With the CNMI-Only Transitional Worker Program set to expire on Dec. 31, 2029, CNMI Labor Secretary Leila Staffler warned that the Commonwealth faces a widening skills gap and persistent workforce shortages that could deepen unless investment in vocational training and worker upskilling accelerates. Speaking at the Rotary Club of Saipan meeting last Jan. 13 at Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan, Staffler said long-standing shortages—particularly in construction and other skilled trades—are colliding with federal policy uncertainty, population decline, and chronic underfunding of trade education, even as federal policymakers have made clear that the CW program is meant to sunset. “Transitions should be happening now,” Staffler said. “But at my level, I don’t see much happening on the federal side, so it comes back to this economic impact. Like, we need to [let] businesses [know] in order for them to start looking at new investors, try to expand, all of that stuff.” Staffler said vocational programs have historically received minimal funding, discouraging residents from entering skilled trades despite persistent job vacancies.

The Civil Service Commission is in dire need of a hearing officer and legal counsel. CSC Chair Patrick Fitial and former chair Ray Muna speak with Marianas Press about the ongoing challenges and progress at the CSC.

19th CNMI State Board of Education Standing Committee Meeting on Capital Improvement Projects & PSS Property. Livestream brought to you by Docomo Pacific.

The Saipan Chamber of Commerce will host its most anticipated annual signature event—the 2025 Business Person of the Year (BPOY) & Board of Directors Installation Gala—on Saturday, January 31, 2026, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Kensington Hall, Kensington Hotel Saipan. This distinguished evening brings together leaders from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors to celebrate excellence, strengthen community partnerships, and honor the enduring spirit of business in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. In addition to the BPOY Award, the Chamber will also present the following honors: -2025 Chamber Member of the Year -2025 Non-Profit of the Year -2025 Small Business of the Year -2025 Public Agency of the Year (new award category) Watch to learn more.

Marianas Press tours the Joeten-Kiyu Public Library to see major facility improvements made possible through federal funding. Library Director Erlina Naputi highlights the progress and how these upgrades will better serve the community.

It’s back-to-back for the Umangs 1 of Koblerville Elementary School as they clinched the 2025-2026 PSS-NMIBF-IT&E Coed Elementary School Basketball League championships over the Kagman Elementary School Blue Marlins, 32-24 on Saturday, Jan. 10, at the Agape Christian School Gymnasium. Both teams came in undefeated in the regular season and, as usual, met again in the finals, setting up what looked like an even matchup. That changed quickly, though, as the Umangs’ defense and finishing at the net took control and showed they were hungry for a back-to-back title. Lellan Daniel got the Umangs going early, scoring eight points in the first quarter while their defense limited the Blue Marlins to just six. The second quarter was quiet on both ends, with Daniel adding only two more points to push the lead to 14-6 at the half. Daniel knocked down a three to open the third, followed by quick buckets from Joshua Jose and Dolores Okaruru. The Umangs carried a 23-10 lead into the final quarter before Kagman tried to shift momentum with cherry picks and fast breaks. The late push wasn’t enough, though, as Okaruru scored four more and Daniel added five to close it out, 32-24. Koblerville’s roster consisted of Patrick Mansfield, Arcel Basid, Joshua Jose, Lellan Daniel, Stony Moses, Sheldon Defang, Logan Camacho, Jasiel Mosik, and Dolores Okaruru. Kagman was made up of Tristen Carino, Basil Faisao, Benz Santos, Kingston Santos, Nathaniel Reyes, Peyton Crisostomo, Chloe Aquino, and Nemily Saimon. Third place went to Tinian Elementary School. Koblerville once held the championships four years in a row before Kagman took the title from them in 2023. In an interview after the finals, coach Francis Mendiola said that their team now consists of a lot of players from their team 2 from last year, with some of them graduating or are in third or fourth grade. Read the full story by Leigh Gases on our website.

A Japanese delegation associated with entertainment producer Nelke Planning presented lawmakers last Jan. 9 on Capitol Hill with an expansive proposal to turn Saipan into a global hub for anime-, gaming-, and pop culture–driven tourism, pitching the CNMI as a destination where the entire island becomes an immersive entertainment experience. Rep. Blas Jonathan Attao, chair of the House Committee on Federal and Foreign Affairs, said the presentation grew out of discussions with members of the Japanese community who live in the CNMI and have been exploring new investment opportunities tied to tourism and cultural promotion. Attao said the proposal is unfolding against a broader geopolitical and economic backdrop, noting Japan’s commitment to invest heavily in the United States and its territories. “There’s an understanding with the people of Japan and the government of Japan at the time through their negotiations that they’re pushing to invest about $550 billion into the U.S. and U.S. soil, so these territories,” Attao said. Because of Saipan’s proximity to Japan and its existing cultural ties, Attao said the CNMI was seen as a natural testing ground for creative, pop culture-based tourism concepts that could attract younger travelers while also tapping into nostalgia among older generations.

A $100,000 H-1B visa fee is emerging as a major barrier to recruiting badly needed healthcare professionals in the CNMI, undermining recent efforts to streamline the licensing and vetting of foreign physicians, according to Health Care Professions Licensing Board chair Ted Parker. “These islands are very vulnerable when it comes to healthcare. The $100,000 fee, I don't know all of the inside information as to why that was put into place, but it does curtail certain, I mean, it's for all professions,” he said. Parker explained that while recent CNMI regulations—effective since late 2025—have simplified the process for foreign physicians to apply and practice, the steep visa cost has made recruitment “next to impossible.” Hospitals and clinics must first identify a physician, extend a job offer, and then the physician can apply for licensure. The $100,000 H-1B fee adds a prohibitive financial burden, discouraging many qualified candidates from coming, even if they are invited by local healthcare facilities. He expressed hope that the CNMI could receive an exception from $100,000 H-1B visa fee. “Just because of our geophysical location in relation to the rest of the world and in relation to the U.S. It's difficult to get U.S.-trained physicians here,” said Parker.

Northern Marianas College President Dr. Galvin Deleon Guerrero shared updates about the Spring 2026 term with Marianas Press. He said NMC students and staff will stay on campus for the first half of the Spring 2026 term. "While details are still being finalized, this means that in-person classes on Saipan will be held on the As Terlaje campus and not at Saipan Southern High School as announced last November," he said in an email to the NMC community. He added, "Information about plans for operations after March 17 will be shared in the coming weeks. Course offerings will be rescheduled to take place throughout the day instead of only from 5:00 pm onwards."

Tinian residents raised concerns about the potential environmental and community impacts of the proposed Citadel Pacific data center during a Coastal Resources Management public hearing last Jan. 9 at the Tinian Conference Center-Bar-K Diner, calling for stronger safeguards and greater transparency. Frederick Dela Cruz, a Tinian resident, said the planned facility—described by the developer as a cable landing station rather than a full-scale data center—would be located near residential areas and within roughly a kilometer of schools, including the Northern Marianas College Tinian campus, Tinian High School, and Tinian Elementary School. He cited planning best practices that recommend buffer zones between industrial facilities and homes or schools, and questioned whether the project places an undue burden on nearby residents and children. “For these reasons, planning and best practices commonly recommend a buffer distance of 300-500 meters from residential areas, and 500 to 1,000 meters from schools and children’s facilities,” said Dela Cruz. While stressing he was not opposed to development or technology, he raised concerns about electricity demand, water use, noise from generators, cooling systems, e-waste disposal, and potential impacts on marine ecosystems from submarine cables. “Recent research shows that these centers in the U.S. already consume about 4.4 of the national electricity, with projections rising significantly due to AI demand, and consume millions of gallons of water daily for cooling. They often operate near or in water-stressed regions, putting pressure on local supplies,” he said, while also questioning why the project did not undergo a National Environmental Policy Act review. Read the complete report on our website.

Hundreds of residents across the Marianas are speaking out against proposed deep-sea mining plans. Community town halls were recently held on Rota, Tinian, and Saipan, and Marianas Press was there to cover every discussion and concern raised. Watch our full reports on our YouTube channel before the public comment period closes on January 12, 2026: https://www.youtube.com/playlist...

Ta Nå’i Ånimu II: Sacred Waters is coming to the Guam Museum - an art exhibit honoring the deep relationships between our bodies, our lands, and the waters that shape and sustain us through the work of artists from across Guam, Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. Building on the first Ta Na’i Ånimu exhibition, Sacred Waters uplifts Indigenous perspectives on water, which carries memory, sustains life, and remains at the center of ongoing struggles for environmental justice, self-determination, and cultural survival in the Mariånas archipelago. The exhibition opens on January 10, 2026, from 3–7 PM, will be on view through February 28, 2026, and features works by more than 35 artists from Tinian, Luta, Saipan, and Guåhan. We asked some of the CNMI-based artists to respond to the same questions, introducing themselves, their work, intentions, and motivation to create. Read the full story featuring Analee Villagomez, Alexis Kwon, Catherine Atalig, ⁠Jayson Sablan, and mona sierra on our website.

New bullpen brings Korean WBC team as CNMI baseball continues to grow The completion of the new pitcher’s bullpen at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field on Thursday, Jan. 8, brings international teams back to CNMI, beginning with the Korean World Baseball Classic team and marking a return to hosting international training camps and competitions. Before Typhoon Yutu tore through the Oleai Sports Complex in 2018, the CNMI regularly hosted regional tournaments and training camps for several professional baseball teams. While the bleachers and press box were later renovated and put back into use just in time for the 2022 Mini Games and ongoing local leagues, the absence of a bullpen prevented the CNMI from hosting off-island teams at the same level it once did. Now complete after a little more than a month through a collaboration with the Department of Corrections Community Outreach Program, the Marianas Visitors Authority, and the Northern Marianas Sports Association, the bullpen is reopening those opportunities. This will boost sports tourism and give local players more chances to develop alongside higher-level competition. Marianas Visitors Authority chairman Warren Villagomez confirmed that from Jan. 10-22, the Korean national team will hold their training camp in Saipan. According to the Korea JooAng Daily, Los Angeles Dodgers utility player Kim Hye-seong will join the team during the camp. Villagomez said that this new bullpen just adds on to the CNMI as a sports tourism destination. “We hope there will be more sports related interests—not just in Saipan, but in Rota and Tinian as well,” he said. They are also looking at promoting the track and field to host training camps or more competitions. Read the full story by Leigh Gases on our website.

Tropic Threads is moving its sustainable boutique business back online after shuttering its brick-and-mortar location in San Vicente last Jan. 3. Co-owner Jessica Alvarez said the original goal of Tropic Threads was to operate as a sustainable store that helped reduce clothing waste on the island, a goal she believes the business has achieved. “We've saved a lot of stuff from going to the landfill. And though we are closing the brick-and-mortar store due to economic issues, with the post office moving and things like that, we've decided the most suitable option is to move online,” she said. The boutique’s new online store will launch on Feb. 15, where Alvarez said Tropic Threads will continue offering its signature handmade goods and will also restock thrift items curated by co-owner and college schoolmate Jessica Tompkins, who has since moved back to Kentucky. For customers who can’t wait until then, Alvarez said Tropic Threads items are still available for purchase at Marianas Creations and the Busy Bee Workshop. “So, if you've never checked those places out, you've got to,” she said. Tropic Threads marked the closure of its San Vicente store with a fill-a-bag sale, with remaining items donated to a charitable cause. “We are doing a fill-a-bag sale to try to get as much of the clothing out into the community and be as useful as we can. The rest of our clothing and shoes will be going to the Salvation Army so that they can still be utilized by people,” Alvarez said. Another motivation for moving the business online, she said, is the ability to serve a wider audience across the Marianas and beyond.

Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds, Governor David M. Apatang, Senate President Karl King Nabors, and House Speaker Edmund Villagomez announced today that they have transmitted joint letters to President Donald J. Trump and Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, Commander of United States Indo-Pacific Command, outlining the accelerating economic deterioration of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and urging timely federal action. The leaders cautioned that the CNMI’s economic condition has reached a point where further decline could undermine the civilian systems that support U.S. access, readiness, and long-term presence in the Indo-Pacific. They emphasized that stabilizing the Commonwealth is not only a local concern, but a matter of national security. “The Commonwealth’s small economic scale leaves little room for additional shocks,” said Congresswoman King-Hinds. “When core civilian systems begin to fail, the consequences extend well beyond local governance. Stable communities, reliable infrastructure, and a functioning local economy are essential to sustained U.S. presence in the Pacific. Addressing these issues now is in the nation’s security interest.” Governor Apatang underscored the urgency of the situation. “We are running out of time,” he said. “Businesses are closing, people are leaving, and the effects are compounding. The federal government has tools available right now that can help steady the situation. Acting sooner rather than later makes a real difference.” Senate President Nabors highlighted the broader strategic implications. “The strength of America’s position in the Indo-Pacific rests not only on military assets, but on the health of the civilian communities that support them,” he said. “Allowing a U.S. jurisdiction of strategic importance to erode economically would weaken the very foundation on which long-term presence depends. The actions we are calling for are measured, lawful, and necessary.” Read the full PR on our website.