#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.
Google Trends in the US territories: March 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...
Puerto Rico faces renewable energy crossroads
Puerto Rico Governor Jenniffer González-Colón (NPP, R) has recently backed a polarizing bill, leading to a contentious hearing on the future of renewable energy on the islands. The proposed action would extend the operation of Puerto Rico’s coal-fired plant, which has...
Governor Palacios attends inaugural Saipan–Rota flight ceremony
Governor Arnold I. Palacios (R) joined community leaders and airline officials on April 21, 2025, at an inaugural flight ceremony for Micronesian Air Connection Services (MACS), marking the launch of a new Saipan–Rota–Saipan air route. Palacios said the new service...
#TBT: April 24, 2025
On April 23, 1898, Maria Cristina, in the name of her son, King Alfonso XIII, and as Queen Regent of the Kingdom as Queen Regent of the Kingdom of Spain, declared war on the United States. The war resulted in Spain's loss of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines as...
