SpaceX is angling to use its constellation of satellites to replace an aging ground-based communications system that facilitates the FAA’s text and voice communication, the sources said. The Verizon contract, awarded in 2023, was to update part of that system to a more modern standard relying on fiber optic cables.

Contracting records show that nearly $200 million in work has already been done on Verizon’s 15-year modernization effort to update the FAA’s communications system. A Verizon representative said the company is unaware that the contract is being amended or terminated.

The FAA announced on X on Monday that the agency is testing a Starlink terminal at its facility in Atlantic City and two terminals at “non-safety critical sites” in Alaska. Terminals are ground-based receivers that connect devices or computers to orbiting satellites.

Another FAA contractor, L3 Harris, confirmed it was responsible for acquiring and testing Starlink terminals for incorporation into the FAA’s telecommunications infrastructure network. An L3 Harris spokesperson said the company has been working with SpaceX on the initiative for many months.

Bloomberg News reported earlier about the FAA installing Starlink terminals at its facilities.

Details about SpaceX employees deployed to work on the project are unclear, but three of its software developers appeared on a Trump administration list of government workers given “ethics waivers” to do work that could benefit Musk’s company.

Government ethics laws require that people who could profit from government work either recuse themselves from specific projects or first sell their financial holdings or sever ties with the company that could benefit. Waivers can be granted by the heads of government departments or other officials, but only in limited circumstances.

Ted Malaska, a senior director of application software at SpaceX, got a waiver along with two software engineers, Brady Glantz and Thomas Kiernan, according to the waiver list and LinkedIn profiles. The AP could not determine if the three are still working for SpaceX or the precise nature of work for the federal government.

Malaska posted on social media on Thursday that he had been meeting at FAA headquarters with officials responsible for implementation of the telecommunications modernization.

The FAA contract is not Musk’s only conflict. His acolytes have also taken over many of the operations at the General Services Administration, which controls real estate and contracting for numerous government agencies. GSA currently offers other agencies the ability to launch payloads through an existing SpaceX contract —- putting the agency in a position to direct business toward Musk. The Department of Transportation regulates aspects of SpaceX and his electric car company Tesla. NASA and the Department of Defense are major customers of SpaceX. His brain-computer interface company Neuralink has regulatory issues in front of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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Republished with permission of The Associated Press.

As police investigate U.S. Rep. Cory Mills over a domestic violence allegation, Florida Democrats want to know why prosecutors aren’t acting.

A police report shows Iranian American activist Sarah Raviani, co-founder of Iranians for Trump, reported an assault in Washington, D.C., involving Mills. A Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson said an arrest warrant was submitted to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, but it was returned pending further investigation.

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said that demands an explanation.

“The people of Florida deserve answers to these questions and more, especially from the so-called party of ‘law and order’ and ‘family values,’” Fried said. “The Florida Democratic Party is calling for a continued investigation into both Mills’ actions and the inaction of the interim U.S. Attorney.”

The party noted that Mills has been closely allied with President Donald Trump. The New Smyrna Beach Republican endorsed Trump over Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Republican Presidential Primary in early 2023.

Importantly, Interim U.S. Attorney Ed Martin’s Office hasn’t shut down the investigation of Mills. But police said Martin’s Office had the opportunity to approve an arrest warrant for the Congressman and declined to do so pending further information.

During investigations, there are sometimes back-and-forths between police and prosecutors on whether charges are warranted. But the decision has drawn sharp scrutiny, especially after Martin controversially released a statement this week referencing his staff as “President Trumps’ lawyers.”

“Not even 100 days into the Trump administration and they’re already running cover-ups for Republicans,” Fried said.

“It’s obscene but not surprising to think that Cory Mills may get away with domestic assault because he’s one of the president’s loyal soldiers. After all, Donald Trump himself was once found liable for sexual abuse. If the D.C. police thought the case warranted his arrest, it’s reasonable to ask why ‘Trump’s lawyers’ decided to ignore it. I also think it’s reasonable to ask what Cory Mills was doing in a luxury D.C. high rise with a woman who isn’t his wife.”

A police report lists the luxury apartment complex on Maryland Avenue where an assault was reported as Raviani’s home address. Mills’ Office in a statement to media said the interaction with police was at his Washington home.

“This week, law enforcement was asked to resolve a private matter at Congressman Mills’ residence,” the statement reads. “Congressman Mills vehemently denies any wrongdoing whatsoever, and is confident any investigation will clear this matter quickly.”

NBC 4 in Washington obtained separate police reports that included further narrative about what prompted police to respond to the apartment complex. Reports said Raviani presented a recording of Mills to police in which he “instruct(ed) her to lie about the origin of her bruises” and said a disagreement “escalated from verbal to physical.” That report described Raviani as “physically shaking and scared.”

But police would not verify the veracity of that report. A spokesperson did say an Internal Affairs investigation was underway to determine how the local news station obtained the report.

Mills’ Office did not respond to questions about the Florida Democratic Party statement.

Fried also suggested that the Republican Party of Florida should be as interested in a transparent investigation.

“We’re also calling on the Florida GOP to join us in this call for a full investigation and to immediately denounce domestic violence,” Fried said.

Evan Power, Republican Party of Florida Chair, said that was inappropriate and attacked Fried personally.

“Pretty rich for the lady who was living it up in South Florida during COVID and had the police called to her hotel where her fiancé (who was married to another woman) was escorted out to make this attack,” Power said. “This simply is not a place for politics.”

Meanwhile, Jennifer Adams, the Democrat who challenged Mills’ re-election last year, issued her own statement slamming the Republican on multiple fronts.

“As a survivor of domestic violence, I feel strongly that both law enforcement and Congress must ensure accountability for those who commit violence, particularly against women, irrespective of their status or position,” Adams said. “Appropriate and swift measures, including the possibility of removal or electoral defeat, should follow any finding of misconduct to uphold the values of integrity, dignity and safety for others.”

Adams also questioned why Mills was staying in a “D.C. penthouse” during a congressional recess.

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