The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has approved a deal that hands 715 acres of a protected national wildlife refuge in South Texas to SpaceX, the rocket company owned by the world’s richest man, in exchange for only 683 acres of private land in return. The public gets less. SpaceX gets more.
The land being transferred is part of the Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge, created by Congress in 1979 and funded by decades of taxpayer investment to protect some of the most biodiverse habitat in the United States. It’s one of the last places in America where endangered ocelots still survive. It’s home to aplomado falcons, piping plovers, and migratory birds that depend on this corridor. It includes hundreds of acres of Palmito Ranch Battlefield, a National Historic Landmark and the site of the final battle of the Civil War. And it sits on land that the Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation has called sacred since long before there was a United States.
SpaceX has been a damaging neighbor to this refuge since arriving in 2014. Rocket explosions have scattered concrete and metal debris more than six miles onto refuge land. A 2024 study found that after one launch, every single monitored shorebird nest near the launch site suffered egg damage or loss. Rather than enforcing consequences for that damage, the Fish and Wildlife Service used it as justification for the transfer, arguing the land had lost conservation value. Value that SpaceX itself destroyed.
Records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that while Elon Musk was running the Department of Government Efficiency and publicly threatening federal employees who could not justify their jobs to him, his agency contacts at Fish and Wildlife developed “the most expedited schedule possible” to finalize this deal.
This is not conservation. This is a sweetheart deal, rushed through for a political ally, at the permanent expense of public land, endangered wildlife, Indigenous heritage, and American history.
We are calling on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to reverse the land exchange, and on Congress to open a full investigation into how this transfer was approved and why the agency moved at emergency speed to benefit one of the wealthiest men on earth.
This land belongs to the public. To the ocelots. To the Carrizo/Comecrudo people who have stewarded it since time immemorial. It is not a transaction. Sign to demand it stays that way.Report a policy violation
By signing, you accept Change.org’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and agree to receive occasional emails about campaigns on Change.org. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Amy Comey Barrett has a mixed family, that spelled disaster. Why anyone with one ounce of gray matter would ever think she would side with the Conservatives on the Court. And so it happened, not once but twice, in major decisions that proved her overt credentials as a rouge justice, just like Roberts.
MAGA world is incensed after Trump-appointed Supreme Court Justice Amy Comey Barrett sided with the liberal justices—and even wrote the majority opinion—rejecting the Trump administration’s attempt to gut mail-in voting.
The court on Monday ruled to uphold a Mississippi law allowing mail-in ballots to be counted up to five days after the election, so long as they were postmarked by Election Day. The decision effectively saves similar grace periods around the country, especially in big Democratic states. That was enough to set off Republicans.
“A shockingly wrong opinion,” wrote Republican Senator Eric Schmitt. “Justice Barrett joins with the liberal justices to hold that federal election law does not preempt states who allow late mail-in ballots to be counted. This is terrible for election integrity. Another reason we must pass the full SAVE American [sic] Act.”
“Remember Election Day?” said GOP Representative Abe Hamadeh. “This disastrous SCOTUS decision, authored by Justice Barrett, guarantees we’ll keep drifting away from it—as our sacred elections get bogged down by endless mail-in ballots and never-ending counts.”
Trump supporters outside of Congress made their discontent clear, as well.
KEEP IN MIND THAT NOT ONE REPUBLICAN EVER WON A RACE WITH THE MAIL IN VOTES COUNTED AFTER ELECTION NIGHT. THEY WERE AHEAD WHEN IN PERSON VOTING WAS TABULATED.
But the worse was yet to come.
Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship on constitutional grounds
Updated June 30, 20264:16 PM ET Nina Totenberg
In a sharp rebuke to President Trump, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the Constitution guarantees automatic birthright citizenship to virtually all children born in the United States.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the court’s 6-3 opinion, citing both the colonists’ demands for the “rights of Englishmen” as well as the abolitionists lauding of the “ancient and universal” rule of citizenship by birth alone.
“Citizenship, then and now, was the right to have rights — to freely participate in our political community. The Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment extended that promise to ‘every free-born person in this land,'” Roberts wrote. “We keep that promise today.”
Thomas followed the high court’s ruling to uphold state laws preventing transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports with a concurring opinion, saying, “Men and boys with gender dysphoria are not women or girls, even if they believe that they are. Sex is an immutable ‘biological’ characteristic, see ante, at 10; it is binary; and ‘man’ and ‘woman,’ ‘boy’ and ‘girl,’ are the terms that correspond to adults and children of each sex.”
He added, “To use language to obscure reality to show ‘indifference regarding the truth’— is to lie to the public and cease to treat our fellow citizens ‘as equal[s].’”
We have seen this act before.; Adolph Hitler, Vladimir Lenin, Fidel Castro, Mao, Pol Pot and Kim Jung are all made from the same mold. They became dictators by brute force. Mamdani, on the other hand is doing it by the ballot box.Middle America has not yet to see the Socialists of America in action.
With a charasmatic smile and superior oratory skills like Hitler that cater to the low level scum of the Big Apple, a complete takeover has occured. Freebees everywhere is the message.Riding on the back of AOC, Mamdani captured the hear and soul of New York City’s downtrodden, but that comes with a cost, someone has to pay.
Propaganda poster of Mao Zedong (Mao Tze Tung) with signs saying, Mao Zedong is the savior of Chinese people.
No matter how you look at it, sideways, upside down, through a telescope, from the moon, underwater, the United States wasted an opportunity to bring the IRGC to their knees. The Iranian Street is fuming; they are furious, but the U.S. liberal street is thowing parties for the American defeat.
However, we believe that a power struggle inside Iran is taking place. It seems that the IRGCis carrying on these strike to assert their authority , but the Supreme Leader, the one with the decapitated face, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei is not fully in charge. The Prime Minister is a moderate, that is if you can call any of these murderers moderates, Masoud Pezeshkian. is not fully in apprised of what the IRGC is doing. So the botton line here appears to be a schism taking place.How this works out is the guess of Allah.
Why has Trump let these guys off the hook?Will he reverse course in the days ahead? We shall find out soon.
Senator John Thune is not playing #47’s tune by holding up the Save America Act. A failure from the get- go. The Filibuster has outlived its usefullenss. Tomorrow will be too late. The Save Act will bring Truth back into elections. Currently we have, this is a wild guess, but 5% or more of illegals & inelligibles voting, The Save Act will stop them.
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, also known as the SAVE Act or SAVE America Act, is a proposed United States law requiring documented proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in US federal election. The bill was introduced among immigration policies of the second Donald Trump administration, under claims that there was significant fraud in previous elections, including voting by undocumented immigrants. The bill has been controversial, as the claims of fraud have not been proven in court, and opponents claim that a larger goal is meant to disenfranchise eligible voters. As of June 2026, the Senate officially failed to pass the bill.
We are speaking of the Gold & Silver market which has been decimated over the past week; if you didn’t get out at the top ($5600 gold & $120 silver) now is the time to jump in with both feet. Nothing has changed the fundamentals, $37 trillion deficit, $1 trillion interest per year, if not more; bleeding to death infront of our very eyes.
Countries continue to print fiat currencies, Social Security running out of ficticious money by the day, medicare on the verge of drowning, what else can you ask for? Put all of that together with other debt, for instance, state and local obligations and you have a Paradise Fire looming from above.
The ordinary person ( we would say man, but that is not IN) has no idea what is looming around the corner. Default Armageddon is not something you see everyday. Remember the Titanic, the titan of all ships, unsinkable until it was sinkable. It is time to save your financial life, heed our advice, hop on the Golden Life Boat now, before the Ship of State plunges into the deep.You won’t regret it.
The European Parliament erupted into chants of “send them back” after lawmakers approved a sweeping overhaul of the European Union’s migrant return system, the latest sign that Europe is moving toward tougher immigration enforcement after years of growing anger and frustration from voters.
Members of the European Parliament voted 418 to 218 Wednesday with 30 abstentions to approve the Return Regulation, a measure designed to speed up the removal of third-country nationals who are staying illegally in the European Union.
The moment quickly turned explosive. After the vote was announced, right-wing lawmakers stood, applauded and chanted “send them back,” according to a video of the meeting.
Lawmakers on the left responded by chanting “shame on you.”
The legislation still requires formal approval by the Council of the European Union and publication in the Official Journal before it goes into force, but the confrontation underscored how sharply divided Europe remains over migration, even as the bloc’s institutions move ahead with policies once seen as politically taboo.
The new rules would allow member states to detain some migrants for up to 24 months, with a possible six-month extension, and create a framework for “return hubs” outside the European Union in third countries willing to receive migrants with return decisions.
Migrants wade into the water near Gravelines, France, as traffickers with covered faces manage the scene before boarding a small boat at sunrise on July 2, 2025. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Supporters say the rules are necessary because European Union countries have struggled to enforce deportation orders. The European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR), citing the European Commission, said only around 20% of migrants who receive a return decision are actually returned.
The vote comes after Fox News Digital reported earlier in June that the European Union appeared to be moving toward tougher border and asylum rules amid growing concern over illegal immigration across the continent. The new measures include stricter screening, identity and security checks and the use of biometric data such as fingerprints and facial recognition.
Members of the European Parliament during a June 17 session in which chants of “send them home” were heard during a vote on new EU migration rules. (European Parliament streaming service)
Obama has stiffed hard hats who built his colossus albatross on nineteen acres of Chicago park. Contractors are now calmoring for their hard earned dough. These contractors sunk their blood, sweat and tears into the gargantum project, only to find out they weren’t going to get paid for a job well done.
Where are you Obama? Are you skipping out on the Brothers from the Hood? Cough up the money, cheapskate. Are you the typical low life who skips town to the Vineyard? Where is the MONEY?
Subcontractors say they’re owed millions, face financial ruin, after helping build Obama Presidential Center
Adamson Plumbing owner Mike Owen says his company is owed nearly $4M on the Chicago project
CHICAGO — The Obama Presidential Center was billed as a lasting legacy to former President Barack Obama, and its construction was touted as an ambitious model built with aggressive goals for minority-owned and local businesses.
But now, some of the very subcontractors who helped build the 19.3-acre campus on Chicago’s South Side say they are facing financial ruin as they race to recover millions of dollars they claim remain unpaid ahead of the center’s grand opening Friday. Overall construction costs were reported to be $830 million in 2021, and have likely climbed past the $1 billion mark.
A Fox News Digital investigation identified multiple construction firms claiming losses ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to tens of millions. The allegations cut against one of the Center’s defining goals: helping minority-owned businesses and local contractors grow through one of Chicago’s highest-profile construction projects. Several of the complaints reviewed by Fox News Digital come from firms that were supposed to benefit from that mission.
Among them is Adamson Plumbing, whose owner Mike Owen says is nearly $4 million in the red after years of work on the project.
“That is a hole that no subcontractor, small business can survive,” Owen said.
WATCH: Black subcontractors at Obama Presidential Center still seeking payment as Juneteenth opening nears, advocate says
Subcontractor owners interviewed by Fox News Digital described what they characterized as a chaotic work environment marked by repeated design changes, rework, scheduling disruptions, extensive oversight and years-long compensation disputes that still remain unresolved.
Several also described what they viewed as a wall of silence surrounding the project, with some declining to speak publicly or requesting anonymity because of confidentiality agreements or fears of professional retaliation.
The allegations emerge days after a Fox News Digital investigation reported that the Obama Foundation’s reserve fund — originally promoted as a $470 million financial safeguard intended to help protect taxpayers if the project encountered financial trouble — remains funded at roughly $1 million.
Nearly $4 million in the red
Standing outside the center on a gloomy Friday afternoon, Owen flipped through spreadsheets and financial records that he said documented millions of dollars in losses tied to the project.
Owen said the project stretched on for years longer than anticipated, forcing his company to absorb millions of dollars in labor and overhead costs as work demands changed and expanded.
He said the losses have drained the company’s reserves, created uncertainty for employees and could ultimately force layoffs. Owen also said the years-long effort to recover what he believes is money owed has taken a significant toll on his mental health.
“I haven’t had eight hours or six hours sleep in over a year,” Owen said. “I’m cooked emotionally. I feel like an aluminum can that’s been thrown in front of a steamroller. We’re crushed. And I have to fight for my company and for my people.”
African American Contractors Association President Omar Shareef (left) and Adamson Plumbing President and Owner Mike Owen (right) are shown alongside the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Both men raised concerns about payment disputes involving contractors and subcontractors who worked on the project. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital; Fox Flight Team)
As the center prepares for a star-studded pre-opening celebration on Thursday featuring performers including Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder and John Legend, Owen said it has been difficult to watch the buildup and soft-opening events take shape over the past few weeks while his company struggles financially.
“It was kind of hard seeing some local and national celebrities high-fiving and back-slapping here about the work that’s been done,” Owen said. “The backdrop of a coming celebration is kind of hard to swallow for me and for some of my peers at the moment.”
Owen, whose company is not minority-owned, said he decided to speak publicly only after months of failed efforts to recover losses he attributes to the project.
“As for me and my company, I’m at the end of my rope and I see no other choice than to have to tell my story,” Owen said. “This is not to embarrass anybody, but this is just to make sure that the truth gets told out here of what has happened to the companies that poured their heart and soul into getting this job complete and operational.”
He said unnecessary rework, delays and more than 100 change-order requests left his company absorbing millions of dollars in additional costs.
Mike Owen, president and owner of Adamson Plumbing, reviews documents outside the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)
The Obama Foundation, Obama’s private nonprofit organization that oversees the construction, told Fox News Digital that it paid Lakeside Alliance as the project’s construction manager and that Lakeside was responsible for hiring, managing and paying subcontractors working on the center.
The Obama Foundation also said it has no outstanding disputed charges with Lakeside Alliance — a joint venture involving multiple construction companies — and no contractural relationship with Lakeside’s subcontractors.
Lakeside Alliance said projects of this scale are inherently complex and that outstanding project matters often continue long after construction ends. The alliance said approximately 475 contractors worked on the project, generating significant opportunities for local tradespeople and businesses, and that it remains committed to working through outstanding matters to successfully close out the project.
Neither Lakeside Alliance nor the Obama Foundation directly disputed allegations from some subcontractors that they incurred losses while working on the project.
Fears of speaking out
Advocates for Black subcontractor firms say those companies have been muzzled by a non-disclosure agreement and a reluctance to speak publicly because of the prestige surrounding the project in Obama’s adopted hometown, a Democratic stronghold, as well as concerns that speaking out could jeopardize payments.
“They are scared to death about talking about it,” Omar Shareef, the president of the African American Contractors Association, told Fox News Digital outside the center on a recent Saturday. The group advocates for Black-owned construction businesses and was founded by Shareef in 1989.
“I’ve never seen this happen since I’ve been in business,” Shareef said. “The building does look nice, but the fact doesn’t matter that they’re not paying our damn contractors.”
Fox News Digital independently interviewed several contractors who described similar concerns.
Construction equipment is seen outside the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago ahead of the campus opening. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)
Shareef said several Black subcontractor owners began privately approaching him about six months ago, claiming significant losses tied directly to the project. The concerns are particularly notable, he said, because the project was publicly promoted as an opportunity for minority-owned businesses and local workers.
“The promise was that this project was going to uplift minority contractors and uplift the community,” Shareef said. “What sense is celebrating Juneteenth if our Black contractors are not getting their money?”
“Some of the people have put their mortgages up, they’re going to lose their bonding… they are going to lose their relationship with their supplier as well as their banker.”
Shareef said that being in the red not only puts them at financial risk, but it also makes it harder for them to secure future projects. Shareef said his group plans on staging a protest outside the center on Thursday at 10 a.m. CT.
“That’s a bad signal to put out the fact that seven to eight to maybe 10 of our contractors in our community are going to be eliminated from doing business because of the debt that they incurred on this particular project,” he said. “If they would have known it was a Trojan horse or a Pandora’s box, I don’t know if they would have raced as much as they did to be a part of it.”
Fox News Digital has not independently corroborated the claim that these subcontractors will be forced out of business as a result of their work on the Obama Presidential Center project.
Local companies on the brink
One minority-owned subcontractor owner told Fox News Digital his company was up to $2.5 million in the red but declined to speak publicly, citing non-disclosure agreements and ongoing efforts to resolve disputes. The owner said the contract for the job was originally expected to last 24 months but ultimately stretched to about five years.
Fox News Digital was unable to independently verify the company’s claimed losses. Shareef said the owner told him the same story but the owner wouldn’t provide Shareef with documents due to the NDA.
The largest publicly known dispute tied to the project involved II in One Concrete, a Black-owned firm that was part of the Concrete Collective — a joint venture that also included Trice Construction and W.E. O’Neil Construction — that was responsible for major structural concrete work across the campus.
The Concrete Collective filed claims exceeding $40 million, alleging it incurred substantial additional costs while working on the Center. The dispute later became entangled with a widely publicized racial racial discrimination lawsuit that brought national attention to diversity, equity and inclusion issues surrounding the project.
McGee alleged the project’s structural engineer unfairly blamed his company for delays and cost overruns and that the criticism contributed to the rejection of Concrete Collective’s compensation claims.
Defendants denied wrongdoing and disputed the allegations, arguing that portions of the concrete work had to be repaired or replaced because of cracking and other deficiencies. The owner of II in One Concrete declined to comment for this story. The case docket reflects that the case remains pending.
A worker tidies landscaping outside the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago ahead of the facility’s opening. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)
Court records also show that at least two minority-owned subcontractors that worked on the project later sought Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, according to documents viewed by Fox News Digital. The filings do not establish that the Obama Presidential Center caused those financial difficulties.
Glass Management Services, which supplied glass for the project, filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2024 and later told the bankruptcy court it was preparing litigation related to the Obama Presidential Center that it said could yield millions of dollars in damages. Fox News Digital is not aware that such litigation has been filed and the allegations have not been tested in court. Its owner declined to speak.
Vision Painting & Decorating Services, another subcontractor that worked on the project, also filed for Chapter 11 protection in 2024 while listing the Obama Presidential Center contract in its bankruptcy schedules. Court filings reviewed by Fox News Digital do not state whether the company viewed the project as contributing to its financial difficulties. Fox News Digital was unable to get in touch with its owner.
Another subcontractor owner who worked on the project, told Fox News Digital that the job caused significant financial strain on his company too and he described the experience as a “nightmare” and one of the most difficult projects he had encountered.
He filed a mechanic’s lien for around $145,000, documents show, which was eventually paid to him, but he said his company was still down $200,000 for the project. A mechanic’s lien is a legal tool that companies file when they say they are owed money for construction work they completed.
“Literally, I’ve been doing this for 35 years, and it was the worst-run job I’ve ever been on,” the subcontractor owner said.
A view of the Obama Presidential Center from a nearby roadway in Chicago. (Michael Dorgan/Fox News Digital)
"Where Revolution is the Solution" Taking back the Empire
