DEBT/ECONOMY/HURRICANE/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Tuesday [10-23-18] said he would not tolerate Puerto Rico using federal hurricane relief funds to pay off the island’s massive debt…It is unclear what the president was immediately referring to, but Trump has regularly railed against Puerto Rican officials, attempting to shift the blame after his administration was criticized for its relatively sluggish response to last year’s Hurricane Maria. According to The Associated Press, an official helping oversee the U.S. island territory’s finances said on Monday that Puerto Rico likely will receive $20 billion more than initial estimates of federal relief, making the total amount $82 billion. Natalie Jaresko, executive director of a federal control board overseeing Puerto Rico’s finances, said the funds will help the island’s struggling economy, according to the AP. Puerto Rico is more than $70 billion in debt.”
–Rebecca Morin, “Trump says the U.S. will not bail out Puerto Rico’s debt with hurricane relief,” Politico, October 23, 2018 12:12 pm