Casago Aruba was born from a shared passion for elevating the island’s tourism experience. Built on a strong foundation of service, hospitality, and a keen eye for quality, the Casago team—backed by over 16 years of experience in the vacation rental and hospitality industry—is on a mission to redefine what luxury and convenience look like for travelers visiting Aruba.

But Casago is more than just a vacation rental platform. It is a full-service property management company, offering seamless experiences for both guests and homeowners alike. While travelers benefit from handpicked accommodations and personalized service, homeowners gain a reliable partner dedicated to the care and performance of their property.

Whether you’re here to relax on world-famous beaches, explore Aruba’s cultural gems, or discover hidden corners of the island, Casago Aruba ensures your getaway is as smooth as it is memorable.

Behind the scenes, Casago offers a robust suite of property management services designed to help homeowners maximize rental income while minimizing stress. Services include:

This full-service model ensures that every home is maintained to the highest standard while giving property owners full peace of mind.

As one of the fastest-growing vacation rental and property management companies on the island, Casago Aruba continues to expand its footprint—welcoming more travelers, partnering with more homeowners, and raising the standard of hospitality in Aruba.

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 Linda and Guido Tenuta from Chicago, IL, USA.

They wrote to us saying: “We are Aruba’s biggest fans! We’ve been vacationing there for years and cannot wait to return.”

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

Early Saturday morning, in a symbolic act at Arikok National Park, Miss Universe 2024 Victoria Kjær Theilvig from Denmark, accompanied by Prime Minister Mike Eman, planted a native Calbas tree as part of Aruba’s ambitious national reforestation plan.

Natasha Silva of the Aruba Conservation Foundation (ACF) explained that the Calbas tree is one of 70 native species in Aruba. Restoring Aruba’s vegetation requires planting specific trees in specific areas to create ecological balance. Each native tree plays a role in maintaining the surrounding ecosystem, and each one supports the existence of others.

Reforestation is crucial for Aruba’s ecological future. With the introduction of native plants, the government aims to restore the natural landscape, strengthen biodiversity, prevent erosion, and create a more resilient and sustainable environment. Reforestation is also a vital step in combating climate change and helps protect our natural resources for future generations.

The presence of Miss Universe brings significant international attention to the effort, emphasizing that the fight for environmental protection transcends borders. The symbolic act demonstrates how a shared goal can unite people and strengthen the force for sustainability and the honoring of our natural world.

The national reforestation plan will be an intensive effort, with a civic call to the community, NGOs, businesses, schools, and tourists to take part in rescuing our ecosystem. Accelerated development over recent decades has cost 70% of Aruba’s vegetation, and now is the time to act and change course.

Tyson Lopez, director of ACF, went into more detail about how Aruba’s ecosystems are interconnected and the important conservation work the Aruba Conservation Foundation is doing.

The presence of Miss Universe brings significant international attention to the effort and underscores that the fight to protect our environment transcends borders. The symbolic act highlights how a shared goal can unite people and strengthen the push for sustainability and honoring our natural environment.

By LINLEY SANDERS

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — As Republican senators consider President Donald Trump’s big bill that could slash federal spending and extend tax cuts, a new survey shows most U.S. adults don’t think the government is overspending on the programs the GOP has focused on cutting, like Medicaid and food stamps.

Americans broadly support increasing or maintaining existing levels of funding for popular safety net programs, including Social Security and Medicare, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. They’re more divided on spending around the military and border security, and most think the government is spending too much on foreign aid.

The poll points to a disconnect between Republicans’ policy agenda and public sentiment around the domestic programs that are up for debate in the coming weeks.

Here’s the latest polling data on how Americans view federal funding:

Most want Medicaid and SNAP funding increased or kept as is

Many Americans see Medicaid and food assistance programs as underfunded — even as Congress proposes significant cuts to Medicaid and food and nutrition assistance programs — and few say “too much” money is going to these programs.

About half of U.S. adults say “too little” funding goes to Medicaid, which is a government health care coverage program for low-income people and people with certain disabilities. Nearly half, 45%, say food and nutrition assistance programs like food stamps, SNAP or EBT cards are underfunded, according to the poll. About 3 in 10 U.S. adults in each case say those programs are receiving “about the right amount” of funding, indicating that most Americans likely do not want to see significant cuts to the two programs.

About 2 in 10 say Medicaid is overfunded, while about one-quarter say that about food assistance programs.

Republicans are especially likely to say “too much” is spent on food and nutrition assistance programs when compared with Democrats and independents — 46% of Republicans say this, compared with about 1 in 10 Democrats and independents.

When it comes to Medicaid, fewer Republicans, about one-third, say the government is spending “too much.”

Many believe Medicare, Social Security and education are underfunded

About 6 in 10 Americans say there is not enough government money going toward Social Security, Medicare or education broadly. But Democrats overwhelmingly think “too little” money is allocated to these areas, while Republicans are happier with the status quo.

Very few think Medicare, Social Security and education are getting “too much” funding. Only about 1 in 10 Republicans say this about either Medicare or Social Security. Roughly one-quarter of Republicans say too much is spent on education.

When it comes to Social Security, about half of Republicans say “too little” is spent, compared with about 7 in 10 Democrats.

Americans are divided on money for border security and the military

Americans are more divided on whether the government is devoting too much money to the military or border security.

About 3 in 10 say the government is spending “too much” on the military, while a similar share say the government is spending “too little.” Close to 4 in 10 say the government is spending “about the right amount.”

Republicans are much less likely to say “too little” is being spent on border security than they were before Trump took office again in January. Now, 45% of Republicans say “too little” is being spent, down from 79% in a January AP-NORC poll.

On the other hand, Democrats are more likely to say that “too much” is being spent on border security. About half of Democrats now say this, compared with about 3 in 10 in January.

Most US adults say foreign aid gets too much funding

The Trump administration has asked Congress for deep reductions to foreign aid programs, including cuts to global health programs and refugee resettlement initiatives.

Foreign aid is one area with more general agreement that there is “too much” federal spending. Most U.S. adults, 56%, say the U.S. government is spending too much on assistance to other countries, which is down from 69% in an AP-NORC poll from March 2023.There is a deep partisan divide on the issue, though. About 8 in 10 Republicans say the country is overspending on foreign aid, compared with about one-third of Democrats.

By JENNIFER McDERMOTT and MATTHEW DALY

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has fired a Democratic commissioner for the federal agency that oversees nuclear safety as he continues to assert more control over independent regulatory agencies.

Christopher Hanson, a former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said in a statement Monday that Trump terminated his position as NRC commissioner without cause, “contrary to existing law and longstanding precedent regarding removal of independent agency appointees.”

The firing of Hanson comes as Trump seeks to take authority away from the independent safety agency, which has regulated the U.S. nuclear industry for five decades. Trump signed executive orders in May intended to quadruple domestic production of nuclear power within the next 25 years, a goal experts say the United States is highly unlikely to reach. To speed up the development of nuclear power, the orders grant the U.S. energy secretary authority to approve some advanced reactor designs and projects.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told reporters that “all organizations are more effective when leaders are rowing in the same direction” and that the Republican president reserves the right to remove employees within the executive branch who exert his executive authority.

Trump fired two of the three Democratic commissioners at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an independent federal agency responsible for enforcing federal laws that prohibit discrimination in the workplace. In a similar move, two National Labor Relations Board members were fired. Willie Phillips, a Democratic member and former chairman of the independent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, stepped down in April, telling reporters that the White House asked him to do so.

Trump also signed an executive order to give the White House direct control of independent federal regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission.

New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the the House Energy and Commerce Committee, called Hanson’s firing illegal and another attempt by Trump to undermine independent agencies and consolidate power in the White House.

“Congress explicitly created the NRC as an independent agency, insulated from the whims of any president, knowing that was the only way to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the American people,” Pallone said in a statement.

Senate Democrats also said Trump overstepped his authority. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse, Patty Murray and Martin Heinrich said in a joint statement that “Trump’s lawlessness” threatens the commission’s ability to ensure that nuclear power plants and nuclear materials are safe and free from political interference.

Hanson was nominated to the commission by Trump in 2020. He was appointed chair by President Joe Biden in January 2021 and served in that role until Trump’s inauguration to a second term as president. Trump selected David Wright, a Republican member of the commission, to serve as chair. Hanson continued to serve on the NRC as a commissioner. His term was due to end in 2029.

Wright’s term expires on June 30. The White House has not said if he will be reappointed.

Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, called Hanson a dedicated public servant and a strong supporter of the NRC’s public health and safety mission. Firing Hanson is Trump’s “latest outrageous move to undermine the independence and integrity” of the agency that protects the U.S. homeland from nuclear power plant disasters, Lyman said in a statement.

The NRC confirmed Hanson’s service ended on Friday, bringing the panel to two Democrats and two Republicans. The commission has functioned in the past with fewer than the required five commissioners and will continue to do so, the statement said.