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

Sen. Juan Oscar Morales Rodríguez 2nd hearing focuses on unpaid insurance claims & their effects By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Senate Health Committee, chaired by Sen. Juan Oscar Morales Rodríguez, convened its second public hearing earlier this week as part of the investigation mandated by Senate Resolution 431. Authored by Morales, the resolution calls for an in-depth evaluation of how federal funds are used, managed, and overseen within Puerto Rico’s healthcare system.

The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority is pressing the island’s energy regulator to let customers cover as much as $36.9 million in restructuring and bankruptcy-related professional fees over the next three fiscal years. (Facebook via Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica) By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) is pressing the island’s energy regulator to let customers cover as much as $36.9 million in restructuring and bankruptcy-related professional f

The Puerto Rico Senate held a special recognition ceremony in Vega Alta earlier this week for young people belonging to the Police Athletic League chapters in several towns in the Arecibo District. By THE STAR STAFF The island Senate held a special recognition ceremony earlier this week for young people belonging to the Police Athletic League, as part of an initiative led by the District III (Arecibo) Sen. Brenda Pérez Soto aimed at highlighting the work, discipline and commi

By THE STAR STAFF A stalemate in negotiations between the Center for Molecular Sciences Research at the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) and UPR President Zayira Jordán Conde has jeopardized the center’s operations. An agreement guaranteeing the corporation $8.5 million in recurring funding for six years expired on June 30, 2025. The expiration of the agreement coincided with Jordán Conde assuming the presidency last July. Ten months later, a new agreement has not been reached

By THE STAR STAFF The Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico has asked a federal judge to deny a renewed request by PREPA bondholders to lift a court-ordered litigation pause so they can pursue the appointment of a receiver for the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) or seek dismissal of the utility’s Title III bankruptcy case. In its objection filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico before Judge Laura Taylor Swain, the

By THE STAR STAFF The Department of Psychology at the University of Puerto Rico’s Mayagüez Campus (RUM by its acronym in Spanish) issued a statement Tuesday opposing the construction of the proposed Proyecto Esencia luxury tourism and residential megaproject in Cabo Rojo, citing concerns about poverty, inequality and access to essential services across the island’s southwest. In the statement, the department said its opposition is rooted in what it described as the project’s