Reaching out

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.