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

By THE STAR STAFF University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (RUM by its acronym in Spanish) Interim Chancellor Miguel Muñoz Muñoz announced on Wednesday that the university administration and the General Student Council have reached agreements to conclude student protests and guarantee free access to the campus. “These agreements represent an important step for our university community,” Muñoz Muñoz said in written remarks. “We will continue to foster spaces for communication and

Department of Economic Development and Commerce Deputy Secretary Roberto Lefranc Fortuño By THE STAR STAFF Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC by its initials in Spanish) Deputy Secretary Roberto Lefranc Fortuño stated on Wednesday that the agency is continuing its operations following the resignation of former secretary Sebastián Negrón Reichard. “At the DDEC, agency operations have not ceased. The resignations involve personnel who served as trust staff to

Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association Vice President Karen Mojica Franceschi By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association (PRMA) is urging Gov. Jenniffer González Colón to swiftly appoint a permanent secretary to lead the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC), warning that continued uncertainty could undermine investor confidence at a critical moment for the island’s economy. PRMA Vice President Karen Mojica Franceschi said the abrupt leadershi

A Birling Capital Advisors report outlines a sweeping roadmap for the University of Puerto Rico after the Financial Oversight and Management Board issued a formal Notice of Violation declaring that UPR’s revised fiscal plan cannot be certified. By THE STAR STAFF The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) is operating “with no margin at all” and must undertake a structural transformation over the next 13 months to secure its future, according to a new analysis by Birling Capital Advi

By THE STAR STAFF Businessman Pedro Rosaly was elected president of the Hecho en Puerto Rico (Made in Puerto Rico) Association on Tuesday, succeeding Mateo Cidre. “I feel deeply honored to assume the presidency of Hecho en Puerto Rico -- an iconic organization that, for over a century, has championed and promoted the talent, products, and services of our island,” Rosaly said in a written statement. Rosaly serves as president and CEO of Islandwide Group, a Puerto Rican company

Judicial Employees Association President Amircal Gerena Román By THE STAR STAFF Judicial Employees Association (AEJ by its initials in Spanish) President Amircal Gerena Román has requested that Office of Court Administration Director Sigfrido Steidel Figueroa implement remote work and reinstate the four-day workweek to ease the high cost of living faced by employees of the island judiciary due to the high cost of living, exacerbated by rising gasoline prices. In a letter sent