Green sea turtle (Wikipedia/Brocken Inaglory) By THE STAR STAFF As part of the “Quiero Mi Escuela” (I Love My School) initiative, Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER) Secretary Waldemar Quiles Pérez, along with members of the non-profit organization Tortugueros del Sur, on Thursday offered children at María Libertad Gómez Elementary School in Utuado a detailed educational talk on the importance of protecting leatherback, hawksbill and green turtles and their nests. “Our

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón helped ring in the start of the school year Thursday morning at the Bonifacio Alvarado Second Unit School in Orocovis, a bilingual school that has achieved a high ranking based on its academic achievement and standardized exam results. (Facebook via Jenniffer González Colón) All island public schools open for a new semester By THE STAR STAFF As Puerto Rico’s public school students began a new academic year on Thursday, Gov. Jenniffer González Col

With a combined investment of $536,500, the Fundación Triple‑S and the Fundación para el Futuro de la Salud granted 37 scholarships to medical residents and students in the health professions preparing for specialties where Puerto Rico faces critical gaps. By THE STAR STAFF Two of the island’s leading philanthropic health organizations have joined forces to bolster Puerto Rico’s medical workforce, awarding more than half a million dollars in supplemental scholarships to stude

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Eusebio Ramos Morales of Caguas as the new archbishop of San Juan, having accepted the resignation of Archbishop Roberto O. González Nieves, O.F.M., who had led the Archdiocese of San Juan since 1999. (Facebook via El Visitante PR) Pope names Bishop Ramos Morales of Caguas as his successor By THE STAR STAFF In a significant moment for the Catholic Church in Puerto Rico, Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Archbishop Roberto O. Gonzál

Héctor del Río Jiménez, ex-chairman of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority board of governors (Facebook via Acueductos PR) By THE STAR STAFF The abrupt resignation of Héctor del Río Jiménez as chairman of the board of governors of the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) intensified public scrutiny Thursday over how the public corporation has managed the ongoing drought and the newly implemented water‑rationing plan. Del Río stepped down immediately, alle

A battery energy storage system plant, interior view. A $489.4 million loan awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing will fund 220 megawatts of battery energy storage systems in Arecibo and Santa Isabel. (Wikipedia/Enyavar) By THE STAR STAFF The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Dominance Financing has closed a $489.4 million loan to support new battery storage projects in Puerto Rico, an investment federal officials say

Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration Executive Director Gabriella Boffelli By THE STAR STAFF Gov. Jenniffer González Colón welcomed a new push from Republican members of the U.S. House of Representatives urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to correct long‑standing disparities in Medicare Advantage (MA) funding that have left Puerto Rico at a structural disadvantage compared with the states and other territories. In a letter to HHS Secretary Robert F

Rep. Domingo Torres García Torres García tells PRASA he’ll go to court over withholding of public info amid water crisis By THE STAR STAFF Rep. Víctor Parés Otero demanded on Wednesday that the Financial Oversight and Management Board declare a water emergency in Puerto Rico in support of the efforts of Gov. Jenniffer González Colón to address the unprecedented drought and rebuild the island’s stormwater infrastructure. The chairman of the Government Committee in the island H

By THE STAR STAFF Health Services Administrators Association of Puerto Rico (CASS by its acronym in Spanish) President Tania Conde Sterling gave assurances on Wednesday that hospitals and other health facilities are prepared to respond to a possible drought declaration and that, as part of their preparedness protocols, they have activated their emergency and operational continuity plans to ensure that medical services continue to be offered safely and uninterruptedly. Conde n

The island Family Department announced that it will coordinate with municipalities and partner organizations to deliver potable water to older adults and licensed care homes impacted by the scheduled service interruptions beginning Friday. By THE STAR STAFF The Family Department announced Wednesday that it will coordinate with municipalities and partner organizations to deliver potable water to older adults and licensed care homes affected by the scheduled service interruptio