By Associated Press, NBC News SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico’s Department of Education announced Thursday that it will close 283 schools this summer following a sharp drop in enrollment amid the island’s long economic slump and the continued departure of families after Hurricane Maria. Education Secretary Julia Keleher said there would be no… read more
By DANNY VINIK, POLITICO The federal government significantly underestimated the potential damage to Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria and relied too heavily on local officials and private-sector entities to handle the cleanup, according to a POLITICO review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s plan for the disaster. The plan, which was developed by a FEMA… read more
By: Nsikan Akpan, PBS Six months after Hurricane Maria, and whole towns in Puerto Rico still remain without power. To imagine living for half a year without energy, try this experiment. Turn off your lights and television. Unplug your refrigerator, your washer and dryer and stereo. Leave off your faucets, because your town’s pumps need… read more
By: Arelis R. Hernández, Washington Post CAYEY, Puerto Rico — Norma Ramos and Helga Marrero stood outside, chatting, as a Thursday afternoon dusk diluted the last bits of blue sky and sunshine in La Merced. Nearly every cement-block house along their meandering mountain road flickered to life as indoor lighting flashed on. A girl ran… read more
By: Daniella Silva, Mariana Atencio, & Hans Nichols, NBC News SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — As Puerto Rico deals with a lack of power, food and drinking water in the wake of Hurricane Maria, residents are also in dire need of another commodity: Cold hard cash. And that means what little other resources are available often… read more
Americans Helping Americans: Join Our Puerto Rico Relief Efforts As Puerto Rico continues its recovery efforts following the devastation brought by Hurricane Maria, the Puerto Rico Economic Recovery Initiative (PRERI) would like to thank those who have provided aid, in any form, and volunteered their time, resources, and thoughts and prayers to the… read more
By: Dawn Giel, Contessa Brewer, & Lori LaRocco, CNBC It’s been more than a week since Hurricane Maria slammed Puerto Rico, the most powerful such storm to hit the U.S. territory since 1932. It left much of the U.S. territory devastated, and, as fuel has been in short supply, delivery of much-needed supplies, such as food,… read more
By: Niraj Chokshi, New York Times The Trump administration said on Thursday that it would temporarily waive a century-old shipping law for Puerto Rico that officials there said was hindering disaster relief efforts after Hurricane Maria. The waiver of the law, known as the Jones Act, comes as federal and local officials report more supplies trickling… read more
“The Task Force is of the view that Puerto Rico’s best days lie before it, not behind it.” — we agree. PRERI was pleased to see a good faith effort by the Task Force to recommend strong recommendations in 18 areas critical to the future of Americans residing in Puerto Rico and the Island’s economy,… read more
Extending Tax Credits, Repealing Harmful Laws & Energy Diversification Lead The Way Areas Of Promise Shown In Puerto Rico’s Economy: According To A May Report, Some Sectors Of Puerto Rico’s Economy Are Still Growing. “Not all job sectors declined during May. Trade, transportation, and utilities jobs increased by 900 combined. Recreation and accommodation jobs increased by… read more