Latest news with #MarshaBlackburn
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New uranium enrichment facility to bring nuclear advancement to Oak Ridge
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. (WATE) — Governor Bill Lee and Senator Marsha Blackburn were in East Tennessee Thursday, celebrating a new multi-billion dollar uranium enrichment facility that is coming to Oak Ridge. The development is called Project IKE, and is set to bring one of the largest uranium enrichment facilities in the country to an area already well-known for its contributions to nuclear power. State and local leaders joined the Orano group as they announced they will be opening offices in the area and will soon begin construction on the new facility. 'In my opinion, Orano will continue to add to the legacy of greatness and accomplishments, not only in Oak Ridge, but in our state,' said Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch. Man charged after brother fatally stabbed, dog drowned in Sevier County Local leaders like Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank said this will put Oak Ridge back on the map 'In terms of what it means for our area, it just means prosperity, increased growth, a lot of good things for the people who live and work here,' said Frank. While the development will bring over 300 jobs to Oak Ridge and its surrounding counties, state leaders stressed how it will also help meet America's need for more nuclear energy. 'America is learning that we are staring down the barrel of an energy crisis in this country, that is in part being created, in a good way, because of the advancement of AI technology,' said Governor Bill Lee. 'We cannot afford to lose the war, and in order to do that, we cannot afford to lose the energy battle, and in order to win that battle, we have to be leaders in the nuclear energy going forward.' Leaders like Governor Lee and Senator Marsha Blackburn said companies like Orano will push the US in the right direction. 'Because of what we have with Oak Ridge and with TVA, there is no excuse for us not to lead the way,' said Blackburn. Inspector finds off temperatures, no sanitizer at Chinese restaurant in Morristown With this new uranium enrichment facility, Frank added it will be an investment not only in nuclear energy, but also in the community it is built in. 'Its drawing national attention, It's drawn international attention, other companies are saying, you know what? We need to take another look here,' she said. 'We're getting more locations, a lot of industry interest, so it's really been a spark.' While the event was for the opening of the offices in Anderson County, the uranium enrichment center will be located in Roane County. According to Orano, operations at the facility won't start for a while, but they say they could begin in the early 2030's. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
China intensifies military activities around Taiwan
TAIPEI: Taiwan's ministry of national defence (MND) said that it detected eight people's liberation army (PLA) aircraft, 13 people's liberation army navy (PLAN) vessels and two official ships operating around Taiwan until 6 am (local time) on Saturday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Of the eight aircraft, six crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ, they said. In a post on X, Taiwan's MND said, "8 PLA aircraft, 13 PLAN vessels and 2 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 6 out of 8 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded." Earlier on Friday, Taiwan detected 20 PLA aircraft, seven PLAN vessels and one official ship operating around itself. Of the 20 sorties, 18 crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. In a post on X, MND stated, "20 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 18 out of 20 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded." Earlier in the day, Chairman John Moolenaar of the House Select Committee on China, along with Senator Marsha Blackburn, addressed a letter to the leaders of Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt Hotels expressing significant concerns over the companies' use of the phrase "Taiwan, China" in their websites and marketing materials, as highlighted in a statement from The select committee on chinese communist party (SCCCP). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The legislators contend that this type of labelling goes against established United States policy and falsely validates the chinese communist party's assertions regarding Taiwan. "The current practice, with implicit reference to Taiwan being a part of China, stands in stark contrast to the position of the United States government to the detriment of Taiwan, a thriving democracy and one of America's top trading partners," said Chairman Moolenaar and Senator Blackburn, the SCCCP had said in a statement on Wednesday.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
China intensifies military activities around Taiwan
Taiwan's Defence Ministry reported Chinese military activity near the island. Several PLA aircraft and naval vessels were observed. Some aircraft crossed the median line into Taiwan's ADIZ. US lawmakers have also raised concerns with hotel chains. They are unhappy with the 'Taiwan, China' label. The legislators say it contradicts US policy. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads 8 PLA aircraft, 13 PLAN vessels and 2 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 6 out of 8 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded. - 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, ROC(Taiwan) (@MoNDefense) May 24, 2025 Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads 20 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 18 out of 20 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded. - 國防部 Ministry of National Defense, ROC(Taiwan) (@MoNDefense) May 23, 2025 Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) said that it detected eight People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft, 13 People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels and two official ships operating around Taiwan until 6 am (local time) on the eight aircraft, six crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ, they a post on X, Taiwan's MND said, "8 PLA aircraft, 13 PLAN vessels and 2 official ships operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 6 out of 8 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded."Earlier on Friday, Taiwan detected 20 PLA aircraft, seven PLAN vessels and one official ship operating around itself. Of the 20 sorties, 18 crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern a post on X, MND stated, "20 PLA aircraft, 7 PLAN vessels and 1 official ship operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 18 out of 20 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. We have monitored the situation and responded."Earlier in the day, Chairman John Moolenaar of the House Select Committee on China, along with Senator Marsha Blackburn, addressed a letter to the leaders of Hilton , Marriott, and Hyatt Hotels expressing significant concerns over the companies' use of the phrase "Taiwan, China" in their websites and marketing materials, as highlighted in a statement from The Select Committee on Chinese Communist Party (SCCCP).The legislators contend that this type of labelling goes against established United States policy and falsely validates the Chinese Communist Party's assertions regarding Taiwan."The current practice, with implicit reference to Taiwan being a part of China, stands in stark contrast to the position of the United States government to the detriment of Taiwan, a thriving democracy and one of America's top trading partners," said Chairman Moolenaar and Senator Blackburn, the SCCCP had said in a statement on Wednesday.
Engadget
22-05-2025
- Business
- Engadget
House passes budget bill that inexplicably bans state AI regulations for ten years
The US House of Representatives just narrowly passed a budget bill, which has been referred to by President Trump and others as "one big, beautiful bill." Hidden amongst the cuts to health care, debt add-ons and tax breaks for the rich is a ten-year ban of state AI laws. You read that right. States would be banned by the federal government from enforcing laws that regulate AI for the next decade. The vote fell largely along party lines, with nearly every Republican member of the House approving the bill. This marks one of the most significant federal actions on technology policy in decades and it was buried in a budget bill that has nothing to do with AI. This isn't law just yet. The budget bill has to pass through the Senate and it could have a difficult road. It's expected that Democratic lawmakers will challenge the AI regulation ban under what's called the Byrd Rule, which prohibits "extraneous" provisions to the federal budget during the reconciliation process. To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. Even some Senate Republicans seem wary of the ban. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee expressed concern that it would override state legislation that protects artists from deepfakes in her state. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri has also pushed back on the idea on the grounds that it could "tamp down on people's efforts to address" issues posed by AI. Supporters of the ban argue that it would stop a potentially confusing patchwork of differing state AI laws until Congress can craft its own federal legislation. This is pretty odd coming from the "states' rights" crowd, but whatever. Opponents, like many Democratic lawmakers and advocacy organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, call it a dangerous giveaway to big tech firms, as these companies stand to benefit the most from a completely unregulated market. They also say it poses a serious danger to Americans, as it would leave the citizenry unprotected from any associated risk. Current state laws address issues including deepfakes and discrimination in automated hiring. 'Make no mistake, the families who have come to this committee and begged for us to act won't benefit from this proposal,' said Democratic Rep. Lori Trahan during a subcommittee hearing on the matter. 'But you know who will? The big tech CEOs who are sitting behind Donald Trump at his inauguration." To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so. Rightfully, the cuts to Medicaid (over 10M people will lose their health care) and the tax cuts for the rich have been the story of the disastrous Republican budget I read the whole thing. And there are some hidden rats in there you need to know about. 1/ A quick🧵
Fox News
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Sen. Blackburn targets birth tourism, 'buying American citizenship' in support of Trump's immigration agenda
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., introduced new legislation Tuesday aimed at dismantling the multimillion-dollar birth tourism industry that allows foreign nationals to use America's immigration system to secure automatic citizenship for their children. The Ban Birth Tourism Act, introduced in the U.S. Senate, would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to declare inadmissible any foreign national seeking a tourist visa for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States. Those births automatically trigger U.S. citizenship for the child, a long-criticized loophole that opens the door to future family-sponsored migration. Blackburn's bill, which was read twice and referred to committee, includes a provision to protect legitimate medical travelers. If the primary reason for entry is medical treatment rather than citizenship acquisition, those cases would not be blocked. "For too long, foreign nationals have been exploiting our nation's immigration laws, taking advantage of the system to come to the United States solely to give birth and obtain citizenship for their children," Blackburn said in a press release. "The Ban Birth Tourism Act would prevent foreign nationals, including those from adversaries like Communist China and Russia, from buying American citizenship for their children. As President Trump works to end birthright citizenship, we need to get this bill to his desk." The push comes as the Trump administration intensifies its focus on restoring immigration integrity in the president's second term. During his first term, President Trump repeatedly vowed to end automatic citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants and MAN SENTENCED FOR 'BIRTH TOURISM' SCHEME FOR AFFLUENT CHINESE WOMEN In 2020, the State Department under his administration began denying visas to suspected birth tourists, a move hailed by immigration enforcement advocates. Birth tourism is far from a fringe phenomenon. According to conservative immigration policy analysts, the industry accounts for at least 33,000 births annually to women on temporary visas. These children, upon turning 21, can legally sponsor their parents for green cards, offering a backdoor into the U.S. immigration system. A 2015 report by the Center for Immigration Studies estimated the practice generates millions of dollars for companies that specialize in bringing pregnant foreigners, primarily from Russia and China, to the U.S. These firms often charge tens of thousands of dollars for packages that include visa coaching, hospital stays, and luxury accommodations. In one of the largest federal crackdowns to date, the former Trump administration's Department of Justice in 2019 charged nearly 20 individuals in Southern California for operating extensive birth tourism networks targeting Chinese nationals. Prosecutors accused the businesses of coaching clients to lie to immigration officials about the purpose of their travel, a tactic common among such operations. Blackburn's bill would codify into law the inadmissibility of any traveler seeking to exploit this loophole, ensuring that birthright citizenship cannot be used as a ticket to game the system. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThe Office of Senator Marsha Blackburn referred Fox News Digital to a Tuesday press release.
