Politician profile: Lou Leon Guerrero
Lou Leon Guerrero (D) has been the governor of Guam since January 2019. Before assuming office, she worked in the healthcare industry as a nurse. Her time in the industry has led her to be an advocate for healthcare through her actions as senator and governor, such as...
Concerns over US Military expansion grow in the Northern Mariana Islands
On June 23 and 24, Tinian Mayor Edwin Alden issued a statement to United States military officials regarding the recent military expansion plans. In his speech, Alden “demanded honesty, saying CNMI residents are frustrated with what they see as vague or contradictory...
GILTI and how it impacts the US Virgin Islands
To prevent offshore tax avoidance, the US implemented Global Intangible Low-Tax Income (GILTI) to ensure American companies pay their fair share. It is a US tax created to stop American companies and citizens from avoiding taxes by shifting profits to foreign...
#TBT: August 7, 2025
On August 7, 2019, Puerto Rico’s Secretary of Justice Wanda Vázquez Garced was sworn in as Puerto Rico's second female governor, the third governor the territory had in less than a week. Earlier in the day, the August 2nd swearing-in of Pedro Pierluisi was thrown out...
The Northern Mariana Islands and the Aleutian Islands: Forgotten pillars of the US Indo-Pacific strategy
By Aayush Gandhi As the Chinese threat against Taiwan rapidly increases, new US Indo-Pacific strategies have emphasized the creation of a grid of small, dispersed, and concealed bases to strengthen deterrence. Proponents have called for the US to increase the number...
Mass arrests of Dominican migrants in Puerto Rico fuel backlash against ICE
Puerto Rico used to be a place where undocumented immigrants felt they did not have to fear detainment. They could open bank accounts, get a driver’s license, and even start their own business. That was until January 26, when the ICE began to raid Dominican...
Territorial funding limits worsen Puerto Rico’s long-running energy crisis
In a press release last month, Puerto Rico’s Governor Jenniffer González-Colón (R) said the islands’ most urgent issue is energy security, stating, “This Administration clearly understands the urgency of the crisis and is utilizing available, existing emergency...
New bill proposes a waiver in license plate fees for Guam’s veterans
In light of the upcoming 80th anniversary of World War II, a new bill in Guam was proposed. Bill 149-38 focuses on waiving the annual license plate registration fees for veterans of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. The bill was introduced by Senator...
US military investment in the Northern Mariana Islands raises questions of cultural loss and political influence
The United States is investing nearly $800 million to expand military facilities on Tinian, one of the main islands in the Northern Mariana Islands. This is a specific strategy to strengthen its presence in the Indo-Pacific, especially amid rising tensions with China....
#TBT: July 31, 2025
#TBT: On July 31, 1969, Owen Aspinall ended his term as the 45th Governor of American Samoa. During his term, he signed a bill from the American Samoa Fono into law, against the wishes of the Department of the Interior, to send a Delegate to the US House of...
