Tropical Weather: Tropical Storm Choi-wan has moved away from Guam, but a monsoon surge is keeping strong, gusty winds and rain over Guam and Rota through the weekend, while the storm is forecast to intensify toward typhoon strength Friday night and could peak near Category 3 into Sunday. Climate & Oceans: Island leaders at the 8th Virtual Island Summit pushed for stronger collaboration and financing to scale up practical climate adaptation and ocean governance solutions, highlighting Guam’s Green Growth “G3” circular economy push and aquaponics efforts. Health for Palau Veterans: A new GAO report says VA care access remains limited for veterans in Palau, FSM and the Marshall Islands, with no VA facilities locally and costly travel to Guam or Hawaii; VA is now moving toward limited expansion like local care reimbursement and telehealth. Pandemic Preparedness: WHO and partners unveiled the Pandemic Fund’s first Western Pacific multi-country project, backed by a $35.99 million grant, to strengthen outbreak detection, labs and emergency response across 12 countries including Palau. Regional Forecasting Funding: Pacific weather services face a funding gap as the region plans a decade-long overhaul to improve locally run forecasting and warnings. Guam Military Planning: Joint Task Force Micronesia commander Rear Adm. Joshua Lasky said the DoD views Guam’s proposed economic adjustment committee as “not necessary yet,” while Marines are expected to come to Guam. Legal Challenge on Guam Explosives: Eighteen territorial groups filed a Supreme Court brief urging the U.S. Air Force to follow federal environmental and community engagement standards for open detonation of dangerous explosives, with concerns tied to contamination risks.