News Articles

What Can Taxation in the Thirteen Colonies Teach Us About the “Consent of the Governed” in U.S. Territories Today? SPECIAL REPORT

Neil Weare and Edoardo Ortiz Public debate about U.S. territories is often shaped by unsupported assumptions or even outright falsehoods—especially on the issue of taxes. Addressing these myths is important to de-normalize the undemocratic colonial rule of more than 3.6 million people in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Tax Day gives us a timely opportunity to address some common misconceptions, which we

Military Draft Registration Applies to USVI

A.J. Pike USVI - The automatic Military Draft registration will be instituted in December 2026. Those young men, ages 18 to 25, who are eligible in the USVI will be automatically registered for the military draft pool in the event a draft is required. The last time a draft was in effect was February 1973, during the Vietnam War. Currently, in states that haven’t enacted automatic registration, men must register within 30 days of their 18th birthday. The agency accepts

Puerto Rico Flu Epidemic Sparks Caution in USVI

A.J. Pike USVI - Puerto Rico has declared a State of Emergency due to an influenza epidemic that has produced more than 42,000 confirmed influenza cases, over 3,000 hospitalizations, and 128 influenza-associated deaths as of the end of January 2026. Almost 46 percent of the reported cases have involved children. In response, the V.I. Department of Health (VIDOH) is urging USVI residents to get vaccinated and to take all precautions due to frequent inter-island travel be

Weed Killer Found in Breads Sold in USVI

M.A. Dworkin Lake Worth Beach, Fla - On Thursday, February 5, 2026, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and other Florida officials shared the results of new independent testing, revealing the presence of glyphosate, a common pesticide used to kill weeds, in several popular bread products, a few of which are sold in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The discovery marks the third round of testing as part of the Healthy Florida First initiative, which aims to improve the lives of Florid

Pentagon Invokes No Flight Zone off Puerto Rico

M.A. Dworkin Puerto Rico - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), acting under the direction of the Department of War (DoD), has issued a new Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) establishing temporary flight restrictions over an area off the southeast coast of Ceiba, Puerto Rico. The order, identified as FDC 5/9106, takes effect on November 1, 2025, and will remain active through March 31, 2026. According to the FAA, the restrictions are for “Special Security Reaso

Bull and Bread Day David Hamilton Jackson The Black Moses

M.A. Dworkin David Hamilton Jackson was born on September 28, 1884, in the Estate East Hill, on the island of St. Croix, in the Danish West Indies. He died on May 30, 1946, on the island of St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He was vilified as a rebel to the Danish officials who ruled toward the end of the Danish era. Yet, he was lionized as a hero to the Black population who demanded their freedom from slavery in their homeland of St. Croix. Jackson’s maternal gran

No Kings Day Draws 150 on STX, Millions Nationwide

M.A. Dworkin St. Croix - Millions of people came out nationwide and globally in peaceful protest to voice their opposition to Trump Administration policies on everything from strong-arm immigration tactics to mass firings of government employees, to overall quasi-Monarch applications of the law. The nationwide effort involved more than 300 grassroots organizations, with protest events held at over 2,600 locations in all 50 States. Protest events rose up in cities rang

STX to STT Car Ferry to Open New Wave of Inter-Island Commerce

M.A. Dworkin USVI - “There’s a new world comin’ And it’s just around the bend…There’s a new day dawning, That belongs to you and me…” sings Nina Simone. Such is the battle cry of the U.S. Virgin Islands as it works to reinvent itself as a people who are willing to rise up, shake off its past industrial disappointments, and carve out a new vision for itself as one of the innovative leaders of tourism in the Caribbean Basin. Now imagine this scenario if you will: