‘Great deal of stress’ in boating fee fall-out
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
AN Abaco resort proprietor says the boating fee reforms fall-out is “causing me a great deal of stress” with a US maritime body yesterday warning The Bahamas could lose its “boater-friendly” reputation.
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor
THE Bahamian Contractors Association’s (BCA) president yesterday argued that VAT reforms effectively amount to a new tax on business expansion that will also “shrink” construction activity in that area.
Leonard Sands told Tribune Business that restrictions preventing Bahamian companies from recovering VAT paid on the building materials and supplies purchased for expanding their physical premises, which are due to take effect from next Tuesday, July 1, will turn the globally-established mechanism for how the tax works on its head.
VAT is ultimately to be fully paid by the end-user or consumer, with businesses allowed to offset the tax paid on their inputs against this sum. However, in this case, the BCA president argued that these curbs - contained in the VAT (Amendment) (No.2) Bill - will bar companies from recovering VAT on their legitimate expenses, thus in effect creating a “direct tax” on business expansion without saying so.
Ryan Pinder KC, the attorney general, in his Wednesday Budget debate contribution in the Senate, confirmed that “the Bill restricts input VAT deductions on major construction projects” and signalled that the Government has no plans to alter course over this. Kwasi Thompson, the Opposition’s finance spokesman, also previously told this newspaper that
Molly McIntosh, the Bluff House Beach Resort and Marina’s proprietor, told Tribune Business that she has already been contacted by long-standing repeat visitors warning they will not return due to concerns over new and increased boating fees plus the uncertainty surrounding what other reforms accompanying the 2025-2026 Budget mean and their impact.
While agreeing that the Government needs to collect its fair share in fees and taxes from a sector that
commercially exploits The Bahamas’ waters, she also joined those arguing that the tourism industry and its boater clients should have been “given a little more time on the roll-out” to understand the reforms, the intent behind them and what is required so as to avoid the mass confusion that now exists.
Ms McIntosh, voicing optimism that Bluff House will enjoy a “banner year” in 2025, with May and June
having surpassed the previous 2019 high, nevertheless told this newspaper that it “scares the hell out of me” that every high seems to be swiftly followed by a low. She urged The Bahamas to focus on growing boating visitor numbers, arguing that the upfront fees pale against the VAT generated by such tourists. She spoke out after the US-based National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) weighed in on The
Bahamas boating fee controversy in a letter sent to Prime Minister Philip Davis KC yesterday. It warned that “sudden regulatory shifts” threaten to “damage confidence” in this nation if unveiled and implemented without proper industry consultation.
Echoing the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA), and the industry’s three Promotion Boards, Frank Hugelmeyer, the NMMA’s president and chief executive, said: “We are especially concerned that these changes were introduced without stakeholder input from the marine industry, tourism operators and the international boating community.
“Sudden regulatory shifts risk undermining long-standing partnerships and could damage confidence in The
Residents voice concerns on East Bay Street hotel/marina
By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
NEIGHBOURS of a proposed East Bay Street condo hotel and marina project last night voiced concerns over potential noise pollution, invasion of privacy and adequate parking.
Eastern New Providence residents, speaking at a Town Planning Committee hearing the planned Grantanna Holdings Company project,
expressed fears that it could result in similar “parking trauma” to that suffered at Goodman’s Bay as a result of the GoldWynn development. Ms McKinney, who described himself as as close neighbour, questioned how many staff will be employed, as well as the maximum number of persons likely to be residing at the property and visiting the restaurant.
Merchants demand proof on counterfeit alcohol ‘rumours’
By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter
LIQUOR store merchants yesterday urged the Bahamas’ consumer watchdog to prove that rogue operators are selling counterfeit alcohol - a “rumour” said to have been circulating for around a year.
By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
But Mr Ferguson, who said he purchases his inventory from legitimate Bahamian and international distributors, said that while packaging may sometimes be different that does not make it counterfeit. He spoke of others within the industry starting rumours to bring rival companies down.
“Someone came here the other day trying to call my fish stink,” Mr Ferguson said. “You can’t call the fisherman’s fish stink. Every fisherman got their fish. I had some product that was packaged from, I think, Canada. But guess
Brent “Bookie” Ferguson, owner of BookieBren Wholesale & Retail Liquor Store, said he has experienced persons “trying to call my fish stink” after Senator Randy Rolle, the Consumer Protection Commission’s chairman, told the Senate during the 20252026 Budget debate that the agency will be investigating and sanctioning merchants selling counterfeit alcohol.
conveyances is handled by attorneys.
“I think what entails is that they’re trying to put a lot of the paperwork on real estate agents, and that lot of stuff doesn’t affect us because the lawyers handle a lot of stuff. All we do is we get the client all set up, they go to the lawyers, and that’s it, we are finished,” said Mr Wong.
“But I understand the Government, too, fells there is some finagling with how this VAT is paid, how
LEONARD SANDS
BAHAMAS TO HOST CARIBBEAN AVIATION HANDLING CONFERENCE
THE Bahamas will today host a three-day Caribbean aviation ground handling services conference, which is being held at Atlantis under the theme of 'reconnecting the region'.
The Caribbean Aviation Handlers Association (CAHA) is a body that represents the ground handling industry in the Caribbean as the regional arm of the International Aviation Handlers Association. It provides a forum for aviation ground handlers within the region to solve common problems while promoting the safe development of aviation.
“Positioning The Bahamas as the regional leader in aviation through strengthening strategic relationships with regional
and international partners, driving financial resilience and operational efficiency, developing human capital, accelerating economic growth, strengthening safety and security systems and advancing sustainability are among the key components of our National Aviation Strategic Plan”, said Dr Kenneth Romer, director of aviation. Since this first-ever national strategy launched on July 1, 2023, The Bahamas has hosted hundreds of delegates from the US, UK, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Central and South America, Africa, The Middle East and The Caribbean.
“As CAHA chairman, I am very excited to say that we have chosen The
Bahamas as our host country during our organisation’s 20th anniversary because of its beautiful people and respected expertise in the industry. I look forward to an engaging, interactive and successful event”, said Carol Fox, who also serves as Jamaican country manager of Intercaribbean Airlines.
Key conference themes will focus on the sharing of best practices, workforce development, customer service delivery, allocations of manpower and equipment, financial resilience and operational efficiency, plus a review of baggage handling policies and regional planning in the midst of evolving geopolitical matters.
Maritime Authority executives meet UK high commissioner
SENIOR Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) executives have met with this nation’s high commissioner to the UK and its permanent representative to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The visit with Paul Gomez, the high commissioner, and ambassador Paul Rolle, took place at The Bahamas High Commission in London as part of a series of engagements during the BMA’s management and Board strategic meeting.
This gathering marked the first time in more
than five years that the Authority’s global team, comprising members from Asia, Greece, London, Nassau and New York, convened in person. The meeting focused on charting the course for the 2025–2026 fiscal year, while also examining key industry trends, regional growth opportunities and the BMA’s expanding role in addressing global environmental priorities, such as decarbonisation and sustainability in shipping.
The BMA, in a statement, said the talks are part of its approach to
BTC names chief financial officer
THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has named Kele Isaacs as its chief financial officer.
The carrier, in a statement, said Mr Isaacs has held senior leadership positions across multiple sectors in the financial industry. He most recently served as deputy director at the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA), Cape Eleuthera Island School, Commonwealth Brewery, Grand Bahama Power Company and Genesis Fund Services.
Sameer Bhatti, BTC’s chief executive, said of the appointment: “We welcome Kele’s expertise as we advance our commitment to delivering exceptional service nationwide. With several major initiatives underway, including network upgrades and the roll-out of innovative technologies across both the Family Islands and New Providence, we are focused on improving connectivity
and enhancing the overall customer experience.”
Mr Isaacs added: “I am truly honoured to join BTC’s dynamic team at what I believe is a transformative time for our industry. Like many Bahamians, I have always felt a strong connection to BTC, a feeling that’s deeply personal for me, as my grandfather, Edmund Granger, once served as an assistant general manager. In many ways, this feels like a homecoming.”
maintaining the Bahamian flag’s high standards and continued global relevance in the maritime sector.
Also attending the visit were BMA directors Peter John Goulandris, deputy chairman; Rachad Adderley; LaMarque Drew; Moreno Hamilton; Dario Lundy-Mortimer; and Captain Dwain E. Hutchinson, BMA managing director and chief executive. Senator Ja’Ann Major, another director, was unable to attend.
As the Governmentsupported ground handler for more than 40 years, Nassau Flight Services (NFS) has been a longstanding CAHA member.
“We at NFS are excited to host CAHA at our upcoming conference, and are optimistic as we engage in innovative initiatives, identify opportunities and seek solutions. This will be
a memorable one for the members”, said Obie Roberts, NFS chairman.
More than 100 persons are expected to be in attendance, including the Bahamas Department of Aviation, Nassau Flight Services, The Bahamas's Airport Authority, Nassau Airport Development Company, AVPORTS, Bimini Airport Development Partners, Islands Airports Development Partners, Sewel and Airport Services from Barbados, TDC St Kitts and Nevis, Aviation Services of Grenada, JCI Aviation Services Haiti, TLD America, Oshkosh Aerotech, Aeroservicios Miami Florida, TCR America and Aviaco Belguim.
STATISTICAL INSTITUTE GETS NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR
THE Bahamas National Statistical Institute (BNSI) has named Jamiko Deleveaux as its incoming managing director with effect from August 1, 2025.
A Bahamian who is internationally recognised in the field of demography, Dr Deleveaux has more than a decade of involvement in data science, public policy and population research. The Institute, in a statement, said his appointment came after a rigorous search and vetting process led by its Board of Directors in close consultation with key stakeholders.
“Dr Deleveaux is a highly qualified and capable demographer and spatial analyst, who has been doing exceptional work in the United States,” said Gabriella Fraser, the BNSI Board chair. “He brings to BNSI an impressive research portfolio and an outcomesbased team-oriented approach to leadership that I believe will allow the organisation to build on its institutional legacy with important and necessary
capacity strengthening and growth.”
Dr Deleveaux holds a doctorate degree in demography from the University of Texas at San Antonio, as well as master’s and bachelor’s degrees in sociology from the University of Mississippi. Most recently, he served as director of the Centre for Population Studies at the University of Mississippi, where he led key initiatives related to census readiness, public health and socio-demographic analysis. He has also advised US government agencies, led multi-million dollar research projects, and served in consultancy roles with the US Census Bureau and The Bahamas’ Ministry of Finance.
Michael Halkitis, minister of economic affairs, said: “In welcoming you, Dr Deleveaux, you will have in the Government a supporter. We value the contribution, and respect the independence, of the Bahamas National Statistical Institute.
“I was very happy when speaking to the chair, when she spoke about you and them (the BNSI
Board) having conducted the search and identified a Bahamian who had studied and gained experience abroad, and is now coming home to lend his expertise in the further building up of our institutional capacity. Know that we respect your expertise and all the work you do.”
As BNSI managing director, Dr Deleveaux will chair the National Statistical Committee (NSC) which, in collaboration with BNSI’s
key stakeholders, will have responsibility for establishing the national strategy in this area.
“I am deeply honoured to serve my country in this capacity,” said Dr Deleveaux. “Data is not just about numbers;, it’s about people, progress and inclusion. I look forward to working alongside the BNSI team and our partners to strengthen a modern statistical system that informs decisions and supports national development.”
Dr Deleveaux will oversee the Institute’s operations, institutional capacity building, stakeholder engagement and digital transformation agenda. Key priorities under his leadership will include strengthening the Institute’s existing technical base, while enhancing and expanding its capabilities.
“The work of BNSI is relevant to every facet of Bahamian life and every factor of national development. It allows us to plan, to set courses and policy structures for future development, and growth based on what we can assess from the data evidence available to us,” added Ms Fraser.
“We are looking forward to Dr Deleveaux bringing efficiency and innovation to the work of BNSI in an institutional culture that is grounded in collaboration with BNSI’s stakeholders, both internal and external.”
L-R: Ricardo Rolle - GM NFS, Obie Roberts - Chairman NFS, Plato Thompson Manager NFS
PICTURED front row
L-R: Ambassador Paul Rolle; Jacqueline M. Simmons, BMA chairman; Paul Andy Gomez, high commissioner; Peter John Goulandris, BMA deputy chairman. Second row L-R: Julika Thompson, first secretary, Bahamas High Commission; Antonio Butler, deputy high commissioner; Captain Dwain E. Hutchinson; Moreno Hamilton; Dario Lundy-Mortimer. Back L-R: Rachad Adderley; Kemico Sands, second secretary and vice consul, Bahamas High Commission; LaMarque Drew.
KELE ISAACS
Senior doctors to seek new industrial deal in one year
By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter anixon@tribunemedia.net
THE Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) and its senior doctors' union will resume negotiations on a new industrial deal in one year's time after yesterday signing a five-year agreement that starts from 2021.
Fifteen days paternity leave was one of the many benefits said to be contained in the industrial agreement for the Consultant Physicians Staff Association (CPSA), negotiations for which began with the Davis administration in 2023. The new industrial agreement will last for one year until 2026.
Dr Aubynette Rolle, the PHA's managing director, said the two sides will return to negotiations in June 2026. She added that she could not provide a figure for the latest agreement's dollar valuation
“because we're still waiting on full estimations from the insurance in relation to that.”
The PHA chief said the contract is not retroactive, adding: “The contract starts from 2021. That's why it still remains as a more or less five-year contract with renegotiation in 2026.” Dr Rolle said the benefits include paternity leave, adoption leave, healthcare coverage and a competitive remuneration package.
“Some of the key highlights that I just wish to express to the Bahamian public in this agreement is one, the enhancement of the leave benefits for our senior physicians,” Dr Rolle said. “We're so proud in this leave that we've included paternity leave for male CPSA members.
"We've always extended, to some extent in our agreements as it relates to females, ensuring through the Employment Act, etc, that they have time off to attend to their newborns.
But now we are extending that to the male population at a maximum of 15 days, and that's quite a bit to be able to help that new mother, supporting family values and work-life balance.
"Additionally, as we move forward... we've also included the adoption leave, which also is tailored based on the time that you adopt. And so it's tailored based on whether the child or children are under one year of age, or whether they exceed that.
“Health care coverage, which is concerning, and something that we are proud to be able to introduce in advance to other members as part of our team, all CPSA members will now be enrolled in The Bahamas government's group medical insurance plan, ensuring comprehensive health coverage for our physicians and their families at their choice," the PHA managing director added.
Business executives sceptical $75m surplus will feel 'real'
By ANNELIA NIXON
BUSINESS and financial executives have voiced scepticism that the Government's projected $75m surplus for the 2025-2026 fiscal year "would be real even if it were to be achieved".
Darvin Russell, of Russell and Associates, told the Financial Voice roundtable on the 2025-2026 Budget, staged by The Counsellors, that there is “a long way to go" towards setting The Bahamas' public finances back on a truly sustainable path.
“So we have grown our economy over the last 15 years, on average 4 percent a year," Mr Russell said. “So we're up 60 percent from 2010 from a growth perspective - from 2010 to now. So we've grown on average by 4 percent a year... So we've grown by 60 percent as an economy.
"Our debt, however, has grown by 172 percent. And the Government's Budget has grown by 160 percent. Our challenge in this country is we seem to have married ourselves to chronic deficits. Even when you look at the Government's debt management strategy, it does not conceive in any meaningful
way of significant surpluses as a goal.
"The goal of the debt management strategy is essentially just to manage the debt levels that we have and minimise the growth as it relates to a percentage of GDP. I just think, fundamentally, we're never going to get to the place where the Government's stated goal of getting back down to less than 50 percent of GDP, debt-to-GDP is reasonably achievable if we are so comfortable running $200m to $500m deficits on an annual basis," he added.
“So they are endeavouring to do that. We do not, however, have a good history of success in that area. And if you look at what the water cooler chatter is, we all know that the Government is still challenged with paying its bills. So we are a bit, somewhat sceptical, that the $75m, even if it were to be achieved, would be a real surplus.
"So there are lots of things that the Government needs to do, I think, to shore up the [confidence of the] investment community and the public at large, as well as Moody's. Now you talked about the rating agencies specifically," Mr Russell continued.
"Right now we know we're at a junk status - at a B1 rating on Moody's. That's four levels below the
minimum investment grade of Baa3. That's a significant jump for us. The last time we were around 50 percent of GDP, which is the gold standard to get back to investment grade, once again, we go back to 2010 when it was 56 percent of GDP. So it's a long way to go. “I'll add this final point. Even if we kept our debt levels to where they are, in terms of the nominal [growth] amount, the economy would need to essentially go to $23bn. That growth rate is about 43 percent from where we are today. That's an 8 plus percent growth rate. I already mentioned to you that our standard has been between 2 percent to 5 percent. It's averaged at 4 [percent]. That's a huge leap of faith for us to be able to accomplish. And I don't see the elements, the policies, the programmes, the initiatives that are going to get us there.”
Kriston Moore, president of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Society of The Bahamas, said this nation is headed in the right direction. However, “most times, the Government is not going to reach its target, exactly.", and the focus should be on the “trajectory".
SEE PAGE B6
“We've also included a competitive remuneration package, which includes an increase in year three of 10 percent, year four of 7.5 percent and year five of 7.5 percent. These adjustments that I highlighted are just to show you our alignment with our goals to attract and retain top-tier medical talent in the public sector.”
Dr Charelle Lockhart, the CPSA president, confirmed that the contract benefits 127 Association members. She said that while “nobody's ever 100 percent satisfied”, her members are happy with where they are “and there is more room to negotiate” in 2026.
She spoke to swiping in, an issue that delayed negotiations for some time. Dr Lockhart added: “There is lots of work that is done when we are not in the four walls of an institution, and so our concern is to make sure that those times and hours are captured.” She said an agreement needs to
be reached regarding the matter.
“One of the matters that may have delayed our ability to move forward would have been swiping in,” Dr Rolle added. “I think the elements that we discussed, and were able to negotiate and move forward with, was in relations to CPSA signing in, in terms of when you arrive and when you leave.
"We were able to come to common ground on that. And it was just ensuring, particularly for myself, to ensure that even in the event where there is compensation, there's the ability to definitively say those parties who would have been involved. But I must say, at the end of the day, there has been resolution, and we move forward with the care of all patients.”
Pia-Glover-Rolle, minster of labour and the public service, said the CPSA signing marks “agreement number 57 of the Davis administration". She added: For those who are keeping count, this is agreement number 57 of the Davis administration.
"The number of industrial agreements signed in one term is unprecedented, and it is a product of our strategic labour plan that is ably led by our labour relations unit led by Bernard Evans. Of course, there's never truly an end to the many issues we must address, and there's always
more room to discuss current and future labour issues.
"And this is precisely why we continue to host our quarterly union meetings, as well as our employer confederation quarterly meetings, to provide a venue where we can proactively and collaboratively get ahead of our labour issues," Mrs Glover-Rolle continued.
"The progress we've seen over the past four years is directly tied to the effectiveness of this approach. It has not been perfect. But it doesn't need to be perfect in order for us to deliver in a real way for the Bahamian people.”
Dr Michael Darville, minister of health and wellness, added: “We at the Ministry believe that this agreement reflects our shared commitment to fair treatment and compensation benefits to our workers, and the wellbeing of our physicians who play a vital role in the delivery of quality healthcare services across the country.
"By prioritsing the needs of our medical professionals, we will ensure stability, safe environments, good staff morale that will improve the efficiencies in our hospitals and clinics, and improve our healthcare outcomes. This new industrial agreement between the PHA and the Consultant Physician Staff Association is a testament of the power of open dialog and mutual respect.”
Bahamas requires foreign investors as true ‘partners’
By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter anixon@tribunemedia.net
MAJOR foreign investors must offer Bahamians more than jobs and become true "partners" with the communities that host them, the Chamber of Commerce's chairman is arguing.
Timothy Ingraham, speaking during a Financial Voice panel discussion on the 2025-2026 Budget, said: “So I'll give you an example. Several years ago, when Disney was planning their port on Eleuthera, they came in to see The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce to have a discussion. There was some controversy about it at the time, and so they wanted to come in and tell us their side of the story.
"They told about we're going to get really good jobs, and it's going to be
well paid, and we pay well. And I stopped them. I said: 'Well, do you have a plan to bring the community along other than jobs? And they were like, 'Well, what do you mean?' It's like, well, if you want to raise the community up, you do it not just through jobs. You do it through opportunities to become partners with you.
"I said 'You have a huge plot of land there. If I'm a young Eleutheran and I want to come, and I want to put a glamping operation near your beach, will you lease me some land to do that and then encourage people to walk by? Will you encourage people to come out of your port and go into the community, visit restaurants, take tours and these kinds of things?' he added.
"They said 'Well, we'll go back and think about that'. They went back, and then they worked with the Chamber of Commerce on Eleuthera to provide
grant funding for persons on Eleuthera that wanted to do business with Disney. So if you wanted to take advantage of the port and do tours, you went out, you got a grant to buy a new vehicle to do that. And I think those are the kinds of things that we need to do to push foreign investors; to ask the private sector to get involved in these things.” Kriston Moore, president of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Society of The Bahamas, added: “So when we talk about foreign direct investment, we want to make sure we're getting more for what comes in, if that makes sense. We want to make sure that persons can spend more when they do visit us.
"In terms of what we get out of any investment, it shouldn't just be something as simple as... Usually a headline will say,
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‘GREAT DEAL OF STRESS’ IN BOATING FEE FALL-OUT
FROM PAGE B1
Bahamas as a boaterfriendly and welcoming destination. Guides, anglers and boaters will seek alternatives amidst uncertainty.
“We urge your government to reconsider these immediate changes and initiate a formal consultation process with industry stakeholders to support your country’s policy goals while preserving its status as a premier destination for exploration that recreational boaters and anglers enjoy.”
The NMMA’s letter appears to have been prompted by fears that its own “thousands” of marine manufacturer and business members will be negatively impacted by a reduction in boating visitors to The Bahamas, including the day-trips and overnight visitors from Florida. However, Mr Hugelmeyer’s letter also gives an insight into the confusion and uncertainty in the boating sector as it relates to The Bahamas.
For the NMMA appears not to have been aware that
The Bahamas, via a late amendment, has expanded the number of small vessels - the likes of centre consoles and Boston Whalers - that can access this nation for 12 months at the lowest-cost temporary cruising permit. This was done through increasing the length of qualifying vessels from 34 feet to 50 feet. Ryan Pinder KC, the attorney general, confirmed this change in the Senate on Wednesday. And the NMMA letter also appears to confuse the duration of a temporary cruising permit, which Mr Pinder said was valid for 12 months at all price points, with that for a fishing permit. It is the latter that permits a vessel two times within 30 daysnot the cruising permit. However, Mr Hugelmeyer wrote: “The significant changes in fees, including increasing the cruising permit for boats under 35 feet from $150 to $500, and for those over 35 feet from $300 to $1,000, alongside a reduction in permit duration... and the addition of per-person
surcharges and separate fishing permit costs, will have an immediate and adverse impact on boating tourism to The Bahamas, including cancelled trips.
“These abrupt changes to access Bahamian waters will significantly reduce visitation to marinas, restaurants, shops and other small businesses that depend on this vital stream of tourism. In addition, these shifts will have an adverse impact on Florida businesses as well based on trip origination points.”
The Government also adjusted the requirement for vessels in Bahamian waters to have installed, fully functioning and switched on automatic identification systems (AIS) to exempt boats below 55 feet. Mr Hugelemeyer and the NMMA, though, said this should be aligned to US Coast Guard rules and regulations which mandate an AIS for vessels 65 feet and other. An implementation period is also needed.
Ms McIntosh, meanwhile, said she is “going to reserve total judgment” on the new
and increased fees set out in the Customs Management (Amendment) Regulations 2025 but is already fielding threatened cancellations and inquiries from other boaters presently docked at the Bluff House’s marina.
“Obviously it’s causing me a great deal of stress,” she told Tribune Business.
“What I’m seeing is that a lot of people are very angry, but people do like to get up in arms about stuff.... From what I see it’s going to hurt a lot of our boats. In Bimini, they can come back and forth, back and forth, it’s a good deal.
“People on our dock right now are talking about it. I also have a lot of Canadians who come down for winter who are saying it doesn’t look like they are coming back because of all the changes. They come in January, February, March, usually in the break before Easter which is when we start to get busy.
“It’s good business for the island. They rent golf carts. They’re not the biggest spenders but they do keep the economy rolling and
people employed. It’s going to hurt. I don’t know how badly. If the Government could have given us a little more time to roll this out, or wait until later to enforce it,” Ms McIntosh said. “We have to charge fees. The Government needs money. I would prefer some of the money comes back to the Out Islands. I don’t see much of that. We have a lot of infrastructure needs to be fixed here, and if we felt the money was being used for that purpose that’s easier for me when I’m trying to defend The Bahamas.”
Ms McIntosh reiterated that her repeat Canadian visitors had warned in writing that “they may not come for the winter season”, but she will still encourage them to do so. “Some of the people on my dock are upset with the regulations,” she said. “It’s causing me a lot of stress. Many boaters are not happy and it gives us a bad press.
“We’re getting ready to go to the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. Can you imagine what fun that will be? We’ve got to change
VAT REFORMS ‘DIRECT TAX’ ON BUSINESS EXPANSION
FROM PAGE B1
no changes were made to this provision in the House.
Mr Sands, though, yesterday told this newspaper that “the proof will be in the pudding” as he predicted that it will cause many Bahamian companies mulling physical expansion projects to either review, pause or abandon construction plans due to the increased costs they will incur from being unable to reclaim the associated input VAT.
On a $1m project, this would amount to $100,000 in extra costs - a “significant” sum to absorb for Bahamian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Mr Sands reiterated his argument that the $1m threshold, above which companies will be unable to reclaim VAT, was “an incredibly low ceiling” that will catch almost every possible commercial construction development.
The BCA president, asserting that he knew of several companies currently assessing physical expansions, with some already putting work out to tender, also warned that the move could have negative consequences for the already-high cost of living. Rather than absorb the increased VAT-related costs themselves, he predicted companies would pass these on to consumers in higher prices.
The Government has not explained the rationale for curbing VAT recoveries on construction inputs. However, Gowon Bowe, Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) chief executive, previously told Tribune Business he understood it was designed to crack down on wealthy home owners using companies as “fronts” for multi-million residential projects to enable them to obtain VAT recoveries they are not entitled to.
Mr Sands, though, in warning that the change
will likely deter, or slow down, job-creating business expansion and increased economic activity, both for the firms and contractors themselves, said the proposed VAT Act reform amounts to a new direct tax on the Bahamian private sector.
“In this instance, VAT is now a tax to the business and is not something they can offset,” he told Tribune Business. “It’s a direct tax and non-recoverable. To say there is no tax is now kind of an untrue statement. I spend $1m, and the VAT is now non-recoverable, so the Government will tax me $100,000 on the expense of my new plant. It’s a tax that is non-recoverable.”
Pointing out that this is contrary to the whole concept and design of VAT taxation systems, Mr Sands said: “I know there are a number of companies considering physical plant expansion, and have work out to tender. And the few I know of, it’s not the whole
market. If I know of two, three or four, there could be 40.
“One million dollars is a very low threshold. You’re talking about anyone in light industry, food processing, the restaurant business. One million dollars is a very low ceiling; an incredibly low ceiling. If one of the main car dealerships wanted to add another bay, that’s $1m in work. If Super Value decided to add additional storage for five 40-foot containers that’s another $1m
“The threshold is so low that it affects almost every kind of expansion. It’s really so low. They really have to look at it. If a business decides to go forward with it, and their expansion is $1.5m, that’s $150,000 in VAT. They’re going to pass that tax on to the consumer. Whatever products or services that business supplies, the consumer will feel that after the expansion happens.
something. It’s getting it right, doing it in the right way that’s collaborative with people rather than say this is what’s coming....
“If the boats don’t come in the amount of VAT we’re going to lose will far surpass any increase we get in these fees. That’s the one thing I worry about. I encourage the boaters to come, and we get a lot more money out of them for the Government. They keep coming and the Government gets the VAT money.”
Ms McIntosh expressed hope that the boating fee fall-out will not undermine what is shaping up to be the Bluff House’s best-ever year. “I’m so busy over here with every slip, every room, every villa, every restaurant taken,” she said. “I’m trying to keep up with the orders, keep food and drink in the restaurant. It’s taking up so much of my time.
“I’m just hoping this is our best season ever. For Bluff House, 2019 was our banner year. We did better this May and June than we did in May and June 2019. It just scares me that every time we have a banner year it goes to hell in a hand basket, and we don’t want that.”
Mr Sands also questioned why the Government has seemingly created a “caveat” in the legislation that might allow businesses to reclaim the 10 percent levy paid on their building supplies and materials. The reforms are designed to “restrict VAT input deductions for major construction unless involved in taxable property supply”. This means that the likes of resort and subdivision developers, or anyone constructing property for resale, is exempt from the Bill’s provisions and will be able to reclaim VAT on their inputs. The Government also appears to have selected the $1m threshold in a bid to ensure it does not impact middle class and lower income Bahamians.
However, the Bill states that tax deductions on VAT inputs “shall not be allowed in respect of any goods or services acquired for use in, or connection with” property construction, reconstruction or renovations deemed to be a “major” project unless this is allowed by the VAT comptroller.
Apart from the $1m threshold, the Bill lists “major construction” criteria as involving dredging or land reclamation activities; the construction of
docks, marinas and other waterfront structures; the building, paving and improvement of roads, driveways “or other access infrastructure”, and “any other construction activity as may be prescribed” by rules and regulations that have yet to be published.
Mr Sands, though, questioned why companies would be permitted to apply to the VAT comptroller for permission to reclaim the tax given that this would seemingly undermine the reform’s whole intent. And, if one company was granted the exemption, then it would likely have to be made available to many more.
“Why would they give an exemption?” he asked. “Why create that legislation with that caveat? What would be the considerations for you to exempt a business from paying that tax? If granted to every business expansion, what would be the point of changing the legislation?”
As to the impact of this measure, which is set to go into effect on July 1, Mr Sands said: “We’ll see in the next quarter what it does. Certainly it’s going to shrink the amount of property construction.... It’s a really clear, significant impact that will reduce that type of project. Say I want to spend $1m on a new facility. Anything over that threshold now, persons may decide they do not want to do it.
“What I don’t understand is that, on one end, the Government is saying they are trying to improve the ease of doing business and, on the other end, it is shrinking business by taxing directly the expenses of the business. It doesn’t make sense. I’m not a financial analyst, but I dare say they are going to see a decline in construction activity for businesses. We said it here first. We’ll wait and see.”
MERCHANTS DEMAND PROOF ON COUNTERFEIT ALCOHOL ‘RUMOURS’
FROM PAGE B1
what? They’re the same. These companies operate in different countries and the packages are different. But that doesn’t mean that the fish stink.
“Someone come and put something in their head, ‘The fish may be stink because it ain’t the same packaging as the other one’. You would see some packages just say Stoli, and then you would probably see some packages that say Stolichnaya. And I think the company break both up... I don’t know the full history on it but I’ve heard some stuff about it.
“And guess what? They are packaged slightly differently. But guess what? The product is still good. There’s no counterfeit. But you know what happens, too? You got some of the big distributors who are probably upset that where they’re buying it from, someone else is buying it from someplace else. So guess what? They start to spread rumours and say, ‘Boy, that person fish stink’,” Mr Ferguson said.
“So we got to be careful. When people come here and call my fish stink,
or I hear that about other people, they put that on me.... Now, if it’s true, then someone needs to show me and tell me exactly how it’s true. But if it ain’t true, why give the people a bad name? I’m not that type of person. When I compete, I compete with great pricing and great service. I don’t compete by downgrading somebody else to rise. That’s not the way to do it.”
While Mr Rolle did not identify who is selling “counterfeit alcohol”, he said the Commission and the Bahamas Agricultural Health and Food Safety Authority, headed by Dr Patricia Johnson, are part of a joint initiative cracking down on the problem.
He said there are steps they follow “to validate these complaints”, but has not received any official reports of someone becoming ill from counterfeit alcohol.
“Bahamians, when they sense that there’s something wrong or something happening, they would send us a complaint,” he said.
“We have steps that we’re going by to validate these complaints. I don’t know, or I’ve not received, any official reports as it relates to
someone getting sick,” Mr Rolle said. “But, if we have that case, what we will do is refer them to a clinic or the hospital, because when you say you get poison, some testing has to be done. But we know that there’s a number of places out there that sell cheap, cheap alcohol - cheap Hennessy. And there are some markings, barcodes and stuff, it may be erased. And so then there is some suspicion of it being fake alcohol.”
Mr Ferguson, though, argued that “you got to say that with some type of backing” of Mr Rolle’s comments. He said he has not heard of any reports of persons being arrested for the sale of counterfeit alcohol, or of persons being hospitalised due to poisoning from to counterfeit alcohol.
Mr Ferguson said “it would be helpful” if more information was released regarding who is selling counterfeit product so others can avoid purchasing from those merchants.
George Robinson Jr, owner of Base Road Wholesale Bar, said the circulation of counterfeit alcohol has been rumoured
EX-BREA CHIEF: DON’T HIT US ON UNPAID VAT
the lawyers are paying for it. But don’t get us involved because it’s not our job. We find a buyer, we get the sale organised, and then it’s put in the hands of the lawyers. After that, we finish. It’s a lawyer’s job to collect the money and pay the VAT. That’s not our job.”
Mr Wong said that while the changes may slow down the process of closing real estate sales, it “won’t be the end of the world”. His biggest issue with the change is that real estate agents will not be able to collect their commission, usually 6 percent, on the sale until the transaction is completed, possibly delaying payments for up to six months.
“It might slow down a little bit, but there won’t be the end of the world. We will become more efficient. I think the Government just
trying to stop the bleeding,”
Mr Wong added. “It seems like some of the funds are not being registered on time, and the money is not finding itself into the Public Treasury, and everyone has to pay their fair share. We’re not involved in that. We don’t get involved with the paying the VAT.”
“All it’s going to do is cost us to get paid a lot later, because we can’t get paid until everything’s finished. And agents, we depend on our money. We don’t get paid until the transaction is finished. And if you have got to wait six months to get paid, Lord have mercy, how will we pay our bills? So they can’t put all these roadblocks in our way. Deal with the people that’s causing the issue, not us. We’re not the issue.”
Mr Wong said realtors work hard to connect clients with properties but are not involved in the tax
collection process, so they should not be “penalised” when they have nothing to do with VAT collections.
“We’re the ones that find the client. We’re the ones walking the properties, kicking the tyres. We are the ones doing all the work. And once we bring the client, they get the financing. We give it to a lawyer and it’s now in the lawyer’s hands. We can’t do anything else,” he added. “It’s going to only make us wait, wait, wait, and the closing process now on a house, as long as it is right now, we rely on finishing. If we can’t get paid we’re in trouble. So I think they just have to rethink how this thing goes, and not penalise us. We have nothing to do with it. I agree with our president that once we turn it over to the lawyers, we’re finished. Show us the money. Give us our money.”
for about a year. He noted that he, too, was visited by persons who tested his products “to compare it”.
“It has been rumoured,” Mr Robinson said. “You don’t want to call people name, but it has been rumoured that certain companies are selling counterfeit alcohol. I’ve had some customers brought some products to me, just to compare it. And when we look at it, what we get from our local distributor, it wasn’t matching up.
“The label was different. The looks on the bottle
was different. And I had referred it to the distributor. I drew it to their attention, and they definitely said that it wasn’t their product. They did say it was a counterfeit. Whoever is selling it, they didn’t get it from there.
“And this was one of their products. It was one of their products that they import. They tried to imitate the label, but the label was a little different and the content was a little different. And so you could see it was not the original. And we’ve been getting a lot of, I wouldn’t say, complaints,” Mr Robinson.
“But when people come to our store, what they do
is they would look for a particular code on some of the products, because they say that they understand that a lot of counterfeit products are selling on the market. So the consumers are aware of it; they are very cautious. So you can always check the code.”
Mr Robinson added that there are a number of ways to detect counterfeit alcohol, including the bar code, imitation labels with discrepancies and examining the content. He also said the taste can differ.
Tribune Business did not hear back from BAHFSA before press time.
RESIDENTS VOICE CONCERNS ON EAST BAY STREET HOTEL/MARINA
The proposed parking garage will offer 54 total spaces over three floors, and cover 29,151 square feet, but she questioned whether eastern New Providence will undergo the same “parking trauma” as that created by the GoldWynn development if the project is approved.
“How many employees? How many people living there? How many guests? And to think people coming to the restaurant.
At GoldWynn, for instance, on West Bay Street, there’s, there’s parking trauma,” said Ms McKinney, arguing that the proposed parking spaces are insufficient to accommodate guests, staff and patrons at full capacity.
“You said that you got 35 staff. You’re going to have a marina with 42 boats. You’re going to have 12 people in the hotel and you’re going to have 100 seats in the restaurant. I seriously doubt that that’s enough parking for all
of those people if you’re working at full capacity, and if you have events there. The math ain’t mathing,” said Ms McKinney.
Charlotte Albury, commodore of the Nassau Yacht Club, said she “cant imagine” the amount of maritime traffic that would be created from adding another 44-slip marina to the area. She added that, at her neighbouring marina, parking can be difficult and the developers should consider additional parking for mariners and their guests.
“If you have 44 people that are coming on there, you’re going to need parking for 44 people plus their friends who are coming on the boat. We have that problem. So I’m only talking to the problem I know I run into that can be an issue,” said Ms Albury. “With us, you have to be a member in order to be able to dock at our marina….I’m just saying give consideration that more people will need to have access to your property if that’s the way
BUSINESS EXECUTIVES
SCEPTICAL $75M SURPLUS WILL FEEL ‘REAL’
FROM PAGE B3
“So if you think back to the pandemic, at a point we were at a $1bn deficit because of everything that went on with COVID-19 and what-not,” Mr Moore said. “And since then, that's sort of gone. That's been cut in half. Then the deficit was $300m, then $100m or so forth, and now we're looking at possibly having a surplus. I think the more important thing to focus on, rather than that, is the overall trajectory, and if that's sustainable.
“The main issue I see is that a lot of the growth we've seen over the past three years has been recovery growth. It's easy to come back and have 5-plus percent annual GDP growth when we're starting from a base of zero or less.
"Now we're at a point where we've already come back to where we were pre-2019, and the difficult road is ahead of us. Now in terms of what it means for investor confidence, I think it's very positive that we're trending in that direction," Mr Moore added.
“As someone who does work in portfolio management, and does make decisions over client portfolios and where we allocate capital, the Government is someone we give a significant amount of capital to. So for in terms of us having confidence, we need to be sure that what's in the Budget gives us confidence that they will be able to sustain the debt going forward.
"Not to get too deep, but truthfully, if I had $1,000 for every time I had a client say they were concerned about the Government's ability to repay its debt, I could
probably repay it myself.
And I say that as it's always a concern for clients of mine that the Government's debt levels are too high, it's too difficult to repay, and it also discourages them. So at times, we have clients that say, 'Hey, I don't want to invest too much in government debt.”
Timothy Ingraham, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC) chairman, added: “So how do we get to the surplus is my take; the question I ask. Some feel that we're in some mild austerity-type period where the Government has cut back spending on some things or, to the audience point, cut back paying some bills. And so that's how the surplus is being generated.
"Well, if you're on the ground and you don't feel that you're not getting your meds on time because the clinics say there are no meds. I don't know that you're really excited about the surplus. And so from that perspective, how do we get to the surplus becomes important. And I think that's where the question comes in.
"As far as growth and those types of things are concerned, we need to find ways to unlock growth beyond what we've been getting, because what we get, as the panellists have said before, won't get us down to the debt levels we need to be at," Mr Ingraham continued.
" This Budget, I think, was a very conservative budget to Darvin's point. I don't think it's going to unlock any major infrastructural movements and that kind of thing, although we have things coming on stream like Carnival and Ritz Carlton, I think it is on Eleuthera, and those types of things which have the ability to add some points.”
you’re going to go with the marina.”
Grantanna Holdings Company proposes to develop a 12-unit condo hotel plus 42-slip marina, along with a clubhouse, parking garage and other amenities, at a site two properties west of the Nassau Yacht Club on East Bay Street. Its president is Lorne Basden, president and director of Basden Elevator Services, and chairman of the Government’s Small Business Development Centre (SDBC).
Carlos Hepburn, managing partner at TDG Architects, the project’s planner, replied that the parking garage will be used to manage activity on the property and there are only ten condo units which were assigned 1.5 parking sports per unit. He added that the clubhouse will be mainly for the use of guests, but conceded that additional parking may be needed for patrons at the restaurant.
Mr Hepburn said the clubhouse is primarily to serve as an amenity to the condo hotel residences, but it was envisioned that at some point the property may, because of the dining, be open to the general public resulting in an increase in traffic.
Residents also voiced concerns about possible noise pollution, with Mr McKinney noting that a nearby restaurant plays “disruptive” outdoor music on weekends. He said additional noise from the restaurant would impact neighbouring properties.
“One of my big concerns is the amount of noise that will come through to those of us who live in the vicinity. It’s already bad enough,” said Mr McKinney. “I would ask Town Planning to severely restrict any outside noise. If you want to have a band or music inside, I’m fine with that, but I don’t see that it should be allowed to impact on the residents who are so close by”
BAHAMAS REQUIRES FOREIGN INVESTORS AS TRUE ‘PARTNERS’
FROM PAGE B3
project is intended to create 50 jobs, 100 jobs,' whatever. That's great. But at the same time, I think we should ask for more in terms of, are we getting knowledge sharing out of the foreign direct investment that's coming also?
"Are we having a transfer of skills to the local population? Are we having equity opportunities for Bahamians to invest in and hold some share of our own country? I think all of that is important outside of just throwing us money. Let's say we receive $1m.
We don't want it to be $1m added to us. We want it to multiply within the economy, if that makes sense.”
Darvin Russell, of Russell and Associates, believes “the Government gets a good grade” as it relates to tying foreign direct investment to local business and job creation. Pointing to the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC), the Bahamas Development Bank and commercial banks, he said: “The Government's responsibility is to provide a framework for incentives, the policies
He also raised concerns about the lack of privacy nearby residents will have after a six-storey condo hotel is placed overlooking their backyards. “The point is that the neighbours who are immediately to your west, they’re going to lose all their privacy. If somebody wants to set up by their swimming pool or something, they’re going to have people up there staring out at them,” said Mr McKinney
“They’re going to lose their privacy, which may not be your concern, but for people who have homes and want to enjoy their swimming pools or enjoy their yards, you’re going to be taking away from them.”
Ms Knowles, another nearby resident, voiced the same concerns, noting that with the amenity buildings and restaurant overlooking her brother’s property it would be a “total invasion of privacy”.
“My family property is here where that line is. It’s far too close as a house to have ever been allowed to be there, but now to be a clubhouse, a restaurant
around entrepreneurial initiatives.
“Like we already mentioned, tourism is growing by leaps and bounds, but the tourists still complain that there's nothing to do in Nassau. Have the entrepreneurs really looked at that sector to see what are those experiences? What are those restaurants? What are those entertainmenttype ventures that we can invest in to provide the kind of diversity that tourists are looking for.
"They want more immersive experiences. And I think that there's a lot to be said for us as entrepreneurs really picking up the mantle and really charging at that a bit more aggressively, so that when those surveys get taken post trips, we're able to now have a more diverse
Key Medicaid provision in Trump's bill is found to violate Senate rules. The GOP is scrambling
By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent
THE Senate parliamentarian has advised that a Medicaid provider tax overhaul central to President Donald Trump's tax cut and spending bill does not adhere to the chamber's procedural rules, delivering a crucial blow as Republicans rush to finish the package this week.
Guidance from the parliamentarian is rarely ignored and Republican leaders are now forced to consider difficult options. Republicans were counting on big cuts to Medicaid and other programs to offset trillions of dollars in Trump tax breaks, their top priority. Additionally, the parliamentarian, who is the Senate's chief arbiter of its often complicated rules, advised against various GOP provisions barring certain immigrants from health care programs.
Republicans scrambled Thursday to respond, with some calling for challenging, or ever firing, the nonpartisan parliamentarian, who has been on the job since 2012. GOP leaders
dismissed those views and instead worked to revise the various proposals.
"We have contingency plans," said Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota.
Friday's expected votes appeared to be slipping, but Thune insisted that "we're plowing forward."
But Democrats, who are unified against the package as a tax giveaway for the wealthy at the expense of American safety net programs, said the procedural decisions would devastate the GOP package.
Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said the Republican proposals would have meant $250 billion less for the health care program, "massive Medicaid cuts that hurt kids, seniors, Americans with disabilities and working families."
The outcome is a setback as Senate Republicans race toward a weekend session to pass the bill and send it back to the House for another vote before Trump's Fourth of July deadline. Trump hosted
overlooking the patio area, the pool deck. It’s a total invasion of privacy,” she said. Mr Rolle, a neighbouring resident that purchased his property more than 35 years ago, said that in addition to losing privacy due to the proposed development, the “massive” resort does not fit into the character of the neighbourhood.
He strongly objected to the scope of the proposed development and highlighted that, although the area may be commercial, other businesses have maintained the character of the neighbourhood.
“The proposed project would change the whole character of the neighbourhood. The southern side, it has been commercialised, that might be so, but the character of the housing on the southern side has not changed,” said Mr Rolle.
“The structure or the plan as presently exists would change the whole scope of, and character, of the neighbourhood. And I strongly object to what is being proposed.”
experience," Mr Russell added.
“When I was in [Washington] DC the other day, I went to the AfricanAmerican Museum and I went to the Museum of the Bible. The government has a responsibility to create new attractions. What is the latest new attraction that the government has invested in? They go to the forts, they go to some of our national monuments.
"But have we created a new monument, a new fort, a new experience that I think would be second to none? We are the home of the new world in 1492. Do we have something around Columbus's landing in The Bahamas that we can actually exploit for the benefit…”
House Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP lawmakers in the East Room at the White House, joined by truck drivers, firefighters, tipped workers, ranchers and others that the administration says will benefit from the bill.
"We don't want to have grandstanders," Trump said of the GOP holdouts.
Trump said there are "hundreds of things" in the emerging package of tax breaks, spending cuts and bolstered money to carry out his mass deportation plans. "It's so good."
At its core, the big bill, which has passed the House and is now being revised in the Senate, includes $3.8 trillion in tax breaks that had been approved during Trump's first term but will expire in December, imposing a tax hike if Congress fails to act. To help offset lost revenues, Republicans are relying on steep cuts to health care and food stamps, and imposing new fees on immigrants.
GOP leaders were already struggling to rally support for Medicaid changes that some
senators said went too far and would have left millions without coverage. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said more than 10.9 million more people would not have health care under the House-passed bill; Senate Republicans were proposing deeper cuts.
After the parliamentarian advised against the Medicaid provider tax change, Republicans said they would try to revise the provision to make it acceptable, perhaps by extending the start date of any changes. They are rushing to come up with similar adjustments to other proposals that have run into violations, including one to change the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps. It's all delaying action on the bill, but Republican leaders have little choice. They are counting on the health care restrictions to save billions of dollars and offset the cost of trillions of dollars in tax cuts.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the Budget Committee chairman, rejected calls to fire the parliamentarian, and said in a statement he was working with the office to "find a pathway forward."
FOREIGN REGISTERED COMPANY
Notice is hereby given that the voluntary dissolution of the above company commenced on the 25th day of June, 2025. Articles of Dissolution have been duly registered by the Registrar General’s Offce, P. O. Box N-532, Shirley Street, Nassau, Bahamas. The Liquidator is Michael J. Sharp, whose address for service is Wells Legal & Corporate Services, 138 Church Street Plaza, Second Floor, Suite 1, P. O. Box N-7779, Nassau. Bahamas.
States can block Medicaid money for health care at Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court says
By LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press
STATES can block the country's biggest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood, from receiving Medicaid money for health services such as contraception and cancer screenings, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.
The 6-3 opinion by Justice Neil Gorsuch and joined by the rest of the court's conservatives was not directly about abortion, but it comes as Republicans back a wider push across the country to defund the organization. It closes off Planned Parenthood's primary court path to keeping Medicaid funding in place: patient lawsuits.
The justices found that while Medicaid law allows people choose their own provider, that does not make it a right enforceable in court. The court split along ideological lines, with the three liberals dissenting in the case from South Carolina.
Public health care money generally cannot be used to pay for abortions, but Medicaid patients go to Planned Parenthood for other needs in part because it can be dif-
ficult to find a doctor who takes the publicly funded insurance, the organization has said.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, said Planned Parenthood should not get any taxpayer money.
The budget bill backed by President Donald Trump in Congress would also cut
Medicaid money for the group. That could force the closure of about 200 centers, most of them in states where abortion is legal, Planned Parenthood has said.
McMaster first moved to cut off the Medicaid funding in 2018, but he was blocked in court after a lawsuit from a patient, Julie Edwards, who wanted to keep going to Planned Parenthood for birth control because her diabetes makes pregnancy potentially dangerous. Edwards sued under a provision in Medicaid law that allows patients to choose their own qualified provider.
South Carolina argued that patients should not be able file such lawsuits. The state pointed to lower courts that have been swayed by similar arguments and
allowed states such as Texas to act against Planned Parenthood.
The high court majority agreed.
"Deciding whether to permit private enforcement poses delicate policy questions involving competing costs and benefits — decisions for elected representatives, not judges," Gorsuch wrote. He pointed out that patients can appeal through other administrative processes if coverage is denied.
McMaster, in a statement, said his state had taken "a stand to protect the sanctity of life and defend South Carolina's authority and values — and today, we are finally victorious."
White House spokesman Harrison Fields called the opinion "a major victory for common sense" and said it
More refunds are being sent to Fortnite players 'tricked' into unwanted purchases. How you can apply
By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS AP Business Writer
THE U.S. Federal Trade Commission is sending out the latest round of refunds to consumers it says were "tricked" into purchases they didn't want from Fortnite maker Epic Games — and eligible players who haven't been compensated yet still have time to apply.
In an announcement this week, the FTC said it was distributing more than 969,000 refunds totaling over $126 million to consumers on Wednesday and Thursday. That follows the regulator's first round of payments amounting to more than $72 million, which went out in December 2024.
The refunds are part of a $520 million settlement that Epic agreed to pay back in 2022 — to address complaints revolving around children's privacy and payment methods on its popular Fortnite video game. At the time, the FTC had alleged that the gaming giant used deceptive online design tactics to trick Fortnite players, including children, into making unintended purchases "based on the press of a single button." Consumers could be charged while doing
something as simple as attempting the wake the game from sleep mode, for example, or by pressing a nearby button when trying to preview an item, the agency said. The FTC also accused Epic of blocking some users who disputed the charges from accessing the content they purchased. Beyond a $275 million fine related to collecting personal information for players under the age of 13, the settlement, which was finalized in 2023, included $245 million in customer refunds. Between December's payments and the refunds sent out this week, about $198 million of that has been sent out — leaving roughly $47 million left to be distributed. The latest refunds are being doled out to consumers who filed a valid claim before Feb. 14 — meaning that any claims filed after that date are still under review, according to the FTC. And the FTC also says it's reopening the claims process. Eligible consumers who have not been compensated yet now have until July 9 to file a claim. If accepted, the refunds come in the form of checks or PayPal payments. To apply and learn more about the settlement, impacted consumers should visit
the FTC's website. People who are eligible for these payouts include Fortnite players who were charged in-game currency for items they didn't want or saw their account locked after complaining to a credit card company about wrongful charges between January 2017 and September 2022 — as well as parents whose kids made charges on their credit cards without their knowledge from January 2018 through November 2018. At the time the settlement was announced in December 2022, Epic said it accepted the agreement because it wanted "to be at the forefront of consumer protection and provide the best experience for our players." The Cary, North Carolina-based company added that it was already rolling out changes "to ensure our ecosystem meets the expectations of our players and regulators, which we hope will be a helpful guide for others in our industry."
A PLANNED Parenthood sign is displayed on the outside of the clinic, Aug. 1, 2023, in Indianapolis.
calling the decision to cut it off a political one.
"Instead of patients now deciding where to get care, that now lies with the state," said Katherine Farris, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.
"If they fall on hard financial times, as many are right now, they are fundamentally less free."
underscores the Republican president's position that states should determine abortion policy.
In a dissent joined by her liberal colleagues, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the ruling is "likely to result in tangible harm to real people."
"It will strip those South Carolinians — and countless other Medicaid recipients around the country — of a deeply personal freedom: the 'ability to decide who treats us at our most vulnerable,'" she wrote.
Planned Parenthood officials said the decision will hinder access to care like preventive screenings for 1 million Medicaid recipients in South Carolina. The state didn't accuse Planned Parenthood of providing inadequate care, she said,
Other conservative states are expected to follow South Carolina's lead with funding cuts, potentially creating a "backdoor abortion ban," said Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Eighteen states weighed into the case in support of South Carolina.
Medicaid patients make up 3.5% of the organization's South Carolina patients who go for services unrelated to abortion or gender-affirming care, officials said. Because South Carolina has not expanded its Medicaid program, reimbursements do not cover its preventive care costs, spokesperson Molly Rivera said.
Planned Parenthood will continue to provide care for women who need it in South Carolina, but won't bill the government, said Vicki Ringer, a spokesperson for the South Carolina branch.
"This does not close us down despite the governor's best efforts," Ringer said.
Up to one-quarter of people in the U.S. use Medicaid, and lawsuits have been the only real way they've been able to make sure they can choose their doctor, according to court papers filed by the American Cancer Society and other public health groups. Removing the ability to sue could reduce access to health care, especially in rural areas, the advocates said.
Patient lawsuits are an important accountability tool because regulators "can't possibly monitor all federal requirements in all states at all times," said Julian Polaris, a lawyer who regularly advises state programs and health care providers. The ruling raises questions about whether patients can still sue to secure medically necessary services and eligibility determinations, he said. In South Carolina, $90,000 in Medicaid funding goes to Planned Parenthood every year, a tiny fraction of the state's total Medicaid spending. The state banned abortion at about six weeks' gestation after the Supreme Court overturned it as a nationwide right in 2022. The conservative Christian legal-advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom, which represented South Carolina officials, said the ruling would allow the state to direct Medicaid dollars to "comprehensive health care" for low-income patients.
NTSB says company failed to shut down oil pipeline for nearly 13 hours after pressure dropped
By JOSH FUNK Associated Press
ROUGHLY 1.1 million gallons of crude oil spilled from a pipeline into the Gulf of Mexico in November 2023 because operators failed to shut it down for nearly 13 hours after their data first hinted at a problem, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday.
The NTSB said the leak off the coast of Louisiana was the result of underwater landslides, caused by hazards such as hurricanes, that pipeline owner Third Coast failed to address even though the threats were well known in the industry.
"In the years leading up to the accident, Third Coast missed several opportunities to evaluate how geohazards may threaten the integrity of their pipeline. Information widely available within the industry suggested that land movement related to hurricane activity was a threat to pipelines in the Gulf of America, including the MPOG (Main Pass Oil
Gathering) 18-inch pipeline," the NTSB said in its final report, using the new name assigned to the body of water by the Trump administration.
Third Coast did not immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking comment about the report Thursday afternoon. Environmental groups raised alarm at the time about the leak and its impact on wildlife and the Gulf. NTSB estimated that the spill caused $30 million in damage.
The amount of oil spilled was far less than the 2010 BP oil disaster, when 134 million gallons were released in the weeks following an oil rig explosion, but it could have been much smaller if workers in the Third Coast control room had acted more quickly, the NTSB said.
The pipeline operator first noticed pressure changes about 45 minutes after he started his shift at 6 p.m. on Nov. 15, 2023.
The gauges showed that the volume of oil exiting the
pipeline was less than the amount entering, with the output eventually dropping to zero around 12:30 a.m. the next morning.
The controller said his supervisor recommended not shutting down the pipeline as the pressure dropped throughout the evening. Even after the flow went to zero, the controller and his colleagues decided not to shut it down because they believed the data were the result of equipment issues. It was only after day shift workers started the next day and noticed the trend data and lack of output that Third Coast started to shut down the pipeline, around 6:30 a.m. It was fully shut down by 9 a.m., and the leak was reported to the Environmental Protection Agency less than an hour later.
In a different instance in late April, federal authorities were forced to clean up tens of thousands of gallons of crude from another, smaller oil spill from a decades-old well in southeast Louisiana.
Photo:Darron Cummings/AP
A PELICAN flies over new marsh grass in front of a state-initiated dredging project near East Grand Terre Island, where the Gulf of Mexico meets Barataria Bay along the Louisiana coast, Aug. 10, 2010.
Photo:Gerald Herbert/AP
UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG YOUNG COLLEGE GRADUATES OUTPACES OVERALL US JOBLESSNESS RATE
By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP Economics Writer
WHILE completing a master's degree in data analysis, Palwasha Zahid moved from Dallas to a town near Silicon Valley. The location made it easy to visit the campuses of tech stalwarts such as Google, Apple, and Nvidia.
Zahid, 25, completed her studies in December, but so far she hasn't found a job in the industry that surrounds her.
"It stings a little bit," she said. "I never imagined it would be this difficult just to get a foot in the door."
Young people graduating from college this spring and summer are facing one of the toughest job markets in more than a decade. The unemployment rate for degree holders ages 22 to 27 has reached its highest level in a dozen years, excluding the coronavirus pandemic.
Joblessness among that group is now higher than the overall unemployment rate, and the gap is larger than it has been in more than three decades.
The rise in unemployment has worried many economists as well as officials at the Federal Reserve because it could be an early sign of trouble for the economy. It suggests businesses are holding off on hiring new workers because of rampant uncertainty stemming from the Trump administration's tariff increases, which could slow growth.
"Young people are bearing the brunt of a lot of economic uncertainty," Brad Hersbein, senior economist at the Upjohn Institute, a labor-focused think tank, said. "The people that you often are most hesitant in hiring when economic conditions are uncertain are entry-level positions."
The growth of artificial intelligence may be playing an additional role by eating away at positions for beginners in white-collar professions such as information technology, finance, and law.
Higher unemployment for younger graduates has also renewed concerns about the value of a college degree. More workers than ever have a four-year degree, which makes it less of a distinguishing factor in job applications. Murat Tasci, an economist at JPMorgan, calculates that 45% of workers have a fouryear degree, up from 26% in 1992.
While the difficulty of finding work has demoralized young people like Zahid, most economists argue that holding a college degree still offers clear lifetime benefits. Graduates earn higher pay and experience much less unemployment over their lifetimes.
The overall U.S. unemployment rate is a still-low 4.2%, and the government's monthly jobs reports show the economy is generating modest job gains. But the additional jobs are concentrated in health care, government, and restaurants and hotels. Job gains in professions with more college grads, such as information technology, legal services, and accounting have languished in the past 12 months.
The unemployment rate has stayed low mostly because layoffs are still relatively rare. The actual
hiring rate — new hires as a percentage of all jobs — has fallen to 2014 levels, when the unemployment rate was much higher, at 6.2%. Economists call it a no-hire, no-fire economy.
For college graduates 22 to 27 years old, the unemployment rate was 5.8% in March — the highest, excluding the pandemic, since 2012, and far above the nationwide rate.
Lexie Lindo, 23, saw how reluctant companies were to hire while applying for more than 100 jobs last summer and fall after graduating from Clark Atlanta University with a business degree and 3.8 GPA. She had several summer internships in fields such as logistics and real estate while getting her degree, but no offer came.
"Nobody was taking interviews or responding back to any applications that I filled out," Lindo, who is from Auburn, Georgia, said. "My resume is full, there's no gaps or anything. Every summer I'm doing something. It's just, 'OK, so what else are you looking for?'"
She has returned to Clark for a master's program in supply chain studies and has an internship this summer at a Fortune 500 company in Austin, Texas. She's hopeful it will lead to a job next year.
Artificial intelligence could be a culprit, particularly in IT. Matthew Martin, senior U.S. economist at Oxford Economics, has calculated that employment for college graduates 28 and above in computer science and mathematical occupations has increased a slight 0.8% since 2022. For those ages 22 to 27, it has fallen 8%, according to Martin. Company announcements have further fueled concerns. Tobi Lutke, CEO of online commerce software company Shopify, said in an April memo that before requesting new hires, "teams must demonstrate why they cannot get what they want done using AI."
Last week, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said AI would likely reduce the company's corporate workforce over the next few years.
"We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs," Jassy said in a message to employees. "We expect that this will reduce our total corporate workforce as we get efficiency gains from using AI extensively across the company."
Zahid worries that AI is hurting her chances. She remembers seeing big billboard ads for AI at the San Francisco airport that asked, "Why hire a human when you could use AI?"
Still, many economists argue that blaming AI is premature. Most companies are in the early stages of adopting the technology.
Professional networking platform LinkedIn categorized occupations based on their exposure to AI and did not see big hiring differences between professions where AI was more prevalent and where it wasn't, said Kory Kantenga, the firm's head of economics for the Americas.
"We don't see any broadbased evidence that AI is having a disproportionate impact in the labor market or even a disproportionate impact on younger workers versus older workers," Kantenga said.
MOREHOUSE College students line up before the school’s commencement ceremonies in Atlanta on May 19, 2024.
Photo:Brynn Anderson/AP
KEY MEDICAID PROVISION IN TRUMP’S BILL IS FOUND TO VIOLATE SENATE RULES. THE GOP IS SCRAMBLING
By LISA MASCARO AP Congressional Correspondent
THE Senate parliamentarian has advised that a Medicaid provider tax overhaul central to President Donald Trump's tax cut and spending bill does not adhere to the chamber's procedural rules, delivering a crucial blow as Republicans rush to finish the package this week.
Guidance from the parliamentarian is rarely ignored and Republican leaders are now forced to consider difficult options. Republicans were counting on big cuts to Medicaid and other programs to offset trillions of dollars in Trump tax breaks, their top priority. Additionally, the parliamentarian, who is the Senate's chief arbiter of its often complicated rules, advised against various GOP provisions barring certain immigrants from health care programs. Republicans scrambled Thursday to respond, with some calling for challenging, or ever firing, the nonpartisan parliamentarian, who has been on the job since 2012, though GOP leaders dismissed those views. Instead, they worked to revise the various proposals. "We have contingency plans," said Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota.
Friday's expected votes appeared to be slipping, but Thune insisted that "we're plowing forward."
But Democrats, who are unified against package as a tax giveaway for the wealthy at the expense of American safety net programs, said the procedural decisions would devastate the GOP package.
Sen. Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, said the Republican proposals would have meant $250 billion less for the health care program, "massive Medicaid cuts that hurt kids, seniors, Americans with disabilities and working families."
Trump wants action on the bill
The outcome is a setback as Senate Republicans race toward a weekend session to pass the bill and send it back to the House for another vote before Trump's Fourth of July deadline. Trump hosted House Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP lawmakers in the East Room at the White House joined by truck drivers, firefighters, tipped workers, ranchers and others that the administration says will benefit from the bill. "We don't want to have grandstanders," Trump said of the GOP holdouts.
AVERAGE LONG-TERM US MORTGAGE RATE DROPS TO 6.77%, THE LOWEST LEVEL SINCE EARLY MAY
By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer
THE average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage fell to its lowest level since early May, an encouraging trend for prospective homebuyers at a time when the U.S. housing market remains largely held back by elevated borrowing costs and rising prices. The long-term rate fell to 6.77% from 6.81% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.86%.
Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing
their home loans, also fell. The average rate dropped to 5.89% from 5.96% last week. A year ago, it was 6.16%, Freddie Mac said. High mortgage rates can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers and reduce their purchasing power. That's helped keep the U.S. housing market in a sales slump that dates back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from the rockbottom lows they reached during the pandemic. Last year, sales of previously occupied U.S. homes sank to their lowest level in nearly 30 years. They've remained sluggish so far this year, as many prospective
NOTICE is hereby given that JOYLIN ANN HALLEY of Queen’s Highway, North Andros, 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 June, 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.
Trump said there are "hundreds of things" in the emerging package of tax breaks, spending cuts and bolstered money to carry out his mass deportation plans. "It's so good."
What's at stake
At its core, the big bill, which has passed the House and is now being revised in the Senate, includes $3.8 trillion in tax breaks that had been approved during Trump's first term, but will expire in December imposing a tax hike if Congress fails to act. To help offset lost revenues, Republicans are relying on steep cuts to health care and food stamps, and imposing new fees on immigrants.
GOP leaders were already struggling to rally support for Medicaid changes that some senators said went too far and would have left millions without coverage. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said more than 10.9 million more people would not have health care under the House-passed bill; Senate Republicans were proposing deeper cuts. After the parliamentarian advised against the the Medicaid provider tax change Republicans said they would try to revise the provision to make it acceptable, perhaps by extending the start date of
homebuyers have been discouraged by elevated mortgage rates and home prices that have kept climbing, albeit at a slower pace. Elevated borrowing costs are also putting pressure on the new-home market. Sales of new U.S. homes fell nearly 14% in May from the previous month, the government reported Wednesday.
"Stuck in a bit of a rut, the housing market continues to suffer from high home prices and elevated mortgage rates," said Hannah Jones, senior economic research analyst at Realtor. com. "However, climbing for-sale inventory in much of the country could help soften upward price pressure and usher in a more friendly housing market for buyers."
New data suggests sales could pick up in the coming months. A seasonally adjusted index of pending U.S. home sales rose 1.8%
any changes. They are rushing to come up with similar adjustments to other proposals that have run into violations, including one to change the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps.
It's all delaying action on the bill, but Republican leaders have little choice. They are counting on the health care restrictions to save billions of dollars and offset the cost of trillions of dollars in tax cuts.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the Budget Committee chairman rejected calls to fire the parliamentarian, and said in statement he was working with the office to "find a pathway forward."
GOP torn over Medicaid cuts States impose the socalled provider tax on hospitals and other entities as a way to help fund Medicaid, largely by boosting the reimbursements they receive from the federal
in May from the previous month and increased 1.1% from May last year, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. There's usually a month or two lag between a contract signing and when the sale is finalized, which makes pending home sales a bellwether for future completed home sales.
Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, from the Federal Reserve's interest rate policy decisions to bond market investors' expectations for the economy and inflation.
The key barometer is the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans. The yield was at 4.28% in midday trading Thursday, down from 4.58% just a few weeks ago.
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage has remained relatively close to its high so far this year of
NOTICE is hereby given that SOWMYA THOTTAMBETI of P.O.Box 11797 St. Albans Drive, 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 June 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
government. Critics say the system is a type of "laundering," but almost every state except Alaska uses it to help provide the health care coverage.
The House-passed bill would freeze the tax, while the Senate would cut the tax that some states are allowed to impose.
Several GOP senators have opposed cutting the Medicaid provider tax, saying it would hurt rural hospitals that depend on the money. Hospital organizations have warned that it could lead to hospital closures.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., among those fighting the change, said he had spoken to Trump late Wednesday and that the president told him to revert back to the earlier proposal from the House.
"I think it just confirms that we weren't ready for a vote yet," said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., who also had raised concerns about the provider tax cuts.
just above 7%, set in midJanuary. The 30-year rate's low point this year was in early April when it briefly dipped to 6.62%.
Mortgage rates have now fallen four weeks in a row, reflecting the recent pullback in bond yields. With the latest decline, the average rate is now at its lowest level since May 8, when it was 6.76%.
The decline in mortgage rates may have encouraged some home shoppers.
More than 80 millions people in the United States use the Medicaid program, alongside the Obamaera Affordable Care Act. Republicans want to scale Medicaid back to what they say is its original mission, providing care mainly to women and children, rather than a much larger group of people.
To help defray lost revenues to the hospitals, one plan Republicans had been considering would have created a rural hospital fund with $15 billion as back up. Some GOP senators said that was too much; others, including Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, wanted at least $100 billion.
Tough choices ahead
The parliamentarian has worked around the clock since late last week to assess the legislation and ensure it complies with the so-called Byrd Rule, named for the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia. It essentially bars policy matters in budget reconciliation bills.
Last week, mortgage applications rose 1.1% from a week earlier, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. Economists generally expect mortgage rates to stay relatively stable in the coming months, with forecasts calling for the average rate on a 30-year mortgage to remain in a range between 6% and 7% this year.
NOTICE
In the Estate of VIOLET ELOISE CORNISH late of #Dundas Town Abaco, another one of the Islands of the Commonwealth of Te Bahamas, deceased.
Notice is hereby given that all persons having any claim or demands against the above named Estate are required to send their names, addresses and particulars of the same duly certifed in writing to the undersigned on or before the 15th day of July A.D., 2025 and if required, prove such debts or claims, or in default be excluded from any distribution; afer the above date the assets will be distributed having regard only to the proved debts or claims of which the Administrator shall then have had Notice.
And Notice is hereby given that all persons indebted to the said Estate are requested to make full settlement on or before the aforementioned date.
MICHAEL A. DEAN & CO., Attorneys for the Administrator Alvernia Court, 49A Dowdeswell Street P.O. Box N-3114 Nassau, Te Bahamas
Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act 2000, the abovenamed Company is in dissolution, which commenced on the 25th day of June, 2025. The Liquidator is Windermere Corporate Management Limited, 200 Sterling Commons East, Paradise Island, Bahamas.
CFL Business Investment Ltd. In Voluntary Liquidation
Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act. 2000, CFL Business Investment Ltd. is in dissolution as of June 20, 2025.
GUSTAVO DOS SANTOS VAZ situated at Avenida Bem -Te - Vi (0124), Moema 04524-030, Sao Paulo - Brazil is the Liquidator.
NOTICE MAHOGANY Advisory Ltd. In Voluntary Liquidation
Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act. 2000, MAHOGANY Advisory Ltd. is in dissolution as of June 20, 2025 Lighthouse Corporate Services Ltd. with address at Unit #3, Pineapple Grove, Western Road, Nassau, The Bahamas is the Liquidator.
SEN. RON WYDEN, D-Ore., the ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, is joined at left by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., ranking member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., as they talk to reporters about Senate Republicans’ efforts to pass President Donald Trump’s tax cut and spending agenda with deeper Medicaid cuts, at the Capitol in Washington, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Photo:J. Scott Applewhite/AP
JUDGE BLOCKS GEORGIA’S SOCIAL MEDIA AGE VERIFICATION LAW, CITING FREE SPEECH CONCERNS
By JEFF AMY Associated Press
GEORGIA has become the latest state where a federal judge has blocked a law requiring age verification for social media accounts.
Like in seven other states where such laws have been blocked, a federal judge ruled Thursday that the Georgia law infringes on free speech rights.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg means that the Georgia measure, which passed in 2024, won't take effect next week as scheduled. Instead, Totenberg granted a preliminary injunction blocking the law until there's a full ruling on the issue.
Georgia's law would require some social media providers to take "commercially reasonable" steps to verify a user's age and
require children younger than 16 to get parental permission for accounts. It was challenged by NetChoice, a trade group representing online businesses.
"The state seeks to erect barriers to speech that cannot withstand the rigorous scrutiny that the Constitution requires," Totenberg wrote, finding the law restricts the rights of minors, chills the right to anonymous speech online and restricts the ability of people to receive speech from social media platforms.
Georgia will appeal, a spokesperson for Attorney General Chris Carr said Thursday.
"We will continue to defend commonsense measures that empower parents and protect our children online," spokesperson Kara Murray said in a statement.
Parents — and even some teens themselves — are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of social media use on young people. Supporters of the laws have said they are needed to help curb the explosive use of social media among young people, and what researchers say is an associated increase in depression and anxiety. Totenberg said concerns about social media harming children are legitimate, but don't outweigh the constitutional violation. Totenberg wrote that NetChoice's members would be irreparably harmed by the law. She rejected arguments from the state that the group shouldn't get temporary relief because it had delayed filing its lawsuit by a year and because the state would be required to
give 90 days' notice before enforcing the law.
"Free expression doesn't end where government anxiety begins," NetChoice Director of Litigation
Chris Marchese said in a statement. "Parents— not politicians — should guide their children's lives online and offline— and no one should have to hand over a government ID to speak in digital spaces."
It's the ninth state where NetChoice has blocked a law over children's use of social media. In Arkansas and Ohio, federal judges have permanently overturned the laws. Besides Georgia, measures are also on hold in California, Florida, Mississippi, Texas and Utah. Louisiana agreed to not enforce its law while litigation proceeds. Only in Tennessee did a federal judge decline to temporarily block a law, finding NetChoice hadn't proved that people would be irreparably harmed if the law wasn't blocked before trial. Georgia had argued the law was meant to protect children in a dangerous place, likening it to banning them from bars serving alcohol instead of restricting their speech.
How Trump has targeted Harvard’s international students — and what the latest court ruling means
By The Associated Press
PRESIDENT Donald
Trump and his administration have tried several tactics to block Harvard University's enrollment of international students, part of the White House's effort to secure policy changes at the private, Ivy League college.
Targeting foreign students has become the administration's cornerstone effort to crack down on the nation's oldest and wealthiest college. The block on international enrollment, which accounts for a quarter of Harvard's students and much of its global allure, strikes at the core of Harvard's identity. Courts have stopped some of the government's
actions, at least for now — but not all.
In the latest court order, a federal judge on Friday put one of those efforts on hold until a lawsuit is resolved. But the fate of Harvard's international students — and its broader standoff with the Trump administration — remain in limbo. Here are all the ways the Trump administration has moved to block Harvard's foreign enrollment — and where each effort stands.
Homeland Security tries to revoke Harvard's certification to host foreign students
In May, the Trump administration tried to ban foreign students at Harvard, citing the Department of Homeland Security's authority to oversee which
colleges are part of the Student Exchange and Visitor Program. The program allows colleges to issue documents that foreign students need to study in the United States.
Harvard filed a lawsuit, arguing the administration violated the government's own regulations for withdrawing a school's certification.
Within hours, U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston put the administration's ban on hold temporarily — an order that had an expiration date. On Friday, she issued a preliminary injunction, blocking Homeland Security's move until the case is decided. That could take months or longer.
The government can and does remove colleges from
the Student Exchange and Visitor Program, making them ineligible to host foreign students on their campus. However, it's usually for administrative reasons outlined in law, such as failing to maintain accreditation, lacking proper facilities for classes, failing to employ qualified professional personnel — even failing to "operate as a bona fide institution of learning." Other colleges are removed when they close.
Notably, Burroughs' order Friday said the federal government still has authority to review Harvard's ability to host international students through normal processes outlined in law. After Burroughs' emergency block in May, DHS issued a more
typical "Notice of Intent to Withdraw" Harvard's participation in the international student visa program.
"Today's order does not affect the DHS's ongoing administrative review," Harvard said Friday in a message to its international students. "Harvard is fully committed to compliance with the applicable F-1 (student visa) regulations and strongly opposes any effort to withdraw the University's certification."
Trump has sought to ban U.S. entry for incoming Harvard students
Earlier this month, Trump himself moved to block entry to the United States for incoming Harvard students, issuing a proclamation that invoked a different legal authority. Harvard filed a court challenge attacking Trump's legal justification for the action — a federal law allowing him to block a "class of aliens" deemed detrimental to the nation's interests. Targeting only those who are coming to the U.S. to study at Harvard doesn't qualify as a "class of aliens," Harvard said in its filing.
Harvard's lawyers asked the court to block the action. Burroughs agreed to pause the entry ban temporarily, without giving an expiration date. She has not yet ruled on Harvard's request for another preliminary injunction, which would pause the ban until the court case is decided.
"We expect the judge to issue a more enduring decision in the coming days," Harvard told international students Friday.
At the center of Trump's pressure campaign against Harvard are his assertions that the school has tolerated anti-Jewish harassment, especially during pro-Palestinian protests. In seeking to keep Harvard students from coming to the U.S., he said Harvard is not a suitable destination. Harvard President Alan Garber has said the university has made changes to combat antisemitism and will not submit to the administration's demands for further changes.
The administration has stepped up scrutiny of Harvard scholars' and students' visas
In late May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio directed U.S. embassies and consulates to start reviewing social media accounts of visa applicants who plan
to attend, work at or visit Harvard University for any signs of antisemitism.
On Wednesday, the State Department said it was launching new vetting of social media accounts for foreigners applying for student visas, and not just those seeking to attend Harvard. Consular officers will be on the lookout for posts and messages that could be deemed hostile to the United States, its government, culture, institutions or founding principles, the department said, telling visa applicants to set their social media accounts to "public."
In reopening the visa process, the State Department also told consulates to prioritize students hoping to enroll at colleges where foreigners make up less than 15% of the student body, a U.S. official familiar with the matter said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to detail information that has not been made public. Foreign students make up more than 15% of the total student body at almost 200 U.S. universities — including Harvard and the other Ivy League schools, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal education data from 2023. Most are private universities, including all eight Ivy League schools. Some Harvard students are also caught up in the government's recent ban against travel to the U.S. by citizens of 12 nations, mostly in Africa and the Middle East. The Trump administration last weekend called for 36 additional countries to commit to improving vetting of travelers or face a ban on their citizens visiting the United States.
International students make up half the students at some Harvard programs Harvard sponsors more than 7,000 people on a combination of F-1 and J-1 visas, which are issued to students and to foreigners visiting the U.S. on exchange programs such as fellowships. Across all the schools that make up the university, about 26% of the student body is from outside the U.S. But some schools and programs, by nature of their subject matter, have significantly more international students. At the Harvard Kennedy School, which covers public policy and public administration, 49% of students are on F-1 visas. In the business school, onethird of students come from abroad. And within the law school, 94% of the students in the master's program in comparative law are international students.
US stocks rise to the brink of a record and recover nearly all their 20% springtime drop
By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer
THE U.S. stock market ran up to the edge of another record on Thursday.
The S&P 500 climbed 0.8% and is sitting just 0.05% below its all-time closing high, which was set in February. It briefly topped the mark during the afternoon in the latest milestone for the index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts, which had dropped roughly 20% below its record during the spring on worries about President Donald Trump's tariffs.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied 404 points, or 0.9%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 1%.
McCormick, the seller of cooking spices, helped lead the way and jumped 5.3% after delivering a betterthan-expected profit report. The company also gave a forecast for profit over its full fiscal year that topped analysts' expectations, including planned efforts to offset increased costs caused by tariffs.
Over the longer term, it's been big technology stocks that have led the market for years and since the S&P 500 hit a bottom in April.
Chip company Nvidia, which has been the poster child of the frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology, added 0.5%. It's the most valuable company in the U.S. stock market after rushing 61% higher since April 8, towering over the S&P 500's gain of 23%.
Another AI darling, Super Micro Computer, rose 5.7% to bring its gain since April 8 to 55%.
Micron Technology, which sells computer memory and data storage, swung between gains and losses after reporting stronger profit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected. CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said it's seeing growing AI-driven memory demand, and the company gave a forecast for profit in the current quarter that topped analysts' expectations. Its stock ended the day down 1%.
All told, the S&P 500 rose 48.86 points to 6,141.02. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 404.41 to
43,386.84, and the Nasdaq composite gained 194.36 to 20,167.91.
Wall Street's worries about Trump's tariffs have receded since the president shocked the world in April with stiff proposed levies, but they have not disappeared. The wait is still on to see how big the tariffs will ultimately be, how much they will hurt the economy and how much they will push up inflation.
The economy so far seems to be holding up OK, though slowing, and more reports arrived on Thursday bolstering that. One said that orders for washing machines and other manufactured goods that last at least three years grew by more last month than economists expected. A second said fewer U.S. workers filed for unemployment benefits last week, a potential signal of fewer layoffs.
A third report said the U.S. economy shrank by more during the first three months of 2025 than earlier estimated. But many economists say those numbers got distorted by a surge of purchases of foreign products by U.S. companies hoping to get ahead of tariffs. They're expecting a better performance in upcoming months.
Following the reports, Treasury yields swiveled up and down in the bond market before easing.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury fell to 4.24% from 4.29% late Wednesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do, fell to 3.71% from 3.74% late Wednesday.
Analysts said yields may have felt pressure because of a report from The Wall Street Journal saying Trump could name his nominee to replace Fed Chair Jerome Powell unusually early, in an attempt to undermine him. That could hurt confidence among investors about the Fed's capability to make
unpopular decisions when it comes to fighting inflation. Powell has been repeating recently that the Federal Reserve is waiting to see how Trump's tariffs will affect the economy before deciding when to resume cutting interest rates. It has been on pause this year because lower rates can give inflation more fuel, along with providing the economy a boost. Trump, though, has been adamant about wanting cuts to rates sooner and has insulted Powell repeatedly. Two of his appointees to the Fed have also said recently that they would consider cutting rates as soon as the Fed's next meeting in July. "Yields fell, the dollar weakened, and break evens rose, all suggesting that a puppet of the White House in the seat of the Chair could be bad for inflation," said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. But Jacobsen said decisions on interest rates would still rest with a committee of Fed officials, not just the chair, and other officials could possibly keep the new leader "in check if needed."
MARINE FORECAST
A WALL Street sign hangs near to the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in New York. Photo:Yuki Iwamura/AP