Barry Pollack, left, the attorney representing Nicolás Maduro, the ousted president of Venezuela, departs a federal courthouse in Manhattan, Jan. 5, 2026. A lawyer for Maduro, who was seized from his country by U.S. forces last month and charged with federal crimes, says the Trump administration is blocking the Venezuelan government from paying Maduro’s legal fees. (Karsten Moran/The New York Times) By JONAH E. BROMWICH A lawyer for Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan leader who w

By CHRIS CAMERON Trump administration officials announced earlier this week that the federal government would withhold $259 million in Medicaid funds to Minnesota, the latest effort by the federal government to pull funding from Democratic-led states as President Donald Trump rails against a major welfare fraud scandal there. Federal judges have blocked most of the Trump administration’s efforts to claw back funds from states including Minnesota, New York, California, Illinoi

A group of Middle Eastern and Asian migrants deported by the U.S. government at a shelter in Panama City, March 11, 2025. A federal judge in Boston on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, found that the Trump administration’s policy of summarily deporting immigrants to so-called third countries — nations other than their countries of origin — is unlawful. (Nathalia Angarita/The New York Times) By MATTATHIAS SCHWARTZ A federal judge in Boston earlier this week found that the Trump admini

By THE STAR STAFF ManpowerGroup’s 2026 Global Talent Shortage Survey revealed that the difficulty in filling vacancies in Puerto Rico is 75%, which represents an increase of 22% compared to last year’s results and 3% above the global average. After having been the jurisdiction with the least talent shortage last year at 53%, this year the survey places Puerto Rico in 15th place among the 41 participating countries, very similar to what happened in 2024 when the talent shortag

Rep. Joe Colón Rodríguez By THE STAR STAFF District 22 Rep. Joe “Joito” Colón Rodríguez will be relocating his offices this Friday to the Jofrain Rivera Indoor Court on Highway 146, Km 18.7, Bo. Frontón, in the Sabana sector of Ciales, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The lawmaker will be available to assist all residents of Frontón and surrounding neighborhoods and areas who require his intervention or any government assistance. In addition, several Puerto Rico government offices also

From left, Gov. Jenniffer González Colón, Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority Executive President Luis González Delgado, and new PRASA metropolitan regional director José Antonio Rivera Ortiz By THE STAR STAFF Gov. Jenniffer González Colón earlier this week announced the appointment of engineer José Antonio Rivera Ortiz as the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority’s (PRASA) new regional director for San Juan, amid mounting water supply problems impacting sectors of th

By THE STAR STAFF Gov. Jenniffer González Colón sent a letter this week to U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in response to the notice of methodological changes for calendar year 2027 to Medicare Advantage capitation rates and payment policies for Parts C and D. “Puerto Rico cannot continue operating under a formula that does not reflect our reality,” the governor said in a written statement. “We are working directly with federal agencies and o

Economist Leslie Adames By THE STAR STAFF The financial health of Puerto Rican consumers worsened in 2025, according to a new report released this week by Estudios Técnicos Inc. The firm’s Consumer Financial Fragility Index rose over the year, reflecting increases in loan delinquencies, personal bankruptcies, and unemployment across the island. Economist Leslie Adames noted in a written statement that the index climbed from 0.33 in the first quarter to 0.46 in the fourth quar