As I write this essay, more than 100 people on Guam and almost 1.5 million people around the world have died from the virus. Many who died were lonely and afraid, unable to touch the hand of someone they love as they took their last choking breath. In America, a bewildering state of anger and fear reigns after a still unresolved presidential election. The future seems dark. In a world yearning for love, the coronavirus has exposed our false securities. Money, power and techno

By Diana G. Mendoza Manila – I went out more often when Metro Manila’s lockdown restrictions were relaxed at the beginning of the year’s fourth quarter. I saw more people in the streets and parks. More people also dared to dine, have coffee, talk and spend long hours in restaurants and coffee shops. Plant enthusiasts have also started crowding plant and garden shops especially because the prices of plants – from succulents to fruit plants and ornamentals – were going back to

The Pacific Air Force Command has announced that the U.S. and Japan are set to kick off Operation Christmas Drop 2020 from Andersen Air Force Base on Dec. 5, but the Federated States of Micronesia will ask the U.S. government to skip its four states due to Covid-19 concerns. Richard Clark, spokesman for the Office of the FSM President, said a diplomatic note will be sent to the U.S. Embassy in Pohnpei on Tuesday to ask for the cancellation of the humanitarian airdrop for Micr

The Guam Police Department (GPD) has confirmed that 10 police officer trainees from GPD’s 11th Police Officer Training Cycle have tested positive for Covid-19, the Joint Information Center reported today. The initial case was identified last week when a trainee reported feeling sick. The same trainee reported a relative had recently tested positive for Covid-19. All 10 trainees are currently in isolation with the remaining cohort in quarantine at home. In addition to the conf

One additional individual has been confirmed positive for Covid-19. This brings our CNMI total to 106 cases since March 28. The individual was identified by travel screening and confirmed diagnosis through testing upon arrival. The individual has been safely in quarantine and was moved to the designated isolation area for close monitoring. The CHCC has already initiated contact tracing for the most immediate contacts of the new confirmed case, including passengers on the sam

Vicky Benavente Saipan-- Fraudulent applications for federal unemployment benefits have caused delays in the processing of Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), but the CNMI Department of Labor (CNMI DOL) finally received an additional $27.5 million for the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) program, the department announced today. “This has been the culmination of a month-long effort between our Department and the USDOL, so this is welcoming news for the CN