Columnists

TO Sen. Celina R. Babauta, chairwoman, Senate Committee on Executive Appointment and Government Investigations: On behalf of the Matua Council for Native Chamorro Advancement, we hereby submit our letter of support for the appointment of Mr. Ross Hugh S. Manglona as Resident Executive for the Indig…

SYDNEY — Japanese authorities are preparing to release treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, nearly 12 years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. This will relieve pressure on more than 1,000 storage tanks, creating much-needed space for other vital remediation works. But the plan…

SUVA — In the Pacific, Japan prides itself as a pacifist state. Their diplomats are known for being polite, respectfully bowing to dignitaries and emphasizing that they have the interest of the Pacific in their peaceful hearts. Now Pacific islanders are distressed and hoping Japan does not have the…

OPERATION Breakthrough stands as a shining example of what rival superpower nations can accomplish if they put their guns down for a moment. October 1988.  We were in the waning years of the Cold War.  Ronald Reagan was wrapping up eight years as president of the United States, and Mikhail Gorbache…

IN his presentation at the Saipan Chamber of Commerce Economic Forum over a week ago,  Marianas Visitors Authority board member Ivan Quichocho shared key information regarding the current state of the local tourism industry. He said the 14 members of the Hotel Association of the NMI or HANMI have 2…

THE United States Coast Guard has recently announced plans to triple its patrols in the Western Pacific and has already dedicated several ships for these missions.  Along with other recent developments, this means that Saipan and Guam can expect a considerable increase in the military activity arou…

BASED on what they told voters during the campaign season, the CNMI’s newly elected officials knew they would “inherit” a, more or less, insolvent government. They told voters that the previous administration was overspending and/or misspending local and federal funds. They said the ARPA funds were…

IN an age gone by, President’s Day was a patriotic event celebrating President Washington’s birthday (February 22), the creation of the United States of America and the birth of democracy. However, many Americans wanted it to be President Lincoln’s birthday, February 12, in honor of the president t…

FROM the Maritime Executive comes this disturbing news: “The New Zealand Defense Force working in conjunction with law enforcement and customs has retrieved more than three tons of cocaine floating in the Pacific Ocean at what they believe was a “transit point,” for international drug smugglers. Ne…

“POOR Ike,” President Harry Truman supposedly once said, referring to his successor, a former five-star general. “It won’t be a bit like the Army,” Truman added. “He’ll sit here and he’ll say, ‘Do this, do that,’ and nothing will happen.” Throughout known human history, however, m…