Popular Democratic Party Senate Minority Leader Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz By THE STAR STAFF Sen. Juan Oscar Morales Rodríguez, who represents the San Juan District and authored Senate Bill 752 (SB 752), expressed disappointment on Sunday over Gov. Jenniffer González Colón’s decision to veto the measure aimed at eliminating police escorts for former government officials. “The veto of Senate Bill 752 ignores the broad legislative consensus and the sentiment of a large majorit

Dr. Carlos Díaz Vélez, president of the Physicians and Surgeons Association of Puerto Rico (Facebook via Colegio de Médicos Cirujanos de Puerto Rico) By THE STAR STAFF With a total of 2,063 votes, Dr. Carlos Díaz Vélez was re-elected over the weekend as president of the Physicians and Surgeons Association of Puerto Rico for a new three-year term. Díaz Vélez competed against Dr. Ramón Méndez, former president of the medical licensing board, who received 469 votes. Likewise, th

Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Núñez By THE STAR STAFF Puerto Rico’s government has taken its first legal step to end its multimillion-dollar contract with LUMA Energy LLC, the private operator responsible for the island’s electricity transmission and distribution system. The lawsuit, announced late last week, comes as the island continues to battle chronic outages, rising power bills and a sluggish reconstruction of its grid devast

The new signage details the flag system, a platform that notifies bathers about weather conditions, including wave height. By THE STAR STAFF With the purpose of improving safety on Puerto Rico’s beaches, Luis Márques, the commissioner of the Navigation Office of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER), announced on Sunday the installation of new signage and buoys marking the areas authorized for use by bathers at Boquerón Beach in Cabo Rojo. “Part of our

By THE STAR STAFF The Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico has requested an urgent meeting with local housing authorities after raising concerns about the financial viability and cost structure of a proposed affordable housing development in Bayamón, which at first glance does not appear to be so affordable. In a recent letter to La Fortaleza Chief of Staff Francisco Domenech, the oversight board acknowledged receiving documentation from the Fiscal Agency

If the federal Title III court approves the requested increase in hourly billing rates, some 60 Proskauer Rose lawyers will be making $1,038 per hour and some 10 paraprofessionals about $355 per hour. (LinkedIn) By THE STAR STAFF Proskauer Rose LLP, the law firm at the center of Puerto Rico’s historic bankruptcy restructuring, has asked the federal court overseeing the case to approve a 3% increase in its hourly billing rates starting Jan. 1, 2026. If the court approves the h

Labor and Human Resources Secretary María del Pilar Vélez Casanova By THE STAR STAFF The Department of Labor and Human Resources (DTRH by its initials in Spanish) announced Thursday that 236 companies out of a total of 272 that requested an exemption from paying the 2025 Christmas bonus qualified under Law 148 of 1969, known as the “Christmas Bonus Law for Private Sector Workers and Employees.” Another five petitioners were granted a partial exemption, meaning they must distr

By THE STAR STAFF Solo por Hoy Executive Director Belinda Hill urged the government on Thursday to work with non-profit organizations to prevent the displacement of 900 homeless families already located in permanent housing who next year could lose their homes if new federal policies are implemented requiring them to be treated for substance abuse. One of the options, Hill said, is for the government to create new treatment centers. “It’s up to the Mental Health and Anti-Addi