Pulse of the Caribbean

#132 Caribbean News Round Up Episode 1 Week of October 27

• Pulse of the Caribbean

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This episode tracks tropical storm weather, security, energy, health, and investments. Here are some of the stories making Caribbean headlines.

  • Category 5 Hurricane Melissa forecast to impact Jamaica, Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, the southeastern and central Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Bermuda 
  •  U.S. naval presence  increases in Caribbean anti-trafficking posture near Venezuela
  • BVI financial services role in post-hurricane stability
  • Barbados Prime Minister speaks on UBER expansion and regulations on the island
  • Guyana's deep-water port proposal to ease regional delays
  • US Virgin Islands Restaurant St. Thomas Social provides free to-go meals for SNAP recipients
  • Grenada Tourism Authority starts WhatsApp broadcast channel for real-time updates

 Listen and subscribe to the  Pulse of the Caribbean Caribbean News Round Up for news you need to know.

Send news releases to news@pulseofthecaribbean.com. For Pulse of the Caribbean marketplace feature opportunities email biz@pulseofthecaribbean.com. Like and follow us on Facebook.

SPEAKER_02:

This podcast is brought to you by Diamond Key Marina, Yosmondike, British Virgin Islands, home of Foxy's taboo and gateway to the bubbly pool, a natural jacuzzi and hidden gem. To reserve moorings at Diamond Key, visit Botiball.com. Welcome to Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, Episode 1 for the week of October 27th. Here's a look at what's making Caribbean headlines. We start a report with a look at Hurricane Melissa. Hurricane Melissa is currently a strong category four storm with winds that stay around 140 miles per hour. It is slowly moving west over the Caribbean, where it's a major threat to Jamaica and a southeastern Cuba. When Melissa hits Jamaica on Monday night or Tuesday morning and southeastern Cuba late Tuesday, it is projected to be a strong major storm. Some parts of southern Hispaniola and Jamaica are anticipated to have heavy rains from Melissa through Wednesday. Forecasters say it could get even stronger before it hits land. The swells caused by Melissa are likely to hit hard parts of Hispaniola, Jamaica, Eastern Cuba, and the Cayman Islands over the following few days. People who live in the areas affected should finish getting ready and keep an eye on official updates from local authorities. Next, here's some updates on the U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean. CNN said Friday that President Donald Trump is considering U.S. operations against Venezuelan cocaine facilities on the ground and other drug traffickers. Maduro has denied drug trafficking, and he argues the U.S. is utilizing this claim in an attempt to remove the government. The USS Gravely, a U.S. Navy ship, arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday and is conducting training operations with the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force. The battleship is expected to train in Trinidad and Tobago for five days until October 30th. Now on to the British Virgin Islands. The British Virgin Islands Premier, Dr. Natalia Whitley, reminded British Virgin Islanders that the BVI's financial service industry saved the territory during the 2017 hurricanes and not the UK. On a local radio program, Virgin Islands Voice Program, the Premier was asked about the UK's support for the BVI after hurricanes Irma and Maria and whether the lack of direct financial aid had revealed a gap between the local and UK governments. But what really sustained the islands after the hurricanes was the money received from remote financial services industry. Arguing that the UK shouldn't weaken the sector while offering no real economic support. Uber won't be allowed at Bridgetown Port this winter, and Grantley Adams International Airport will be fair play. The Prime Minister said her administration will level the playing field for all transport providers and ensure regulatory fairness for innovative technology-driven services in the local market. In other news from Guyana, the government of Guyana and corporate sector stakeholders in Guyana believe a deep water port infrastructure is the greatest solution to Trinidad and Tobago port delays. The Guyana government wants a deep water port in Burbice, Region 6. President Dr. Iframa Ali announced earlier this month that they were finishing this facility's design. After this.com. Get your ads in front of our ever expanding Caribbean and diaspora community. Contact us at BizBiz at pulsofthecaribbean.com. Engage in networking and advertising with Pulse of the Caribbean. This is the Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, episode one for the week of October 27th. In just over a week, nearly 42 million federal food assistant recipients might lose their payments due to the U.S. federal government shutdown, which began on October 1st. SNAP, the supplemental nutrition assistance program, provides assistance to one in eight Americans per month. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, the restaurant St. Thomas Social issued a press release on Sunday via its Facebook page stating that starting today, Monday, October 27th, SNAP beneficiaries can receive free-to-go community meals during the U.S. federal government shutdown. At pickup, recipients must show their SNAP cards. Sunil Sherma, partner and executive chef at St. Thomas Social, stated, People are hurting and the business community must step up during these trying times. Social is committed to giving back to the community that has given us so much. This should alleviate the strain on food insecure households that don't receive SNAP benefits. Recipients can phone to order three free pre-packaged hot meals per day. At pickup, recipients must show their SNAP cards. All orders are to go and must be consumed off-site. Meals will change daily. On October 23rd, the Grenada Tourism Authority will debut its WhatsApp broadcast channel to send real-time updates, critical announcements, and tourism-related information to subscribers' mobile devices. The WhatsApp Broadcast Channel provides free, easy-to-use, one-way communication for WhatsApp users as part of Grenada Tourism Authority's commitment to innovation, accessibility, and transparency. The Grenada Tourism Authority can better reach audiences by sending information directly to their mobile devices in real time. Subscribers can click follow to join the Grenada Tourism Authority broadcast channel. With no membership limits, the channel will allow the Grenada Tourism Authority to engage with a growing network of destination fans, industry stakeholders, media partners, and tri-island residents in one digital environment. As the Grenada Tourism Authority embraces digital solutions to improve connectivity and market Grenada as a world-class destination, they say tourism is everybody's business. This podcast has been brought to you by Diamond Key Marina, Yos van Dijk, British Virgin Islands, home of Foxy's Taboo, and gateway to the bubbly pool in natural jacuzzi and hidden gem. To reserve moorings at Diamond Key, visit Botiball.com. Have news and information you'd like to share with us and news releases to news at Pulsofhecaribbean.com. This has been your Pulse of the Caribbean News Roundup, episode one for the week of October 27th. Here's a special greeting going out to our listeners in Barbados, Illinois, and Israel. Thanks for listening and do spread the word and share a podcast with others across the region and the diaspora. Be sure to like and follow us on Facebook. I'm Keisha Blyden. See you next time.

SPEAKER_00:

For more Caribbean news stories and information, visit us online at pulsofthecaribbean.com. If you found value in this podcast, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. And thank you in advance for choosing Pulse of the Caribbean Caribbean News Roundup as your source for Caribbean centered news.