PDP President Pablo José Hernández By THE STAR STAFF Popular Democratic Party President Pablo José Hernández marked the 74th anniversary of Puerto Rico’s Constitution this weekend with a pointed warning about what he considers the island’s most corrosive political threat: the erosion of public trust driven by corruption and the outsized influence of money in government. Speaking before an audience in Cayey, he set aside the customary debate over the commonwealth’s legacy to f

By THE STAR STAFF At a time when limited power generation availability has contributed to multiple events affecting electric service for hundreds of thousands of customers since July 16, LUMA President and Chief Executive Officer Janisse Quiñones emphasized the need for greater collaboration among all components of Puerto Rico’s electric sector to continue strengthening the reliability and resilience of the Island’s electric system. During her visit to Aibonito, Quiñones high

By THE STAR STAFF Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, José Aponte, warned about the historic increase in cyber fraud schemes, which according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) cost the United States, including Puerto Rico, over $28.7 billion in 2025. The legislator raised concerns about the unprecedented increase in the use of ransomware for attacks on health, electricity and database infrastructure in financial institutions. “Since 2011, we have been w

Mayor of Toa Alta Clemente “Chito” Agosto By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Department of Housing has revoked reconstruction approvals for several families in the Villa Esperanza community, prompting residents and Mayor Clemente “Chito” Agosto to demand that the agency restore the aid and apply its criteria consistently across all cases. Neighbors reported that the agency withdrew their CDBG‑MIT reconstruction approvals citing the absence of electrical service from LUMA Energ

Authorities warn that most wildfires in Puerto Rico are caused by human actions and can be avoided through public education, community responsibility, and preventive measures (Puerto Rico Responders.) By THE STAR STAFF The sustained increase in wildfires in Puerto Rico during 2026 has raised alarms among authorities and environmental organizations, who insist that prevention remains the best tool for addressing this emergency. With this goal in mind, the non-profit organizati

Puerto Rican flags and U.S. flag hang outside in a community in northern Puerto Rico, on Oct. 25, 2017. A new study documents a deepening crisis of public trust and sovereignty in Puerto Rico. (Erika P. Rodríguez/The New York Times) By THE STAR STAFF People in Puerto Rico are losing faith not only in their elected leaders but in the very idea that the island’s government can meaningfully chart its own course, according to a new study that documents a deepening crisis of trust

Institutional Transformation Action No. 22 cites demographic decline, enrollment pressures, rising operating costs and administrative duplication as major challenges to the University of Puerto Rico’s viability under its existing structure. By THE STAR STAFF The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) has approved the start of a search for an outside firm to evaluate whether its 11‑campus system can remain viable amid declining enrollment, demographic contraction and persistent fisca

From the outset, prosecutors maintained at trial that Elvia Cabrera Rivera (at left) and her daughter acted “in common and mutual accord.” According to their theory, Cabrera Rivera retrieved a sharp object from her purse, handed it to her daughter, and thereby facilitated the fatal attack against 16‑year‑old Gabriela Nicole Pratts Rosario. (Screenshot/TELEMUNDO PR.COM/July 23, 2026) By THE STAR STAFF After 23 hours of deliberation, a jury of seven women and five men unanimous

By THE STAR STAFF Women’s Advocate Astrid Piñeiro Vázquez announced on Thursday that a state allocation of $679,671.80 will ensure the continuation -- from January to June 2027 -- of services provided to victims and survivors of gender-based violence by organizations funded through the federal STOP Violence Against Women Act (STOP VAWA), program. “Our organizations shouldn’t have to live in a state of constant anxiety, year after year, wondering if they will have the funds to

Sen. Ada Álvarez Conde By THE STAR STAFF At-large Popular Democratic Party Sen. Ada Álvarez Conde is participating as a panelist and speaker at the 2026 National Caucus of the National Council of Environmental Legislators in Chicago, one of the main gatherings of legislators dedicated to environmental public policy in the United States. On Saturday, the legislator will give a presentation during the Lightning Round session on the protection of the Maritime Terrestrial Zone of