Territorial Democracy Push: A bipartisan congressional briefing in the U.S. Senate examined why 3.6 million Americans in U.S. territories still lack full democratic rights under the “consent of the governed” principle, with CNMI Gov. David Apatang and CNMI lawmaker Kimberlyn King-Hinds among participants. Visa & Tourism Growth: Guam and CNMI governors renewed their push to add the Philippines to the Guam-CNMI visa waiver program to boost regional travel, air service, and visitor-economy recovery. Deep-Sea Mining Rules: Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero signed a deep-sea mining ban for Guam’s nearshore waters, with fines up to $50,000 per day and restrictions on port use without community consultation. NOAA Budget Pressure: A proposed 2027 NOAA budget would cut more than $1 billion and end or reduce programs tied to typhoon forecasting, fisheries, coral protection, and coastal resilience—key for Guam and CNMI. CNMI Energy Security: CNMI Sen. Jude Hofschneider pre-filed a resolution calling for federal study of small modular reactors and microreactors to reduce fuel dependence and stabilize power after storm-driven outages. Tourism Hit by Sinlaku: CNMI visitor arrivals fell 72% in April to 3,277 as flight disruptions and damage linger; stakeholders are watching June 20 for the return of international flights and Jeju Air’s Seoul-Saipan plans. Recovery for Businesses: SBA opened a third disaster recovery center on Saipan to help businesses and nonprofits navigate federal assistance after Super Typhoon Sinlaku. Power Restored on Tinian: Large-scale military generators were connected to Tinian’s grid to restore community power while permanent repairs continue. Ocean Exploration: The Nautilus expedition season returns June 10, with two consecutive missions exploring little-known Mariana waters and local participants joining the research.