Deep-Sea Mining Legal Fight: Fa‘asao Amerika Samoa and the Conservation Council for Hawai‘i, represented by Earthjustice, sued the U.S. government to stop the first deep-sea mining lease sale off American Samoa, arguing NOAA Fisheries wrongly found mining “not likely” to harm endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. NOAA Science for the Seafloor: NOAA Ocean Exploration will run two public deepwater mapping missions around American Samoa this summer and fall, using ROVs aboard the Okeanos Explorer to generate publicly available data for future mineral decisions. Local Pushback on Seabed Plans: The Governor’s office and Del. James Moylan criticized the rushed federal seabed mining process, warning national security can’t mean Pacific communities accept unknown environmental risks first. Manu‘a Land Trusteeship: A meeting on the Atu‘u land trusteeship was moved to September after only five matai attended, with officials saying the To‘oto‘o and senior chiefs must be present for meaningful next steps. Elections Set: Chief Election Officer Dr. Lealofi Uiagalelei officially proclaimed the 2026 Midterm Election for Nov. 3, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with candidate paperwork due Sept. 1. Customs Capacity Building: Oceania Customs Organization training began to strengthen American Samoa Customs’ post-clearance audit capability to protect revenue and legitimate trade. Workforce & Training: The American Samoa Seafood Academy graduated its inaugural class, part of the Super Alia project, aimed at boosting local commercial fishing capacity. Public Safety & Courts: Two men were held without bail after an alleged assault during a Vailoa village curfew dispute; separately, a man accused of taking his ex-wife’s truck without permission was also held without bail.