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IMELDA LEAVES BEHIND FLOODING IN ITS WAKE
Power lines damaged and roads impassable as tropical storm passes through Bahamas
By JADE RUSSELL AND
EARYEL BOWLEG Tribune Staff Reporters
TROPICAL Storm
Imelda left homes flooded, power lines down and roads impassable across parts of the northwest and central Bahamas before beginning to pull away from the country yesterday. In Pinewood, water mixed with sewage rushed into homes overnight on
Sunday, forcing families to stay awake as it crept through floors, bathtubs and toilets. “It’s hard to sleep thinking that you might put your foot down in water,” said resident Monique Clarke, whose refrigerator and bed sat in three to four inches of ais throughout the whole house, even in our bedroom. It’s everywhere,
FLOOD - SEE PAGE T HREE
in their neighbourhood in Nassau, yesterday. Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
MURDERS DOWN BY 28 PERCENT against last year’s numbers
By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
MURDERS are down by about 28 percent so far this year, with 64 killings recorded compared to 89 by the same point in 2024, according to Tribune records.
At the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s mid-year crime briefing in July, Commissioner Shanta Knowles reported a 27 percent decline in murders for the first half of 2025, 44 compared to 60 in the same period of 2024. She said the overall major crime index fell 14 percent, with
Bahamas holds on to Tier 1 rating in
US 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas has kept its Tier 1 ranking in the United States’ 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report, placing it among a small group of countries recognised for meeting the minimum standards for eliminating human trafficking.
The report, released yesterday, credited the government with making “serious and sustained efforts” during the reporting period, noting increases in prosecutions, higher spending on victim support, and the introduction of a new screening tool to better identify people at risk. Still, the report underscored gaps. For the second straight year, authorities did not secure a single conviction for trafficking offences. Investigations also dropped, from 25 in 2023 to 13 in 2024, even as prosecutors brought 20 new cases to
Thompson ready to ‘deliver fair and efficient’ by-election in Golden Isles
By LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Chief Reporter lrolle@tribunemedia.net
ACTING Parliamentary Commissioner Harrison Thompson says his department is ready to deliver a fair and efficient byelection in Golden Isles, insisting preparations are in place despite criticism of the office’s performance in
recent polls.
Mr Thompson said he met with his team yesterday and “we’re ready to move,” noting that ballot boxes are prepared, polling stations identified, and staff training underway. He added that biometric voter cards will not be introduced until the general election next year.
‘more workers AND SEASONAL CLOSURES CAUSE of jobless rise’
EARYEL BOWLEG
By
Tribune Staff Reporter ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
PRIME Minister Philip
“Brave” Davis, who once dismissed rising unemployment as a sign of “visionless leadership” under the Minnis administration, is now defending a surge in joblessness under his own watch, pointing to seasonal factors and more Bahamians entering the workforce.
The Bahamas National Statistical Institute reported that unemployment climbed to 10.8 percent in the first quarter of 2025, with 25,925 people out of work between January and March — nearly 9,000 more than at the end of last year. Mr Davis said the uptick
THREE young men looking over the flooding left in the wake of Tropical Storm Imelda
Images of Nassau flooding from Tropical Storm Imelda
Photos: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
Extensive flooding affects parts of New Providence
so we have to just move through the water.”
By yesterday afternoon, her yard still looked like a river. She said the smell was “horrible” and that her family was waiting for the water to recede before they could begin cleaning.
In Carmichael, one man waded through the street holding his trousers high to avoid the rising water.
Resident Andrew Duncombe, who has lived in the area for 40 years, said his family used buckets to clear water from their home. “We had minimal damage, but the road is cut off until a pump truck comes,” he said. Housing Minister Keith Bell later estimated that about 100 homes in Carmichael were extensively flooded, with destroyed furniture, ruined sheetrock and damaged electrical systems.
Other communities also suffered. A woman in Adastra Gardens said she could not leave her house until the rain stopped on Monday morning. Pinewood MP Myles Laroda said about ten residents were evacuated from his constituency, while 14 people from Pinewood and Nassau Village spent
the night at the Nassau Village Community Centre. The government promised support but acknowledged limitations.
Prime Minister Philip Davis said low-lying limestone terrain and a rising water table make drainage difficult. “You could drill holes and you could bring some relief, but not sufficiently need to bring immediate relief,” he said.
“Hence, you have pump trucks out as we speak, pulling off the water.”
Schools were also hit.
The Ministry of Education said all public schools would reopen today except for Sandilands Primary, Cleveland Eneas, Sadie Curtis, Stephen Dillet, Gerald Cash and Central Abaco Primary, which were closed due to flooding.
Power was another challenge. Bahamas Power and Light chief operations officer Anthony Christie said crews dealt with transformer explosions, flooding and fallen highvoltage lines. He said BPL logged 582 outage calls in New Providence over the weekend, affecting more than 1,500 customers in communities including Chippenham, East Bay Street, Nassau Village,
Wulff Road, Paradise Island and Pinewood.
“Most of the restoration on New Providence, again, was addressed within 24 hours,” he said, though parts of Paradise Island, South Beach Estates,
Bamboo Boulevard, the Grove West and Millennium Gardens remained offline yesterday.
Disaster Reconstruction Authority official Aarone Sargent said Ministry of Works teams were already
on the ground providing relief. “We’ve also evacuated a number of those residents to shelters that are still active as we speak,” he said. Meteorologists said Imelda was expected to
move completely out of Bahamian waters by
night, with showers and possible surge lingering over Grand Bahama and Abaco before the storm strengthened into a
cane further north.
last
hurri-
PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis speaks during a press conference at DRM headquarters about Tropical Storm Imelda yesterday. Photo: Dante Carrer/Triubne Staff
COMMUNITIES around Nassau see significant flooding from tropical Stomr Imelda. Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
MINISTER for the Environment and Natural Resources Vaughn Miller. Photo: Dante Carrer/Tribune Staff
PM: I’m advised job numbers down because of closure of grouper season
was linked to the temporary closure of the grouper fishing season and an increase in people actively seeking jobs. “For example, I’m advised that those numbers may have gone up because of the close of the grouper
season, fishermen were not working, and they’ve added them to the unemployment rate. That’s one factor,” he said during a press conference yesterday. “The second factor that contributed to the number is that we now have more, which is encouraging, we have more persons looking for work,” he added.
The Labour Ministry said the figures also reflected seasonal layoffs in construction and tourism, alongside a labour force participation rate that has climbed to 76 percent. Labour Minister Pia Glover-Rolle has stressed that the country’s challenge is not creating
jobs but aligning skills with the opportunities available. When asked to reconcile the latest figures with his past criticism of the Minnis administration, Mr Davis said the situations are different. He argued that the current level of employment, along with favourable assessments from agencies such as Moody’s, reflected strong leadership rather than failure.
He pointed to international endorsements as evidence of progress. “If you want to start from where I started in 2021 where we were and we are today, even the IMF had to indicate we did an amazing job. They put it in writing. They told me. They put remarkable, even more remarkable job.” Mr Davis said unemployment is tracked month by month and should not be judged by a single snapshot. “Let’s look at the next month and see how that looks,” he said.
Grand Bahama
‘very Grateful’ to escape with no serious damaGe from storm
By DENISE MAYCOCK Tribune Freeport Reporter dmaycock@tribunemedia.net
GRAND Bahama was spared the worst of Tropical Storm Imelda after the system veered east of Abaco and moved north, prompting officials to issue the all-clear on Monday evening. With the threat lifted, three government-designated shelters on the island began deactivating yesterday. Island administrator Preston Cooper said officials were thankful Grand Bahama escaped without serious damage.
“We are very grateful,” he said, noting the island experienced only winds of 10 to 15 knots, sporadic rainfall, no major power outages, and no flooding.
As a precaution, the water supply in East End was shut off. Ahead of the storm, 110 residents evacuated, most staying in hotels or with relatives. Another 47 people sought shelter at facilities including Maurice Moore Primary School, Christ the King Hall, and the Eight Mile Rock gymnasium.
In Freeport, a brief power outage was reported in the Pioneers Loop area but was quickly restored. East
Grand Bahama residents also reported little impact.
“Everything is intact, the only issue right now is that the water is off,” said High Rock resident Leyland Laing, who remained during the storm.
On Sweeting’s Cay, only 14 residents stayed behind after most evacuated. Local councillor Shervin Tate said those who remained were safe.
“They reported winds of about 35mph with light rain, but no flooding and no power outages. Most of the residents evacuated, and those there are faring well,” Mr Tate said.
Police investigating two men’s deaths in separate incidents
POLICE are investigating two separate deaths on Monday after men were found unresponsive in different parts of New Providence. Shortly after 11am, officers were called to Guanahani Circle, where a 75-year-old man was found in the backyard of a residence. Emergency Medical Services confirmed there were no signs of life. Police said the elderly man had been reported missing two days earlier. Foul play is not suspected, though an autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
Hours earlier, shortly after 6am, officers were alerted to the body of a man found lying in a pool of water in the parking lot of a business on Robinson Road. Police said the victim had apparent injuries. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene. Autopsies are expected in both cases as investigations continue.
SURGE from page one
PRIME Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis speaks during a press conference at DRM headquarters about Tropical Storm Imelda yesterday.
Photo: Dante Carrer/Triubne Staff
BUSINESSES shuttered in Grand Bahama ahead of arrival of Tropical Storm Imelda. Photo: Vandyke Hepburn
‘We’ll have a fair election’
Upcoming
By KEILE CAMPBELL Tribune Staff Reporter kcampbell@tribunemedia.net
BY-ELECTION from page one
Golden Isles, a swing constituency with 7,601 registered voters, is expected to become one of the most closely watched races of the Davis administration. Observers say the outcome could be viewed as an early referendum on the government’s performance.
Names circulating for the PLP nomination include Senator Darren Pickstock and Joe Johnson, chairman of the party’s Men’s Branch. The FNM has already ratified Brian Brown as its candidate.
Mr Thompson would not say when the vote will be called, noting that the Speaker of the House must first notify the Governor General. The Tribune understands the Speaker is
awaiting Mr Miller’s death certificate before proceeding. By law, a by-election must take place within 21 to 30 days of a writ being issued.
Preparations come after heavy criticism of the department’s handling of local government elections earlier this year, when delays, ballot errors and administrative blunders marred voting on several Family Islands. Those failures are believed to have led to the transfer of thenCommissioner Arthur Taylor. Mr Thompson said that this time will be different. “I can assure the Bahamian public that we are ready and we’re going to be efficient and effective and we’ll ensure that the right policies are followed and we’ll have a fair election,” he said.
by-election will be just twelfth in country’s history
FOLLOWING the death of Environment and Natural Resources Minister Vaughn Miller, there will be the 12th by-election in The Bahamas in five decades, underscoring how seldom voters are called to the polls outside of general elections.
By-elections have historically been triggered by the death, resignation or disqualification of a sitting member. Since 1971, only 11 have been held, with the Progressive Liberal Party winning eight and the Free National Movement three. The first came in Mangrove Cay in September 1971 after the death of
Clarence Bain, won by the PLP’s Darrell Rolle. The PLP went on to claim several more in the 1980s, including Grants Town in 1982, St Barnabas in 1987, and Acklins and Crooked Island in 1989. The FNM’s first success came in 1990 when David Thompson won Marco City following the death of party leader Sir Cecil
Democratic National Alliance announces return four years after former leader’s departure
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune News Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net
AFTER years of silence, the Democratic National Alliance has announced its return, saying it will regroup, reorganise and elect new officers at a convention.
“The DNA is back by popular demand,” the party said yesterday in a statement. “Not only are we here for now, but we are here for the future and forever.”
Wallace-Whitfield.
By-elections also opened the door for future leaders. Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis entered Parliament through a Cat Island by-election in 1992 after Oscar Johnson resigned. William Allen was elected unopposed in Montagu in 1994 following Sir Orville Turnquest’s resignation, and Ronald
Bosfield won South Andros in 1997 after the retirement of Sir Lynden Pindling.
In more recent years, the PLP prevailed in Elizabeth in 2010, with Ryan Pinder defeating the FNM’s Dr Duane Sands after Malcolm Adderley resigned, and in North Abaco in 2012 when Renardo Curry beat the FNM’s Greg Gomez after Mr Ingraham gave up
the seat he had held for 35 years. The country went more than a decade without a by-election until September 2023, when Obie Wilchcombe’s death led to a contest in West Grand Bahama and Bimini. The PLP’s Kingsley Smith won comfortably, defeating the FNM’s Bishop Ricardo Grant.
The party, founded on May 12, 2011, made an early mark by winning 8.48 percent of the popular vote in the 2012 general election — 13,225 votes — a highwater mark for third parties in modern Bahamian politics. It contested the 2017 and 2021 elections but has struggled to maintain momentum.
In its message, the DNA said Bahamians are tired of
The declaration comes nearly four years after former leader Arinthia Komolafe resigned, citing the heavy financial and personal strain of trying to sustain a third party. At the time, she admitted to spending six-figure sums of her own money to keep the party afloat and described third-party politics in The Bahamas as “brutal and extremely difficult”. Her departure left the organisation adrift, with little public activity since the 2021 general election.
the same political choices and want lower living costs, less corruption, less crime, more jobs and greater accountability. The party said it intends to put forward “pragmatic, rational, realistic, intelligent and fact-based solutions” and would take a more activist approach than before.
The group also touched on wider social debates, warning that “normal standards are under attack” and that “Christian values that our constitution is based on is now a mockery”.
The DNA said its convention will be the next step in relaunching, promising that its presence will be felt once again in national life under the banner “Light the Way”.
The Tribune Limited
NULLIUS ADDICTUS JURARE IN VERBA MAGISTRI
“Being Bound to Swear to The Dogmas of No Master”
LEON E. H. DUPUCH
Publisher/Editor 1903-1914
SIR ETIENNE DUPUCH, Kt., O.B.E., K.M., K.C.S.G., (Hon.) LL.D., D.Litt .
Publisher/Editor 1919-1972
Contributing Editor 1972-1991
RT HON EILEEN DUPUCH CARRON, C.M.G., M.S., B.A., LL.B.
Publisher/Editor 1972-
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EDITOR, The Tribune.
MICHAEL C Pintard, leader of the Free National Movement, has unveiled an ambitious “Housing Innovation and Revolution Initiative” Policy outline that aims to stimulate excitement among Bahamians: the construction of 2,000 new housing units annually throughout his tenure.
@tribune242 tribune news network
Bi-wekly pay fizzles and vanishes
There is an old saying – popularised by former US President John F Kennedy – that victory has a thousand fathers, but failure is an orphan. When something is successful, everyone wants to claim a bit of the credit. When something is unsuccessful, no one wants to be associated with it.
Last week, the government finally brought an end to its contentious plan to pay public servants on a biweekly basis.
The plan seemed to be a solution to a problem that no one asked to be solved.
A project called Cloud Bahamas was launched to digitise the public service and paying salaries every two weeks rather than monthly fell under its control.
The problem was, a significant number of workers did not seem to want it. Unions expressed opposition –and when Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle said in March this year that the government had met with stakeholder groups that supported the move, officials declined to identify exactly who those groups were.
The Bahamas Union of Teachers’ leader, Belinda Wilson, said it was not her. Bahamas Public Services Union president Kimsley Ferguson said it was not him. There was a shortage of hands being raised to say who exactly it was.
There were plenty of worries for workers about the issue – how it would affect salary deductions workers might have already, for example, for mortgages or loans or other matters.
How about rent? Why would workers need to go and ask their landlord to renegotiate payment on a biweekly basis rather than monthly, for example.
More to the point, as Mrs Wilson noted, the prime minister had “forgotten to consult with us” – and there were plenty of teachers having enough problems getting a pay slip on time.
She also said: “While you are at it, please let the public know who are the owners and shareholders of Cloud
Bahamas.”
Suspicion abounded.
Last week, Mr Ferguson revealed that the prime minister had told him the government would not be going forward with the plan.
The Public Service Minister had seemingly washed her hands of the decision, saying it was a “finance project”. And after all the fanfare, the plan came to an end in a government office.
The plan had been to introduce the pay cycle at the start of this year, but the months passed with nothing happening.
Union leaders spoke up in opposition, and sometimes shock, but Mrs GloverRolle had repeatedly said that the delays did not mean the government had changed tack. Until, finally, it did.
What was it all in aid of? It is hard to say. But it now departs, unloved and unwanted, and certainly the proximity of the next election means it will not be seen again before it is time to cast a vote. In separate news, there has been a spike in unemployment figures – but there seem to be a wealth of explanations for it.
Last night, Prime Minister Philip Davis blamed the temporary closure of the grouper season and a rise in people seeking jobs for the unemployment figures.
Last week, Mrs Glover-Rolle said there were hundreds of jobs available –but there was a lack of people with the right skills to match the vacancies. Quite why that would be the case compared to the previous period she did not explain.
Economic Affairs Minister Michael Halkitis was surprised by the rise – but said it was down to seasonal changes.
What is the cause of the spike? It seems you can pick your favourite answer. One thing is for sure, no matter what the explanation, if unemployment continues to be an issue until election time, there may be a few ministers looking for new jobs too.
This proposal has been met with skepticism from both the current government and minor-party leaders. Their critical responses, however, reveal more about their inability to adapt to the demands of 21st-century governance than they do about the practicality of Pintard’s housing strategy.
The vision for affordable and accessible housing and homes reflects a pressing need for substantial reform in the Bahamian housing sector, which has long faced issues of scarcity and affordability. As the nation grapples with housing insecurity, Pintard’s goal could serve as a pivotal turning point, should it be embraced and effectively implemented.
To put things into perspective, in the first quarter-century of this century, our nation has struggled to accomplish anything of comparable magnitude. This raises important questions: Are the obstacles rooted in financial constraints, logistical complexities, or perhaps a deficiency in visionary thinking and strategic policymaking?
Enter Pintard’s Housing Innovation and Revolution Initiative, a proposal that transcends mere wishful thinking. This initiative represents a well-defined, actionable strategy poised to enhance the fabric of our communities, uplift neighborhoods, and positively impact countless lives. It embodies a bold promise grounded in tangible possibilities, rather than an unattainable fantasy. Through a comprehensive approach, it aims to tackle the pressing housing challenges we face, ultimately fostering sustainable development and improved living conditions for all.
From a governmental perspective, 2,000 units a year equates to no more than 40 fifty-unit housing complexes. That’s a manageable yearly number. What sets Pintard’s vision apart is its focus on more than urban renewal. Pintard’s policy envisions livable, sustainable neighbourhoods, affordable,
FNM’s plan for housing praised Bahamas has lost a good man
EDITOR, The Tribune.
The darkened skies and pounding, ceaseless rain of September 28 seemed somehow sadly fitting, as if a light had gone out when Member of Parliament and Environment Minister Vaughn Miller left us. The tall, sturdy, solid Bahamian was not a politician’s politician, he was just a very good man. He stood up for what he believed in and when he felt he was in the minority and could not win a battle he knew in his
flexible social housing, and quality-of-life improvements across communities that have suffered creeping blight for decades, slowly eroding quality of life in too many neighborhoods. Pintard’s policy is about reclaiming neighborhoods, restoring dignity, and shaping a futurefocused Bahamas. This policy is a low-hanging fruit with high impact.
As a FinTech and PropTech specialist and founder of a soon-to-be-launched Grand Bahama-based global crowdfunding and tokenisation platform, I have had the opportunity to examine Pintard’s policy approach up close. I see a unique opportunity to leverage emerging technologies to accelerate housing delivery. His vision opens the door to using technology and innovative finance to accelerate housing delivery, beyond his government’s ambition. This policy embraces technology and finance: tools governments have overlooked.
As a specialist in the FinTech and PropTech sectors and the founder of an upcoming global platform for tokenising financial technology and real estate (including real-world assets) based in Grand Bahama, I have had the opportunity to closely analyse Pintard’s strategic policy initiatives. Pintard offers a remarkable chance to leverage state-of-the-art technologies to accelerate the housing delivery process. His forward-thinking vision paves the way for integrating cutting-edge technology and innovative financial solutions, enabling a faster and more efficient approach to housing that exceeds the current governmental aspirations. This policy not only emphasises the potential of technology but also highlights the critical role of innovative finance, two essential tools that both our previous and current governments have yet to fully embrace in their housing strategies.
With government understanding and support through legislation, regulations, and policies that facilitate access to modern platforms, Bahamians could be empowered to invest in local and regional assets in the areas of hospitality, tourism, and homeownership.
This would allow them to participate directly in what is referred to as an opportunity and ownership economy. This model can also be applied to affordable housing, enabling both private and public stakeholders to collaborate in creating livable and sustainable neighbourhoods on an unprecedented scale. The outcome is communities developed with citizen engagement, private investment, and public coordination, resulting in faster, smarter, and more sustainable housing solutions.
The leadership test: The skepticism from current and aspiring leaders is both telling and noteworthy. It reveals that they have and would continue to rely on outdated approaches from 25 years ago and struggle to understand that today’s tools, such as FinTech, PropTech, and innovative policy design, make what once seemed impossible now entirely achievable. Pintard’s initiative demonstrates that visionary leadership, when combined with modern technology, can effectively address challenges that have persisted for decades.
The question before us is simple: can we choose leaders who are capable of rising to the challenge of the 21st century, or will Bahamians endure another generation of stagnation? Pintard’s Housing Innovation and Revolution Initiative is not only a vision for housing and homes, it’s a blueprint for opportunity, ownership, and community renewal. It is a chance to reclaim neighbourhoods, accelerate economic growth, and demonstrate that the Bahamas can govern effectively in a rapidly evolving world.
The Bahamas in the 21st century requires leaders who recognise that ambition, strategy, and innovation work hand in hand; they are essential for progress. With Pintard’s vision and effective collaboration utilising modern financial and technological tools, the dream of affordable and livable housing, as well as homeownership, can finally become a reality. We cannot afford to let another 25 years slip through our fingers. The time for bold action is now. Let’s take the steps needed to create the future we desire!
EDEN MERRY JOHNSON Freeport, Grand Bahama September 29, 2025.
heart was the right fight, he refused to bend, but instead absented himself as a gentleman with a belief would do in the political world in which he lived.
From the days long ago when his deep voice delivered a solid message on radio to his life as a pastor, Vaughn Miller was a friend to righteousness in The Bahamas. We shall miss his style of asking questions, seeking opinions, listening to what others thought, really hearing what they needed. He shunned
talking the talk, preferring quietly to walk the walk. The Bahamas has lost far more than a member of Cabinet. The people have lost a very good man, a humanitarian named Vaughn Miller. May his soul rest in peace and may his family rejoice in the knowledge that he helped make The Bahamas a better place for all.
DIANE PHILLIPS Nassau, Bahamas September 28, 2025
US 2025 Trafficking in Persons report notes concerns on lack of convictions
court. Allegations of official corruption and complicity, particularly involving immigration officers, remain a concern. The report said such claims were not investigated despite the risk that they hinder law enforcement efforts.
One of the sharpest sections of the report focused on The Bahamas’ longstanding agreement with Cuba to supply doctors and teachers. It said the government “maintained a bilateral labour agreement with the Cuban regime for the provision of Cuban workers to The Bahamas, despite serious concerns the Cuban regime forced them to work,” adding that the government “reportedly paid up to 92 percent of these workers’ salaries to the Cuban regime, directly contributing to their exploitation.” It noted there were about 40 Cuban medical professionals
working in The Bahamas, far higher than the six Health Minister Dr Michael Darville said were employed. The criticism followed months of friction between Washington and Nassau over the programme. The US had warned that participation in Cuba’s state-run labour-export system could trigger visa sanctions for Bahamian officials and their families. In April, Cuba Archive, a US-based human rights group, released leaked contracts suggesting The Bahamas was paying up to $12,000 a month per medical professional, while the workers themselves received stipends as low as $990 to $1,200. The rest — between 84 and 92 percent — was retained by Cuba’s state agency, Comercializadora de Servicios Médicos Cubanos. One contract, purportedly signed in Havana in 2023 by Dr Darville on behalf of the Ministry of Health, set monthly fees of $12,000 for each medical advisor and
$5,000 for technical specialists, while barring workers from negotiating directly with Bahamian authorities. Those revelations revived scrutiny of whether Cuban professionals in The Bahamas were being subjected to forced labour conditions. In June, Dr Darville confirmed Cuban healthcare workers would be hired directly by his ministry rather than through intermediaries, with existing contracts set to be cancelled. Those unwilling to accept the new terms, he said, would be expected to return to Cuba. Education officials also announced plans to rehire more than 100 Cuban teachers under a revised framework placing contracts directly with the Bahamian government to help ease classroom shortages across several subjects. US Chargé d’Affaires Kimberly Furnish said this month that Washington had “worked very closely with the Bahamian government to ensure that if
FAMILIAR PATTERNS PERSIST IN VIOLENT CRIMES DESPITE DECLINE IN MURDERS, SAY OFFICIALS
reductions recorded in New Providence, Grand Bahama, and the Family Islands.
She added that police had seized 196 firearms and more than 8,300 rounds of ammunition by mid-year. She reported a 64 percent case solvency rate and said 84 percent of murder victims were aged 18 to 45. National Security
Minister Wayne Munroe, speaking earlier this year, noted that while crime overall was trending down, murder remained a serious concern. He pointed out that around 90 percent of killings involve firearms and stressed the need for continued enforcement alongside broader social measures.
Police statistics also showed that in the first half of 2025, most killings were caused by shootings,
followed by stabbings and a small number of firerelated deaths. Victims were overwhelmingly male, and some were on bail or being electronically monitored at the time of their deaths.
Despite the decline compared to 2024, officials have highlighted the persistence of familiar patterns in violent crime and the importance of maintaining pressure on illegal firearms and repeat offenders.
M AN WAITING TRIAL FOR ARMED ROBBERY HAS BAIL REVOKED OVER PERSONAL SA FETY CONCERNS
By LYNAIRE MUNN I N GS Tribune Staff Reporter lmunnings@tribunemedia.net
THE Supreme Court has revoked the bail of Meshack Newton, ordering that he be remanded to the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services after finding he breached bail conditions and that his personal safety was at risk if released. Justice Andrew Forbes delivered the ruling after hearing applications from both the Crown and Newton’s sureties. The judge also freed the sureties Antoinette Cartwright, Newton’s mother, and William Cash from their $9,900 bond obligations. Newton was arrested in July 2016 and charged with armed robbery. He was granted bail in August 2019 before Justice Petra Hanna-Adderley, who required him to report to police twice weekly, avoid contact with Crown witnesses, and remain bound by sureties. Concerns over Newton’s compliance arose in 2020 when Ms Cartwright told the court that her son had threatened her with a cutlass. She completed a formal request to be released as surety, but no hearing was held. In October 2024, the Crown filed for Newton’s bail to be revoked after he failed to attend case management and a bench warrant was
issued.
Matters escalated when Newton was arrested by US authorities in September 2024 and charged with human smuggling. According to an affidavit sworn by Special Agent Scott Partin of the US Department of Homeland Security, Newton admitted during questioning that a “bounty” had been placed on him in The Bahamas because of missing guns and money. He told investigators he wanted to stay in the United States for his safety.
The Crown argued Newton was no longer a fit and proper person to remain on bail, pointing to his absconding and his arrest abroad. Prosecutors also sought forfeiture of the $9,900 bond. In her affidavit, Ms Cartwright said she and her brother had acted in good faith when they attempted to withdraw as sureties in 2020 and were unaware that further steps were required. She urged the court not to penalise them, warning that forfeiture would be a “devastating financial setback”. Justice Forbes sided with the sureties, ruling that because they had formally requested release years earlier, the failure lay in administrative delays, not their conduct. As such, the bond would not be forfeited.
Justice Forbes
highlighted several appellate decisions affirming the Supreme Court’s power to revoke bail when conditions are breached or when an accused’s safety is at risk. Citing Riclaude Tassy v DPP and Bartholomew Pinder v The Queen, the judge emphasised that courts have inherent jurisdiction to revoke bail even where statutory provisions are not directly invoked.
He also noted the case of Lindsay Shriver & Terrence Bethel v DPP, where the Court of Appeal confirmed that a judge may weigh whether breaches of bail provide “substantial grounds for believing” that an accused will not appear for trial.
Justice Forbes further drew on Derwan Grant v DPP which established that a court may deny bail if an accused person’s life is at risk, since the Bail Act explicitly allows detention for an accused’s own protection.
“The Respondent indicated that there was a bounty placed on him as a result of missing or stolen guns and money,” Justice Forbes said. “To ensure the Respondent’s safety, his further remand is optimal.” The court set Newton’s pre-trial review for October 2026 and his trial for May 2027. Justice Forbes invited Newton to consider making a fresh bail application should circumstances change.
there are Cuban nationals working here, they’re being paid directly and treated humanely,” describing the Davis administration’s overhaul as “a success.”
Her comments marked the first public endorsement of reforms adopted after months of tension, with the government cancelling old deals and pledging to pay Cuban workers directly through Bahamian agencies.
Even as the administration pressed through reforms, the US report stressed that the previous arrangement placed The Bahamas in direct violation of international labour standards. It pointed to evidence that Cuban workers had little control over their wages, faced restrictions on movement and association, and in some cases were pressured into unnecessary medical procedures.
Beyond the Cuba issue, the report highlighted other shortcomings. Authorities identified only two
trafficking victims during the reporting period — a Jamaican woman and a Venezuelan woman — down from five in 2023. Despite the drop, the government more than doubled spending on victim care, allocating over $78,000. Victims continued to receive food, shelter, counselling, and legal aid through the Department of Social Services and partner NGOs, while three people, including two Bahamians, were awarded restitution.
The report noted that the country still does not have a dedicated shelter for trafficking victims. Instead, survivors are often placed in facilities shared with domestic violence victims or in child protection centres. NGOs have warned that shelter space remains limited and funding inadequate to meet the need.
On prevention, the report said the government maintained its Anti-Trafficking Committee and hosted outreach programmes,
including events tied to the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. It also launched a national health survey of teenagers that included questions aimed at measuring the prevalence of trafficking. Still, prevention funding fell sharply, dropping to less than a third of what was spent the year before, and the government has yet to adopt a new national action plan after the last one expired in 2023. The trafficking profile section said traffickers continue to exploit both Bahamian and foreign victims. Migrant workers from Latin America and the Caribbean are lured with false job offers and then forced into sex work or low-wage labour. Women migrants were described as particularly vulnerable, while undocumented migrants, LGBTQ individuals, stateless people, and those displaced by Hurricane Dorian were also identified as groups at risk.
Business owners want more dialogue over ban on walk-up liquor store sales
By EARYEL BOWLEG AND LEANDRA ROLLE Tribune Staff Reporters
BUSINESS owners say the government’s impending ban on walk-up liquor sales will come at a cost and are calling for more dialogue to find a workable solution.
Effective January 1, selling alcohol from window “cages” and “take away restaurants” will be banned. The ban also applies to supermarkets, convenience stores, and mobile bars, which will no longer receive permits to sell alcohol.
The move has been met with mixed reactions, with the Retailers Liquor Association supporting the crackdown while other business owners have expressed concerns about the financial and operational impact.
Susie Chan, whose son owns a liquor store, said she understands the government’s concerns that walk-up windows can create disorderly or unsightly scenes in neighbourhoods, but also stressed the importance of considering the business owners’ perspective.
She noted that many walkup services originated during COVID-19 and served a practical purpose, including keeping staff safe.
“I haven’t heard of much robberies or much issues in that matter when they start selling, like through the windows and customer staff, things like that, so that gets
FLORIDA
By RASHAD ROLLE Tribune N ews Editor rrolle@tribunemedia.net
A FLORIDA woman has filed a lawsuit accusing American Airlines of framing her in a drug smuggling plot that left her jailed for nearly a week in Nassau’s Fox Hill prison, enduring conditions she says included sleeping on urine-soaked concrete and facing threats of rape. Alison Dominguez, a Miami resident, claims in her federal complaint that American Airlines employees at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) in New Providence falsely checked in a suitcase filled with more than 100 bottles of codeine under her name as part of a trafficking scheme. She insists she had travelled to The Bahamas with only hand luggage. When US Customs officers pulled her from the departure lounge in April, she was shown the bag tagged with her details. Despite her protests, she was arrested, prosecuted, and confined in Fox Hill
rid of that aspect,” she said. She said that, based on a Zoom meeting with officials last week, it seems that the ideal setup would be like
700 Wines and Spirits, but warned that upgrading to that standard would require significant investment.
“How can, like a small store, compete with somebody that’s actually a brewer or a manufacturer,” she said.
“So that’s really two total different levels of business price point too.”
Officials have said that such venues were susceptible to under-age drinkers. However, Ms Chan pushed back against this narrative yesterday, saying: “I know legal drinking age is 18 and over so I don’t think that they would sell to, you know, some young person or some school kid. You know, they should know better.”
Valentino Gardiner, business owner, said he understands the government’s plans to modernise the sector, but acknowledged that the changes could affect business operations. He said the new rules could create challenges for vendors who serve both food and alcohol, as they may now need to separate the two operations.
“There’s going to be a cost,” he said. “But definitely, if you already have an establishment and where your setup was one thing, and now they’re asking them to do some setbacks
and create more space on the inside, there’s definitely going to be added costs.”
He suggested the government should have consulted business owners before finalising the ban to get feedback and address practical concerns.
Peter Au, owner of Sun Luck Liquor store, believes the government does not fully understand how businesses operate, including considerations of safety and customer service. He argued that business owners should have the freedom to decide how to serve customers rather than having the government dictate operational details.
“You can’t say the customer must have to come inside and touch the product. I don’t see nowhere in the world for the government tell you how to do business or how to operate your business space because how we serve the customer should be our own policy, our freedom,” he said. He noted that window “cages” provide protection against armed robberies. Regarding concerns about an oversaturated market, Mr Au acknowledged the large number of liquor stores but said competition helps improve his business. He acknowledged concerns about selling alcohol to minors but said his staff carefully monitors customers’ age to ensure compliance.
before evidence later showed the bag had been checked before she even arrived at the airport. Her suit, filed last week in the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida, argues that the airline was negligent and complicit in allowing insider drug smuggling operations to hijack its baggage systems, a risk the company knew well, particularly on its Bahamas–Miami route.
American Airlines flights from New Providence pose a “specialised smuggling risk”, the complaint says, because US pre-clearance at LPIA allows checked bags to arrive in Miami as domestic luggage, avoiding customs inspection. The lawsuit alleges this loophole has been exploited by corrupt airline staff who can tag drug-laden bags in an innocent passenger’s name and arrange for accomplices to collect them undetected in the US.
The filing references a history of American Airlines workers caught in smuggling scandals across the Caribbean, including
a 2023 case in which a company mechanic was convicted of trying to move 25 pounds of cocaine from Jamaica to the US. The complaint also cites a 2013 US State Department warning about cocaine trafficking through Bahamian airports involving staff. For Ms Dominguez, the consequences were immediate and harrowing. She describes being locked in filthy cells, at times without bathroom access, threatened by male inmates, and told by guards she could have been exposed to AIDS. She says American Airlines made no effort to intervene, even after records in Miami showed the incriminating bag had been checked before she arrived at LPIA. Her suit accuses the airline of negligence, defamation, and false imprisonment. It argues the company failed to safeguard passenger information and its own baggage-tagging systems, exposing customers to foreseeable harm. She is seeking damages in excess of $75,000.
A billion-dollar drug was found in Easter Island soil
– WHAT SCIENTISTS AND COMPANIES OWE THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THEY STUDIED
By TED POWERS Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis
AN antibiotic discovered on Easter Island in 1964 sparked a billion-dollar pharmaceutical success story. Yet the history told about this “miracle drug” has completely left out the people and politics that made its discovery possible.
Named after the island’s Indigenous name, Rapa Nui, the drug rapamycin was initially developed as an immunosuppressant to prevent organ transplant rejection and to improve the efficacy of stents to treat coronary artery disease. Its use has since expanded to treat various types of cancer, and researchers are currently exploring its potential to treat diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases and even aging. Indeed, studies raising rapamycin’s promise to extend lifespan or combat age-related diseases seem to be published almost daily. A PubMed search reveals over 59,000 journal articles that mention rapamycin, making it one of the most talkedabout drugs in medicine. At the heart of rapamycin’s power lies its ability to inhibit a protein called the target of rapamycin kinase, or TOR. This protein acts as a master regulator of cell growth and metabolism. Together with other partner proteins, TOR controls how cells respond to nutrients, stress and environmental signals, thereby influencing major processes such as protein synthesis and immune function. Given its central role in these fundamental cellular activities, it is not surprising that cancer, metabolic disorders and agerelated diseases are linked to the malfunction of TOR. Despite being so ubiquitous in science and medicine, how rapamycin was discovered has remained largely unknown to the public. Many in the field are aware that scientists from the pharmaceutical company Ayerst Research Laboratories isolated the molecule from a soil sample containing the bacterium Streptomyces hydroscopicus in the mid1970s. What is less well known is that this soil sample was collected as part of a Canadian-led mission to Rapa Nui in 1964, called the Medical Expedition to Easter Island, or METEI. As a scientist who built my career around the effects of rapamycin on cells, I felt compelled to understand and share the human story underlying its origin. Learning about historian Jacalyn Duffin’s work on METEI
Unearthing rapamycin’s complex legacy raises important questions about systemic bias in biomedical research and what pharmaceutical companies owe to the Indigenous lands from which they mine their blockbuster discoveries.
completely changed how I and many of my colleagues view our own field.
Unearthing rapamycin’s complex legacy raises important questions about systemic bias in biomedical research and what pharmaceutical companies owe to the Indigenous lands from which they mine their blockbuster discoveries.
History of METEI
The Medical Expedition to Easter Island was the brainchild of a Canadian team comprised of surgeon Stanley Skoryna and bacteriologist Georges Nogrady. Their goal was to study how an isolated population adapted to environmental stress, and they believed the planned construction of an international airport on Easter Island offered a unique opportunity. They presumed that the airport would result in increased outside contact with the island’s population, resulting in changes in their health and wellness.
With funding from the World Health Organization and logistical support from the Royal Canadian Navy, METEI arrived in Rapa Nui in December 1964. Over the course of three months, the team conducted medical examinations on nearly all 1,000 island inhabitants, collecting biological samples and systematically surveying the island’s flora and fauna.
It was as part of these efforts that Nogrady gathered over 200 soil samples, one of which ended up containing the rapamycinproducing Streptomyces strain of bacteria.
It’s important to realise that the expedition’s primary objective was to study the Rapa Nui people as a sort of living laboratory. They encouraged participation through bribery by offering gifts, food and supplies, and through coercion by enlisting a long-serving Franciscan priest on the island to aid in recruitment. While the researchers’ intentions may have been honourable, it is nevertheless an example of scientific colonialism, where a team of white investigators choose to study a group of predominantly nonwhite subjects without their input, resulting in a power imbalance.
There was an inherent bias in the inception of METEI. For one, the researchers assumed the Rapa Nui had been relatively isolated from the rest of the world when there was in fact a long history of interactions with countries outside the island, beginning with reports from the early 1700s through the late 1800s.
METEI also assumed that the Rapa Nui were genetically homogeneous, ignoring the island’s complex history of migration, slavery and disease. For example, the
modern population of Rapa Nui are mixed race, from both Polynesian and South American ancestors. The population also included survivors of the African slave trade who were returned to the island and brought with them diseases, including smallpox.
This miscalculation undermined one of METEI’s key research goals: to assess how genetics affect disease risk. While the team published a number of studies describing the different fauna associated with the Rapa Nui, their inability to develop a baseline is likely one reason why there was no follow-up study following the completion of the airport on Easter Island in 1967.
Giving credit where it is due
Omissions in the origin stories of rapamycin reflect common ethical blind spots in how scientific discoveries are remembered.
Georges Nogrady carried soil samples back from Rapa Nui, one of which eventually reached Ayerst Research Laboratories. There, Surendra Sehgal and his team isolated what was named rapamycin, ultimately bringing it to market in the late 1990s as the immunosuppressant Rapamune. While Sehgal’s persistence was key in keeping the project alive through corporate upheavals – going as far as to stash
a culture at home – neither Nogrady nor the METEI was ever credited in his landmark publications.
Although rapamycin has generated billions of dollars in revenue, the Rapa Nui people have received no financial benefit to date. This raises questions about Indigenous rights and biopiracy, which is the commercialisation of indigenous knowledge.
Agreements like the United Nations’s 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity and the 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples aim to protect indigenous claims to biological resources by encouraging countries to obtain consent and input from Indigenous people and provide redress for potential harms before starting projects. However, these principles were not in place during METEI’s time.
Some argue that because the bacteria that produces rapamycin has since been found in other locations, Easter Island’s soil was not uniquely essential to the drug’s discovery. Moreover, because the islanders did not use rapamycin or even know about its presence on the island, some have countered that it is not a resource that can be “stolen”.
However, the discovery of rapamycin on Rapa Nui set the foundation for all subsequent research and
commercialisation around the molecule, and this only happened because the people were the subjects of study. Formally recognising and educating the public about the essential role the Rapa Nui played in the eventual discovery of rapamycin is key to compensating them for their contributions.
In recent years, the broader pharmaceutical industry has begun to recognize the importance of fair compensation for Indigenous contributions. Some companies have pledged to reinvest in communities where valuable natural products are sourced. However, for the Rapa Nui, pharmaceutical companies that have directly profited from rapamycin have not yet made such an acknowledgment. Ultimately, METEI is a story of both scientific triumph and social ambiguities. While the discovery of rapamycin has transformed medicine, the expedition’s impact on the Rapa Nui people is more complicated. I believe issues of biomedical consent, scientific colonialism and overlooked contributions highlight the need for a more critical examination and awareness of the legacy of breakthrough scientific discoveries.
Originally published on www.theconversation.com.
Example of a well-lived life
THE passing of Vaughn Miller, Member of Parliament for Golden Isles, has left our nation in mourning. His departure is not just a political loss, but a deeply personal one for a country needing leaders who serve with humility, compassion, and selflessness. Vaughn’s leadership, transcending the formality of public office and political titles, has left an indelible mark on our nation. His legacy, rooted in service to others, will continue to inspire us.
Vaughn Miller was a man of many roles. He was a parliamentarian, a father, a husband, a pastor, a broadcaster, and a friend.
To confine him to the label of a politician would be to overlook the richness of his life and the depth of his character. His narrative was never about power or position. It was about people, service, and love. His humility and dedication to service are a source of inspiration for us all.
Long before politics, Vaughn’s voice filled the homes of Bahamians as a broadcaster. Those who listened to him remember his calm, steady tone—never harsh, never arrogant, always measured. His words carried weight not because they were loud, but because they were thoughtful. He had a unique ability to bring clarity to complicated issues, enlightening his audience with his insights and understanding.
In the pulpit, Vaughn was a shepherd of souls. He understood that ministry was not simply about sermons on Sunday but about presence on Monday, Tuesday, and every other day of the week. He embodied the idea that authentic leadership means being available, listening, and caring. His congregation saw in him not just a pastor, but a man who genuinely carried their burdens. He lived out his faith through compassion and selflessness, inspiring all who knew him.
When Vaughn entered politics, he brought with him that same spirit. In a political climate often
FACING REALITY
BY
marked by division, he stood apart. He refused to be consumed by partisanship and never allowed political colours to dictate his heart. Vaughn’s politics were rooted in humanity, not ideology. He reminded us all that leadership is about service, not self. He was respected across the political divide because he consistently lived his values. Even in disagreement, he remained calm, dignified, and respectful. He chose his words carefully, not to wound but to heal, not to inflame but to enlighten. In Parliament, he was known not for theatrics but for thoughtfulness. In his constituency, he was known not for promises but for presence. Vaughn Miller’s life reminds us of something our nation desperately needs: selflessness. We live in a time when so many are driven by self-interest, and too often, the question is, “What do I get out of it?” Vaughn flipped that script. His question was always, “How can I serve? How can I help? How can I make a difference?”
In his life, we saw the quiet power of humility. We saw that one does not need to shout to be heard, that one does not need to demand respect to be respected, and that true greatness is found in service, not in status. Vaughn did not chase after power; he embraced responsibility.
Vaughn Miller’s life reminds us of something our nation desperately needs: selflessness. We live in a time when so many are driven by self-interest, and too often, the question is, “What do I get out of it?”
He did not seek to be above others; he sought to walk alongside them.
As we reflect on his passing, we must ask ourselves: How can we honour his legacy? The best tribute is not in words but in action. Vaughn’s life challenges us to be more sensitive to people than ourselves. Too often, we overlook the struggles of those around us, caught up in our ambitions and concerns. But Vaughn showed us that to live fully is to live for others.
If we adopt even a fraction of his approach— listening more, judging less, serving more, demanding less—we would build stronger communities, heal divisions, and remind ourselves that politics, faith, and community are about people. Vaughn lived this truth daily.
It’s a rare feat in public life to earn respect from all quarters. Vaughn Miller achieved this. He didn’t bridge political divides by compromising his values, but by living them so consistently that others couldn’t help but respect him. He showed that it’s possible to serve with conviction without bitterness, to disagree without disrespect, and to lead without arrogance.
To his constituents, he
was approachable. To his colleagues, he was dependable. To his family, he was a rock of love and faith. To his country, he was a reminder of the nobility of public service. Though Vaughn Miller is no longer with us, his legacy endures. His calm demeanour, positive spirit, and unshakable faith resonate with us, even in his absence. His legacy isn’t just in the bills he supported or the speeches he
delivered. It’s in the countless lives he touched with kindness, the bridges he built across divides, and the quiet reminder that authentic leadership is about service, not self.
To the RM Bailey Pacers, he was their “gentle giant”.
As we mourn, with sympathy to his family, let us also reflect and remember that our nation does not need more politicians; it needs more gentlemen like Vaughn Miller—who
put people first, treat others with dignity, live with humility, and serve with compassion. His passing calls us to recommit to these values. May his life inspire us to be gentler, kinder, thoughtful, and selfless.
Vaughn Miller will be deeply missed, but his example will live on. His was a well-lived life—not for self, but for service. And that, above all, is the measure of greatness.
The candidate will be required to provide assistance to the
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person is expected to be well versed in accounting policies and maintain high level attention to details.
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• Maintain Accounts payable and post necessary entries to GL, wire transfers and prepare checks
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• Complete Credit card reconciliation
• Manage the company’s time clock system & Process bi-weekly and monthly payroll
• Process all staff NIB contributions
• deposits
• Contribute to the end of month process including journals, accruals and Bank reconciliations.
• Assist with Ad hoc reports and other management reports.
SKILLS
• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting/ Finance/ Economics
• services
• Word
• Excellent organizational and communication skills
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If you meet the above Requirements and Qualifcations please apply by sending your Resume to: hr@palmcay.com
IVO I NE INGRAHAM
MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES VAUGHN MILLER
Congressional leaders leave White House meeting without deal to avoid govt shutdown
WASHINGTON Associated Press
A GOVERNMENT
shutdown fast approaching, Democratic and Republican congressional leaders left a White House meeting with President Donald Trump Monday afternoon showing little willingness to compromise from their entrenched positions in order to avoid a lapse in funding.
If government funding legislation isn’t passed by Congress and signed by Trump on Tuesday night, many government offices across the nation will be temporarily shuttered and nonexempt federal employees will be furloughed, adding to the strain on workers and the nation’s economy.
But lawmakers were locked in an impasse Monday as Democrats demanded legislation to extend health care benefits and Republicans dared them to vote against legislation that would keep government funding mostly at current levels.
“There are still large differences between us,”
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said as he left the White House.
Vice President JD Vance told reporters after the meeting, “I think we’re headed into a shutdown because the Democrats won’t do the right thing.” Democrats’ health care demands
Trump has shown little interest in entertaining Democrats’ demands on health care, even as he
agreed to hold a sit-down meeting Monday with Schumer, along with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. The Republican president has said repeatedly he fully expects the government to enter a shutdown this week. “If it has to shut down, it’ll have to shut down,” Trump said Friday. “But they’re the ones that are shutting down government.”
The Trump administration has tried to pressure Democratic lawmakers into backing away from their demands, warning that federal employees could be permanently laid off in a funding lapse.
“Chuck Schumer said a few months ago that a government shutdown would be chaotic, harmful and painful. He’s right, and that’s why we shouldn’t do it,” Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
Still, Democrats argued Trump’s agreement to hold a meeting shows he’s feeling the pressure to negotiate. They say that because Republicans control the White House and Congress, Americans will mostly blame them for any government shutdown.
Democrats are pushing for an extension to Affordable Care Act tax credits that have subsidized health insurance for millions of people since the COVID-19 pandemic. The
credits, which are designed to expand coverage for low- and middle-income people, are set to expire at the end of the year.
At a Monday news conference, Jeffries, a New York Democrat, called health care cuts a “fivealarm fire” that is rippling across communities nationwide.
“We’re not going to simply go along to get along with a Republican bill that continues to gut the health care of everyday Americans who are already living with this Trump economy, where costs aren’t going down but they’re going up,” he said.
The pandemic-era ACA subsidies are set to expire in a matter of months if Congress fails to act.
FROM ALL OVER THE PLANET, THEY CAME TO THE UN WITH A MESSAGE: FIX THINGS, PARTICULARLY YOURSEL F
NEW YORK Associated Press
IT’S not polite, as a general rule, to visit your hosts and criticize the way they do things. Unless, that is, you’re helping to pay the rent. World leaders have spent the past week at the United Nations doing just that, convening at its grandiloquent headquarters to tell each other — and those who administer the planet’s most prominent global institution — that the foundational pillars are cracked, outdated and not in good working order.
Some version of this happens every year. It’s part of the overall theatre. Leaders point out the UN’s flaws and tell it to buckle down and get things done. Then, at the end of speeches, they congratulate themselves for doing important work and go home saying, effectively, “Good talk!” And
the conversation pauses for a year.
Yet in recent years, as the United Nations increasingly becomes one of its members’ favourite subjects at the General Assembly, a particular turn of phrase has been emerging from world leaders’ mouths more and more, aimed at the UN itself. It can be mapped sort of like this: We need you, we support you, BUT
And this year, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres himself setting the bleak and critical tone after his team proposed major reforms for the institution’s 80th anniversary, the critiques from dozens of nations as they “address this august assembly” feel even more prominent and pointed than usual. Two particularly sharp comments this past week draw that notion out in stark relief.
“We must ask ourselves today: How has the UN
lived up to expectations?
And just look at the state of the world,” said Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, India’s foreign minister. “Where has the UN actually made a difference?”
And from Amara Camara, the foreign minister of Guinea: “The best years of our shared organization may be behind us.”
Can that truly be the case?
A pervasive sense that the UN isn’t living up to potential
Much of the criticism focuses on the UN generally not getting things done and bending a knee to what Terrance Michael Drew, the prime minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, called “the large and the loud” while effectively muzzling multiple smaller, quieter nations and thus undermining its mandate of multilateralism. But there are specific recurring complaints as well.
Among them:
inequitable representation on the UN Security Council, where Africa has a particular beef. For three decades, it has been calling for a permanent, veto-empowered seat on the Security Council, which has only five permanent members while other nations rotate. Each year, African leaders express frustration about being treated with what Botswana President Duma Boko called “affable indifference.”
“We must free the Security Council from this humiliating paralysis,” said Mohamad Hasan, Malaysia’s foreign minister. “Reform is no longer a choice. It is imperative.”
The critical rhetoric came from all geographies. Day after day, leader after leader found things they didn’t like about the UN and its operations, even as they often couched it in praise.
“We have reason to honor what has been
Some Republicans are open to extending the tax credits but want changes. Thune said Sunday that the program is “desperately in need of reform” and Republicans want to address “waste, fraud and abuse.” He has pressed Democrats to vote for the funding bill and take up the debate on tax credits later. How will Democrats vote?
To hold on to their negotiating leverage, Senate Democrats will likely have to vote against a bill to temporarily extend government funding on Tuesday, just hours before a shutdown — an uncomfortable position for a party that has long denounced shutdowns as pointless and destructive.
The bill has already passed the Republicancontrolled House and would keep the government funded for seven more weeks while Congress works on annual spending legislation.
Any legislation to fund the government will need support from at least 60 senators in the 100-member chamber. That means that at least eight Democrats would have to vote for the short-term funding bill, because Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is expected to vote against it.
During the last potential government shutdown in March, Schumer and nine other Democrats voted to break a filibuster and allow a Republican-led funding bill to advance to a final vote. The New York Democrat faced fierce backlash from many in his own party
achieved: rights extended, ladders out of poverty raised, medicines and measures moved across borders,” Drew said.
“Yet alongside those triumphs are truths we must not hide: partial pledges, procrastination and the persistent practice of putting profit before people. Where progress has been made, too often it has been piecemeal; where promises have been given, too often they have been broken.”
As with so many organizations, much of the most salient work goes on behind the scenes and even off site. The United Nations has hundreds of programs around the world that do on-theground good for many people facing all manner of challenges. And the performative nature of the UN General Assembly makes it sometimes politically expedient to criticize the United Nations when things in the world go bad. Certainly that’s what US President Donald Trump, no fan of the UN for many years, did in his own speech.
“What is the purpose of the United Nations?” he said. “It has such tremendous, tremendous potential, but it’s not even coming close to living up to that potential, for the most part. At least for now, all they seem to do is write a really strongly worded letter and then never follow that letter up. It’s empty words, and empty words don’t solve war.”
He also added, pointedly: “All I got from the United Nations was an escalator that on the way up, stopped right in the middle.”
Amid the critiques, though, there were many acknowledgments of a different kind of responsibility — that of the nations that belong to it.
“The UN is only the sum of its parts. Any lack of impact lies at the feet of member states. The solution is not to abandon it, but to fix it,” said Philip Davis, prime minister of the Bahamas.
And from Germany’s foreign minister, Johann Wadephul: “It is up to us — the member states. WE are the United Nations.
for that decision, with some even calling for him to step down as Democratic leader.
Senate Democrats have begun to discuss some possible next steps if the government does shut down — potentially a proposal for a one- or two-week stopgap if Republicans will work with them on a health care fix, according to several people familiar with the private talks who requested anonymity to discuss them. But there is no consensus in the caucus about how to proceed, or guarantees that Republicans and Trump would negotiate.
Negotiations between Trump and Democrats
It remains to be seen whether the White House meeting will help or hurt the chances for a resolution. Negotiations between Trump and Democratic congressional leaders have rarely gone well, and Trump has had little contact with the opposing party during his second term.
The most recent negotiation in August between Schumer and the president to speed the pace of Senate confirmation votes for administration officials ended with Trump telling Schumer to “go to hell” in a social media post.
Trump also abruptly cancelled a meeting that was planned with congressional leaders last week, calling Democrats’ demands “unserious and ridiculous.” Schumer argued that the White House coming back to reschedule a meeting for Monday showed that “they have felt the heat.”
We want these United Nations to be strong.”
Maybe the idea itself is the main accomplishment Multilateralism, the main thread of the United Nations since its postWorld War II founding, remains the organization’s cornerstone. It’s a particularly potent notion for less powerful states, which rely on the UN to level the playing field between smaller countries and the dominant powers.
But Trump’s all but complete rejection of multilateralism set the tone this year for this kind of wide frustration that the UN is a bloated functionary that doesn’t really fix things.
“Reform is not only about structures. It is about credibility. And credibility lives or dies with trust in multilateralism,” said Abdulla Khaleel, foreign minister of the Maldives. “That trust is eroding.”
Lurking behind many of the comments is the ghost of the League of Nations, the post-World War I prototype for the United Nations that collapsed under its own failure to prevent World War II and was replaced by the UN in 1946. “We all know of the League of Nations. We must not repeat it,” said Romania’s foreign minister, OanaS ilvia Toiu.
Ultimately, the United Nations may be an aspirational institution more than anything else. It is the embodiment of a era past, yes — but also an ever-receding dream that people might be able to stop fighting by working together. Even if the house is, and to some extent always remains, not quite ready for company. And in the meantime, talking bluntly about the problems during such a chaotic epoch stands as one way to nudge the path forward, even if it takes some serious pokes.
“What the UN has achieved so far is not a minor feat. T hey are the very essence of our shared humanity,” said Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof, the foreign minister of Brunei. “Yet we would be dishonest to speak only of successes.”
HOUSE Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of NY, talk to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House, yesterday in Washington. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP
Photo: Angelina Katsanis/AP
Not just one way: Education options for Bahamian families
By ALL ANDRA RUSSELL
WHEN most of us pic -
ture school, we envision rows of desks, fixed timetables, and a curriculum for all—a model that was built for an age when efficiency and conformity mattered more than individuality. In those days, a child’s interests or abilities mattered little; everyone was expected to fit the same mould.
But the landscape is shifting. More families now recognise that one system cannot meet the needs of every child. For some, traditional schools no longer reflect the demands of modern learning. Others are seeking a deeper sense of purpose in their child’s education, or simply greater flexibility to match a child’s pace and passions. Parents today have choices, and learning no longer needs to look the same for everyone.
Homeschooling and Hybrid Learning
Homeschooling is attracting growing interest in The Bahamas. From centres that support online learning to parents who are stepping into the role of teacher, more families are exploring this path. At its core, homeschooling means that parents assume direct
responsibility for their child’s education, often in the home. Key benefits include the ability to tailor instruction to a child’s pace, strengths, and interests. Some rely on online programmes, while others design their own lessons, but all value flexibility.
The key consideration is that homeschooling isn’t a decision made overnight. Registration with the Ministry of Education is required, as it provides official recognition and access to national exams. Some families follow the Ministry’s syllabus to prepare for local exams, while others choose faith-based curricula, international programmes such as British or American systems, or blended approaches that reflect their family’s values and long-term goals. What once seemed unconventional is now increasingly accepted as a recognised and credible path.
Learning Through Passion
Alternative education also takes shape when schools build learning around a child’s talents. iElite Academy in The Bahamas, for example, pairs academics with professional baseball training. Students train in the morning, attend classes in the afternoon, and keep up their studies even while competing abroad. The model shows that education can adapt to meet talent, rather than suppress it.
Girl Guides launch Cookie Month with courtesy call on Governor General
MEMBERS of the Bahamas Girl Guides Association officially launched Girl Guides Cookie Month with a courtesy call on the Governor General, Dame Cynthia” Mother” Pratt, at Government House.
Similar approaches exist worldwide. In the United States, IMG Academy integrates elite training in sports with academics. In Spain, La Masia Academy supports young footballers within FC Barcelona’s youth system while ensuring they continue their studies. Performing arts schools in the UK and Canada do the same for dancers, actors, and musicians.
These programmes share one belief: education doesn’t have to be one-sizefits-all. Passions outside the classroom can become
gateways to deeper engagement, and flexible pathways can unlock potential that traditional schooling might overlook.
A Future of Choice
As resources and technology expand, Bahamian families are stepping into a future of genuine options. For some, the traditional classroom remains the right fit, offering structure and community. For others, homeschooling, hybrid models, or specialist academies provide the flexibility and purpose their
children need.
The message is clear: education in The Bahamas no longer has to look the same for every child. Traditional schools will continue to serve many well, but it is equally important to recognise that some children need something different. For families seeking flexibility, purpose, or a model that reflects their child’s gifts, more alternatives exist than ever before. The real question is not whether one path is better than another, but which path allows each child to reach their fullest potential.
Ann Marie Davis speaks to young ladies at Black Girl Magic Summit
Y OU N G women from across The Bahamas took centre stage at the firstever Black Girl Magic Summit, where they were encouraged to embrace their identity, leadership potential, and personal power. The summit, designed to inspire the next generation of female leaders, featured keynote speaker Mrs Ann Marie Davis, Wife of the Prime Minister, who delivered an uplifting message of self-worth and resilience.
Mrs Davis urged participants to remain true to themselves in the face of challenges, especially in the age of social media.
Cookie Month is a key fundraising effort for the Bahamas Girl Guides Association, helping to empower young girls through skills development, service opportunities, and educational programs.
During the visit, which took place last week, ahead of the October 1 start of Cookie Month, the Girl Guides presented the first cookies to the Governor General as part of the annual tradition. The presentation marked the formal commencement of a monthlong national campaign that supports the organization’s programs and community initiatives.
“Don’t let that happen to you, nor should you engage in doing it. It’s dangerous and demoralising. If that happens to you, work your magic and IG N OR E it,” she said, speaking about cancel culture and online shaming.
Students also heard about the vital role
women play in society, with Mrs Davis noting, “Look at the leaders and lead drivers in education, the church, the media, our number one industry tourism and political organizations. They are largely women.”
Throughout the summit, young women
participated in leadership sessions, shared experiences, and built connections rooted in sisterhood and service.
Mrs Davis reminded them of their calling to uplift others: “Selfless service to others must always be your watch words and calling cards.”
ALLANDRA RUSSELL
Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr