Deep-Sea Mining Fight: Fa‘asao Amerika Samoa and Conservation Council for Hawai‘i, represented by Earthjustice, sued the U.S. government in Hawaii to block the Trump administration’s first deep-sea mining lease sale off American Samoa, arguing NOAA/NMFS wrongly concluded mining “is not likely to adversely affect” endangered species and failed to properly review impacts; the suit seeks a halt and compliance with the Endangered Species Act. NOAA Mapping for Critical Minerals: NOAA Ocean Exploration will run two public deepwater expeditions around American Samoa this summer and fall aboard the Okeanos Explorer, using ROV mapping to generate publicly available data for future exploration and local/federal decisions. Customs Capacity Building: Oceania Customs Organization training is strengthening American Samoa Customs’ Post-Clearance Audit capability to protect revenue and improve trader compliance. Local Elections: The Chief Election Officer officially set the 2026 Midterm Election for Nov. 3, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with candidate paperwork due Sept. 1. Manu‘a Land Trusteeship: An Atu‘u land trusteeship meeting was moved to the second Saturday of September after too few matai attended, with officials stressing the To‘oto‘o must be present. Seafood Workforce: The inaugural American Samoa Seafood Academy graduated nine fishermen, part of the Super Alia project, boosting local commercial fishing capacity. Public Safety & Courts: Two men were held without bail after an alleged Vailoa aumaga assault during a village curfew dispute. Business/Trade Disruption: A fire destroyed the Manu’a Store building in Tafuna, with lawmakers thanking first responders and agencies for support.