US Territories’ October 17-23, 2022 news week in tweets

Biden pressured to help fight the Insular Cases

The Insular Cases, which make citizens of the United States territories second-class citizens under US law, were rejected to be reviewed by the Supreme Court. Earlier this year, a court denied birthright citizenship to John Fitisemanu, a man born in American Samoa, based on the Insular Cases.

Northern Mariana Islands experiences a surge in tourists

After the region eased up on many travel restrictions, the Northern Mariana Islands became a hub for tourists this month. In September 2022, the Marianas hosted 69,534 visitors compared to the 5,265 visitors the territory had the year before.

US Virgin Islands town lit up in Purple in support of domestic violence awareness

The town of Frederiksted lit up in purple in support of domestic violence victims; about 100 people gathered in purple and placed a shoe of victims lost from domestic violence near a clock tower. The Women’s Coalition of St. Croix has been hosting numerous events throughout the month of October to honor domestic violence awareness month.

American B-1B bombers land in Guam amid tensions with foreign powers

The US Air Force deployed B-1B bombers to Guam as a part of a “bomber task force” mission. According to a Pentagon spokesperson, this move was to show that the “United States stands closely with its allies and partners to deter potential provocation.”

Landfills to soon reach max capacity after hurricanes in Puerto Rico

For the past five years, while Puerto Rico has seen devastating destruction to property due to natural disasters, the region’s response to the surplus of disaster debris is to put the trash in landfills. However, with the hurricanes collectively producing 2.5 million tons of debris, the landfills are reaching their max capacities.