Gimenez calls out lack of Coast Guard capabilities in the Arctic

NEWS AND OPINION:

Rep. Carlos Gimenez offered a noteworthy opening statement in a hearing Wednesday centered on the U.S. Coast Guard’s aging icebreaker fleet.

“We are reviewing the progress — or lack thereof — of the Coast Guard’s Polar Security Cutter program and discussing strategies to ensure the successful completion of this vital acquisition effort. This issue is of paramount importance — the United States must be able to operate effectively in the Arctic to safeguard our nation’s security and strategic interests in this rapidly changing region,” said Rep. Carlos Gimenez, Florida Republican.

“While the Arctic has long been a region of immense importance, it has recently become a key arena for geopolitical competition,“ he said.

“The Coast Guard, our nation’s primary operator in the Arctic, is reliant on just one aging heavy icebreaker, the Polar Star, which is already well past its intended service life, and a single medium icebreaker, the Healy. This is unacceptable. A nation as powerful, resourceful, and innovative as ours must rise to the challenge and do better,” Mr. Gimenez continued.

The lawmaker said he is cautiously optimistic that the situation is changing.

“I am also excited about the direction the incoming administration may take in addressing the urgent need for U.S. icebreakers. The Trump administration has an opportunity to prioritize this issue and explore innovative solutions, such as enhancing collaboration with allied nations to fill immediate capability gaps,” he said.

“These efforts, paired with a clear commitment to advancing our long-term Polar Security Cutter procurement plan, could significantly strengthen our polar capabilities while reinforcing U.S. leadership in these strategically vital regions,” Mr. Gimenez said.

WELCOME TO SPACETOWN

SpaceX — the space exploration corporation founded by Elon Musk in 2002 — hopes to transform its Starbase development site in Texas into a city.

“The private spaceflight company submitted a petition to local authorities on Dec. 12, requesting an election on incorporating the Starbase launch site as its own city. The Starbase facility located near Boca Chica, Texas, has seen some of SpaceX’s most ambitious launches,” Space.com reports.

“To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship, we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community,” SpaceX said in its request, which was posted on X and addressed to Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr.

“That is why we are requesting that Cameron County call an election to enable the incorporation of Starbase as the newest city in the Rio Grande Valley. Incorporating Starbase will streamline the processes required to build the amenities necessary to make the area a world class place to live — for the hundreds already calling it home, as well as for prospective workers eager to help build humanity’s future in space,” SpaceX said.

“We look forward to continuing its transformation into a world-class hub for the men and women working to make life multiplanetary,” the organization said in the letter, which was signed by Kathryn Lueders, general manager of Starbase.

IVY-COVERED HALLS

“On the heels of criticism about its massive diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, the University of Michigan announced plans Monday to launch a new program focused on ‘civil discourse,’” according to the College Fix, a student-written news organization.

“The announcement comes amid ongoing criticism about the university’s $250 million DEI programs,” the report said.

The new Institute for Civil Discourse will serve the public institution’s three campuses, with a goal to “strengthen debate and dialogue across the vast spectrum of ideologies and political perspectives,” the news organization said.

“We learn by confronting different arguments and different perspectives. Michigan is the place to do this — to show our community and nation that civil discourse is not just possible, it is the very best way to learn and to solve problems. It is fundamental to our democracy,” said Santa Ono, the university’s president, in a press release from the campus.

The institute will include a director and an advisory board made up of scholars with “a broad range of ideological viewpoints,” the release said.

FOXIFIED

In the week of Dec. 9-15, Fox News bested its competition, drawing an average daily prime-time audience of 2.5 million viewers and an average of 1.7 million daytime viewers, according to Nielsen.

The standout programs include “The Five,” with a daily average of 4 million viewers, “Jesse Watters Primetime” (3.4 million), “Special Report With Bret Baier” (3 million), and “The Ingraham Angle” and “Hannity” (2.8 million each).

Fox News also drew large daytime audiences with such programs as “Outnumbered,” with an average daily audience of 2.1 million; “The Faulkner Focus” (2 million); “America Reports With Sandra Smith and John Roberts” (1.9 million) and “The Story With Martha MacCallum” (also 1.9 million).

In contrast, NBC’s “Today With Hoda and Jenna” had an daily average audience of 1.5 million, while ABC’s “GMA3” audience was 1.4 million, CBS’s “The Talk” was 1.3 million and “NBC News Daily” was 1.2 million.

Fox News also finished November as the top news organization on YouTube — securing 402 million video views that month, according to Shareablee, an industry source.

One more thing: Fox News again enjoyed large interactions on social media in November, with over 51 million total social interactions at popular sites, up 183% from the year before, according to Emplifi. The network was the subject of 15.2 million interactions on Facebook, 31.9 million Instagram interactions and 4.8 million interactions on X.

POLL DU JOUR

• 52% of U.S. adults think the U.S. will not have a dictator in their lifetime.

• 74% of Republicans, 46% of independents and 36% of Democrats agree; 57% of men and 47% of women also agree.

• 25% overall think that the U.S. will have a dictator in their lifetime.

• 11% of Republicans, 28% of independents and 37% of Democrats agree; 25% of men and 26% of women also agree.

• 23% overall have “no opinion” on the issue.

• 15% of Republicans, 26% of independents and 27% of Democrats agree; 19% of men and 27% of women also agree.

SOURCE: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,553 U.S. adults conducted Dec. 15-17.

• Contact Jennifer Harper at jharper@washingtontimes.com.