The La Plata reservoir in Toa Alta officially entered the operational adjustment phase on Saturday, but the head of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority said he does not anticipate imposing scheduled water interruptions for customers served by the system. (Facebook via Tatiana Pérez) By THE STAR STAFF The La Plata reservoir officially entered the operational adjustment phase on Saturday, but the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) does not anticipate impo

By THE STAR STAFF A federal grand jury indicted 81 members of the “Los Baja Deo” organization on drug trafficking and firearms charges, while 70 of them were arrested on Wednesday during an operation in Mayagüez and nearby municipalities, the U.S. Department of Justice reported on Thursday. “This is the type of collaboration that saves lives. So, this should serve as a warning to those who terrorize our communities,” U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche said at a press conferen

U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche (Facebook via the United States Department of Justice) US attorney general says president acts alone on clemency decisions By EVA LAUREANO U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche on Thursday defended President Donald Trump’s sweeping use of presidential pardons, insisting that the president exercises the constitutional power independently and does not seek his approval or guidance, even as Trump’s second‑term clemency record faces mounting critic

Hundreds of members of the University of Puerto Rico Workers’ Union ratified a strike vote on Thursday. The strike is set to begin on Tuesday of next week if no agreement is reached with the university administration regarding the medical plan for physical plant employees. By THE STAR STAFF Hundreds of members of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) Workers’ Union ratified a strike vote on Thursday; the strike is set to begin on Tuesday of next week if no agreement is reached

Puerto Rico’s water and power authorities told lawmakers during a hearing in the island Senate on Thursday that they lack the capacity to meet the massive water demand of the proposed Esencia luxury development in Cabo Rojo, a disclosure that immediately raised questions about how the project’s land‑use consultation was approved in the first place. By THE STAR STAFF Puerto Rico’s water and power authorities told lawmakers Thursday that they lack the capacity to meet the massi

By THE STAR STAFF With close to half of the island now in a state of extreme drought, the Financial Oversight and Management Board has approved a 21‑day extension granting the Puerto Rico government continued access to the Emergency Reserve to fund response measures tied to the island’s ongoing drought emergency. The authorization, issued Wednesday, allows eligible expenditures through Sept. 10. According to the weekly update from the Drought Monitor issued Thursday, extreme

By THE STAR STAFF Tropical Storm Dolly formed on Thursday over the central tropical Atlantic and could bring heavy rains to Puerto Rico between Sunday and Monday, the National Hurricane Center reported. At 11 a.m. Thursday, the center of Dolly was located near latitude 13.6 degrees north and longitude 38.7 degrees west, some 1,555 miles east of the Lesser Antilles. It had maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour and was moving westward at 24 miles per hour. The National H

Sen. Ángel Toledo López By THE STAR STAFF Sen. Ángel Toledo López announced Wednesday the filing of Senate Bill 1435, a transformative legislative measure creating the “Code of Special Legal Procedures of Puerto Rico.” The bill seeks to reorganize, codify and modernize various civil procedures that, for decades, have been fragmented, outdated and scattered throughout the Puerto Rican legal system. The primary objective of the legislation is to consolidate -- within a single l

“A life shining like a diamond that shone for the world to see, Dolly will always be an inspiration not only for her timeless music and prolific work as a songwriter, but also for her wit, warmth and kindness that made us all feel like family,” Seaver said in an official statement in which he speaks on behalf of the family (see related stories on pages 6 & 9). By THE STAR STAFF Gov. Jenniffer González Colón on Wednesday declared a day of mourning for the death of American sin

By THE STAR STAFF Puerto Rico Mayors Association President Jorge “Georgie” González Otero said Wednesday that a new report by ABRE Puerto Rico confirms what municipalities have been warning for years: the island’s local governments are under mounting fiscal strain, with 10 municipalities now classified as “unsustainable.” González Otero, who is also the mayor of Jayuya, attributed much of the deterioration to the elimination of the Equalization Fund by the Financial Oversight