LOS ANGELES (KEYT) – SpaceX and the California Coastal Commission have agreed to settle a lawsuit that requires the state regulator to apologize for making politically biased statements against the space-focused company's leadership after rejecting an increase in local rocket launches last year.

"The [California Coastal] Commission agrees that it may not consider irrelevant factors in performing its function and specifically agrees that it will not take into account the perceived political beliefs, political speech, or labor practices of SpaceX or its officers in considering any regulatory action concerning SpaceX," stated the settlement filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California this week. "The Commission acknowledges that Commissioners made statements, including during their October 10, 2024, hearing on the Base’s Falcon 9 launch program, that showed political bias against SpaceX and its Chief Executive Officer and were improper."

In October of last year, Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) filed a lawsuit in federal court contesting the decision by the state regulator to reject to an increase in launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

According to the suit filed late last year, SpaceX leases the land used for rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base, but, notably, the U.S. Air Force, "retains ultimate authority over the use of the land and launch facilities".

That distinction between a private company's commercial launches and a federal agency's launches matters.

SpaceX is one of the few U.S.-based launch service providers currently certified to launch national security missions through the National Security Space Launch program.

A federal consistency determination is a state-level decision concerning federal actions that impact local coastal zones and determines the extent of the Coastal Commission's authority over federal agency actions.

The image below, courtesy of the California Coastal Commission, shows the inland extent of the Coastal Zone in Santa Barbara County as the blue line.

While federal agencies, such as the U.S. Space Force, can avoid the usual permitting process through the California Coastal Commission as long as they agree to a mitigation agreement, private companies are subject to the California Coastal Act that requires permitting or permission from the Commission which regulates the coastal zone statewide.

The Commission's vote to reject the increase in launches was an escalation of the Coastal Commission's efforts to require SpaceX specifically to apply for a coastal development permit regarding its commercial launches.

While Falcon 9 boosters launch Defense Department materials into space, most launches are for Starlink satellites and, as the C

By Kit Maher, CNN

(CNN) — The Artemis II astronauts’ journey to the moon and back landed them at the White House Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon — standing by while President Donald Trump talked UFOs, the Space Force and the Iran war.

Sporting blue jackets, NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen stood behind Trump at the Resolute Desk — which had a gold-plated model of the moon on it — as White House reporters were brought in. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman also stood alongside the astronauts.

“I don’t know how they do it. I wouldn’t want to do it, but it takes people like this to make our country great,” Trump said.

Trump briefly ran through his own space-related priorities, some at the prompting of reporters: touting his move to start the military branch Space Force in his first term, reiterating his intention to release classified material related to UFOs and saying there was a “good shot” that another person would walk on the moon during his presidency.

“We don’t like to say definitely, because then you say, ‘Oh, we failed,’” Trump said. “So we have a good shot. We’ve authorized it.”

Issacman confirmed efforts to send a person to the moon’s surface again in 2028, as well as detailing continued plans to launch an Artemis III mission in 2027. He also said NASA headquarters will remain in Washington, DC, calling it an “advantage” to be in the nation’s capital — an assertion Trump agreed with.

The rest of the event became a somewhat freewheeling press conference, a common risk during most of Trump’s public events these days. About two weeks ago, Trump welcomed a DoorDash delivery woman to the White House in an effort to tout his party’s tax cuts. The woman then stood next to Trump while he answered questions about the Iran war and tried to solicit her opinion on transgender women playing in women’s sports.

Trump didn’t ask the astronauts to weigh in on his comments Wednesday, but they stood by with carefully neutral expressions as he praised a Supreme Court decision to limit the Voting Rights Act, insisted that former FBI Director James Comey had threatened his life with a social media post and said the end of wars in Ukraine and Iran would probably happen on a “similar timetable.”

There were parallels to the mission itself, as some of the Artemis milestones were eclipsed by the war with Iran.

After the astronauts marked the achievement of traveling the furthest distance from Earth — as they circled around the dark side of the moon on April 6 — much of the news coverage the next day focused on Trump’s remarkable threat on Iran the next morning. He wrote: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will.”

Trump had watched the launch alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as photographed by the White House, and the president had touted the mission as an example of American dominance.

“We are WINNING, in Space, on Earth, and everywhere in between — Economically, Militarily, and now, BEYOND THE STARS. Nobody comes close!” Trump wrote on Truth Social before liftoff.

When the astronauts successfully returned, Trump congratulated them on their “spectacular” feat and invited the crew to the White House.

“We’ll be doing it again and then, next step, Mars!” Trump said.

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Por Aileen Graef, CNN

Un agente del Servicio Secreto vio a un sospechoso armado con una escopeta disparar hacia las escaleras que conducían a un salón de hotel donde el presidente Donald Trump, miembros de su gabinete y algunos de los principales periodistas del país se habían reunido el sábado para la cena de la Asociación de Corresponsales de la Casa Blanca, según alegaron fiscales federales en una nueva presentación judicial este miércoles.

El documento, que expone los argumentos de la fiscalía para mantener detenido al sospechoso mientras espera juicio, ofrece una cronología más detallada del tiroteo de lo que se conocía hasta ahora, junto con un recuento exhaustivo del arsenal que había acumulado.

Los fiscales argumentaron que no existe “ninguna combinación de condiciones que pueda garantizar razonablemente la seguridad de la comunidad” si el sospechoso fuera liberado, señalando su amplia preparación y la posibilidad —evitada por “buena fortuna”— de que pudiera haber matado a personas y causado daños graves.

Calificaron el plan como un acto de “violencia política extrema”.

“La elección de objetivos por parte del acusado demuestra la naturaleza profundamente peligrosa de su conducta”, escribieron los fiscales. “El intento de homicidio siempre es un delito grave, pero cuando la víctima prevista es el presidente de Estados Unidos, así como otros altos funcionarios del Gobierno, las posibles consecuencias son de gran alcance”.

Cole Tomas Allen, un hombre de 31 años de California, está acusado de intentar asesinar al presidente y de cargos relacionados en conexión con el tiroteo. Aún no ha presentado una declaración en el caso, y su abogado no respondió de inmediato a un mensaje solicitando comentarios este miércoles.

Los fiscales federales alegaron que viajó a Washington, tras un largo trayecto en tren a través del país, y que finalmente se acercó al salón del Washington Hilton la noche del sábado con lo que describieron como un “verdadero arsenal”. Este incluía una escopeta de acción de bombeo calibre 12, una pistola calibre .38, múltiples cuchillos y dagas, y una cantidad significativa de municiones para recargar, según el documento.

De acuerdo con la fiscalía, la planificación comenzó semanas antes de la cena. El 6 de abril, poco más de un mes después de que Trump anunciara su asistencia, Allen buscó información sobre el evento y reservó una estancia de dos noches en el Washington Hilton para ese fin de semana.

También investigó detalles sobre la cena, el programa, el anfitrión y los asistentes previstos.

Cuatro días antes del ataque, el 21 de abril, Allen salió de Los Ángeles en un tren de pasajeros de Amtrak rumbo a Chicago, según el documento judicial. El 23 de abril abordó un segundo tren hacia la ciudad de Washington.

Durante el trayecto entre Chicago y la capital, pasó el tiempo leyendo un artículo de un periódico local titulado “Escena social: su guía para el fin de semana de la Cena de Corresponsales de la Casa Blanca 2026”, de acuerdo con la presentación. Llegó a Union Station el 24 de abril, tomó el metro hacia Dupont Circle y se registró en el hotel Hilton —donde se celebraba la cena— alrededor de las 3:15 p.m.

El día de la cena, según el documento, Allen salió varias veces de su habitación y buscó en su teléfono el programa del presidente.

Aproximadamente a las 8:03 p.m., se tomó una fotografía frente al espejo de su habitación, en la que se le ve con armas sujetas a su cuerpo, señala la presentación.

Tras consultar por última vez la agenda del presidente, salió de su habitación alrededor de las 8:15 p.m. Unos 12 minutos después, estaba viendo videos en vivo

By Jennifer Hansler, CNN

(CNN) — Applicants for visas to the United States will now have to affirm that they do not fear persecution in their home countries as the Trump administration seeks to further restrict potential asylum seeks from entering the country.

The new rule, outlined in a diplomatic cable to all embassies and consulates this week, comes amid a sweeping shift in policies that have upended and restricted immigration to the US.

The administration had already increased vetting for student visa applicants, and it has temporarily paused decisions on immigration applications to ensure that they meet newly rolled out security check guidance, according to a source familiar with the situation and an internal memo.

The rule applies for those applying for nonimmigrant visas, which include those for tourists, students and temporary workers. In January, the US suspended immigrant visa processing for 75 countries.

“Consular officers must prevent abuse of the immigration system by visa applicants who misrepresent their purpose of travel, including those who attempt to obtain nonimmigrant visas for the purpose of claiming asylum upon arrival in the United States,” said the cable, which was reviewed by CNN.

The Washington Post first reported on the cable.

The directive from the State Department instructs consular officers to ask nonimmigrant visa applicants two questions: “Have you experienced harm or mistreatment in your country of nationality or last habitual residence?” and “Do you fear harm or mistreatment in returning to your country of nationality or permanent residence?”

“Visa applicants must respond verbally with a ‘no’ to both questions for the consular officer to continue with visa issuance,” the cable instructed.

·A State Department spokesperson said, “Consular officers are the first line of defense for US national security” and noted the department “uses all available tools and resources to determine whether each visa applicant qualifies under US law.”

In order to seek asylum, a person must be physically present in the US and be fleeing political, racial or religious persecution in their home country.

Camille Mackler, an immigration policy consultant, told CNN that the new directive “is going to put people in really bad, terrible positions of having to make choices that ultimately affect their and their family safety.”

“I also think this pushes people to unsafe for pathways and unsafe for routes, because if you need to leave, you leave, and you do whatever you need to do that,” she said.

CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez contributed reporting.

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