John McCarthy is primarily known for his investigative reporting on the U.S. Virgin Islands. A series of reports beginning in the 1990's revealed that there was everything from coliform bacteria to Cryptosporidium in locally-bottled St. Croix drinking water, according to a then-unpublished University of the Virgin Islands sampling. Another report, following Hurricane Hugo in 1989, cited a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) confidential overview that said that over 40 percent of the U.S. Virgin Islands public lives below the poverty line. The Virgin Islands Free Press is the only Caribbean news source to regularly incorporate the findings of U.S. Freedom of Information Act requests. John's articles have appeared in the BVI Beacon, St. Croix Avis, San Juan Star and Virgin Islands Daily News. He is the former news director of WSVI-TV Channel 8 on St. Croix.
KINGSTON — The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said a tropical wave over the central Caribbean Sea has 30% chance of becoming a cyclone in the next 48 hours. "Environmental conditions…
CHARLOTTE AMALIE — The Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority (VIWMA) said Sunday night that the Cancryn Pump Station "is currently offline due to a disruption with the discharge line." This…
PORT-AU-PRINCE (AP) — Haiti's international airport shut down temporarily today after gangs opened fire at a Spirit Airlines flight landing in Port-Au-Prince, the U.S. State Department and the airline said.…
DALLAS (AP) — In one Norman Rockwell painting, a family proudly welcomes a beaming Boy Scout home from camp, his duffel bag in hand. In another of Rockwell’s achingly idyllic…
NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump today named former Rep. Lee Zeldin to lead the Environmental Protection Agency as he continues to build out his future administration with loyal supporters. Trump,…
BAKU, Azerbaijan — America’s top climate diplomat John Podesta told foreign officials Monday that the U.S. remains committed to fighting climate change, even if President-elect Donald Trump isn’t. His comments…
BATON ROUGE (AP) — A caged Bengal tiger was wheeled onto the Tiger Stadium field for the first time in nearly a decade before kickoff of Saturday night’s game between…
MEXICO CITY (AP) — More than 1,000 mariachis gathered in Mexico City’s main plaza Sunday, strumming guitars and singing classics like “Cielito Lindo” to end a mariachi congress celebrating the…
SACRAMENTO (AP) — California voters have rejected a measure amending the state Constitution to ban forced labor in any form. The constitution currently bans it except as punishment for crime. That…
BRIDGETOWN — Violence and crime absorb almost 3.5% of the Caribbean and Latin America's economic output, depleting funds that could be used in education and assisting the vulnerable, a report…