Within the Pacific U.S. Mariana Islands lies Saipan, an island forced to embrace military development during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Northern Mariana Islands played a vital role in the bombing of Nagasaki.

Saipan

The U.S. island of Saipan is observing the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, a historical event closely linked to the region. Once a thriving tourist destination, Saipan has seen its visitor numbers drop sharply due to the pandemic and geopolitical tensions, particularly between China and the U.S. This decline has led to economic hardship and increased dependence on federal assistance.

In response to the downturn, the Commonwealth has shifted focus toward American military development, with significant investment in upgrading runways on nearby Tinian—runways originally used in World War II to launch atomic bomb missions. While some local leaders welcome the economic boost from military projects, others express concern about the long-term impact on the community and question whether the benefits will reach local residents.

U.S. island of Saipan commemorates 80 years since Nagasaki

Friday nights on the U.S. island of Saipan are a ghost town. Empty streets. Very few signs of life. It's like empty shell after empty shell. Empty bars. And blocks away, thousands once flocked to this casino. It now stands abandoned. John Lee is the owner of Cha Cafe, one of downtown's businesses fighting to keep the lights on. I would say it's been challenging. We rely totally on tourism. And the past few years, we relied more and more on federal assistance. Saipan, the capital of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, once relied on tourism to power its economy. In 2018, the Commonwealth saw over 600,000 visitors, mostly from Asia. But with the COVID pandemic and rising tensions between China and the U.S., tourism has dropped by more than 65%. The government seems to be prioritizing the militarization of the Marianas. Yeah. And vocally, they are saying that we do not want Chinese tourists. Instead, the Commonwealth has embraced American military development. It's not even about the people in the military. It's about the military industrial complex. Dr. Issa Areola is an indigenous cultural anthropologist and a fierce opponent of the recent military buildup. Yes, we're a strategic location, but strategic means you have a plan to get somewhere. And we are kind of the means for a lot of those goals, a lot of those military goals. Just a few miles away on the island of Tinian, also part of the U.S. Commonwealth, a swift military buildup is underway. It's not every day that you get to drive on a runway. This is a runway that effectively ended World War II. This runway was used in 1945 to drop the atomic bombs on Japan. And it lay dormant for 80 years, right until now. Every World War II story ends with the mission with Enola Gay and Boxcar dropping the atomic bombs. And those were launched off of Runway Abel, which is where we're at right now. Today, the U.S. is investing $800 million to reclaim and upgrade the runway. This was pile one. Each one of these piles, systematically 75 by 75 by 10-foot pile. We watched the 513th Red Horse Squadron, a special Air Force unit, clearing jungle and incinerating brush. Captain Soren Hoffman. And then we're going through and hauling over the clean wood, bring it over here, and they put it into these incinerators. Runways that once helped defeat Japan 80 years ago are now being rebuilt to counter China today. Tinian Mayor Edwin Alden welcomes the military buildup. As you know, the Commonwealth, we're going through a big economic downturn, hoping that this year we'll go up. Partnering with the military at this point of time is a win-win for us. But back on Saipan, residents watch with mixed feelings. They were very against it. But now that the economy is so terrible, nobody's talking against it. It seems like a short-term desire to get a cash infusion from the military. That's exactly what it is. But even if that happens, will it trickle down to its people? Probably not.

After almost four decades of a bloody conflict that until recently had no end in sight, Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a peace agreement in the presence of the US President Donald Trump. Notably absent in this historic moment is Russia, which no longer plays a central role in the South Caucasus.

Washington

Azerbaijan and Armenia sign historic agreement

Montana's governor said that the dayslong manhunt for the suspect in a bar shooting has ended. 45-year-old Michael Brown was taken into custody on Friday.

Anaconda

Montana bar shooting suspect captured after weeklong manhunt

President Trump announced Friday that he will hold a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Aug. 15 in Alaska. The summit comes as Russia has been pushing to keep all the Ukrainian territory it gained from its invasion. Nancy Cordes and Margaret Brennan have the latest.

Ukraine Invasion

Trump, Putin to hold meeting in Alaska next week

The U.S. Department of Justice issued subpoenas in its investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James. CBS News' Jake Rosen reports.

New York

Trump's DOJ subpoenas New York AG Letitia James

Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump will meet in the coming days, the Kremlin said on Thursday (August 7), as the U.S. president seeks a breakthrough to end the Ukraine war after voicing mounting frustration with his Russian counterpart and threatening him with new sanctions.

Moscow

Kremlin says Trump, Putin to meet soon; Ukraine seeks role for Europe

U.S. President Donald Trump's rushed deadline for Russia to strike a ceasefire deal or face more sanctions has arrived without much movement from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump deadline for Russia to reach ceasefire arrives

Protesters in Israel are voicing their concerns about a plan approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet to take over Gaza City. CBS News' Debora Patta has more.

Jerusalem

Middle East Conflict

Israel's security cabinet approves plan to take over Gaza City

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel intends to take full military control of Gaza and push a new offensive, despite mounting international criticism over the war’s human toll and growing hunger crisis.

Israel intends to take full control of Gaza, Netanyahu says

U.S. President Donald Trump said that there is a good chance he'll meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin soon over Russia's war with Ukraine.

Trump says 'good chance' he'll meet with Putin soon

U.S. President Donal Trump officially began levying higher import taxes on dozens of countries on Thursday (August 7), just as the economic fallout of his months-long tariff threats was beginning to create visible damage to the U.S. economy.

Global Tariffs

Higher U.S. tariffs officially take effect

The man accused of killing two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., earlier this year has been charged with federal hate crime charges. CBS News Justice reporter Jake Rosen has more.

Hate crime charges filed in killings of Israeli Embassy staffers

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Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, blamed Hamas when asked about starvation in Gaza, saying, "Hamas has not allowed the food to get to the people who are hungry." Huckabee also addressed questions over the controversial aid sites.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel faces questions over starvation in Gaza

On "T-Day," the US began enforcing Trump's new tariffs, raising average rates from 2% to 15% after a 90-day pause allowed some countries to negotiate reduced deals while others, like India and Brazil, faced hikes. These tariffs have generated over $150 billion in revenue by July, impacting various sectors and aiming to address trade imbalances.

U.S. begins collecting Trump's new global tariffs

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says he plans to call the leaders of China and India, to discuss a joint response to new US tariffs. The announcement came as Brazil and India were hit with 50 percent levies - the highest imposed by President Donald Trump.

State of Rio de Janeiro

Brazil halts U.S. trade talks as Lula condemns new tariffs

U.S. President Donald Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil in a move that sharply escalated tensions between the two nations after trade talks reached a deadlock.

Trump imposes extra 25% tariff on India over Russian oil imports

President Trump has been briefed about the shooting at Fort Stewart in Georgia, the White House press secretary says. At least five soldiers were shot before a suspect was apprehended, officials say.

Fort Stewart

Five soldiers shot at Fort Stewart in Georgia; suspect apprehended

A Russian official said President Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, had a "useful and constructive" conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Wednesday.

Witkoff, Putin had 'useful and constructive conversation'

The U.S. aims to deploy nuclear power reactors on the Moon and Mars, targeting the first launch by decade’s end. A new NASA directive, revealed by Politico and AFP, calls for appointing a nuclear power czar to choose two commercial proposals within six months, aiming to outpace a Chinese-Russian collaboration.

NASA races to put nuclear reactors on Moon and Mars

Japan held a memorial service and ceremony for victims and the remaining survivors of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, marking its 80th anniversary and renewing pledges of working towards a world without nuclear weapons.

Hiroshima

Hiroshima marks 80th anniversary since U.S. atomic bombing

The U.S. is warning travelers as cases of chikungunya, a mosquito-borne illness, spreads in China. Health officials in China have ordered mass disinfection measures. The region near Hong Kong reported more than 7,000 cases in recent weeks.

Beijing

U.S. warns travelers as cases of chikungunya increase in China

Japan has commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing during World War II. Ceremonies at Peace Memorial Park honoured the victims of the 1945 nuclear attack by US forces.

Japan’s Hiroshima marks 80 years since U.S. atomic bombing

Multiple media outlets in Israel have reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants a complete military takeover of Gaza, while almost 600 former Israeli military and security officials are petitioning Washington to stop the fighting.

Netanyahu reportedly wants complete Gaza takeover

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday that he had a productive talk with President Trump focused on ending the war with Russia. CBS News national security contributor Samantha Vinograd has more.

Kyiv

Zelenskyy holds 'productive talks' with Trump about war

Family members of two of the victims from the 2023 implosion are demanding tougher regulations following the damning report released on Tuesday. Five people died when the submersible imploded off the coast of Newfoundland.

Breakdown