By THE STAR STAFF The Puerto Rico Legislature is considering a bill that would give municipalities the power to approve or block the construction of telecommunications towers, shifting significant siting authority from the central government to local jurisdictions. The Senate Committee on Planning, Permits, Infrastructure and Urbanism, chaired by Sen. Héctor “Gaby” González López, held a public hearing this week to evaluate Senate Bill 764, a proposal that would amend Puerto

By THE STAR STAFF The island House of Representatives has granted the Treasury Department and the Office of Management and Budget 10 calendar days to provide the requested economic information as part of the evaluation of the changes to the Internal Revenue Code, House Finance Committee Chairman Eddie Charbonier Chinea announced on Tuesday. “We asked the Secretary of the Treasury, Ángel Pantojas Rodríguez, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, Orlando River

Juan A. Rosario Hernández, head of Puerto Rico’s Public Housing Administration (Facebook via Departamento de Vivienda) Says lead mitigation is well underway By THE STAR STAFF Juan A. Rosario Hernández, head of the Public Housing Administration (AVP by its initials in Spanish), insisted Monday that federal findings about the agency’s handling of lead‑based paint risks do not reflect the full scope of its work, asserting that more than half of public housing complexes have alre

Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes said the new framework aims to ensure that services and operations reflect the biopsychosocial needs and overall well-being of the elderly population served in care facilities. By THE STAR STAFF Family Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes announced on Tuesday the approval of a new regulation governing the licensing and oversight of facilities that provide services to older adults. The regulation had not been updated in more than 15 years. Roig

By THE STAR STAFF Island Health Secretary Víctor Ramos Otero announced on Tuesday the declaration of an influenza epidemic in Puerto Rico, after the established criteria for incidence and growth rate of cases were met during the 2025-2026 season. “An influenza epidemic has been declared,” Ramos Otero said at a press conference. “The region with the most cases is Ponce, with 8,392 cases, followed by Caguas, with 8,179 cases, and Bayamón, with 7,111 cases,” he added. Ramos Oter

San Juan District 2 Rep. Ricardo Rey Ocasio Ramos By THE STAR STAFF San Juan District 2 Rep. Ricardo Rey “Chino” Ocasio Ramos on Monday urged small and midsize business owners in his district, as well as those interested in starting their own business, to participate in the “District 2: Gateway to Opportunities” event. The initiative aims to provide guidance for strengthening and promoting businesses, in addition to offering information on available government aid and program

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón By THE STAR STAFF Gov. Jenniffer González Colón submitted a bill to the Legislature on Monday to amend the Uniform Administrative Procedure Act, in order to simplify and modernize the regulatory process in government agencies. Administration Bill 107 amends Law 38-2017, which governs the adoption of regulations in the island government and seeks to establish changes to the current process to increase citizen participation, reduce administrative c

Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz By THE STAR STAFF Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz has called on U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy to take administrative action to correct long-standing disparities in federal healthcare funding for Puerto Rico, arguing that chronic underfunding threatens the island’s healthcare system and accelerates the exodus of medical professionals. In a formal letter addressed to Kennedy and the leadership of the Centers

Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez PDP senators: Money should come from González Colón administration’s excessive advertising budget By THE STAR STAFF Speaker of the Puerto Rico House of Representatives Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez has directed the chamber’s Treasury Committee to urgently identify recurring funding sources that could replace the roughly $18 million generated by suspending the sales and use tax (IVU by its acronym

By THE STAR STAFF Aerostar Puerto Rico reported on Monday that multiple flights to and from Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport had been canceled due to weather conditions associated with a winter storm in the United States. According to the irregular operations report released by the airport operator, an estimated total of 1,843 passengers were affected by canceled arriving flights from various airports in the mainland United States, all attributed to weather conditions.