Local News

THE Legislative Bureau and the CNMI Youth Congress will implement austerity measures effective Jan. 12, 2026.

WAREHOUSE worker Derrick Delos Reyes Sr. and his wife, Dorian Babauta, said they felt blessed to welcome their third son, Derrick Jr., who was born on the first day of 2026.

THE New Year’s Eve celebration in the CNMI on Dec. 31, 2026 was greeted with a fuel price rollback, the first reduction since Thanksgiving.

MORE than 1,000 residents of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have signed a petition urging federal officials to halt any plans for deep-sea mining in the waters surrounding the Mariana Trench, citing environmental, cultural and political concerns.

THE District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands will hold a status conference on Jan. 8 at 1:30 p.m. before Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona, following a Ninth Circuit ruling — which took effect on Dec. 30 — that partially overturned the conviction of Hongjiang Yang and remanded the case for furt…

THE District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands will host the 2026 CNMI Mock Trial High School Championship on Feb. 5 and 6, unveiling a new case that spotlights the growing dangers of teen vaping.

THE creation of a separate Legislature Operations Fund by Public Law 24-20, or the Revised Appropriation and Budget Authority Act of 2026, comes with financial mandates that could cause suspension of payments, resulting in temporary disruptions to legislative expenditures, including payroll.

PROSECUTORS have expanded charges in a high-profile corruption case, increasing counts against Lt. Gov. Dennis Mendiola, Joey Vincent Dela Cruz, and Justin Paul Mizutani from six in the original filing to 17 in a First Amended Information submitted to Superior Court on Dec. 31.

GOVERNOR David M. Apatang has approved House Local Bill 24-75, appropriating $3.7 million in government lapsed funds for the Public School System and insurance coverage for retirees and active government employees.

A SETTLEMENT has been reached in the federal negligence lawsuit filed by Korean businessman Yoon Suk Chang against the United States over injuries he sustained at American Memorial Park.