“Aruba to me is home away from home”

ORANJESTAD — You are back and we would like to portrait you! By inviting you to send us your favorite vacation picture while enjoying our Happy Island.

Complete the sentence: Aruba to me is ……. Send your picture with that text (including your name and where you are from) to: news@arubatoday.com and we will publish your vacation memory. Isn’t that a special way to keep your best moments alive? Please do note: By submitting photos, text or any other materials, you give permission to The Aruba Today Newspaper, Caribbean Speed Printers and any of its affiliated companies to use said materials, as well as names, likeness, etc. for promotional purposes without compensation.

Last but not least: check out our website, Instagram and Facebook page! Thank you for supporting our free newspaper, we strive to make you a happy reader every day again.

For today we received a lovely message from Beth Marcis.

She wrote to us saying: “Aruba to me is home away from home. Everybody here makes you feel like we are family.”

Thank you for sending us this wonderful message sharing what Aruba means to you with us and our readers!

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department is targeting businesses that people use to wire money to family members abroad as the Trump administration rachets up investigations into fraud within Minnesota’s Somali community, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Friday.

President Donald Trump has targeted the Somalian diaspora in Minnesota with immigration enforcement actions and has made a series of disparaging comments about the community. He has said the state is “a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity,” though there has been little evidence to support that claim.

The new action was prompted in part by a series of fraud cases, including a nonprofit called Feeding Our Future accused of stealing pandemic aid meant for school meals. Prosecutors have put the losses from that case at $300 million.

Bessent has pointed to a report by conservative news outlet City Journal, which claimed that taxpayer dollars from defrauded government programs flowed to al-Shabab, an al-Qaida-linked militant group that controls parts of Somalia. The report cites unnamed sources and the allegations have not been substantiated. Federal prosecutors have not charged any defendants with supporting terrorists.

On Friday, Bessent said on social media that the Treasury Department will soon issue an order requiring money wire services that people use to send money to Somalia to submit additional verification to Treasury.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a Treasury arm that combats financial crimes like money laundering and terrorism financing, will be deployed to assist in the effort, Bessent said. He added that the Internal Revenue Service would also be involved in looking into firms accused of engaging in fraud.

“Additionally, Treasury personnel are on the ground working hard to uncover the facts,” he said.

DORAL, Fla. (AP) — A U.S. Navy admiral who oversees military operations in Latin America handed off command responsibilities Friday as scrutiny increases over the Trump administration’s deadly strikes on alleged drug boats in the region.

Adm. Alvin Holsey has retired one year into a posting that typically lasts three to four years and transferred leadership duties to his top military deputy, Air Force Lt. Gen. Evan Pettus, during a ceremony at U.S. Southern Command headquarters near Miami.

In farewell remarks, Holsey did not mention the military operations or the reasons for his early retirement. But he urged his successor to uphold longstanding partnerships in the region by standing firmly behind the shared values of democracy and support for the rule of law.

Long-term replacement for Holsey hasn’t yet been named The ceremony Friday was more subdued than past retirements, held outdoors amid a small crowd of mostly Southern Command staff and without Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, because President Donald Trump has yet to nominate Holsey’s replacement.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made no mention of the military operations in Latin America as he thanked Holsey for his 37 years of service. Caine referred to Holsey as a “stoic” leader and “quiet professional” who always leads with his heart and head.

“It’s never been about you, it’s been about people, it’s been about others,” Caine said. “You’ve never said ‘I’ in all the conversations we’ve had. You’ve always said ‘we.’ … The impact you’ve had will last for a long time.”

Pettus, a fighter jet pilot with combat experience in Afghanistan and Iraq, had been serving as Holsey’s top deputy since late 2024. However, it’s unclear how long the Arkansas native will remain in the job. Whomever Trump nominates must be confirmed by the Senate.

Aruba to me: “It’s the most peaceful place on earth”

ORANJESTAD — You are back and we would like to portrait you! By inviting you to send us your favorite vacation picture while enjoying our Happy Island.

Complete the sentence: Aruba to me is ……. Send your picture with that text (including your name and where you are from) to: news@arubatoday.com and we will publish your vacation memory. Isn’t that a special way to keep your best moments alive? Please do note: By submitting photos, text or any other materials, you give permission to The Aruba Today Newspaper, Caribbean Speed Printers and any of its affiliated companies to use said materials, as well as names, likeness, etc. for promotional purposes without compensation.

Last but not least: check out our website, Instagram and Facebook page! Thank you for supporting our free newspaper, we strive to make you a happy reader every day again.

For today we received a lovely message from Lisa & Mark Baratz from Long Island, NY.

They wrote to us saying: “Aruba to us: It’s the most peaceful place on earth. We’re enjoying spending part of the winter months on the beautiful island.”

Thank you for sending us this wonderful message sharing what Aruba means to you with us and our readers!

A meeting by a council appointed by President Donald Trump that was meant to announce recommended reforms to the Federal Emergency Management Agency was abruptly canceled Thursday, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The FEMA Review Council was scheduled to meet Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. EST, and Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem, the council’s co-chair, left a Congressional hearing early because she said she needed to go the meeting.

The Department of Homeland Security referred questions about the meeting’s cancellation to the White House, which did not respond to requests for comment. The person familiar with the development, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss it publicly, did not give a reason for the cancellation.

Council members were to present and vote on a recommendations report at the Thursday meeting. The public was invited to attend virtually and would have until Dec. 31 to submit comment on the report.

The president has repeatedly said he wants to push more responsibility for disaster preparedness, response and recovery to the states, and said in June that if a governor couldn’t handle a disaster’s aftermath, ” maybe they shouldn’t be governor.”