LOS ANGELES (AP) — California regulators apologized to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk this week as they settled a lawsuit that claimed a state agency showed political bias against the rocket company and its chief executive.
As part of the settlement, the California Coastal Commission acknowledged its members made “improper” statements about Musk's political beliefs at a 2024 hearing on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch program.
“The 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,” the commission said in federal court documents filed Tuesday.
SpaceX had sued the commission over its opposition to expanding the launch schedule for Falcon 9 rockets from the Vandenberg Space Force Base on the Southern California coast near Santa Barbara.
The company's lawsuit accused the coastal commission of engaging in political discrimination by refusing to sign off on a U.S. Air Force proposal to boost the number of launches at the busy base owned by the federal government.
The lawsuit alleged the commissioners voted against SpaceX because of their dislike of Musk’s outspoken political views, violating constitutional rights to free speech and due process.
According to the settlement, the case will be permanently dismissed while both parties agree that the deal doesn’t constitute an admission “of any liability or unlawful conduct.”
The commission also agreed it wouldn’t require a coastal development permit pertaining to SpaceX’s launch program in the state.
Representatives for SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the settlement.
The coastal commission acknowledged in a statement Wednesday that it had apologized for “irrelevant” statements made by its members. The commission said it continues to have serious concerns about the impacts to coastal resources from increased rocket launches at Vandenberg.
“These impacts include restrictions on public coastal access, harm to sensitive species and coastal habitat, as well as the frequency and intensity of sonic booms,” the statement said. "Federal law requires the federal government to provide information to and coordinate with the Coastal Commission on such issues. The federal government has yet to provide sufficient information to the Coastal Commission about these activities and their impact on the California coast.
The settlement came while Musk took the stand this week amid a separate court battle with OpenAI cofounder Sam Altman that could reshape the future development of artificial intelligence.
FILE - A SpaceX Falcon9 rocket, with the Crew Dragon capsule attached, lifts off from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39-A on Nov. 15, 2020, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)
FILE - A contrail from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, which launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, is seen over homes March 18, 2024, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — King Charles III and Queen Camilla kicked off their trip to New York City on Wednesday with a visit to the National 9/11 Memorial, where they honored victims of the 2001 attacks during a wreath-laying ceremony.
The stop was part of a busy swing through the city midway through the royal couple's four-day trip to the U.S. to mark 250 years of American independence. It's the first trip to the Big Apple by a reigning British monarch since Queen Elizabeth II visited in 2010.
The king and queen arrived by motorcade and were greeting by various dignitaries at the memorial. They were accompanied by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg while walking to one of the parapets ringing the two pools, bearing the names of the victims of the attacks. Charles laid flowers on the parapet.
The king and queen also were to meet with first responders and the families of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and other dignitaries were also at the ceremony, which comes ahead of the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
The queen is then scheduled to visit the New York Public Library, where she’ll deliver a new Roo doll to add to the library’s famed collection of Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animals, as the beloved children’s character turns 100 this year.
The five dolls currently on display -- Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore and Kanga -- were the inspiration for the characters in A.A. Milne’s children’s books. They were owned by the English author’s son, the real-life Christopher Robin, in the 1920s. The dolls were donated to the library in 1987 and are a centerpiece of the library’s collection of children’s literature. Roo, in the books, was a small brown kangaroo and son of Kanga.
The king, meanwhile, was expected to visit an after-school, urban farming effort that works with young people affected by food insecurity, as well as meet later with business and financial leaders in Manhattan.
The royal couple are then expected to attend a reception for the King's Trust, a charity Charles founded in 1976.
The four-day trip is Charles’ first state visit to the U.S. since he became king. His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, made four state visits to the U.S.
Monday, the king and queen joined President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump for tea at the White House.
On Tuesday, Charles and Trump had a closed-door meeting in the Oval Office. The king then delivered a rare speech before Congress -- the first by a British monarch since his late mother in 1991 -- followed by a formal state dinner at the White House.
The monarchs are also expected to make stops in Virginia before wrapping up their U.S. visit back at the White House on Thursday with a formal farewell from Trump. Charles then travels solo to Bermuda on his first visit as king to a British overseas territory.
Associated Press writer Dave Collins in Hartford, Conn., contributed to this report.
Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla stand next to the White House bee hive on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)
