Congressional discussion about instituting a massive new tax in the form of a renewable energy standard has raised red flags for Daren Bakst, who shared his concerns in articles for American Thinker and the Master Resource blog. Those articles have attracted attention from Lucianne.com and U.S. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, and from blogs including Conservatives Forum, U.S. Action News, Palmetto Insider, and Allegheny Treasures. Meanwhile, an editorial in the Carteret County News-Times and Topsail Voice highlighted Bakst’s concerns about proposals to give North Carolina sheriffs access to the state’s prescription drug database. The Associated Press interviewed Bakst about the prescription drug database issue for an article that has attracted national attention. In other news, the Wilmington Star-News interviewed Michael Sanera for an article on the economic impact of publicly owned convention centers. A column in the Washington Examiner also highlighted Sanera’s work on exposing planning jargon. The Mooresville Tribune picked up Terry Stoops’ recent column on gauging teacher effectiveness. Meanwhile, a Lee County commissioner candidate’s Transforming Lee County website cited John Locke Foundation research into the local tax burden.