King-Hinds Blames Federal Government for CNMI Economic Crisis
Congresswoman tells Saipan Chamber forum that Washington’s rules and restrictions gutted the outside spending the islands need to survive
King-Hinds says CNMI will engage Mullin the same way it engaged Noem
SAIPAN — Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds said Friday her office will work to educate incoming DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin on the importance of the CNMI’s tourism and travel policies, the same approach it took with his predecessor.
Trump taps Mullin as DHS secretary — a senator who sought to scrap CNMI’s Chinese tourist visa program
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Friday that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem will leave the Department of Homeland Security on March 31, 2026, replaced by Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, one of the senators who earlier this year called on the administration to eliminate the CNMI’s visa program for Chinese tourists.
This Week on NMI News Service: March 2-5, 2026
It was a week dominated by federal engagement, legal battles, and community milestones across the Marianas and Guam, with developments moving simultaneously in Washington, D.C., Taipei, Hagåtña, and Saipan.
House passes territorial in-state tuition bill backed by Moylan and King-Hinds
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that would allow students from Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and other U.S. territories to qualify for in-state tuition at public colleges and universities nationwide.
Moylan and King-Hinds Introduce Bill to Raise SBA Loan Guarantees for Territorial Small Businesses
WASHINGTON — Congressman James Moylan and Congresswoman Kimberlyn King-Hinds have introduced H.R. 7229, the Territorial SBA Loan Guaranty Adjustment Act of 2026, legislation that would increase federal backing for certain Small Business Administration loans issued to businesses in U.S. territories.
Governor Apatang Returns From D.C. With Working Groups, Federal Commitments, and a 30-Day Clock
SAIPAN — Governor David M. Apatang held his first extended media availability since returning from Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, briefing reporters on a week of federal meetings alongside the broad coalition he brought to the nation’s capital, while declining to address a turbulent home front that greeted him when he arrived back on Saipan Friday.
King-Hinds says Trump address underscored stakes for CNMI in Washington
Saipan — CNMI Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds said this week that President Donald Trump’s address to Congress served as a reminder that decisions made in Washington can directly shape opportunities and challenges for families and communities in the Commonwealth.
Governor Apatang continues Section 902 consultations in Washington, cites fiscal crisis and pushes for EVS-TAP, cover-over payments, CW-1 reforms
SAIPAN — Governor David M. Apatang and the CNMI’s Section 902 Consultations Team continued negotiations with the federal government in Washington, D.C. this week, with the administration urging immediate regulatory changes and financial support as the Commonwealth faces what it described as a fiscal crisis.
Saipan Chamber backs proposed NMI Labor Stabilization Act, calls bill “practical” path to workforce stability through 2039
SAIPAN — The Saipan Chamber of Commerce is backing the proposed “Northern Mariana Islands Labor Stabilization Act,” saying the measure would provide long-term workforce stability for businesses while reinforcing protections for U.S. workers in the Commonwealth.