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 Martin Reinstein from New York City.

He wrote to us saying: “Aruba to me is friendly happy people, like this man selling cold coconut water on a hot day.”

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

By JOHN O’CONNOR

Associated Press

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A federal appeals court has approved Illinois’ ban on carrying firearms on public transit, reversing a lower court decision that found the prohibition violated the Second Amendment.

The 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals delivered its opinion on Tuesday. Judge Joshua Kolar wrote in the majority opinion for a three-judge panel that the Illinois restriction “is comfortably situated in a centuries-old practice of limiting firearms in sensitive and crowded, confined places.”

In August 2024, the Rockford-based U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois ruled in favor of four plaintiffs who argued that prohibiting guns on public buses and trains was unconstitutional. It relied on a pivotal 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling known as Bruen that decreed that restrictions on carrying guns in public must be “relevantly similar,” or consistent, with conditions that existed in the late 18th century when the Bill of Rights was composed. It said there were no analogous conditions that justified the transit ban.

The appeals court found the ban appropriate.

“We are asked whether the state may temporarily disarm its citizens as they travel in crowded and confined metal tubes unlike anything the founders envisioned,” Kolar wrote. “We draw from the lessons of our nation’s historical regulatory traditions and find no Second Amendment violation in such a regulation.”

The public transit ban was imposed in 2013 when Illinois became the last state in the nation to OK carrying concealed weapons in public. In addition to buses and trains, it nixed gun possession in places such as public arenas and hospitals.

Joining in the majority opinion with Kolar, who was named to the court by President Joe Biden in 2024, was Judge Kenneth Ripple, appointed in 1985 by President Ronald Reagan. Writing a separate concurring opinion was Judge Amy St. Eve, tabbed for the court in 2018 by President Donald Trump.

By LEAH ASKARINAM and KEVIN FREKING

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — An unusual alliance emerged in the House on Wednesday as lawmakers, who agree on little else, rallied support for a bill that would prohibit members of Congress and their families from owning and trading individual stocks.

The group included darlings of the far right, the left, moderates and many in between. They gathered to promote a ban that polls well with voters and appears to be finding new momentum after stalling out in previous sessions of Congress.

“It’s not every day you see this cast of characters up here,” said Brian Fitzpatrick, a moderate Republican who represents a perennial swing district in Pennsylvania. “You’re all smirking out there. That’s a good thing. It speaks to the power of this cause.”

Congress has discussed proposals for years to keep lawmakers from engaging in trading individual stocks, nodding to the idea that there’s a potential conflict of interest when they are often privy to information and decisions that can dramatically move markets.

A Senate committee has approved legislation from GOP Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri that would also extend the prohibition on stock trading to future presidents and vice presidents — while notably exempting Republican President Donald Trump. The House bill unveiled this week is limited to Congress, but the sponsors said they were open to extending it to the executive branch if enough support emerged.

Under current law, federal lawmakers are required to disclose their stock sales and purchases. The bill requiring disclosure, The Stock Act, was signed into law in 2012. At the time, lawmakers and government watchdogs predicted that public disclosure would shame lawmakers out of actively buying and selling stock. That hasn’t happened.

The sponsors said they merged their own, individual bills on banning stocks and came together with a single bipartisan effort. Rep. Chip Roy of Texas, the bill’s lead sponsor, said that the group had been meeting for the last several months, and some sponsors had actually been working on this for years. About a dozen lawmakers from both parties joined Roy on stage. It was an unusually festive moment as the partisan lines in Congress have rarely been sharper.

“I don’t agree with some of these people on anything,” said Rep. Tim Burchett, a Tennessee Republican often aligned with the the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus.

Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. followed Burchett to the podium and fist-bumped him when doing so. She said she felt like the coalition showed how Congress should actually work. “It feels foreign and it feels alien and it’s like, what’s going on here?” she said.

While the legislation would not allow lawmakers to own individual stocks and bonds, they would be allowed to own diversified mutual funds and ETFs and certain commodities. Lawmakers who currently own individual stocks and bonds would have 180 days to divest. New members would have 90 days to divest upon taking office.

The mood was celebratory at Wednesday’s unveiling, but even if the bill were to pass the House, it would face a more difficult climb in the Senate. At least 60 votes would be needed to advance the legislation in that chamber and some senators have expressed concerns about the concept.

Rep. Seth Magaziner, D-R.I., acknowledged that members opposed to banning stocks are “persistent.”

“Those of us who support banning stock trading in Congress are very vocal in our position, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t opponents,” Magaziner said.

A version of the trading ban that advanced out of one Senate panel was described by Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin as “legislative demagoguery.”

“We do have insider trading laws. We have financial disclosure. Trust me, we have financial disclosure,” Johnson said. “So I don’t see the necessity of this.”

Etnia Nativa (“Native Ethnicity”) is dedicated to recovering and celebrating Aruba’s cultural identity and heritage. Through this platform, it shares an authentic Indigenous perspective, educates the public, and inspires readers to adopt an “island caretaker” mindset.

In this episode, we explore a powerful and symbolic tradition from Aruban heritage: the burial of a newborn’s navel — more specifically, the umbilical cord. Though deeply rooted in Aruban culture, this ancestral practice resonates far beyond the island’s shores, connecting us to a global tapestry of customs centered on identity, belonging, and spiritual grounding.

Across many cultures, the umbilical cord is not merely a biological remnant but a sacred symbol — a tangible link between the child, the Earth, and the generations that came before. In numerous Native American tribes, for example, burying the umbilical cord is an act of profound significance. Customs vary, but common threads include reverence for the land, continuity of lineage, and spiritual protection. The cord may be buried near the home, beneath the hearth, or in a sacred place — anchoring the child to their family, community, and traditional territory. Some believe that losing the cord can leave the child spiritually unmoored.

In Navajo culture, this tradition takes on an especially meaningful form. The cord is often buried near the family home, a sacred site, or a place connected to the child’s future aspirations — such as a school. This act symbolically tethers the child to Dinétah, the Navajo homeland, and expresses a wish for a grounded, community-oriented life. Burying the cord near a school, for instance, reflects hopes for a future shaped by education and respect.

These beliefs echo across continents. In Bolivia, the Aymara place the cord in a clay pot beneath the hearth, offering it to Pachamama — Mother Earth — as a sacred gift. Among the Ye’kwana of the Amazon, the placenta is given to termites, returning it to the natural cycle for spiritual protection.

In Africa, the tradition spans many communities. Umbilical cords are often buried beneath sacred trees — anchoring the child to ancestral land and lineage. In Zambia and Turkey, the practice may serve different purposes: spiritual safeguarding, expressions of identity, or aspirations for the child’s future — including burial near places of worship or learning.

Among the Māori of New Zealand, the land is not just geography — it is identity. Burying the umbilical cord in the whenua (a word that means both land and placenta) affirms the child’s bond to their people and place. It is spiritual grounding in every sense of the word.

Closer to home in the Caribbean, similar customs thrive. In Jamaica, for example, families may bury the placenta alongside a silver coin, planting a breadfruit or coconut tree above it. This act symbolizes a lifelong connection to the land of one’s birth — captured in the saying: “where your navel string is buried.”

Despite cultural differences, these traditions speak a shared language. They remind us that our beginnings matter — that where we come from, how we are welcomed, and the roots we place early in life shape not only who we are, but where we belong.

For traditional Native Arubans, the burial of a newborn’s dried umbilical cord is an essential heritage practice — one that grants the child protection from Mother Earth and the spiritual realm.

If you’ve enjoyed learning about these ancestral stories and want to explore the true identity of the Aruban people, we invite you to visit Etnia Nativa — the only “living museum” of its kind in the Caribbean, reflecting the island’s rich mestizaje (cultural blending).

Founded in 1994, Etnia Nativa has been a cultural pioneer, co-founding key institutions such as Aruba’s National Park, the Archaeological Museum, several artisan foundations, and many other voluntary initiatives.

But Etnia Nativa isn’t just a place — it’s a gateway. Quietly tucked away near the high-rise hotels, this private residence also serves as a cultural sanctuary, unknown to most tourists. And that’s part of its magic. Intentionally exclusive, it welcomes only those with a genuine curiosity and a thirst for authentic discovery.

Connect with the spirit and soul of Aruba’s ancient heritage through a one-of-a-kind experience.

Whats App+297 592 2702 etnianativa03@gmail.com

The Aruba Tourism Authority recently had the great pleasure of recognizing Distinguished Visitors of Aruba. The honorees were respectively honored with a certificate for their years of visits, loyalty, and love for the island of Aruba.

The honorary certification is presented on behalf of the Minister of Tourism as a token of appreciation and to say “Masha Danki” to guests who have visited Aruba 10, 20, or 35 years or more consecutively.

The three levels of honor are as follows:

Distinguished Visitor (10>years consecutively visiting Aruba)

Goodwill Ambassador (20>years consecutively visiting Aruba)

Emerald Ambassador (35>years consecutively visiting Aruba)

The honorees were:

Distinguished Visitors

Mr. Andrew and Mrs. Lynda Hamilton from Bristol, UK.

Ms. Marouska Heyliger representing the Aruba Tourism Authority, and staff members of Bucuti and Tara Beach Resort bestowed the certificate upon the honorees, presented them with gifts, and thanked them for choosing Aruba as their favorite vacation destination, as their home away from home.

The top reasons for returning to Aruba provided by the honoree was:

On behalf of the Aruba Tourism Authority, we would like to express our sincere gratitude and appreciation to the honorees for their continued visits to “One Happy Island”.