Affairs Michael Halkitis said he is “very confident” the Davis administration’s full-year target for 2024-2025 will be met after the Ministry of Finance unveiled an estimated surplus of $58.6m for February 2025.
According to February’s Fiscal Summary report the first monthly surplus of the fiscal year was due to a 20.8 percent increase in revenue collections during the month driven by tax collections and a slight decrease in spending.
“This outcome reflected a 20.8 percent ($50.4m) upturn in revenue receipts to $292.9m, alongside
Talks held on moves to modernise labour laws
BY ANNELIA NIXON
PROPOSED legislative changes to modernise labour laws were put before stakeholders yesterday for feedback - with topics including paternity leave, mental illness and trade unions.
Cherrylee Pinder, CEO of CP Training and Consulting Services, said the recommendations were also submitted by stakeholders, including trade unions, Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers’ Confederation (BCCEC), the Disabilities Commission and others. There is still a chance for further feedback until June 15.
Ms Pinder said the legal team and drafter will ensure the recommendations do not contradict or will work in tandem with other legislation.
a 0.5 percent ($1.2m) decrease in spending to $234.4m,” said the report.
Speaking to Tribune Business, Mr Halkitis said he remains “very confident” that the Davis administration will also see a surplus for the remaining four months in the fiscal year and reach its budget targets.
The report revealed that tax collections increased by 14.1 percent from the previous year, growing to $241.1m. In addition to an increase in VAT collection, non-tax revenue increased by 66.5 percent, which was due to receipt of dividends and surplus bank fees.
“VAT receipts rose by $11.5m to $103.2m, reflecting improvement in the goods and services component,” said the fiscal report.
“Taxes on the use and permission to use goods increased by $16.1m to $45.7m due to gains in business license fees. Non-tax revenue was higher at $51.8m, equating to a 66.5 percent ($20.7m) increase. This was driven by receipt of dividends and surplus bank fees.”
The report also revealed that total expenditure for February decreased from the previous month, but the $220.9m in recurrent outlays represented a gain of 2.6 percent from the prior year.
“Public debt interest decreased by $2.5m to $23.1m. Subsidies increased by $9.0m to $32.5m. Use of goods and services advanced by $3.0m to $57.2m. Social assistance and pension payments were
‘Worst of the worst’ labour claims at Norman’s Cay
BY ANNELIA NIXON
Labour and Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle expressed her “excitement” regarding this next step in labour reform, noting that often proposals made are “met with a lot of cynicism”.
“This meeting today represents a critical step towards validating the proposed amendments to the Employment Act and the Industrial Relations Act,” Ms Glover-Rolle said. “And we’re here to ensure that we not only move forward for national consultation and we’ll talk more about what the next step is after today, but ensuring that when we go to this national consultation, we understand that this is a product that we are taking to the wider public that is based
THE Department of Labour is set to make multiple visits to Norman’s Cay to resolve an ongoing investigation, which the department’s director described as “the worst of the worst”. With allegations of human trafficking, breaches of environmental laws, salary issues, mold infestations, unsuitable living conditions and “serious breaches of the Employment Act”, Howard Thompson said the investigation surrounding a Norman’s Cay Resort Project is his “number one
priority”. He added that allegations and complaints have been rolling in “for over a year now” but “they would have increased over the past three to four months.”
Mr Thompson said he and his team made an unannounced visit to the island on May 16 and met with both the Bahamian and expat workers. He noted two immigration officers joined he and his team to Norman’s Cay, utilising the Royal Bahamas Police Force plane on the last-minute “emergency expedition”.
Sandals property mix-up resolved, says tax dept
By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@trribunemedia.net
THE Department of Inland Revenue has confirmed that issues with Sandals property listing are resolved.
John Williams, communications lead at the Inland Revenue Department, told Tribune Business that the five Exuma properties owned by Sandals that were included on the Department of Inland Revenue’s (DIR’s) latest auction listing have been resolved.
He explained that the tax agency still had the previous owners listed in their system and no declarations were on file to prove the hotel chain owned the properties. Once Sandals presented the necessary declarations and documents, the information was updated in the system.
Sandals issued a statement noting that the properties were listed due to “inaccurate records” by DIR and the mistake will be rectified by the department.
“We are aware of recent media reports suggesting that private properties owned by Sandals in Exuma are slated for auction. We wish to state categorically that is an error stemming from inaccurate records at the Bahamas Department of Inland Revenue,” said Sandals.
“We have been assured that the mistake will be rectified and no bids for these
“But what I would like to say is that we will be going down there at least two to three times every month until we resolve all of those issues,” Mr Thompson
said. “The allegations present themselves to the point where I’m almost able to say that this is the worst of the worst that I’ve heard of in terms of complaints [at the] Department of Labour ever since I’ve been the director. And so this has my priority. This is number one priority for me and the Department of Labour and Immigration won’t rest until we get all of these issues resolved.
“There’s also allegations of human trafficking. There’s allegations
$1m contract to improve South Andros water signed
By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
THE Water and Sewerage Cooperation (WSC) has signed a $1.04m contract to improve the water infrastructure in South Andros.
The contract awarded to Apex Pavers Company Limited will result in the installation of approximately 13,400 linear feet of four-inch water mains, ten new service laterals and associated fittings.
The project aims to connect the reverse osmosis water plant in Kemps Bay with the Wellfield in the Bluff and create a physical and operational link between the island’s two main water supply sources.
Leon Lundy, Minister of State with responsibility for WSC and MP for Mangrove Cay, Central
& South Andros, said the project will improve the reliability of water service in the area and will have a “major impact” on their lives.
He explained that there are often disruptions to the water supply during the night and the project will increase the amount of available water and improve water pressure.
“This will provide reliability. Right now, there are some distribution issues, mainly at night with the pressure, and this will shore up the amount of water that we’re receiving down in the southern end of South Andros. So definitely, this will be impactful right away,” said Mr Lundy.
“The residents sometimes they have disruptions that occur between 10 and five o’clock in the morning. So definitely this will be
HOWARD THOMPSON
MICHAEL HALKITIS
WILSON POSITIVE - BUT ISSUES WITH TEACHER CONFIRMATIONS
BY ANNELIA NIXON
BELINDA Wilson, the Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) president, said there are still issues with confirmations, reclassifications and promotions, despite a new industrial agreement being drafted. With their industrial agreement ending on June 30, Ms Wilson was satisfied that the BUT and the government were able to negotiate three salary increases and other benefits.
“Prior to 2021 we were trying to get to the table for about three years with our industrial agreement,” Ms Wilson said. “So I must give credit to them that they did come to the table, and we did negotiate a agreement which ends next month on the 30th of next month. So definitely I’m happy that we were able to not only negotiate an industrial agreement, but we were able to get three salary increases, and we were able to improve some of the benefits for our members, and we are now preparing a draft for 2025-2028 agreement.”
However, Ms Wilson stressed the importance of being confirmed, adding that members are still experiencing confirmation, reclassification, and promotion issues.
“The agreement actually, as we speak, I’m preparing the new draft,” Ms Wilson said. “Our negotiating team is going to look at that draft. I’m having a meeting with my members this week, so we will look at the highlights of that draft and have that submitted to the government within another two to three weeks. We still have the issues, though, of human resource management, human resource matters. So the confirmations, the reclassifications, the promotions, those have been a challenge, perennial, and it seems as though there’s like no light at the end of the tunnel, because the emphasis on human resource management in
BTC shows more love to the Marathon community
BTC held its third customer loyalty event on the grounds of the Mall at Marathon on May 17.
“Our loyalty event is the company’s family-oriented community event combining BTC’s products and services, local vendors, artisans and live entertainment,” said BTC’s product manager, Craig Eldon. “We are committed to keeping our customers and our communities connected, and that’s why we’re continuing to invest in the best technology for our customers one neighbourhood at a time.”
Through the loyalty programme, existing broadband customers can bundle services by adding select mobile postpaid plans, which include 12GB of data or more, unlimited BTC to BTC calls, unlimited Facebook & WhatsApp, calls to the US and Canada, and free incoming calls while roaming. All customers signing up for this offer received a $200 Bahamasair voucher. BTC’s director of commercial operations, Keisha Edwards, said: “We are continuing to upgrade our communities and more
residents in the area now have access to improved broadband services. We wanted to show the Marathon Community just how much BTC loves them.”
It was a fun-filled day with a kiddie’s corner, bouncing castle, mobile video gaming and a petting zoo. BTC partnered with several local businesses and organisations including The Royal Bahamas Police Force, Bahamasair, Bahamas Kidney Association and Family Guardian.
education in particular does not seem to be a priority. So we definitely need to have persons who are skilled, who have expertise in human resource management, so they would know what it is that needs to be done when a file is placed in front of them, because a lot of times you would contact two to three or four officers on one question, and you can get two or three or four different answers. And so they need to know what the standards are, what the policies are, what are the regulations. So it has to be improvement in that area.
“And when we talk about confirmation, I think sometimes people say, ‘well, at least they have a job.’ No, if you not confirm, it’s a challenge for you to open up a bank account. You can’t get a mortgage or a loan, and persons would need to get mortgages. They would need to get loans.
Sometimes they want to send their own children off to colleges or universities, you would need a letter that’s saying that you are confirmed on the job that you’re working on. So it’s definitely a challenge. It must be improved. And like we get so tired asking for the same thing over and over and over and over. I think our ministers coming, ministers going, it’s the same rhetoric. We got tired of rhetoric. Let us see the true change in the system for the benefit of the workers.”
Ms Wilson, did say she was pleased with communication efforts between she and the minister. However, she doesn’t believe “that the communication or the importance of the stakeholder has trickled down”.
“When it comes to the communication with the present minister, I’ve not had any difficulties.
Sometimes 1am in the morning, we’re WhatsApping each other or discussing different ideas. However, I don’t think that the communication or the importance of the stakeholder has trickled down to, let’s say, permanent secretaries, directors and persons who are in charge of various departments or ministries, because the challenges may be greater to get an audience with them, or to communicate with them. So I believe that there has to be from the top, they have to emphasise the importance of that day to day interaction with stakeholders such as unions, and not only just having a meeting for meeting sake, but we must see that the various changes are implemented and executed in a timely manner.”
$1M CONTRACT TO IMPROVE SOUTH ANDROS WATER SIGNED
a major impact right away that will be felt right away for all the residents.”
Cyprian Gibson, deputy general manager for WSC, said the project will improve water distribution, increase operational flexibility, and providing more reliable water service for over 1,500 consumers in South Andros.
“It connects more than 1500 customers. The objective is straightforward, to
physically connect two major water supply components in South Andros, the reverse osmosis water plant in Kemps Bay, which has some 340 connections, and the Wellfield in the bluff, which has some 1,200 connections,” said Mr Gibson
“By creating this link, we increase operational flexibility, improve pressure management and build redundancy into the water supply system, which is critical for both maintenance
planning and future growth.”
He said the corporation held competitive bidding for the project and the contract duration is 140 days, with an expectation of early completion.
“The procurement process was carried out in accordance with the corporation’s internal controls and compliance. Five companies were invited to participate in a mandatory site walk through in August of 2024 to ensure a proper
understanding of the terrain, access and scope,” said Mr Gibson.
Following submission of bids in September, three proposals were evaluated and Apex Pavers Company Limited emerged as the lowest compliant bidder with a VAT inclusive tender of $1,040,599. The contract is for 140 days, including procurement and but it is expected to be completed early.”
President of Apex Pavers Willie Simmons said the
company will start paving the roads in South Andros once the water mains have been installed.
“Once we’ve completed the water installation, we move straight into the road prep and profiling, and we’ll come behind that with the actual paving of the roads.
And we’re looking to start in the northern section and work our way south along the Kings Highway,” said Mr Simmons.
“That’s the method and plan behind it. We complete the water works first. We don’t want to pave and then come dig it up. So, we’ll complete all the
HALKITIS CONFIDENT GOVT WILL HIT BUDGET TARGET
FROM PAGE B1
lowered by $4.9m to $18.3m. Capital expenditures declined by $6.8m to $13.4m.”
As for government debt, the Ministry of Finance added: “During the review month, central government’s debt outstanding increase by an estimated $28.7m. The $119.8m in proceeds from borrowings was solely derived from domestic currency sources. Aggregate debt repayment of $91.1m was allocated between domestic
(73.6 percent) and foreign (26.4 percent) currency redemptions.”
The government is resolute that it will meet its $70m full-year deficit target and during the mid-year Budget in the House of Assembly, Prime Minister, Philip Davis KC, sought to soothe concerns over the near-$400m deficit at end-December 2024 by reiterating the government’s oft-stated position that “there is no need for alarm with respect to our ability to achieve our fiscal targets”.
waterworks prior to any asphalt paving.”
He said a team of about 15 employees are already on the ground and the company is looking to hire local staff to ensure the deadline is met.
“Currently we have about ten to 15 persons on the ground, they’re specialists, so we’ll be looking to hire a lot of local support with the ancillary staff in the road aspect, as well as the water. So, as we start laying the pipes and cutting the trench, we’ll be bringing on more personnel from the islands to assist us,” said Mr Simmons.
To justify this stance, he argued that revenue and spending trends had left his administration “comfortable that we will stay in line with the Budget” and produce a year-end deficit equal to 0.5 percent of economic output or gross domestic product (GDP). Mr Davis also voiced confidence the Government will achieve its 23.3 percent revenue-to-GDP target following “record” half-year revenues of $1.44bn for the first six months. However, while the Prime Minister touted both the revenue numbers and success of the Government’s tax enforcement/compliance initiatives, little was announced by way of new measures or actions that would help close the gap between the full-year and half-year deficits.
Tribune Business previously reported that a fiscal surplus four times’ greater than the $72m generated in the 2023-2024 second half is needed to achieve this.
THE ROYAL Bahamas Police Force’s K-9 unit put on an impressive display for patrons at BTC’s Loyalty event, held on May 17th on the grounds of the Mall at Marathon.
CHILDREN attending BTC’s Loyalty event, held on May 17th on the grounds of the Mall at Marathon, were given a hands-on demonstration by members of the Fire Unit of the Royal Bahamas Police Force.
BTC’s Loyalty event, held on May 17th on the grounds of the Mall at Marathon featured a spectacular performance by the Urban Renewal Marching Band.
THE BTC “Hype Crew” were on hand to warmly welcome attendees at its May 17th Loyalty event, held on the grounds of the Mall at Marathon.
BELINDA WILSON
MARATHON Mall residents take advantage of special offers at BTC’s Loyalty event, held on May 17th on the grounds of the Mall at Marathon.
‘Halfway there’ on bank solution for Andros
By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business
LEON Lundy, South and Central Andros MP, said discussions with Bank of the Bahamas executives are “halfway there” after concerns over access for customers on the island. Speaking to reporters yesterday, Mr Lundy said the meeting with executives to discuss the bank’s decision to modify its operation schedule in South Andros and Mangrove Cay went well and they have agreed to hire additional staff to extend branch hours.
“We’re halfway there. We just sent in some resumes, so we’re going to hire some persons down in South Andros to try and get the
branch opened up a lot more,” said Mr Lundy “The meeting went well, I would have loved for it to go better and for the banks to have all of their days open, but I understand their position on it. It’s a business, and we definitely want to share that balance, because, as I told them, it’s a business, but you want to have dignity, and you want persons to be able to have access to the essential services down in the constituency, no matter where they are in The Bahamas.”
Mr Lundy said agency banking, which the Central Bank last week recently released a consultancy paper on, will be a “game
‘Worst of the worst’ labour claims at Norman’s Cay
FROM PAGE B1
of breaches of environmental laws, so on and so forth. So I haven’t seen this with respect to the other cays or other developments going on, so that’s why I’m saying, I’m prepared to call it the worst of the worst. But let me hasten to say these are simply allegations. Myself, my team, immigration, the police force, other agencies, are looking into it very, very closely.
“...The allegation is that undocumented persons being transported to and from that island on boats or planes, and who the allegation is that they don’t have proper documentation to be in The Bahamas, much less work in the Bahamas. And so if that is indeed the case, and like I said, we’re conducting investigations, then I would classify that as trafficking in persons, human rights breaches, and we’ll be reporting it to the relevant international authorities. But like I said, at the moment, these are simply allegations, and we’re taking it very, very seriously. I know there are a number of whistleblowers who have not just reached out to the Department of Labour, they would have reached out to the journalists and the media in this country. So it’s going to be a collective effort to get to the bottom of this.”
Mr Thompson noted that he found on his visit that the workers’ allegations corroborated those of the anonymous complaints submitted to the department. He said many of the managers have either been let go or have resigned, pointing particularly at an HR head having been let go which hints “that there’s not just smoke, but there’s fire.”
“And so, as I said, a number of the Bahamian workers down there, the expat workers on there, seem to corroborate a lot of what those anonymous complaints came in from the Department of Labour. But I would say this, what got me even more concerned, in the past, maybe a month, we’ve seen a lot of managers from Norman’s Cay who either let go or resigned. In particular, we saw that an HR head was let go, and so when we see eight Bahamian HR heads resigning or being terminated, that’s a huge signal that there’s not just smoke, but there’s fire. And so we’re looking very, very closely into this. As we know our Bahamian managers, particularly those who operate in HR space, particularly in the hotel industry, they do it at the highest level. And so when we see there is problems at that part, then we maybe know that there’s serious, serious things that need to be corrected down there.
“I think the next step now is for my team to compile all of our various interviews down there. So we’ll compile a report, we will send it up to the Minister to take a view, and the minister will share with the development agencies what needs to happen. But like I said, this is only the first investigation. Day one of the investigation. We plan to go back down in the coming weeks to continue our efforts. We will try to utilide technology when we go down there. We’re going to try to secure a drone, because we understand that when they arrive, a number of persons, assuming who were not supposed to be on the island, they would have run into the bushes. And so obviously myself and my
team had no way to know if that is true or not, but when we go down the next time, you’ll be certain to go with a drone, so be able to have an aerial kind of footage to see exactly what’s going on.”
Commenting on an investigation launched into Great Stirrup Cay, a private island exclusive to Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), Mr Thompson noted that the “expat foreign managers” of the cruise have requested extra time to consult with their attorneys. The investigation stemmed from complaints that employees had been subjected to working 70-hour work weeks which exceeds the Employment Act’s 40-hour work week. Mr Howard added “it’s usually two sides of the story” and “the truth is somewhere in the middle”. He stated that there will be a mediation in the near future, possibly before the end of the week or early next week.
Adding that senior management in Great Stirrup Cay are trying to correct many matters that were submitted to the Department of Labour, he said he doesn’t believe there will be any penalties, noting that it’s a question of whether the law of The Bahamas or the law of the cruise line applies.
“I don’t want to preempt the mediation, but there are questions of the applicable law to apply. As I said, these are some expat workers who may have been under the Norwegian ship line contract. So the legal question is, what, if any makes of it, if they’re working in The Bahamas, does the law with respect to the cruise line apply, or is the law with respect to Bahamian law apply? I know what the
SANDALS PROPERTY MIX-UP RESOLVED, SAYS TAX DEPT
properties will be accepted by the Department of Inland Revenue.”
The company said it remains “fully committed” to the country and will continue to “invest heavily” in the region.
changer” for Family Islands, especially those with limited access to banking services.
“The Central Bank just released a concept note on agency banking. So definitely that’ll help out, and that’s supposed to assist. So I’m eagerly waiting for it to kick in, and definitely my constituents are definitely waiting,” said Mr Lundy. “It’ll be a big game changer, and not just for Andros, but for islands like Long Island, for islands that don’t have a bank at all. There’s certain parts of Andros, like Central Andros, North Andros that doesn’t have a bank at all. So definitely that’ll be
answer is, because I am an attorney, but I don’t want to preempt what’s going to happen at the mediation, where I’ve invited the attorneys from both sides for the managers as well as the company, to join in on that virtual meeting.
“No penalties at all. I don’t even think any is going to be anticipated. But like I said, we have to get down to the crux of the matter with respect to those foreign managers. And I think the question really is this, are these managers entitled to be paid for their overtime? Under Bahamian law, it says that managers simply will get their days back. But the foreign managers seem to suggest that they have some sort of agreement. I don’t know. That’s a factual issue that they were promised to be paid as opposed to getting days back. Like I said, that’s that’s an issue for their lawyers to debate. And I think we’re going to ventilate a lot of that issues at the next mediation.”
a major game changer for them.”
Mr Lundy previously blasted the governmentowned bank for cutting branch hours in his constituency and further pushing Family Island communities “down this path of neglect” after they decided to slash operating hours at its Kemp’s Bay branch to just one day per week - while leaving its Mangrove Cay location open four days per week.
Describing the move by Bank of The Bahamas, which is 84 percent majority-owned by the Government via a combination of the Public Treasury and National Insurance
Labour Minister Pia Glover-Rolle, who noted that she received the the written overview of the initial phases of the investigation yesterday morning, added that investigations are ongoing. She said the Department of Labour is steadfast in protecting Bahamian workers throughout the country.
“This morning, I would have received the written overview of the initial phases of the investigation,” Ms Glover-Rolle said. “I am seeing serious allegations that regard non compliance with the labour laws, non compliance with environmental laws, potential violation of human rights. And of course, we are taking this very seriously. We are grateful to the employees who have reached out and given us their complaints and opened our eyes to the issues. We’re able to visit with a multi-government agency team and investigations are not only moving forward, but will be moving
Talks held on moves to modernise labour laws
FROM PAGE B1
on collective expertise and a shared vision. This isn’t the government moving forward on something. This isn’t the unions. This isn’t the employee confederations. This is the tripartite, and this is the solidarity and the collaborative effort that has provided us with the process and the product that we will now take for national consultation after today.
“Today, we advance this work by reviewing and
discussing the feedback on the proposed changes to the Employment Act and Industrial Relations Act, as we build our momentum to transform the local labour landscape. Our objective remains clear, to build a modern, responsive and fair labour framework that protects workers rights, promotes productivity, expands opportunity and promotes decent work for. All these principles are what we should use to guide us in every step of the process
Board (NIB), as a “disservice” to Bahamians still reliant on branch banking, he added that it was another example of how Family Islands and their communities are “treated as an afterthought” by the commercial banking sector and others.
He pointed out that South Andros has a population of about 3,000 residents while Mangrove Cay has 1,500 so the decision to slash operating hours at its Kemp’s Bay branch while leaving its Mangrove Cay location open four days per week demonstrated that decision makers at the bank not familiar with the dynamics of the population.
forward to the full extent of the law... We expect to not only work swiftly on this, but to ensure that we are fully moving to the extent that the law will provide in ensuring that our Bahamian workers are protected no matter where they work, across the archipelago. There’s the concept that on the remote islands that there’s a lot of infraction to the laws. Well, the Department of Labour is coming to those remote islands to ensure that our workers rights are not only protected on our major islands, but also on those cays.
“This is extremely urgent, but it shows the good thing is that the Department of Labour is responding when we receive notes, messages from whistleblowers. We’re getting in there. We’re doing our due diligence, and in many instances, we’re allowing persons who are not conforming to the laws of the country to be removed from the country.”
today, and when we’re done with this critical step, our work will be put forward for nationwide consultation, ensuring transparency, inclusivity and democratic participation in shaping our labour future. At the end of this process, we will have incorporated the feedback of every major stakeholder group and every interested and concerned Bahamian who wants to see a sustainable and progressive future for labour in our nation. In doing so, we will ensure that these transformative reforms, built on broad consensus will stand the test of time and continue to produce positive results for many years to come.”
JOB OPPORTUNITY | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
ASA Asset (Bahamas) Ltd. (“ASA Bah”) was established to operate as a Firm Advising and Managing Securities on capital market instruments, offering its clients, Asset Management and Advisory services, and proposes to specialize in forging long term relationships in order to meet each customer’s fnancial objectives by offering a customized investment portfolio.
The Role: As Chief Executive Offcer (“CEO”), the CEO is responsible for all aspects of running ASA Bah’s day to day operations and fnancial resources. The successful candidate will be required to reside in Nassau, The Bahamas, travel frequently for business, and will play a critical role in building and leading ASA Bah’s strategic decisions and growth. The CEO will report to the Board and will have full responsibility for ASA Bah’s P&L.
The candidate should have meticulous attention to detail, be energetic (dynamic), be self-motivated, experienced, well educated, and preferably holding a degree in accounting, fnance, law, economics or business administration. Relevant post graduate studies and/or professional qualifcations will also be benefcial. Clearly, complete business and social fuency in Portuguese and English with working knowledge of Spanish an absolute pre-requisite.
Responsibilities:
1. Manage overall operations providing strategic, fnancial and operational leadership for the organization
“Sandals remains fully committed to The Bahamas. We continue to invest heavily in the region and look forward to building on our long-standing partnership.”
The Department of Inland Revenue began exercising its power of sale under section 25 (a) of the Real Property Tax last year in a bid to recover more than $700m in delinquent
real property tax arrears. It is using the lien, or charge, it has over these properties to sell them via a public auction on June 24, 2025. Among the properties listed for sale in the notice published on May 12, 2025, are five properties in Exuma all labelled as “Farmers Hill, Sandals Beach Units”. The values of the parcels range from $1.15m to $2.7m, collectively totalling nearly $9.3m.
The Tribune wants to hear from people who are making news in their neighbourhoods. Perhaps you are raising funds for a good cause, campaigning for improvements in the area or have won an award. If so, call us on 322-1986 and share your story.
2. Coordinate and work closely with the Board of Directors to defne the company’s overall objectives.
3. Develop new business
4. Defne the company’s culture and make high-level decisions about its policies and procedures
5. Assure all legal and regulatory documents are fled and monitored in compliance with local and foreign laws and regulations
6. Promote and lead with example to contribute to an environment or positive moral and good performance
What’s on offer:
Salary will be competitive with market conditions and remunerated according to experience.
Interested candidates should forward a cover letter in Portuguese and curriculum vitae as follows:
LEON LUNDY
Developer to resume NY offshore wind project after Trump administration lifts pause
By JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press
THE Trump administration is allowing work on a major offshore wind project for New York to resume.
The developer, the Norwegian energy company Equinor, said Monday it was told by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management that the stopwork order has been lifted for the Empire Wind project, allowing construction to resume.
Work has been paused since Interior Secretary Doug Burgum last month directed the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to halt construction and review the permits. Burgum said at the time that it appeared former President Joe Biden's administration had "rushed through" the approvals.
Equinor spent seven years obtaining permits and has spent more than $2.5 billion so far on a project that was one-third complete.
Equinor President and CEO Anders Opedal thanked President Donald Trump for allowing the project to move forward, saving about 1,500 construction jobs and investments in U.S. energy infrastructure. He also expressed
appreciation to New York's governor, New York City's mayor, members of Congress and labor groups, as well as Norwegian officials who worked to save the project. The Norwegian government owns a majority stake in Equinor.
"We appreciate the fact that construction can now resume on Empire Wind, a project which underscores our commitment to deliver energy while supporting local economies and creating jobs," Opedal said in a statement.
PENCE SPEAKS IN NORTH CAROLINA AGAINST BROAD TRUMP TARIFFS AND PRAISES HOUSE ON TAX BILL
By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press
FORMER Vice President
Mike Pence spoke Monday in North Carolina against the Trump administration's zealous efforts to impose tariffs on trading partners worldwide — another effort that shows his willingness to split at times with his former boss.
The education arm of Pence's political advocacy group kicked off in Raleigh a series of events nationwide that was also billed as building support to extend individual income tax reductions enacted by Trump and fellow Republicans in 2017 but set to expire at year's end.
In a brief interview with The Associated Press, Pence praised congressional Republicans for pushing ahead President Donald Trump's bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, saying "there should be no higher domestic priority" than making permanent the tax cuts passed in Trump's first term. But much of the meeting focused on Pence and key conservative business leaders in North Carolina opposing Trump's recent tariff efforts.
Monday's event marked another step by Pence to try to distinguish himself among the small group of Republicans in Washington willing to publicly criticize policies sought by the second Trump administration.
Pence and others said protectionism would
ultimately harm the U.S. economy in the form of higher prices and employment losses.
"It is ultimately for the most part American consumers that will pay the price of higher tariffs," Pence said at the event assembled by Pence's Advancing American Freedom Foundation and the Raleigh-based John Locke Foundation.
The massive 1,116-page budget bill, which also contains additional tax breaks that Trump campaigned for in the 2024 election — as well as spending reductions and beefed-up border security — initially failed to pass the House Budget Committee late last week.
A handful of conservatives who voted against the bill want further cuts to Medicaid and green energy tax breaks. House Speaker Mike Johnson aims to send the bill to the Senate by Memorial Day. The bill cleared the committee in a rare Sunday night meeting, but Johnson told reporters afterward that negotiations were ongoing.
"I'm encouraged," Pence told the AP after Monday's event. "I'm grateful that conservatives in the House have been pressing for more common sense reforms in Medicaid."
Three days ago, Moody's Ratings mentioned the 2017 tax cuts as it stripped the U.S. government of its top credit rating, citing the inability of policymakers to rein in debt.
Conservatives see the tax cuts as providing fuel for
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said it took countless conversations with Equinor and White House officials, and the involvement of labor and business interests, to emphasize the project's importance and get Empire Wind back on track. Equinor is building Empire Wind south of Long Island, New York, to provide power in 2026 for more than 500,000 New York homes.
"New York's economic future is going to be powered by abundant, clean
energy that helps our homes and businesses thrive. I fought to save clean energy jobs in New York — and we got it done," Hochul said in a statement Monday.
The Interior Department did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Monday. Large offshore wind farms have been making electricity for three decades in Europe and, more recently, in Asia. But the industry has struggled to grow in the U.S. due to high costs, difficulties growing a supply chain for
A SIGN for the company Equinor is displayed on Oct. 28, 2020, in Fornebu, Norway.
materials and the lengthy permitting process.
Trump has prioritized fossil fuels and moved against renewable energy since returning to the White House. One of his first acts was ordering a pause of offshore wind lease sales in federal waters and the issuance of approvals, permits and loans for all wind projects. But the administration's targeting of Empire Wind, a project already underway, took that a step further.
White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement on Friday that while unleashing America's energy dominance, Trump "paused certain wind projects that are detrimental to our beloved wildlife including birds and whales."
There are no known links between large whale deaths and ongoing offshore wind activities, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. While wind turbines can pose a risk to birds, wildlife conservation organizations say they support the responsible development of offshore wind because climate change is a bigger threat.
the economy while putting more money in taxpayers' pockets. Democrats say the wealthiest Americans benefit the most from them.
Pence told the AP the larger issue is the unwillingness of politicians to consider "commonsense, compassionate" entitlement reforms for Medicare and Social Security that would address the nation's nearly $37 trillion of debt
and "set us back on a path of fiscal integrity."
Pence said at the roundtable that he's proud of Trump's first-term efforts to use the tariff threat to reach new free-trade agreements with trading partners. And Pence agreed that China is an exception for retaliatory tariffs, citing intellectual property theft and dumping products like steel onto world markets. But Trump's second-term effort, seeming
to make tariffs large and permanent, are very different and misguided, he said.
Trump has said broad tariffs on foreign goods are needed to narrow the gap with taxes other countries place on U.S. goods.
Trump said that countries "have to pay for the right to sell here," Pence said in recalling first-term conversations. "Any time I'd remind him that actually it's American importers
Company decides not to rebuild chlorine plant with history of fires, explosions and toxic clouds
The Associated Press
THE company that operated a Georgia chlorine plant with a history of explosions, chemical fires and toxic clouds that have drifted over neighborhoods outside Atlanta has decided not to rebuild the main manufacturing facility in Conyers.
In a statement, BioLab Inc. said it has been unable to resume manufacturing operations in Conyers after
the most recent catastrophe on Sept. 29.
"After taking steps to meet customer needs through alternative production, and in considering our future business needs carefully, we have made the difficult decision not to restart manufacturing at the Conyers plant," it said.
Though manufacturing won't restart, the company's Conyers distribution center will remain operational and fill customer orders for products from
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STAGE 47 INVESTMENT LTD.
Incorporated under the International Business Companies Act, 2000 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Registration number 205252 B (In Voluntary Liquidation)
Notice is hereby given that the above-named Company is in dissolution, commencing on the 16th day of May A.D. 2025.
Articles of Dissolution have been duly registered by the Registrar. The Liquidator is Mr. Fabricio Daniel Mehr Mamberti, whose address is Av. Das Acacias 410/1402, CEP: 2277600, Brazil. Any Persons having a Claim against the above-named Company are required on or before the 15th day of June A.D. 2025 to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator of the Company, or in default thereof they may be excluded from the beneft of any distribution made before such claim is proved.
Dated this 20th day of May A.D. 2025.
FABRICIO DANIEL MEHR MAMBERTI LIQUIDATOR
Equinor said on May 9 it would be forced to abandon Empire Wind within days unless the administration relented on its order that stopped construction. Equinor was spending up to $50 million per week and had 11 vessels on standby.
Equinor finalized the federal lease in March 2017, during Trump's first term. The federal government approved the construction and operations plan in February 2024.
Offshore wind advocates celebrated the decision. It's a win for workers, the industry and companies in places like Louisiana, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania, helping to build projects in the Northeast, the Oceantic Network said in a statement.
New York aims to obtain 70% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and 9 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2035. New York is getting some wind power from the nation's first commercial-scale offshore wind farm, a 12-turbine wind farm called South Fork that opened a year ago, operated by different companies east of Montauk Point, New York.
other manufacturing facilities, BioLab said.
"We take our role in Conyers very seriously, and as we move forward, the safety and wellbeing of the Conyers community remain a top priority."
The September fire sent a huge plume of orange and black smoke into the Georgia sky, forcing nearby residents to shelter in place, leading to classes canceled for schoolchildren and the closure of a major interstate.
that pay the tariff, he would look a little annoyed at me from time to time and say, 'I know how it works.' And then he'd say, 'but they have to pay.'"
While the former Indiana governor and U.S. House member refused to break with Trump during their time serving together, the two had a falling out over his refusal to go along with Trump's efforts to remain in office after losing the 2020 election. Trump had tried to pressure Pence to reject election results from swing states where the Republican president falsely claimed the vote was marred by fraud. A 2024 presidential campaign by Pence — and potentially against Trump — ended early. He committed to invigorating Advancing American Freedom by promoting conservative principles as Trump's brand of populism has taken hold in the GOP.
Last month, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board released an update on its investigation. The company improperly stored hazardous chemicals, federal authorities said. BioLab was cited for six violations, including four serious ones, and more than $60,000 in proposed penalties, the U.S. Department of Labor said. BioLab makes chemicals that kill algae and bacteria in water, primarily for swimming pools and hot tubs. The company is a subsidiary of Lawrenceville, Georgia-based KIK Consumer Products.
Notice
Lopud Capital Holdings, Ltd. In
Voluntary Liquidation
Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act. 2000, Lopud Capital Holdings, Ltd. is in dissolution as of May 12, 2025.
International Liquidator Services Ltd. situated at 3rd Floor Whitfeld Tower, 4792 Coney Drive, Belize City, Belize is the Liquidator. LIQUIDATOR
Photo:Håkon Mosvold Larsen/AP
FORMER Vice President Mike Pence, right of center, gesticulates while making a point during a panel discussion on tariffs in Raleigh, N.C., on Monday, May 19, 2025.
Photo:Allen G. Breed/AP
SHIPMENT OF THOUSANDS OF CHICKS FOUND ABANDONED IN USPS TRUCK NOW OVERWHELMING
By MINGSON LAU Associated Press
A DELAWARE animal shelter is trying to care for and rehome thousands of chicks that survived being left in a postal service truck for three days. Trapped in a warm enclosure, without food and water, thousands died before they were discovered.
Involved parties are still awaiting answers as to how 12,000 chicks were abandoned within the truck at a Delaware mail distribution center. The United States Postal Service said in an email that it was aware of a process breakdown and was actively investigating what occurred. Pennsylvania-based Freedom Ranger Hatchery raised the chicks for their weekly distribution to clients across the country, said a spokesperson for the company. Due to biosecurity concerns, the hatchery cannot take the chicks back.
The spokesperson said it would have been best if USPS, after discovering the chicks, had completed delivery as the recipients would have been adequately equipped to handle the birds — even malnourished ones.
For more than two weeks, the surviving chicks have been nursed and cared for at First State Animal Center and SPCA, said John Parana, executive director.
Last Tuesday, the shelter began offering the birds for adoption, but only a few hundred out of thousands have been picked up. There is no complete count of the chicks, as the shelter has no feasible way to do so, but Parana estimates there to be more than two thousand available.
Some have inquired about buying the birds for meat, but, as a no-kill shelter and SPCA, those were refused.
The strain has turned the animal care center into a 24/7 operation and necessitated a staffing increase, Parana said. Money remains the biggest concern for the donation-reliant nonprofit. Some employees have begun spending their money to support the operations, he added.
Among the birds were young turkeys, geese and quail, but the vast majority were Freedom Ranger chicks. One concern for the shelter, Parana explained, was the increasing demand for space and feed over time, as Freedom Rangers take about ten weeks to reach maturity. The Delaware Department of Agriculture, after a call from USPS, directed the animals to the shelter, which shares a memorandum of understanding with the animal center as a state vendor.
The department said it is responsible for assisting the shelter with funds — for chickens, the rate was $5 each per day.
Stocks, bonds and the dollar drift after the latest downgrade to the US government’s credit rating
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer
AFTER recovering from an initial jolt, U.S. stocks, bonds and the value of the U.S. dollar drifted through a quiet Monday following the latest reminder that the U.S government may be hurtling toward an unsustainable mountain of debt.
The S&P 500 edged up by 0.1% after Moody's Ratings became the last of the three major credit-rating agencies to say the U.S. federal government no longer deserves a top-tier "Aaa" rating. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 137 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite inched up by less than 0.`%.
Moody's pointed to how the U.S. government continues to borrow more and more money to pay for its expenses, with political bickering making it difficult to either rein in Washington's spending or raise its revenue in order to get its ballooning debt under more control.
They're serious problems, but nothing Moody's said is new, and critics have been railing against Washington's inability to control its debt for many years. Standard & Poor's lowered its credit rating for the U.S. government in 2011. Because the issues are so well known already, investors have likely already accounted for them, according to Brian Rehling, head of global fixed income strategy and other analysts at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. They're expecting "limited additional market impact" following the initial reactions to the Moody's move.
Stocks and U.S. government bond prices at first fell sharply early in Monday's trading, but they trimmed their losses as the day progressed. The S&P 500 went from a loss of 1.1% to a modest gain of 0.2% before drifting through the afternoon.
The move by Moody's essentially warns investors globally not to lend to the U.S. government at such low interest rates, and the yield on the 10-year Treasury briefly jumped above 4.55% early Monday morning. That number shows how much in interest the U.S. government has to pay in order to borrow money for 10 years, and it was up sharply from 4.43% late Friday. But it later regressed to 4.45% as more calm returned to the market.
The yield on a 30-year Treasury bond briefly leaped above 5% before likewise receding, up from less than 4% in September.
The downgrade by Moody's comes ahead of a tense period for Washington, where it's set to debate potential cuts in tax rates that could suck away more revenue, as well as the nation's limit on how much it can borrow.
If Washington has to pay more in interest to borrow cash to pay its bills, that could filter out and cause interest rates to rise for U.S. households and businesses too, in everything from mortgage rates to auto loan rates to credit cards. That in turn could slow the economy.
The downgrade adds to a long list of concerns that have already weighed on
the market. Chief among them is President Donald Trump's trade war, which itself has forced investors globally to question whether the U.S. bond market and the U.S. dollar still deserve their reputations as some of the safest places to park cash during a crisis.
The U.S. economy seems to be holding up OK so far despite the pressures of tariffs, and hopes are high that Trump will eventually relent on his tariffs after striking trade deals with other countries. That's a major reason the S&P 500 has rallied back within 3% of its all-time high after falling roughly 20% below that market last month.
But big companies have been warning recently they're uncertain about the future. Walmart, for
Passenger jet had to abort takeoff to avoid runway collision at New York's LaGuardia Airport
By JOSH FUNK Associated Press
FEDERAL officials are investigating why two planes got dangerously close on a runway at New York's LaGuardia Airport earlier this month despite the airport being equipped with an advanced surface radar system that's designed to help prevent such close calls.
Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday that they are investigating the May 6 incident when a Republic Airways jet had to abort takeoff because a United Airlines plane was still taxiing across the runway. In audio from the tower that ABC obtained from the website www.
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NOTICE is hereby given that ESTHER AUGUSTIN of East Street South, New Providence, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 13th day of May, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
LiveATC.net, the air traffic control said to the pilot of the Republic Airways jet: "Sorry, I thought United had cleared well before that."
At the time that controller was directing the Republic Airways jet to takeoff, a ground controller on a different radio frequency was directing the United plane to a new taxiway after it missed the first one it was supposed to use to exit the runway.
United Airlines didn't immediately respond to questions about the incident while Republic Airways and the airport referred questions to the FAA.
The number of close calls in recent years has created serious concerns for the FAA, NTSB and other safety experts. The
NTSB's investigation of a February 2023 close call in Austin highlighted the concerns, but there have been a number of other high-profile near misses. In one case, a Southwest Airlines jet coming in for a landing in Chicago narrowly avoided smashing into a business jet crossing the runway.
LaGuardia is one of just 35 airports across the country equipped with the FAA's best technology to prevent such runway incursions. The ASDS-X system uses a variety of technology to help controllers track planes and vehicles on the ground. At the other 490 U.S. airports with a control tower, air traffic controllers have to rely on more low-tech tools like a pair of binoculars to keep track of aircraft on the ground
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NOTICE is hereby given that RICARDO ORVILL of Dignity Gardens, New Providence, The Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 20th day of May 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
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Village, New Providence, Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 13th day of May, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
example, said recently that it will likely have to raise prices because of tariffs. That caused Trump over the weekend to criticize Walmart and demand it and China "eat the tariffs." Walmart's stock slipped 0.1% Monday.
Other big retailers on the schedule to report their latest quarterly results this upcoming week include Target, Home Depot, Lowe's and TJX Cos.
On the winning end of Wall Street was Novavax, which rose 15% after it said U.S. regulators approved its COVID-19 vaccine under some conditions. The approval triggered a $175 million milestone payment under the company's collaboration agreement with Sanofi.
All told, the S&P 500 rose 5.22 points to 5,963.60. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 137.33 to 42,792.07, and the Nasdaq composite rose 4.36 to 19,215.46.
In stock markets abroad, indexes were mixed amid mostly modest movements across Europe and Asia. Indexes were close to flat in both Shanghai and Hong Kong after the Chinese government said retail sales rose less in April than expected. Growth in industrial output slowed to 6.1% year-on-year from 7.7% in March.
In the foreign currency markets, the value of the U.S. dollar fell against everything from the euro to the Australian dollar.
because the systems are expensive.
Expanding the systems to more airports is something Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy would like to do if Congress signs off on his multi-billion-dollar plan to overhaul the nation's aging air traffic control system.
But it's clear the technology is not perfect because close calls continue happening. The FAA is taking a number of additional steps to try to reduce the number of close calls, and it plans to install an additional warning system at LaGuardia in the future.
But the rate of runway incursions per 1 million takeoffs and landings has remained around 30 for a decade. The rate got as high as 35 in 2017 and 2018. But generally there are
fewer than 20 of the most serious kind of incursions where a collision was narrowly avoided or there was a significant potential for a crash, according to the FAA. That number did hit 22 in 2023 but fell to just 7 last year.
To help, there are efforts to develop a system that will warn pilots directly about traffic on a runway instead of alerting the controller and relying on them to relay the warning. That could save precious seconds. But the FAA has not yet certified a system to warn pilots directly that Honeywell International has been developing for years.
The worst accident in aviation history occurred in 1977 on the Spanish island of Tenerife, when a KLM 747 began its takeoff roll while a Pan Am 747 was still on the runway; 583 people died when the planes collided in thick fog.
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NOTICE is hereby given that CHEMERE ELIZABETH CHRISTIE of #33 Alexander Boulevard, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for Registration Naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 20th day of May 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
THE NEW York Stock Exchange is seen in New York, Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2025. Photo:Seth Wenig/AP
Trump looks to unite Republicans with visit to Capitol before key votes on tax cut bill
By KEVIN FREKING, LISA MASCARO and LEAH ASKARINAM Associated Press
PRESIDENT Donald Trump will look to build momentum for his sweeping tax cut and immigration bill on Tuesday, taking a trip to Capitol Hill to address House Republicans as they try to work out their differences before a planned floor vote later this week.
Trump will attend the GOP's weekly conference meeting, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss plans not yet made public.
Republicans can afford only a few defections to get the bill through the House, and it's clear differences remain. Some deficit hawks are insisting on quicker cuts to Medicaid and green energy programs before giving their full support. Others are seeking a large increase in the state and local tax deduction.
Trump has been pushing hard for Republicans to unite behind the bill, which would enact many of his campaign promises. The bill carries his preferred title, the " One Big Beautiful Bill Act."
House Republicans narrowly advanced the sprawling 1,116-page package in a rare weekend vote late Sunday, but just barely, as GOP leaders promise more negotiations ahead.
"The bill does not yet meet the moment," said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a leader of the House
Freedom Caucus, in a social media post immediately after the late-night session. "We can and must do better before we pass the final product."
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday it's "absolutely essential" that Republicans unite and pass the bill so that Trump can deliver on the agenda. Leavitt said Americans gave Republicans a "once-in-a-generation" opportunity to "course correct our country" and "there is no time to waste."
Republicans criticizing the measure argued that the bill's new spending and tax cuts are front-loaded in the bill, while the measures to offset the cost are backloaded. In particular, they are looking to speed up the
new work requirements that Republicans want to enact for able-bodied participants in Medicaid. They also want to more quickly end tax breaks for green energy projects being used nationwide.
Majority Leader Steve Scalise said on CNBC Monday that work requirements for some Medicaid beneficiaries would begin in early 2027, a big change from the 2029 start date that is currently in the bill.
Scalise said GOP leaders are looking to give the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Dr. Mehmet Oz, the time he needs to implement the work requirements, but would be "moving that date up dramatically."
Late last week, the House Budget Committee failed to advance the package when four conservative Republicans objected. But it was able to do so Sunday on a vote of 17-16, with the four hold-outs voting "present" to allow it to move ahead, as talks continue.
Speaker Mike Johnson, who met late Sunday with lawmakers ahead of voting, indicated he wants to impose the work requirements "as soon as possible" but acknowledged it may take states longer to change their systems.
"There will be more details to iron out and several more to take care of," Johnson, R-La., said outside the hearing room.
"But I'm looking forward to very thoughtful discussions, very productive
at a campaign event at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Oct. 15, 2024, in Atlanta.
discussions over the next few days, and I'm absolutely convinced we're going to get this in final form and pass it."
Democrats have decried the cuts Republicans are proposing to Medicaid and food stamps to offset the costs of the tax breaks. Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries noted that the House Rules committee would begin taking up the measure at 1 a.m. Wednesday.
"They literally are trying to take health care away from millions of Americans at this very moment in the dead of night," Jeffries said. At its core, the sprawling legislative package permanently extends the existing income tax cuts that were approved during Trump's first term in 2017 and adds temporary new ones that the president campaigned on in 2024, including no taxes on tips, overtime pay and auto loan interest payments. The measure also proposes big spending increases for border security and defense.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan fiscal watchdog group, estimates that the House bill is shaping up to add roughly $3.3 trillion to the debt over the next decade.
Johnson is not just having to address the concerns of the deficit hawks in his
foundational contributions to OpenAI, which Musk helped start. Musk now runs his own AI company, xAI, maker of Grok, a competitor to OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
party. He's also facing pressure from centrists who will be warily eyeing the proposed changes to Medicaid, food assistance programs and the rolling back of clean energy tax credits. Republican lawmakers from New York and elsewhere are also demanding a much larger state and local tax deduction.
As it stands, the bill proposes tripling what's currently a $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction, increasing it to $30,000 for joint filers with incomes up to $400,000 a year.
Rep. Nick LaLota, one of the New York lawmakers leading the effort to lift the cap, said they have proposed a deduction of $62,000 for single filers and $124,000 for joint filers.
Rep. Jodey Arrington, the chairman of the House Budget Committee, said the bill remained under negotiation.
"Deliberations continue at this very moment," Arrington said. "They will continue on into the week, and I suspect right up until the time we put this big, beautiful bill on the floor of the House."
If the bill passes the House this week, it would then move to the Senate, where Republicans are also eyeing changes.
its 50th anniversary party in April.
By MATT O’BRIEN
AP Technology Writer
ELON Musk is in a legal fight with Microsoft but made a friendly virtual appearance at the software giant’s annual technology showcase to reveal that his Grok artificial intelligence chatbot will now be hosted on Microsoft’s data centers.
“It’s fantastic to have you at our developer conference,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said to Musk in a pre-recorded video conversation broadcast
Monday at Microsoft’s Build conference in Seattle. Musk last year sued Microsoft and its close business partner OpenAI in a dispute over Musk’s
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also spoke with Nadella via live video call earlier at Monday’s conference.
Musk’s deal means that the latest versions of xAI’s Grok models will be hosted on Microsoft’s Azure cloud computing platform, alongside competing models from OpenAI and other companies, including Facebook parent Meta Platforms, Europe-based AI startups Mistral and Black Forest Labs and Chinese company DeepSeek.
The Grok partnership comes just days after xAI had to fix the chatbot to stop it from repeatedly bringing up South African racial politics and the subject of “white genocide” in public interactions with users of Musk’s social media platform X. The company blamed an employee’s “unauthorized modification” for the unsolicited commentary, which mirrored South Africa-born Musk’s own focus on the topic.
Musk didn’t address last week’s controversy in his chat with Nadella but described honesty as the “best policy” for AI safety.
“We have and will make mistakes, but we aspire to correct them very quickly,” Musk said.
Nadella was interrupted by protest over Gaza Monday’s Build conference also became the latest Microsoft event to be interrupted by a protest over the company’s work with the Israeli government. Microsoft has previously fired employees who protested company events, including
“Satya, how about you show how Microsoft is killing Palestinians?” a protesting employee shouted in the first minutes of Nadella’s introductory talk Monday. “How about you show how Israeli war crimes are powered by Azure?”
Nadella continued his presentation as the protesters were escorted out. Microsoft acknowledged last week that it provided AI services to the Israeli military for the war in Gaza but said it has found no evidence to date that its Azure platform and AI technologies were used to target or harm people in Gaza.
Microsoft didn’t immediately return an emailed request for comment about the protest Monday.
Microsoft introduces new AI coding agent Microsoft-owned GitHub also used the Seattle gathering to introduce a new AI coding “agent” to help programmers build new software.
The company already offers a Copilot coding assistant but the promise of so-called AI agents is that they can do more work on their own on a user’s behalf. The updated tool is supposed to work best on tasks of “low-to-medium complexity” in codebases that are already welltested, handling “boring tasks” while people “focus on the interesting work,” according to Microsoft’s announcement.
The new tool arrives just a week after Microsoft began laying off hundreds of its own software engineers in Washington’s Puget Sound region as part of global cuts of nearly 3% of its total workforce, amounting to about 6,000 workers.
REPUBLICAN presidential nominee former President Donald Trump dances
