According to a broad multisector coalition, Puerto Rico Education Department data showing that charter schools currently enroll 7,410 students, including 1,600 from private schools and 5,810 from public schools, demonstrates that charter system growth is fueled by the displacement of students from the public system. By THE STAR STAFF A broad multisector coalition warned Thursday that Puerto Rico’s public education system is being deliberately weakened as the Department of Edu

Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera By THE STAR STAFF Resident Commissioner Pablo José Hernández Rivera has introduced the “Puerto Rico Democratic Self-Determination Act” in Congress. The measure would allow Puerto Rico residents to vote in a binding plebiscite on statehood, independence, sovereignty in free association, and the option to maintain and improve the commonwealth, or ELA (Estado Libre Asociado) in Spanish. The resident commissioner said the ballot d

Preliminary projections from the Puerto Rico Tourism Co. indicate that the island is on track to finish the fiscal year with roughly 100,000 more cruise passengers than the previous record. By THE STAR STAFF Puerto Rico set a new cruise passenger record in May, surpassing the previous high established in 2019, according to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC). PRTC Executive Director Willianette Robles Cancel announced that by the end of May, the island had welcomed 1,827,0

In a motion filed Wednesday, LUMA Energy, the private operator of the island’s electric power transmission and distribution system, asked the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau to pause both the $750‑per‑hour cap on external legal counsel and the regulator’s blanket denial of fiscal year 2026 Title III cost recovery. By THE STAR STAFF LUMA Energy moved this week to pause two key determinations in the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau’s (PREB) Final Rate Order, warning that immediate enforcem

Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority Executive Luis González Delgado By THE STAR STAFF San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo on Wednesday criticized statements made a day earlier by Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) Executive Luis González Delgado regarding municipal engineer Roberto Martínez, only days after both parties reached an agreement to include Martínez in a newly created technical water committee. Romero said he found it “difficult to understand” why

By THE STAR STAFF In response to a rise in cyber threats, fraud schemes and new financial challenges within government operations, the Office of the Comptroller of Puerto Rico (OCPR by its initials in Spanish) recently held a specialized training session that brought together more than 300 of the agency’s auditors. The aim of the Technical Audit Meeting was to strengthen the tools and capabilities of the staff responsible for overseeing the use of public funds through confer

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón By THE STAR STAFF Gov. Jenniffer González Colón has signed three measures into law regarding electoral transparency, workforce development, and economic incentives for Río Piedras. The governor signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 101 -- now Law 105-2026 -- which regulates the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in electoral advertising and communications. The measure requires that any political advertisement created or modified, in whole or in part,

Félix Aponte, president of the Chamber of Food Marketing, Industry and Distribution (midatraining.org) Meanwhile, a rise in use of weight-loss medications is indicated By THE STAR STAFF The 2026 Consumer Snapshot study by the Chamber of Food Marketing, Industry and Distribution (MIDA by its acronym in Spanish) concluded that most consumers in Puerto Rico have cut their monthly spending, a third of the population is considering leaving the island, and a number of respondents a

By THE STAR STAFF Given the pattern of declining blood donations during the summer months, Hospital Auxilio Mutuo and Banco de Sangre Servicios Mutuos announced a blood collection day that will take place next Tuesday, June 16, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the 9th floor of Auxilio Mutuo Hospital in Hato Rey. The initiative, which commemorates Blood Donor Month, seeks to strengthen the blood reserves available to meet the needs of patients who require transfusions during surgeries

Health Secretary Víctor Ramos Otero Rapid coordination ensures timely treatment By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Department of Health has confirmed a case of infant botulism and underscored the swift response that allowed the patient to receive life‑saving treatment within 48 hours of the initial alert. According to the agency, the suspected case was reported on May 27 by the University Pediatric Hospital after an infant presented symptoms consistent with the illness, includ