Ponce Mayor Marlese Sifre Rodríguez will be among the presenters at this year’s Fifth Community Roundtable Discussion (“Conversatorio”) in New York City. (Facebook via Marlese Sifre) By THE STAR STAFF As part of the upcoming Puerto Rican Week activities in New York, the organizers of the Fifth Community Roundtable Discussion (“Conversatorio”), whose theme this year will be the presentation of municipal development projects in Puerto Rico, confirmed that the mayors of Jayuya,

By THE STAR STAFF Puerto Rico Health Secretary Víctor Ramos Otero issued a message to the public on Sunday involving misleading information circulating online related to norovirus, urging citizens not to fall prey to “social media alarmism.” “Whenever you see this type of news, please turn to our official social media channels. Remember that the Department of Health maintains a robust and permanently active surveillance system for infectious diseases,” the health secretary st

U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain By THE STAR STAFF The Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico said a legal fight over grid operator LUMA Energy’s contract should not interrupt maintenance, modernization and reconstruction of the island’s power grid or put federal recovery funds at risk, after a U.S. judge sent two lawsuits challenging the agreement back to Puerto Rico courts. The oversight board said privatized management of the Puerto Rico Electric Po

APPSSRE warned that the figures on pending services come from the very agency cited for noncompliance, and that the same entity is reporting its compliance, which could imply a conflict of interest. (Facebook via Appssre) By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rican Association of Health and Education-Related Service Providers (APPSSRE by its initials in Spanish) this week denounced the Provisional Remedy Program contract finally submitted by the Department of Education as being incomp

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. DeLauro said the Trump administration has yet to provide answers about the funding intended for power grid resiliency in Puerto Rico. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times) By THE STAR STAFF Connecticut’s members of Congress are calling for an investigation into the alleged misuse of federal funds intended to make Puerto Rico’s energy grid more resilient. Democratic U.S. representatives from C

Transportation and Public Works Secretary Edwin González Montalvo By THE STAR STAFF Transportation and Public Works (DTOP) Secretary Edwin González Montalvo announced on Thursday that he has accepted the resignation of the head of the Driver Services Directorate (DISCO by its acronym in Spanish), Mary Fuster Romero, effective immediately. González Montalvo further stated that the appointment of the individual who will assume the interim directorship of DISCO will be announced

Rep. José Aponte Hernández By THE STAR STAFF At-Large Rep. José Aponte Hernández said Thursday that he does not support eliminating the Puerto Rico Pilotage Commission, as is being discussed. In a written statement, the chairman of the Committee on Federal Affairs and Veterans in the island House of Representatives said he has never been consulted about any bill or other legislative measure that may be under development to eliminate the aforementioned commission. “Everyone wh

“When will people receive their check or direct deposit? Before the end of May,” Gov. Jenniffer González Colón said Thursday. By THE STAR STAFF Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced on Thursday that the Financial Oversight and Management Board has approved a $554 million tax incentive for eligible taxpayers in Puerto Rico. “Some of these relief measures involve, for example, lowering tax rates: those previously subject to a 14% rate will see it drop to 12%, those at 25% wil

By THE STAR STAFF Financial Oversight and Management Board Executive Director Robert Mujica has ordered Education Secretary Eliezer Ramos Parés -- via letter -- to submit all regulations pertaining to internal organizational policies and school operations. “Including, among others, student-to-teacher and staff-to-student ratios, class size limits, safety requirements, campus maintenance standards, the operation of charter schools, occupational and technical program offerings,

Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes By THE STAR STAFF Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes appeared Thursday before the House Treasury Committee to present the Executive Summary of the agency’s consolidated budget request for fiscal year 2026-2027. Roig Fuertes was joined by the heads of the department’s four main administrations: Wilma I. Ortiz Rivera of the Administration of Families and Children (ADFAN by its acronym in Spanish); Blanca M. Medina Díaz of the Administra