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  • Accused media gala shooter charged with attempted Trump assassination

    Accused media gala shooter charged with attempted Trump assassination

    WASHINGTON — A 31-year-old California man accused of opening fire near a high-profile media gala attended by sitting U.S. President Donald Trump appeared in federal court Monday to face charges of attempted presidential assassination and two related firearms offenses, marking the third alleged plot on Trump’s life in just two years.

    Cole Allen, the suspect in Saturday’s attack at the annual White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) dinner held at Washington’s Hilton Hotel, entered no plea during his initial arraignment. Dressed in a blue correctional jumpsuit, Allen was ordered to remain in federal custody ahead of his next scheduled court hearing. If convicted on the assassination attempt charge, he faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars.

    Prosecutors detailed the scope of Allen’s alleged preparations for the attack in court documents and statements: he was armed with a pump-action shotgun, a semi-automatic pistol, and three bladed weapons when he attempted to breach security perimeters surrounding the venue, the site of the WHCA’s flagship annual gala for more than 70 years. Multiple shots were exchanged during a chaotic confrontation at a security checkpoint before law enforcement officers managed to subdue Allen. Critically, officials confirmed Allen never advanced close enough to reach Trump or the hundreds of dinner guests gathered on the hotel’s lower level.

    The incident unfolded rapidly Saturday evening: moments after gunshots rang out, Secret Service agents rushed Trump out of the venue to safety. One law enforcement officer suffered a non-fatal injury when a bullet struck their bulletproof vest, and no other fatalities or serious casualties were reported, a outcome that law enforcement have described as a stroke of luck.

    In an interview with CBS Sunday, the 79-year-old president downplayed any sense of fear as guests scrambled for cover. “I wasn’t worried. I understand life. We live in a crazy world,” Trump told reporters. He added that he initially mistook the sound of gunfire for a dropped serving tray before recognizing the danger, and has called for the WHCA dinner to be rescheduled within 30 days. The incident has sparked renewed scrutiny of presidential safety protocols, with Trump himself noting the Hilton venue was “not a particularly secure” facility — a point that carries extra weight given this was the first time Trump had accepted the WHCA’s standing invitation to attend the gala during his presidency.

    According to reporting from the New York Post, Allen sent a message to his family shortly before launching his attack indicating he planned to target attendees “prioritized from highest-ranking to lowest.” In addition to Trump, Saturday’s event was attended by First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance, multiple cabinet secretaries, senior congressional leaders, and hundreds of journalists and media figures.

    This latest alleged plot marks the third time Trump has been targeted for assassination since 2023. The first came during a 2024 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where a gunman’s volley killed one audience member and left a minor wound to Trump’s ear. Just months later, a second suspect was arrested after a Secret Service officer spotted a rifle barrel protruding from bushes along the perimeter of a West Palm Beach golf course where Trump was playing.

    In the wake of Saturday’s incident, the White House has pinned blame for the violence on what it calls a “left-wing cult of hatred,” specifically calling out Democratic lawmakers who have repeatedly argued Trump is seeking to consolidate authoritarian power. Critics have countered that Trump himself has broken decades of political precedent with routine, aggressive insults directed at political opponents, the national media, federal judges, foreign heads of state, and the Federal Reserve chair, creating a poisoned political climate.

  • Jess says NaRRA Bill creates ‘free for all with billions of public dollars’

    Jess says NaRRA Bill creates ‘free for all with billions of public dollars’

    In the wake of Hurricane Melissa’s destructive path across Jamaica, a major political clash has erupted over proposed legislation designed to steer the country’s recovery and rebuilding effort. Zuleika Jess, the opposition’s justice spokesperson, has publicly condemned the current draft of the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill, warning that its structural gaps pose severe threats to transparent governance and fair handling of billions in public funds.

    While Jess has made clear that the opposition does not question the urgent need for large-scale reconstruction after the storm, she argues that the proposed legislation intentionally removes core accountability safeguards that would prevent mismanagement and abuse of power. In a formal press statement, she characterized the current framework as an open door for unregulated spending of taxpayer money, putting billions at risk of misuse.

    Jess outlined multiple critical vulnerabilities in the bill that demand immediate intervention. Most notably, she pointed to Clause 18 of the legislation, which requires the new authority to design reconstruction programs and share details of involved parties and their roles with Cabinet before implementation. She warned that this vague requirement acts as blanket permission for political retaliation, giving the ruling government explicit power to exclude any individual or group viewed as politically opposed to the administration from working on recovery projects.

    Beyond the risk of political discrimination, Jess flagged another dangerously broad provision that allows the NaRRA to delegate its core functions to literally any person. She explained that this open-ended rule could put major public procurement decisions for multi-million dollar contracts in the hands of private individuals who face no requirement to answer to the public for their choices, eliminating any meaningful oversight.

    The bill’s arrangement for selecting an external auditor also comes under fire. Under the proposed framework, the NaRRA Chief Executive Officer selects the auditor, with only the Cabinet secretary providing formal approval. Jess argued this arrangement puts the oversight watchdog directly under the control of the very body it is meant to monitor, creating an obvious conflict of interest that renders independent auditing meaningless.

    Finally, Jess questioned why the legislation omits mandatory public registration of key reconstruction details, including full project budgets, funding sources, contracted companies, and hired professionals. Without making this information public, she contends, there can be no real public accountability for how recovery money is spent.

    Jess emphasized that the opposition stands firmly behind efforts to rebuild Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa, but refuses to support a bill that sacrifices good governance for speed. “The people of Jamaica deserve a recovery effort that is efficient, honest, fully transparent, and free from political interference,” she said, calling for an urgent joint select committee to conduct a full, comprehensive review of the legislation before it is passed.

  • WATCH: New Forest High’s 5K run/walk more than a race

    WATCH: New Forest High’s 5K run/walk more than a race

    MANCHESTER, JAMAICA – Stakeholders at New Forest High School have expanded the scope of impact from the institution’s annual 5K run/walk, with proceeds now set to support three key priorities: campus infrastructure expansion, athletic program development, and a new staff wellness initiative amid rising rates of illness among faculty. Board Chair Trisha Williams-Singh announced the updated fundraising goals during Sunday’s second staging of the popular community event, marking a decade since the school first opened its doors.

    As the 10-year-old institution continues to grow to meet student demand, the bulk of this year’s race proceeds will go toward constructing a long-awaited on-campus auditorium and upgrading the school’s existing sports programs. In a new addition to the event’s mission, a portion of funds will also be allocated to launch the New Forest High Staff Welfare Fund, a response to a sharp recent increase in reported illness among teaching and administrative staff.

    Williams-Singh emphasized that the dual focus of the event aligns with the school’s core values of community care. “We are not just raising money – we are modeling healthy lifestyles for our students and our community, while also stepping up to support our own team when they need help,” she explained. “When members of our school family face health challenges, we want to be able to respond to their needs immediately, rather than leaving them waiting for support.”

    The event has seen explosive growth in participation in just its second year, with registration numbers tripling from the 2023 staging to hit roughly 500 registered attendees this year. Williams-Singh noted that the outpouring of support extended beyond students and parents, with official delegations from local government agencies including the National Irrigation Commission and Agro-Invest joining the race. The high participation comes as no surprise, she added, given the school’s location within a regional agro-park that ties the institution closely to local agricultural industry stakeholders.

    Beyond the 5K fundraiser, the school is pushing to expand its academic offerings in agricultural science, a core focus of the 10-year-old institution. Williams-Singh said school leadership is advocating for approval to launch an Associate’s degree program in modern farming, to equip students with cutting-edge skills for the evolving agricultural sector. “Agriculture is not the same industry it was a generation ago,” she said. “We need to teach our students the new techniques and technologies that are shaping farming today, so they can build successful careers in this critical sector.”

    Garfield Green, Custos of Manchester, praised the school and its leadership for their proactive approach to community engagement and student development, calling New Forest High a standout institution in the parish. “This is one of the schools in Manchester I am most proud of,” Green said. “I have worked closely with them for years, and what stands out most is not just their commitment to academic excellence – it is the discipline and character they instill in every student. We have to commend the leadership, students, and parent body for building such a strong institution.”

    Omar Robinson, an educator and People’s National Party Councillor for the Alligator Pond division, echoed Green’s positive assessment, noting that community-focused fitness events like the 5K fill a critical need across Jamaica. The event, held just days after the national Jamaica Moves Day celebration of physical wellness, reinforces the growing push to address alarming rates of lifestyle-related disease across the country. “Events like this don’t just raise money for a good cause – they send ripples of positive change through the whole community,” Robinson said. “Physical fitness is a core part of long-term health, and we need to see these kinds of initiatives in every corner of Jamaica. We are facing growing lifestyle health challenges across the country, so every step we take to encourage healthy habits matters.”

  • WATCH: Family of ‘mentally-ill’ man demands justice after fatal shooting in August Town

    WATCH: Family of ‘mentally-ill’ man demands justice after fatal shooting in August Town

    KINGSTON, Jamaica — Grief-stricken relatives of a 34-year-old man with a documented history of mental illness are pressing authorities to launch an expedited, transparent investigation into his death earlier this week. Ricardo Gayle, a resident of the August Town neighborhood in St Andrew, was killed by a Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldier during an alleged confrontation at a Zone of Special Operations (ZOSO) checkpoint early Monday.

    Initial official accounts place the altercation shortly after 3 a.m. at the security checkpoint. Immediately after the shooting, first responders rushed Gayle to the University Hospital of the West Indies, where medical staff pronounced him dead.

    A visibly distraught female cousin of the deceased, speaking to local outlet Observer Online at the incident site, pushed back against framing Gayle as an armed threat. “They shouldn’t kill my cousin suh, he wasn’t a gunman,” she said. “He’s not a gunman and a three gunshot dem give him… we need justice, he was a sick man!”

    Melissa Bennett, Gayle’s mother, was overcome with sorrow at the scene, collapsing in tears at multiple points and requiring comfort from other family members. When asked to speak about her son, she could barely muster a statement: “My son [was] mentally-ill. I am just lost for words right now.”

    According to Bennett, her son suffered three gunshot wounds: one to the chest and two to his back. Beyond his mental health condition, Bennett and other relatives emphasized that Gayle was no stranger to local law enforcement and security personnel, who regularly turned to him for help repairing their mobile phones. They called the killing entirely unnecessary, given Gayle’s long-documented reputation in the community and non-violent nature.

    “My son was a very brilliant individual… he does not like violence… he was a genius in the technology world, him fix phone for all the police dem,” Bennett said.

  • Traffic signal at Dunrobin Avenue / Lindsay Crescent down after crash

    Traffic signal at Dunrobin Avenue / Lindsay Crescent down after crash

    Commuters and local residents traveling through the Dunrobin Avenue/Lindsay Crescent intersection in St. Andrew are being urged to prioritize safety this week, after a weekend vehicle collision left the junction’s primary traffic signal system completely out of service. The National Works Agency (NWA), Jamaica’s public infrastructure oversight body, confirmed that the outage stems directly from Sunday’s crash, which inflicted irreversible damage on the traffic signal control unit and the underground connecting cables that power the system.

    In the hours following the incident, NWA mobilized its specialized maintenance crews to the site to begin remediation work. As of Monday, crews have already finished the initial phase of cable repairs and are preparing to begin comprehensive functional testing of the newly installed control unit. The agency has shared a clear timeline for the project, noting that full restoration of the traffic signal system is on track to be finished by Tuesday afternoon, when the lights will officially be brought back online for regular operation.

    While crews work to complete repairs, NWA is issuing a critical safety reminder to all motorists navigating the non-operational intersection. Under local road rules, when traffic signals are completely inoperative, no single direction of travel has automatic right of way over others. All drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians crossing the junction are required to approach slowly, yield to crossing traffic, and only proceed through the intersection once they have confirmed the path is completely clear of oncoming vehicles and other road users.

  • AcYn signed to JHouse Entertainment

    AcYn signed to JHouse Entertainment

    In a landmark moment for Caribbean music, Jamaican recording artist AcYn, born Andrew Bent, has etched his name into the history of the emerging independent music scene by becoming the inaugural artist signed to newly launched JHouse (Jamaican House) Entertainment. The label, founded by multi-talented American creative Freddy Browne—who boasts a successful career as a producer, DJ, and recording artist in his own right—marks a new venture dedicated to elevating Jamaican musical talent onto the global stage.

    AcYn spoke glowingly of his early partnership with Browne, crediting a serendipitous alignment that brought the two creative forces together. “It’s been an amazing experience working with Freddy Browne since the universe aligned our collaboration,” he shared. “He’s always focused on greatness in every way and every detail. That greatness and mindset is something that rubs off on you and something that you carry into your craft and life.”

    To date, the creative pairing has already delivered two standout collaborative tracks: the upbeat, danceable *Shake It* and the high-energy *Blood Upon The Dance Floor*, which features a guest appearance from renowned Jamaican vocalist Richie Stephens. Looking ahead, the pair is deep in the process of crafting their first full-length collaborative album, slated for release in the coming months.

    For AcYn, the partnership with JHouse Entertainment is about more than just a record deal—it is a platform to carry forward the legacy of iconic Jamaican artists who paved the way before him. “I am looking to achieve greatness by bringing Jamaican music and culture further to the world following up on what the greats before have done,” he explained. “Through the infectious beats that Freddy Browne makes; coupled with my style, lyricism and versatility the whole world is in for a hell of a show.”

    Browne, who leads the new label as CEO, echoed this excitement, saying he has high expectations for his first signee, citing AcYn’s raw natural talent and relentless commitment to his craft as key indicators of future success. “He’s just a pleasure to work with,” Browne noted. “The way we aligned at Big Yard Studios one evening, and the results of that event—and everything since— have been really next level and we’re just getting started. He’s a hardworking dude. He’s very inspirational. We were kind of a match that came out of nowhere, and it’s really worked from the get-go.”

    As he looks forward to the coming years of his partnership with JHouse Entertainment, AcYn extended sincere gratitude to the fanbase that has supported his journey to this point. “Massive big up to all of my supporters. I appreciate all the love and support you’ve sent my way,” he said. “Also, there are huge things coming; a lot of great music and experiences so stay tuned.”

  • WATCH: Irate taxi operators block Lacovia main road over bad roads, breakaways

    WATCH: Irate taxi operators block Lacovia main road over bad roads, breakaways

    On a Monday morning in St Elizabeth, Jamaica, frustrated taxi drivers serving the Santa Cruz-Mountainside route took collective action to highlight long-running infrastructure woes, felling trees to obstruct the busy Lacovia main road. The demonstration stemmed from growing outrage over persistently poor road conditions that have made daily travel unsafe for both drivers and passengers who rely on the corridor.

    Local councillor Christopher Williams, representing the Santa Cruz division for the Jamaica Labour Party, confirmed that law enforcement officers responded quickly to remove the blockage and have maintained a visible patrol presence in the area to prevent further disruption. Williams acknowledged that while unauthorized road blockades are disruptive, he shares the frustration of motorists and commuters who have dealt with crumbling infrastructure for far too long.

    The protest targets multiple critical hazard points along the Lacovia to Burnt Savannah corridor. Two major sections of road shoulder have collapsed away—one near the Lacovia police station, and another within the Burnt Savannah community. Williams explained that ongoing, heavy daily rainfall has rapidly worsened these breakaways, turning a gradual infrastructure decline into an immediate public safety threat that grows more dangerous with each passing day.

    Just one day before the protest, Williams held a meeting with Jamaica’s Minister of Works Robert Morgan to escalate community concerns about the roadway. Following that discussion, Williams received a formal commitment from the minister that the long-neglected repairs will move forward quickly through emergency government procurement protocols. These expedited processes are designed to cut through standard bureaucratic red tape to allow construction crews to begin addressing the most dangerous sections of the road as soon as possible.

    Williams emphasized that local and national authorities are fully aware of the severity of the situation, and that all available resources are being mobilized to resolve the unsafe conditions in the shortest timeframe possible. For residents and regular travelers along the route, the promise of immediate action brings an end to months of unaddressed safety risks that have disrupted daily commutes and put lives at risk.

  • Lend A Hand sees sharp rise in vulnerable children seeking help

    Lend A Hand sees sharp rise in vulnerable children seeking help

    As Caribbean communities across The Bahamas grapple with deepening socioeconomic instability, a prominent local nonprofit supporting vulnerable youth is reporting a dramatic spike in demand for its services – driven almost entirely by word-of-mouth referrals from at-risk children themselves.

    Lend A Hand Bahamas, a grassroots organization focused on lifting up vulnerable families and children, has recorded what co-founder Shelagh Farrington calls a “great increase” in young people seeking support over recent months. What makes this trend particularly striking is the complete lack of formal marketing or advertising for the group’s programs: existing participants are actively recruiting other children in crisis to join, a phenomenon Farrington describes simply as “our kids recruit for us.”

    In an interview Friday on the sidelines of the soft pre-launch for the organization’s new Culinary Centre in Nassau, Farrington explained that out-of-school periods have seen an especially sharp flow of new referrals, with many adolescents bringing peers and family members to the program out of urgent fear for their safety. She recalled one particularly harrowing case from the previous year, where a teen pleaded for Lend A Hand to accept their friend, warning the child might not survive another two weeks without the organization’s support.

    Farrington pulled back the curtain on the devastating living conditions many of these families face, shedding light on a hidden housing crisis that has yet to become a central issue in the country’s upcoming general election. Stories of systemic instability abound: Farrington described mothers sleeping in parked cars outside public laundromats while guarding their young children and infants through the night, forcing exhausted parents to try to catch up on rest while working during the day, with nowhere safe to leave children under five years old. She highlighted the case of a 14-year-old competitive athlete who spent more than a year living out of a vehicle alongside his mother and siblings, noting that housing instability has sparked cascading mental health crises across communities, from rising household stress and anger to unaddressed psychological challenges.

    With a national general election approaching, Farrington is calling on all political candidates to confront the growing unmet need for affordable housing and social support for low-income Bahamian families. “There are some huge challenges we’re not really talking about in this country because once you start talking about them you have to address them,” she said. “My question is, we got an upcoming election. What is the plan for the little people that live in these communities, whether it’s the grandmothers, the mothers, the aunties, the fathers, because they have nowhere to live.”

    Amid this growing demand, Lend A Hand is moving forward with a key expansion of its services: the new Culinary Centre on Hay Street, a project designed to expand economic and educational opportunities for vulnerable families. Developed over three and a half years in a donated building, the facility has raised roughly $100,000 in funding from corporate and private donors, and is set to open its doors in June to host a summer camp program for at-risk youth.

    The new centre will house the organization’s first fully operational commercial kitchen for its culinary arts training program, complementing existing offerings at its Lewis Street location that include STEM education, electrical trades training, and adult literacy classes. The project has drawn significant support from international partners, including US-based education technology firm Edmentum, which contributed $30,000 in funding and deployed roughly 60 company employees to assist with construction and setup of the new space.

    Edmentum CEO Jamie Candee emphasized that the company’s investment reflects a core commitment to reciprocal giving for communities that host corporate gatherings. “Like many companies in the United States, we fly around the world. We go to these beautiful properties, like sandals and all the other properties that you have here on the island. We have margaritas. We enjoy the beautiful food here,” Candee said. “But most US companies don’t do what this team did today. They enjoy your land, your food, your drinks, and then they leave and they go back to the United States, not Edmentum. What this team, these high performers, who could have chosen to spend all of the days on the beach, they chose to come here and give back to this community.”

    Another major partner, the Sandals Foundation, has also backed Lend A Hand’s expanding community work: the foundation has invested $95,000 in a hydroponics agriculture training program for local families and contributed an additional $50,000 to general community development initiatives. US Ambassador to The Bahamas Herschel Walker attended the pre-launch event, highlighting the power of cross-sector collaboration to address persistent social challenges. “The reason I say that is because I stand before you and tell you that it takes a village,” Walker said. “Edmentum is doing a village. You’re bringing people together that can solve the problems we need solved.”

  • Junior Achievement group serves breakfast to Grand Bahama police

    Junior Achievement group serves breakfast to Grand Bahama police

    On March 21, a youth-led entrepreneurship group from Grand Bahama turned a simple idea into a meaningful bridge-building event, bringing community members and law enforcement closer together. The group, GB Shipyard N.A.V.Y. Achievers, is a student company affiliated with Junior Achievement Bahamas, and it launched its initiative “Serving Breakfast to Those Who Serve Us” at the Royal Bahamas Police Force Canteen located in Back of Town.

    Operating from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., the young organizers served 100 hot meals to active police officers from across the island. Many officers attended the event in person, while others picked up pre-prepared breakfasts to bring back to their remote posts, extending the reach of the gratitude initiative to law enforcement personnel stationed across Grand Bahama. Beyond serving officers, the group also opened the event to residents of the surrounding neighborhood, extending the day of appreciation to the wider local community.

    As they served meals, the student achievers had the chance to hold casual conversations with both police officers and community members, breaking down barriers and fostering personal connections between groups that rarely get to interact in informal, positive settings. All meals for the event were prepared by the Royal Bahamas Police Force’s own in-house canteen culinary team, led by the force’s only dedicated culinary arts chef, whose behind-the-scenes work was critical to the event’s smooth running and widespread success.

    To add an extra layer of support for the officers who dedicate their careers to public safety, the event also included a voluntary wellness component: qualified local nurses were on site throughout the morning to provide no-cost basic health screenings and general checkups for any attending officer, prioritizing the physical wellbeing of the people who prioritize community safety every day.

    For the organizers, the breakfast initiative was far more than a one-day meal service: it was framed as a chance for emerging young leaders to tangibly express the gratitude that many community members feel for local law enforcement, while strengthening often fragile social ties between youth, police and the general public. Andreaz Burrows, president of GB Shipyard N.A.V.Y. Achievers, publicly thanked every partner and attendee that contributed to the effort, and highlighted the consistent, vital work that officers do to keep Bahamian neighborhoods safe.

    “The event was a great success,” Burrows affirmed, reiterating that the initiative successfully deepened the connection between emerging young leaders, law enforcement and the broader community.

    This youth-driven event is just one example of the impact Junior Achievement Bahamas has cultivated across the archipelago over four decades. As the nation’s leading youth development organization, Junior Achievement Bahamas focuses on equipping young people with critical life and career skills, including entrepreneurship, innovation, financial literacy, college preparation and workforce readiness. For 40 years, the organization has run its proven programs across multiple Bahamian islands, from Abaco and Andros to Eleuthera, the Berry Islands, Cat Island, Grand Bahama, New Providence and Mayaguana, helping generations of students understand how foundational skills like financial literacy shape the health and prosperity of every local community.

  • ‘This cannot be right’: Opposition senator says Joint Select Committee needed for NaRRA

    ‘This cannot be right’: Opposition senator says Joint Select Committee needed for NaRRA

    Jamaica’s main opposition political bloc, the People’s National Party (PNP), is pushing for a full parliamentary review of the draft National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NaRRA) Bill, calling on ruling legislators to halt all progress on the legislation until a cross-party joint select committee can examine its text thoroughly.

    The bill, designed to establish a new government body tasked with overseeing billions of dollars in disaster recovery and infrastructure investment, is already drawing sharp criticism for major gaps in its governance framework. Opposition Senator Cleveland Tomlinson, deputy spokesperson for the party on issues of productivity, government efficiency and national competitiveness, laid out the opposition’s core concerns in a recent address, noting that the NaRRA will be responsible for managing massive public capital flows while streamlining approval processes for private sector investment in recovery projects.

    Under the current draft of the legislation, Tomlinson argued, far too much unchecked authority is concentrated in the hands of the cabinet minister charged with overseeing the new agency. He pointed out that the bill fails to include critical foundational governance requirements: it does not mandate the creation of a formal governing board for the authority, makes no provision for an independent audit committee, does not require a dedicated internal auditor to monitor spending, and omits any framework for institutional risk management.

    “This cannot be the right way to structure an agency holding this much public responsibility,” Tomlinson stated. “Any authority granted such enormous financial oversight must have basic internal governance structures enshrined in law from its inception. As currently written, this bill is missing the essential pillars of accountability that any public institution must have to operate ethically and effectively.”

    While Tomlinson acknowledged the urgent need to speed up reconstruction and recovery work in the wake of Hurricane Melissa, which caused widespread damage across the country, he emphasized that legislative speed cannot come at the cost of proper oversight and transparency. He proposed that the joint select committee be given a tight, limited timeline to complete its review, suggesting a window between 60 and 90 days to balance the need for urgent reform with the need for robust deliberation.

    Tomlinson added that the drafting process for the bill has so far excluded meaningful input from groups outside of government, and a cross-party parliamentary review would create space for key stakeholders and members of the wider public to contribute to shaping the final legislation. “A joint select committee is the only way to ensure that the final law balances the urgent need for post-hurricane reconstruction with the non-negotiable requirement of good, accountable governance,” he said.