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National Geographic
30-05-2025
- National Geographic
Why June is the best month to visit this U.S. Virgin Island
It turns out that the grass actually is greener in St. Thomas—sea turtle grass, that is, for those traveling in June. This sweet spot, after the bustle and beats of carnival season concludes across most of the Caribbean, is both an ecologist's paradise and a deal-hunter's delight. Canopies of fire-red flamboyant flowers blanket the island, complementing the hue of mangoes that hang lush and ripe. Nesting season starts for green sea turtles, which are drawn not only to shore to lay their eggs, but to the shallow-water grasses that serve as their feeding grounds. As summer kicks off, trade winds have died down, meaning novice swimmers, sailors, and snorkelers have calmer waters. St. Thomas is one of the rare destinations where 'shoulder season' actually means sun-kissed shoulders, not an abundance of rain or scorching heat. It is the mid-sized sister of the other U.S. Virgin Islands—a triad that also includes St. John and St. Croix. Charlotte Amalie, on the southern side, is the capital of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Photograph by Starcevic, Getty Images June is the golden time to spread out a beach blanket—liberally, when the sands aren't crowded—and dine at restaurants that are easier to get into. Much of what's served will be seasonal catches like marlin, bonefish, and tarpon from the Caribbean Sea. The Caribbean's slower season means rates at hotels (moderate and luxury alike) are up to half-off what they'd be during early spring and the holidays, making it another reason why June is the best time to visit. What to see and do Snorkeling It's not unusual to see Virgin Islanders pop open the trunk of their car and pull out snorkel gear for an impromptu dip—it's that easy to spot vibrant fish and marine life at any of the plentiful public beaches year-round. But in June, there are even more chances to luck out with sea turtle sightings. St. Thomas hot-spots include Secret Harbour Beach and the aptly named Turtle Cove, where leatherback, hawksbill, and green sea turtles are far from shy. Novice snorkelers will want to check out Brewers Bay, which has less coral to navigate and a sandy bottom with the sea grass that green sea turtles love to eat. Nesting season starts for green sea turtles, which are drawn to shore to lay their eggs. Photograph by Douglas Rissing, Getty Images Charter a boat CrewZen owner and boat captain Kevin McCartney creates custom itineraries that circumnavigate St. Thomas or go out toward the other U.S. or British Virgin Islands. McCartney often goes to Lovango Resort & Beach Club, where guests can get a day-pass for this private island between St. Thomas and St. John. His other recommendation is to go swimming or snorkeling before visiting Lime Out, a floating taco bar accessible only by boat. Phantasea Tropical Botanical Garden Architect Patsy Breunlin has built a hilltop garden filled with the heady scent of lilies and orchids that bend in colorful splendor, ripe for leisurely walks. Wildlife includes lizards, parrots, and peacocks, and it's likely visitors will spot bananaquits, the yellow-bellied birds of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Where to shop St. Thomas has twice the duty-free allowance of most Caribbean destinations. Each U.S. citizen (including children) can bring home up to $1,600 worth of goods without paying sales tax. The Creative Native The Creative Native is part art gallery, part history museum. Owner and photographer Ama Dennis, whose family has lived on the triad of St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix for six generations, welcomes guests with a smile and a signature greeting: 'I don't sell art—I tell stories of the Virgin Islands.' Fish Face The aquatic photography is what started it all at Fish Face, an apparel, jewelry, and photography boutique in Palm Passage courtyard. Co-owners Kris Wall and Carrell "CW" Abbott left their corporate jobs to open the shop in 2008. Since then, they've expanded from Wall's colorful images of parrotfish, seahorses, and octopuses to other art and housewares from creators across the Caribbean. Where to eat and drink Blue 11 Splurge on a seven-, nine-, or 11-course tasting menu at Blue 11, where chef David 'Benji' Benjamin spotlights what's local and fresh. Bites typically include seared red snapper atop a warm citrus salad, and wahoo with pickled green mango. Or, check out Benji's other more casual restaurant, Indigo 4, for signatures like conch chowder. King of the Wing Festival Although Carnival season has concluded by June, there is one celebration that remains: King of the Wing Festival (June 14, 2025). Amateur and professional cooks compete for all the sweet, savory, and spicy chicken wing glory on the island, with proceeds benefiting local charities. de Frenchtown Bar Plates at the casual bistro are loaded with oxtail, jerk chicken, pulled pork, or pork ribs. Every now and then cornmeal-based fungi (foon-gee) dumplings are featured, and they go quickly. Pizza Pi St. Thomas' sailboat pizzeria is not to be missed. While the slices are divine (try the Peachy Goat with basil and a balsamic glaze), this Christmas Cove hot spot is also a floating bar with frozen cocktail-like concoctions. Locally inspired favorites include the Bushwacker, a piña colada and chocolate milkshake mashup that was invented in St. Thomas. For those who can't resist having a second—or even third—Pizza Pi has shuttle service options. Alloro The balmy temperatures in June are ideal for al fresco dining at Alloro. Cocktail connoisseurs don't want to miss out on the signature martini, featuring Prosecco, cointreau, citrus, and basil grown on-site. Explore like a local Beaches Magens Bay's smooth sands and calm waters are a crowd-pleaser, but for beachfront with more locals than tourists, visit the crystalline waters of Coki Beach. Even novice snorkelers will feel like they're swimming in an aquarium. June's calm waters make snorkeling an ideal activity on St. Thomas. Photograph by Westend61, Getty Images Dine & Dash Food Tours Exploring like a local is easy when you're with a local. Get a taste of six local specialties—like patés, savory empanada-like hand pies—when you travel from one end of the island to the other with Dine & Dash founder Desireè 'Dez' Wilkes. Expect food for thought along the way, with a rich history lesson that goes back as far as when Wilkes' family made their way to the area when it was still known as Danish West Indies. She always treats guests to a cup of bush tea—an herbal concoction made with lemongrass from her grandmother's garden—but in June, guests can also expect to sip a mango smoothie during the fruit's peak season. Shuttle to St. John If you live on St. Thomas, St. John is your sister island and the ferry your means of transport. It's worth adventuring on a 20-minute, camera-friendly ride over to Cruz Bay, where fixed-rate taxis await to zip visitors to beaches like Trunk Bay or Oppenheimer Beach. Or travel over for The Longboard alone. Chat up the mixologists at the open-air bar during happy hour from 2-4 p.m., when specialty cocktails are just $10. Farmers Market Saturday mornings are for fresh fish, vegetables, and the milk of just-cut coconuts at the Farmers Market. And, for the lucky early birds, a taste of Miss Annette's 'goat water.' This slow-cooked goat stew is available many weekends, but for those who miss it, there's Blue Mango Tours. Guides, like owner Mike Motylinski, can show you where else to find this Caribbean favorite. Where to stay The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas Each of the 180 rooms at The Ritz-Carlton have oceanfront views, meaning you're just steps from the water. Splash in the waves before making your own at the new family pool with a waterslide. Although The Ritz-Carlton is a luxury resort, there are a number of new casual additions in line with St. Thomas' island vibe, including flip-flop friendly Sails Beachside Restaurant & Bar, and Southwind grab-and-go coffee shop. The Pink Palm Hotel The Pink Palm's 28 rooms—decorated in rich green, sandy white, and seashell pink tones—offer up an adults-only enclave perched high on a hillside in the heart of U.S. Virgin Islands capital Charlotte Amalie. That means guests are in the center of the action for dining and nightlife, with sweeping views of the Caribbean Sea. The Hideaway at Hull Bay This hotel's secluded beachfront is far from a traditional hotel experience thanks to its airy, spacious cottages (eight) and villas (two). But the biodiversity spread across two acres is just as much a feast for the eyes as the foodie. Farm-to-table fare at Hideaway Dining rotates daily, with freshly harvested potatoes, eggplant, and herbs grown on-site. Or visit The Shack next door, with casual fare like fish tacos and burgers served with a side of live entertainment most nights. How to get there, and around:In June, there is direct air to Cyril E. King Airport (STT) from more than a dozen U.S. cities. Major carriers include American Airlines, JetBlue, and are fixed-rate per person, not per ride, across St. Thomas based on distance to and from popular landmarks (most prefer cash). Sedans or minivans with a driver can also be contracted with hourly rates. There are no rideshare services on St. Thomas or neighboring islands. When to go Summer in St. Thomas hovers around 84°F, and June averages the least rainfall of the season, with just 2.5 inches over the course of the month. Carley Thornell is a Boston-based Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who's been to 60-plus countries. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Afar, Robb Report, Skift, Global Traveler, OpenTable, USA Today, and many other publications. Her beats (and passions) include sustainability, diversity and accessibility, epicurean delights, luxury travel, and—most recently with the addition of her son—family travel.
Black America Web
24-05-2025
- Business
- Black America Web
The Midnight Medicaid Cuts: Why The GOP's Reconciliation Bill Is A Raw Deal For The American People
Source: Douglas Rissing / Getty In the early hours of the morning, while most Americans were asleep, House Republicans convened a hearing that stretched into an eight-hour marathon to push through a sweeping 1,100-page reconciliation bill. The timing was no coincidence. It was a calculated attempt to avoid scrutiny and quietly advance a legislative agenda that disproportionately benefits the wealthy, undermines essential public services, and fuels divisive culture wars. This bill is not about economic growth or fiscal responsibility. It's the latest chapter in a long-standing political grift: one where working families are told to tighten their belts while the powerful receive handouts disguised as policy. At the heart of the bill are aggressive cuts to Medicaid and food assistance—critical lifelines for millions of Americans. By moving up the timeline for mandatory work requirements to 2026, House Republicans are putting an estimated 14 million people at risk of losing their healthcare and three million households in danger of losing food security. These aren't just numbers—they represent real families who are already navigating an economy marked by uncertainty, inflation, and widening inequality. Meanwhile, the bill remains generous to the wealthiest Americans, offering trillions in tax breaks to those who need them least. But it doesn't stop there. In a bizarre twist, it also includes a provision to create $1,000 'Trump Accounts' for babies born between 2025 and 2029. Ostensibly designed to support long-term savings, these MAGA-branded investment funds are more about political branding than substantive policy. It's a campaign slogan masquerading as a fiscal tool. Simultaneously, the bill strips healthcare access from some of the country's most vulnerable populations. It imposes a sweeping ban on Medicaid and CHIP funding for gender-affirming care, not just for minors, but for all recipients. This isn't about protecting public funds; it's a targeted attack on the transgender community, one that erodes the foundational principle that healthcare should be accessible to all. And if the stakes weren't high enough, the bill also includes provisions that compromise public safety. Language quietly added in the final hours eliminates the federal tax and registration requirement for gun silencers, long established as safeguards to help law enforcement trace weapons used in violent crimes. As Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.) noted, this change is not just reckless—it's radical. Even more troubling, an earlier draft of the bill included language that would have shielded former President Trump and his administration from contempt citations if they violated court orders. While the provision was ultimately removed, its mere presence reflects a dangerous willingness to circumvent the judiciary and concentrate power in the executive branch. The bill also threatens access to reproductive and preventative health services by targeting Planned Parenthood. If passed, up to one-third of Planned Parenthood health centers—nearly 200 facilities—could be forced to close due to funding restrictions tied to abortion and gender-affirming care. This would severely limit access to cancer screenings, birth control, and general health care in underserved communities. One of the most telling moments during the hearing, Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) held Republicans accountable for the sheer absurdity—and hypocrisy—of their priorities. When questioning a provision that repealed the federal excise tax on indoor tanning services, she asked the bill's sponsor to read the line item aloud. He refused. 'Oh, he doesn't want to read it,' Rep. Leger Fernández said. 'This is in their bill. They don't want to read a line from their own bill.' Fernández then delivered a blistering critique: 'So if you have a tanning bed, you get a little bit of a tax break. And if you need a hospital bed in rural America, I'm sorry, you're out of luck.' Her words underscored the bill's deeply skewed values, where luxury perks are prioritized over basic healthcare access. This is not a comprehensive plan for economic recovery or public well-being. It's a deeply flawed document that prioritizes political loyalty, culture war distractions, and corporate interests over the everyday needs of American families. It represents the erosion of public trust, transparency, and responsible governance. While some provisions—such as the nonprotection of public lands in Utah and Nevada—were rightfully removed, and attempts to strip federal employees of earned retirement benefits were reversed, these adjustments cannot redeem a bill that is fundamentally out of step with the priorities of the American people. As this bill heads to the Senate, lawmakers—and the public—must remain vigilant. Because this isn't just bad policy. It's a dangerous precedent. Governance should be transparent, equitable, and rooted in service to the people, not pushed through under the cover of darkness to serve the ambitions of a few. The American people deserve better. SEE ALSO: SPLC: U.S. Hate Groups Declined—Is It Really A Good Thing? Harvard Fights Back Against Trump International Student Ban SEE ALSO The Midnight Medicaid Cuts: Why The GOP's Reconciliation Bill Is A Raw Deal For The American People was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Black America Web
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Black America Web
Border Agents' Aggressive Tactics Against Black Organizer Raises Alarms About Dissent Suppression
Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE Source: Douglas Rissing / Getty Devin Springer's recent detention and interrogation by U.S. Border Protection and Customs agents took a page out of an old playbook used to repress dissent and punish outspoken Black leaders. Last week, agents detained and interrogated Springer—a Black, queer, Muslim organizer and journalist known by friends and colleagues as Musa— upon their return from traveling to a sanctioned trip to Cuba. Springer shared details of their detention and interrogation by Customs and Border Protection agents in a statement posted on the Mondoweiss website, where they are a contributor. According to the statement, Springer was subjected to an aggressive search, which they estimated lasted longer than three hours without access to a lawyer. According to their statement, an agent informed Springer that upon returning home from international travel, 'most of your rights are suspended.' 'For roughly over three hours, I was held without access to legal counsel, aggressively questioned, patted down, and subjected to an invasive groin search,' they said. 'My passport was taken, all of my belongings were searched, and eventually my devices—my cell phone and laptop—were seized without justification. After seizing my devices, three CBP agents attempted to coerce me into powering on the devices and surrendering my device passwords; when I refused, which I knew was my right to do, they were very visibly aggravated.' Springer further explained that agents used their travel to Cuba, on Southwest Airlines, and in accordance with the limited exceptions available to Americans, and solidarity organizing on behalf of Palestinian liberation as justification for the detention and aggressive questioning. Part of Springer's advocacy has also included recent support of a friend who was an international student targeted by the Trump administration and forced to self-deport. 'CBP agents asked whether I had received so-called 'military training' in Cuba or the Middle East, questioned if I was involved in political activity on the island, and pressed me for information on my potential connections to several foreign students and professors engaged in Palestine solidarity,' Springer said. 'This experience is part of a broader pattern. Across administrations, DHS has operated as a politically charged agency to escalate surveillance, harassment, and criminalization of individuals involved in movements for justice, liberation, and in this case, against genocide. Now, we're witnessing a dangerous heightening of this weaponization.' The Center for Constitutional Rights, which is representing Springer, filed a motion in federal court demanding the government return the seized devices. The motion outlined the government's retaliation against Springer's constitutionally protected speech under the First Amendment, including how agents reviewed Springer's personal and professional research and writings, claiming to have 'found something' on a page of a notebook. It further notes how the agents searched for Springer's work online, making mention of abortion and Palestine, a possible reference to Springer's work for a Georgia reproductive justice organization and their solidarity with the Palestinian people and movement for liberation. Springer is the second U.S. citizen from Georgia to make the news this week. Juan Carlos Lopez-Gomez, a 20-year-old Georgia man wrongfully detained by ICE in Florida despite being born in the U.S., was accused of being unlawfully present in the country despite his mother's insistence that he was born here. Authorities detained Lopez-Gomez for 48 hours. Citizens and non-citizens are increasingly reporting incidents of detentions and seizures upon returning to the U.S. after traveling abroad. In a video posted to social media, an attorney from the Center for Constitutional Rights placed Springer's incident in the context of other reported occurrences across the country. 'Incidents like these are extremely troubling and have been happening with increasing frequency during the Trump administration, reflecting a dangerous trend of suppressing voices critical of U.S. officials and policies,' said the attorney. 'As Musa said in their statement, Customs and Border Patrol does not merely police borders. They police dissent.' You can donate to support Springer's fundraiser here. SEE ALSO: Oakland Voters Say 'Barbara Lee Speaks For Me!' NY AG Letitia James Calls Mortgage Fraud Claims 'Baseless' SEE ALSO Border Agents' Aggressive Tactics Against Black Organizer Raises Alarms About Dissent Suppression was originally published on
