The Space Coast’s new congressman wants the U.S. to set bold goals for exploration beyond our Earth, believing the country’s potential will take Americans sky-high – literally.
"We need to do everything we can to make sure it's safe, but it's done in a way that removes some of the superfluous red tape so that we can get out there, compete and beat China and beat any other nation," Rep. Mike Haridopolos, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital in an interview.
"Because the moon and beyond is not a cliché from a Disney movie. It is the future."
Haridopolos said he would "love" to see the U.S. return to the moon in the next four years of the Trump administration. The Florida Republican was careful not to speak in absolutes, noting, "We can’t guarantee anything," but credited billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos with revitalizing the science and space sector to make such conversations possible.
"It's a stepping stone," he said. "For example, as we're starting to move towards [nuclear power], with the need for more and more energy here in the United States…There's particles that are on the moon that they would bring back because they're very scarce here in America [and] around the world."
Helium-3 is a highly coveted resource found on the moon known to be key in nuclear fusion processes.
"From that point, you settle the moon, and then you go on to Mars, which has been, of course, Elon Musk's vision," Haridopolos said. "When he thought of things like SpaceX, it was, how do I get to Mars? And then how do you pay to get to Mars? That was the inspiration behind a lot of the new technologies he helped create. And now he's got a fellow zillionaire in Jeff Bezos dreaming of the same type of things. It's really exciting"
In Congress, the first-term lawmaker represents part of the country that’s famous for being home to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The Space Coast broke its all-time annual record with 93 orbital launches last year, according to Florida Today.
Just this week it’s scheduled to host launches by both Musk’s SpaceX Falcon 9 and Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket.
He lauded both President-elect Trump’s vision for space as well as new House Space Science and Technology Chairman Brian Babin, R-Texas.
"Donald Trump has proven day-one and officially in 2019 that he loves space," he said, referring to Trump’s creation of the Space Force.
He suggested that the U.S. approach to the final frontier may not be dissimilar to the optimism and pride seen in 1969, when Americans landed a team of astronauts on the moon.
"It was an inspiration for my parents’ generation," Haridopolos said. "Now, of course, Elon Musk gave us this whole new vision of landing potentially, in our lifetime, on Mars. It's remarkable. And so the president said this is the future."
School districts, universities and state-level education leaders around the country are preparing their schools for the incoming Trump administration, including efforts to protect illegal immigrant children.
Many school districts are focusing on efforts to bolster protections for migrant students and families. These include mandatory teacher training on what to do if immigration officials arrive at their schools and new rules that bar them from showing up in the first place. Other districts are readying measures to guarantee funding in case President-elect Trump cuts it.
"We will not allow any law enforcement entity to take any type of immigration action against our students or their families within our care," Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said Monday at a press conference.
Carvalho has committed to using all legal options available to protect illegal immigrants attending school in the district, according to local reports.
Shortly after Trump's election victory in November, the district's governing board passed a resolution prohibiting district employees from voluntarily complying with immigration authorities, including sharing information about a student's immigration status. Part of the resolution includes teacher training instructing educators on the proper ways to respond to law enforcement.
"Get ready to deal with misinformation. Get ready to deal with any action from Washington, and be prepared," LAUSD board member Monica Garcia said.
Several districts are offering training for immigrant students and families as well. In Washington, the Edmonds School District planned a "Know Your Rights Session" led by officials from the local Mexican consulate for immigrant members of its community.
The event was later canceled due to backlash, but an official flyer for the event said the Mexican consulate would be on hand to share with community members "how to prepare for immigration raids and your individual rights when approached, detained or incarcerated by police or immigration agents."
Oregon's largest school district, Portland Public Schools, passed a resolution earlier this month reaffirming its commitment to designate itself a sanctuary school for undocumented students. Under the updated resolution, employees are still not permitted to share a student's immigration status without parental consent. And the district said it would not allow immigration officials into school buildings beyond the front office.
Nicole Neily, the president and founder of the nonprofit Parents Defending Education (PDE), said "without a doubt" the increase in illegal immigration has put a negative strain on schools, not helped them. She said the incoming administration will not put up with schools ignoring its policies.
"Given the poor state of civics education in America, it's little wonder that administrators are laboring under the misimpression that they are above the law. But after Jan 20, they should be aware that the incoming administration will not look favorably on these transgressions," Neily said.
In addition to measures aimed at flouting federal immigration authorities, some schools are preparing for possible funding cuts. Trump has signaled he is open to potentially dissolving the Department of Education and has said in the past he would strip federal funds from schools that do not follow the law.
Richmond Public Schools in Virginia is planning to fund student lunches locally over fears the Trump administration could get rid of the Community Eligibility Provision, a program that helps pay for meals for students.
"We delivered millions of meals during the pandemic," Superintendent Jason Kamras said. "So, we’ll have to figure this one out, too, if necessary."
In California, state Superintendent Tony Thurmond said his school system is "prepared to introduce legislation that would guarantee funding for California schools and California education" in case Trump gets rid of it.
Colleges and universities are also taking steps to shield their international students from potential deportations under Trump, several of which have encouraged their students from overseas to return to campus ahead of Trump's inauguration later this month. They have also offered resources for students who are not natural-born citizens.
"A travel ban is likely to go into effect soon after inauguration," Cornell University's Office of Global Learning said in a message to students after Trump won.
The NBA announced that Saturday's home games for both the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers have been postponed amid the wildfires sweeping through Southern California.
The Lakers were scheduled to host the San Antonio Spurs while the Clippers were set to host the Charlotte Hornets.
The league has not yet announced makeup dates for the two games, and the league did not disclose if more games will be affected by the fires, as both teams have home games scheduled for Monday and Wednesday and the Lakers have another home game on Friday. The two teams are also supposed to play each other in Inglewood, California, on Jan. 19, when the Clippers will host.
"The NBA and the Clippers and Lakers organizations have been in communication with local officials in Los Angeles and Inglewood about the ongoing situation in the Los Angeles area and the game postponements ensure no resources will be diverted from the wildfire response efforts," the league said in a statement.
Some members of both teams are directly dealing with the impacts of the wildfires, including Lakers coach JJ Redick, whose family's rental home in Pacific Palisades burned on Tuesday night, destroying many of their belongings.
"I was not prepared for what I saw," Redick told reporters. "It’s complete devastation and destruction. I had to go a different way to the house, but I went through most of the village, and it’s all gone. I don’t think you can ever prepare yourself for something like that. Our home is gone."
The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association, which is the players' union, announced on Friday a $1 million donation for immediate relief to the American Red Cross, World Central Kitchen and other organizations working to provide assistance to the victims and recovery efforts.
The donation was meant "to support those affected by this disaster," the league said, adding that it is "working with the Lakers and Clippers on ways to support longer term assistance and rebuilding efforts."
The Lakers also had a game previously scheduled for Thursday against the Hornets postponed as well, but it has not yet been rescheduled.
The Lakers are scheduled to host the Spurs again on Monday, when the Clippers are set to host the Miami Heat. On Wednesday, the Lakers are scheduled to host the Heat and the Clippers are scheduled to host the Brooklyn Nets. The Lakers are also slated to host the Nets on Friday.
The Clippers said they anticipate that the games starting Monday will be played as scheduled.
"The health and safety of our community and our fans remains our highest priority," the team said.
My Oura Ring tracks my movement and rest across the day, and it is subtle enough to wear on any occasion.
Rachel Hosie
The Oura Ring is a fitness tracker popular among athletes, business execs, and celebrities.
Fitness reporter Rachel Hosie has used one for four years and was originally attracted by its look.
Oura ``Rings provide sleep data, step counts, and menstrual cycle tracking.
When I first learned about a new fitness-tracking smart ring four years ago, it wasn't the promise of high-tech features that most piqued my interest, it was the look.
As someone who enjoys both fashion and fitness, I didn't think the wrist-worn devices I'd encountered as a health reporter, such as the Whoop strap, Apple Watch, and Fitbit, were attractive enough for me to wear all day every day, to everything from the gym to a wedding.
But the Oura Ring, which just looks like a chunky band (mine is gold but other colors are available), was different.
Four years later, the look is still important to me, but it's the increasingly clever features that mean I still wear an Oura Ring.
Launched in 2013, the Oura ring's popularity has soared in recent years and can be spotted on the hands of athletes, business execs, and celebrities. Last December, the Finnish company announced that its valuation had doubled to $5.2 billion since 2022, thanks to $200 million in new funding. Various brands have launched their own smart rings in recent years — but Oura still leads the pack.
At $349 to $399 for the latest Oura 4 model, plus a $5.99-a-month subscription, it's not cheap, but neither is an Apple Watch, which can cost as much as $799 for the top model.
A few years ago, people were always surprised when I told them my ring was an activity tracker. Now everyone from the saleswoman at a jewelry counter to my sports teammates ask me if I'm wearing an Oura Ring and what it's like.
Here are the pros and cons of the Oura Ring that I've found after four years of wearing one.
The Oura Ring shows all the data it collects on the app.
Oura
Con: You can't really wear an Oura Ring while weightlifting
While the look of an Oura Ring is a big selling point to me, a wrist strap would be better for strength training, which is the bread and butter of my exercise.
For movements like deadlifts and pull-ups, I take my ring off as it pinches my skin.
However, I'm only interested in tracking the weights I use and reps in workouts, which trackers can't do and so I log separately.
Pro: The Oura Ring tracks my daily movements
I love that my Oura Ring picks up all my movement throughout the day, including my steps (a metric the Whoop strap, for example, doesn't track). And it's perfectly comfortable to wear, say, on a run, which is when I like to know my heart rate.
The Oura Ring can track various activities, and it's remarkably good at knowing what you've done, from cycling to rowing. It even picks up housework as an activity, which I think is a fantastic way to remind people that all daily movement, not just formal exercise, is important.
It also picks up restful moments, including naps if I were much of a napper.
Although my ring's battery life has slightly worsened with time, I only have to charge it for about an hour every few days.
While some people like having a screen on their device, data collected by the Oura Ring is shown on an app. I like being able to check mine when it suits me.
Jennifer Aniston has been spotted wearing an Oura Ring.
James Devaney/GC Images
Pro: Oura Rings provide detailed sleep data
Oura Rings are generally considered to be among the most accurate wearables for tracking sleep, and it's really interesting to see not just how long I've slept in total but also the split between sleep phases, how long it took me to fall asleep, and the overall quality.
Research by the University of Oulu in Finland found that the Oura Ring measures resting heart rate at 99.9% reliability compared to a medical-grade electrocardiogram. Oura supported the study by providing equipment and software, and some of the authors were employed by Oura. However, the company was not involved in the study's design or collection and analysis of the results.
Shortly after waking up, I find myself reaching for the Oura app to see how I slept, rather than checking in with my body and seeing how I actually feel, which I don't think is a great thing.
The sleep data is clever and interesting, but arguably unnecessary for the average person. Wearing a smart ring won't improve your sleep, but it can help you change your habits.
Pro: The Oura Ring encourages you to rest
Rachel Hosie likes being able to wear her Oura Ring with any outfit.
Rachel Hosie
Like the Whoop strap, the Oura Ring was one of the first smart devices not just to push people to move more but to help users balance recovery with activity. If you're not well rested, Oura will suggest taking it easy.
I like that it promotes balance, but most people can only exercise at certain times and don't necessarily have the luxury of waiting for the next day when their Oura Ring might say they're in a better place to train.
That said, it's no bad thing to factor in that perhaps you should do a slightly lighter session.
Pro: The temperature sensors can tell you if you're sick
Oura Rings are very sensitive to body temperature, and this is one of the methods they use to determine when you're feeling tired and where you are in your menstrual cycle.
These features are really smart — I've heard various Oura users say their rings know they're going to get ill before they do, and studies support this. Similarly, mine has alerted me when my period is going to be a few days late based on my temperature.
I take Oura Ring data with a pinch of salt
While I do believe the Oura Ring is one of the most accurate wearables available, I also know to take all the data with a pinch of salt, and I won't live or die by what it tells me.
This is what Livvy Probert, a personal trainer, sports scientist, and head of science at personal health assessment company Hawq Score, previously told me. Wearable tech like Oura Rings are great for monitoring your own sleep and activity trends and progress, but because accuracy can't be guaranteed, you shouldn't necessarily read too much into the numbers.
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