News Articles

M.A. Dworkin USVI - Governor Albert Bryan Jr. and the Virgin Islands Department of Labor (VIDOL) announced the Territory has officially processed the final repayment of the outstanding federal Title XII Unemployment Insurance loan principal, marking a historic milestone in restoring the solvency of the Virgin islands Unemployment Insurance (UI) Trust Fund. On April 30, 2026, VIDOL submitted the final principal repayment in the amount of $11, 888,166.00 through the Fede

M.A. Dworkin USVI - In recognition of Older Americans Month, the Virgin Islands Department of Justice (DOJ) through its Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU) and White Collar Crime & Public Corruption Division, joins communities nationwide in celebrating the invaluable contributions, resilience, and wisdom of older adults. Observed each May, Older Americans Month highlights the vital role seniors play in strengthening families, communities, and our shared future. This yea

M.A. Dworkin Washington, D.C. - Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, who has led the attack for the Trump Administration on the 87-year old food aid program that supports tens of millions of low-income Americans, claims (without offering any corroborating evidence) that 14,000 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients included owners of luxury vehicles such as Ferraris, Bentleys and Teslas. Yet, critics charge that the broadside attack on SNAP is par

M.A. Dworkin Washington, D.C. - A ruling by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday, May 1, 2026, which temporarily blocked the ability to prescribe and ship the abortion pill mifepristone nationwide - the most common way of terminating pregnancies - requiring it to be obtained in person at a clinic instead, has now been presented for a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court ***Update.************************** On Monday, May 4, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court restored telehealth

M.A. Dworkin Washington, D.C. - The Trump Administration has brought U.S. and USVI onshore wind farm development projects to a screeching halt, citing national security concerns, specifically potential radar interference. Approvals for about 165 onshore wind projects throughout the U.S. and the U.S. Virgin Islands on private lands are being held up by the Pentagon according to the American Clean Power Association and sources close to the matter. The affected projects in

M.A. Dworkin USVI - Financially strapped, low cost Spirit Airlines, that had been in and out of bankruptcy on two occasions over the past several years finally decided that it was time to leave the flying to someone else. The budget airlines had been in talks with the Trump Administration to receive a $500 million lifeline that would have saved it from going out of business, but apparently the bailout talks collapsed due to a number of irreconcilable points. The

M.A. Dworkin Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett released a statement regarding the U.S. House of Representatives passage of H.R. 7567, the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026. “The Farm Bill is an opportunity to stand with farmers and families who are struggling under the weight of rising input costs, skyrocketing grocery prices, reckless tariffs, and the economic strain of the ongoing war. Unfortunately, the bill passed by House Republicans

M.A. Dworkin St. Croix - Governor Albert Bryan Jr. has transmitted legislation to the 36th Legislature that would authorize an agreement with Southland Gaming of the Virgin Islands (SGVI) to rebuild the Randall “Doc” James Racetrack on St. Croix. The proposed agreement would finally return horse racing to the island, and establish a stronger Territorial framework for the future of the King of Sports in the Virgin Islands. The proposed agreement would allow Southland Gam

M.A. Dworkin San Juan - There is a growing movement in Puerto Rico to break away from the United States and rejoin Spain, more than a century after it parted ways with the European country. There are currently several proposals spearheaded by a movement called Adelante Reunificacionistas, that may sound fringe at first, but its message is gaining quite a bit of traction in the hinterlands of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico fell under U.S. sovereignty in 1898 following the Spanish

A.J. Pike USVI - Colorado State University (CSU) researchers forecast 13 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 2 major hurricanes in the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane season, with a 35% hurricane landfall risk. CSU sees a potentially strong El Nino developing between June and August 2026, with a 62% chance of it emerging and lasting through the year according to the latest forecast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center, who are dubbing it

M.A. Dworkin San Juan, PR - The U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) has approved a $2.5 billion project to build a 150km, 700 MW HVDC submarine cable that will link the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, allowing Puerto Rico to import electricity from a new Dominican natural gas plant. The project, which recently received a Presidential permit from the U.S. Department of Energy, is expected to start construction in 2027 and be completed in 2031. It will integrate both th

M.A. Dworkin Washington, D.C. - The Justice Department has reclassified/rescheduled FDA-approved marijuana products and products containing marijuana (subject to a qualifying State-issued License) to Schedule III from its previous Schedule I, making marijuana no longer considered to have “No currently acceptable medical use.” The rescheduling permits prescriptions for FDA-approved products and state-licensed medical cannabis. It eases the barriers for medical research