suing Musk

I am very happy to see this lawsuit "launched." We lived on South Padre Island (SPI) from 2016 until last year, and as the SpaceX launches increased, we were getting freaked out about how strong they getting. Our house, only around 6 miles from the launch pads on Boca Chica as the crow flies, shook like a leaf in a strong wind. 

It was bad enough to see the house shake and cracks start to develop in our inside walls, but when SpaceX started returning the rocket boosters to the launch pad at Boca, we had a new rude awakening: sonic booms. But not the kind of sonic booms you might have heard as a kid when maybe a military aircraft streaked across the sky. No, these booms seem 10x stronger. When one hits, you cannot help but cry out and your heart might skip a beat. I'll bet some form of PTSD is likely from multiple booms, and multiple booms is what Musk wants. 

Right now, Musk has permission to launch up to 25 times per year from Boca. Recently, they have not held up that cadence, thank goodness. But when they get ramped up, Musk wants to launch THREE times per day. That's three launches, three returning boosters to the launch site, and at least three intense sonic booms. Per day. 

I don't see how anyone would want to live on SPI under those conditions. We got out when we could. Home prices were still on the rise and we cashed out. The sense of relief is palpable, but I feel very bad for those people who are still on SPI and don't have much to fight Musk with. We see a long history of the very rich getting their way and doing basically whatever they want in this country. And Texas, mind you, is not California. The regulatory authorities here in Texas are almost non-existent, especially if you are politically connected, as the neo-Nazi Musk certainly is.

A view from Texas State Highway 48 of SpaceX's Starship Flight 8 launch as the Booster is caught at the launch pad Thursday, March, 6, 2025. (Miguel Roberts | The Brownsville Herald)

Nearly 60 Valley households sue SpaceX over damage to homes from launches

By

 Montserrat Pagan

 - 

May 1, 2026

More than 50 plaintiffs on Thursday filed a federal lawsuit against SpaceX alleging that sonic booms from the company’s test launches at Boca Chica Beach are damaging their homes.

The lawsuit was filed by 58 households in Port Isabel, South Padre Island and Laguna Vista.

The petition says that between April 2023 and October 2025, “SpaceX completed eleven fully integrated Starship/Super Heavy test flights.”

“Additionally, between 2020 and May 2021, the company completed six non-full-stack test flights. Further, at various times the company has completed static Starship engine tests at the Starbase facility,” the lawsuit stated. “As a result of SpaceX’s Starship operations, Plaintiffs’ homes have been subjected to repeated intense and damaging acoustic events.”

The lawsuit says the Boca Chica Beach location was intended to be a commercial space port for existing Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets.

“In 2018, however, SpaceX dedicated the site exclusively to the development and launch of its next-generation Starship vehicle. To accommodate this program, SpaceX acquired hundreds of acres of coastal land, transforming a quiet beach community into a sprawling industrial spaceport and manufacturing complex,” the petition said. “Starbase is now the exclusive testing, launching, and landing site for the largest rockets in human history.”

At the spaceport’s launch pads, there are massive integration and catch towers that are the tallest launch towers in the world, the petition said.

“SpaceX deliberately constructed this colossal, skyscraper-sized infrastructure mere miles from coastal residential communities,” the document stated.

LACK OF DATA

The petition details the “colossal” size of the launch site’s infrastructure, with the Starship spacecraft and its Super Heavy Booster standing as tall as a 30 story building when prepared for flight.

The Super Heavy Booster relies on 33 Raptor 2 engines to lift onto the launch mount, according to the document.

They burn liquid oxygen and methane propellants which “collectively generates 16.7 million pounds of thrust,” the lawsuit states. The engines’ power creates a “violent aeroacoustic phenomena.”

“By comparison, Starship generates nearly twice the thrust as NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) and nearly ten times the thrust of SpaceX’s own Falcon 9 rocket,” the lawsuit continued.

“SpaceX has publicly acknowledged scientific and regulatory deficits,” the document stated, referring to the company’s use of oxygen and methane propellants.

The lawsuit cited a SpaceX document that notes a lack of “data to make refined, accurate clear zones” for blast and acoustic impacts.

For instance, the lawsuit referred to SpaceX’s inaugural Starship test flight in April 2023 that completely blew up the launch pad and carved a crater into the ground while generating a massive debris cloud of pulverized concrete and metal shrapnel reaching residential areas nearly seven miles away.

Following the test launch, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded the Starship program for months so the company could make corrective actions.

“SpaceX’s Starship operations are therefore experimental and iterative by nature. Each launch generates new acoustic data for SpaceX and its regulators,” the lawsuit says.

LIKE A GUNSHOT

As SpaceX continued testing at Boca Chica much to the delight of space flight enthusiasts who gather at Isla Blanca Park on South Padre Island and on Highway 48 between the Island and Brownsville, it has also piqued the curiosity of researchers.

For instance, a team from Brigham Young University (BYU) monitored the acoustic energy of test flights by placing measuring devices at eight locations various distances from the rocket launch pad, including in homes of some residents who filed the lawsuit.

“And they concluded that, by comparison, ‘one Starship launch is equivalent to around 4-6 SLS (NASA’s Space Launch System) and at least 10 Falcon 9 launches,” the lawsuit said.

The sonic boom generated from Test Flight 5 generated a “greater risk of structural damage, such as glass breaking and falling bric-a-brac,” according to the lawsuit’s citation of the researcher’s notes.

One researcher was cited saying that the sonic boom sounded like a gunshot at close range.

The launches pose a serious problem to sensitive populations, said Victor Sparrow, director of the Graduate Acoustics Program at Penn State University, according to the lawsuit.

BYU researchers continued to study test flight sonic booms and published findings, though they had variation in results per test due to changes in the environment as well as the number and nearness of recording stations.

“While these independent acoustic scientists successfully recorded actionable acoustic data during Test Flights 5 and 6, SpaceX’s orbital test campaign spans far beyond two isolated events,” the lawsuit says.

“Test Flights 5, 7, and 8 inflicted even greater acoustic trauma on Plaintiff’s homes. Because these flights involved the return and catch of the Super Heavy booster at Starbase, they subjected the surrounding areas to severe triple exposure acoustic events,” the lawsuit stated.

As of Friday afternoon, SpaceX had not filed a response to the lawsuit and no initial hearing in the case had been scheduled, court records indicate.

Original.

Mike McCready

Today's contribution is from Mike McCready from New York City, New York. Each week I seem to come across a new voice I had not heard from before. Are they human? Could any of these writings actually be from Artificial Intelligence? Conspiracy theories multiply.

This was supposed to be their moment.

This was supposed to be the great vindication. The glorious “I told you so.” The moment when every liberal, moderate, economist, historian, journalist, judge, democracy expert, constitutional scholar, retired general, and houseplant with basic pattern recognition had to admit MAGA had been right all along.

Instead, here we are.

No triumphant march.

No grand awakening.

No golden age.

Just a lot of people quietly backing out of the room, avoiding eye contact, muttering something about “the deep state,” and pretending they never loudly guaranteed that all of this would go beautifully.

And yes, I feel sad for them.

Because realizing you’ve been had is painful.

Realizing you spent years defending the indefensible is painful.

Realizing you mistook cruelty for strength, ignorance for authenticity, and corruption for patriotism has to be a difficult emotional pivot.

But I’m also mad.

Very mad.

And I suspect I’m going to be mad for the rest of my life.

I’m going to be mad every time the news explains that America is no longer the unquestioned global superpower because millions of people handed the country to a man who treats geopolitics like a casino buffet dispute.

I’m going to be mad every time goods cost more because global shipping is less secure, trade routes are more expensive, and the country that used to help keep the lanes open decided it would rather posture, pout, and slap tariffs on reality.

I’m going to be mad every time some new “passage tax,” “security surcharge,” “regional instability premium,” or other elegant little phrase for “you broke the world order, now pay at checkout” gets passed down to regular people.

I’m going to be mad if Taiwan is swallowed back into China because America became too chaotic, too divided, too cowardly, or too unserious to defend the system it built.

I’m going to be mad every time traveling to Europe becomes harder because the rest of the world looks at an American passport and no longer sees stability, competence, or trust — just a warning label with an eagle on it.

I’m going to be mad when Americans who used to hop on a plane now need extra paperwork, extra screening, extra approvals, and extra explanations because half the country decided democracy was less important than giving liberals a nervous breakdown.

So yes, I feel bad for MAGA.

But let’s be clear.

They were not tricked by something subtle.

This was not a sophisticated long con involving offshore shell companies, encrypted ledgers, and a charming man named Sebastian with excellent teeth.

This was a man standing in the middle of the room yelling, “I am going to do the bad thing,” while selling hats that said, “I intend to do the bad thing,” surrounded by people explaining that the bad thing was actually very good because it annoyed the right people.

And somehow, millions of people looked at that and said:

“Finally. A statesman.”

The warnings were not hidden.

He told them.

We told them.

His own former staff told them.

The courts told them.

The indictments told them.

The bankruptcies told them.

The tapes told them.

The steaks told them.

The university told them.

The bibles told them, although admittedly not in the way they thought.

At some point, you don’t get to say you were deceived.

You have to admit you volunteered.

That’s the part that makes this so infuriating.

Everyone can be conned.

Good people get manipulated all the time.

But being conned after the entire country spent years pointing at the con man and shouting, “That is a con man,” is a special category of civic achievement.

It’s not just falling for the email from the Nigerian prince.

It’s replying, “Your Highness, ignore the haters. I alone believe in your wire transfer.”

So yes, I feel bad for them.

In the way one feels bad for a man who ignored six “wet paint” signs, sat on the bench anyway, then blamed the bench.

In the way one feels bad for someone who touched the stove, screamed, touched it again, called you a communist for warning him, then started a podcast about stove freedom.

There is compassion here.

But it is compassion with a clenched jaw.

Because this was never unknowable.

This was never mysterious.

This was the most obvious slow-motion disaster in American political history, performed daily in public by a man who treats truth like garnish and the Constitution like a hotel towel.

And now MAGA has arrived at the place everyone else saw coming.

No victory lap.

No grand vindication.

No “I told you so.”

Just regret.

Just excuses.

Just people suddenly pretending they were never that into him.

Unfortunately, we kept the receipts.

The flags.

The hats.

The memes.

The bumper stickers.

The Facebook comments.

The “do your own research” lectures from people who thought YouTube was a law degree.

So yes.

My thoughts and prayers are with MAGA during this difficult time.

May they find healing.

May they find clarity.

And may they someday discover the courage to admit that being fooled is human…

…but being warned 10,000 times and still buying the commemorative mug is on you.

Mike McCready

worst of the worst

No explanation needed.

George Carlin

Side note: Hard to believe George Carlin died almost 18 years ago at age 71. I sure miss his wit and wisdom. Every now and then you run across a snip from George and you remember how much you miss him. No one has stepped up to even try to take his place. I don't think it's possible.  

SOMETHING TO PONDER: George Carlin

George Carlin's wife died early in 2008 and George followed her, dying in July 2008. It is ironic George Carlin - comedian of the 70's and 80's - could write something so very eloquent and so very appropriate.

An observation by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships.

These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete.

Remember to spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

And always remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by those moments that take our breath away.

George Carlin

overheard

Marianna Hernandez was waiting for her flight at the airport...

Delayed flight. Gate C14. And God himself decided to entertain me by placing two men directly behind me solving America's $39 trillion debt problem between bites of a $22 airport sandwich.

Guy #1 turns to his friend:

"If capitalism is so great, why are we $39 TRILLION in debt?"

Guy #2, without missing a beat:

"Because of socialist programs, obviously."

I closed my laptop. I needed a moment.

Because let's actually look at where the $39 trillion came from. Not feelings. Not talking points. Numbers.

THE IRAQ & AFGHANISTAN WARS: $8 TRILLION

No WMDs found. No democracy built. Two countries left in chaos. That's not socialism. That's bipartisan warmongering with a Lockheed Martin logo on it.

THE 2008 BANK BAILOUT: $700 BILLION (+ $12 TRILLION in Fed support)

Wall Street gambled with your mortgage, crashed the global economy, then got handed a check with YOUR name on it. The banks kept their bonuses. You kept your debt. That's not socialism for the poor — that's socialism for the rich.

THE 2017 TAX CUTS: $1.9 TRILLION added to the debt

Sold as a gift to the middle class. Apple alone saved $47 billion. Your check? Maybe $40 a month. The debt? $1.9 trillion heavier.

THE US HEALTHCARE SYSTEM: $4.5 TRILLION per year

America spends MORE per person than any country on Earth — and gets LESS. A hip replacement in Spain? €6,000. In the US? $40,000. Medical bills are the #1 cause of personal bankruptcy in America. That's not too much socialism. That's the cost of having none.

PENTAGON BUDGET: $886 BILLION in 2024 alone

Larger than the next 10 countries COMBINED. Meanwhile your bridge is crumbling and your kid's school has a GoFundMe for pencils.

Now. Let's talk about socialism "failing."

MEXICO — right next door. Nobody's paying attention.

Claudia Sheinbaum became president in 2024. She has a PhD in climate science. An actual scientist running a country. Not a TV personality. Not a failed businessman. A scientist.

She expanded universal pensions, free internet nationwide, and scholarships for millions of young Mexicans. Foreign investment is flooding in. Nearshoring is making Mexico one of the hottest manufacturing destinations on Earth.

And she's navigating Trump's tariffs and border provocations with more dignity than any US politician has managed in years. She doesn't tweet at 3am.

Must be infuriating for some people.

BRAZIL — and this story needs to be told.

Lula was a factory worker. A union leader. A man who lost a finger in a machine press and turned his pain into a political movement. He was imprisoned on charges later thrown out by Brazil's Supreme Court — many believe to keep him from power.

He came back. Won the election. Returned to the presidency at 77.

Under Lula:

• Bolsa Família restored — lifting millions out of extreme poverty

• Minimum wage raised above inflation for the first time in years

• Amazon deforestation dropped 50% in his first year back

A man who came from nothing, survived prison, and came back to feed the poor and protect the rainforest.

That's not a communist villain. That's a story Hollywood would make a movie about — if he were American and right-wing.

CHINA — and this one will really hurt.

Nominally communist. And yet:

• 45,000 km of high-speed rail. The US has zero.

• 5 million engineers graduated per year. The US graduates 200,000.

• BYD just outsold Tesla worldwide.

• 800 million people lifted out of poverty in 40 years — the greatest anti-poverty achievement in human history.

Someone forgot to tell the second largest economy on Earth that socialism always fails.

While America spent $8 trillion blowing up the Middle East, China was building infrastructure, educating engineers, and buying up the debt America kept creating.

Who's actually winning here?

And yes — Venezuela. We know.

A corrupt petro-dictatorship that printed money, destroyed private institutions, and was strangled by US sanctions. Not a social democracy. Not what any serious economist proposes. Comparing Venezuela to these countries is like comparing a gas station hot dog to a Michelin star restaurant and concluding that food is dangerous.

Here's what those two guys at Gate C14 — and half of Facebook — can't grasp:

America doesn't have too much socialism.

America has socialism for the wrong people.

Subsidies for oil companies that made $200 billion in profit? Socialism.

Bailouts for banks that gambled and lost? Socialism.

Tax breaks for private jets and yachts? Socialism.

Free school lunch for a hungry 7-year-old? Suddenly that's communism.

The $39 trillion wasn't built by teachers, nurses, food stamps, or public libraries.

It was built by wars nobody wanted, tax cuts nobody needed, bailouts for people who needed them least, and a healthcare racket that would make the mafia blush.

But sure. Blame the socialism.

Flight's still delayed. They're still talking.

I ordered another coffee.