Municipal bond analyst Cate Long (LinkedIn) By THE STAR STAFF Municipal bond analyst Cate Long warned Monday on social media that Puerto Rico could face heightened federal scrutiny and higher reconstruction costs if municipalities continue imposing construction taxes on projects financed with federal recovery funds. Long, who heads the research service Puerto Rico Clearinghouse, said this week that the implementation of Law 215‑2024 has opened the door for the island’s 78 mun

School Bus Contractors Federation President José Rosado stressed that companies need the full $12.5 million owed them in order to operate safely and reliably at the beginning of the semester. By THE STAR STAFF School Bus Contractors Federation President José Rosado warned this week that the sector will take to the streets next Monday, Aug. 3 if the island Education Department does not pay the full $12.5 million owed to school transportation companies by this Friday. Rosado is

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón By THE STAR STAFF Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced on Monday the expansion of the “Quiero Mi Escuela” (I Love My School) initiative, under which every Puerto Rico government agency will be responsible for adopting two public schools. “‘Quiero Mi Escuela’ has demonstrated that when the entire government works together, we can achieve concrete results for our students,” the governor said in a written statement. “We began by assigning one sch

By THE STAR STAFF Nielsen will stop measuring television and radio audiences in Puerto Rico at the end of the year, a move that will leave the island’s broadcast industry without a unified ratings service and disrupt how local advertising is bought and sold. The decision, first reported by Inside Radio, affects more than 3 million media consumers and ends Nielsen’s 15‑year presence in the Puerto Rico market. In a statement, the company said the change reflects a broader reass

By THE STAR STAFF A course on designing a system for harvesting rainwater is to be offered by architect Fernando Abruña, FAIA, at a time when the island is facing a potential drought that threatens the water supply. The course, titled “¡YA!, ¡YA MISMO LLUEVE!: Diseño de Sistemas de Cosecha de Aguas de Lluvia” (It’s Time! Rain Is Coming Now: Rainwater Harvesting System Design) will take place on Thursday, Aug. 13 at 6 p.m. at the headquarters of the Puerto Rico Architects and

A union leader said staff at Pavía Hospital have been forced to work amid an overpowering stench of feces and contaminated water that emerges whenever faucets are opened. By THE STAR STAFF Employees at Pavía Hospital in Hato Rey are denouncing a severe sanitary crisis after more than a week of black, foul‑smelling wastewater reportedly flowing from the facility’s pipes, prompting union leaders to demand the immediate closure of the mental‑health institution, a halt to new adm

By THE STAR STAFF More than 6,000 Puerto Rico police officers say they never received the salary increase announced earlier this month and are now calling for a mass protest this Thursday at 10 a.m. in front of Police Bureau headquarters. Police Association President Gabriel Hernández said the government’s public celebration of a “substantial” raise on July 15 does not match the reality on the ground. Hernández said only about 40% of officers saw any change in their paychecks

Belinda Hill, founder and executive director of Solo por Hoy By THE STAR STAFF The organization Solo por Hoy, in addition to assisting people who are homeless or in danger of losing their home, as part of its mission has reinforced its programs to provide rapid response assistance to citizens who are left homeless by emergencies such as fires, earthquakes, floods and hurricanes. “Emergencies are actually our daily bread. That you are homeless is an emergency and our mission i

By THE STAR STAFF A new episode of the docuseries Speak UP, Speak OUT is prompting renewed attention to the United States’ decades-long sterilization campaign in Puerto Rico, an initiative that left lasting trauma for thousands of women and remains a stark example of reproductive coercion in U.S. history. The episode, titled Declared Unfit to Reproduce – Eugenics, revisits the government-backed program that began in 1937, when sterilization was made legal on the island under

By THE STAR STAFF The New Progressive Party (NPP) escalated its criticism of Popular Democratic Party (PDP) figure Pablo José Hernández on Friday, arguing that the young leader misused the anniversary of the commonwealth (ELA) status to attack Gov. Jenniffer González Colón instead of articulating a vision for the political formula he claims to defend. NPP Secretary General Jorge Santini said Puerto Ricans expected Hernández to reflect on the commonwealth’s legacy and outline