Free Republic

She is a star of American science. A Stanford chair. A NASA collaborator. A role model for a generation of young researchers. But a chilling congressional investigation has found that celebrated geologist Wendy Mao quietly helped advance China's nuclear and hypersonic weapons programs – while working inside the heart of America's taxpayer funded research system. Mao, 49, is one of the most influential figures in materials science. She serves as Chair of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Stanford University, one of the most prestigious science posts in the country. Her pioneering work on how diamonds behave under...

According to investigative journalist Andy Ngo, she posted a purported "sneak peek" of the manifesto to her Discord account, "@brainedout." In the earlier version, Rupnow allegedly discussed a desire to "exterminate" all males, including infants and the elderly, in a rant apparently inspired by extremist culture among fringe social media circles.

MADISON, Wis. -- A Florida man who was found to have communicated with the Abundant Life Christian School shooter was arrested for allegedly planning a mass shooting at a law enforcement facility. According to the arrest affidavit Damien Blade Allen and the 15-year-old girl who police say opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School in December, killing two and injuring six, exchanged messages for months over TikTok. A joint investigation between FBI and US revealed Damien Blade Allen allegedly conspired with other individuals online to commit mass violence. Allen was also arrested for impersonating a law enforcement officer. He allegedly...

The shooter who killed a student and teacher at a religious school in Wisconsin brought two guns to the school and was in contact with a man in California who authorities say was planning to attack a government building, according to authorities and court documents that became public Wednesday. Police were still investigating why the 15-year-old student at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison shot and killed a fellow student and teacher on Monday before shooting herself, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said. Two other students who were shot remained in critical condition on Wednesday. “We may never know what...

Alexander Paffendorf, 20, of Carlsbad, was detained by FBI agents on suspicion of 'plotting' to coordinate a mass shooting at government buildings in conjunction with Rupnow, according to an emergency gun violence restraining order reviewed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It notes that FBI agents 'saw the messages from Paffendorf to Rupnow.' It was not immediately clear how Paffendorf knew Rupnow, and Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes told the Journal Sentinel he did not have any information about the arrest in California, and referred questions to the FBI.

President Joe Biden (D) snapped at a young woman who attended a political rally that he hosted on Sunday at Sarah Lawrence College in New York for gubernatorial candidate Kathy Hochul. “No more drilling. There is no more drilling,” Biden snapped at a young woman in the crowd. “I haven’t formed any new drilling.” “There are at least five more years of offshore drilling,” the woman shouted back. “— in the Atlantic or the Pacific but in the Antarctic and off the gulf of New Mexico.” “That was before I was president,” Biden responded. “We’re trying to work on that...

Scott Davison is a grassroots candidate for school board in Carlsbad, California. Like many other Republican candidates, Davison has been complaining of his opponents and/or their supporters stealing yard signs. It’s not an uncommon practice for Democrats. Stealing yard signs is just one more form of censorship, albeit a low-level one.(snip) Davison says sign stealing in his school board race has become particularly egregious lately. Unsurprising given the election hole Democrats seem to have dug for themselves over the last two years. Enter one brave, social justice warrior, who took it upon herself to save America by stealing the...

Inflation is impacting the entire United States population as prices continue to be a burden for families, but certain California cities are feeling the impact more than others. In a new study from WalletHub, cities were ranked on how much inflation is rising. The study pointed to the year-over-year inflation rate of 8.2% last month, but noted that some cities are feeling costs increase more than others. In the report, 23 Metropolitan Statistical Areas were examined. The site looked at the Consumer Price Index information available for the most recent month and compared it to two months ago and one...

Republican Diane Harkey led a rally outside her Carlsbad, California, campaign office on Sunday afternoon for Proposition 6, the ballot initiative to repeal last year’s 12-cent-per-gallon gas tax increase and vehicle fee hike. The “Yes on 6” bus is traveling throughout the state, rallying Republicans to vote for the initiative — and to turn out to the polls for the party’s candidates.

The Pentagon has responded to a globally-released ‘Kill List’, asking law enforcement to give extra protection for military personnel whose personal information was released,News Channel 10 reports. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports the Pentagon spent the weekend notifying the soldiers who appeared on the list, and urged city police departments and military police to increase patrol in the neighborhoods where the targeted live. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) published the list days ago, a report that contained names, photos, and home addresses of U.S. Armed Forces personnel, causing alarm in cities potentially at high-risk....

New Mexico has a wealth of energy resources. And now it has a comprehensive plan to help guide development of those riches to grow the state’s economy. Last week at the 2015 Southeastern New Mexico Mayor’s Energy Summit in Carlsbad, Gov. Susana Martinez laid out a broad “all of the above” energy policy. “There is no reason we shouldn’t be an energy leader,” she later told attendees at the eighth annual Domenici Public Policy Conference in Las Cruces. Her plan embraces a wide range of energy sources, ranging from oil and gas to solar, wind and up-and-coming technologies, such as...

CARLSBAD, Calif. - North America’s largest seawater desalination plant is ahead of schedule. Construction on the $1 billion Carlsbad Desalination Plant is completed. Inspectors are now putting the plant through its paces to make sure it works. “This has been a long time coming,” said Poseidon Water spokeswoman Jessica Jones. The idea for the plant is almost 20 years old. As of Wednesday, the plant was desalinating 50-million gallons of water a day into clean drinking water. The water will be dumped back into the ocean until the plant passes inspection. Poseidon Water built the plant and reached an agreement...

The woman who called herself "Sam" for months now knows her real nameNearly five months after showing up in a San Diego-area emergency room without any recollection of her name, age, family, or friends, a woman who calls herself “Sam” finally has an identity. Ashley Menatta, 53, never married and has sisters in Colorado and Maryland. She was born in Pennsylvania, lived in Flagstaff, Arizona and several years ago found her way to Southern California living in La Jolla, Vista, and Carlsbad. The woman’s plight captured world wide attention after our NBC 7 post went viral with a Facebook...

Firefighters say they are getting the upper hand on an aggressive Carlsbad fire that erupted Wednesday morning and had destroyed at least eight homes, but they still have days of work ahead to put out the blaze. Dubbed the Poinsettia fire, it had burned 400 acres and was 10 percent contained by Wednesday night, city officials said. Besides destroying homes, the blaze had also severely damaged an 18-unit condominium complex and two businesses. (City officials initially said it was eight condo units.) SNIP County Supervisor Bill Horn, whose district includes much of North County, speculated that arson had to be...

Thieves plunder crashed SUV of tires, wheels and battery - while its dying driver lay trapped underneath A man who was crushed to death by his SUV after a fatal accident suffered the final indignity of being robbed as he lay trapped under the vehicle. Police in New Mexico say 26-year-old Steven Roy Reese of Carlsbad was killed either Tuesday night or Wednesday morning when he apparently lost control of his 1996 Ford Explorer on a little-used dirt road. However, when they got to the vehicle they discovered that somebody had stolen wheels, tires and the battery from the wrecked...

The last surviving original band member of the Glenn Miller Band has died. Paul Tanner passed away Tuesday afternoon at the Sunrise Living Facility in Carlsbad.

SANTA FE -- State Rep. Cathrynn Brown, reversing herself based on her constituents' wishes, said Wednesday she will introduce a bill requiring identification to vote. Brown, R-Carlsbad, had said only two weeks ago that she would not offer a voter ID bill this session because it had no chance to pass. "I changed my mind after hearing from my constituents," she said in an interview. "The prevailing view is that election integrity is too important not to do anything."

Jim Grant was driving home in Carlsbad, California, when he came to a fork in the road. No, an actual fork. The oversized kitchen utensil was 6 feet high, made of wood, painted silver and mounted in the concrete island at the intersection of Levante Street and Anillo Way in south Carlsbad.

A gunman opened fire at an elementary school in Carlsbad, California, injuring two students who were outside during lunch Friday, police said. The students, ages 6 and 7, were shot and suffered minor injuries, said Lt. Jay Eppel of the Carlsbad Police Department. Both were flown to Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego. Construction workers at Kelly Elementary School detained a 41-year-old male suspect shortly after noon until officers arrived, Eppel said. Police do not suspect the man has a relationship with any students at the school. Worker Carlos Partida told CNN affiliate KGTV that he got into his truck...

SNIPPET: "CARLSBAD, Calif. -- One person is in custody after shots were fired on the campus of Kelly Elementary School in Carlsbad, Carlsbad police said. According to dispatchers, the shots were reported shortly after noon at Kelly Elementary School at Kelly and Hillside drives. The school was placed on lockdown due to the incident. Minor injuries have been reported, but it has been determined that the injuries were not related to a shooting. A medical helicopter is landing near the school in response to the situation."