Lack of explanation for data gaps in United States territories hinders fair policymaking
Americans' public needs are not being adequately met as long as the federal data gaps for US territories persist. Melissa Braybrooks, an economist for the Office of Insular Affairs, spoke on behalf of the United States House Committee on Natural Resources. She...
Weekly Action Checklist: May 9, 2025
The AoC Checklist features clear, well-researched actions for Americans who value democracy, equality, voting, and decency. We are a big tent for all people who want a kinder, flourishing nation. This Week’s First 3 Actions Action 1: Time Sensitive – Protect 50,000...
New fellowship connects environmental justice and democracy in the United States territories
Right to Democracy has launched a new two-year fellowship aimed at addressing the intersection of climate change, political disenfranchisement, and colonial legacies in the United States territories. The initiative, called the Environmental Democracy Fellowship, will...
Byul An wins 2025 Congressional Art Competition in the Northern Mariana Islands
Byul An, a student at Saipan Southern High School, has been selected as the Northern Mariana Islands winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition. Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R) announced the results on April 30, noting that An’s watercolor painting, Sabalu...
#TBT: May 8, 2025
On May 6, 2020, The New York Times published the article 'A Place in the U.S. With No Covid-19? Look to American Samoa.' showcasing how the territory's unique ability to control its own borders allowed it to delay COVID-19 transmission longer than anywhere else in the...
New independence plan outlines economic vision for sovereign Puerto Rico
A new economic development plan drafted by independence advocates proposes a detailed framework for transforming Puerto Rico into a sovereign nation, outlining a transition away from United States territorial status. The document, titled National Economic Development...
Amata Coleman Radewagen joins push to remove Medicaid caps for US territories
Delegate Amata Coleman Radewagen (R) of American Samoa has cosponsored new bipartisan legislation to eliminate Medicaid funding caps for US territories. The bill, titled the Medicaid Improvement for Insular Areas Act of 2025, was introduced by Delegate Kimberlyn...
US Virgin Islands officials meet with VA leadership in Puerto Rico over potential cuts to veterans healthcare
Facing potential federal cuts to veterans' healthcare in the Caribbean, officials from the United States Virgin Islands traveled to Puerto Rico on April 28 to meet with leaders at the VA Caribbean Healthcare System (VACHS). The visit was aimed at understanding the...
How the Trump executive orders are impacting the US territories
In the first 90 days of President Trump's administration, he signed 130 executive orders, marking the highest first-year count since President Harry Truman. Despite a lack of representation in the United States Senate or votes in the House, the US territories have...
#TBT: May 1, 2025
On May 17, 1921, Rear Admiral Summer E.W. Kitelle, the third governor under the Naval Department, issued an executive order creating a US Virgin Islands flag. He approached Percival Wilson Sparks, a cartoonist, and asked for suggestions for a flag design.
