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Popular cruise line’s giant beach park blocked by Mexico after local backlash erupts
After weeks of backlash from local residents and environmental advocates, Mexican officials announced they will reject Royal Caribbean’s proposal to build a massive water park along the country’s Caribbean coastline.
Critics of the cruise line’s project argued the development threatened the region’s fragile ecosystem and the character of the small coastal community of Mahahual.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, May 19, Alicia Bárcena, Mexico’s secretary of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), responded to questions about the development.
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“I’d like to inform you that Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day project will not be approved,” the official said.
“The company is also looking to withdraw the project, but we at SEMARNAT will not approve it.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum echoed those concerns during a press conference Monday morning.
“We must not do anything that affects that area, which has a very important ecological balance, and is particularly important for the reefs,” she said, as Reuters reported.
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A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told Fox News Digital the cruise operator is “disappointed,” but “respects the role of Mexico’s environmental authorities.”
The spokesperson added, “Mahahual is a special place that deserves care and protection. We continue to believe in Mexico, and are optimistic [about] the potential to advance our investment responsibly.”
The spokesperson said the company plans to “re-engage stakeholders” as it works to develop “essential environmental infrastructure, the creation of thousands of local jobs, and community programs that support the people of Mexico.”
Royal Caribbean first unveiled Perfect Day Mexico in October 2024 as part of its expanding portfolio of cruise destinations. It was originally scheduled to open in 2027.
The proposed site in Mahahual, Quintana Roo, was expected to feature “an all-new thrilling water park; jaw-dropping pools and beaches, restaurants, bars and more,” according to a company press release.
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The cruise line promoted the development as a “sustainable destination.”
The decision follows mounting criticism from environmental advocates and residents about the project’s potential ramifications. A Change.org petition demanding the “immediate cancellation” of the development drew more than 4.8 million signatures.
“Mahahual is not an amusement park. It is a fishing town inhabited by local communities who live facing the sea,” the petition states.
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“This project directly threatens [our] rights to access and use the sea, the beaches, and the mangroves, our local identity, our way of life, our freedom to live here,” the petition says.
The petition goes on to describe Mahahual as “one of the last free strongholds of the Mexican Caribbean, while Playa del Carmen and Tulum have already succumbed to the logic of profit.”
Royal Caribbean fans had mixed reactions on Reddit forums.
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One person applauded the decision, saying, “Good for Mexico.”
Another said, “I can see the concerns here, but no doubt some folks will be disappointed.”
CocoCay, located in the Bahamas, is a predecessor of the proposed project in Mexico.
CocoCay has been a huge success for the company, drawing over 2 million visitors annually, according to Cruise Industry News.
Mahahual is known for its close access to the Mesoamerican Reef — the world’s second-largest barrier reef system, according to Reuters.
The coastal town has increasingly attracted scuba divers and tourists looking to experience marine ecosystems, coral formations, tropical fish and other sea life.
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Bryson DeChambeau thinks the original moon landing video is fake: ‘I don’t know about the footage’
Bryson DeChambeau is one of the world’s best golfers, has a widely beloved and popular YouTube channel, and has been one of the most committed adopters of science and technology in the sport.
But an astronomer, he is not.
DeChambeau joined “The Katie Miller podcast” show this week, covering a wide variety of topics. He spoke about his aspirations of reaching the Golf Hall of Fame, dating, the mental side of golf, and his experiences playing with President Donald Trump.
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Oh, and his thoughts on whether we’ve been to the moon and conspiracy theories. That’s where things went a bit, well, off the rails for DeChambeau.
While he didn’t quite fully commit to saying we haven’t been entirely, saying he trusts Elon Musk’s word when it comes to the original Apollo mission in 1969, he did say he doesn’t believe the famous footage of Neil Armstrong and other astronauts walking on the lunar surface is real.
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“Look, Elon says we’ve definitely gone [to the moon],” he said. “So I tend to go that route, because he’s the man that knows quite a bit about all that.”
“I don’t think the footage is real,” he continued. “But I think we did go to the moon. I don’t know about the footage. It’s quite wild.”
We did, in fact, go to the moon, and despite conspiracy theories to the contrary, the footage of the moon landing is also real. Maybe what DeChambeau is trying to say is that he believes we got to the moon eventually, even if it wasn’t in 1969. But that’s equally wrong.
Bryson’s become one of the most fascinating and interesting personalities in golf, and he’s clearly a very smart guy who’s taken his career to the next level by using data and information to maximize his abilities. But even he apparently can’t escape the pull of moon landing conspiracies. Who knows, if Elon gets his way, maybe he’ll be able to take a trip there himself one day soon.
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Feds say Arizona suspect vandalized ICE facility and attempted to ignite lobby area
An Arizona man is facing federal charges after prosecutors said he vandalized and attempted to set fire to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility by using a propane tank and torch to ignite materials inside the building.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona said Gerardo Mendoza-Acoltzi of Avondale was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of malicious damage to federal property and willful depredation against property of the United States.
Court documents claim Mendoza-Acoltzi broke a window at the ICE property before attempting to ignite the building just after 1 a.m. on Feb. 21, 2026.
Federal authorities said surveillance video showed Mendoza-Acoltzi arriving at the facility shortly before midnight and unloading a propane tank near the front entrance. Prosecutors said he later returned, smashed a lobby window with the propane tank and used a torch connected to the tank to ignite window shades inside the building.
FBI INVESTIGATES CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO FEDERAL ICE WAREHOUSE FACILITY IN ARIZONA
Investigators also alleged Mendoza-Acoltzi arranged rocks outside the facility to spell an anti-ICE message before leaving the area.
Federal prosecutors said Mendoza-Acoltzi was arrested May 7 and made his initial appearance in federal court shortly afterward.
Fox News previously reported that the FBI was investigating “significant criminal damage” at the federal ICE warehouse facility after vandals targeted the property with anti-law enforcement graffiti and damaged windows.
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If convicted, Mendoza-Acoltzi could face years in federal prison. Attempted arson of federal property carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years behind bars, while depredation against U.S. property also carries additional penalties.
Federal officials have increasingly warned about threats and attacks targeting immigration enforcement facilities and personnel amid heightened tensions surrounding border security and deportation operations.
The Arizona case comes amid heightened concerns over threats targeting immigration enforcement and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) facilities nationwide.
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Days before the Arizona incident, state and federal authorities launched an investigation into an attempted arson attack at a DHS office building in Meridian, Idaho.
The suspect allegedly stole an ambulance from a bay at St. Luke’s West hospital, drove it through a parking lot and retrieved gas cans that had been staged in nearby vegetation, according to Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea.
The suspect then drove the ambulance into the North Portico building, which houses DHS offices, Basterrechea said at the time.
FEDERAL CHARGES FILED AGAINST ARIZONA TESLA ARSON SUSPECT, AG BONDI PROMISES ‘NO NEGOTIATING’
Investigators believe the suspect poured an accelerant inside and around the outside of the ambulance but was unable to ignite it before being interrupted by responding officers.
“There has been a lot of rhetoric surrounding the Department of Homeland Security leasing office space at this location,” Basterrechea said. “Comments on social media, such as ‘property damage isn’t violence,’ is absolutely false. This was absolutely an act of violence, and if the suspect had not been interrupted, there is no doubt this building would have been burned, putting the lives of first responders and others at risk.”
The charges against Mendoza-Acoltzi are allegations, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Fox News Digital’s Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
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Las Vegas school district sued for allegedly expelling student for pro-ICE signs deemed racist
A Las Vegas school district is being sued for alleged First Amendment violations after it expelled a student who placed pro-law enforcement signs on campus.
The complaint, first reported by The Las Vegas Review-Journal, was filed in the U.S. District Court for Nevada on May 14. It alleges N.C., a minor, was disciplined after he placed six pro-law enforcement emblems around East Career and Technical Academy in January, one day after students walked out of class to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The emblems allegedly included the school’s Titans logo with the words “ICE Immigration Enforcement,” “Border Security Academy Deportation Force,” and “Titans ICE.”
The complaint was filed on behalf of N.C. by his father, George Crossman, and names the Clark County School District, East Career and Technical Academy, Superintendent Jhone Ebert, East Career and Technical Academy Principal Natasha LeRutte and Assistant Principal Thomas Smith as defendants.
School administrators allegedly removed the 2-by-2-inch emblems before the first bell. N.C. was questioned and suspended the following day before later receiving a limited expulsion, according to the complaint.
The student decided to place the emblems supporting ICE to express his views after his peers across the Clark County School District participated in an anti-ICE walkout on Jan. 21. The complaint alleges that the district and school officials named as defendants in the lawsuit did not stop or punish students for participating in the walkout, but instead “facilitated” the demonstration.
After taking down N.C.’s pro-ICE emblems, school administrators searched his Chromebook and found searches around Martin Luther King Jr. Day that included “Dark Secrets of Martin Luther King” “The Martin Luther King Assassination,” “James Earl Ray,” and “Tough ICE pictures.”
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Assistant Principal Thomas Smith allegedly “determined these searches to be a racist threat,” and N.C. was called into his office for a meeting, where he allegedly compared N.C.’s actions to someone putting up a poster that said, “Let’s go get whitey.”
The meeting concluded with Smith allegedly determining that N.C. was racist and that his motivations were racist, according to the complaint, and he was suspended immediately. School officials recommended a limited expulsion for a “racially motivated incident,” according to the complaint, and that expulsion was upheld before an Expulsion Hearing Panel and Expulsion Review Board.
In a private meeting between Smith, N.C. and his father, George Crossman, Smith allegedly explained that the student’s actions supporting ICE were considered racist “because the majority of the school is Hispanic” and the school official compared the emblems to a “burning cross.”
“Characterization of N.C.’s conduct as ‘racially motivated’ was a pretext,” the complaint says. “The true basis for Defendants’ decision was their personal, political, and ideological disagreement with the viewpoint expressed by the Pro-ICE Emblems.”
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The complaint claims school officials violated N.C.’s First Amendment rights and retaliated against him for engaging in protected speech. It requests a jury trial, damages in excess of $15,000 and for N.C.’s expulsion to be rescinded, and he be restored to good standing.
The Clark County School District said in a statement to Fox News Digital, “CCSD recognizes and honors our students’ First Amendment rights to lawful advocacy and expression on causes important to them. However, the District does not comment on pending litigation.”
LeRutte and Smith did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
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