The Left's Love Affair With Islam Is, Perhaps, Our Greatest Threat

The notoriously liberal Orlando Sentinel needs to find some better heroes to star in their sob stories on supposedly unfair migrant deportations under the Trump Administration. The front page of Monday’s paper featured a story reported by Natalia Jaramillo, “A Mix of Hope, Dread -- Cubans in Central Florida feel a change is coming, but concerns about deportations also rise.”   Readers were primed to sympathize for the story's main subject, the native Cuban man on the front page, Julio Varona, who fled Cuba’s communist regime as a teenager but is now set for deportation. Varona, an opponent of the island’s communist government, filed onto a makeshift raft alongside a handful of others in the 1990s, risking his life and sailing across the waters of the Atlantic Ocean to reinvent his life in Florida.  And readers might have been sympathetic -- until they reached paragraph 15, if they got that far: Last month the Department of Homeland Security announced 170 Cubans with criminal records had been sent back, marking the first deportations of the year to an island that historically has rejected such deportees. As the situation has evolved, though, the island has become more open to their return. Varona will likely be on one of those flights next month. In 2000, he was sentenced to 10 years of probation for sexual battery of a minor, but the judge withheld adjudication, meaning he was not formally convicted. He had pleaded not guilty at the time and maintains his innocence now, but in 2001 an immigration judge ordered his removal. He was released from ICE custody a few months later and checked in with the agency annually, but was never deported in part because Cuba would not take him. Finally in December, following his regular check-in with ICE in Orlando, Varona left the office with an ankle monitor tracking his movement and was told to prepare for deportation in April. Indeed, Varona is a convicted sexual offender under Florida law who for some reason was not jailed. Amazingly, the Sentinel also hailed a convicted rapist in another front-page deportation story on November 19, “Sanford grandfather to remain in ICE custody -- Retired optician faces deportation for criminal past.” In that case, the reporter waited seven paragraphs before unleashing the other side of the story: "Several years after the deportation order, he was convicted of rape, in 1972.” The Sentinel clearly finds these stories of imminent deportation to be sympathetic. But are a pair of convicted sex offenders really the best examples the paper could find?

On any given Tuesday afternoon, there are thousands of parents rushing out the door in a panic, corralling their kids into the car, frantically battling their way through traffic, picking up something cheap to eat because there’s no time for anything else, nearly crashing as they try to shave a few minutes off because you can’t be late, for God’s sake, and then finally dropping their kid off at the sports center for travel soccer practice.On the weekends, they are driving four hours for tournaments, staying in hotels every Saturday night, and spending thousands of dollars every year devoting their lives to the wide and ever-expanding world of travel sports.What does it do to your family if you aren’t ever eating dinner together?Have you noticed any of this? Have you heard of any of this? Well, I hope you haven’t, but you probably have. Travel sports are a big thing these days, and they seem to get bigger every year. Soccer, baseball, hockey, volleyball: Whatever the game, the phenomenon is the same.Soccer monsterWhen I was young, travel sports weren’t such a big thing. I know they existed somewhere, but I don’t think I knew anyone personally who did them. My wife knew someone who did travel hockey, but that was it. Back in those days, travel sports were rare, and it seemed that the only people who did them were people who were extraordinarily “into” sports. Now travel sports are everywhere, more kids are in them, and they are more consuming than ever before.I know a woman who admits that the only reason she works is to fund her son’s travel soccer habit. She’s joking a little, but only a little. Every week she is buying new gear, shopping for more accoutrements, booking hotels for the whole weekend, exploring other travel leagues that might be better, and generally devoting a large portion of her life to travel sports. The travel soccer her son is in runs all year and costs around $10,000. That doesn’t include any of the travel expenses or hotels. At the end of any given year, their travel soccer bill could easily be a tidy $25,000. She says they almost never eat at home, which makes sense. On the weekdays she is carting her son to travel soccer; on the weekends they are staying in hotels. RELATED: We're all 'too busy' to eat dinner as a family — but we should do it anyway Minnesota Historical Society/Getty ImagesFare playSure, it’s not for everybody, but what’s the big deal about spending a couple of hours on the freeway every weekend? That’s what I used to think. Then I learned that it’s not uncommon for parents to fly with their kids to various tournaments around the country. That’s how deep the travel sports addiction can get. I was shocked. It would be one thing, I suppose, if only the truly exceptional young athletes were caught up in this — the 0.000000001% destined to become pros or compete in the Olympics. But these are average kids we’re talking about, kids who will most likely never play their chosen sport beyond high school. I’m not a sports hater. Sports are good for kids. I grew up doing sports in the summer and after school in the spring and fall. My kids do baseball, soccer, and tennis. But they aren’t traveling anywhere to play these sports, nor will they be. And we have more important things to spend money on than a $25,000 travel soccer bill.The problem with travel sports isn’t the sports. It’s the travel. And it’s the travel that’s such a problem because it’s that which results in life being completely subsumed by practices, tournaments, and all things travel sports. And the problem with all things being subsumed by travel sports is that you don’t have time for anything else, and you lose track of what actually matters. Time outWhat does it do to your family if you aren’t ever eating dinner together? What does it do to your kid — their sense of purpose and their perception of their role as a child — if all you do is cart them around like a dutiful chauffeur? And what about their spiritual development? If you are traveling every weekend for travel sports, you certainly won’t be attending synagogue on Saturday or church on Sunday. How do you teach your kids about values or faith if you never make time for them? Well, you can’t. Lastly, what about culture? What do travel sports say about the state of our society and what we value? Sure, without question, travel sports are a lot better than smoking weed, being a general menace, or sitting on your butt all day doing nothing. But are those really the only options? They can’t be. How do families remain families — close families — in an era of over-scheduled kids, over-worked parents, and in a world that seems intent on drawing us apart and off into things that don’t really matter? It’s a big question, and each family has their own answer. But whatever the answer is for whoever you are, travel sports are probably not it.

America is entering an era when the threats to our nation are evolving faster than our public conversation about them. Yet one of the most important national security initiatives of this decade — Golden Dome — remains largely unknown to the very people whose support will determine whether it succeeds.Most citizens have no idea what Golden Dome is, what threats it addresses, or why it is stabilizing rather than escalatory.Congress is asking pointed questions, industry is unsure what to build, and the public has barely heard the name. If we don’t close this information gap now, we risk letting confusion, speculation, and adversarial narratives define a program designed to protect the nation.Golden Dome is not a mystery. It is a modernization effort aimed at defending the United States against advanced 21st‑century threats — those that move faster, fly farther, and strike with greater precision than anything we faced in the past. Its architecture integrates sensing, tracking, command and control, and layered defensive capabilities across multiple domains. In plain terms, it is a shield: a system designed to strengthen deterrence, reduce vulnerability, and give national leaders more time and options in a crisis.But even the strongest shield is only as durable as the public trust behind it. And right now, that trust is at risk.A strategic initiative without a public narrativeGolden Dome fits squarely within the nation’s core strategic frameworks. It supports the National Security Strategy’s mandate to protect the homeland and strengthen deterrence. It advances the National Defense Strategy’s focus on countering advanced adversary capabilities. And it complements U.S. nuclear policy by reinforcing the stability and resilience of the strategic environment — without altering nuclear doctrine.Yet alignment with strategy is not enough. Congress, industry, allies, and the American people all need to understand what Golden Dome is and why it matters. Without that clarity, the initiative risks becoming a target for political friction, budgetary skepticism, and misinterpretation abroad.Congress has already begun signaling frustration. Members in both chambers want clearer information about Golden Dome’s architecture, cost, schedule, and oversight mechanisms.Industry, meanwhile, is being asked to innovate at speed without knowing the full scope of what the government needs.Golden Dome requires rapid prototyping, open architectures, and competition. But companies cannot position themselves effectively without clear guidance. The result is hesitation at a moment when urgency is essential. And then there is the American public.Most citizens have no idea what Golden Dome is, what threats it addresses, or why it is stabilizing rather than escalatory. In an age of disinformation, that vacuum is dangerous. If the people do not understand the purpose of a major national security initiative, adversaries will happily define it for them.RELATED: I saw the sky light up over Dubai. The real shock came next. AFP/Getty Images Golden Dome is not just a domestic issue. Allies and partners want reassurance that the United States is strengthening — not retreating from — collective defense commitments. They need to know that Golden Dome complements existing security architectures rather than replacing them or shifting burdens. Adversaries, too, are watching closely. Clear, consistent messaging is essential to avoid misinterpretation and to reinforce deterrence. Ambiguity invites miscalculations.Private speeches aren’t enoughTo date, Golden Dome has been discussed primarily at defense and military conferences. Those speeches were necessary and well received — but they only reached specialized audiences. They do not shape public understanding. They do not provide Congress with a bipartisan narrative. They do not give industry the clarity it needs. And they do not reassure allies or counter adversarial messaging. A national initiative requires a national conversation.The solution is straightforward: a deliberate, public‑facing communications campaign anchored by a major national speech. Armed Forces Day — May 16, 2026 — offers the ideal moment. A speech delivered at the American Legion Mall in Indianapolis would reach veterans, military families, policymakers, and civic leaders. It would also signal that Golden Dome is not a niche technical program but a national commitment to America's protection.A full rollout should include:a clear, plain‑language narrative explaining what Golden Dome is and what it is not.pre‑briefings for Congress and industry to ensure alignment and reduce uncertainty.coordinated messaging with allies and partners to reinforce collective security.calibrated communication to adversaries to strengthen deterrence without escalating tensions.This approach builds bipartisan confidence, provides industry with direction, reassures the American people, and strengthens allied cohesion. Most importantly, it ensures that Golden Dome is defined by its strategic purpose — not by speculation or misinformation.A moment we cannot missGolden Dome is a prudent, stabilizing investment in America’s security. But even the best ideas can falter without public understanding. The United States has reached a point where silence is no longer strategic. The stakes are too high, the threats too real, and the consequences of miscommunication too severe.A national security initiative of this scale deserves a national conversation. Golden Dome must be explained, not whispered about. It must be understood, not assumed. And it must be introduced to the American people with the clarity, confidence, and transparency that the moment demands.Armed Forces Day is approaching. The country is ready to listen. Now is the time to speak, General Guetlein, Secretary Hegseth, and President Trump.Editor’s note: This article was originally published by RealClearDefense and made available via RealClearWire.

She wrote the letter that would come to define her legacy on March 31, 1776. But 250 years later, Americans are misinterpreting her open-ended request

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Antibiotics, our infantry against bacteria, are losing their ability to fight against bacterial infections due to the rise of superbugs—microbes that have developed resistance to medications that are designed to kill them. In a recent study, researchers have developed a way to chemically modify common antibiotics like erythromycin A, clarithromycin, and azithromycin to help them fight drug-resistant bacteria.

Utilizing the stellar evolution code named Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA), Chinese astronomers have investigated the evolution of a recently discovered ultra-compact double white dwarf binary system known as ATLAS J1138-5139. Results of this study, published March 20 on the arXiv pre-print server, allowed the researchers to determine the fate of this system.

President Donald Trump is threatening to deploy ground troops to seize critical oil infrastructure on Iran's Kharg Island, a military gambit that experts say would risk American lives and could still fail to end the war. If Trump wants to hobble Iran's oil industry for...

U.S. strikes hit a city Tuesday that is home to one of Iran's main nuclear sites, sending a massive fireball into the sky, and Tehran attacked a fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker in the Persian Gulf.