The hearing examiner overseeing the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) rate review case ruled that the utility’s Title III bankruptcy case does not prevent the island Energy Bureau from requiring PREPA to set aside funds to address future debt obligations. (Facebook via Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica) By THE STAR STAFF In a significant procedural ruling, the hearing examiner overseeing the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) rate review case has denied obje

By THE STAR STAFF The Office of the Electoral Comptroller (OCE by its initials in Spanish) completed its audits on Tuesday of the 149 candidate committees that participated in the 2024 primaries of the New Progressive Party (NPP) and Popular Democratic Party (PDP). The audits identified 1,997 violations of Law 222-2011, the Political Financing Law. Electoral Comptroller Walter Vélez Martínez sai the audits examined more than $9 million in reported income and expenses, reveali

The Justice Department emphasized that the sentence imposed reflects the authorities’ commitment to combating gender-based violence and protecting victims. By THE STAR STAFF Judge Carmen Otero of the Bayamón Court sentenced Ricardo Antonio Pérez Vázquez to 19 years and three days in prison on Tuesday for assaulting his partner during an incident on Aug. 28 at Plaza Río Hondo shopping mall in Bayamón, Justice Secretary Lourdes Gómez Torres announced. According to the Departmen

Stephanie Figueroa, executive director of the Gender Equity Observatory of Puerto Rico By THE STAR STAFF As part of “No More Violence Against Women” month, the Gender Equity Observatory of Puerto Rico has launched a media campaign titled “Ni Olvido ni Silencio” (“Neither Forgetting nor Silence”), demanding justice for the hundreds of women whose lives were taken by gender-based violence in recent years. “This effort is not just an act of remembrance -- it is a collective outc

By THE STAR STAFF Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) Secretary Waldemar Quiles Pérez on Tuesday announced an initiative to restore coral reefs along Puerto Rico’s coastline, alongside nine flagship projects focused on mangrove planting and wetland rehabilitation. Quiles emphasized the urgency of addressing coastal erosion and its impact on marine ecosystems, noting that the agency has moved swiftly since he assumed leadership in January. “Coastal erosion and its effec

“Each donated item represents hope and support for a sister island that needs our help today,” Secretary of State Rosachely Rivera Santana said. By THE STAR STAFF Secretary of State Rosachely Rivera Santana announced Tuesday that the Puerto Rico government will establish five collection centers in San Juan, Manatí, Ponce, Fajardo and Mayagüez to gather supplies destined for communities in Jamaica impacted by Hurricane Melissa. “Puerto Rico knows what it means to rebuild after

According to authorities, the suspect was captured on security cameras opening the ATM’s cash dispenser door and ripping out several cables, causing an estimated $2,318 in damages. By THE STAR STAFF Police on Monday requested the public’s assistance in identifying an individual suspected of causing aggravated damage to an ATM at the Padre Mac Donald Cooperative, located on Muñoz Rivera Avenue in Ponce. According to authorities, the suspect was captured on security cameras in

Ramón Barquín III, left, president of the United Retailers Center, signs a leadership alliance agreement with Suzette Roldán Medina, president of International Coaching Federation’s Puerto Rico chapter. By THE STAR STAFF The United Retailers Center (CUD by its acronym in Spanish) and the Puerto Rico chapter of the International Coaching Federation (ICF) signed an agreement on Monday to strengthen leadership, communication and organizational development within the business sec