It was 30 years ago this month that a couple of college students in Kennewick, Wash., stumbled upon a rare archaeological discovery — one that would help trigger a war between science and racial identity politics, or what we now call “DEI.” Three decades later, it’s clear that if we don’t act quickly, it’s a fight science will probably lose. What the students found was a 9,000-year-old skeleton that was soon nicknamed Kennewick Man. It was certainly one of the most precious anthropological finds ever. At the time, it was the oldest human skeleton ever found in North America, and it had signs of an injury from an arrow or a spear. More intriguingly, it seemed to have less in common with the skeletons of Native Americans than with those of ancient Japanese peoples, thus potentially changing our understanding of how humans first arrived in the New World. But that’s when the federal government stepped in. Under a law called the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, or NAGPRA, skeletons found on federally owned land (as Kennewick Man was) must be turned over, or “repatriated,” to the Native American tribes they’re related to. NAGPRA was written in response to the actions of 19th- and early 20th-century archaeologists who sometimes engaged in practices that would be unacceptable today to acquire specimens, and it requires not only the “repatriation” of human remains, but also of “funerary objects” — that is, things buried alongside bodies. Kennewick Man was far older than any existing tribe and not related to any of them. Nevertheless, tribal officials insisted that the bones be kept away from scientific study and turned over for reburial, which would destroy their usefulness for scientific research. In compliance with those demands, federal officials confiscated the skeleton and buried the Kennewick Man site under 600 tons of rock and fill to prevent any further discoveries. Scientists sued, arguing that NAGPRA simply doesn’t apply to objects that old. After years of litigation, federal courts ruled in their favor. Indeed, the courts found that government officials had acted in bad faith and awarded the scientists $2 million in attorney fees. A year later, even though DNA research revealed that Kennewick Man was closest to South American indigenous peoples, an executive order by then-President Barack Obama forced the scientists to turn Kennewick Man over to a group of Northwest Coast Native American tribes who destroyed the bones forever. That was bad enough, but in the years since, tribal activists and sympathetic politicians have taken increasingly aggressive positions in demanding the “repatriation” of specimens — many of which have no true connection to tribes, and others that aren’t even particularly old. Some museums have even “repatriated” artworks made in the 1980s and purchased from gift shops — as if these were sacred remnants of someone’s ancestors. Today, in museums across the country, it has become common to see empty display cases, featuring signs like the one spotted recently at the San Diego Museum of Us: “As part of our decolonization process, these items have been moved to a sanctuary space.” Equally absurd are cases in which scientists are forced to relinquish animal bones — literally the trash our ancestors threw away — on the theory that they’re somehow “funerary objects” that should be off-limits out of racial or religious sensitivities. What’s more, some museums have adopted rules based on tribal practices to govern how scientists handle objects in their collections. These sometimes bar female scientists from handling specimens, since that’s sometimes prohibited by Native religious taboos. Museums are also required by federal regulation to have “advisory” committees that include practitioners of tribal religions. Christians, Jews, and Hindus aren’t given the same preferential treatment. It’s hard to imagine a starker example of the collision between racial identity politics and the scientific rationality that our social and technological progress depends on. Out of deference to politically correct race politics and irrationally romanticized conceptions about “stolen land,” the institutions where science should reign supreme are being suborned into erasing the accumulated knowledge of centuries. In effect, an entire field of scientific inquiry has been placed at risk by an overzealous activist movement using the regulatory power of the state. The study of human remains and artifacts isn’t just some antiquarian hobby. It provides critical insights about present-day issues like climate change and provides insights that can help police officers solve crimes. But entire areas of anthropological research may now be shutting down, thanks to the aggressive use and misuse of NAGPRA. The science of anthropology can still be saved if we act now. Museum officials and state governments can push back. For one thing, many “repatriation” efforts aren’t actually required by NAGPRA. Museum leaders should refuse to be cowed by activist demands that fall outside the law. And states should adopt legislation prohibiting the return of specimens that are too old to be associated with a tribe or too young to be a “funerary object.” They should also forbid any museum from following rules that discriminate on the basis of sex or religion. Science is too precious to be sacrificed to the political demands of DEI and the wishful thinking of angry activists who prioritize race over research, discovery, and progress. *** Timothy Sandefur is the vice president for legal affairs at the Goldwater Institute’s Scharf-Norton Center for Constitutional Litigation. Elizabeth Weiss is a professor emeritus of anthropology at San José State University and author of the Goldwater Institute report, “The Reburial of the Southwest: Closing Off Native History and Archaeology”

Donald Trump says he will “immediately” ask the Supreme Court to rehear the birthright citizenship case, calling the ruling a “miscarriage of justice.”  In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, the president wrote, “I will be asking for a Rehearing by the United States Supreme Court, IMMEDIATELY. This miscarriage of justice will destroy America if they don’t change their absolutely insane decision.” The Supreme Court ruled in June that children born in the United States are subject to its jurisdiction and are citizens at birth. “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,’” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority. “We keep that promise today.” Trump’s executive order, signed on January 20, 2025, aimed to eliminate immediate birthright citizenship for children whose parents are illegal immigrants or who are living in the U.S. on temporary visas. The Supreme Court ruled that birthright citizenship is protected by the 14th Amendment. Trump’s post followed viral images of a billboard near the border advertising “birth packages in South Texas,” which directed viewers to the website “havemybabyinTEXAS.com.” “Signs and Billboards are being put up all over our Southern Border, and Mexico, advertising BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP, with ‘Deliveries starting at $4000,’” Trump said. “Billions of Dollars will be illegally made by this SCAM, with Citizenship going to anyone willing to pay.” The law also permits the entire families of these citizens into the nation, something Trump asserted is “not sustainable.”  The Supreme Court has not granted a rehearing in an argued case since 1965. It has reversed itself on rehearing only once, in a 1957 case over the court-martial of two American civilians overseas. Trump’s move is a long shot, but many on the Right argue it’s necessary to advance the President’s immigration agenda. D. John Sauer, the 49th Solicitor General of the United States, said that “no one knows for sure” how rampant birth tourism is. The Center for Immigration Studies said that there are 20,000 to 26,000 births by women on tourist visas annually.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum promised Thursday to pursue “legal measures” against the United States following the fatal shooting of a Mexican national by an ICE agent in Houston, saying her government “cannot permit the mistreatment of our brothers” living in the U.S.  She said Mexico’s response would “go beyond” a diplomatic protest, saying officials “are preparing measures” over the shooting and the deaths of other Mexican nationals while in ICE custody. “We cannot turn a blind eye to the Mexicans who have died,” Sheinbaum said, adding, “Especially to Mexicans whose only crime is working honestly in the United States.” Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said the Mexican government will be requesting that the incidents be investigated as criminal matters. Velasco added that the government will also file civil lawsuits against private companies operating in the immigration detention centers in the United States. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old construction worker and father of three, was shot and killed Tuesday during an encounter with ICE agents in Houston after picking up members of his work crew. Araujo’s family told CNN they believe he would have complied with federal agents had the unmarked car they were in been clearly identified as law enforcement.  The Department of Homeland Security disputed that account, telling The Daily Wire that Araujo “attempted to evade arrest” and “weaponized his vehicle” by attempting to run over an ICE agent, who fired in self-defense. Araujo was reportedly shot on the right side of his body. He had resided in the United States without legal status for roughly 35 years.  The family of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo is calling for an independent investigation after Araujo, a Mexican national who the family says has lived in the U.S. for more than 30 years, was shot and killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Houston on Tuesday. More:… pic.twitter.com/eGij94wYSz — Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) July 9, 2026 The shooting sparked protests in Houston, where demonstrators called for an independent investigation. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed Thursday that the ICE agents involved were not wearing body cameras. More than a thousand protesters chanting ‘ICE out of Houston’ marched near the spot where a US ICE officer fatally shot a man driving to work, the latest in a spate of lethal encounters from increasing deportation raids nationwide https://t.co/bkQqeJQuuY pic.twitter.com/GApbuTXDoj — Reuters (@Reuters) July 9, 2026

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani highlighted thirty immigrant neighborhoods in a recent post — and caught immediate backlash because he failed to mention Little Italy. The famous Italian neighborhood in Lower Manhattan has been a cultural landmark since the 1880s — meaning that it was established long before many of the other neighborhoods Mamdani honored, such as Little Yemen, Little Palestine, and Little Bangladesh. Mayor Mamdani’s map of NYC immigrant neighborhoods sparks outrage for ignoring Little Italy: ‘Terrible mistake’ https://t.co/dR97RS7CPz pic.twitter.com/dKvqap5K2a — New York Post (@nypost) July 8, 2026 In addition to the fact that Little Italy has been around far longer than the other highlighted neighborhoods, it is also one of the most visited, consistently placing on top things to see in New York City travel lists.  Also noticeably missing from the map is “Little Ireland” in Woodlawn Heights, the northernmost part of the Bronx. Mamdani’s Office of Immigrant Affairs has since removed the map, but a series of immigrant enclave illustrations remain — and Little Italy and Little Ireland are still conspicuously absent.   NYC Mayor’s Office The artist who drew the immigrant enclave illustrations is Celia Deming-Bernstein, whose work has also been featured in the anti-Trump, ‘No Kings’ movement. One of her recent pieces shows President Donald Trump depicted as the wolf from the fairytale “Little Red Riding Hood” and was titled “Predator President.” When she presented her immigrant enclave illustrations on social media, she captioned her drawings, “No One Is Illegal On Stolen Land.”    NYC Mayor’s Office A spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office told the New York Post, “The immigrant enclave series began during the [Eric] Adams’ administration, and we are planning to add more neighborhoods in the upcoming months.” The illustrations come with instructions on how to promote and share them. “Today, we kick off #ImmigrantHeritageWeek by paying tribute to all the ways immigrant New Yorkers are central to our city’s workforce and economy, bringing our city to life every day. #ImmigrantsPowerNewYork.” Mamdani’s administration is not only pro-immigrant but pro-illegal immigration. In his speech for America’s 250th birthday, he highlighted immigrant struggles including the “laws enacted by the federal government to bar their entry.” Mamdani’s administration has passed stronger sanctuary city policies, including an executive order that prohibits ICE from entering city property.

The San Antonio Spurs parted ways with play-by-play announcer Jacob Tobey on Thursday, days after social media posts claiming he cheated on his longtime girlfriend went viral online.  Earlier this week, multiple posts were published on Tobey’s Instagram account appearing to show him with Loren Waters, the sister of former Spurs guard and current free agent Lindy Waters III. An X account under the username @WembyAlienEra captured screenshots of the two posts that blew up across multiple social media platforms. Another post: “Me and the new girl LorenkWaters :)” pic.twitter.com/9L6Wh7rLQB — Wemby Alien Era (@WembyAlienEra) July 7, 2026 A person identifying herself as Tobey’s ex-girlfriend also posted a since-deleted message on VSCO, a photography-focused social platform, saying he had been unfaithful. “This is now his ex girlfriend. I was visiting his family w[ith] him [for] two weeks (we were on day 3) when I found out about him and Loren,” an account under the username kass3rine posted on the platform. “He woke up. And his parents made him take down the story. Stay safe out there ladies.” “You can be 6 years in visiting grandparents one hour and sleeping in bed the next at his family home and they will still cheat,” the post said. Tobey, 29, became the Spurs’ play-by-play announcer just before the 2024-25 NBA season, during which he also sometimes performed the national anthem for games. Before working with the Spurs, Tobey spent four years as a sports anchor at 9News in Denver and called play-by-play for Fox Sports and the Pac-12 Network. Just weeks before his firing, Tobey announced on X that he had signed a multi-year extension with the Spurs to stay on the broadcast team. Tobey has since set all of his social media accounts private, and the X post is no longer viewable. Neither the San Antonio Spurs nor Tobey’s representatives at The Montag Group responded to a request for comment.