Integrity report intensifies calls to remove Wheatley from cabinet

Pressure on the government to remove Dr. Andrew Wheatley from the cabinet has sharpened after an Integrity Commission report was tabled in Parliament. The Director of Corruption Prosecution has recommended that he be charged with illicit enrichment, knowingly making false statements in statutory declarations, and failing to provide information to the Director of Information and Complaints as required by law.

At a press conference, the People's National Party renewed demands that the Prime Minister dismiss Dr. Wheatley, who serves as Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for science, technology, and special projects.

Further details have surfaced about a third-country national agreement between Jamaica and the United States. The Gleaner reports that a diplomatic note from the US Embassy in Kingston indicates a Jamaican cabinet member proposed an arrangement under which Jamaica could receive up to 10,000 third-country nationals from the US. According to the note, Minister without Portfolio Audley Shaw made the proposal during a meeting with a US Department of Homeland Security official at a conference in Miami in March. The disclosure comes amid ongoing controversy over the proposed arrangement.

Jamaicans will soon gain access to a digital tool aimed at improving transparency in road network management. Contributing to the sectoral debate on Wednesday, Minister with responsibility for works Robert Morgan said the government is developing a digital road register that will allow the public to search for roads, identify ownership and classification, and report defects. Users will be able to submit road-related complaints with built-in image and location verification. Morgan said the register will support planning, classification, resource allocation, and performance monitoring across Jamaica's roughly 27,000 km road network.

Businessman and hotelier Christopher Issa has urged Jamaican entrepreneurs to remain resilient and equip themselves with the right tools to grow despite challenging economic conditions. Addressing a recent Manchester Chamber of Commerce meeting, Issa stressed that success requires sound strategy, planning, and adaptability. He also cited labour laws as a challenge for employers managing workplace issues. On staff welfare, he said: "The most important thing is we don't want anybody falling down on the job. So, as intense as we are about our work in the day, we realize that there is life outside of work. There's family, there's community, there's your faith, there's spirit, there are your interests. So, we want all of these to let our staff know that you must keep everything in balance. We subscribe to what we call the drop dead rule. If you drop dead tonight, is the hotel going to open tomorrow?" While acknowledging that operating a business in Jamaica can be difficult, he maintained that with perseverance and the proper approach, businesses can thrive.

Concerns have been raised about emergency shelter readiness in St. Thomas ahead of hurricane season. Councillor Dinsdale Smith said Arcadia Primary School, designated as a shelter, has been declared unfit for use and called on the Ministry of Education to ensure schools are prepared. "We are in a situation where we have a cul-de-sac community, a cul-de-sac community with no approach shelter for the community. And so, because of that now, we are in a dilemma. Should we have an emergency situation, we have no shelter to go to," he said. Smith also urged that necessary repairs be carried out as soon as possible and noted the ministry's responsibility to keep schools in suitable condition.

Overseas, communities in Louisiana remain on alert for more heavy rain as flooding concerns spread across parts of the southern United States. Tropical Storm Arthur, the first named storm of the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, formed off the Texas coast before weakening into a post-tropical cyclone. Flooding in Texas has claimed at least two lives this week, while severe storms have battered the Midwest, spawning tornadoes, damaging buildings in Illinois, derailing a freight train, and producing hurricane-force wind gusts in Iowa. Another possible tornado was also reported.