NASA, Stanford researchers developing space concrete

One of the problems with living on the moon and Mars is that future space colonists need to be protected from the bombardment of micrometeorites and radiation. Some concepts for space settlements have involved placing them in lava tubes underground. But some engineers at #NASA and the Sanford School of Engineering are working on the way to make #Concrete out of lunar or Martian soil according to Tech (2).

Texas passes law banning sanctuary cities

The war over illegal immigration took a new turn when Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a bill that banned so-called “#sanctuary cities” in the Lone Star State. The bill will allow law enforcement officers to question people who have been detained, including at traffic stops, about their immigration status. The law will also prohibit local and county governments from passing laws preventing police officers from doing so. It provides legal sanctions, including fines, for local officials who refuse to cooperate with federal immigration agents.

Obamacare architect Jonathon Gruber claims Trump caused its collapse

Jonathon Gruber, the MIT economist who was instrumental in crafting Obamacare and then was caught on video boasting how its implementation was based on lies, is at it again. Gruber was on Fox News Sunday debating Obamacare and the effort to #Repeal and Replace the law with Karl Rove. He blamed the fact that the health care system that the #affordable care act set up is collapsing on President Donald #trump. The claim was made all the more brazen considering that the law was passed and implemented under President Barack Obama. It started its death spiral under the former president as well, with skyrocketing premiums and deductibles and insurance companies fleeing the exchanges.

Bill Maher went there with an incest joke about Ivanka Trump

Proving once again that Bill Maher, the far left rant specialist whose show “Real Time” runs on HBO most Friday nights, he made a crude incest joke about #Ivanka Trump, the president’s oldest daughter and close advisor. The remark took place as Maher was having a conversation with New York magazine reporter Gabriel Sherman.

Emmanuel Macron humbles Marine Le Pen into the dust in the French election

In the end, despite some apparent attempts by the centrist candidate to throw the French presidential election, it wasn’t even close. #emmanuel macron has humbled Marine Le Pen into the dust by a percentage that some exit polls suggest is 65 to 34 percent. The business oriented, internationalist moderate has trounced the fiery French nationalist.

Vertical farms prove that if you want to save the Earth, settle space

Popular Science recently discussed how agricultural #technology being developed for settlers on the moon and Mars has the potential to revolutionize farming on Earth. Mars colonists are going to have to grow their food in greenhouses, using hydroponic techniques and LED lights, at least until the Red Planet is terraformed sometime in the distant future. It turns out that some people are trying the same method on Earth in so-called #Vertical Farms.

The BBC is developing a ‘The War of the Worlds’ miniseries

The Verge is announcing that the BBC is developing a miniseries based on the classic alien invasion novel by H. G. Wells, “#The War of the Worlds.” By so doing, the network has opted for an outside the box, unique approach to the story. The TV series will set the Martian invasion in #Victorian England, the very place and time where Welles set his novel.

Mike Huckabee comes to Stephen Colbert’s defense

When Stephen Colbert was trying to walk back the homophobic joke he made about President Donald Trump having a sexual relationship with Vladimir Putin, he ruefully suggested that on further consideration he might have used less crude language. Then he quipped that Trump has the launch codes and Colbert has jokes, so it is a fair fight. Trump is not going to nuke Colbert literally, but the talentless would-be comedian is going to find out that the president has another weapon in his arsenal, the FCC.

Republicans want rape to be a preexisting condition is a big lie

One of the more outrageous accusations that the opponents of repeal and replace Obamacare being made by the left and its rabid horde of tweeters is that the American Health Care Act just passed by the House makes rape a #Preexisting Condition and allows insurance companies to deny coverage to women who have been raped and abused. As a recent article in Reason points out, this is a lie on two levels. First, the AHCA does not address rape or domestic abuse at all. Second, while the bill allows states to allow people with preexisting conditions to be charged higher premiums it also mandates that they be grouped together in high-risk pools and have their health care subsidized. There is nothing about denying anyone coverage.

Is the FBI Covering Up Proof of Spy Agency Surveillance?

John Culberson looks ahead to NASA funding for FY 2018

With the government, including NASA, funded for the rest of the fiscal year, Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas addressed a meeting of the Space Studies Board of the National Academies. He took credit for the generous $19.6 billion that the space agency got and well he might as he chairs the House appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA. Culberson also took the time to look ahead to FY2018.

Another Cinco de Mayo is here as well as the complaints

#Cinco De Mayo is officially a celebration of the 1862 victory of Mexican forces at the Battle of Puebla over French invaders. It is actually an excuse for people in southwestern states, especially Texas, to get silly on margaritas and scarf up a lot of tacos and fajitas with queso while listening to mariachi music and maybe wear a sombrero. Even though Mexicans do not make the day a big celebration and are annoyed that people north of the border do, the day has been considered harmless fun, sort of a Hispanic version of St. Patrick’s Day. Naturally, as the Daily Caller noted, some people find the whole thing an example of cultural appropriation.

Astrobotic and Carnegie Mellon University developing ‘CubeRovers’ for NASA

First, CubeSats were invented, those breadbox-sized probes packed with microelectronics and sensors that allowed university labs and small businesses to explore space. A number of CubeSats have already been launched from the International Space Station, and plans are afoot to send some to cis-lunar space and in pursuit of Earth-approaching asteroids. Now, Astrobotic and Carnegie Mellon University are developing the CubeRover under contract from #NASA.

How an entire family got kicked off an airliner flight

Another day another airline #Customer Service outrage that has gone viral on YouTube. The incident involved an entire family getting kicked off of a Hawaii to California #Flight for not giving up a seat being occupied by a toddler. What transpired was a classic example of how not to do customer service, courtesy of #Delta Airlines.

Macron files a complaint against Le Pen for telling lies about him

The UK Times reports that Emmanuel Macron, a candidate for president of the French Republic, has filed a complaint with the police that his rival, the National Front’s Marine #Le Pen, has smeared him by implying that he may be a puppet of the Kremlin. One can imagine that President Donald Trump, who has been accused of being in the pocket of #Vladimir Putin and worse, is wondering why he can’t get back at his enemies in a similar way.

Why not offer indulgences for cultural appropriation?

The venerable and erudite #Michael Barone has cast his attention to the latest made up sin coming from the social justice left, that being “#cultural appropriation.” Cultural appropriation is defined as participating in a culture not one’s own, including wearing clothing or hairstyles, listening to music, or even eating food that is not from one’s own ethnic group. White women are being attacked for braiding their hair in the African American style. University cafeterias are being protested for serving General Tso’s Chicken. Fraternities are being suspended for celebrating Cinco de Mayo and serving tacos. Barone, a proud Italian-American, has what he calls a modest proposal to take the fight against cultural appropriation to the next level.

Liberals say that thousands, maybe millions will die if Obamacare is repealed

One of the more entertaining aspects of the passage of the American Health Care Act, the first step in the #Repeal and Replace of Obamacare, has been the hysterical reaction of many on the left on social media. According to far too many overwrought people, thousands, perhaps millions will die as a result. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn was pretty sure that mass death would follow, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

House Republicans pass the first step in Obamacare repeal and replace

The passage of the American #health care Act in the #House gave a new meaning to the term sausage making. The process leading up to the narrow vote for passage included two failures, and a lot of behind the scenes arm twisting and cajoling. The bill moves to the Senate where the betting is that the upper body will write its own measure that will #Repeal and Replace Obamacare.

California mulling a tax on rocket launches

Trust #California to be different where it comes to the space launch industry. While other states, such as #Texas and Florida, are using tax breaks and other incentives to attract launch companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, the formerly Golden State is devising a new way to tax rocket launches. According to Ars Technica, California’s Franchise Tax Board is proposing to slap taxes on rocket launches based on “miles traveled” much like trucks and trains are assessed. Presumably that all depends on how far a rocket goes before it releases a payload.

New biography casts light on the character of the young Barack Obama

Last year, before the #Barack Obama presidency became history, an independent film called “Southside with You” was released that was alleged to have been an account of the first date between Barack Obama, the future president, and the woman he would eventually marry and make the first lady, Michelle Robinson. In what way the reality had to give way to drama in the movie will likely be debated forever. However, a new biography of Obama, entitled “Rising Star: The Making of Barack Obama” by Pulitzer Prize-winning David J. Garrow has enough material for a different kind of movie, one that would show a different view of the president’s character.