News - Northern Mariana Islands

The Department of Veterans Affairs signed a lease for a new Saipan VA Outpatient Clinic on Oct. 15.

Just hours after Super Typhoon Champi passed south of Guam, President Donald Trump approved Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero's request for an emergency declaration, which authorizes the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate emergency assistance.

SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands — For a growing number of Northern Mariana Islands entrepreneurs, a folding tent, a table, some inventory, and a few hours in front of a weekend crowd can be the first step toward something much bigger.

The Marianas are bracing for severe weather as Tropical Storm Champi steadily strengthens east of the region, prompting weather authorities to issue typhoon watches and forcing local tourism officials to postpone major regional events.

In the Northern Mariana Islands, the American Red Cross is deploying personnel from Guam, Hawaii, and the U.S. mainland in preparation for Tropical Depression 29W. It comes as the islands of the Marianas are still recovering from Typhoons Sinlaku and Bavi earlier this year.

As Tropical Depression 29W tracks northwest toward the region, local businesses, government agencies, and event organizers across Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands are bracing for potential typhoon conditions this weekend.

If there was an overarching message from David Kinzelman, chief customer officer and senior vice president for airport operations, during his visit, it was that the region is not only important to the airline, but that its customers receive the same attention as anywhere else in the United network.

A 20-member, multi-sector delegation from the Northern Mariana Islands recently attended the Interagency Regional Convening in San Francisco to advocate for infrastructure support and address regional defense readiness, according to the NMI Office of the Governor.

NMI Gov. David Apatang, signed the Fiscal Year 2027 Appropriations and Budget Authority Act into law on Oct. 6, exercising line-item vetoes and establishing reduced work hours for government employees to maintain fiscal stability.

Guam’s travel authorities were keen to play up the importance and potential of the Japanese market during the recent Tourism Expo Japan, but there was clearly concern among many of the companies taking part in the event at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center.