Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz (Facebook via Thomas Rivera Schatz) By THE STAR STAFF Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz warned on Wednesday that the controversy surrounding Miss Universe 2026 will be “the next Power Expectations” that La Fortaleza must address, at a time when questions are being raised regarding the contract and public funds allocated for the pageant. “Millions of dollars for Miss Universe -- that is going to be the next Power Expectations that La F

Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés (Facebook via Thomas Rivera Schatz) By THE STAR STAFF As part of the measures aimed at strengthening the prevention of infectious diseases in school communities, including influenza, the island Department of Education (DEPR) recently conducted training for its school nurses on the protocols for prevention, management, identification and reporting of possible cases. The training was offered virtually in coordination with the Epidemiology

Cidra Mayor Delvis Pagán Clavijo By THE STAR STAFF Cidra Mayor Delvis Pagán Clavijo announced on Wednesday that he has asked the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) to halt any moves by LUMA Energy to disconnect municipal facilities while it is determined whether the private operator of the island’s electric power transmission and distribution system followed regulatory procedures regarding a dispute over a $319,216.88 balance. The mayor said a LUMA representative had warned the

By THE STAR STAFF Puerto Rico Hospital Association Executive President Jaime Plá Cortés warned on Wednesday that between 700,000 and a million people could lose their “Plan Vital” coverage if Congress does not approve a new federal funding allocation for Medicaid before Oct. 1, 2027. “Puerto Rico has just over a year to secure a solution in Congress, and that work must happen now,” Plá Cortés said in a written statement. “What is at stake is our people’s access to healthcare

Says loss of key creditor support is no dealbreaker By THE STAR STAFF The Financial Oversight and Management Board told U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain that it continues to believe its Fifth Amended Plan of Adjustment for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) is confirmable despite the collapse of support from major creditors that once backed the restructuring. In a status report filed ahead of a hearing Wednesday, the oversight board acknowledged that most

The Independent Authentic Union of Employees of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority confirmed it will meet with authority officials this Thursday to address pending matters tied to the long‑delayed Classification and Compensation Plan and press for concrete commitments from the public corporation. By THE STAR STAFF The Independent Authentic Union of Employees of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (UIA‑PRASA) said Tuesday it is using every administrative and

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (uscourts.gov) By THE STAR STAFF The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit heard sharply divided arguments on Tuesday over whether bondholders of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) are entitled to administrative expense claims for the utility’s years‑long use of revenues pledged as collateral. The outcome could reshape the final phase of PREPA’s Title III restructuring, now in its ninth year. Attorneys for Go

Regulatory Compliance Services President Osvaldo Carlo Linares told the Government Committee in the island House of Representatives on Tuesday that the Independent Office of Procurement had identified three individuals or firms connected to lobbying efforts by the companies that competed for Puerto Rico’s temporary generation contract. By THE STAR STAFF Regulatory Compliance Services President Osvaldo Carlo Linares told island lawmakers on Tuesday that the Independent Office

Anthonieska Avilés Cabrera, second from left, arrives at the Aibonito Court prior to sentencing on Tuesday afternoon. (Screenshot via Facebook TelemundoPR/15August26/439pm) Sentenced to 38 years in prison for fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Gabriela Nicole Pratts Rosario in Aibonito last summer By THE STAR STAFF Anthonieska Avilés Cabrera, 18, pleaded guilty Tuesday to the killing of Gabriela Nicole Pratts Rosario after reaching a sentencing agreement with prosecutors that redu

By THE STAR STAFF The island Treasury Department warned on Tuesday that eliminating the oil excise tax known as the “crudita” does not guarantee that consumers would see a reduction of 36.9 cents per gallon, while the Fiscal Agency and Financial Advisory Authority (AAFAF by its initials in Spanish) maintained that the revenues from the tax are now part of the General Fund’s recurring income. “The $15.50-per-barrel levy mathematically equates to approximately 36.9 cents per ga