Pacific Games Cycling: The Northern Mariana Islands Cycling Federation is running a three-stage trial to pick its 2027 Pacific Games squad in Tahiti, using individual time trials (including an Aug. uphill climb and a Sept. 27 decider from Marianas Resort to Suicide Cliff) with the Sept. 27 roster set for three men, three women, and two reserves. Meta Settlement: The Northern Mariana Islands is among 47 jurisdictions in a $17.1 billion multistate Meta deal over Instagram and Facebook youth safety, requiring daily usage limits, “productive pauses,” nighttime blocks, and stronger age verification and parental controls. Courts & Public Safety: A federal grand jury indicted former HSI trainee Kane Alexzander Pangelinan Ybanez on loan fraud and two impersonation counts tied to CNMI police encounters. Immigration Custody Scrutiny: China is demanding answers after a 51-year-old Chinese national died less than a day after being taken into ICE custody in Saipan, with questions raised about detainee medical screening and notification timing. Marianas Deep-Sea Mining Fight: Guam and regional leaders are pushing back as Congress moves to fast-track deep-sea mining reviews, while a key federal official tied to the Marianas lease timeline is reportedly leaving for Halliburton ahead of a proposed Dec. 16 sale. Sports: NMI’s U20 men ended AFC qualifiers with a 3–0 loss to Guam in Mongolia, despite showing grit through the final whistle. Disaster Recovery: FEMA approved $7.1 million in post-disaster aid for CNMI recovery efforts tied to Super Typhoon Sinlaku. Legal Milestone: Lawyer Julian Aguon was sworn in to practice law in the CNMI under a new Guam-CNMI reciprocity agreement.