Disputed $1.3m Post Office bid report’s release ordered
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor
AN AGGRIEVED Bahamian entrepreneur has persuaded the Supreme Court to order that the Government’s “evaluation” of his bid for the $1.323m Post Office digitisation contract be released.
Ronnie Ferguson, Sunrise Communications’ principal, cited the Public Procurement Act as the basis for his ultimately successful attempt to obtain disclosure of the Government’s assessment of his proposal as he pursues legal redress over allegations his firm was prevented from fulfilling the contract award.
While the Government admits that a public notice was issued confirming that Sunrise Communications was awarded the Post Office digitisation deal, it is arguing that this “was done in error” and denies that he secured the contract or “did the necessary work” to obtain it.
However, Justice Leif Farquharson, in an October 15, 2025, ordered that the evaluation of Mr Ferguson’s bid be released under the Public Procurement Act 2021’s section 86 (2) which mandates that government entities must keep all procurement bid
records for a period of seven years. This section survived that Act’s repeal and replacement by the Public Procurement Act 2023.
The significance of the Supreme Court’s decision is that it confirms aggrieved bidders, who feel they have been improperly or unfairly treated in a government tender process and want to seek redress for their grievances, can now use the Public Procurement Act to obtain documents relevant to how their proposal was handled - creating improved disclosure and transparency.
Justice Farquharson, however, also rejected Mr Ferguson’s bid to obtain “any decision to suspend or debar” his proposal “and the reason for the decision” as this was not pleaded in either Sunrise Communications’ claim or the Government’s defence.
Describing the claim as “not a model of clarity”, the judge nevertheless said the Public Procurement Act was intended to “ensure integrity” in the award of government contracts and “seemingly contemplates a bidder being entitled to certain information with respect to the processing and disposition of his bid”. The “promotion of transparency” was another key objective.
“In the circumstances, I am
prepared to order disclosure of the evaluation report required to be kept [under] the Act,” Justice Farquharson ruled. “Such disclosure is only to relate to the claimant and his bid. In other words, I am not requiring disclosure of any information in relation to any third-party bids or bidders for the material contract....
“Any evaluation report prepared with respect to the claimant’s bid would appear to be directly relevant to matters in question in the proceedings. I say this because, if such an evaluation exists, it would likely either tend to adversely affect the defendants’ [the Government] case or tend to support the claimant’s case.
“Specifically, it would assist in determination of the issue as to whether the claimant’s bid was in fact approved as he alleges or whether, as the defendants say, the public notification of the material contract being awarded to him was issued in error. Such an evaluation report is also relevant to the issue of the defendants’ compliance with the Act.”
Setting out both sides’ positions, Justice Farquharson said of Mr Ferguson and Sunrise Communications: “The claimant, in his statement of
SANDALS RAISING BEACHES OUTLAY TO
$150M IN MID-NOVEMBER DEAL
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Government will sign a midNovember deal with Sandals that will see it increase its investment in the Beaches Exuma project by 50 percent to $150m, the deputy prime minister said yesterday. Chester Cooper, also minister of tourism, investments and aviation, told the Exuma Business Outlook that the resort chain’s long-awaited transformation of its Emerald Bay property into its family-oriented
brand “is a catalyst project” set to generate “a healthy boost for the overall island of Exuma”.
“The last time I was here at the Business Outlook we talked about a $100m investment,” the Exuma MP said. “I’m pleased to tell you two things. Firstly, this investment will now exceed $150m, and secondly, we expect the final agreement to be executed here in mid-November. November 2025.”
Besides generating significant construction and full-time jobs, Mr Cooper said the Beaches development will
‘WHO’S GOING TO WORK’ NEW 400-500 EXUMA ROOMS?
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
HOTELIERS yesterday challenged “who’s going to work” the 400-500 new hotel rooms forecast for Exuma in 2026 as the island’s “skilled labour” and housing shortages came to the forefront.
Shona Perry, Grand Isle Resort’s general manager, told the Exuma Business Outlook that the availability of quality labour is “a true issue at the moment” after Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister, hailed the $2bn in new investments that the Davis administration has secured for the island with several hundred hotel rooms projected to come online next year.
“build international prestige” for Exuma as a tourism destination plus mobilise marketing support that will attract more airlift to the island and “generate spill over business that spreads the benefits broadly across Exuma”.
He added: “The creation of family, all-inclusive accommodations, which are highly sought-after, will bring significant business from Canada and Europe, and we anticipate this is going to be a healthy boost for the overall island of Exuma.”
‘CANNOT MISS THE BOAT’: DPM DISCLOSES SAUDI FUNDING FOR GB AIRPORT
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Government was yesterday warned it “cannot miss the boat” on Grand Bahama International Airport after it was revealed that a Saudi-controlled fund will “reallocate” monies to its redevelopment.
Dillon Knowles, the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce’s president, told Tribune Business he would “like to believe it’s positive” after Chester Cooper, the deputy prime minister, disclosed that the Saudi Fund for Development has agreed to repurpose multi-million dollar financing previously assigned to the Exuma and North Eleuthera upgrades.
Explaining that it was difficult to judge what this meant, given the absence
‘GOV’T
of specifics and details in Mr Cooper’s Exuma Business Outlook remarks, he added that the most critical issue is to ensure Grand Bahama International Airport does not become a “hindrance” to ongoing and pipeline investment projects targeted at the island.
Mr Knowles said the ‘bottom line’ for Grand Bahama’s economy is that its international airport has the capacity, and facilities, to handle and process the projected increase in passenger numbers in time for when projects such as the $827m sale and redevelopment of the Grand Lucayan; $600m Grand Bahama Shipyard dry docks; and Weller Development’s $250m Six Senses resort launch.
WON’T BE BENT’: DPM BLASTS ROSEWOOD OPPONENT
By NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE deputy prime minister yesterday pledged the Government will not be “bullied” or “bent” by investors as he accused a key opponent of the $200m Rosewood resort of putting his interests “ahead” of Exuma residents.
Chester Cooper, also minister of tourism, investments and aviation, used his Exuma Business Outlook conference address to slam Bob Coughlin, principal of the Turtlegrass Resort and Island Club, for threatening to halt his $75m project after its first phase unless his concerns over Yntegra Group’s neighbouring development were satisfactorily resolved.
Asserting that Exuma
residents “will not sell their birth right for a bowl of porridge”, he added that the Government will “not be influenced... by individuals who determine they will put their self-interest ahead of the interests of the people of Exuma”.
Representatives for Mr Coughlin and Turtlegrass declined to respond when contacted by Tribune Business yesterday, although Mr Cooper reiterated his and the Davis administration’s belief that Rosewood Exuma and Turtlegrass can live harmoniously side-by-side.
Nevertheless, emphasising that he still backs Mr Coughlin and wants to see his development “flourish”, the deputy prime minister said: “I want to take this
Improving infrastructure makes for good business
Friday, May 12, 2023, PAGE 23
Friday, September 15, 2023, PAGE 23
INFRASTRUCTURE
development is directly tied to business development
DELIVERY
locally
because it provides the essential systems, networks and services that allow companies to operate, grow and remain competitive.
Good infrastructure reduces business costs, facilitates the movement of goods and people, and enhances productivity by enabling access to markets, suppliers and talent.
•
Both physical, such as transport and energy, and digital infrastructure including the likes of the
BY IAN FERGUSON
connected.
Internet and secure networks, are critical for a modern economy. This week’s column provides a clearer understanding of
how infrastructure development advances business development.
• Reduced costs and increased efficiency: Well-developed infrastructure, such as reliable transportation and utilities, minimises logistical and operational costs for businesses. This allows companies to operate more efficiently and compete more effectively.
• Creating new jobs and stimulating the economy: Infrastructure projects, whether they are largescale public works or the development of digital
networks, directly create jobs and generate opportunities for ancillary businesses to supply goods and services. This leads to higher household income and increased consumer spending, which boosts the overall economy.
• Facilitating new business models: Digital infrastructure, including broadband and cloud services, enables innovative business models that were not previously possible. For example, cloud computing and robust networks allow businesses to be more flexible, scalable and digitally
• Attracting investment: High-quality infrastructure is a key factor in attracting new businesses and investments to a region. When companies see that a location has the necessary infrastructure, they are more likely to invest in expanding their operations there.
• Enhancing market access: Better transportation and communication networks connect businesses to a wider customer base and supply chain, both domestically and internationally. This can
include improved airport facilities for the tourism industry or better road networks for local commerce.
• NB: Ian R Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organisations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@ coralwave.com.
ELEUTHERA RESIDENTS ‘IRATE’
ON AIRPORT FUNDING SWITCH
VITAL EDGE awards ceremony
By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter
THE Opposition’s gen-
eral election candidate for North Eleuthera yesterday described area residents as “irate” over the Government’s decision to redeploy airport financing to Grand Bahama.
Rickey Mackey said he had been fielding “calls all afternoon” from constituents after Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister, revealed that financing from Saudi Fund for Development - initially allocated to the North Eleuthera and Exuma airport upgradeshas now been switched to fund the Grand Bahama International Airport’s redevelopment.
“Quite a few people are irate,” he said. “I’ve had calls all afternoon wanting to know what’s going on and what are we going to
do about it, whether or not we’re going to demonstrate or what course of action do we have?
“I’m going to reach out to the people of North Eleuthera between tonight and tomorrow morning, and then we’re going to decide what course of action [we’ll take]. We are limited in the course of actions we could do, demonstrations or written-in protests or calling the media, which is part of what I’m doing now.
“But I plan to to go to the North Eleuthera airport, along with a couple of people from North Eleuthera, and we’re going to do a live from that destination. Or we’re going to do a recording, and then we’re going to share that it is despicable that a loan that was done in the interest of the airport at North Eleuthera, only to now be told, with no consultation
whatsoever, that the Government of The Bahamas is now reallocating that money to go towards the International airport in Freeport.”
However, Mr Cooper earlier this year said the Davis administration had turned to one of the partners in the consortium undertaking the $80m transformation of Bimini’s airport in a bid to speed up its similar ambitions for North Eleuthera after the Saudi fund proved “too bureaucratic and slow” in releasing the necessary monies.
And he revealed that the same group, Island Airport Development Company, will also be hired to perform the construction work involving both “air side and land side” improvements. Besides immediate fixes to ease current woes at North Eleuthera, the group will also develop a new passenger terminal and be hired
to repave the runway at Governor’s Harbour airport further south.
Mr Mackey, though, seemingly forgetting this, questioned why - after securing the funds for the North Eleuthera airport - would the Government reallocate it for another project. He also noted that the only real progress at the airport site has been land clearing, referring to it as a “photo op”.
“You’ve seen no clear cut indication that the funding that it requires to do the North of Eleuthera airport... nothing has been seen,” he said. “Have you seen any contracts being signed, other than land clearing? Have you seen any of the the proposed developers have any memorandum of understanding, or any contract signing, or they could speak to the issue? No. It’s strictly a photo op.
“But where we did have funding, the $55m loan that was signed last year, September, that money is now going into Grand Bahama. Amazing. It’s simply amazing. And we, the people of North Eleuthera, who are quite evidently, at the very least one-third in industry revenue generating, are going to be sidelined? No. We just can’t accept that lying down.”
Mr Mackey said the former Minnis administration did “everything that was necessary in order to have the airport to go, now only to have this administration take the funds to their credit that they were able to borrow from the Saudis, and now to reallocate it? That’s a slap in the face to the people of North Eleuthera.”
Mr Mackey pointed out that Eleuthera generates a lot of revenue, so therefore
deserves better treatment in terms of infrastructure and utilities. “We are a major contributor to the national purse,” he added.
“And to do that shows the callousness with which this administration feels about North Eleuthera.
“We require major roadworks just immediately south of the bridge. We require major upgrades in terms of our electricity, our water, because they are constantly off. Every day the light goes off in North Eleuthera. Every day, the water goes off in North Eleuthera.
“And, in addition to that, our settlement of Spanish Wells, which is the largest commercial fishing community, is now being ravished by Dominican poachers that are now back on the scene. And so it appears as if this administration does not care to address the issues of North Eleuthera.”
By ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter anixon@tribunemedia.net
EXUMA businesses were yesterday urged protect their competitiveness and sustainability through digital adoption while ensuring cyber security is a priority.
Keith Roye, founder and chief operating officer of Plato Alpha, told the Exuma Business Outlook conference that the island needs digital transformation to survive.
While some businesses
have embraced technology, others are still operating manually.
He challenged “which side of Exuma’s economy will we be in five years from now”, adding that customers today, and epsecially tourists, are more in tune with the digital space. Because of this, businesses must ensure they have an online presence and operate in a way that offers the convenience of the digital space to customers.
“The Bahamas thrives on tourism and local
entrepreneurship - small hotels, tour operators, restaurants, boat charters, taxi services and shops that keep our communities vibrant,” Mr Roye said. “But here’s the thing. Today’s customers live online. Tourists no longer flip through brochures or ask concierge for recommendations.
“They’re searching Google, they’re scrolling through Instagram, and they’re reading reviews on TripAdvisor. If your business doesn’t have a strong digital presence, it’s not that they don’t want
to find you; it’s that they can’t. You could be offering the best conch salad and the most beautiful boat tour on Exuma, but if you are not online, you’re invisible to half of your potential customers.
“Then there’s how customers expect to do business. We’re in a world of instant convenience. Just expect to book online, get confirmations automatically and make digital payments quickly. They’re comparing your response times and booking experience not just to other
Bahamian businesses, but to global platforms like Airbnb and Expedia,” Mr Roye added.
“And here’s an important reality. Exuma isn’t just competing with Nassau any more. You’re competing with Turks and Caicos, Barbados, St Lucia, all destinations that are aggressively modernising their tourism and small business sector through technology.
“If they can book their tours, order local goods and pay seamlessly there, they’ll expect the same
here. So digital transformation isn’t just about upgrading software or gadgets. It’s about protecting Exuma competitiveness and ensuring long term sustainability.” Mr Roye pointed to local solutions including his own firm’s Triblock human resources and payroll platform, which helps to “manage employee scheduling, track time, handle payroll and ensure compliance, all in one digital space”, which cuts down on the workload for the business owner.
ALMOST $150,000 RECOVERED FOR CONSUMERS
By FAY SIMMONS
The Bahamas’ consumer watchdog was yesterday said to have recovered nearly $150,000 from businesses on behalf of aggrieved consumers during the first nine months of 2025.
Senator Randy Rolle, executive chairman of the Consumer Protection Commission, told the Exuma Business Outlook that the regulator has processed 209 complaints between January and September 2025 resulting in the recovery of $149,921.42 on behalf of consumers.
“From January 2025 to September 2025, the Commission successfully facilitated the recovery of funds totaling $149,921.42 on behalf of consumers. This is from 209 complaints processed by the CPC so far for the year,”
said Mr Rolle. He explained that the Commission has seen an increase in complaints concerning digital commerce, refund disputes and non-delivery of services, reflecting broader shifts in consumer behaviour and the evolving marketplace. “We are seeing increases in complaints related to digital commerce, refund disputes and non-delivery of service. This figure also reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring fair resolution of consumer complaints and restoring public confidence in the marketplace,” he added.
Mr Rolle highlighted a rise in reports from Exuma regarding certain business practices that undermine consumer rights, specifically the failure to issue receipts and the addition of undisclosed
surcharges on credit card payments.
He warned these actions directly violate provisions set out in the Consumer Protection Act 2023, and pose significant challenges to transparency and fair business conduct.
“We want you to know that the voice of the Exuma consumer is being heard. We are monitoring what is happening and seeking ways to address these matters. For example, we know there have been a series of reports regarding the failure to issue receipts after purchases. We’ve also had reports about surcharges being added to credit card payments without disclosure or justification,” said Mr Rolle.
“Both of these practices are in direct contravention of the Consumer Protection Act 2023. Transparency is not optional. It’s the foundation of trust. And let
me be clear, every business charging VAT must display their certificate. Consumers have a right to know that the fees they pay are legitimate and properly remitted.”
Mr Rolle also highlighted some of the systemic economic and logistical challenges faced by residents and business owners on Family Islands. He acknowledged that while regulations are necessary, the unique economic realities of the Family Islands — especially higher costs and bureaucratic pressures — must be considered to ensure both consumers and businesses are treated fairly.
“We also know that there are other systemic challenges that Family Islands like Exuma face. These include extra costs from having to import items to the island by boat or plane. This impacts the overall standard of living for
Family Island residents,” said Mr Rolle. “How they eat. How they purchase items. How they interact in the consumer marketplace. We know that this can even affect the cost of breadbasket items that are being regulated at more affordable rates. Added on to this, there is the bureaucracy for business owners to ensure they are following best practices but can also afford to make a profit.”
Mr Rolle said the CPC is improving its communication, accessibility and transparency to better serve Bahamians across all islands. This includes developing a mobile app and implementing a vendor verification system.
“The CPC continues to expand its digital footprint, using social media, workshops and town halls to adequately inform every island of what we are doing. We know that
our introduction of multiple engagement channels such as e-mail, social media, telephone hotlines and walk-ins has diversified our complaint intake,” said Mr Rolle.
“We engage directly with business owners through presentations, surveys, workshops, compliance checks and one-on-one meetings.
“We’re developing a mobile app that will allow Bahamians from right here in Exuma to Inagua to file complaints, track their cases and access consumer rights information in real time.
“The CPC is also developing a vendor verification system to allow consumers to check a vendor’s credibility and track record.
“We want you to feel confident when making your transactions, whether it is with a brickand-mortar business or online.”
CONSUMER WATCHDOG TO INSPECT LIQUOR VENDORS
By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter
THE Bahamas’ consumer watchdog will begin inspecting liquor stores and vendors to ensure compliance with the industry’s upcoming new licensing regime, it was revealed yesterday.
Senator Randy Rolle, the Consumer Protection Commission’s (CPC) executive chairman, told the Exuma Business Outlook that proprietors must be proactive in reviewing all relevant documentation ahead of their Business Licence renewal and certificate of registration applications to avoid operational disruptions.
“The Consumer Protection Commission will play its part in checking that alcohol sellers are compliant. So, we are encouraging all business owners who sell - or plan to sell liquor in The Bahamas - to review your documents and get ahead of the new compliance standards,” said Mr Rolle.
“We also advise you to do this well in advance of your Business Licence expiring to avoid any disruption to your operations. Because, at the end of the day, this is what we do: We enforce the laws and ensure everyone plays by the same rules.”
Mr Rolle explained that the updated regulatory framework is part of a broader effort to address the over-saturation of liquor stores, particularly in urban and vulnerable communities. Under the new rules, all businesses selling alcohol are now required to obtain both a Business Licence and a certificate of registration.
“Right now, across this country, we’re seeing an over-saturation of liquor stores, especially in vulnerable communities. In most cases, these establishments are popping up next to schools, churches, homes — places where people live, worship and learn,” said Mr Rolle
“As a result, the Department of Inland Revenue has amended the Business License Act in order to
right size what many view as an imbalance between commercial development and community responsibility.
“Under these new regulations, all alcohol sellers in The Bahamas must now have both a Business Licence and a certificate of registration. Without the certificate, liquor sellers will not be able to renew their licence.”
Mr Rolle added that the revised application process introduces several new layers of scrutiny designed to ensure alcohol retailers operate in a manner that aligns with the public interest and community welfare. The application process now includes a public consultation which will allow residents and other stakeholders to voice their opinions on whether a liquor licence should be granted in their community.
Beyond public input, the review will assess the existing density of liquor outlets within a given area. If a community is already saturated with similar establishments, additional licences may be denied
to prevent what Mr Rolle described as an imbalance between commercial activity and community well-being.
“Additionally, this new application process will require a public consultation period and a review of how many other liquor sellers are in the area. That means some applications may be rejected if the business is too close to a school or church, or if the premises are deemed unsuitable for health or safety reasons,” said Mr Rolle.
“This will no doubt change the landscape as we know it. But these measures are about protecting our communities, ensuring that development happens responsibly and with balance. We want the
public to know that, once fully implemented, these policies will be strictly enforced on every island
across this
And yes, even on the Family Islands and here in Exuma.”
Young lady was at a business establishment on Wulff Road on Saturday September 6th, 2025.
She is brown complexion with black braided hair, wearing a long dress/skirt to her ankle. IF YOU’RE THAT PERSON
archipelago.
GOV’T CLAIMS AWARD NOTICE DONE IN ‘ERROR’
claim, alleges among other things that he submitted a bid for a contract to provide services for the digitisation of the Bahamas Post Office; that his bid was accepted with notice of the award of the contract being published in accordance with the 2021 Act’s provisions.”
Mr Ferguson asserts that there has been “no cancellation” of the contract award, but is alleging that the Post Office “failed to proceed in issuing a formal contract” of advance the process even though he had complied with the requirements stipulated by the Government’s ‘Go Bonfire’ public procurement portal.
Justice Farquharson, describing the Post Office and government defence as appearing “internally inconsistent”, wrote: “Nevertheless, the defendants admit that a public notice was issued confirming that the claimant had been
awarded a contract as alleged. However, they aver that this was done in error.” They are also disputing whether Mr Ferguson had complied with the scope of works outlined by the ‘Go Bonfire’ Internet portal, and “deny that the claimant successfully secured the bid in accordance with the protocols outlined in the Act”. They also contest that he performed the “necessary work”, and deny that the Government breached the Public Procurement Act or failed to take the steps to issue the contract.
Besides the Post Office, other defendants named in the action include the Postmaster-General; Gaynell Rolle, acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Energy; and the Attorney General.
Sunrise Communications, in its formal statement of claim lodged with the Supreme Court on November 23, 2023, claimed the Post Office and Ministry of Transport and Energy
had “failed to perform the requisite steps” under the Public Procurement Act for the contract to be executed and awarded despite it winning two competitive bids. It is also alleging that the Post Office “has been entertaining bids for the same work to be performed” by other, rival providers despite its tender success, leading it to file a claim for “damages for economic loss”. Sunrise, whose win was included in the $140m worth of public procurement contracts unveiled in mid-October 2023, also says it has received no formal suspension or cancellation notice as required by law.
Sunrise Communications’ award, for the “digitisation and creation of the Post Office’s website”, was among the 843 contracts whose details were released by the Ministry of Finance that month. However, Mr Ferguson said the award has been “stalled” ever since it was made on
April 28, 2023, with ministry and Post Office officials only describing it as “under review”.
Sunrise Communications, in its statement of claim, asserts that it “had a legitimate expectation that a formal written contract” would be issued after it was selected as the winning bidder - especially as no cancellation notice was issued, as required by the Public Procurement Act.
The contract, according to the Ministry of Finance, was issued via an ‘invitation to tender’ process, and was the only award by the Post Office to be included in the 843-strong list. “As a result of the said legitimate expectation, the claimant complied with the scope of works submitted in the Go Bonfire [procurement] portal and has done the necessary work to supply to the procuring entity the service as outlined in its initial bid.”
The statement of claim
adds that, prior to the formal competitive bidding process, Sunrise Communications had “an existing contract” with the Post Office to digitise its processes via a phased approach and bring the services into the 21st century.
However, come October 5, 2022, Sunrise alleged that it was told by the Post Master General that “the overall costs” involved in the digitisation process meant it had to be put out to tender in accordance with the Public Procurement Act.
“Despite having an executed contract with the Bahamas Post Office as it relates to phases two through five of the digitisation project of the Bahamas Post Office, the claimant entered the procurement process with other competitive bidders and was awarded the contract pursuant to the provisions of the Act,” Sunrise’s statement of claim alleges.
“That since having successfully bid for the work to perform the digitisation of the Bahamas Post Office, and the same being published by the Government in accordance with the provisions of the Act, the Bahamas Post Office as the procuring entity has failed to perform the requisite steps as outlined in the Act for the formal contract to be issued in breach of the provisions of the Act.
“Further, the Bahamas Post Office has been entertaining bids for the same work to be performed by other suppliers.” Sunrise is claiming that officials failed to provide the necessary information to advance a Cabinet paper that was necessary for the contract to be awarded.
Sunrise is alleging that the failure to issue the contract, in line with the award, or a formal cancellation or suspension notice while entertaining rival providers, all represent Public Procurement Act breaches.
CSX RAILROAD’S PROFIT FALLS BY FIFTH
By JOSH FUNK AP Transportation Writer
INVESTORS looked
past a 22% drop in CSX’s third quarter earnings Thursday and focused on the direction the railroad’s new CEO might take it and the possibility of any strategic deals. CEO Steve Angel promised to focus on making CSX the best-performing railroad. Without promising a merger, Angel said he would consider any strategic opportunities that make sense for shareholders. He also reminded investors that he ran industrial gas supplier Praxair for a decade before the opportunity to merge with rival Linde came up.
“The way these things work — these strategic opportunities — you’ve got to wait for the right
timing. You’ve got to wait for when the conditions are right,” Angel said. “So what you do in the interim, you run the company to the best of your ability every day, and you create value that way. And so if and when that time comes, you’re going into that discussion from a position of strength.”
Thursday’s report was the first since Angel took the job late last month. The railroad is under pressure from investors, such as Ancora Holdings, to find another railroad to merge with, so CSX can better compete with the merged Union PacificNorfolk Southern railroad if that $85 billion deal gets approved. But both of CSX’s likely merger partners — BNSF and CPKC railroads — have said they aren’t interested in a deal because they believe the industry can better serve customers through cooperative agreements and avoid all the potential headaches that come with a merger.
Most observers believe CSX and BNSF will be at a disadvantage if the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger is approved. That transcontinental railroad will be able to shave more than a day off delivery times because it won’t have to hand off shipments between railroads in the middle of the country. So far, CSX and BNSF say they can achieve most of the benefits of a merger through cooperative agreements instead.
Angel, 70, has not worked at a railroad before although earlier in his career he worked at GE’s locomotive building unit and developed a lifelong appreciation for railroads. He stressed the similarities between industrial gas companies and railroads, saying both focus on safety and invest heavily in the most profitable areas with the highest traffic.
The Jacksonville, Florida-based company said Thursday it earned $694 million, or 37 cents per
share, in the quarter. That’s down from $894 million, or 46 cents per share a year ago. But without a $164 million goodwill impairment charge, the railroad would have earned $818 million, or 44 cents per share.
The adjusted figure just topped the 43 cents per share that analysts surveyed by FactSet Research had predicted.
CSX’s performance has suffered over much of the past year because of construction projects that limited the railroad’s flexibility and reduced capacity. CSX completed repairs from Hurricane Helene and a major tunnel renovation in Baltimore last month. Its performance improved significantly throughout the quarter. The average speed of its trains increased to 18.9 mph, the fastest level since 2021. CSX also delivered 87% of its shipments on time in the quarter.
CSX is one of the largest railroads in North America, operating in the eastern United States.
Turtlegrass chief ‘putting own interests ahead’ of residents
opportunity to address the issue of the Turtlegrass development led by an American businessman.
“We believe the project can co-exist with the Rosewood resort. This is a project that I support, and I’ve always supported, and I want to see it flourish. However, the Government of The Bahamas will not be bullied by any investor. We will not be bent. The will of the people will prevail.”
Mr Cooper added: “Any investor, no matter how big or how small the investment is, must comply with the guidelines and standards of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. The people of Exuma will not sell their birth right for a bowl of porridge.
“Let me be clear. We are a proud people in Exuma. We will not be influenced by self-interest or by investors who determine they will put their self-interest ahead of the interests of the people of Exuma, and I’ll leave it there for now.”
It is unclear why Mr Cooper singled out Mr Coughlin and Turtlegrass in particular because they are far from the only persons and companies to oppose the $200m Rosewood project in its current form. Stuart Cove, the Bahamian dive operator, this week added its voice to those expressing concern about the scale of Yntegra’s project, its proposed dredging and potential environmental impact.
The Save Exuma Alliance, a group of companies, island operators and residents, has also formed to urge a halt to a project they say is better suited for an island with infrastructure than a small cay. A petition has been launched to halt environmental clearance for the Rosewood project, and has already received more than 6,800 signatures.
Turtlegrass has also been joined by the nearby Over Yonder Cay developer in seeking to overturn the environmental and planning approvals granted to the Rosewood Exuma project by the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP) and Town Planning Committee, respectively. The Planning and Subdivision Appeals Board ha already begun hearing the latter appeals.
And both Turtlegrass and Yonder Holdings are seeking the Supreme Court’s permission to launch Judicial Review challenges to Yntegra Group’s certificate of environmental clearance (CEC). The Rosewood project includes two marinas plus a cargo dock, and more than 90 structures. It would
accommodate more than 500 people, and produce more than 100,000 gallons of sewage and 2.8 tons of garbage.
Meanwhile, Mr Cooper said the Government has “invested more than $300m” into upgrading Exuma’s infrastructure during the present administration’s first four years in office. He added that potable water is “on the cusp” of being turned on in his home community, Forbes Hill, while Exuma’s airport will “soon stand among the finest not only in the country but the region”. Clay Sweeting, minister of works and Family Island affairs, told yesterday’s Exuma Business Outlook conference that upgrades to Georgetown’s international airport are on target to be completed by February 2026. He reassured that the work will incorporate a parallel taxiway that major airlines, such as Jet Blue, require to service the Family Islands.
Asserting that “the project is about 70 percent complete”, Mr Sweeting said it was backed by a $34.2m financing package including $6.2m provided by the Government. Noting that the Ministry of Works is responsible for all airside,
or non-terminal, works associated with airport redevelopments, he added that the contract has now been signed for Black Point airport’s upgrade.
“It’s a 12-month reconstruction and runway expansion supporting the new terminal building,”
Mr Sweeting said. “The contract for this project was signed in July of this year, valued at $17.96m, and marked a bold step by this administration to create access while driving opportunities to improve the daily lives of residents of Exuma.
“Once completed this project will feature a 4,900 foot runway and expanded apron to accommodate 70-seater transit airlift and parking for smaller planes. It will enhance air travel reliability, improve emergency response capacity and support the efficient movement of goods and services.” It will also boost the connectivity of Black Point and the wider Exuma cays to the rest of The Bahamas.
Mr Sweeting said three bridges in Exuma, the Barraterre one and two, and the Ferry Bridge, are part of a seven-strong bridge improvement package that the Ministry of Works is putting together. These
also include three bridges in Andros, and one in New Providence - the bridge connecting the mainland with the LJM Maritime Academy on Silver Cay. Consultants visited the Exuma bridges back in April, the minister said, while funding is being sourced from a UK government agency. Staniel Cay’s new $700,000 bridge was completed in January 2025, while a contract has been signed to construct a new $6m dock for Black Point.
Mr Sweeting said the Exuma road improvement project, being undertaken by the Bahamas Striping Group of Companies and its affiliates, is now 92 percent complete on its first phase. Describing it as a $62m project covering 60 miles of roads, he added that the remaining work includes elevating culverts 2.5 feet with assistance from the utility companies.
The minister said phase two, which will cover the roads south of Georgetown, is set to begin in early 2026.
DEPUTY Prime Minister Chester Cooper at the Rosewood Exuma groundbreaking ceremony.
DPM asserts ‘significant progress’ via Saudi fund
REALLOCATE from page one
He spoke out after Mr Cooper, also minister of tourism, investments and aviation, told the Exuma Business Outlook conference that the Saudi government-controlled fund had “this week” agreed to reallocate funding originally headed for two Family Island airport upgrades to the long-awaited overhaul of Grand Bahama International Airport.
Referring to airport upgrades on Staniel Cay and Farmers Cay that will also be financed by Saudi money, Mr Cooper said: “Some time ago I negotiated with the Saudi Fund for Development for those airports. I expect the drawdown to happen soon, and the works there to progress quickly.
“In fact, I should also tell you, as I foreshadowed a few weeks ago, I can confirm that this week the Saudi Fund for Development has agreed to reallocate funding originally sourced for Georgetown, Exuma, and North Eleuthera that are now underway.
“They’ve agreed to reallocate for the construction of Grand Bahama
U.S.
International Airport. That’s significant progress and, as my colleague [Clay Sweeting] mentioned, we are expanding opportunities all across the islands of The Bahamas.”
Mr Cooper gave no details on the amount of financing that the Saudi government-controlled fund will inject into the Grand Bahama International Airport project, or what percentage of the funding needs this will cover. No construction timelines or completion deadlines were provided either.
The deputy prime minister’s revelations appear to signal that the Government has again altered its financing strategy for Grand Bahama’s main aviation gateway. Ryan Pinder KC, the attorney general, during the 2025-2026 Budget debate indicated that the project would be funded via the $300m net proceeds from the Government’s $1.067bn foreign currency bond issue.
These were to be deposited into the National Investment Fund, which included an aviation subfund. The Government, though, has made no further comment on this plan,
and June’s monthly fiscal report - which shows a net $345.9m repayment of foreign currency bank loans - raises questions over whether the net $300m proceeds were instead applied to pay-off/refinance existing debt.
And, just six months ago, Mr Cooper complained that the Government had been forced to secure a new financing source for the $55m North Eleuthera airport upgrade because the Saudi Fund for Development was “slow and bureaucratic in its processes” when it came to releasing the necessary funds. However, the Davis administration has now returned to this source for Grand Bahama airport.
Mr Knowles, the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce president, yesterday said the absence of specific details accompanying Mr Cooper’s financing revelation made it difficult to judge what this means for the airport project. However, he said the most vital objective is to ensure the airport has the necessary capacity in time to meet any projected increase in passenger volumes.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SUES TRUMP
By ALEX VEIGA AP Business Writer
THE US Chamber of Commerce is suing the Trump administration for imposing a $100,00 annual fee for new H-1B visa applications, claiming the fee is unlawful and would significantly harm US businesses.
In a federal lawsuit filed Thursday in Washington DC, the Chamber asks the court to declare that President Donald Trump exceeded the executive branch’s authority by imposing the fee and block federal government agencies from enforcing it. H-1B visas are meant for high-skilled jobs that tech companies find hard to fill and are primarily associated with tech workers
“As I’ve said on previous occasions, it is important that, at the time we have an increase in passenger count coming to Grand Bahama because of any other activities, including the redevelopment of the Grand Lucayan resort, we will at that time need an airport capable of coping with that volume of passengers,” Mr Knowles told Tribune Business
“That needs to be the objective of the Government, and I don’t know how it’s going to play itself out, but the Government needs to be on an itinerary that matches the demand and passenger count through that airport.”
Mr Knowles, noting that Grand Bahama residents are also keen for the US pre-clearance facility and customs to return, added:
“At the end of the day, we need an airport that meets the demand, and is capable of handling the demand that exists at that time whenever that may be. We cannot miss that boat.
“We need to have done enough homework to know what that looks like and meet it. I don’t know what the foot traffic and passenger count is going to look
ADMINISTRATION
from India. Big tech companies are the biggest user of the visa, and nearly three-quarters of those approved are from India. But there are critical workers, like teachers and doctors, who fall outside that category. The Trump administration announced the fee last month, arguing that employers were replacing American workers
like in terms of schedules over time, but whatever it is we need to meet it.”
As Grand Bahama International Airport’s owner, Mr Knowles said the Government “has a responsibility” to work with Grand Bahama Shipyard, Weller and Concord Wilshire, the Grand Lucayan purchaser, to “work out the quantum and timing of the passenger increase, and have the capacity to meet the demand. Obviously we want to ensure the airport does not become a hindrance”.
Financial sources, when informed of Mr Cooper’s announcement, questioned whether using the Saudi funds for Grand Bahama International Airport would have to be approved by Parliament given that all borrowings typically go into the Government’s consolidated fund. And they also queried if the Government will have to give a sovereign guarantee, thereby adding to the $12bn national debt.
Grand Bahama International Airport’s redevelopment has endured multiple false starts. Mr Cooper, in February 2024, pledged that demolition work will begin “within the
next 30 days” having initially announced the deal with the Government’s private sector partners in March 2023. Little work, though, has actually occurred.
Tony Myers, Bahamas Hot Mix’s (BHM) chairman, the company itself and CFAL president, Anthony Ferguson, were all members of the Bahamian investor group named as spearheading what was billed as a complete overhaul of the airport. They were joined in Aerodrome Ltd by two fellow Bahamians - Anthony Farrington, an engineer, and Greg Stuart, a businessman.
BHM’s involvement in the project was through its UK-based international arm, BHM Construction International. The group teamed with Manchester Airport Group as its operating partner, with financing for the project to be provided by UK Export Finance, the British government body. However, the Government later confirmed it elected not to “pursue” the up to $1bn in financing offered by UK Export Finance, which included $200m for Grand Bahama’s airport.
OVER $100,000 H-1B VISA FEE
with cheaper talent from overseas. Since then, the White House has said the fee won’t apply to existing visa holders and offered a form to request exemptions from the charge.
In its lawsuit, the Chamber argues that the new fee violates the immigration laws that govern the H-1B program, including the requirement that fees be based on the costs incurred by the government in processing visas.
“The President has significant authority over the entry of noncitizens into the United States, but that authority is bounded by statute and cannot directly contradict laws passed by Congress,” according to the complaint, which names the Department of
Homeland Security, the State Department and their respective cabinet secretaries as defendants.
Prior to Trump’s proclamation imposing the new fee, most H-1B visa applications cost less than $3,600, according to the Chamber.
“If implemented, that fee would inflict significant harm on American businesses, which would be forced to either dramatically increase their labor costs or hire fewer highly skilled employees for whom domestic replacements are not readily available,” according to the complaint.
The new fee is scheduled to expire after a year, but could be extended if the government determines that is in the
interest of the United States to keep it. Historically, H-1B visas have been doled out through lottery. This year, Amazon was by far the top recipient of H-1B visas with more than 10,000 awarded, followed by Tata Consultancy, Microsoft, Apple and Google. Geographically, California has the highest number of H-1B workers. Critics say H-1B spots often go to entry-level jobs, rather than senior positions with unique skill requirements. And while the programme isn’t supposed to undercut US wages or displace US workers, critics say companies can pay less by classifying jobs at the lowest skill levels, even if the specific workers hired have more experience.
Island ‘definitely saw some negatives’ after closure
SANDALS from page one
While Mr Cooper asserted that Exuma had enjoyed tourism growth of 2.2 percent in 2025 compared to pre-COVID levels, “notwithstanding the closure of Sandals”, and said the island’s economic resilience has been aided by 3,000 vacation rental rooms, other tourism operators yesterday hailed confirmation of the Beaches agreement’s upcoming signing as “amazing”.
Shona Perry, Grand Isle Resort’s general manager, told the Exuma Business Outlook that the island has “definitely seen some negatives” as a result of Sandals Emerald Bay’s closure including what was described as the loss of its “marketing might”. And Exuma had also suffered a “double whammy” with the loss of thousands of
incoming airline seats due to Silver Airways’ June 2025 collapse. Speaking to concerns over the property’s profitability, Ms Perry said: “A lot of that has to do with access to the island, but also advertisement for the island. We’ve definitely seen some negatives with Sandals closing. When the deputy prime minister spoke earlier that was amazing news for us. We are ready for Beaches to come.
“It’s our next door neighbour. We are friends. We work together. That’s great news for the island. They do have a much larger marketing budget with the Beaches brand than most of us, and we feel that has negatively affected the footfall and traffic coming to the island.
“People that know about the island, and are learning that it’s luxury, and we need to keep our rates at a certain level. It’s not
necessarily that we are struggling, but we have seen a decline this year in the ADR (average daily room rate) [compared] to years gone by,” Ms Perry added.
“We have to make adjustments. We want to do everybody proud. We want to offer the best possible product. That’s how we welcome each other, me and my team-mates, every morning. We need to have a certain ADR to give our guests the services that we need. That’s something we will monitor.”
Kerry Fountain, the Bahama Out Island Promotion Board’s executive director, said Sandals used to have Emerald Bay and Exuma-specific advertisements that disappeared with the resort’s closure.
“None of these [other] hotels right now have the budget like Sandals,” he explained to the Exuma Business Outlook.
“Not only are we missing the rooms, but we are missing their marketing might. We are also missing their influence on airlift to fly to Exuma. Thank God we were able to salvage what we have, but with Sandals and the benefits of a partner like that....”
Mr Fountain said Silver Airways’ failure, after it was unable to emerge from the Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection that it filed for in December 2024, was largely for “a huge decrease in available seats to Exuma”. For the January to July 2025 period, seat capacity was down by 11,000 or around 20 percent year-over-year.
And, based on Silver Airways’ “winter plan” dating from this time in 2024, he added that “we stand to lose another 13,000 seats this December through June. Before we start to talk about growth we need to talk about growth we
need to rebuild the seat capacity that we lost”.
Emmett Saunders, the Exuma Chamber of Commerce’s executive director, said Sandals Emerald Bay’s closure had cost the island some 90,000 available room nights annually while the impact of Silver Airways’ collapse was the absence of 16,000 seats per year.
“If you look at Silver Airways, their schedule in August last year, we had seven days a week service from Fort Lauderdale, one of our major markets,” he added. “Whether they ran the 46 or 70-seat passenger planes, that equated to about 16,000 seats per year which we lost. That’s significant, alright.
LOUISIANA JUDGE ORDERS REVIEW OF GULF COAST
By JACK BROOK Associated Press/ Report for America
A LOUISIANA judge has tossed out a key permit for a liquefied natural gas facility that won approval from President Donald Trump’s administration, ordering a state review of how the facility’s planetwarming emissions would affect Gulf Coast communities vulnerable to sea-level rise and extreme weather.
Last week, a judge from Louisiana’s 38th Judicial District Court effectively halted construction of Commonwealth LNG by ordering state regulators to analyze the facility’s climate change and environmental justice-related impacts, in conjunction with the broader LNG buildout in southwest Louisiana’s Cameron Parish.
Three of the nation’s eight existing LNG export terminals are located in Cameron Parish, and several more are proposed or under construction there.
Louisiana’s attorney general vowed to appeal the ruling, which vacated the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy’s coastal use permit for the facility.
“This is the first time any court has vacated a permit for an LNG facility based on the government’s refusal to consider climate change impacts,” said Clay Garside, an attorney representing the Sierra Club and other environmental groups.
Earlier this year, Trump reversed a Biden-era pause on exports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, as part of his goal to boost natural gas exports and promote “energy dominance.”
Last year, the Biden administration’s Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s had warned that “unfettered exports” of liquefied natural gas would increase planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions — a statement reflecting the findings of a Department of Energy report released in December.
Trump-appointed Energy Secretary Chris Wright, a fossil fuel executive, has moved to fast-track the buildout of LNG facilities, including Commonwealth LNG, which received an export authorization within weeks of Trump’s inauguration.
“Cameron Parish is ground zero for the relentless expansion of the gas export industry,” said Anne Rolfes, founder of the Louisiana Bucket Brigade, an environmental group involved in the litigation. “We’re going
to stop it and this is an important step in that process.”
Lyle Hanna, a Commonwealth LNG spokesperson, said that “we are disappointed with the District Court’s decision, and we are exploring all available legal options.”
A spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy declined to comment, citing the potential of pending litigation. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said that the state planned to appeal.
“Sadly even state court judges are not immune from climate activism,” Murrill said.
Last year, a federal appeals court in Washington, DC, had ordered the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reassess Commonwealth LNG’s air pollution, including its greenhouse gas emissions. In June, the commission gave the project a greenlight on the grounds that its construction was in the public interest.
In regulatory filings, the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy said that “climate change is currently beyond the scope” of the state’s regulatory review.
But District Judge Penelope Richard rejected this position, saying state environmental regulators have a duty to consider how the LNG facility, along with others clustered nearby, would impact extreme weather events, storm severity and sea-level rise in a state where a football fieldworth of land disappears every 100 minutes.
Richard also ordered state regulators to analyse the facility’s impacts on local communities, especially those living in poverty or relying on fishing for their livelihoods — which she noted was the “defining characteristic” of the parish.
While the facility could destroy marshes, harm water quality and displace residents, the judge wrote, “none of it was considered in terms of impacts on environmental justice communities”.
Commercial fisherman Eddie LeJuine, a lifelong Cameron Parish resident, applauded the ruling.
Mr LeJuine said the buildout of LNG infrastructure, including dredging for shipping channels, has significantly harmed the fishing industry.
“The fishermen are barely hanging on with a thread,” LeJuine said. “These plants are killing the estuary and killing our livelihoods. We’re getting extinct.” In August, a
dredging channel being developed by LNG firm Venture Global leaked into a nearby estuary. Local fishermen like LeJuine say the onslaught of saltwater and sediment will kill off large amounts of oyster, crab and fish. Venture Global, which is in the process of constructing a second LNG export terminal in the parish, said it is “committed to conservation” and is working with state regulators and the community to respond to the incident.
Mr Fountain revealed that, for the January to August 2025 period, Exuma hotels that are members of the Bahama Out Island Promotion Board generated around 10,000 room nights sold for the period. This, together with room revenues, was off by around 10 percent compared to the same period in 2024, but each was up by 31.59 percent and 37 percent, respectively, against preCOVID 2019 levels.
Candice Moncur, senior mistress at LN Coakley School, said Sandals closure had been “a huge blow” to the school’s careers and technical/vocational training as it had been its biggest supporter.
“Now we look at Sandals. We lost from Sandals... we look at 247 hotel rooms with two persons in each hotel room. Two hundred and forty-seven hotel rooms available each day of the year. That equates to 90,000 available room nights. Hoteliers understand what I’m talking about. That is significant. These are two points: Airlift and hotel availability.”
DPM: Exuma must ‘double or triple’ housing inventory
SHORTAGE from page one
Addressing the same conference, he said: “We are projected to add 400500 hotel rooms and luxury residences by 2026. These projects are expected to generate hundreds of construction jobs and up to 400 permanent hospitality and corporate roles as well as significant entrepreneurial opportunities.”
Touting projects such as the Aman resort targeting Children’s Bay Cay, plus the $270m Torch Cay investment and $100m private
development on Stocking Island, Mr Cooper, who is also Exuma’s MP, added: “We have attracted about $2bn in investment for Exuma and its cays.”
However, Ms Perry said later: “We talk about 500 new hotel rooms, all the planes, great, but in my head I’m like: ‘Who’s going to work in these hotels?’ because that’s a true issue that we have at the moment.”
She described skilled labour as “truly missing on this island and we struggle every day. We have open positions and we are
constantly looking to those.. We need the skilled labour. That’s what’s missing”. Ms Perry said maintenance technicians were a particular area of need.
Meanwhile, Patrick Harrington, a member of the Peace & Plenty’s ownership group, said the combined effect of Sandals Emerald Bay’s closure and Silver Airways’ June 2025 collapse has been to raise round-trip air fares for a 45-minute flight between Miami and Exuma to an “outrageous” $1,000 - even up to $3,000 - with carriers such as American Airlines
still providing service to the island.
Mr Cooper, in response, said the Government and Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation believes soaring air fares are “not going to be an issue for the long haul” given the imminent increase in airlift from the US and Canada.
Instead, he argued that “we have a room shortage in Exuma and airline capacity will follow the available rooms, so I say to you at Peace & Plenty, build more rooms. Build it and they will come”. However, Mr Cooper admitted that
Exuma “needs to double or triple the current stock” of residential accommodation that the island currently possesses to sustain present economic growth levels.
The minister of tourism, investments and aviation added that the Government, via the Ministry of Housing, “has allocated 40 acres of land behind the clinic area and in the Moss Town area to provide affordable housing for residents who live and work here. We anticipate that these developments will begin in earnest in 2026”.
Mr Cooper said discussions have also begun with a “well-known international city planning firm to design a new Town Centre plan for Georgetown” as part of his, and his team’s, Vision 2040 initiative for the island.
Pledging that all stakeholders will be involved and consulted on its development, he added: “Included in this proposal is to relocate the port out of downtown Georgetown, freeing up some waterfront land for cultural, commercial and heritage activity.”
ENERGY DEPARTMENT OFFERS $1.6 BILLION LOAN GUARANTEE TO UPGRADE TRANSMISSION LINES ACROSS MIDWEST
By MATTHEW DALY Associated Press
THE Department of Energy said Thursday it has
finalized a $1.6 billion loan guarantee to a subsidiary of one of the nation’s largest power companies to upgrade nearly 5,000 miles of transmission lines across five states, mostly in the Midwest, for largely fossil fuel-run energy.
AEP Transmission will upgrade power lines in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma and West Virginia to enhance enhance grid reliability and capacity, the Energy Department said. The project, first offered under the Biden administration, is meant to help meet surging electricity demand from data centers and artificial intelligence.
Ohio-based American Electric Power, which owns AEP Transmission, is one of the nation’s largest utilities, serving 5.6 million customers in 11 states. It primarily produces electricity from coal, natural gas and nuclear power, along with renewable resources such as wind and hydroelectric power.
Thursday’s announcement deepens the Trump administration’s commitment to traditional, polluting energy sources even as it works to discourage the U.S. from clean energy use.
Earlier this month, the administration cancelled $7.6 billion in grants that supported hundreds of clean energy projects in 16 states, all of which voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in last year’s presidential election. A total of 223 projects were terminated after a review determined they did not adequately advance the nation’s energy needs or were not economically viable, the Energy Department said. The cancellations include up to $1.2 billion for California’s hydrogen hub
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 10th day of October 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence,
aimed at developing cleanburning hydrogen fuels to power ships and heavy-duty trucks. A hydrogen project costing up to $1 billion in the Pacific Northwest also was cancelled.
The loan guarantee finalized Thursday is the first offered by the Trump administration under the recently renamed Energy Dominance Financing
program created by the massive tax-and-spending law approved this summer by congressional Republicans and signed by President Donald Trump. Electric utilities that receive loans through the program must provide assurances to the government that financial benefits from the financing will be passed on to customers, the Energy
NOTICE is
Department said.
The project and others being considered will help ensure that Americans “will have access to affordable, reliable and secure energy for decades to come,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement.
“The president has been clear: America must reverse course from the energy subtraction agenda of past administrations and strengthen our electrical grid,’’ Wright said, adding that modernizing the grid and expanding transmission capacity “will help position the United States to win the AI race and grow our manufacturing base.”
The upgrades supported by the federal financing will replace existing transmission lines in existing rights-of-way with new lines capable of carrying more energy, the power company said.
More than 2,000 miles of transmission lines in Ohio serving 1.5 million people will be replaced, along with more than 1,400 miles in Indiana and Michigan serving 600,000 customers, the company said. An additional 1,400 miles in Oklahoma, serving about 1.2 million people and 26 miles in West Virginia, serving 460,000 people, will be replaced.
The projects will create about 1,100 construction jobs, the company said.
The loan guarantee will save customers money and improve reliability while supporting economic growth in the five states, said Bill Fehrman, AEP’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “The funds we will save through this program enable us to make additional investments to enhance service
for our customers,” he added.
Wright, in a conference call with reporters, distinguished the AEP loan guarantee from a $4.9 billion federal loan guarantee the department cancelled in July. That money would have boosted the planned Grain Belt Express, a new high-voltage transmission line set to deliver solar and wind-generated electricity from the Midwest to eastern states.
The Energy Department said at the time it was “not critical for the federal government to have a role” in the first phase of the $11 billion project planned by Chicago-based Invenergy. The department also questioned whether the project could meet strict financial conditions required, a claim Wright repeated Thursday.
“Ultimately that is a commercial enterprise that needs private developers,” Wright said. The company has indicated the Grain Belt project will go forward. Trump and Wright have repeatedly derided wind and solar energy as unreliable and opposed efforts to combat climate change by moving away from fossil fuels. Wright said the Grain Belt Express loan was among billions of dollars worth of commitments “rushed out the door” in the waning days of former President Joe Biden’s administration.
The loan guarantee to AEP was among those conditionally approved under Biden, a fact Wright acknowledged to reporters.
“Not all of the (Bidenera) projects were nonsense,” he said, adding that he was “happy to move forward” with the transmission upgrade.
NOTICE is hereby given that RALPH KEVENSON HERCULE of
The
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 17th day of October 2025 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas.
ENERGY Secretary Chris Wright listens as President Donald Trump meets with Argentina’s President Javier Milei in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Tuesday. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP
TRUMP ANNOUNCES A DEAL WITH A MANUFACTURER TO MAKE A COMMON FERTILITY DRUG CHEAPER FOR IVF PATIENTS
By ALI SWENSON, MICHELLE L PRICE and LAURA UNGAR Associated Press
DRUGMAKER EMD
Serono will reduce the cost of a common fertility medication through a deal struck with the Trump administration, President Donald Trump said Thursday while also unveiling new federal guidance he said will encourage employers to offer fertility coverage.
The new guidance will allow companies to offer fertility benefits separate from major medical insurance plans, like they do with dental and vision plans, Trump said.
“We want to make it easier for all couples to have babies, raise children and start the families they have always dreamed about,” Trump said.
The Oval Office announcement offers a first glimpse at how Trump plans to follow up on his executive order earlier this year aiming to reduce the cost of in vitro fertilization, a medical procedure that helps people facing infertility build their families. But it falls far short of his promise as a candidate to make IVF treatment free. It marks the third deal the administration has made with pharmaceutical companies to cut drug prices in recent weeks.
EMD Serono’s Gonal-f is among several drugs frequently used by patients going through IVF treatments — which involve using hormones to trigger ovulation, producing multiple eggs that are retrieved from the ovaries to be fertilized or frozen. The drugs can be expensive, often costing patients thousands of dollars for a single IVF cycle. Many patients trying to get pregnant through IVF go through more than one cycle.
The White House and EMD Serono said the drug,
along with all its other IVF medications, will be available at a discount on TrumpRx, a government website where patients will be able to buy drugs directly from manufacturers. The Trump administration contends that the new website, which is expected to be running in 2026, will cut pharmaceutical costs by allowing people to buy them without a middleman.
Trump said the Food and Drug Administration will also be working with EMD Serono to expedite approval of another one of its fertility drugs available in Europe, called Pergoveris. Dr Mehmet Oz, who
heads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said that as a result of the changes: “There are going to be a lot of Trump babies. I think that’s probably a good thing.”
Thursday’s announcement comes after Trump issued a February executive order pledging to make IVF more affordable. During his campaign last year, Trump pledged that if he was elected, he would make IVF treatment free.
“Under the Trump administration, your government will pay for — or your insurance company will be mandated to pay for — all costs associated with IVF treatment,” he said
at an event in Michigan.
“Because we want more babies, to put it nicely.”
That pledge came in the wake of growing pressure after his Supreme Court nominees helped overturn the right to abortion in Roe v. Wade that kicked off an effort in GOP-led states to impose new restrictions, including some that have threatened access to IVF by trying to define life as beginning at conception.
Asked on Thursday about conservatives who have religious objections to IVF and are critical of his support for it, Trump said he wasn’t aware of those views.
“I don’t know about the views of that,” Trump said. “I’m just looking to do something because, you know, pro-life, I think this is very pro-life.”
“You can’t get more prolife than this,” he added.
Roger Shedlin, CEO of the fertility and family building benefits company WIN, on Wednesday expressed excitement about what he called “steps in the right direction.”
“Any initiative that addresses the cost of drugs will have a material positive impact on the overall cost of the fertility cycle,” he said.
Corinn O’Brien, 39, of Birmingham, Alabama, said
anything to lower the costs of IVF would be “huge for families.”
O’Brien said she underwent three rounds of IVF and gave birth to a daughter in June. Each time, the drugs would cost anywhere from around $1,000 to $5,000.
She said covering the whole IVF cycle “ultimately would be a game changer for families,” but helping with the cost of drugs “is progress and is much appreciated.”
O’Brien added it would be great if more employers would cover fertility services because, for many, “this is their only chance to expand their family.”
Giorgio Armani group names luxury veteran and longtime manager Giuseppe Marsocci as new CEO
By GIADA ZAMPANO Associated Press
THE Armani fashion house said on Thursday it has appointed luxury veteran and longtime manager Giuseppe Marsocci as its new chief executive officer, following the death of its founder last month at 91.
Marsocci, 61, who has been with the Armani group in top roles for 23 years, both in Italy and abroad, takes the lead at a crucial time for the fashion empire, one of the most valuable and best-known companies in the country.
The late Giorgio Armani instructed his heirs to sell an initial 15% minority stake in his vast fashion business not before one year and within 18 months of his death, with preference given to the French conglomerate LVMH, the eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica or the cosmetics company L’Oreal.
Armani gave control of 40% of his business empire to his longtime collaborator and head of menswear Leo Dell’Orco, and another 15% each to niece Silvana Armani, the head of womenswear, and nephew
Andrea Camerana. The Armani Foundation, which he established in 2016 as a succession vehicle, will control the remaining 30%.
Marsocci has worked side by side with Armani in the global management of the business as deputy managing director and global chief
commercial officer.
“The appointment is an important confirmation of the united will of the Armani family to continue
the project that Giorgio Armani has built and sustained for 50 years,” the group said. Armani was a rarity in
Italian fashion, retaining tight control of his fashion empire in the face of advances from LVMH and Gucci, now part of the Kering group, and from Kering itself, as well as the Fiat-founding Agnelli family heirs.
Marsocci’s appointment was unanimously proposed by the Armani Foundation. He will report to the board of directors chaired by Dell’Orco, while Silvana Armani will be appointed as vice president.
Dell’Orco praised Marsocci’s “international professional experience, deep knowledge of the sector and the company, discretion, loyalty, and team spirit, together with his closeness to Mr Armani in recent years.”
Marsocci acknowledged the challenges facing his new role, in an increasingly competitive luxury market, and pledged continuity with Armani’s style.
“We will do everything to perpetuate the (Giorgio Armani) business model and his idea of beauty, and we will carry it forward with consistency and sensitivity, taking into account the values and expectations of a changing world,” he said.
MARINE FORECAST
During troubled times in news industry, 168-year-old Atlantic
thrives
with newspaper-magazine hybrid
By DAVID BAUDER
AP Media Writer
JEFFREY Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine, isn’t modest in his goals. “We want The Atlantic to be the greatest writer’s collective on the planet,” he said in a recent interview.
To that end, he’s added nearly 50 new journalists to his staff this year, financed in part by circulation growth that accelerated after a scoop that fell in his lap in March, when Goldberg was accidentally added to a text chain of Trump administration officials talking about an impending military attack.
A publication that began in 1857 is defying the trends of a troubled media industry. The Atlantic is returning to publishing monthly two decades after dropping to 10 issues a
year and experimenting with a magazine-newspaper hybrid online fueled by its competitive stable of writers.
“There are so few news organisations ... that are profitable, that are growing, that are doing great journalism, that have scoops and long-form and podcasts and live events,” said Ashley Parker, one of the new hires. “To be at one of the places that’s doing all of that is just awesome.”
A PRESIDENTIAL SUBSCRIBER AT THE VERY BEGINNING
The Atlantic’s November issue is a 148-page examination of the “unfinished revolution,” timed to coincide with Ken Burns’ PBS documentary on the American Revolution. The Atlantic’s origins may not trace that far back, but it
was started prior to the Civil War by opponents of slavery. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Herman Melville, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Nathaniel Hawthorne were among the renowned writers to sign its mission statement. Abraham Lincoln subscribed.
The Atlantic now has 1.4 million subscribers, a little more than half of them digital only. That’s up from about 400,000 print subscribers in the late 2010s, when the website was not behind a pay wall.
“The whole industry has been through two decades of ‘how do we survive, what do we do, how do we figure this out?’” Goldberg said.
“The answer is always there — it’s make high-quality journalism and show the readers of that journalism why it’s worth paying for it. Knock on wood, it’s working.”
If it were that easy, he’d have a lot more company. It helps to have a dedicated ownership group, the Emerson collective, led by billionaire Laurene Powell Jobs.
The Atlantic’s circulation grew by 14% in both 2023 and 2024, the magazine said. By the middle of 2025, readership was up 20% over the previous year, and The Atlantic set records of single-day and one-week circulation gains the week after posting Goldberg’s piece about finding himself on a Signal group chat with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others.
“I’ve told that directly to Donald Trump,” Goldberg said. “You in some ways are like our marketing director. Every time you attack me or The Atlantic, people subscribe.”
TWO PULITZERS FOR
THEIR FIRST ARTICLES IN THE ATLANTIC
The Atlantic’s writing staff includes Jennifer Senior and Caitlin Dickerson, who each won Pulitzer Prizes for their first magazine features — Senior on how the family of 26-yearold Bobby McIlvaine dealt with his death on September 11, 2001, Dickerson on the first Trump administration’s policy separating migrant children from their families.
Anne Applebaum, herself a Pulitzer-winning author, covers national security with Vivian Salama and Nancy Youssef. Mark Leibovich, Tim Alberta, Jonathan Chait and Jonathan Lemire write on politics. Vann R Newkirk II wrote a vivid look-back recently on Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier’s memorable third fight.
The Atlantic has also taken advantage of turmoil at the Washington Post to poach about 20 of its journalists, including legendary sportswriter Sally Jenkins, humorist Alexandra Petri and political writers Michael Scherer, Isaac Stanley-Becker and Parker.
“I’m not happy about the travails of The Washington Post — I started at The Washington Post — but I am happy to bring in excellent colleagues,” Goldberg said.
Parker described The Atlantic as a dream job, and said she appreciates the chance to do magazinestyle writing with more of a voice. “For every one of my colleagues at The Atlantic who also came from the Post, none of it felt like fleeing,” she said. “It all felt like it was going someplace that was affirmatively exciting.”
Parker has collaborated with Scherer on a cover piece about President Donald Trump’s return to power, and wrote a personal essay about a miscarriage. She’s also written about the Trump family’s closeness with assassinated activist Charlie Kirk, cabinet members’ obsession about how they look on TV and Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy arts centre.
Those last three illustrate the hybrid The Atlantic is seeking online — stories that make or enlighten people about news. “We’re not a
newspaper,” Goldberg said, “but we’re trying to be part of the conversation every single day of the year.” The effort to bring magazine-style analysis and new ways of looking at breaking stories is still a work in progress, Parker notes. Among the most-read stories on the site Thursday were Helen Lewis’ piece on a Saudi Arabian comedy festival, a story by Idrees Kahloon on lower education standards and David Brooks’ essay on the need for a mass movement against autocracy.
REIMAGINING THE
DEFINITION OF A MAGAZINE FOR A MODERN ERA
While some online stories are “hot takes” that don’t necessarily work, Goldberg deserves credit for reimagining the definition of a magazine at a time of rapid change, said Jeff Jarvis, author of “Magazine,” a book about the genre’s history and downfall in the Internet age.
“I think he’s a bit of a savior of the genre and of the community of magazine writers,” he said. Jarvis also credits Justin Smith, a former Atlantic executive and currently co-founder of Semafor, for creating a series of new products that put The Atlantic on a more solid financial footing before Goldberg’s takeover as editor-in-chief in 2016. Goldberg’s idea of the “perfect” Atlantic story is beautiful writing, energised by deep reporting with a clear argument and the writer’s voice audible. He wants to entertain and educate, and loves it when a reader becomes absorbed in a story about a topic they might not otherwise have sought out.
“The goal is orchestral, if you will,” he said. “The goal is to have enough different sorts of stories on the site and in print so that there is something for everyone.”
So does he believe he’s reached his goal of gathering the world’s best collection of writers?
“Of course I think that,” he said. “I could always add more, but pound for pound this is the best journalism staff in the world. We’re not the biggest. I couldn’t imagine being the biggest. But the goal is to be the best.”
JEFFREY GOLDBERG, editor in chief of The Atlantic.