Meteorologists Brandon and Landon Aydlett from the National Weather Service in Guam visited Saipan this week to look at the damage left behind by Super Typhoon Sinlaku. They met with community members, officials, and media partners to hear feedback on how weather information was shared before and during the storm and what could be improved for future typhoons. The NWS reminded residents that even tropical storms can still bring major problems, especially long power and water outages. They encourage people to be prepared to get through at least five to seven days on their own after a storm and to stay ready year-round since natural disasters are common and getting more frequent in the Marianas. Leigh Gases reports.

Commissioner of Education Dr. Lawrence Camacho and former Senate President Edith Deleon Guerrero launch their gubernatorial campaign.

At 8am on Friday, employees of the canoe house (under the Commonwealth Council for Arts and Culture) pulled the le’lek (Chamorro; canoe) into the waters of Civic Center for the very first time after three years of dedicated construction. Community members and employees of the canoe house gathered and secured the le’lek with a rope, using their combined strength to roll the hull over parts of coconut trees and cast-off wood pieces meant to elevate the le’lek on its journey through the sand. The canoe’s place in the water is strategic - years before the le’lek was built, the crew was working on a sakman (longer canoe, approximately 40 feet) that caught on fire after a storm. Salvaged parts of the sakman were harvested and used as components for this le’lek. When Typhoon Sinlaku’s winds caused the collapse of the canoe house in April, the le’lek’s progress had to be protected from further damage. Although the structure is still incomplete, the le’lek’s time in salt water will cure the vessel, creating a stronger, water-sealed base meant for long voyages through the Pacific, in addition to protecting the canoe from possible fires. Native resident and Program Coordinator for the Seafaring Traditions Program, John Castro, thanks the members of the community for their assistance and dedication to cultural crafts. In reference to the le’lek touching waters for the first time, Castro calls the event “a symbol of hope.” Kianna Reyes reports.

MP’s Eliseo Silverio III reports from Guam as the Micronesia Climate Change Alliance and the Ayuda Foundation as their LBJ donation drive is ongoing. Watch to learn more.

Hafa Adai and Tirow sports fans, this is Leigh Gases with this week’s Sports Leigh-Out brought to you by Joeten Motors! THIS WEEK: -2 gold, 2 silver for Isaiah, records for girls, boys relay -Four men, one ocean, 3,100 miles -Athletics team heads Down Under for Oceania Athletics Championships -Play Smart, Live Strong Football Tournament kicks off -NMI swimmers to compete in Ed Ching Swimming Invitational in Guam #cnmi #marianas #sports #leighout #recap #highlights #sportsleighout

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While visiting California, MP's Thomas Manglona II met with Marianas High School alumnus Kelly Zheng, who currently attends Stanford University. She discusses how her freshman year is going, learned lessons, and offers advice to high school students applying to college.

A status hearing in the misconduct and theft case filed by the Office of the Attorney General against Lt. Gov. Dennis C. Mendiola and co-defendant Justin Paul Mizutani was held last May 14, in Superior Court, with another status conference scheduled for July 23. Associate Judge Kenneth L. Govendo presided over the hearing. assistant attorney general Olga Kelly appeared for the government, while attorney Bruce Berline represented Mendiola. Attorney Brien Sers Nicholas appeared for Mizutani after former counsel Joey Patrick San Nicolas was elevated to the Superior Court bench as associate judge. At the outset of the hearing, Govendo acknowledged the substitution of counsel, asking Sers Nicholas if he was now representing Mizutani and the latter answered in the affirmative. The parties briefly discussed scheduling matters as the case continues moving forward with Kelly saying that the prosecution and the defense briefly discussed another status conference set for July 2026.

The Center for Living Independently is hoping to reopen within the next two weeks as it continues recovery efforts for hundreds of consumers affected by Super Typhoon Sinlaku, with officials stressing that internet connectivity has become critical in preventing isolation and depression among people with disabilities. CLI executive director Susan Satur said the nonprofit sustained major damage to its facility, including the destruction of a walkway connecting two buildings, but noted that the center’s concrete structures helped minimize further losses. “We hope to open the center within the next two weeks, once we get power and we can get this area all cleaned out,” Satur said. “We want to get them out of the home and doing activities that they enjoy doing. Isolation is really dangerous, so we’re trying to get them out into the community.” Disability Services coordinator Tiana Babauta said communication challenges following the typhoon highlighted how essential internet and cellphone access are for the disability community, especially as many consumers remained isolated in damaged homes or shelters.

NMI swimmers to compete in Ed Ching’s Swimming Invitational in Guam Despite being a late addition to the schedule while many NMI swimmers competed in Fiji, a smaller group of junior athletes will still get the chance to represent the Marianas at the 2nd Annual Ed Ching Swimming Invitational in Guam on Saturday, May 16. A total of nine NMI swimmers will make the trip to Guam—three from Tsunami Saipan: Sera Guerrero, Gwen Retardo, and Kevin Guerrero; and six from Saipan Swim Club: Hope Tenorio, P.J. Seman, Jr. Seman, Lukasz Szefler, Olivia Walsh, and Gabe Walsh. David Roberto will serve as coach and Susanti Szefler will serve as the manager, while Sera and Kevin's mom are going with the team as official chaperones. A Guam swim coach reached out to Saipan coaches about hosting swimmers to train and compete while recovery efforts continue back home. But, Richard Sikkel, head coach of Saipan Swim Club, said they initially declined because of the timing with many swimmers already in Fiji for the Oceania Championships, however, some parents were interested in having their kids join the trip. “It is a nice R&R for the kids to get off-island for a bit and gain experience swimming in meets,” Sikkel said. “The goal is for them to swim PBs and have a good time.” As for Tsunami head coach Hiroyuki Kimura, who is enroute home after coaching the national team at the Oceania Championships in Fiji, he said, “This is the first time we have sent swimmers to Guam since 2000, and until COVID, we had been sending a large number of swimmers twice a year.” Read the full story by Leigh Gases on our website.

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As the Public School System concluded the school year in the aftermath of Super Typhoon Sinlaku many students are looking forward to graduations and promotions in the coming weeks. Seniors at Marianas High School sent a letter to one of the wealthiest people in the world, Elon Musk, inviting him to be their graduation keynote speaker. “Your story has inspired students like me to dream beyond our circumstances. Living on a small island in the Pacific can sometimes make opportunities feel far away, but your work has shown us that impossible ideas can become reality through innovation, perseverance, and courage,” student Reggie Castro wrote on behalf of his classmates. Castro added, “Your presence at our graduation would inspire an entire generation of students from our islands. It would remind us that our dreams still matter, even during difficult times. It would show students that someone who helped revolutionize space travel, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, and technology believes in young people from places often overlooked by the world.” Castro also urged Musk to consider supporting PSS, MHS, and its STEM programs in the wake of the disaster. Castro concluded, “Whether or not this reaches you personally, I wanted you to know that students here on Saipan continue to dream big despite everything we are facing.”

In a major push to maintain academic momentum following the recent impact of Typhoon Sinlaku, the CNMI Public School System Office of Instructional Technology & Distance Education, the Office of Curriculum and Instruction, and the Teachers and Leaders of the Title I Program successfully distributed 1,736 grab-and-learn literacy enrichment packets to students across Saipan on Wednesday, May 13. The distribution, which took place from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., alongside the Grab and Go meal program, targeted six strategic locations to ensure regional accessibility for all families. The distribution saw high turnout, particularly at Garapan and Oleai Elementary schools. The breakdown of packets by grade level and site is as follows: Grade Level: K-2 (521 packets); Grades 3-5 (613), and Middle and High School (602) The Site Breakdown distribution - Garapan Elementary: 467, ​Oleai Elementary: 417, Dandan Middle School: 312, FMS Middle School: 209, ​Tanapag Middle School: 174, and Kagman Elementary: 157 According to CJ Houston, ELL Program Manager for the Office of Curriculum and Instruction, the initiative was born out of a proposal by Math Program Manager Augustus Loste shortly after weather conditions improved. Houston noted that the entire office spent several days prepping the materials to ensure students could continue their education despite the loss of classroom time. "Our entire office spent the last few days prepping, discussing, and getting everything ready for dispersal," Houston said. He emphasized that the goal is to gauge student response and quality of work to formulate future instructional plans. Houston explained that the packets are designed to be grade-level specific, with difficulty increasing as students progress through the "rungs of the ladder." While the packets are uniform in their grade-level sorting, they are divided by subject matter to provide a comprehensive review: ​K-2 Levels: Focused on fundamental skills such as spelling, ​Grades 3-5: Transitioning into sentence construction and reading comprehension, the Middle & High School is challenging students with essay writing and complex subject analysis. Read the complete story on our website.

The following letter was submitted by Anthony Torres for publication in our Opinion section. The views and opinions expressed in this piece are those of the author: Dear Senator Babauta, I normally do not respond to ignorant or misleading public comments, but this one requires a direct and forceful correction. The $MARI token has zero relationship with Marianas Rai Corporation (MRC) or the Tinian MUSD stablecoin project. The promoters of $MARI themselves made this crystal clear in their own public statement. Link: Marianas Variety Article Did you not read their article? Conflating these two completely separate initiatives is not a minor oversight, it is an egregious failure by a sitting Senator. It misleads the public and damages legitimate local efforts at a critical time. Correct the record immediately and publicly. For absolute clarity: •⁠ ⁠MUSD is a legitimate, fiat-backed stablecoin governed by CNMI local law and fully aligned with federal regulations, including the upcoming CLARITY Act. It is built for real utility, transparency, and local economic benefit. •⁠ ⁠The $MARI token and its Marianas Foundation, by contrast, raise serious red flags. They do not appear to be legitimate projects and should undergo deep regulatory inspection and likely be shut down, if they fail basic standards. There is currently a bill in the Legislature that would give the Commonwealth the legal tools to stop exactly these kinds of risky schemes. Senator Babauta, are you supporting that legislation? Read the full opinion on our website.

Even after sustaining what it estimates to be hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage from Super Typhoon Sinlaku, Kalayaan Inc. pushed ahead with a drive-in food distribution last May 9 at its Koblerville facility to assist storm survivors. “We wanted to make sure that we are committed not just in our regular operations but also in being part of this community and in making sure that we are part of the recovery efforts of this devastation,” said Eleanor Alinas, food services manager of the food service provider primarily for the Public School System. The event, dubbed the “Bayanihan Food Distribution Event,” distributed 700 meal packs consisting of either a chicken ranch sub sandwich or tuna salad sandwich, along with fruit and water. Alinas said the effort reflects the Filipino spirit of bayanihan or communal unity.