By THE STAR STAFF AES Corporation announced Monday that it has extended the deadline for its ongoing consent solicitation involving its 5.450% senior notes due 2028. The new expiration time is 5 p.m. (New York City time) on today, March 31, 2026, unless the company decides to end the process earlier. The solicitation had originally been set to expire on March 27. As of the original deadline, investors holding about 49% of the $900 million total outstanding 2028 notes had subm

A layperson leads a Palm Sunday procession at the San Salvador parish on 65th Infantry Avenue in San Juan on Sunday in a service led by Father Abner González. (Capture from video by John McPhaul)

Attorney Julybeth Alicea, president of HR Disruptor, addresses the Puerto Rico Hospitals Association Annual Summit on the use of artificial intelligence in health care. By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Hospitals Association (AHPR by its initials in Spanish) held its annual summit this past weekend on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, where hospital administrators, doctors, healthcare industry professionals and some 21 experts in the field of AI applicati

Former San Juan Mayor Hernán Padilla (Facebook via Pedro R. Pierluisi) By THE STAR STAFF Former San Juan Mayor Hernán Padilla has formally joined a pro-statehood initiative urging the U.S. Congress to certify Puerto Rico as an incorporated territory of the United States, an action supporters argue is long overdue after 128 years under U.S. sovereignty. The effort, coordinated by attorney Gregorio Igartúa and a group of statehood advocates, calls on federal lawmakers and the p

Scott Hempling, the hearing examiner overseeing the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority rate case before the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (LinkedIn) By THE STAR STAFF A procedural dispute has emerged in the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) rate case before the Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) after bondholders objected to a Feb. 23 filing by the utility, alleging that the submission improperly included advocacy despite a prior order prohibiting it. In response, hear

“No Kings” protesters’ political ideologies ranged from a small Communist Party contingent to the Sierra Club to average people with no particular ideology. (John McPhaul) By JOHN McPAUL jpmcphaul@gmail.com Hundreds if not a thousand or more people turned out on Saturday for the San Juan “No Kings” protest march against the administration of President Donald Trump, carrying signs bearing messages such as “No to Fascism” and “No Thrones in America.” The throng -- unless you w

Labor Secretary María del Pilar Vélez Casanova By THE STAR STAFF The government of Puerto Rico on Sunday announced significant progress for women in the labor force, marking the highest level of female participation recorded in 45 years. According to a new study from the Department of Labor and Human Resources (DTRH by its initials in Spanish), women represented 45.2% of the workforce in 2025, the highest share since 1980. The report, titled “Women’s Participation in the Puer

The Puerto Rico Energy Bureau acknowledged that municipalities are well‑positioned to support public lighting repair and modernization efforts in their communities, but stressed that any such involvement must occur within an established, regulated structure that does not interfere with system operations or the bureau’s regulatory authority. ( lumapr.com ) By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) issued on Thursday the regulation that sets out the rules for munic

Public Affairs Secretary Jean Peña Payano By THE STAR STAFF The publication of a Municipal Revenue Collections Center (CRIM) tax return belonging to the lobbying firm Politank has sparked controversy in Puerto Rico after Public Affairs Secretary Jean Peña Payano warned that releasing such documents could constitute a crime. The document disclosed Politank’s 2023 CRIM filing, submitted in May 2024, showing assets of $1.8 million. Its appearance in the media raised immediate qu

Four new direct JetBlue routes connecting San Juan with Philadelphia, Richmond, Va., Norfolk, Va. and Buffalo, N.Y. will have an estimated economic impact of $99.5 million for Puerto Rico. By THE STAR STAFF Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced on Thursday the launch of four new direct JetBlue routes connecting San Juan with Philadelphia, Richmond, Va., Norfolk, Va. and Buffalo, N.Y., with an estimated economic impact of $99.5 million for Puerto Rico. “Puerto Rico continues