#TBT: May 22, 2025
On May 22, 2020, the American Civil Liberties Union published this piece on how United States citizenship is not extended to American Samoa residents, and their position in the then-pending case of Fitisemanu v. United States, favoring birthright US citizenship for...
Northern Mariana Islands and Guam territorial delegates push for stronger support for veterans and caregivers
Two delegates representing United States territories have introduced new legislation aimed at improving support for veterans and military families. The bills—introduced by Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R) of the Northern Mariana Islands and Delegate James Moylan (R)...
American Samoa Government defends reopening of fishing grounds
The recent decision by President Donald Trump (R) to reopen portions of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM) to commercial fishing has drawn renewed attention to American Samoa’s tuna industry, a key sector of the territory’s economy. While the...
Puerto Rico sees opportunity and risk in Trump-era tariffs
In the wake of a divisive trade war catalyzed by President Donald Trump’s enforcement of extreme tariffs, Puerto Rico is attempting to use the uncertainty of the current global economy to boost manufacturing. Due to their tax-exempt status for shipments from the...
US Virgin Islands Health Department launches outreach campaign amid rising measles cases in the United States
With confirmed measles cases in the United States surpassing 1,000 across 31 states, health officials in the United States Virgin Islands are stepping up efforts to prevent an outbreak in the territory. The USVI Department of Health has launched a direct outreach...
Google Trends in the US territories: April 2025
Welcome back to our monthly series examining the top Google Trends in Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Trends data is an unbiased sample of Google search data. It’s anonymized (no one is...
#TBT: May 15, 2025
On May 15, 1981, Mount Pagan erupted, with lava flows covering a large part of the island's arable land; the island's inhabitants were evacuated to Saipan. Mount Pagan is the most active of the two stratovolcanoes on Pagan, a volcanic island in the Northern Mariana...
Governors of American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, and US Virgin Islands see opportunity in Trump presidency
The election of President Trump has caused considerable disruption among many elected officials within the territories. However, many territorial advocates are optimistic that relations with the Trump administration may prove to be beneficial in the long run....
US Virgin Islands Governor honors older residents during Older Americans Month
Governor Albert Bryan Jr. (D) is marking Older Americans Month with a series of public appreciation events across the United States Virgin Islands to recognize the contributions of older residents. The gatherings, organized in collaboration with the USVI Department of...
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...
