Caught in the middle: How the de minimis suspension punishes US territories
On February 20, 2026, President Donald J. Trump (R) issued Executive Order 14388, titled “Continuing the Suspension of Duty-Free De Minimis Treatment for All Countries.” It explained that he still deems it necessary and appropriate to suspend duty-free de minimis...
Has Puerto Rico normalized a culture of escalating violence?
Violence seems to be everywhere, even in the most unexpected circumstances, and the Caribbean is certainly not exempt. Recently, there have been cases in Puerto Rico in which misunderstandings escalated into violence and have forced us to reevaluate societal...
#TBT: April 2, 2026
Pedro Calungsod was a Catholic Filipino-Visayan migrant, sacristan, and missionary catechist who, along with the Spanish Jesuit missionary Diego Luis de San Vitores, proselytized and forcefully converted the indigenous people of Guam, which led to both being martyred...
Guam heads into a crowded 2026 election season
For Guam, 2026 is an election year. The 2026 Guam Primary Election is scheduled for August 1, 2026, 90 days before the general election on November 3, 2026. Many politicians have already announced their candidacy, either directly to the public or by picking up...
#TBT: March 26, 2026
The Intentona de Yauco of 1897 was the second and final revolt against Spanish rule in Puerto Rico. It was staged by the Revolutionary Committee of Puerto Rico. On March 26, a group headed by Jose Nicolas Quiñones Torres and Ramon Torres fought Spanish colonial forces...
Joh Skidmore, the American Samoa-Alaska voting case prosecutor, in context
On November 30, 2023, Tupe Smith, an American-Samoan resident of Whittier, Alaska, was arrested for running for the school board. Unlike people born in the other US territories (Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands),...
Congressional Hispanic Caucus staff meet with Friends of Puerto Rico on economic development
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus hosted a roundtable with Friends of Puerto Rico to discuss initiatives aimed at expanding economic opportunity across the islands. CHC staff and interns joined Angelique Sina, president and founder of Friends of Puerto Rico, at a...
#TBT: March 19, 2026
Colonel Leafaina Yahn, commander, 404th Army Field Support Brigade, stands with then American Samoa Governor Togiola Tulafono on March 19, 2012. Tulafono invited Yahn to speak as part of a Women's History Month ceremony.
Stacey Plaskett’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein, in context
On November 18, 2025, the United States House voted to fail the motion to censure and condemn Delegate Stacey Plaskett (D) for colluding with convicted felony sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. But Plaskett is still taking heat for possibly colluding with the sex criminal....
The Oregon Zoo gets creative in effort to recover endangered tropical bird
OPB covers how The Oregon Zoo's creativity might be helping in the recovery of the Guam Kingfisher: Sihek (pronounced “SEE-hek”), also known as Guam kingfishers, are brightly colored, long-billed birds endemic to Guam. Zoo scientists have long believed that males...
