Deep-Sea Mining Fight: Fa‘asao Amerika Samoa and Conservation Council for Hawai‘i, represented by Earthjustice, filed a federal lawsuit to stop the Trump administration’s first-ever commercial sale of deep-sea mining leases off American Samoa, challenging the National Marine Fisheries Service’s “not likely to adversely affect” finding under the Endangered Species Act. Faith & Community Voices: The American Samoa Democratic Party praised the Catholic Diocese of Samoa-Pago Pago and CEPAC for their joint stance against deep-sea mining, echoing wider Pacific faith and civil society calls for ocean guardianship and local consent. School Year Opening: The Department of Education kicked off the new school year with a church service at Holy Family Cathedral in Fatuoaiga, where Bishop Kolio Tumanuvao Etuale urged unity and reminded leaders that children reflect what they see. STEM Mentorship: North Greene High School teacher Olivia Kuper was selected for Society for Science’s 2026–27 Advocate Program, receiving a $5,000 stipend to expand student access to hands-on research and science competitions. Sports & Culture: American Samoa made international headlines by stunning the USA 38–32 in flag football at the 2026 IFAF World Championships in Düsseldorf, a first-time world-championship win for the territory. Local Public Works Debate: Senator Togiola T.A. Tulafono said newly installed raised crosswalks and road signs are illegal, arguing they don’t match requirements for traffic-control devices under the American Samoa Code. Immigration Policy Watch: Radio New Zealand Pacific reports the U.S. State Department is forming a task force to curb “birth tourism,” with American Samoa lawmakers previously discussing how birthright status could be limited when parents are not legal residents.