By THE STAR STAFF Former Popular Democratic Party representative José Rivera Madera accused Governor Jenniffer González Colón of improperly taking credit for the increase in retirement benefits for the Puerto Rico Police. Rivera Madera stated that the increase is not a result of the current administration, but rather of legislation passed during the previous four-year term under a Popular Democratic Party majority. He explained that the Police Retirement Trust is funded throu

By THE STAR STAFF Puerto Rico Firefighters Union President José Tirado warned on Wednesday that a bill proposed by Gov. Jenniffer González Colón aimed at transferring inspection duties to the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC by its acronym in Spanish) places public safety at risk. “Under this bill, the Bureau loses direct control over inspections, which would instead pass into the hands of authorized external personnel,” Tirado said in a written statement

Kenya Enid Morales Dávila (Facebook via PUERTO RICO LIVE TV) By THE STAR STAFF Police reported on Wednesday that the woman who had sustained gunshot wounds in a femicide-suicide case reported at a residence in the Villodas neighborhood of Guayama has died. According to authorities, a call to the 9-1-1 Emergency System on Tuesday morning alerted them to gunshots at the location. Upon arriving at the scene, officers found a man who had taken his own life and a woman with gunsho

University of Puerto Rico President Zayira Jordán Conde By THE STAR STAFF University of Puerto Rico (UPR) President Zayira Jordán Conde said Wednesday that the university system has recorded 1,147 admission cancellations for this year’s incoming class, while campuses affected by work stoppages are evaluating adjustments to the academic calendar. “It is highly probable that the majority of the campuses that have been affected by work stoppages will have to make some type of ad

The University of Puerto Rico announced on Wednesday the official launch of UPR Virtual, a platform that consolidates the public university system’s fully online academic programs, professional certificates and short courses. (Sarida Rosario Gaetán) By THE STAR STAFF University of Puerto Rico (UPR) President Zayira Jordán Conde announced on Wednesday the official launch of UPR Virtual, a platform that consolidates the system’s fully online academic programs, professional cert

Former Puerto Rico Justice Secretary Antonio Sagardía de Jesús (Screenshot via Telenoticias PR) By THE STAR STAFF Former Puerto Rico Justice Secretary Antonio Sagardía de Jesús said Wednesday that he did not serve as legal counsel for former Housing Secretary Ciary Pérez Peña amid public scrutiny over alleged irregularities at an inspection center she owned, Yabucoa Auto Services. Sagardía said he provided only a consultation at Pérez Peña’s request and that she never retaine

By THE STAR STAFF Puerto Rico Comptroller Carmen Vega Fournier revealed on Wednesday that an audit of the Department of Housing identified improperly approved aid, payments made for substandard construction work, and a home rebuilt with public funds that ultimately ended up in the hands of a bank. “The administration of public funds -- particularly those aimed at addressing critical needs such as housing -- demands the highest level of diligence, transparency, and compliance,

By THE STAR STAFF Wilma N. Vázquez Hospital announced this week it has begun a financial reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, a move hospital leaders said is aimed at stabilizing operations and keeping services available for patients. Attorney Jesús E. Batista Sánchez said the filing follows what he described as a “structural crisis” affecting healthcare providers across Puerto Rico, but argued that reorganization will help the hospital meet its obliga

By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Broadband Program (PRBP) has issued a request for proposals seeking suppliers to modernize the island’s telecommunications infrastructure in an effort officials say will strengthen the communications systems used by public safety agencies. The PRBP said the initiative is aimed at improving the resilience, reliability and coverage of critical networks used by emergency management, law enforcement and other security agencies, particularly durin

By THE STAR STAFF Solo Por Hoy Inc., one of Puerto Rico’s leading organizations serving people experiencing homelessness, is urging lawmakers to overhaul the island’s institutional framework for addressing homelessness, arguing that the current structure has weakened coordination, distorted public policy and sidelined community expertise. In a detailed explanatory memorandum submitted to Senate Housing and Social Welfare Committee Chair Jamie Barlucea Rodríguez, the nonprofit