Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera (Facebook via REP. PABLO JOSE HERNÁNDEZ RIVERA) By THE STAR STAFF Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera announced on Tuesday the allocation of $5,514,978 to the Puerto Rico Department of Health to strengthen maternal and child health services through funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). “This allocation is not simply a number; it is a statement of priorities,” Hernández Rivera said i

Playa Campamento Erizo is a section of beach in Río Grande traditionally used by locals for weekend camping and beach activities. (Facebook via Campamento Erizo) By THE STAR STAFF Fishermen and residents of the coastal community of Las Picúas in Río Grande have filed an ethics complaint against Nelson Cruz, the assistant secretary of the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER), alleging that he ordered the placement of concrete barriers to block public access

Puerto Rican Independence Party Sen. María de Lourdes Santiago Negrón By THE STAR STAFF Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP) Sen. María de Lourdes Santiago Negrón sharply criticized U.S. Rep. Darren Soto’s (D-Fla.) plan to promote a status vote that would include the island’s current territorial arrangement as an option, calling it “a dangerous step backwards” for those committed to decolonization. “Puerto Ricans already rejected the colonial commonwealth in 2012,” Santiago

The island Supreme Court has upheld the 15-year prison sentence issued to Mayra Nevárez Torres for the death of Justin Santos Delanda and for causing serious bodily harm to Keven Monserrate Gandía in a November 2021 drunk-driving crash on the Teodoro Moscoso Bridge in San Juan. (X via TUBARCO) By THE STAR STAFF Justice Secretary Lourdes Gómez Torres expressed satisfaction on Monday with the decision of the Puerto Rico Supreme Court to deny the second request for reconsiderati

La Fortaleza Public Affairs Secretary Hiram Torres Montalvo, Gov. Jenniffer González Colón’s pick to become the next secretary of consumer affairs. Torres Montalvo was previously appointed to the post, in late 2022, by then-Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia, who withdrew the appointment some six months later. By THE STAR STAFF The Popular Democratic Party (PDP) minority delegation in the Senate announced Monday its opposition to Gov. Jenniffer González Colón’s nomination of Hiram

Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration Executive Director Gabriella Boffelli By THE STAR STAFF The leadership of the United States Congress has released the text of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year (FY) 2026, whose provisions include funding for military installations in Puerto Rico. The measure, expected to be voted on this week, follows a bicameral agreement between the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, the Puerto Rico Federal Af

Gregorio Igartúa, an attorney and longtime advocate for Puerto Rico statehood (Instagram via julioroldanpr) By THE STAR STAFF Gregorio Igartúa, a longtime pro-statehood activist and attorney, is calling out the Organization of American States (OAS) for what he describes as an “unjustifiable and discriminatory” delay in resolving a petition he filed nearly two decades ago seeking equal voting rights for Puerto Rico’s residents. The case, Igartua et al. v. United States (#13.15

By THE STAR STAFF Women’s Advocate Astrid Piñeiro Vázquez on Sunday invited citizens from across the island to participate in Wednesday’s closing activity of the international 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign. “I invite everyone to participate in the activities we have prepared,” the advocate said in a written statement. “Every action counts and every voice is important in our fight for equality and respect.” The closing event, which will take place