Local news

In a statement explaining their decision to suspend federal funding and investigate the V.I. Housing Finance Authority, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department cited “findings of widespread financial mismanagement, inadequate fraud controls, false certifications, and improper payments.”

Local leaders grappled with the implications of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department’s suspension of federal funding to the V.I. Housing Finance Authority, and candidates for elected office wasted little time transmuting the news into campaign talking points.

Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. acknowledged the territory’s receipt of a letter from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department Monday in which the federal government announced a suspension of future disaster recovery funding to the V.I. Housing Finance Authority due to years of financial mismanagement, dismal audit findings and a former chief executive’s kickback-related conviction.

The Virgin Islands Board of Elections met Monday for an emergency meeting to discuss next steps following Attorney General Gordon Rhea’s recommendation that the board seek independent representation in Brett “Mac” McClafferty’s federal lawsuit challenging his disqualification from the delegate to Congress ballot.

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring Tropical Depression Two over the northeastern Gulf region, threatening parts of the northern Gulf Coast with heavy rain, gusty winds, and possible travel disruptions. The storm poses no threat to Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands, where worsening drought remains the more immediate concern.

As sargassum continues to wash ashore across the Caribbean, researchers are studying whether the seaweed can be transformed from a coastal nuisance into a resource for medicine, agriculture, and industry while exploring a better understanding of what fuels the blooms.

The United States Virgin Islands Women’s Basketball Team closed its run at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Centrobasket Qualifier, while the U19 Women’s Volleyball Team opens play at the 2026 NORCECA U19 Women’s Continental Championship in San Jose, Costa Rica.  

A newly introduced bill in Congress would, if enacted, change the rules governing U.S. citizenship at birth for people born in the U.S. Virgin Islands and other U.S. territories beginning in 2027, reopening a long-running constitutional debate over whether Congress has the authority to determine citizenship in the territories.

In his biweekly column, Langley Shazor speaks to issues important to men within the territory.

Some Virgin Islands blooms attract insects with dazzling displays and sweet scents but provide no reward in return.

Check out our weekly weather forecast with Jesse Daley, covering Sunday, July 19, through Saturday, July 25. Our YouTube playlist is updated every week, AND check out Jesse’s daily weather updates here.

Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-Tex.) joined Congresswoman Stacey Plaskett and gubernatorial running mate, Senate President Milton Potter, for a star-studded “last lap” campaign rally on St. Thomas on Friday.

Grieving family and friends gathered to say their last goodbyes to 15-year-old Tre’Vante Etienne on Saturday morning. Etienne -- a 9th grader at the Charlotte Amalie High School -- was struck by gunfire on Vester Gade in the midst of a June 12 basketball game; he died while undergoing emergency medical treatment.

The United States Virgin Islands Women’s Basketball Team suffered a tough loss against Mexico in the semifinals of the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup 2027 Centrobasket Qualifier 2026 in Managua, Nicaragua.

The St. Croix Heritage House Society, through its SHH: Invest USVI initiative, will host a "Meet & Greet Gathering Spot" on Thursday, July 30, at 5:30 p.m. at Club Comanche Hotel in Christiansted, inviting residents to learn more about the organization's long-term vision for St. Croix's economic and historic revitalization.

Trunk Bay on St. John was named the world's top beach in Beach's 2026 World's Best Beaches rankings, leading a strong showing for the U.S. Virgin Islands, which placed three beaches on the annual list.

The V.I. Water and Power Authority governing board convened Friday to approve a seven-thousand-barrel diesel purchase after its regular Puerto Rico-based supplier had issues securing a vessel to service the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

Lawmakers heard Friday that the territory’s main government-operated long-term care facilities are not ready for federal certification by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as the senior population grows.

A federal judge has denied Brett "Mac" McClafferty's request for an emergency temporary restraining order restoring him to the delegate to Congress ballot, but will allow his broader challenge to proceed, setting an evidentiary hearing next month on whether the Elections System lawfully disqualified his candidacy.

Six weeks into the 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season, an audience on St. Thomas heard talk of resilience, a common term to be heard at this time of the year. But at the third annual Women of Resilience Conference, that familiar reference held a different meaning — one evoking the way that people weather the storms of life.