01282026 BUSINESS

Misgivings over Govt’s GB Power ‘acquisition’

BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

MISGIVINGS were last night voiced about the Government’s planned purchase of Grand Bahama Power Company after it was confirmed that the Prime Minister was referring to an “acquisition” as opposed to just taking regulatory “control” over the energy monopoly.

Latrae Rahming, the Prime Minister’s communications director, in messaged replies to Tribune Business said the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Emera that Philip Davis KC revealed yesterday “sets out the framework” for purchasing GB Power from the Canadian energy giant although

PM unveils

• PM’s Office confirms Emera MoU is purchase ‘framework’

he did not provide further details.

“This is an acquisition,”

Mr Rahming confirmed in response to this newspaper. Asked how the deal is being structured, and how much the Government is paying for what appears to be a controlling interest in GB Power based on the Prime Minister’s comments, he added: “This MoU sets out the framework for the

$100m GB airport start, little on Grand Lucayan

BY FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

THE Prime Minister yesterday gave no meaningful update on the Government’s progress in closing the Grand Lucayan’s sale while unveiling a $100m first phase redevelopment of Grand Bahama International Airport that is now said to finally be underway.

Philip Davis KC, after a Cabinet meeting in Grand Bahama, said this phase will include facilities for both international travel and US pre-clearance within a 100,000 square foot terminal capable of handling up to 500,000 passengers annually, with the option to expand capacity to one million.

“Phase one of the Grand Bahama International Airport redevelopment represents a critical part of this growth strategy. With a capital expenditure of over $100m, phase one will deliver a new modern terminal designed to accommodate demand of up to 500,000 passengers annually with ability to expand to one million,” said Mr Davis.

“The facility will include an international and US pre-clearance, with a terminal footprint of approximately 100,000 square feet alongside new taxiways, expanded apron space and upgraded roadways and parking.” Mr Davis said the project has now moved from the planning stage into actual construction, with the contractor, Polycon, hiring Bahamas Hot Mix (BHM) o begin site preparation.

“Additionally the Government has mobilised Polycon, the construction company carrying out works for the Grand Bahama International Airport, and Polycon has engaged Bahamas Hot Mix to commence on-site preparation works,” said Mr Davis.

“This marks an important transition from planning into physical activity on the ground, and it reflects our commitment to moving this project forward in a responsible and orderly way.”

Tribune Business sources confirmed heavy equipment was present at the airport yesterday, with a worker seemingly conducting site inspection and surveying. Mr Davis said extensive environmental and flood mitigation work is also being carried out to prevent future flooding, and the airport is expected to be completed within the next 18 months.

• Deal raises concerns given Gov’ts ‘track record’ with BPL

acquisition to be completed. Once done you’ll have your answers.”

Mr Davis himself, when asked how quickly Grand Bahama businesses and households would feel the benefits of lower energy costs and rates as a result of the deal, replied that the deal set-up by the MoU will likely take two to three months to close. “As soon as the transaction is closed,”

• PM says ‘60-90 days’ closing; more than regulatory ‘control’

he promised, “and we estimate it will take about 60 to 90 days for the closing.”

The Prime Minister, in his address on the Government’s plans to revive Grand Bahama’s economy, was not clear over whether the MoU deal represented an acquisition of GB Power or simply his administration gaining more regulatory control and oversight of the utility in a bid to harmonise

‘Streamline’ digital bank fees and KYC for real estate deals

BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

A BAHAMIAN realtor yesterday renewed calls to “streamline” the process for completing property purchases by creating a central Know Your Customer (KYC) database while also lowering bank fees related to electronic payments transactions.

David Morley, Morley Realty’s owner/broker, told Tribune Business that fees for electronic payments are “a thorn in my side” as the fees incurred by both

parties appear to be creeping “higher and higher” despite the need for minimal human involvement. Warning that this could undermine the Central Bank and commercial banking industry’s drive to drastically reduce, if not eliminate, the use of paper-based cheques, he also urged The Bahamas to focus on making the process for completing real estate deals easier following the “extra steps” that were introduced with the 2025-2026 Budget.

Mr Morley also called for The Bahamas to simplify, and

Grand Bahama’s electricity costs and future energy-related developments with the rest of The Bahamas.

He touted the MoU as the “first time” that the Bahamian government has gained “control” of GB Power since the Hawksbill Creek Agreement,

make more efficient, the scrutiny that international and local real estate buyers must endure, as well as other investors, in complying with the Financial Transactions Reporting Act. He argued that this nation should follow other jurisdictions in establishing a central authority, or database, that is able to issue legitimate investors with KYC certificates that are valid for at least five years.

Freeport’s founding treaty, was signed in 1955 and pledged that it would end “the long-standing disparity” between electricity prices on Grand Bahama and the rest of the country.

“This MOU reflects a shared commitment to explore a new path forward for energy in Grand Bahama. When completed, this would mark the first time the Government of The Bahamas could control the power company since the Hawksbill Creek Agreement was signed,” Mr Davis asserted yesterday.

“This is important because it will result in universal electricity rates across The Bahamas, ending a long-standing disparity between Grand Bahama and the rest of the

• Realtor renews calls for central compliance authority

• Brands creeping banking fees as ‘thorn in my side’

• Reforms add ‘extra steps’ to real estate closings

“We keep battling with the ease of doing business in the country even for people buying real estate. It’s the same old ones,” Mr Morley told this newspaper. “If we could stop, get together as a group and figure out how to streamline the process. It’s a challenge with the Department of Inland Revenue, especially with the changes in

Police: Financial crime reports hit five-year high

BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

FINANCIAL crimes reported to the Royal Bahamas Police Force hit a five-year high in 2025, it was revealed yesterday, but a well-known forensic accountant suggested the increase was unlikely to have been driven by a surge in such offences.

John Bain, of JSB Global Solutions, told Tribune Business there was no cause for Bahamian businesses and the wider public to panic or “worry” over the 55.3 percent increase in fraud and other financial crime complaints, which rose from 611 in 2024 to 949 last year according to police statistics unveiled yesterday.

He argued that the rise was likely driven by “more reporting” of such offences to the authorities, rather than an increase in actual incidents of financial crime, with fraud by false pretences; stealing by reason of

employment; and stealing by reason of service all hitting postCOVID five-year highs in 2025. Reported frauds “by false pretences” increased by 38.5 percent year-over-year, growing from 382 in 2024 to 529, while “stealing by reason of employment” almost tripled from 35 the previous year to 90 in 2025. And “stealing by reason” of service reports more than-quadrupled from 41 in 2024 to 195 a year later.

However, Mr Bain told this newspaper the figures likely reflect the fact that businesses are now “more comfortable” reporting employee theft and other financial crimes to the police having shed past fears of “reputational risk” whenever they fell victim to such crimes. And, with advances in technology, he added that the Royal Bahamas Police Force is “better prepared” and equipped to investigate and prosecute so-called ‘white collar’ crimes.

Planning authority: Rosewood project’s hearing followed law

BY NEIL HARTNELL Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN planning authorities yesterday defended the public consultation meeting over the $200m Rosewood Exuma project as being fully compliant with all legal requirements while pledging to hold a second hearing to generate greater feedback.

“There shouldn’t be a need to worry about the increase,” Mr Bain, who specialises in forensic, insolvency and information technology (IT) audit services, said of the financial crime data. “I would say that there’s probably been more reporting than an actual increase in incidents.

“Nowadays, people are more inclined to report. There’s the technology and people feel more comfortable about reporting than in days past. Second, from a business point of view, there was once the fear of reputational OFFENCE - See Page B4

Ms Wallace provided no details on the second

Jehan Wallace, acting director of the Department of Physical Planning, told Tribune Business in an e-mailed reply that the February 5, 2026, consultation at Black Point All-Age School complies with the 14-day notice that the Planning and Subdivision Act mandates must be given to the public of such an event. However, she promised that the Department will hold a second meeting on the East Sampson Cay project that has come under fire from neighbouring resorts and a collection of other Exuma-based businesses, plus others over its scale and perceived environmental impact - all issues that have been countered by the developer.

meeting, and it was subsequently unclear whether the planning regulator or the Rosewood Exuma’s developer is organising that consultation. Miami-based Yntegra Group, in a release, itself announced “a second public meeting as part of its site plan approval process to ensure greater community engagement”. Ms Wallace, responding to threats of fresh legal action by Turtlegrass Resort and Island Club, the immediate neighbour for the Rosewood Exuma project, unless next week’s site plan approval hearing was suspended for alleged

“procedural unfairness” and failing to comply with legal requirements, defended the Department’s compliance with the law.

“It is within the right of the Turtlegrass resort and their attorneys to take whatever action they see fit,” she said. “However, according to the Planning and Subdivision Act 2010’s section 42, part seven: ‘The hearing of an application shall be held by the [Town Planning] Committee within two months after the complete application is received by the Department, and

BTC set to accelerate Air wireless Internet roll-out

THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) has launched the next phase of its BTC Air roll-out across the Family Islands in a bid to extend fibre-class wireless broadband Internet to more communities.

The carrier, in a statement, said BTC Air will be expanded across Eleuthera, Exuma, Mangrove Cay, Cat Island and Long Island starting next month, with an expected completion date of end-June for the roll-out across all islands.

The new network and associated infrastructure was first launched in Bimini in August 2025, upgrading the entire island and decommissioning BTC’s aged copper network. BTC Air has also been rolled out in pockets of Eleuthera.

BTC said that, to-date, more than 50 percent of customers in Eleuthera have been upgraded. It is now focused on completing its upgrades on Eleuthera, while working concurrently to accelerate the roll-out in the other islands.

“Access to fast, reliable Internet should be universal, not exclusive,” said BTC chief executive Sameer Bhatti. “Our Family Islands matter deeply to us, and this significant investment is about doing right by those communities by delivering world class broadband everywhere, closing the digital divide and creating new possibilities across our entire archipelago.

“We are profoundly grateful for their loyalty and support over the years, and we acknowledge and apologise for the times our service has fallen short of what they deserve. This roll-out is more than just faster Internet; it is about empowering all Bahamians

with the tools to compete globally right here at home, whether they are running a business, studying online or connecting with family abroad.”

BTC said the network’s roll-out will create opportunities for Family Islanders, as field technicians will be required to support planning, installation, operations and customer experience with targeted recruitment and training programmes focused on Family Island residents.

Interested persons can send their resume to jobs@ btcbahamas.com. On-island training will begin in the second week of February. BTC will also seek to onboard on-island services for maintenance, support for power and general services.

Dominic Petty, BTC’s recently-appointed head of Family Island technical operations, will lead the 2026 BTC Air rollout. “Our Family Islands deserve the same quality of service, and with this new network we are now finally able to deliver that consistently and at scale,” he said.

BTC Air is designed to support the growing demand for streaming, online education, remote work and digital entrepreneurship in the Family Islands, with packages that combine high-speed Internet, access to television on demand including ZNS, and landline services.

BTC said that by leveraging advanced next generation fixed wireless access, it can rapidly extend capacity to new communities and help to accelerate upgrades. As BTC Air is fully rolled, the carrier will decommission and remove its copper network.

Fears that Gov’t developing ‘another Pinewood Gardens’

BY ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter anixon@tribunemedia.net

THE Government was yesterday accused of making “a deliberate decision to create another Pinewood Gardens” over its plans to locate the $30m, 147-unit affordable housing Premier Estates subdivision in the flood-prone Perpall Tract area.

Terry Miller, executive director of the Bahamas Association for Social Health (BASH), and founder of EARTH Village, said “an alarm has been sounded- an alarm that cannot be ignored” over plans to locate Premier Estates near a former wellfield site

Mr Miller argued that it was the worst place for large-scale construction, adding: “This land was selected decades ago as the Perpall Tract wellfield for one reason: It’s low water table, it’s wetland characteristics.

“This forest is a natural sponge. It absorbs, slows and regulates water. In late September 2025, just after the worst flooding BASH has ever experienced (Tropical Storm Imelda), I personally walked this land

and recorded water levels. For nearly half a mile, I waded through knee-deep water.

“To build a housing subdivision here is to knowingly manufacture a future disaster. It is to deliberately create another Pinewood Gardens. That is not development. That is gross short-sightedness. And the people who will pay the price are not policymakers; they are residents, homeowners, schoolchildren and working families in surrounding communities.,” Mr Miller added.

“I am here because an alarm has been sounded - an alarm that cannot be ignored. What appears to be unfolding before us is a plan by the Government of The Bahamas to clear and destroy the EARTH Village [and] Perpall Tract Wellfield Forest, one of the last significant remaining natural forest systems in New Providence.”

Mr Miller urged “environmental stakeholders, the Bahamas National Trust, the University of The Bahamas, high school graduates and educators, schools in the surrounding areas, residents who will suffer the consequences of increased flooding” and “every Bahamian who believes natural

spaces still matter to” to join him on January 29 at 11am. He said they will walk the forest and “see what is at stake”.

“When you walk through the entrance to that forest, you will immediately leave New Providence,” Mr Miller said. “You will know that you're in a different land. You'll be transported into a place, a forest, that it could be anywhere in the world. The question before us is simple: Will we be the generation that protected it or the generation that destroyed it and pretended that we didn't know?”

Mr Miller alleged that studies are currently being conducted to prepare for the cutting of the roadways in the forest. He added that last week, while hosting a tour for a group of children, they could hear the tractor cutting through the forest. He said the new $287m hospital, also slated to be built in the Perpall Tract area, will not have as great of an impact on the wetland as a subdivision being built in the immediate area.

“We've already seen what is happening as it relates to climate change,” Mr Miller said. “Water levels are rising. All of that is already affecting us. We know that this is a fight that has been

ongoing for you for some years now.

“When we were in the back there yesterday, there were a number of people back there. And when they approached them, one of the men said they were told not to say anything to anyone. If anyone approached you, not to say anything to anyone. They were not allowed to tell us what was going on. So, obviously, they do not want us to know what is going on. They want to do it the way they did it originally, and then when it's done to present it to us.”

When asked if he was positive the persons were working for the Government, Mr Miller replied: “I'm not certain but I would put my little finger on the chopping block for it. Not my whole hand. I'll take that shot at it, because an individual developer wouldn't be as bold as thatwhat they're doing. And the people that we're talking about who gave that message was from the Ministry of Environment. So, yeah, the Government's hand is in it somewhere along the line.”

The forest, Miller added, was assessed by Dr Ethan

BTC expands fleet of electric vehicles

BY ANNELIA NIXON Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) yesterday said it has teamed with EV Motors over a ten-strong electric vehicle fleet to aid customer service.

Drexel Woods, BTC’s director of technology operations, said the addition of the new Karry Electric

cargo vans will help the carrier keep customers connected with fast and reliable service. He also noted that the vehicles will support The Bahamas’ goal of adopting cleaner energy.

“Through our partnership with EV Motors, we are rolling out electric cargo vans built specifically for every day commercial use,” he said. “For our customers, this means our technicians will get to you more quickly, respond more efficiently and resolve issues fasterless waiting, fewer delays and a smoother overall experience.

“But this isn't just about service. It's about doing what's right by moving from fuel-powered vans to electric vehicles. We're supporting The Bahamas’ national goals around EV adoption and cleaner energy. We are making sure BTC's operation reflects the kind of future we all want - one that's more resilient and more environmentally responsible.

“Our electric vans will be hitting here right now in New Providence, where we can make an immediate impact. As we keep expanding, you'll see these vehicles in the Family Islands as well, making sure customers around the country benefit from faster response time and greener operations. We're taking a phased approach so we can grow smartly without ever compromising the service our customers rely on.” Electric vans on the Family Islands, according to Mr Woods, will be a phased approach. He said every year persons will see more of these BTC vehicles.

“They [electric cargo vans] offer practicality, efficiency, what businesses today need,” he said. “And those advantages directly benefit our customers through field support and quicker on-site service. And this is just the beginning.

“Alongside this initiative, we're continuing to modernise our network,

transitioning from copper to fibre and reducing our overall energy footprint. You'll see more electric vehicles joining our fleet as we build a future-ready network that keeps customer experience at the centre of every decision and every investment.”

Byron McCartney, director of enterprise sales at EV Motors, added: “This is an important moment for BTC and the entire Bahamas. The Bahamas is witnessing BTC transition from a traditional telecommunications company into a technology company, and we're proud to be one of the leading partners in the automotive space.

“We're proud as the leading partner to support this transition with the delivery of ten Karry commercial cargo vans that will allow BTC to not only deliver to its customers in more efficiency and style, but to also continue to protect The Bahamas for generations to come.”

A FARMERS’ market

that has attracted hundreds of residents, visitors and Atlantis employees since launching last year on Paradise Island is set to host its next event on February 7.

The market, which is sponsored by the Agricultural Development Organisation (ADO Bahamas) together with Atlantis and the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources, seeks to bring fresh produce straight from the farm to customers on Paradise Island and help foster a healthier lifestyle and diet.

Philip Smith, the ADO executive chairman, hailed the event as a great opportunity for farmers, food processors, Paradise Island residents and visitors. Locally-grown fruits and vegetables will be showcased, along with juices, spices, cakes, bread and other crafts. A dozen vendors are set to take part.

“The greatest benefit to this is health,” said Mr Smith. “Imported food often has so many additives. I think a lot of non-communicable diseases come from what we eat, including obesity, diabetes and many others. From a health perspective, it is huge to make sure our diet is healthy and fresh. Eat what we grow and grow what we eat.”

“Coming to Atlantis, you have the residents of Paradise Island, the restaurants, the yachts and

staff. We want to get farmers and food producers to the market. Farmers are focused on farming and don’t do a lot of marketing, so we wanted to assist in that regard.

“One of the best ways to motivate and encourage these farmers and food processors is to assist in making their businesses financially successful, and we thank Atlantis president, Audrey Oswell, and her team for all their assistance.”

Atlantis has promoted the market to visitors, advertising it on the screen at the Sir Sidney Poitier bridge as well as on its TVs and screens in the resort, on social media and more.

Tosheena Robinson, Atlantis executive director of community development, said: “One guest attending

the farmers’ market was totally baffled seeing sugar cane because it was the first time she had ever seen it.

“For Atlantis, this market is a win for several reasons,” she added. “We provide a platform for local farmers to showcase their products. Our guests and Paradise Island residents have the opportunity to explore a variety of fresh, homegrown foods, enhancing their stay with us.

“We have a growing number of team members purchasing produce and juices, so the market provides easy access to fresh, affordable produce –encouraging healthy eating habits among our team members.” The Farmers’ Market returns on February 7 and March 7, running from 8am to 3pm each day.

PM affirms MSC’s $450m Billy Cay expansion deal

By FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

THE Prime Minister yesterday revealed the Government has signed a $450m agreement with MSC Cruises to redevelop Freeport’s Billy Cay into a new cruise port and beach club.

He said the project is a large-scale expansion that will see Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) build a new cruise ship pier and berthing area at Billy Cay, along with visitor and commercial facilities, and upgrades to the existing Freeport Harbour port and retail village.

“The estimated capital investment is $450m, with $400m allocated to the Billy Cay port and related infrastructure and $50m allocated to a beach club and the refurbishment of the existing retail village refurbishment,” said Mr Davis.

“This includes new cruise berths, a welcome plaza, retail and food and beverage, entertainment areas, transportation staging, and supporting amenities designed to increase visitor flow, expand local business opportunities and strengthen Grand Bahama as a competitive cruise destination.

“The project is designed as a multi-user facility,

supporting operational flexibility and positioning Grand Bahama to capture greater cruise activity, higher passenger volumes and wider economic spillover into transportation, hospitality, culture and small business.”

Mr Davis said MSC is playing an important role in developing Grand Bahama as a key maritime and logistics hub. The company has invested heavily in upgrading the Freeport Container Port, and is currently negotiating with Blackrock o potentially acquire Hutchison Ports operations, including the Freeport Container Port, where MSC is already a major shareholder

a development approach that places residents and businesses at the heart of progress.

and the main user of the terminal.

The Prime Minister said these projects show Grand Bahama is being recognised globally as a long-term hub for shipping and logistics, and is “capable of supporting sustained industrial and economic growth”.

“These developments underscore a clear reality. Global operators are positioning Grand Bahama as a long-term logistics platform, integrated into international shipping networks and capable of supporting sustained industrial and economic growth,” said Mr Davis.

“This is the direction we are taking. Grand Bahama as a brand. Grand Bahama

as a serious port economy. Grand Bahama as a place where visitors arrive and spend, where Bahamian entrepreneurs build and where communities benefit.”

Mr Davis said the economy of Grand Bahama is “stable” and recovering strongly due to his administration’s efforts in creating the right conditions for economic growth.

He added that while some residents may not yet feel the full impact, the return of residents to the island demonstrates the growth.

“The economy is stable and has rebounded. It speaks to the actual growth in Grand Bahama. Grand Bahama is the

Flood threat concern over Premier Estates

BY FAY SIMMONS Tribune Business Reporter

THE Prime Minister Philip Davis yesterday confirmed that a Bahamian-led investor group has yet to submit a formal application for approval to acquire and develop the former Ginn project in Grand Bahama’s West End.

Philip Davis KC said no official approval has been granted for the proposed project by Seattle-based Coakley International, nor has an application been submitted, but discussions about the project have taken place and are ongoing.

“I'm advised by the mnister responsible for the investments [Chester Cooper] that there's been no approval. There's been no formal application for the project that is being mooted, and that discussions have been held and they are continuing,” said Mr Davis.

He made several announcements about the future of Grand Bahama during a press conference following a Cabinet meeting yesterday. Mr Davis said a verdict on the arbitration that will determine whether the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA) owes the Government some $357m is “imminent”

and, once the decision is released, he will be able to provide more information.

“I'll say this, because the arbitration is confidential, we're not to speak about it. But I'm advised by my lawyers that the decision from the hearing is imminent. We could have the result of that at any time now. When that comes out, then we could speak more about it once the arbitrators loosen some of the confidentiality from proceedings,” said Mr Davis.  He said the decision to challenge the existing arrangements with the GBPA was not taken lightly, but was essential to establish a system grounded in modern governance, transparency and

“Part of laying a strong foundation required us to confront uncomfortable truths. For too long, the economic engine of Freeport has operated under arrangements that no longer reflect the needs or expectations of the people who live and work there.

Growth stalled. Investment slowed. Decisions too often felt distant from daily realities,” said Mr Davis.

“That is why we have chosen to challenge the status quo with the Grand Bahama Port Authority. We did not make this decision lightly. We did it because it was the right thing to do. We did it because a modern Grand Bahama requires modern governance, accountability and a development model that keeps people at the centre.

“Being on the right side of history sometimes means being willing to confront systems that are familiar, yet no longer fair, no longer

Fried of the University of Florida in Tampa, and it was concluded that it has 156 plant species and 57 medicinal plants. Having cleared and safeguarded the forest since 2022, he sought, in 2005, a lease or memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government to protect and use the land as an eco-tourism project.

Mr Miller said that same year a Disney Cruise Line shore excursion team visited the forest. Later, in 2007, trails for Segway Bahamas, which had eco-tourism contracts with at least five cruise lines were cut. In 2016, he said p=Parliament placed the land under protection “acknowledging - at least at that time - its national value.”

Mr Miller said the vision for EARTH Village includes horseback riding, Segway eco-tours, nature walks, bird watching, educational tours, cultural immersion as well as a Junkanoo Village. The Junkanoo Village would feature guest rooms, working craft shacks, storefronts and cultural spaces.

“Nestled within the Fort Charlotte, Chippingham community, EARTH

fastest-growing economy at the moment in the archipelago. I accept that a lot of it may not have been felt the way it should amongst the residents, but they cannot deny the Grand Bahamians are returning. There's a reason why they're returning,” said Mr Davis. “We have created the conditions for economic growth. That's why people are coming. Tourist arrivals are up through the roof. The amount of tourists that we have today have not been experienced since 1992-1993 that what we have today. Those are initiatives brought on by my administration.”

Village is just 15 minutes from the cruise ship port,” he said. “Let me be very clear. This project would attract hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, generate millions in foreign exchange and create more than 600 well-paying jobs without destroying the land. In the long run, this forest - left standing and wisely managed - is far more valuable than any short-sighted concrete development.” Tribune Business reached out to Zane Lightbourne, minister of the environment, but did not receive a response before press time.

Accountant: ‘More reporting’ rather than higher incidents

risk if a business was defrauded or there was a lot of employee theft. Businesses are now more inclined to stop this from happening, discourage other employees, and will go to the police.”

Mr Bain added that the Royal Bahamas Police is also better placed to investigate and prosecute financial offenders. “The police have become more

technologically savvy and better prepared to prosecute these types of things,” he said. “A lot of things are happening at the same time. “The police are more prepared, and have the technology to look through files and all kinds of stuff, to put things together much more than with paper-based systems. With technology, it’s easier to analyse computer data and logs and put them together to make a case.

MoU for GB Power leaves many unanswered queries

ANNOUNCE - from page B1

country. It matters because it strengthens national energy planning. And it matters because it directly supports our broader energy reform agenda aimed at bringing down the cost of electricity for Bahamian households and businesses.

“This is not about control for its own sake. It is about fairness. It is about affordability. And it is about aligning energy policy with the needs of the people and the modern economy we are building,” Mr Davis said. “Lower energy costs mean lower costs of living. They mean more competitive businesses. They mean a stronger foundation for investment, job creation and long-term growth in Grand Bahama and across the country.

“This MOU represents progress. It reflects careful work, serious engagement and a willingness to do what previous administrations avoided. We are moving deliberately, responsibly and in the public interest.

Executives at both GB Power and the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA), Freeport’s quasi-governmental authority which presently acts as the

utility’s regulator, were tight-lipped on the Prime Minister’s announcement last night. Several promised to get back to Tribune Business last night but no responses were received before press time. However, concerns and misgivings were voiced over the Government’s plans. Pastor Eddie Victor, head of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens, the long-time vocal GB Power critic, told Tribune Business that while he backed greater regulatory oversight and control from Nassau, the Government “doesn’t have a good track record” owning and operating electrical utilities.

Pointing to Bahamas Power & Light (BPL), he said: “If it’s a regulatory alignment then I am so happy if that’s all it is. If it’s ownership, it’s not the best scenario for Grand Bahama. First, the Government doesn’t have a good track record when it comes to power generation in Nassau and the Family Islands. “Second, the best scenario for Grand Bahama, I believe, is for another private company to come in and purchase the Power Company and invest the monies to provide more affordable electricity rates

“We see these things coming together for the greater good. Crooks are becoming more wary because they know that, if they do this, there’s a greater possibility of being caught. There’s greater reporting; the numbers probably don’t signal more incidents. It’s just that people are more comfortable making reports and the police are better at dealing with it, with more incidents

but working in alignment with regulatory control for the rest of The Bahamas. It’s primarily from a management and administrative of view that I’m coming from for how the Power Company should be run.

“The Government doesn’t have a good track record on that. If they’re just taking regulatory control, if that’s it, it’s good news and we’ll see how it works out if that’s the case and how it proceeds from there,” Pastor Victor added.

“That company needs to get into the hands of another company that has the money and resources to turn the company into what it needs to be. That’s how I feel.” Another Grand Bahama source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said of the proposed government acquisition: “Damn, that is not good news.

“They can’t run their own place and now they’re going to come to ours. We have a mega union [in GB Power] and they get paid really well here. That’s going to be drama.” It is also unclear whether any deal will deliver the promised reduction in electricity bills and rates for Grand Bahama customers compared to the rest of The Bahamas.

The Prime Minister’s statement on GB Power, and the deal with Emera, was short on specifics and leaves numerous questions unanswered. One was posed

Bayside Executive Park• Building #2, 2nd Floor P.O. Box N 7776 • Nassau, The Bahamas

JOB VACANCY ACCOUNTANT

LOCATION: Nassau, The Bahamas

REPORTS TO: The Assistant Financial Controller

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

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• Preparation and entry of journal entries into the accounting system.

• Record corporate actions and investigate any differences with custodians.

• Pricing of securities at month-end.

• Perform month end reconciliations with bank and custodian statements and prepare reporting packages.

• Communicate with custodians, managers, and service providers.

• Monitor receipt of monthly and quarterly reporting by external asset managers.

• Recalculate custodian fees.

• Monitor compliance of Managed Entities.

• Assist with the annual audits of the Managed Entities.

• Assist with other accounting/financial projects as assigned from time to time.

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internationally recognized, accredited university or college is required.

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• Project management skills

SUCCESS IN THIS ROLE REQUIRES:

• Passionate commitment to the vision and mission of Sir John Templeton.

• Intellectual curiosity.

• Humble spirit and desire to work for the benefit of others.

• Maturity and discretion.

Competitive salary & benefits packages are commensurate with experience. Bahamians and residents with the right to work only should apply.

Interested candidates can submit their resumes and cover letters via email to hr@ftbbahamas.com or before Friday, February 20th, 2026

known about because of technology.”

The surge in reports of “fraud by false pretences”; “stealing by reason of employment”; and “stealing by reason of service” were the three categories that largely drove the 55.3 percent increase in financial crime reports in 2025. Most other offence types were flat to slightly down compared to 2024, although reports of “forgery” more than doubled from 10 to 24, while the “possession of forged documents” spiked from 33 to 51.

Elsewhere, the Royal Bahamas Police Force reported that “cyber crime

by Dillon Knowles, the Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce president, who told Tribune Business: “I doubt the have the ability to make the acquisition.”

Besides the unknown purchase price, and lack of clarity on how the deal is being structured and where the financing is coming from, it is also unclear whether the Government is acquiring all of Emera’s GB Power ownership or just a majority equity interest. The Canadian power giant secure 100 percent control when it bought out all Bahamian minority shareholders some years ago - some of whom elected to take Emera shares as compensation via Bahamian Depository Receipts (BDRs).

Among the unanswered questions, should the deal envisaged by the MoU complete, is whether it will be the Government - or some other entity such as Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) or a special purpose vehicle (SPV) - financing and making the acquisition.

Both the Government, with an $11.5bn debt and cash flow woes, and BPL’s burden of $1bn in combined debt and capital needs, would appear to be ill-placed to fund what could be an eight or even nine-figure purchase price.

Other issues will likely be whether GB Power’s management and operations would be outsourced to the private sector, via a utility such as BPL, and whether it will be incorporated into the Davis administration’s wider energy reform plans involving BISX-listed FOCOL Holdings (Bahamas Utility Holdings) and Bahamas Grid Company (Pike Electrical). Union agreements, staffing levels and needed investment will also have to be addressed. And, by purchasing GB Power, the Government will also insert itself into the ongoing Supreme Court battle over whether the GBPA or the Utilities Regulatory and Competition Authority (URCA) has ultimate supervisory authority over GB Power. The Government could find itself in

incidents decreased by 13 percent with 68 cases compared to 78 in 2024”. Most of these complaints were for libel, or defamation, which totalled 50 in 2025 as opposed to 57 the previous year.

However, reports of online extortion rose from two to four year-over-year, but complaints about the “misuse of telecommunications” fell by 78 percent in 2025, from nine to two, while those relating to computer misuse fell from seven to one.

“Shop breakings decreased by 13 percent with 273 incidents compared to 315 in 2024,” the

a situation where an electricity utility that it owns is being regulated by the GBPA, whose authority is being disputed, and with which it is locked in a $357m arbitration dispute - a ruling upon which is expected imminently.

Some observers yesterday suggested that the GB Power move is at least partly designed to pierce, or hole, the Hawksbill Creek Agreement and the regulatory powers bestowed on the GBPA while also circumventing, and increasing the pressure on, Freeport’s quasi-governmental authority.

Emera set out the supervisory struggle in previous regulatory filings. “With $340m of assets and approximately 19,500 customers, GB Power owns 98 mega watts (MW) of oil-fired generation, approximately 90 kilometres of transmission facilities and 994 kilometres of distribution facilities,” it said.

“On June 1, 2024, the Electricity Act 2024 took effect. The legislation purports to remove the jurisdiction of the GBPA over GB Power, and to have URCA, another Bahamian regulator, regulate GB Power. The GBPA has opposed the legislated removal of its regulatory authority over GB Power, citing conflict with the Hawksbill Creek Agreement, the 1955 agreement with the Bahamian government that provided for the development and administration of the Freeport area.” The dispute is presently before the Supreme Court.

GB Power has also been struggling to have its proposed rate adjustment approved by the GBPA after the latter suspended its assessment of this after Grand Bahama suffered a series of outages and blackouts in 2024. Similar problems occurred last summer. The new tariff structure was designed to generate sufficient cash flow to finance some $53m in capital improvements GB Power planned for its network infrastructure over the three years to end-2027.

Royal Bahamas Police Force said yesterday. “The New Providence district accounted for 188 or 69 percent of all shop breakings. Grand Bahama, including Abaco and Bimini, accounted for 49 or 18 percent of shop breakings, most of which occurred in the Abaco division with 17 incidents.

“The Family Islands district accounted for 36 or 13 percent of shop breakings, most of which occurred in Eleuthera with 21 incidents. Based on preliminary figures, shop breakings were more likely to occur on a Friday than any other day of the week.”

Of the $53m in planned capital investments, some 55 percent of this sum will be allocated to grid modernisation - substations; protection and control; and battery storage. Of the remainder, one-quarter or 25 percent is planned to go on energy Infrastructure such as generation, engine overhauls, capital spares and upgrades, with the final 20 percent “sustaining capital” for facilities, IT and customer service enhancements.

GB Power has consistently asserted that 75 percent of its customers will experience either no increase or a decrease in overall electricity costs under the proposed new three-year tariff structure despite the request for a 6.32 percent base rate rise. The base rate rise is expected to be offset, or cancelled out, by a forecast reduction in the fuel charge component of consumers’ bills.

Under the original plan, residential consumers who use less than 600 KWh (kilowatt hours) per month would see a modest $1 reduction in their all-in total monthly electricity costs in 2025 when compared to current rates.

However, residential consumers using above 600 KWh per month were forecast to see a slight increase in their monthly bill of $1. And commercial customers using from 1,000 KWh per month to 50,000 KWh per month would have seen their all-in cost jump by between $3.10 to $67.97, or 0.79 percent to 0.37 percent, based on GB Power’s submission.

While estimates for commercial customers will vary based on their specific demand, GB Power’s estimates showed all classes of customers - from the smallest residential user to the large industrials - will see their total monthly energy costs rise in 2026. The extent of the increase will range from $2.64 to $803.91 (largest users), representing a rise of between 4.05 percent and 4.52 percent in percentage terms.

the law last summer. It added a couple of steps in the process.”

Under reforms to the VAT Act, realtors now have to notify the Department of Inland Revenue of any land, property or real estate sales within 30 days of the relevant conveyance’s execution otherwise theyalong with the seller - could be subject to a fine as high as 3 percent of the purchase price.

And the compliance burden, and duty to ensure all due VAT is paid within the stipulated 180-day target timeline, is being spread among all parties involved in property and land transactions - the buyer

and seller, their respective attorneys, and any realtors who are involved. “I’d like to get feedback from the Department of Inland Revenue on whether it has helped it with what it’s trying to achieve or created more red tape and whether sales are down. I don’t know. There’s a lot of steps to go through in a real estate transaction that we have to streamline,” Mr Morley added. He said one potential improvement revolves around the KYC process that real estate buyers must undergo as a result of reforms to the Financial Transactions Reporting Act that were passed into law in 2018. “I’ve always pushed for, from the day

the Financial Transactions Reporting Act came in in 2018, that The Bahamas should have a central [KYC] authority and database like a couple of other jurisdictions,” Mr Morley explained.

This would then be responsible for verifying the identities of investors, their sources of wealth, and backgrounds. Mr Morley said those found to be legitimate and bona fide should be issued with a KYC certificate that is valid for at least five years, and which they can produce to banks and attorneys to help overcome compliance issues and speed up the process.

“We’re not suggesting in way that we should compromise the system in terms of the Financial Transactions Reporting Act, but there’s got to be a simpler way,” he told Tribune Business. “If other jurisdictions have a central database The

Bahamas should look to do the same.

“If the Central Bank is looking at doing away with cheques, can’t we look at a compliance centre? I’m only trying to suggest improvements without compromising systems. It’s a matter of sitting down and everyone being open-minded and working together to come up with better solutions.”

Focusing on the Central Bank and banking sector’s plans to increasingly drive Bahamians towards digital and electronic payments, Mr Morley said they needed to first examine the fees being charged for such transactions. He argued that both senders and recipients were being charged excessive fees for paperless transactions involving different banks.

“The Central Bank wants to streamline things, but they need to streamline the

fees for the transaction,” he added. “It seems to be creeping up higher and higher. It’s a thorn in my side. Why are they charging such a fee for an electronic transfer that does not use a human element? I understand the banks want to make money, but if they are going to electronic let’s do it fairly and make it easier for everyone to do so.”

Mr Morley said that he sees no “headwinds” impacting the Bahamian real estate market in 2026. “We have an election coming up this year,” he added. “Historically, things slow down a month of two before an election as people wait and see what happens, but then it rebounds right back. I don’t think the election is going to hinder the real estate market much.

“I believe it’s going to remain strong for many reasons even for the international market. US

interest rates came down steadily during last year. They moved those down several times and it frees up people with a bit of extra cash flow to look at investing in The Bahamas. A lot of second home owners in The Bahamas are just that; second home owners. I don’t know how many need financing, but we have got a couple of sales in Abaco where the buyers are getting US dollar financing in The Bahamas.

“I think 2026 is pretty much going to be a good continuation of 2025. I don’t see any indication of it going anywhere south. Even if you look at the US, they have mid-term elections coming up this year but even with that I don’t think it changes our market. I think we’re going to see a good market in 2026.”

at least 14 days after the notice of the public hearing is given in accordance with subsection six’.

“The date of the public hearing is scheduled for February 5, which is at least 15 days after the last publication published the notice. So, Department is abiding by the Act.” Turtlegrass and its attorneys, Callenders & Co, had argued that the public notice informing Bahamians of the hearing, and the 21-day timeframe given to review the application documents, were not aligned.

Newspaper notices were published on January 20, 2026, and January 22, 2026, but Callenders informed the planning authorities that this meant the 21-day timeframe expired on February 10, 2026, and February 12, 2026, respectively. Both these dates are after the scheduled February 5, 2026, hearing, which means that interested parties such as Turtlegrass are not being afforded the promised 21-day period to assess key documents.

“Accordingly, if representations are to be made prior to the hearing, sufficient time for notice and consultation must be afforded, and the notice as issued is internally inconsistent and incapable of compliance on its own terms,” Callenders said - an argument that was refuted by Ms Wallace.

“However, the Department is in the process of

scheduling another hearing for the public to raise their concerns before the Town Planning Committee begins its deliberations on the matter,” she added. “The date, time and location of that additional meeting will be released shortly, and the public will be given notice to make arrangements to attend or submit written comments.”

This was echoed by Yntegra which, in its own statement, said: “The developers are aware that members of the local community may find the February 5 meeting on Black Point inconvenient, which could mean that too few have a chance to comment.

“Yntegra welcomes the opportunity to add an additional meeting to the site plan approval process so

more of the public can take part and share their views. The announcement by Yntegra reaffirms its commitment to transparency and is a further example of its efforts to co-create the project with the Bahamian people.

“Community input plays a vital role in shaping a development that respects the area’s natural beauty, cultural heritage and longterm sustainability. It will also create economic growth and deliver good jobs for generations to come.”

Felipe MacLean, Yntegra’s chief executive, added: “We look forward to welcoming as many community members as possible to these meetings and to continuing an open, constructive dialogue as we collectively shape the future of Rosewood Exuma.”

Turtlegrass’ concerns and complaints are similar to those voiced by the Save

Exuma Alliance (SEA), the collection of Exuma-based businesses that had also voiced misgivings about the Rosewood Exuma project and its potential impact, in a statement on Friday. The Alliance, too, argued that insufficient time had been allowed to review all the site plan application documents, while also suggesting that the hearing’s time and location were inconvenient.

Yntegra, which now faces yet another potential regulatory and legal obstacle to its plans for East Sampson Cay, has now moved quickly to squash those concerns. In a previous reply to the Alliance’s concerns, Yntegra said it is “fully compliant with all legal and regulatory requirements” and voiced confidence in the “competence, independence and diligence” of the regulators.

However, Callenders & Company, in a January 23, 2026, letter to Keenan Johnson, the Town Planning Committee’s chairman and other government officials, argued that insufficient documents and time had been provided to enable interested parties such as Turtlegrass to offer considered analysis and feedback on the proposed project.

Asserting that several regulations accompanying the Planning and Subdivisions Act have thus been breached, Turtlegrass and its attorneys argued that the consultation process over Rosewood Exuma’s site plan approval application is “materially defective” and “cannot reasonably be regarded as meaningful, accessible and fair”.

As a result, they demanded that the

February 5, 2026, public hearing be suspended to allow for the public consultation process to be “regularised” through making all relevant documents easily accessible and sufficient time allowed to review them.

Otherwise, Callenders warned that it would seek a Supreme Court “stay” or injunction to halt the consultation process and prevent the February 5, 2026, hearing from taking place. And, with active Judicial Review challenges to Rosewood Exuma’s certificate of environmental clearance (CEC) already before the courts, the law firm and Turtlegrass argued that the planning authorities should place the site plan hearing into “abeyance” anyway.

GB airport plans eye up to one million passengers

CONSTRUCT - from page B1

“The phase one is started already. Phase two is the flood remediation, which will be going in conjunction with phase one, which is the actual commencement of the construction of the terminal building,” said Mr Davis. “From all accounts, it should be [done] within the next 18 months.”

However, getting to this stage has taken almost three years after successive Davis administration pledges on Grand Bahama

International Airport failed to materialise. Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister, in February 2024 pledged that demolition work would begin “within the next 30 days” having initially announced the deal with the Government’s private sector partners in March 2023. But promises of an imminent work start failed to materialise in both 2023 and 2024, and little to no improvements have occurred despite suggestions the project would have finished by now.

Mr Davis, speaking to the $120m Grand Lucayan deal negotiations, said the talks with Concord Wilshire are “making steady progress” but remain complicated.  “Let me address the Grand Lucayan. We are making steady progress. It is a complex transaction. It requires careful sequencing.  It requires proper approvals, co-ordination and structured execution. That is exactly how we are approaching it,” he added.  He also pushed back against criticism from the Opposition, asserting they

should “hang their heads in shame and gratitude”. Mr Davis said: “I understand the anxiety people feel. I understand the frustration when the pace feels longer than anyone wants. I also understand the temptation for some to turn every stage of work into drama, to create noise, and to claim failure before the work reaches its next phase.

“The criticisms are coming loudest from those who created the problem. They should hang their heads in shame and gratitude. We are only concerned with the development of Grand Bahama, not the incompetent political scammers who brought us this mess.  We will ignore the noise. We will keep doing what serious

Judge rules Massachusetts offshore wind project halted

by Trump administration can

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT and MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press

A FEDERAL judge said Tuesday that a nearly completed Massachusetts offshore wind project can continue, as the industry successfully challenges the Trump administration in court.

At U.S. District Court in Boston, Judge Brian Murphy halted the administration's stop work order for Vineyard Wind, citing the potential economic losses from the delays and the developers' likelihood of success on their claims. Vineyard Wind is one of five big offshore wind projects on the East Coast that the Trump administration froze days before Christmas, citing national security concerns — and the fourth that has since been allowed to go forward.

A spokesperson for the company, Craig Gilvarg,

said in a statement that it would "work with the Administration to understand the matters raised in the Order."

"Vineyard Wind will focus on working in coordination with its contractors, the federal government, and other relevant stakeholders and authorities to safely restart activities, as it continues to deliver a critical source of new power to the New England region," Gilvarg added.

Developers and states sued seeking to block the administration's order.

Prior to Vineyard Wind's hearing, federal judges had allowed three of the five to restart construction: the Revolution Wind project for Rhode Island and Connecticut by Danish company Orsted, the Empire Wind project for New York by Norwegian company Equinor, and Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind for Virginia by Dominion Energy Virginia.

N O T I C E

KRYTERION INTERNATIONAL LTD.

Pursuant to the Provisions of Section 138 (8) of the International Business Companies Act 2000 notice is hereby given that the abovenamed Company has been dissolved and struck off the Register pursuant to a Certificate of Dissolution issued by the Registrar General on the 16th day of December, 2025.

Brian

Selvadurai Liquidator of

KRYTERION INTERNATIONAL LTD.

Those three judges essentially concluded that the government did not show that the national security risk is so imminent that construction must halt, said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond Law School professor who has been following the lawsuits.

Orsted is also suing over the administration halting its Sunrise Wind project for New York — the fifth paused project — but has not had a hearing yet.

Vineyard Wind is a joint venture between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, located 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, Massachusetts. It is 95% complete and partially operational, able to produce nearly 600 megawatts of power for the New England electric grid, according to the complaint. Before the pause, it was on track to be complete by the end of March, with 62 turbines generating a total of 800 megawatts. That is enough clean electricity to power about 400,000 homes.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said the completion of this project is essential to ensuring the state can lower

continue

costs, meet rising energy demand, advance its climate goals and sustain thousands of good-paying jobs.

U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, welcomed the judge's ruling.

"This stay is an important step in the process to fight back against the Trump administration's lawless attacks against our union jobs, grid security, and energy affordability," Markey said in a statement. "Vineyard Wind 1 is currently delivering affordable and reliable power into our grid and has the permits, financing, and approval to deliver even more. Shutting off Vineyard Wind 1 would kill thousands of local union jobs, prevent power from reaching 400,000 homes, and cause us to lose out on $3 billion of energy savings."

The administration's announcement that paused construction did not reveal specifics about its national security concerns. But in a court filing, Matthew Giacona, acting director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, said he reviewed classified documents in November that discussed direct impacts to national security that

governments do.  Protect workers. Protect the public interest. Move the project forward step by step, in a way that is credible and sustainable.”

After a potential sale to Electra America Hospitality Group fell through in the preliminary stages, the Government announced with much fanfare in May 2025 that it had secured a fresh Grand Lucayan buyer in the shape of Concord Wilshire, a Miami-headquartered developer, which promised to pay a $120m purchase price and invest $827m in the resort’s transformation. However, there has seemingly been little progress over the past seven months, with the Grand Lucayan remaining in the

Government’s hands as it works to close the deal with Concord Wilshire. Multiple resort staff have complained about not receiving due salary payments in whole or on time, and of being sent home without pay or being formally terminated. Tribune Business sources have suggested that the Grand Lucayan deal with Concord Wilshire is largely completed, with the developer and the Government working rapidly to complete all necessary closing documents. Speaking on condition of anonymity, several contacts have revealed that Disney Cruise Line has expressed interest in developing a water-based adventure park close to the resort.

arise from operating offshore wind projects near early warning monitoring and radar systems. Giacona said he determined the ongoing activities for the Vineyard Wind project did not "adequately provide for the protection of national security interests," absent potential mitigation measures. Given its nearly complete status, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management decided to allow Vineyard Wind to continue partially operating during the suspension period while it consulted with defense officials and the owners, Giacona said. But he said he is not aware of any

Mexican president says her country has paused oil shipments to Cuba

By MARÍA VERZA and DÁNICA COTO Associated Press

MEXICAN President

Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday her government has at least temporarily stopped oil shipments to Cuba, but struck an ambiguous tone, saying the pause was part of general fluctuations in oil supplies and that it was a "sovereign decision" not made under pressure from the United States.

Sheinbaum was responding to inquiries on whether the state oil company Pemex had cut off oil shipments to Cuba in the wake of mounting pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump that Mexico distance itself from the Cuban government, though U.S. officials have not publicly requested that Mexico stop the oil.

"Pemex makes decisions in the contractual relationship it has with Cuba," Sheinbaum said in her morning news briefing. "Suspending is a sovereign decision and is taken when necessary."

Sheinbaum's vague statements come as Trump has sought to isolate Cuba and further ramp up the pressure on the island, a longtime adversary under strict economic sanctions

from Washington. Trump has said the Cuban government is ready to fall, and that the island would receive no more oil shipments from Venezuela after a U.S. military operation deposed former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

In its deepening energy and economic crisis, Cuba has relied heavily on foreign assistance and oil shipments from allies like Mexico, Russia, and — previously — Venezuela.

Mexico has sought to balance its long-term support of Cuba's government with pressure from Trump for Latin American leaders to fall in line with his vision for the region.

Sheinbaum said Tuesday that Mexico would continue to show solidarity with Havana, but didn't clarify what kind of support Mexico would offer.

Mexico has faced its own pressure from Washington, as Trump has threatened to

measures that would mitigate the national security risks.

President Donald Trump has targeted offshore wind from his first days back in the White House, recently calling wind farms "losers" that lose money, destroy the landscape and kill birds. Research from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory shows that states with the most utility-scale wind and solar often have low electricity prices, supported by federal tax incentives. However, states with aggressive, binding programs to mandate more renewable energy have seen prices increase as a result of those policies, according to the study.

take military action against Mexican drug cartels.

Mexico last week transferred dozens of suspected cartel members to the United States to face justice. They were sought by the Trump administration, but Sheinbaum used similar language at the time as she did Tuesday, saying the transfers were made on a sovereign and autonomous basis.

Mexican oil has long acted as a key lifeline for Cuba. In its most recent report, Pemex said it shipped nearly 20,000 barrels of oil per day to Cuba from January through Sept. 30, 2025. That month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Mexico City. Afterward, Jorge Piñon, an expert at the University of Texas Energy Institute who tracks shipments using satellite technology, said the figure had fallen to about 7,000 barrels.

Sheinbaum has spent weeks saying she would provide clear data on exports to Cuba, but has yet to do so. The Cuban government and Pemex did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Investigators say deadly midair collision near DC followed years of ignored warnings about traffic

By GARY FIELDS, JOSH FUNK and ED WHITE Associated Press

NATIONAL Transportation Safety Board members were deeply troubled Tuesday over years of ignored warnings about helicopter traffic dangers and other problems, long before an American Airlines jet and an Army Black Hawk collided a year ago, killing 67 people near Washington, D.C.

The placement of a helicopter route in the approach path of Reagan National Airport's secondary runway created a dangerous airspace and a lack of regular safety risk reviews made it worse, the board said. That was a key factor in the crash along with air traffic controllers' over reliance on asking helicopter pilots to avoid other aircraft.

Throughout the daylong hearing, investigators emphasized the history of missed opportunities to address the risks. Those include the Federal Aviation Administration denying a 2023 request by a regional supervisor to reduce air traffic at Reagan and the failures to relocate the helicopter route or warn pilots more about the dangers after an eerily similar near miss in 2013.

"I'm sorry for you, as these pages of these reports are written in your family members' blood," board member Todd Inman told the audience. "I'm sorry that we have to be here."

Family members listened intently during the hearing. Some were escorted out, including two in tears, as an animation of the flights was displayed on video screens. Others wore black shirts bearing the names of first responder units.

"The negligence of not fixing things that needed to be fixed killed my brother and 66 other people. So I'm not very happy," Kristen Miller-Zahn, who watched

from the front row, said during a break. Victims' families say they hope there's meaningful change in response to the long list of recommendations the NTSB listed Tuesday. The measures seek to improve training and staffing at airports while strengthening safety standards. The recommendations are designed to strengthen a culture of safety at the FAA and Army and reduce the risk of a similar midair collision.

Systemic problems caused the crash

Before hearing from investigators, Inman said "systemic issues across multiple organizations," not an error by any individual, caused the tragedy.

Everyone aboard the jet, flying from Wichita, Kansas, and the helicopter died when the two aircraft collided and plummeted into the icy Potomac River. It was the deadliest plane crash on U.S. soil since 2001, and the victims included 28 members of the figure skating community. The Federal Aviation Administration last week

made some changes permanent to ensure helicopters and planes no longer share the same airspace around the airport.

Missed warning signs

NTSB chairwoman Jennifer Homendy said she couldn't believe the FAA didn't realize the helicopter route in use during the crash didn't provide adequate separation from planes landing on Reagan's secondary runway. She noted that the FAA had refused to add detailed information about helicopter routes to pilots' charts so they could better understand the risks, and it wouldn't change the helicopter route even after a near miss in 2013.

"We know over time concerns were raised repeatedly, went unheard, squashed — however you want to put it — stuck in red tape and bureaucracy of a very large organization," Homendy said. "Repeated recommendations over the years."

Mary Schiavo, a former U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General, said it's troubling

NATIONAL Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy presides over the NTSB fact-finding hearing on the DCA midair collision accident, at the National Transportation and Safety Board boardroom in Washington, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. Photo:Jose Luis Magana/AP

"little overwhelmed" when traffic volume increased to 10 aircraft about 10 to 15 minutes before the collision, but then "felt the volume was manageable when one or two helicopters left the airspace."

Yet about 90 seconds before the collision, Wilson said, "traffic volume increased to a maximum of 12 aircraft consisting of seven airplanes and five helicopters. Radio communication showed that the local controller was shifting focus between airborne, ground and transiting aircraft."

The workload "reduced his situational awareness," Wilson said.

to hear how many times the FAA failed to act.

"It was just a shocking dereliction of duty by the FAA. And they have so much work to be done to fix it. And just from my background, I don't know if the people there are up to it," Schiavo said.

But just Monday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a plan to reorganize the FAA and create one single safety office that can track concerns agencywide and enforce the same standards instead of the fragmented approach taken by different silos within FAA.

NTSB investigators said the Army and FAA weren't sharing all safety data with each other before the crash, and that Army helicopter pilots often weren't even aware when they were involved in a near-miss around Reagan.

Overwhelmed controller NTSB human performance investigator Katherine Wilson said an air traffic controller felt a

Details were difficult for families to hear

NTSB investigators showed a video animation to demonstrate how difficult it would have been for the pilots in both aircraft to spot the other amid the lights of Washington. The animation also showed how the windshields of both aircraft and the helicopter crew's night vision goggles restricted views.

Ahead of the hearing, Rachel Feres, who lost her cousin Peter Livingston and his wife and two young daughters, said she was hoping for "clarity and urgency" from the NTSB process. No one else, she said, should have to "wake up to hear that an entire branch of their family tree is gone, or their wife is gone or the child is gone."

The government will have to make changes

Even before Tuesday, the NTSB had already spelled out many key factors that contributed to the crash. Investigators said controllers in the Reagan tower had been overly reliant on asking pilots to spot other aircraft and maintain visual separation.

The night of the crash, the controller approved the Black Hawk's request to do that twice. However, the investigation has shown that the helicopter pilots likely never spotted the American Airlines plane as the jet circled to land on the little-used secondary runway.

In a statement, the FAA said safety remains its top priority. It has reduced hourly plane arrivals at Reagan airport from 36 to 30 and worked to increase staff in the tower. The agency said it has 22 certified controllers in the tower and eight more in training.

"We will diligently consider any additional recommendations" from the NTSB, the FAA said.

Several high-profile crashes and close calls followed the D.C. collision, alarming the flying public. But NTSB statistics show that the total number of crashes last year was the lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, with 1,405 nationwide.

Whether that happens depends on how Congress, the Army and the Trump administration respond after the hearing. A bill, that Homendy has endorsed, would require aircraft to have advanced locator systems to help avoid collisions. The senators who introduced it have said they believe their proposal would address many of the concerns NTSB raised over the past year.

Wall Street sets a record

while the US dollar’s value slides again

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer

WALL Street ticked to a record on Tuesday, as stocks zigzagged following mixed profit reports from UnitedHealth, General Motors and other big companies.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4% and edged past its prior all-time high set a couple weeks ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 408 points, or 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.9% as the stock market cleaved between winners and losers.

The swings were even bigger in foreign-currency markets, where the U.S. dollar's value slid against its peers again. Shortly after U.S. stocks finished Tuesday's trading, the dollar was down more than 1% against the euro, the Japanese yen and the Australian dollar, among others. An index measuring the U.S. dollar's strength against several of its competitors dropped to its lowest point since 2022.

The slide continues a sharp drop for the U.S. dollar since President Donald Trump threatened tariffs against several European countries that he said opposed his taking control of Greenland. Such threats, along with worries about risks like the U.S.

government's heavy debt, have periodically pushed global investors to step back from U.S. markets, a move that's come to be called "Sell America."

On Wall Street, Corning helped lead the market higher and climbed 15.6% after announcing a deal with Meta Platforms worth up to $6 billion. Corning will supply optical fiber and cable to help build out data centers for Meta, enough that Corning is expanding its optical-fiber manufacturing facility in Hickory, North Carolina. Also supporting the U.S. stock market were gains for General Motors, which rose 8.7%, and hospital-operator HCA Healthcare, which rallied 7.1%. Both delivered profits for the end of 2025 that topped Wall Street's expectations. Each also approved programs to send billions of dollars to their investors by buying back their own stock.

They helped offset a tumble for UnitedHealth Group, which sank 19.6% despite reporting a profit for the latest quarter that was a bit better than analysts expected. More attention was on the company's forecast for revenue in the upcoming year, which fell short of Wall Street's

NOTICE MANUMISSION LTD.

Incorporated under the International Business Companies Act, 2000 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. Registration number 201357 B (In Voluntary Liquidation)

Notice is hereby given that the above-named Company is in dissolution, commencing on the 26th day of January A.D. 2026.

Articles of Dissolution have been duly registered by the Registrar. The Liquidator is MR. JOSE HELIO GONCALVES RODRIGUES FILHO, whose address is R Jandiatuba 559, AP 51, V Andrade, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Any Persons having a Claim against the abovenamed Company are required on or before the 25th day of February A.D. 2026 to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator of the Company, or in default thereof they may be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such claim is proved.

Dated this 26th day of January A.D. 2026.

JOSE HELIO GONCALVES RODRIGUES FILHO LIQUIDATOR

N O T I C E

Best Connect Enterprises Limited (Voluntary Liquidation)

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act 2000, the above-named Company is in dissolution, which commenced on the 22nd day of January, A.D., 2026. The Liquidator is Galnom Ltd., CUB Financial Center, Western Road, Nassau, Bahamas.

GALNOM LTD. Liquidator

N O T I C E

Field Wealth Limited (Voluntary Liquidation)

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act 2000, the above-named Company is in dissolution, which commenced on the 22nd day of January, A.D., 2026. The Liquidator is Galnom Ltd., CUB Financial Center, Western Road, Nassau, Bahamas.

GALNOM LTD. Liquidator

expectations and could be weaker than it was in 2025.

Health care stocks also felt tremendous pressure from a projected rate increase for Medicare Advantage by the U.S. government, which fell well short of what investors had hoped. Humana skidded by 21.1%, Elevance Health dropped 14.3% and CVS Health sank 14.2%.

Profit reports elsewhere on Wall Street were mixed. UPS added 0.2% after reporting a stronger profit and forecasting better revenue for 2026 than analysts expected, while announcing the elimination of 30,000 jobs. American Airlines lost 7% after delivering a profit for the end of 2025 that fell well short of analysts' expectations.

The pressure is on companies to deliver strong growth in profits following record-setting runs for their stock prices. Stock prices tend to follow the path of corporate profits over the long term, and earnings need to rise to quiet criticism that stock prices have grown too expensive.

Several of Wall Street's most influential stocks will deliver their latest earnings reports later this week. They include Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Tesla

on Wednesday and Apple on Thursday.

Several of those Big Tech stocks were among the strongest forces lifting the S&P 500 Tuesday, including gains of 2.2% for Microsoft and 1.1% for Apple.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 28.37 points to 6,978.60. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 408.99 to 49,003.41, and the Nasdaq composite rallied 215.74 to 23,817.10.

Another way stock prices can look less expensive to investors is if interest rates fall. The Federal Reserve will announce its next move on interest rates Wednesday, but the widespread expectation is that it will hold its main interest rate steady for now.

Inflation remains stubbornly above the Fed's 2% target, and lower interest rates could worsen increases in prices for U.S.

NOTICE HAPPY LTD.

Incorporated under the International Business Companies Act, 2000 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas registered in the Register of Companies under the registration number 207619 B.

(In Voluntary Liquidation)

Notice is hereby given that the liquidation and the winding up of the Company is complete and the Company has been struck off the Register of Companies maintained by the Registrar General.

Dated this 26th day of January A.D. 2026.

MARCIO WALDMAN LIQUIDATOR

N O T I C E

Way Fortune Limited (Voluntary Liquidation)

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act 2000, the above-named Company is in dissolution, which commenced on the 22nd day of January, A.D., 2026. The Liquidator is Galnom Ltd., CUB Financial Center, Western Road, Nassau, Bahamas.

GALNOM LTD. Liquidator

N O T I C E

Glare Bright Limited (Voluntary Liquidation)

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act 2000, the above-named Company is in dissolution, which commenced on the 22nd day of January, A.D., 2026. The Liquidator is Galnom Ltd., CUB Financial Center, Western Road, Nassau, Bahamas.

GALNOM LTD. Liquidator

consumers at the same time that they give the economy a boost. Traders expect the Fed to resume its cuts to interest rates later this year.

In the bond market, Treasury yields were relatively steady ahead of the Fed's decision. The yield on the 10-year Treasury ticked up to 4.24% from 4.22% late Monday. It had edged lower earlier in the day, after a report from the Conference Board said confidence weakened among U.S. consumers last month. Economists had expected to see a slight improvement, but confidence dropped to its lowest level since 2014, even lower than it was during the COVID-19 pandemic. In stock markets abroad, indexes rose across much of Europe and Asia.

India's Sensex index added 0.4% after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the country had reached agreement on a free trade deal with the European Union. The accord, which touches 2 billion people, followed nearly two decades of negotiations. It's one of the biggest bilateral engagements on commerce. The timing comes as Washington targets both India and the EU with steep import tariffs.

NOTICE

GMC Advogados Ltd.

Incorporated under the International Business Companies Act, 2000 of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas registered in the Register of Companies under the registration number 210464 B.

(In Voluntary Liquidation)

Notice is hereby given that the liquidation and the winding up of the Company is complete and the Company has been struck off the Register of Companies maintained by the Registrar General.

Dated this 26th day of January A.D. 2026.

GLÁUCIA MARA COELHO LIQUIDATOR

day of January A.D. 2026. Articles of Dissolution have been duly registered by the Registrar. The Liquidator is MR. TIAGO RITTER DOS SANTOS, whose address is Rua Madalena 477, AP 91, CEP: 05434-090, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Any Persons having a Claim against the above-named Company are required on or before the 25th day of February A.D. 2026 to send their names, addresses and particulars of their debts or claims to the Liquidator of the Company, or in default thereof they may be excluded from the benefit of any distribution made before such claim is proved.

Dated this 26th day of January A.D. 2026. TIAGO RITTER DOS SANTOS LIQUIDATOR

N O T I C E

Honest Way Holdings Limited (Voluntary Liquidation)

Notice is hereby given that in accordance with Section 138(4) of the International Business Companies Act 2000, the above-named Company is in dissolution, which commenced on the 22nd day of January, A.D., 2026. The Liquidator is Galnom Ltd., CUB Financial Center, Western Road, Nassau, Bahamas.

GALNOM LTD. Liquidator

What travelers can expect as Southwest Airlines introduces assigned seats

By RIO YAMAT AP Airlines and Travel Writer

SOUTHWEST Airlines passengers made their final boarding-time scrambles for seats on Monday as the carrier prepared to end the open-seating system that distinguished it from other airlines for more than a half-century.

Starting Tuesday, customers on Southwest flights will have assigned seats and the option of paying more to get their preferred seat closer to the front of a plane or seats with extra legroom. The airline began

selling tickets shaped by the new policy in July. Here's what travelers can expect as Southwest does away with another of its signature features and becomes more like other airlines:

Goodbye, A/B/C groups Under the open-seat system, Southwest customers could check in starting exactly 24 hours before departure to secure places in boarding lines at departure gates.

Early check-ins were placed in the coveted "A"

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that HERMANE RAYMOND of Carmichael Road, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 28th day of January, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that MICHELINE CHARLES of Joans Heights, East Street South, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 28th day of January, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that ROSALIND CLAIRE THACKRAY of South Ocean, New Providence, The Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 28th day of January, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that GINO JEAN-BAPTISTE of Gibbs Corner, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/ naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 21st day of January, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that SYLVANIE VILBRUN THEUS of Carmichael Road, New Providence, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 28th day of January, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

boarding group, essentially guaranteeing they would find an open window or aisle seat. Others landed in "B" or "C," the likelihood of only middle seats being available rising the longer they waited to check in.

The Dallas-based airline's unusual seating process began as a way to get passengers on planes quickly and thereby reduce the time that aircraft and crews spent on the ground not making money. It helped Southwest operate more efficiently and to squeeze a few more flights into the daily schedule; the system also was a key reason Southwest remained profitable every year until the coronavirus pandemic.

The open-seating arrangement became less democratic over time, however, as Southwest also had starting allowing passengers to pay extra for spots near the front of the line.

Hello, assigned seating

An eight-group boarding structure is replacing the

find-your-own-seat scrum. Instead of numbered metal columns at departure gates, passengers will file through two alternating lanes once it's time for their group to board.

The airline said its gate areas will be converted in phases starting Monday night, a process that could take about two months to complete. Columns that remain standing past Tuesday will have their numbers removed or covered in the meantime.

Southwest is selling tickets at fares with different seating choices, including standard seats assigned at check-in or paid preferred and extra-legroom seats

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that LONIS AUGUSTAVE of Milton Street off Market Street, New Providence, The Bahamas, is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 28th day of January, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

selected at booking. For certain flights, passengers also will have the option of paying for priority boarding beginning 24 hours before departure.

How it will work

Newly designed boarding passes will show seat assignments and boarding groups, according to Southwest. A reservation made for nine or fewer people, including families, will assign those passengers to the same boarding group.

Southwest says the boarding groups are based on seat location, fare class, loyalty tier status and the airline's credit card rewards benefits. Passengers who purchase seats with extra

legroom will be placed in groups 1-2. Customers with premium fares and the airline's "most loyal travelers" will also have access to preferential seats and earlier boarding, the carrier said, while those with basic fares will likely be placed in groups 6-8.

Other changes

With the switch to assigned seating also comes a revision of the airline's policy for customers who need extra room. Under the new rule — also effective Tuesday — travelers who do not fit within a single seat's armrests will be required to purchase an additional seat in advance.

NOTICE

NOTICE is hereby given that LUDOVIC PIERRE of Berry Island, Bahamas is applying to the Minister responsible for Nationality and Citizenship, for registration/ naturalization as a citizen of The Bahamas, and that any person who knows any reason why registration/naturalization should not be granted, should send a written and signed statement of the facts within twenty-eight days from the 28th day of January, 2026 to the Minister responsible for nationality and Citizenship, P.O. Box N-7147, Nassau, Bahamas.

Amazon to close Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh to concentrate on Whole Foods and grocery delivery

By ANNE D’INNOCENZIO

AP Retail Writer

AMAZON said it’s closing all of its Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh locations, as the online behemoth focuses on its grocery delivery, Whole Foods Market and a new “supersized” store concept.

The Seattle-based online retailer said Tuesday in a blog post that it plans to convert some of those soon-to-be shuttered locations into Whole Foods Market stores. The company operates 57 Amazon Fresh stores and 15 Amazon Go stores.

“While we’ve seen encouraging signals in our Amazon-branded

physical grocery stores, we haven’t yet created a truly distinctive customer experience with the right economic model needed for largescale expansion,” the company said in the post.

Amazon noted that customers can continue to shop Amazon Fresh online in available areas for “fast and convenient delivery.”

The last day of operation for Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go stores is Feb. 1, with the exception of its California locations, which will remain open longer to comply with state requirements, Amazon said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott halts new H-1B visa petitions at state agencies and universities

By SARA CLINE Associated Press

GOV. Greg Abbott

ordered Texas universities and state agencies on Tuesday to halt new H-1B visa petitions, which are used by employers to hire foreign workers with specialized skills, until next year.

The pause in the red state, which is home to thousands of H-1B visa holders, comes amid actions by the Trump administration aimed at reshaping the visa program. Critics argue that it has become a pipeline for overseas workers willing to work for lower pay and is taking job opportunities from Americans. But supporters say the program is crucial to attract top global talent, fill specialized roles and drive innovation.

"State government must lead by example and ensure that employment opportunities — particularly those funded with taxpayer dollars — are filled by Texans first," Abbott wrote in his letter.

But proponents of the program argue that it is beneficial to the state, and that any pause could worsen existing staffing shortages and hinder universities' ability to recruit talent.

"Freezing those pathways makes it harder to staff classrooms, research centers, and hospitals across our state, raising costs, straining public services, and hurting Texans in every corner of our state," Rep. Ramon Romero Jr., Democrat and chairman of Texas Mexican American Legislative Caucus, said in a written statement.

The pause in Texas, which only applies to state agencies and public universities, is scheduled to last until May 31, 2027. Abbott's order does allow exceptions if permission is granted from the Texas Workforce Commission.

Abbott said the freeze will give lawmakers time to "establish statutory guardrails" for employment under the visa program, allow Congress to modify federal law and allow program reforms by the Trump administration to be implemented. Currently, the public university in the state with the most H-1B visas is the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas with 228 visa holders, based on data reported by the U.S. Citizen & Immigration Services in September.

The university employees more than 23,000 people, according to their website. University staff did not immediately respond to messages from The

Since Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods Market in 2017, it’s seen more than 40% sales growth and expansion to more than 550 locations, it said. It now plans to open more than 100 new Whole Foods Market stores over the next few years. At the same time, shoppers are turning to online delivery for everyday essentials and fresh food, Amazon said. The online retailer is now delivering groceries to 5,000 U.S. cities and towns, including thousands served by same-day delivery where customers can shop produce and other perishables along

with staples. Based on strong customer feedback, it said it plans to expand its same-day delivery service of fresh groceries to more areas this year. Still, Amazon pledges to continue to experiment with new physical store formats.

The company revealed on Tuesday its plans to open a “new supercenter” physical retail concept designed for customers to shop Amazon’s broad selection across fresh groceries, household essentials, and general merchandise. The company didn’t provide any other details including the timing of the opening.

Amazon also is testing a new in-store format called Amazon Grocery, which it launched alongside Whole Foods Market in Chicago. This concept at Whole Foods Market in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania, lets customer also shop for groceries and household essentials from Amazon Amazon opened its first Amazon Go concept in 2018 in Seattle, letting shoppers take milk, potato chips or ready-to-eat salads off its shelves and just walk out. Amazon’s technology charges customers after they leave. It said that it’s gathered valuable insights along the way.

TikTok settles as social media giants face landmark trial over youth addiction claims

By KAITLYN HUAMANI and BARBARA ORTUTAY AP Technology Writers

TIKTOK agreed to settle a landmark social media addiction lawsuit just before the trial kicked off, the plaintiff's attorneys confirmed.

Associated Press seeking comment on the pause.

Other institutions with H-1B visa holders include: the Texas A&M University in College Station with 214; the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston with 171; the University of Texas at Austin with 169; and Texas Tech University in Lubbock with 143.

While there is a wide range of employers who can apply for HB-1 visas — including hospitals, bands and universities — at least 60% of the H-1B visas approved since 2012 have been for computer-related jobs, according to the Pew Research Center.

Last year across the country, Amazon was by far the top recipient, with more than 10,000 visas approved, followed by Mumbai-based informational technology company Tata Consultancy Services, Microsoft, Apple and Google. In Texas, Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation — a multinational information technology company — has the most H-1B visas in the state with 3,172.

Abbott, who along with Republicans alleges that the visas are being abused, plans to review the program's use. As such, he ordered agencies and universities to provide information on the number of new or renewed H-1B visa petitions last year, visa holders currently sponsored, job titles, countries of origin and visa expiration dates.

The Republican also asked for documentation showing employers made an effort to give "qualified Texans candidates with reasonable opportunity to apply" for positions filled by H-1B holders. Across the aisle, Romero argues that H-1B visa holders are "Texans in every way that matters" -- saying that they are professionals who "work hard, follow the rules and contribute to our economy."

Abbott is not the only GOP governor taking action. Last year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis called for fewer H-1B hires, alleging abuse of the program to fill nonspecialized roles.

On Thursday, the Board of Governors, which oversees the Florida's public university system, is scheduled to discuss pausing the use of H-1B program to hire new personnel until next year.

President Donald Trump signed a proclamation last year imposing a $100,000 annual H-1B visa fee on highly skilled workers, which is being challenged in court.

The social video platform was one of three companies — along with Meta's Instagram and Google's YouTube — facing claims that their platforms deliberately addict and harm children. A fourth company named in the lawsuit, Snapchat parent company Snap Inc., settled the case last week for an undisclosed sum. Details of the settlement with TikTok were not disclosed, and the company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At the core of the case is a 19-year-old identified only by the initials "KGM," whose case could determine how thousands of other, similar lawsuits against social media companies will play out. She and two other plaintiffs have been selected for bellwether trials — essentially test cases for both sides to see how their arguments play out before a jury and what damages, if any, may be awarded, said Clay Calvert, a nonresident senior fellow of technology policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute.

Joseph VanZandt, co-lead counsel for the plaintiff, said in a statement Tuesday that TikTok remains a defendant in the other personal injury cases, and that the trial will proceed as scheduled against Meta and YouTube.

Jury selection starts this week in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. It's the first time the companies will argue their case before a jury, and the outcome could have profound effects on their businesses and how they will handle children using their platforms. The selection process is expected to take at least a few days, with 75 potential jurors questioned each day through at least Thursday. A fourth company named in the lawsuit, Snapchat parent company Snap Inc., settled the case last week for an undisclosed sum. "This was only the first case — there are hundreds of parents and school districts in the social media addiction trials that start today, and sadly, new families every day who are

speaking out and bringing Big Tech to court for its deliberately harmful products," said Sacha Haworth, executive director of the nonprofit Tech Oversight Project. KGM claims that her use of social media from an early age addicted her to the technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts. Importantly, the lawsuit claims that this was done through deliberate design choices made by companies that sought to make their platforms more addictive to children to boost profits. This argument, if successful, could sidestep the companies' First Amendment shield and Section 230, which protects tech companies from liability for

material posted on their platforms.

"Borrowing heavily from the behavioral and neurobiological techniques used by slot machines and exploited by the cigarette industry, Defendants deliberately embedded in their products an array of design features aimed at maximizing youth engagement to drive advertising revenue," the lawsuit says.

Executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, are expected to testify at the trial, which will last six to eight weeks. Experts have drawn similarities to the Big Tobacco trials that led to a 1998 settlement requiring cigarette companies to pay billions in health care costs and restrict marketing targeting minors.

Trump visits Iowa trying to focus on affordability during fallout over shooting in Minneapolis

By SEUNG MIN KIM, HANNAH FINGERHUT and MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press

PRESIDENT Donald Trump on Tuesday made his first big pitch ahead of this year's midterm elections on his administration's economic performance, even as his White House remains mired in the fallout in Minneapolis over a second fatal shooting by federal immigration officers this month. Trump gave a speech in a suburb of Des Moines where he talked up the tax cuts he signed into law last year and took credit for the soaring performance of the stock market, saying he "made a lot of people rich," including some "that I don't even like."

"If we lose the midterms, you'll lose so many of the things that we're talking about," Trump told Iowans, who are expected to reflect their feelings on his presidency when they vote in two highly competitive congressional races this year.

The trip for the Republican president was part of a White House push to focus more on affordability ahead of elections in November that will determine control of Congress.

But the president once again suggested that concerns about prices were exaggerated by his political opponents, saying, "They come up with this word 'affordability.'"

"First time you heard about it was like a few months ago," he said. He went on and added: "You're not hearing it so much anymore. You know why? Because the prices are coming down so much."

The visit was part of the White House's strategy to have Trump travel out of Washington once a week ahead of the midterm elections to focus on economic issues facing everyday Americans — an effort that keeps getting diverted by crisis.

On the ground in Iowa, Trump first made a stop at a local restaurant, where he met some locals and sat for an interview with Fox News Channel — in which he said he was attempting to "de-escalate a little bit" in Minnesota.

The latest effort comes as the Trump administration is grappling with the weekend shooting death of Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse killed by federal agents in Iowa's northern neighbor. Pretti

had participated in protests following the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. Even as some top administration officials moved quickly to malign Pretti, Trump said he was waiting until an investigation into the shooting was complete.

As Trump left the White House on Tuesday to head to Iowa, he was repeatedly questioned by reporters about Pretti's killing. Trump disputed language used by his own deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, who on social media described Pretti as an "assassin" who "tried to murder federal agents." Vice President JD Vance shared the post. Trump, when asked Tuesday if he believed Pretti was an assassin, said, "No."

When asked if he thought Pretti's killing was justified, Trump called it "a very sad situation" and said a "big investigation" was underway.

"I'm going to be watching over it, and I want a very honorable and honest investigation. I have to see it myself," he said. He also said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was quick to cast Pretti as a violent instigator, would not be resigning.

Later, as he greeted diners at an Iowa restaurant, Trump weighed in further with comments that were likely to exacerbate frustration among some of his backers who are also strong Second Amendment proponents.

"He certainly shouldn't have been carrying a gun," Trump said of Pretti. He called it a "very, very unfortunate incident" but said: "I don't like that he had a gun. I don't like that he had two fully loaded magazines. That's a lot of bad stuff."

Trump was last in Iowa ahead of the July 4 holiday to kick off the United States' upcoming 250th anniversary, which morphed largely into a celebration of his major spending and tax cut package hours after Congress had approved it.