Heidi Hernández Olivo, assistant secretary of the Puerto Rico Lottery Bureau By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Lottery announced Monday the return of its traditional Valentine’s Day “Billetazo,” a semi‑extraordinary drawing that will offer $6.6 million in tax‑free prizes. Puerto Rico Lottery Bureau Assistant Secretary Heidi Hernández Olivo said the drawing will take place this Thursday and remains one of the most anticipated events among players during the season celebrating

Women’s Advocate Astrid Piñeiro Vázquez By THE STAR STAFF The Office of the Women’s Advocate (OPM by its initials in Spanish) launched the educational campaign “That’s not LOVE #StopIt,” on Monday, aimed at raising awareness and preventing dating violence among young couples, with an emphasis on identifying controlling behaviors that are often normalized as expressions of affection. “We must emphasize that jealousy is not a measure of the intensity of love, but a sign of inse

A barge out of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands that ran aground Monday near Castillo San Felipe del Morro in Old San Juan was reported to be empty. By THE STAR STAFF A fuel barge traveling near Castillo San Felipe del Morro in Old San Juan ran aground Monday afternoon after a line broke and the vessel lost propulsion amid strong waves, authorities confirmed. According to information provided to Telenoticias, the barge became stranded when it lost maneuvering capability,

From left, Popular Democratic Party legislators Sen. Ada Álvarez Conde, Rep. Sol Higgins Cuadrado and Rep. Estrella Martínez Soto By THE STAR STAFF Popular Democratic Party (PDP) Reps. Estrella Martínez Soto (District 27, Juana Díaz, Coamo, Santa Isabel and Aibonito) and Sol Higgins Cuadrado (District 35, Humacao, Naguabo and Las Piedras), along with PDP at-large Sen. Ada Álvarez Conde, called on Gov. Jenniffer González Colón and Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes on Monda

A satellite photo provided by Airbus DS shows a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone at Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla in October 2025. A recent opinion piece called for renewed discussion in Washington over Puerto Rico’s political future, arguing that statehood has become a strategic imperative following last month’s dramatic U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. (Airbus DS via The New York Times) By THE STAR STAFF A recent opinion piece in The Hill

Treasury Secretary Ángel Pantoja Rodríguez By THE STAR STAFF Gov. Jenniffer González Colón and Treasury Secretary Ángel L. Pantoja Rodríguez announced Monday that Puerto Rico has opened electronic filing for the 2025 individual income tax return, thereby launching the tax season earlier than last year. González Colón urged taxpayers to file by the April 15 deadline, noting that the Treasury Department will use information reported on returns to issue an additional relief paym

The island’s energy regulator said the new distribution of projects submitted by power grid operators “materially deviates” from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s original allocation and exposes Puerto Rico to long-term risks if damaged assets remain unrepaired. (Facebook via LUMA Energy) Says grid operators’ joint plan deviates from original allocation By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Energy Bureau (PREB) ordered the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), LUM

A community group is urging the mayor of San Juan to meet with them amid renewed concerns over the future of the historic Normandie Hotel redevelopment and long‑delayed improvements to the Balneario (public beach) El Escambrón and the Sixto Escobar area -- public spaces that residents say have suffered years of neglect. By THE STAR STAFF The community collective Escambrón Unido is urging San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero Lugo to meet with them amid renewed concerns over the future

Bad Bunny performs during his residency in San Juan on Aug. 9, 2025. Young Puerto Ricans say the star has opened the world’s eyes to their challenges, and to the island’s fraught territorial relationship with the U.S. government. (Amy Lombard/The New York Times) By PATRICIA MAZZEI and LAURA N. PÉREZ SÁNCHEZ Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, better known as the superstar Bad Bunny, is a proud product of what Puerto Ricans call the “crisis generation”: those who grew up on the is

By THE STAR STAFF Popular Democratic Party (PDP) Secretary General Manuel Calderón Cerame, along with Rep. Swanny Enit Vargas and a group of young people, including students from the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) system, issued a call on Sunday to prevent what they said is the politicization of UPR. The call concerned defending the autonomy of the university system, which is Puerto Rico’s main public university and social mobility project, and to promoting projects that be