Free Republic

A new study has revealed that small lakes on Earth have expanded considerably over the last four decades – a worrying development, considering the amount of greenhouse gases freshwater reservoirs emit. Between 1984 and 2019, global lake surfaces increased in size by more than 46,000 square kilometers (17,761 square miles), researchers say. That's slightly more than the area covered by Denmark. Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and other gasses are constantly produced from lakes, because of the bacteria and fungi feeding at the bottom of the water, snacking on dead plants and animals that have drifted down to the lake...

In Congress, where legislation is drafted, debated and enacted, clear and concise definitions are of paramount importance. As military aircrews increasingly encounter unidentified flying objects (UFOs), lawmakers recently made several striking revisions to the definition of “UFO.” Key among them: The explosive implication that some UFOs have non-human origins. As first reported by researcher Douglas Johnson, a draft bill approved unanimously by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence rebrands UFOs as “unidentified aerospace-undersea phenomena.” Expanding the definition to include objects in space and under the oceans significantly broadens the scope of a muscular new office tasked by Congress with investigating...

Fifty-seven suspected gang members were arrested after a yearlong investigation into the death of a CHP officer who was shot by a 16-year-old boy outside a courthouse, authorites said Monday. Investigators from local, state and federal agencies began arresting the suspected members of the Pomona 12th Street Sharkies gang Friday on charges ranging from conspiracy to commit murder to weapons and drug-related violations, California Attorney General Bill Lockyer said in a statement. Authorities used wiretaps, informants, surveillance and undercover agents during the investigation to obtain evidence against alleged gang leaders. Authorities seized dozens of weapons, more than $43,000 in cash,...