Columnists

BC Cook THEY are so big that if you stood in the middle of one you could not even see it.  No one even knew they were there until airplanes began flying over Peru a hundred years ago.  Who made them and why?  Will we ever unlock the mystery of the Nazca Lines of Peru? In South America, between the …

An ad for a store, as published by Marianas Variety in 1983. IN 1983, the South Pacific Commission or SPC (now known as the Pacific Community) issued a “country report” regarding the Northern Marianas. It is — like other old reports about these islands — a fascinating read. According to the SPC rep…

Ambrose M. Bennett THE Truth is the CNMI’s Economic Forecast does not look bright but indeed headed for a cliff with no definitive plan to prevent our economy from literally falling-off-a-cliff, just begging the Feds to save us, which is Lazy PATHETIC stewardship! Tariffs & Taxes are the only t…

BC Cook “AS we flew low over the coast of Colombia, headed for the locks of the Panama Canal, we knew we had not been detected.  We had a perfect view of the canal as the sun rose, a good omen that assured us of success.  The other pilots followed me as I began my bombing run.  We completely destro…

BETWEEN 1943 and 1945, Tracy Layton’s father landed on the beaches of Tarawa, Saipan, Tinian and Okinawa. Today, in 2025, she made an emotional pilgrimage to Saipan and Tinian to see what her father saw and to imagine how he must have felt. Afterwards, I sat for an interview with her at Saipan̵…

THERE is a growing sense — at least on my part — that the CNMI government has all but given up on reviving the local economy. As an actual economist, Matthew O. Deleon Guerrero, has pointed out, economic development is hard. It becomes more difficult if the government officials in charge are reluct…

Ambrose M. Bennett THE Truth is I’m learning that OUR Tax money has been allocated to J&P Holdings, not just Micronesia Air Connection Service (MACS), but ALL J&P Businesses & Personal Income among other perks.  This qualifying certificate is not just about the airline but an abatement …

BC Cook THE giant statues are not the greatest mystery of the Easter Island.  The people are.   What did they do on the island besides build massive statues?  Where did they go?  Did they move away or die off?  Recently, a major shift has occurred regarding the answers. The language of Easter Islan…

Kimberlyn King-Hinds MARCH is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the historic firsts of women in leadership, innovation, and beyond. This month, we reflect on the incredible progress we’ve made in advancing the role of women in society, while also acknowledging the ongoing work that remains…

MANY concerned citizens believe that good government is an achievable goal. All we need, they say, are intelligent voters who will elect competent leaders. This reminds me of an apocryphal story involving the great French sculptor Rodin. When asked how to sculpt an elephant, he supposedly replied, …