#TBT: March 12, 2026
On March 12, 1976, James M. Frey, assistant director for legislative reference of the Office of Management and Budget, asked federal departments for their views on HJ Resolution 549, to approve the covenant for the Northern Mariana Islands, garnering positive...
Proposed Luxury Megaproject Could Remake Cabo Rojo and Price Locals Out
Puerto Rico's Centro de Periodismo Investigativo (Center for Investigative Journalism) reports on the potential consequences of the Esencia project in Cabo Rojo on the housing crisis in the territory: The CPI found that the median sale price of properties in Cabo Rojo...
Bryan warns Middle East crisis could raise energy costs in the US Virgin Islands
Governor Albert Bryan Jr. said the escalating crisis in the Middle East could have economic consequences for the US Virgin Islands, particularly through potential increases in global oil prices that affect the territory’s electricity costs. In a statement, Bryan also...
Le Vasa cable is a new digital link for American Samoa
On January 14, 2026, Samoa Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Leautea Schmidt arrived in American Samoa with his delegation as guests to the signing and ceremony of an agreement to bring American Samoa into the Pacific Connect Initiative through the new Le Vasa subsea...
How to prevent elections from being stolen − lessons from around the world for the US
By Shelley Inglis, Rutgers University President Donald Trump in his State of the Union address on Feb. 24, 2026, doubled down on his false claims that the U.S. elections system is compromised. He asserted that “the cheating is rampant in our elections. It’s rampant.”...
#TBT: March 5, 2026
On March 5, 2024, Jason Palmer got his only win in the Democratic Presidential Primary in American Samoa, receiving more votes than Joe Biden. Both, however, ended up getting 3 delegates.
Guam’s political status under scrutiny amid deep-sea mining push
The possibility of a deep-sea mining operation in Guam has continuously caused concern amongst the territory's citizens and politicians. In April 2025, President Donald Trump passed Executive Order 14285, which promotes the development of these operations. Since then,...
Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico releases 2025 annual report
The Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) for Puerto Rico has released its 2025 Annual Report. It claims that PROMESA (Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act) has generated $76 billion in savings for the islands through debt...
NMI Republican Party has a new president in Patrick Cepeda
On November 8, 2025, Patrick Cepeda became the President of the Northern Mariana Islands Republican Party after the previous President Joseph T. Guerrero stepped down. Guerrero represented District One in the NMI’s House of Representatives, leaving office on January...
Google Trends in the US territories: February 2026
This is 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 personally...
