House Committee on Older Adults and Social Welfare Chairman Ricardo Ocasio Ramos, center, leads a hearing on House Bill 834, with Rep. Pedro Pellé Santiago Guzmán, right, the author of the measure, alongside. By THE STAR STAFF The House Committee on Older Adults and Social Welfare, chaired by Rep. Ricardo “Chino” Ocasio Ramos, on Wednesday evaluated House Bill 834, which establishes a public policy for the Puerto Rico government that prioritizes foster homes and residential f

By THE STAR STAFF LUMA Energy, the private operator of Puerto Rico’s power grid, has requested a 90-day period from the central government to work on identifying solutions to the operational challenges and lack of funding facing the island’s electrical system, it was reported Wednesday. In a letter addressed to Francisco Domenech, Gov. Jenniffer González Colón’s chief of staff, LUMA President Juan Saca reported that the company has repealed the after-hours emergency response

By THE STAR STAFF Following the evaluation of Anthonieska Avilés Cabrera, Judge Paola Morales Vélez of the Aibonito Court has ruled that she is eligible for prosecution in the slaying of Gabriela Nicole Pratts Rosario, which occurred last February. The determination was made after a state expert examined the young woman’s case. The judge’s decision also came one month after the same court previously ruled that Anthonieska Avilés Cabrera was unfit to face the murder charges fi

By THE STAR STAFF Health Insurance Administration (ASES by its acronym in Spanish) Executive Director Carlos Santiago Rosario announced Tuesday that the agency has already given instructions to carefully analyze the proposal presented by the Puerto Rico Mayors Federation of Mayors to exclude municipalities from paying the double contribution to the government health plan. “We are going to evaluate this initiative of the Mayors Federation. As the entity in charge of administer

By THE STAR STAFF Various island organizations have announced their plans to hold a demonstration in solidarity with struggling communities in the United States and around the world to commemorate “No King’s Day” on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 4 p.m. in front of the federal courthouse in Hato Rey. The mobilization aims to denounce and reject the authoritarian, racist and dictatorial policies, as well as the abuses of power, imposed by the administration of President Donald Trump, wh

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón (Facebook via Jenniffer González Colón) By THE STAR STAFF Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced two initiatives on Tuesday to mitigate the impact of the federal government shutdown. Specifically, they are aid for employees of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and employees of the island’s national parks, El Yunque, and the San Cristóbal and San Felipe del Morro castles. “I will be instructing the Family secretary to evaluate the

By THE STAR STAFF Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés said Tuesday that it is too early to assess whether the recent wave of layoffs announced by the U.S. Department of Education due to the federal shutdown will impact the local education system and its services. “To answer your question seriously at this point would be speculative. Currently, we only have unofficial information from the media,” Ramos Parés said at a press conference. “I expect that this week we will star

By THE STAR STAFF Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced Tuesday that as soon as the family of Santos “Sandy” Alomar Conde announces the details of his wake, flags will be flown at half-staff for one day. “Once the date is announced, it will be decreed that flags will be flown at half-staff in all public facilities on that day,” the governor said in a written statement. “Puerto Rican baseball has lost one of its giants: Santos Alomar,” González Colón added. “The people of Pu