Free Republic

A fire in southwest Berlin that has left tens of thousands in the German capital without electricity was likely the result of a far-left extremist attack, officials said on Sunday. Grid company Stromnetz Berlin said on Saturday that the suspected arson attack could leave up to 45,000 households without power until January 8. Following the attack, local media published a letter purportedly from a far-left activist organisation called the Volcano Group that claimed responsibility for the incident, saying its actions were directed at the fossil-fuel based energy industry. "The letter claiming responsibility has been classified as authentic by the security...

Chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is supercharging an already massive US investment spree – pledging an additional $100 billion to meet surging AI demand. The move brings TSMC’s investment in the US to $265 billion and comes as the company posted second-quarter earnings that blew past market expectations Thursday. TSMC, which supplies powerful chips that are critical for tech giants like Apple and Nvidia, boosted its global capital spending plan for 2025 to between $60 billion and $64 billion. That record level marks an increase of about 7% to 14% from its previous forecast. Still, TSMC’s US-listed shares slipped...

Trillionaire Elon Musk aims to have rockets blast off from Earth before the end of 2026, sending the first materials to the moon and Mars to start building colonies. The world’s first trillionaire is then planning to send robots to prepare the infrastructure needed for humans to survive. Musk said recently he has shifted Space X’s focus as it is closer and “much faster to complete a moon city,” with a timeline of getting it established in the next 10 years. However, he is optimistic he can also start sending material to the red planet within seven years too. This...

Yes, there have been multiple cases where Tesla accused former programmers/engineers of stealing source code or trade secrets and allegedly using or taking them to competitors (or rivals). Tesla has filed several lawsuits over the years alleging this. Notable Examples Guangzhi Cao (2019): A former Autopilot engineer. Tesla sued him for copying over 300,000 files of Autopilot source code before joining Chinese EV startup Xiaopeng Motors (Xpeng), a direct competitor. He allegedly uploaded it to personal iCloud and devices. The case settled in 2021 with an undisclosed payment from Cao to Tesla. Zhongjie “Jay” Li (2025): A former engineer on...

... During discussions with the worker, organizers learned that Tesla was performing large-scale ductwork installations using more than 60 workers from across the country — workers who were not SMART members. The worker also identified the project location and explained that Tesla was staffing the operation through a temporary labor provider, Superior Skilled Trades (SST), based out of Florida. Further investigation revealed that SST was recruiting heavily from Southern states and other regions with lower wage rates, making Tesla’s compensation package highly attractive to workers willing to travel. SST’s focus was on providing labor quantity rather than skilled sheet metal...

Tesla cars are constantly capturing video data from all their cars that is sent back to their servers. No doubt, this data could be used to track criminals or anyone else by a query to the database. I have not seen this discussed anywhere, but seems like LE or those with ill intent could see this as a treasure. I saw this post: This little blue dot on your phone is a revolutionary invention https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4386790/posts and it made me remember this question. Tesla uses the data to improve their self driving algorithms so billions of videos are uploaded from cars...

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's speech for our nation's 250th birthday has gotten a lot of well-deserved criticism. It was pretty awful on the whole. But there was one particular part on Friday that got a lot of attention, in which he lambasted America, attacked Elon Musk, and demonized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). JUST IN: NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani used America’s 250th anniversary to sharply criticize the country, accusing the U.S. of allowing children to go hungry while billionaires and “oligarchs” gain more power.He said America’s wealth was built by working people with “calloused, dirt-streaked hands" while accusing...

In this video, The Electric Viking details Tesla's record-breaking Q2 2026 performance. Despite broader market skepticism, Tesla delivered 480,126 vehicles in the second quarter of 2026, marking a significant 25% year-over-year increase and crushing Wall Street's consensus estimates by roughly 74,000 units (0:13-0:28). Key takeaways from the report: Strong Rebound: This quarter marks Tesla's strongest second quarter ever and the first year-over-year growth following two straight years of decline (0:36-0:47). Production vs. Deliveries: Tesla delivered 480,126 vehicles while producing 451,758, indicating that they successfully cleared out excess inventory (0:51-1:03). Model Mix: Deliveries were heavily dominated by the Model Y and...

SpaceXAI has become a major force for good in Memphis and surrounding communities. • SpaceXAI’s expansion is projected to push local tax revenue above $100 million • Employs almost 3,000 people locally in Memphis • The Musk Foundation donated $350,000 to Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis • Has paid tens of millions of dollars in property taxes to Memphis and Shelby County • Spent $10 million in 2025 with Memphis restaurants and food vendors • Starlink is also giving eligible Memphis-area residents half-price service. • 80% of the construction workforce was hired from the Memphis community • Hired...

This video, Overflow Episode 99 by BestInTesla, covers a variety of updates surrounding Tesla and SpaceX. Here is a summary of the key topics discussed: Tesla’s Growth in Europe: Despite negative media sentiment last year, Tesla sales in Europe have rebounded significantly, with a 108% increase in May and 57% growth year-to-date (1:20-5:17). The video emphasizes that the earlier decline was primarily due to the refreshed Model Y production pause rather than political factors. Full Self-Driving (FSD) Updates: Finland is emerging as a potential leader in approving Tesla's FSD Supervised independently of the broader EU-wide process, with authorities noting the...

Tesla has finally clarified the situation regarding the viral crash in Texas where a Model 3 slammed into a home. CEO Elon Musk replied to reports on Monday that stated the crash was due to the company’s Full Self-Driving or Autopilot suite, which seemed unlikely to those who are familiar with it. Video showed the car slamming into a house at an excessive rate of speed, making it highly unlikely the crash was due to the suite’s operation, as it does not travel at those speeds in residential areas. Musk said: “This makes no sense. FSD drives slowly through neighborhood...

🚀 The Q1 Rocket Report is out. SpaceX's market share of launch (both by kg to orbit and by number of spacecraft launched) is now 99% in the U.S. and 86% globally. China, Russia, and "other U.S." dropped from the prior quarter. Number of spacecraft launched grew 35% YOY.

Starfall?! Most Tesla investors have never heard of it. But this quiet SpaceX project could be one of the biggest tailwinds for TSLA in the 2030s and beyond. It is not just "another capsule." It is a 10 feet diameter, 2.5 feet tall disk-shaped, reentry vehicle designed to bring high-value payloads back from orbit safely and affordably. It weighs about 4,600lbs and is the missing piece for in-space manufacturing at scale. The first FAA-approved launch test is scheduled for June 21st 2026. Starfall’s sole purpose is to be a rapid point-to-point cargo delivery vessel. It unlocks commercial in-space manufacturing by...

The African immigrant on the left has founded seven companies, directly and indirectly created 800,000 good paying jobs, created thousands of new American millionaires, developed reusable orbital rockets and brain chips that are giving independence to paraplegics, saved free speech, and can’t stop talking about how much he loves America. The African immigrant on the right married her brother to commit immigration fraud, facilitated the theft of money intended to feed hungry kids, has used government to enrich herself, praises terrorists, and can’t stop talking about how much she hates America. Leftists want the African immigrant on the left punished...

If you submitted an indication of interest for SpaceX IPO shares, you will need to confirm your indication of interest after the IPO has officially been priced, which is currently expected tomorrow evening (June 11th). Confirming an indication changes your indication to an order to buy shares at the offer price that SpaceX sets. Keep in mind that you will have a short window of time to confirm your indication of interest. Some participating brokerages are saying that public the window may open late in the evening and close as early as 7 AM ET the following morning (June 12)....

This video (Episode 330 of Best in Tesla News) covers significant growth and developments for Tesla and SpaceX as of June 2026. Tesla Global Sales and Market Performance: Strong Global Growth: Tesla is seeing record-breaking sales in 2026. Specifically, in Germany, sales were up 322% in May, putting the company on track for a potential record year (1:24 - 3:12). Similar positive trends were reported in New Zealand, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Japan (3:12 - 5:47). Ford's Struggles: In contrast to Tesla, Ford is experiencing sales declines in the U.S. and has liquidated a major joint venture in China...

A new Texas law allows companies with SAE Level 4 or higher autonomous vehicles to offer commercial driverless transportation. Tesla wasted no time in self-certifying their vehicles. On the same day the law went into effect, Tesla officially self-certified their FSD software on their robotaxi vehicles as Level 4 compliant. For years, Tesla’s Autopilot and FSD software, even in Texas, has navigated the consumer market under the constraints imposed by a Level 2 driver-assist system. And while Tesla now operates in Texas as a level-4 system, this does not change the level-2 designation for consumer vehicles. Taking Responsibility While many...

The Florida Highway Patrol said the crash happened when a 87-year-old was driving a Tesla Model Y SUV while it was in autopilot.PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — An 87-year-old Florida man is dead after his Tesla, which was in autopilot mode, went off the road and into pond, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, WTSP reports. The Florida Highway Patrol said the Wesley Chapel man was driving a Tesla Model Y SUV around 8 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday on Overpass Road in Pasco County while it was in autopilot.At some point, the Tesla went off the road, hit an electrical box...

GRAPEVINE, Texas — Grapevine police have arrested the driver of a Tesla Cybertruck who went into Grapevine Lake Monday night. Police said just before 8 p.m. Monday, officers were called to Katie's Woods Park Boat Ramp, where a Tesla Cybertruck was in the water, near the shore. According to a press release, the driver told officers he intentionally drove into the lake to use the vehicle's "Wade Mode" feature. The truck became disabled and started taking on water. Everyone in the truck was able to get out safely before the Grapevine Fire Department Water Rescue Team helped get the truck...

Intel late on Tuesday [Mar 2026] announced that its board of directors had elected Dr. Craig H. Barratt as independent chairman, who will assume his role in mid-May after the company's Annual Stockholders’ Meeting. Craig H. Barratt, who has an engineering background, will replace Frank D. Yeary, who will retire from Intel's BoD after spending around 17 years there. Barrat replaces Frank D. Yeary, who has a financial background and who once tried to split Intel into products and manufacturing companies and then get rid of the company's manufacturing assets. Instead of splitting Intel, Craig H. Barratt seems to envision...