Agriculture Secretary Irving Rodríguez Torres said the agency he leads is “implementing an aggressive and responsible preventive plan to protect our farmers and ensure the continuity of these crops, which are essential to our food supply and our economy.” By THE STAR STAFF Agriculture Secretary Irving Rodríguez Torres announced on Thursday the launch of a distribution program for tissue-cultured seedlings for plantains and bananas, backed by an initial investment of over $400

Over the past six years, housing affordability on the island has deteriorated significantly, driven by a perfect storm of skyrocketing property values, stubborn mortgage rates and stagnant household incomes. By THE STAR STAFF The dream of homeownership is slipping further out of reach for the average Puerto Rican family. Over the past six years, housing affordability on the island has deteriorated significantly, driven by a perfect storm of skyrocketing property values, stubb

Robert F. Mujica Jr., executive director of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico, at center, said that while municipal territorial plan updates can move forward, they will be treated strictly as “interim measures.” (Facebook via Jenniffer González Colón) By THE STAR STAFF The Financial Oversight and Management Board has issued a “conditional approval” for seven executive orders modifying municipal territorial plans, warning the central government that

LUMA Energy reiterated in its May 2026 report that it remains unable to provide the “targets” the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau ordered for vegetation management, vegetation clearing and transmission line hardening because the regulator has not defined what those targets should be. (Facebook via LUMA Energy PR) By THE STAR STAFF LUMA Energy filed its May 2026 Monthly Collaborative Report with the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) earlier this week, detailing progress on grid stabi

By THE STAR STAFF With music, games and a backpack full of learning, health services organization MMM Multihealth this week launched “Misión Mochilita” (Little Backpack Mission), an educational initiative created to teach children ages 5 to 12 how to prepare for hurricane season with their families. In its first phase, the campaign will bring participatory experiences to summer camps around Puerto Rico, transforming hurricane preparedness into a fun and educational activity

“A resignation occurred here; it was accepted, and we are moving forward,” Gov. Jenniffer González Colón said. By THE STAR STAFF Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced on Thursday that she is evaluating several candidates to appoint as the new secretary of the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC by its acronym in Spanish) following the resignation of Sebastián Negrón Reichard. “A resignation occurred here; it was accepted, and we are moving forward,” the go

By THE STAR STAFF The island Family Department announced a new phase of federal assistance that will provide up to $1,000 to households with overdue electric bills, an effort aimed at easing the financial strain on thousands of low‑income families. The initiative, funded through the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and administered by the Administration for the Socioeconomic Development of the Family (ADSEF), will begin with the automatic distributio

Lolimar Escudero Rodríguez, public policy attorney for the ACLU of Puerto Rico By THE STAR STAFF The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico has reiterated its strong opposition to House Bill 25 (PC 25), warning that the proposed measure to redefine the island’s maritime-terrestrial zone disproportionately favors private development at the expense of the public interest and constitutional environmental protections. During a recent public hearing, the organization

The state of emergency declaration, formalized through Executive Order 2026‑27, aims to accelerate mitigation and protection efforts as erosion intensifies and encroaches on homes, public infrastructure and natural resources. (Israel Morales) By THE STAR STAFF Gov. Jenniffer González Colón has declared a state of emergency in response to worsening coastal erosion threatening the Parcelas Suárez sector of Loíza and several communities along Puerto Rico’s northern shoreline. Th

By THE STAR STAFF Puerto Rico will become the first U.S. territory to participate in the National Voluntary Self‑Exclusion Program (NVSEP), a unified system that allows individuals to bar themselves from multiple gambling operators through a single registration. The information was provided by iGaming Business (IGB), an established source of information for the regulated global gaming industry, citing the island’s gaming regulator this week. The Puerto Rico Gaming Commission