will take $220 million to get the site “shovel ready.” Commissioner Rolfe reported, without any specifics, that thus far appropriations for the Memphis Regional Megasite, which he said is used interchangeably with “MRM” and “megasite,” have been $143,650,000, of which $87,253,000 has been spent to date. Additional funding required to get the megasite shovel ready is estimated at $80 million, the majority of which will be allocated for wastewater. Senator Green invited the Department of Economic and Community Development to testify before the committee, because, “After meeting with many elected officials in West Tennessee, I’ve heard repeated concerns about the progress of the megasite. I’m pleased ECD will be making a presentation before our committee to address those concerns,” according to a press release by the senator, who also serves as the committee’s vice chairman. Green was one of the attendees of the 8th Annual Southwest Tennessee Development District Legislative Luncheon held in early January, where…
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Free market conservative Club for Growth PAC released a poll Tuesday of Republican primary voters that found Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN-07) is utterly dominating her Republican opponents in the race to replace retiring Senator Bob Corker. The poll found that Blackburn leads former Rep. Steve Fincher (R-TN-07) with Republican Primary voters by 53 points, 66 percent to 13 percent in a head-to-head match up. The findings of the Club for Growth PAC Poll, conducted between January 14 and January 15, mirror the findings of The Tennessee Star Poll conducted in December, which showed that Blackburn leads Fincher among likely Tennessee Republican primary voters by a whopping 47 points, 58 percent to 11 percent. The Club for Growth PAC Poll also showed that if incumbent Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) were running for re-election in the Republican primary he would lose to Blackburn by 38 points. You can read the summary of the Club for Growth PAC Poll here: Today, Club for Growth PAC released poll results that not only demonstrate conservative champion Marsha Blackburn is expanding her commanding lead over Stephen Fincher in the Republican primary, but she also would be substantially ahead of ten-year incumbent Bob Corker were he to join…
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White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders wants to know why NBC forged an extended relationship with President Trump if he’s the “racist” critics claim. The infamous (but disputed) “sh-hole” immigration comments attributed to Mr. Trump were raised again by reporters on Tuesday, but Mrs. Huckabee Sanders did not shy away from the debate.
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School choice is at the heart of a nationwide event taking place Jan. 21-27. Held every January, National School Choice Week (NSCW) brings the idea of education options to the forefront. Schools, homeschool groups and other organizations plan tens of thousands of events during the annual event, according to the movement’s website. Plans include rallies, receptions, coffeehouse meet-ups, festivals, school fairs, and other activities. Tennesseans have planned 640 events around the state that week, the group said in a press release. Gov. Bill Haslam proclaimed Jan. 21-27 as Tennessee School Choice Week, while Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke proclaimed the same on behalf of his city. Andrew Campanella, president of NSCW, said, “Parents in Chattanooga, like parents everywhere, simply want the best for their kids. We’re grateful to Mayor Berke for issuing this proclamation, raising parents’ awareness of the educational options available for their children. Every kid is unique, and parents know their kids better than anyone else. We hope to empower parents in Chattanooga and across the country to find the school or educational option that they know is best for their own kids.” NSCW recognizes all K-12 options, including traditional public schools, public charter schools, public magnet schools, private…
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PALM BEACH, Fla. – President Trump laid the groundwork Monday to blame Democrats if the government careens into a partial shutdown at the end of this week, saying their decision to turn their back on him in ongoing negotiations is a recipe for failure. The White House is increasingly confident it can win a shutdown showdown, saying the situation is entirely different from 2013, when Republicans took the bulk of blame for the shutdown.
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The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court Tuesday to overturn this month’s stunning ruling by a lower court that found the Obama-era DACA deportation amnesty legal – yet also ruled the Trump administration’s effort to phase out the program was illegal. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the ruling “defies both law and common sense,” and said they’re asking the justices to hear the case directly, skipping over the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which would be the normal path.
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Those who have been wondering when the attack ads in the statewide race for governor will begin need wait no longer. A SuperPAC, TNJobsNow.com, began airing a new radio spot hitting Diane Black today on several radio stations across the state. The ad features a man and woman talking about “Dishonest Diane” directing state contracts to her husband’s company while flushing money down the toilet — to keep Diane Black from getting her hands on it. The ad is tagged to Tennessee Jobs Now PAC, based in Nashville, according to their website. Audio of the ad can be heard here: The ad transcript reads (with flushing sound effects throughout): WIFE: “Hey, what are you doing?” HUSBAND: “Flushing our money down the toilet.” WIFE: “I can see that. But why?” HUSBAND: “Dishonest Diane Black is running for governor. I’d rather flush our money down the toilet than let her get her hands on it.” WIFE: “Ok cut it out. Explain please.” HUSBAND: “Well, a judge ruled while she was in the Tennessee State Senate, Diane Black steered millions of dollars in no bid, state contracts to her husband’s company.” WIFE: “So basically she gave taxpayer money to herself.” HUSBAND: “Yep.” WIFE:…
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Congress and the Trump administration have taken significant steps to rein in the regulatory state and its negative impact on the economy. From executive orders and official policy changes at nearly every agency, much progress has been made in a short period of time. For thousands of small businesses selling products with an innovative solution to America’s greatest public health problem, however, an Obama-era law and its interpretation at the Food and Drug Administration still stands to kill tens of thousands of jobs and harm millions of consumers. What began as a hobbyist enterprise, the homemade construction of electronic cigarettes and vapor products, has grown into a sophisticated multi-billion industry that is turning the tobacco industry upside down. Far more advanced than their first generation counterparts, vapor products delivery aerosolized nicotine to a user without the harmful effects of tar and smoke. The lack of combustion is precisely why a growing body of evidence and experts have concluded that vapor products are far less harmful than cigarettes. Unfortunately these acknowledgements run counter to the current regulatory treatment of the products by the FDA. As a result, Congress must act to modernize a law originally intended to regulate traditional tobacco products…
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NoTax4Tracks, a new PAC founded to oppose Mayor Megan “Moonbeam” Barry’s $9 billion transit plan, came out blazing Tuesday, issuing a statement that the proposal will raise Music City’s sales tax to the highest levels in the nation. Furthermore, the group cites urban planning and traffic study experts that say the costly proposal will not solve Nashville’s traffic challenges. Last week, the Metro Council voted to place Mayor Barry’s tax increase plan before the voters of Nashville/Davidson County in a referendum to be held on May 1, just three and a half months from now. Voters in Nashville/Davidson County can expect to see a vigorous battle play out in the news media, on social media sites, on the phone, and in person, as supporters and opponents of the $9 billion transit plan spend what could well be millions of dollars to compete for their votes in May. The battle was clearly joined within minutes of the release of the NoTax4Tracks statement. “Transit for Nashville, which is campaigning for Barry’s proposal, slammed the new PAC’s motives,” The Tennessean reported: “The anti-transit group that has come out in opposition wants to do nothing to help Nashville’s growing traffic problems,” Transit for Nashville spokeswoman Kelly…
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