Rep. Ángel Peña Ramírez By THE STAR STAFF The island House of Representatives will prioritize the approval of a $45 million allocation in the government budget for 2026-2027 aimed at providing the first wage increase in more than a decade to members of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau. The announcement was made late last week by House Speaker Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez. House Vice President Ángel Peña Ramírez and House Public Safety Committee Chairman Félix Pacheco Burgos endo

BY THE STAR STAFF A minor was in critical condition following an incident reported around 12:32 p.m. on Sunday in the area of ​​the Naguabo Pier. According to the police report, the 15-year-old was in the parking lot area of ​​Vinny’s Fish Market. He was struck in the head by a stone that was ejected from a tractor performing landscaping work at the site. The minor was transported via private vehicle to the Naguabo Medical Mall, a diagnostic and treatment center, and subseque

Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera By THE STAR STAFF Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera, along with 23 other members of Congress, has addressed a formal letter to the U.S. Forest Service centering on the proposed implementation of entrance fees at El Yunque National Forest, which has always been free. He said the matter is of significant concern to Puerto Rico’s residents and leadership. The letter calls for careful consideration of any changes t

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) speaks during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing in Washington on Jan. 29, 2026. Wyden, the ranking member on the U.S. Senate Finance Committee, has escalated his sweeping investigation into the misuse of Puerto Rico’s Act 60 tax incentives, formally urging the IRS to scrutinize what he describes as a pattern of ultra‑wealthy investors using dubious legal opinions to evade massive federal tax liabilities. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times) By THE

PDP Senators Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz and Josian Santiago Rivera. By THE STAR STAFF The Popular Democratic Party (PDP) Senate delegation, led by Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz, has referred Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes to the Office of Government Ethics and the Department of Justice over alleged perjury tied to her confirmation process. At a press conference, Hernández Ortiz and Sen. Josian Santiago Rivera said they requested investigations into possible violations o

CENCOR Director General Hector J. Berdec Hernndez. By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Center for Conservation and Restoration (CENCOR) has released a new study and survey effort aimed at producing the most comprehensive snapshot to date of the cultural heritage field in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, an area the organization says has long lacked integrated, systematic documentation. The project, titled “X-ray of Cultural Heritage in Puerto Rico: Diagnosis, Capacities, and Dev

By THE STAR STAFF A court-appointed mediation team overseeing negotiations in the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) bankruptcy case asked a federal judge on April 29 to extend the mediation for another six months, through Oct. 31, 2026, citing increased discussions among stakeholders following recent court rulings and a new electricity-rate decision by the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau. The request was made in the mediation team’s Twenty-Second Notice and Report filed

Costa Sur in Guayanilla (AEE) By THE STAR STAFF Puerto Rico’s Financial Oversight and Management Board asked the federal court overseeing the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority’s bankruptcy case to deny a renewed bid by PREPA bondholders to force additional document production, arguing the request is overbroad, duplicative, and aimed at privileged work product rather than the limited accounting issues the court has allowed to proceed. Recently, the court partially lifted th

The protests come amid escalating student-led work stoppages and strikes across UPR campuses calling for the resignation of university president Zayira Jordán Conde (FB Tita Latorre.) By THE STAR STAFF Work stoppages and strikes at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) are colliding with this year’s International Workers’ Day mobilizations, as unions and community groups prepare to march May 1 with renewed calls to curb austerity measures and pressure university leadership to s

By THE STAR STAFF The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has allocated $555,000 in federal funding to strengthen stormwater management systems and reduce sewage overflows in communities across Puerto Rico. The funding, provided through the EPA’s Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant program, is aimed at upgrading water infrastructure to protect public health, improve environmental conditions, and support economic development. EPA officials said the inves