Energy traders have long had a recurring nightmare. It starts with a narrow strait between Iran and Oman, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil normally passes, and ends with tankers anchored, insurers raising their rates and the price of a barrel heading north. This year, the nightmare came true. The Strait of Hormuz is largely closed, Brent is above $110 a barrel and the old question has changed. It is no longer whether Gulf oil will be disrupted but how much of it can still get out.
Contributions to collective defense are often measured by the size of a country’s armed forces, the sophistication of its weapons or the resources it can commit to a conflict. Yet the experience of the Gulf Cooperation Council demonstrates that military power is not determined by these measures alone. Strategic geography, access to critical infrastructure, operational coordination and the willingness to sustain partnerships under pressure can be just as consequential. As Iran’s attacks reshape t
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth last week sparked controversy among America's European allies by suggesting they had not pulled their weight during the two-decade war in Afghanistan. He repeated a joke he had made previously about the International Security Assistance Force, suggesting that the acronym ISAF stood for “I Saw Americans Fighting.” His remarks drew criticism from many European leaders, who pointed out the sacrifices made by their armed forces in Afghanistan. More than 1,100 non
Data centers are classed as part of the information technology sector, but the framework has not kept pace with their growing strategic importance and rapidly changing threat environment.
Data centers are classed as part of the information technology sector, but the framework has not kept pace with their growing strategic importance and rapidly changing threat environment.
The unforeseen death of researcher Abdulaziz Al-Ghashayan highlights the urgent need for Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states to invest in research centers fostering unbiased insights for informed decision-making.
Rabbi Arnold Resnicoff never intended to be in Beirut in Lebanon, on Oct. 23, 1983, when suicide bombers drove explosive-laden trucks into Marine Corps barracks, killing 241 American service members. But as Resnicoff told Fox News Digital, his presence during that event and advocacy thereafter would bring solace and support for a multitude of American service members, leading to his strong belief that "a coincidence is just God acting anonymously."
Tasked to the U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet, Resnicoff was part of a three-chaplain team supporting service members across 40 ships stationed in the Mediterranean. On Friday, Oct. 21, Resnicoff arrived in Beirut to perform a memorial service for a Jewish Marine who had been killed in the line of duty. Navy leadership wanted to send him back to the boat the following day, but as an observant Jew, he refused to travel on the Sabbath.
Resnicoff woke early on the morning of Oct. 23 and was brushing his teeth at 6:22 a.m. when his building began to shake violently. As doors came off their hinges and windows exploded, Resnicoff and others took cover on the floor, believing their building had been hit by a rocket or mortars.
When the ruckus stopped, the men began to hear "these terrible, terrible screams" coming from the building 50 yards away from where Protestant minister Danny Wheeler lived with a host of Marines.
Whenever Resnicoff visited Beirut, he alternated staying with a Catholic chaplain, George Pucciarelli, and Wheeler. Based on his schedule, Resnicoff ought to have stayed at Wheeler’s residence on Friday, but chose instead to stay with Pucciarelli, who had something to discuss with the rabbi. "Who knows what it was we talked about," Resnicoff reminisced. "But that probably saved my life."
As recognition dawned on those around him, Resnicoff watched Pucciarelli put his purple stole around his neck, "probably because he knew he was going to have to say many last rites." Pucciarelli looked at Resnicoff and said, "Follow me."
Outside, Resnicoff said that "the big, four-story building was gone with the smoke." Buried under the rubble were 241 American service members, including 220 Marines, 18 Navy sailors and three Army soldiers. The Navy casualties included "a complete medical detachment," leaving no one "trained medically to help those left alive."
Resnicoff, Pucciarelli and other first responders began working their way through the debris looking for survivors. He said, Pucciarelli "went to one body on the ground, I went to another. We just cradled these wounded men and said, ‘Help is coming.’" Each attended to the men as best they could, ripping apart their clothes to wipe the blood, dirt and dust from their faces. When Resnicoff had torn apart his shirt, he used his Jewish head covering, called a kippah, which soon "got bloody and dirty and lost."
Eventually, ambulances and helicopters arrived on scene, allowing Pucciarelli and Resnicoff to catch their breaths. Pucciarelli remarked that he had never seen Resnicoff without his head covered. "I told him what happened to my kippah, so he tore a piece of his camouflage uniform and put it on my head."
Pucciarelli told Resnicoff that, "In this country where every religion is killing every other religion, I want everyone here to remember not only that you and I, the chaplains, were helping everyone regardless of whether they had a religion or what religion they had, but that you and I had different religions [and were] standing together."
Wheeler was the last living service member to be pulled from the wreckage five hours after the explosion. Resnicoff said that it took four days to dig out the hundreds of bodies buried in the rubble. "These tough Marines were crying, helping their fellow military personnel," Resnicoff said.
Resnicoff pulled from an element of his own Jewish tradition as he ministered to the Marines mourning and laboring in the wreckage. "After the death, we have a week of family gathering around and telling stories about the person who died," he explained. "The tradition is if you visit the family during that period, you don’t initiate the conversation, just show your concern and love through your presence, and if the mourners talk to you, then you have a conversation. So, when I would go from Marine to Marine, they were digging up the bodies of their comrades, I used that Jewish approach. I didn’t start the conversation, I just stood next to them to show them I was there, and then if they wanted to talk, I talked."
Resnicoff said that the tradition hearkened on the words of Catholic friar St. Francis of Assisi, who taught his followers to "preach the gospel everywhere. Use words only if absolutely necessary."
The Legacy of the Camouflage Kippah
Before the Beirut bombing, Resnicoff reported that gaining permission to wear the kippah "was always a struggle" for Jewish service members.
In the early 1980s, Resnicoff says that Congress was debating the Religious Apparel Amendment, which would have allowed Jews serving in the military to cover their heads. "For two years, this amendment had failed. And then, in the Congressional Record, they told the story of this priest making this head covering for me," Resnicoff said. "The amendment passed. They understood that it was a matter of pride that we could work side by side from different religions. Then-Vice President George H. W. Bush asked Resnicoff to write a report on his experience. Former President Ronald Reagan would share that report with a group of 20,000 Baptists, "who evidently appreciated it," Resnicoff recalled.
In chaplain school, Resnicoff said that chaplains were trained to attend to severely wounded personnel from different religious backgrounds than their own. "But it turned out none of the people I comforted in Beirut asked me a religious question. It was just ‘if I die, tell my mother I love her.’ Most of those Marines were too young to have their own children." He says that "I was reminded that the role of the chaplain is so much broader and bigger than just being a religious representative."
"I always used to believe that the military was ahead of the civilian world when it came to understanding and working together. And when you’re in a foxhole or a bunker, you don’t really care if the guy next to you is a Democrat or Republican or independent, you don’t really care what their religion is. You just care that they’re going to protect you like you’re going to protect them and we’re all in this together."
Resnicoff says that the Beirut bombing showed him that "if the world had more interfaith foxholes, we would have less need for foxholes and more room for faith."
Since the dawn of civilization, mankind has looked to the stars and wondered: How did the universe come to be? What lies beyond our own world? Are we alone in this vast expanse? And will we ever venture far enough to set foot on another planet?
Over the centuries, human ingenuity has helped answer some of these questions. Others may only be known to our Creator. But whether mankind will ever live and work on another world is a question we are closer to answering now than ever before.
What once belonged to the pages of science fiction is rapidly becoming reality. And at the forefront of this extraordinary new era of exploration stands the United States of America.
From the Apollo program to today’s groundbreaking missions to the moon and beyond, the American pioneering spirit has continually pushed the boundaries of what is possible. But what truly sets America apart is not simply the vision of our government or the brilliance of our scientists. It is the unmatched capabilities of our commercial space sector.
That success did not happen by accident. It is the product of decades of American innovation, investment and cooperation between the public and private sectors.
One of the clearest examples of what this partnership can accomplish is unfolding right in my home state of Texas.
In February 2024, Houston-based Intuitive Machines made history when its Odysseus lander became the first American spacecraft to touch down on the moon in more than half a century — and the first privately built spacecraft to achieve a soft lunar landing. Just over a year later, Cedar Park, Texas-based Firefly Aerospace landed its Blue Ghost spacecraft on the lunar surface, delivering 10 NASA science and technology instruments and completing two weeks of operations.
These achievements are more than historic milestones. They demonstrate what is possible when NASA’s expertise and resources are paired with the talent and innovation of American companies. Through initiatives like NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services program, the federal government is helping develop a thriving commercial lunar industry while advancing the technologies needed to return astronauts to the moon and eventually reach Mars.
As chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I have seen firsthand the role thoughtful policy can play in supporting these achievements. From commercial lunar deliveries to the next generation of space stations, our committee has worked to advance the partnerships, research and technologies shaping America’s future in space.
But the work is far from finished. As more nations recognize the economic and strategic importance of space, the United States faces growing competition, particularly from China. The future of exploration will be determined not only by what we accomplish in orbit or on the lunar surface, but also by where companies choose to invest, develop new technologies and build the infrastructure that makes those missions possible.
For America’s commercial space industry, the regulatory environment is a central part of that equation. Companies designing next-generation spacecraft, launch systems and other capabilities must navigate federal requirements that can affect everything from testing and licensing to operational deployment.
Our committee has a responsibility to build on this progress and ensure American space companies have the freedom to innovate and grow. That means examining outdated requirements, improving coordination across federal agencies and fostering an environment where the next generation of commercial capabilities can move from the drawing board to the launchpad.
We must also recognize what is at stake. As China sets its sights on expanding its presence beyond Earth, America cannot afford to become complacent. Our past achievements are no guarantee of future success. We should be making it easier for companies to build, invest and innovate here at home while working alongside allies and partners who share our commitment to peaceful exploration and a future in space guided by our shared principles.
The possibilities before us are nearly limitless. From establishing a lasting foothold on the moon to sending the first humans to Mars, the next great chapter of our journey into space will depend on the ingenuity and resolve of the American people and the conditions we create for them to succeed.
For thousands of years, mankind has looked to the stars and wondered what lies beyond. Today, we have the chance to go farther, discover more and accomplish what generations before us could only imagine.
Some places you find on purpose, prompted perhaps by a travel guide or proud Portuguese advisor. Others find you. Curia, halfway between Coimbra and Aveiro, just off the IC2, found
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