US claims strikes on Iran were successful, Iran disagrees
US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has defended the American strikes on Iran, calling them "historically successful". POLITICO's Senior Legal Affairs Reporter Josh Gerstein spoke to Corin Dann.
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CNMI's delegate seeks clarification from US Treasury on use of federal tax revenues
According to Section 703(b) of the CNMI's Covenant with the US, federal income taxes and other federal revenues derived from sources in the CNMI needs to be returned to the local government. Photo: Supplied The delegate for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) to the United States Congress, Kimberlyn King-Hinds, has formally asked the US Treasury to clarify how fedeal taxes generated in the territory are being utilised. Delegate Kimberlyn King-Hinds sent a formal request to US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent seeking clarification. According to Section 703(b) of the CNMI's Covenant with the US, federal income taxes and other federal revenues derived from sources in the CNMI needs to be returned to the local government. In her letter, King-Hinds raised concerns that significant tax revenues linked to federal activity in the CNMI are not being returned to the local government as the Covenant provides. She pointed specifically to recent Department of Defence construction projects on Tinian totaling more than $153 million. Despite the scale of federal spending, the CNMI government received only $87,000 in reported tax revenue. "This provision was included in the Covenant to ensure that when activity happens in the CNMI, the returns from that activity are shared with the CNMI," she said. " "The people of the Northern Marianas and our government should see the benefit of economic activity occurring in their islands, especially when it is federally funded." Section 703(b) outlines a range of federal taxes that are to be paid into the CNMI Treasury, including income taxes derived from the CNMI and taxes on goods produced or consumed in the Commonwealth. King-Hinds noted that the provision applies regardless of where a contractor is headquartered, so long as the income is derived from work in the CNMI. "Nearly five decades after this language was adopted, we still do not have clear implementation of this section," she said. "As more federal funding and contract work flows into the CNMI, the question of how those revenues are treated under the Covenant is increasingly urgent." King-Hinds is requesting that the Department of Treasury clarify its interpretation of Section 703(b) and determine whether income taxes collected on work performed in the CNMI, particularly by off-island contractors, are appropriately credited to the CNMI government. She also indicated that if legislative steps are needed to reinforce the Covenant's requirements, she is prepared to work with Congress to advance those changes. "This is a practical issue with real consequences for the CNMI's ability to operate and plan for the future," King-Hinds said. "The Covenant will only endure if we remain committed to upholding its terms and ensuring its provisions are followed, including making certain the CNMI receives the revenues it is owed. I appreciate Secretary Bessent's attention to this request and look forward to a constructive dialogue on how we can ensure the Covenant is implemented as intended." During a recent CNMI House of Representatives hearing, Rep. Marissa Flores said the CNMI only collected a mere $87,000 in fees and taxes from $153-million worth of military activities in the Northern Marianas. Flores shared that data, which she said was shared at a recent meeting with the military, at the end of the House Standing Committee on Ways and Means budget hearing from the Department of Finance (DOF) last 9 July. "Why are we not collecting? What is the problem?" Flores asked DOF and the Division of Revenue and Taxation. "All this military build-up is happening…Are you collecting tax on developer's tax at all with the military?" she added. Division of Revenue & Taxation director Daniel Alvarez responded, "I do not believe the military projects fall under developer tax. I would probably have to confirm that with legal." Flores said the CNMI also needs to monitor how many military developers are being brought in because the island does not have the workforce. "We're losing money in that area. So many projects came and left, and we're only charging on the construction tax. Again, which is another problem, because now we know that they're bringing in their construction material," she explained. The lawmaker recommended that DOF have an increased presence on Tinian. Finance Secretary Tracy Norita later clarified that it has been a long-standing issue. "This is a conversation that has been going on between the municipality of Tinian and my office and [Department of Public Works] on who's going to assess the tax. "We've received information from DPW, I believe they've asked for [the Attorney-General's] opinion on whether they can assess the tax. To this day, I don't believe they're assessing it because there is no legal authority to assess the developer's tax on the military projects. "And so at this point, I believe it's legislation that's required to specify what exactly is exempted from the developer tax, whether it's a military project with an independent contractor or only military projects that are conducted by the military themselves," Norita added. "So again, it goes back to the legislation and the authority for DPW to assess the developer's tax." DPW Secretary Ray Yumul said they submitted an internal Legal Services Request form to the CNMI AG a few months ago but have not received a response.
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Trump threatens to restrict stadium deal with Washington Commanders if they don't change name back to ‘Redskins'
By Kit Maher , CNN Washington Commanders runs off the field after being sacked on a fourth down while playing the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter in the NFC Championship Game. Photo: EMILEE CHINN President Donald Trump has escalated his call for the Washington Commanders to change their name back to the "Redskins", threatening to restrict the NFL team's stadium deal if they don't, though it's unclear how he would be able to. "I may put a restriction on them that if they don't change the name back to the original 'Washington Redskins', and get rid of the ridiculous moniker, 'Washington Commanders', I won't make a deal for them to build a Stadium in Washington. The Team would be much more valuable, and the Deal would be more exciting for everyone," Trump wrote on Truth Social. The organisation left Washington for Landover, Maryland, in 1997, but DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and the team announced a deal in April to bring the Commanders back to the district at the site of the old Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. Trump touted the deal at the time, but the proposal is stalled before the DC Council. Speaking to reporters last week, Bowser urged the DC Council to "make moves" on the deal, adding that "the Commanders are anxious" about it. Trump expressed openness earlier this month to helping out if the DC Council does not approve the deal. "It's a great piece of property, so we'll see. But if I can help them out, I would. …The federal government ultimately controls it," Trump said. In late 2024, lawmakers in Congress passed a bill to transfer ownership of the RFK site from the federal government to the district's government. "The owner is very, very successful and a very good man," Trump continued. "It would be a great place for the NFL to be there, I can tell you that." A bust of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stands outside RFK Stadium, defunct and currently under demolition, in Washington, DC. Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI Earlier on Sunday (US Time), the president initially referred to the football team as the "Washington 'Whatever's'" and urged the owners to "IMMEDIATELY change their name back to the Washington Redskins Football Team." CNN has reached out to the Commanders and the DC mayor's office for comment on Trump's posts. Trump's comments went further than ones he made earlier this month, when he told reporters the Commanders' name should be changed back to the Redskins, something he acknowledged was a "controversial statement." "It doesn't have the same ring to me," he said. "But, you know, winning can make everything sound good. So, if they win, all of a sudden, the Commanders sounds good, but I wouldn't have changed it." The Commanders aren't the only team moniker Trump wants reverted. Donald Trump told reporters the Commanders' name should be changed back to the Redskins, something he acknowledged was a "controversial statement". Photo: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg/Getty Images via CNN Newsource Trump also put the pressure on the Cleveland Guardians to change their name back to the "Indians", claiming that the "Indian people" want the Guardians to be the "Indians" yet again. The names were changed as part of a larger cultural shift as corporate brands re-examined their use of racist caricatures and stereotypical names, but Trump argued on Sunday that "times are different now". "Our great Indian people, in massive numbers, want this to happen. Their heritage and prestige is systematically being taken away from them," Trump said. "Times are different now than they were three or four years ago. We are a Country of passion and common sense. OWNERS, GET IT DONE!!!" And in a later post on Sunday, Trump claimed Matt Dolan, a former Ohio state lawmaker whose family owns the Guardians, "has lost three Elections in a row because of that ridiculous name change. What he doesn't understand is that if he changed the name back to the Cleveland Indians, he might actually win an Election." "Indians are being treated very unfairly. MAKE INDIANS GREAT AGAIN (MIGA)!" Trump added, a riff on his "Make America Great Again," or MAGA, slogan. CNN has reached out to the Cleveland Guardians for comment. The Washington football team dropped the "Redskins" name in 2020 after decades of criticism from Native American groups that said it was an ethnic slur and a derogatory reference to skin colour. Two years later it unveiled the "Commanders" name. The Cleveland baseball team announced its name change in 2021, after similar criticism from Native Americans over the "Indians" moniker. - CNN
