Meta Youth Safety Settlement: Meta agreed to a multistate $17.1B deal over Instagram and Facebook features alleged to harm children and teens, with American Samoa included; the package requires daily usage limits with “productive pauses,” nighttime blocks, tighter age verification and parental controls, and ongoing independent monitoring. Deep-Sea Mining Push vs Local Opposition: American Samoa leaders and community groups are again drawing a hard line against federal seabed mining plans tied to lease auctions near the territory, while NOAA’s mapping work continues—fueling protests that the science could support commercial extraction. Fast-Track Permitting Fight: A Guam-led amendment to block seabed mining from expedited FAST-41 review was rejected by the House Rules Committee, keeping deep-sea mining eligible for faster federal environmental processing. Pacific Security and Regional Voice: At the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau, U.S. territory leaders pressed for stronger regional participation and transparency on missile testing, while also highlighting maritime security and enforcement needs. Workforce Immigration Proposal: A new Senate bill would create a one-time Critical Guest Worker Amnesty/Permit path for foreign nationals in American Samoa without valid status, aimed at filling labor needs for critical employers like StarKist Samoa. Local Food Costs: American Samoa’s Basic Food Index rose slightly in August, with increases in items like rice, milk, fish, taro and bananas, while some staples like eggs, turkey tail and sugar fell. STEAM for Youth: The Foeoletini Foundation wrapped its PITA Jr. Summer Bootcamp, bringing hands-on STEAM and tech exposure to village students as a prevention-focused initiative.