THIS WEEK’S TOP NEWS STORIES
US SUPREME COURT MAKES THINGS HARDER FOR SOME IMMIGRANTS TO REMAIN IN COUNTRY
A ruling from the United States Supreme Court in a case that involved Andre Barton, a Jamaican national is making it more difficult for non-citizens who have been authorized as permanent residents to argue that they should be permitted to remain in the US if they have committed crimes. The court, which was split along ideological lines, ruled against Barton, who is a green-card holder, and found he was not eligible under immigration law to avoid deportation for crimes he committed in 1998, 2007 and 2008. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who wrote the opinion for the Court, noted the fact that the first crime, which occurred when Barton was a teenager, happened in the first seven years he was in the US. A criminal record makes a lawful permanent resident ineligible to request that he stay in the country, according to Kavanaugh.
JAMAICAN GOVERNMENT WILL REPATRIATE ISLANDERS ON CRUISE SHIP
The government of Jamaica has decided to repatriate the over 40 Jamaicans who have been stuck on the cruise ship Marella Discovery 2. The decision was made in response to public outcry about the status of the 43 Jamaican crew members on the ship who did not get into the country in spite of the fact that the ship was in Jamaican waters some two weeks ago.
According to Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, arrangements were made with the ship’s owner to bring the crew members and another 30 Jamaicans who are non-essential workers on other cruise ships back to the country.
THIS WEEK’S TOP CARIBBEAN NEWS
BIGGEST DECLINE IN GLOBAL REMITTANCES IN HISTORY PREDICTED
According to the World Bank, global remittances are expected to fall significantly – by some 20 percent – in 2020 as a result of the economic situation arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. This is slated to be the largest decline in recorded history and is related to a drop in number of jobs and reduced wages for migrant workers. Many workers from the Caribbean work overseas and send money back to their home countries on a regular basis. These remittances tend to aid poor populations in lower- and middle-income countries.
Due to COVID-19 lockdowns in host countries, many Caribbean immigrants and seasonal workers will have no income and little or no money to send back to their families.
THIS WEEK’S TOP JAMAICAN DIASPORA NEWS
CLARKE SAYS UNDOCUMENTED EXPATRIOTS AT MORE RISK OF JOB LOSS DUE TO COVID-19
Yvette D. Clarke, Jamaican-American Congresswoman from New York, has stated that undocumented expatriates from the Caribbean are at higher risk of losing their jobs due to COVID-19 policies implemented in the United States. Clarke has expressed her concern for the thousands of such immigrants who live in the US, which has become the epicenter of the coronavirus in the past month. The CARES Act that was enacted in the US to provide relief to those impacted by job loss does not apply to undocumented workers.
THIS WEEK’S TOP BUSINESS NEWS
RED STPIPE BEER WINS AWARD FOR QUALITY
Jamaica’s Red Stripe beer has won the Monde Selection Award for Quality from the International Quality Institute Monde Selection. The silver medal awarded to the lager company adds to its 11 gold medals and another silver award it has received. The head of marketing at Red Stripe, Nomonde Donsa, said the award was a testament to the firm’s commitment to providing top-quality product to its customers. Receiving official recognition from an accredited global group of experts shows that Red Stripe beer is on par with the international standards.
THIS WEEK’S TOP ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
A “HUMANITARIN” COLLABORATION A FIRST FOR TOP REGGAE MUSICIANS
IN response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the word “humanity” has become more frequently used as countries move to address the crisis. The United Nations launched a US$2 billion global humanitarian response in March of 2020 to battle the disease. Now, Collin “Bulby” York, a producer, released a new single entitled “Humanitarian,” which recognizes the power of music to heal and bring people together. The producer is a 2020 honoree of the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association. The collaboration single features Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Jimmy Cliff, Grammy award-winning winner Bounty Killer, and multi-award winning reggae artiste Capleton.
THIS WEEK’S TOP SPORTS NEWS
WEST INDIES TO PRIORITIZE ENGLAND TOUR OVER HOME SERIES VERSUS NEW ZEALAND AND SOUTH AFRICA
The West Indies cricket team has decided to opt for the three Tests in England instead of its home series in which it would have played New Zealand and South Africa in July and August. While giving up those home matches could disappoint fans of Caribbean cricket, the hierarchy of the West Indies side believe that permitting England to take precedence offers the best chance of making the first of three restart dates they are modelling — July/August, October and a worst-case scenario of January 2021.
