As part of the “Fuga Sanjuanera 2026” initiative, the municipality awarded a $2,500 donation to each participating graduating class, impacting 32 public schools in the capital city. By THE STAR STAFF San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo, in a press release issued Sunday, highlighted the celebration of “Fuga Sanjuanera 2026,” an event designed to recognize the effort and perseverance of graduating classes from San Juan public schools. The initiative took place last Friday at Lui

By THE STAR STAFF Caribbean Transmission Development (CTD) is nearing financial close for its proposed $2.5 billion power interconnection between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, the company said at a sector event in Santo Domingo late last week. The Hostos project includes a 500-megawatt (MW) combined-cycle power plant, 90 kilometers (km) of overhead 345-kilovolt (kV) alternating current (AC) transmission line and 150 km of subsea 320 kV high-voltage direct current (H

Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez By THE STAR STAFF The island House of Representatives unanimously approved (48-0) a measure filed by Speaker Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez which establishes, for the first time in history, that every health service provider will receive the corresponding payment from the moment they deliver all the documents required by the insurer for the contract. House Bill 40, part of Méndez’s legislative prog

Rep. Roberto López Román By THE STAR STAFF New Progressive Party Rep. Roberto López Román has filed House Bill 1115, which proposes eliminating the Minimum Wage Evaluation Commission, but the labor sector representative on the panel, economist Iyari Ríos González, cautioned against the risks of the measure. Ríos noted that the bill aims to dissolve the wage-evaluation committee at a time when it is actively investigating potential minimum wage increases for agricultural, tax-

Economic Development and Commerce Secretary Sebastián Negrón Reichard By THE STAR STAFF In a pivotal move that could reshape Puerto Rico’s economic landscape, the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC by its acronym in Spanish) has thrown its full support behind House Bill 1213, the measure that would overhaul the island’s notoriously cumbersome permitting and planning system. The DDEC, along with its Office of Permit Management (OGPe), presented a comprehens

La Fortaleza Chief of Staff Francisco Domenech Fernández By THE STAR STAFF La Fortaleza Chief of Staff Francisco Domenech Fernández denied claims by General Services Administration (GSA) head Karla Mercado Rivera regarding the implementation of the Enterprise Resource Planning fiscal tool. Mercado Rivera had labeled as “defamatory and completely false” one of the responses Domenech submitted to the Senate as part of the extensive request for information on several topics. “I

Natural and Environmental Resources Secretary Waldemar Quiles Pérez By THE STAR STAFF In a new report that adds to other recent findings regarding the management of public resources in various entities, the Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico identified significant deficiencies in the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER), the watchdog entity announced Thursday. Audit Report OC-26-21, which covers the period from July 1, 2020 to March 31, 2025, issued

By THE STAR STAFF The Senate Committee on Transportation, Telecommunications, Public Services, and Consumer Affairs on Thursday evaluated House Bill 911 during a public hearing that raised concerns regarding the penalties, the definition of “voceteo” (loud vehicle audio systems), and the scope of the proposed ban. “An analysis of the statements presented today reflects that, generally speaking, the entities testifying agree on the need to evaluate amendments to the bill,” Sen

Peñuelas Mayor Josean González Febres, right, led a meeting with Agriculture Secretary Irving Torres Rodríguez and about 30 farmers from the southern coastal municipality with the aim of listening to their needs and presenting a work plan to strengthen the local agricultural sector. By THE STAR STAFF Peñuelas Mayor Josean González Febres led a meeting with Agriculture Secretary Irving Torres Rodríguez and about 30 farmers from the southern coastal municipality with the aim of

Labor and Human Resources Secretary María del Pilar Vélez Casanova By THE STAR STAFF Puerto Rico’s labor market continued to show signs of stability and sustained job growth in February, according to the latest edition of the Department of Labor and Human Resources’ Household Survey. Labor Secretary María del Pilar Vélez Casanova said the February 2026 data confirms that the island “continues advancing toward a more stable and resilient labor market.” She noted that the admin