Cybersecurity & Privacy Enforcement: The FTC finalized a modified order against Illuminate Education, saying the ed-tech firm failed to use reasonable security for cloud-stored student data, after vulnerabilities were flagged by a vendor and a breach exposed records for 10.1 million students. Hurricane Forecasting: NOAA predicts a below-normal 2026 Atlantic season (55% chance), with 8–14 named storms and 3–6 hurricanes, citing El Niño development and weaker trade winds. Coastal Tech Resilience: A corrosion design framework argues coastal PV and BESS projects need stronger upfront durability planning than standard electrical screening assumes, since salt air and humidity can shorten equipment life. Local Infrastructure & Power: The VI Water and Power Authority reported weekend blackouts on St. Thomas and St. John tied to mechanical instability at a power plant, with outages affecting about 22% of customers Sunday night. Broadband Funding: A new analysis says ISPs plan to contribute nearly $11.4B in matching funds for BEAD, exceeding the 25% minimum—though the U.S. Virgin Islands had no eligible locations due to other commitments. Tourism Connectivity: United announced a new nonstop Newark–St. Croix route starting Oct. 31, 2026, aiming to boost air access for the territory. STEM Research: NOAA and partners deployed uncrewed surface robots from the U.S. Virgin Islands to study hurricane conditions, including sending vehicles toward eyewalls for real-world data. Governance & Representation: A report highlights that U.S. territory residents, including in the U.S. Virgin Islands, have no senators and only nonvoting House representation, tying it to the Insular Cases.