Jack, we live, as Sandra says, in interesting times. Guam is on the remote edge of Trump's empire. As such we are out of his sight... kinda. About 10 years ago the DOD decided to move a couple of Marine units out of Okinawa because they couldn't play nice with their Japanese hosts. There were helicopter crashes and rapes and the Japanese had had enough. Consequently there was a base being built on Guam to take them. That was great for the local economy. Then the pandemic struck and tourism dried up. Tourist related businesses died left and right. Guam's economy limped along on all that construction. Then one of the generals, hoping for a top spot in Trump's government, held a press conference where commented that moving the Marines out of Japan was going in the wrong direction. Now people are worried. Tourism is not back to pre-pandemic levels and nobody knows what Trump will do.

Plus the election put Republicans in charge of the Guam legislature. Our neighbor was a Republican running for (local) senator and asked for my vote. I told him I couldn't vote for any Republican after their support for Trump in the States. I agreed he could have my vote as long as he didn't do anything embarrassing. Then, 2 days later, the Republican party of Guam was reported as supporting Trump. My neighbor was listed and quoted in that article in the newspaper. I sent him a message taking back my support. It's all good, though. He still mows my lawn. Guam cannot vote in national elections but we do list the candidates on our ballots. Trump won Guam. Ugh!

Actually the local Republicans are a mix of good and bad as are the Democrats. The Republican Attorney General has been posting billboards about meth addicts and how many "criminals" he has deported to their home islands. They are about as disgusting as he is capable of making. His latest is an attack on the governor and her policies. He doesn't like the lieutenant governor either because he's gay.

The other hot button issue here is construction of a new hospital. One faction, led by the doctors wants to build it on a small piece of land on the western side of the island. The other faction wants it on the eastern side on a larger piece of land. The eastern location features room for parking lots. Plus it's close to the university and its nursing school. The western location is closer to doctors' homes and clinics. They wouldn't have to drive the 10 miles to and from there. Plus there isn't much room for parking.