11/12/2017

PUERTO RICO: “The contract that the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority signed with a small Montana company, Whitefish, for repair work after Hurricane Maria.“ -Staff, “Whitefish Contract in Puerto Rico,” The New York Times online, Nov. 12, 2017 […]

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11/10/2017

ARMY/CRISIS/PUERTO RICO: “The head of Puerto Rico’s emergency management agency resigned Friday [11-10-17], the same day that the Army general in charge of the military’s response to the hurricane announced that his mission on the island had ended. The moves came as Puerto Rico tries to shift away from the emergency phase of its hurricane […]

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11/9/2017

CRISIS/FEMA/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A main power line that serves the northern half of Puerto Rico failed Thursday [11-9-17], knocking out electricity to seven cities that had only recently regained service and dealing a major setback to the island’s desperate efforts to regain normality. Seven weeks after Hurricane Maria completely disabled Puerto Rico’s power grid, […]

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11/9/2017

PUERTO RICO: “A massive outage has wiped out power to Puerto Rico’s capital San Juan. The problem is with a failure on a main north-south transmission line, said Fernando Padilla, an official with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, known as PREPA. ‘It was a mechanical issue on the line, could have happened at any […]

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11/7/2017

LEGAL/PUERTO RICO: “A Tuesday [11-7-17] congressional hearing on the Puerto Rico government’s response to Hurricane Maria won’t feature the electric utility executive who signed a $300 million construction contract that was later canceled under bipartisan criticism. The House Committee on Natural Resources was informed on Monday that Ricardo Ramos, the executive director of Puerto Rico’s […]

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11/1/2017

HEALTHCARE/MEDICARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/PUERTO RICO: “Puerto Rico, still reeling from Hurricane Maria, is asking the Trump administration and U.S. lawmakers for help in staving off a Medicaid crisis that has put a quarter of the island’s residents at risk of losing medical care. The territory, which has grappled for years with shortfalls in funding of its Medicaid healthcare […]

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10/30/2017

FBI/FEMA/PUERTO RICO: “The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating a decision by Puerto Rico’s power authority to award a $300 million contract to a tiny Montana energy firm to rebuild electrical infrastructure damaged in Hurricane Maria, according to people familiar with the matter. Agents from the FBI’s San Juan field office are looking into circumstances […]

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10/30/2017

FEMA/PUERTO RICO: “Puerto Rico’s governor said Sunday [10-29-17] he would cancel a $300 million reconstruction contract with a little-known Montana energy firm, saying the controversial agreement was detracting from the U.S. territory’s disaster response. Gov. Ricardo Rosselló announced the cancellation in a press conference at the governor’s mansion after the Federal Emergency Management Agency and […]

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10/27/2017

DHS/FEMA/PUERTO RICO: “Questions surrounding a $300 million deal to reconstruct Puerto Rico’s electrical grid continue to reverberate as federal and local politicians began investigating the U.S. territory’s disaster-recovery spending. The Federal Emergency Management Agency held a three-hour conference call earlier this week to scrutinize a reconstruction contract awarded by Puerto Rico’s public power authority to […]

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10/25/2017

PUERTO RICO: “Franklin Resources Inc., one of Puerto Rico’s largest creditors, sold hundreds of millions of dollars of the island’s bonds in recent days, part of an exodus of investors hurt by accelerating losses in the wake of recent hurricanes. A swath of mutual funds and hedge funds who held on to Puerto Rico’s roughly […]

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10/25/2017

CRISIS/PUERTO RICO: “A $300 million contract to help rebuild Puerto Rico’s electrical infrastructure, which was awarded to a small, two-year-old Montana company that had only two employees when Hurricane Maria struck the U.S. territory, has sparked calls for an investigation from both Republicans and Democrats on Capitol Hill. In addition to its size and relative […]

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10/19/2017

CRISIS/HEALTHCARE/NAVY/PUERTO RICO: “After Hurricane Maria ravaged this island, leaving most hospitals here without reliable power, the U.S. Navy sent a massive floating hospital to help fill gaps in the fragile health-care system. Hardly anyone has used it. The USNS Comfort, a 70,000-metric-ton ship staffed with roughly 800 medical and support personnel and 250 beds, has […]

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10/19/2017

BUDGET/CRISIS/PUERTO RICO: “U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday [10-19-17] he will work with the U.S. Congress to approve grants and loans to help rebuild Puerto Rico after it was devastated by Hurricane Maria a month ago. Speaking with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump did not give any specifics about how much money the […]

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10/14/2017

BUSINESS/CRISIS/PUERTO RICO: “Weeks after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, Alejandra Fedato, owner of a clothing boutique in San Juan’s Condado neighborhood, is having a hard time reopening. Without power, she can’t take customer credit cards. She is still waiting for an insurance adjuster to assess the costs of flood damage. Never mind that many of […]

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10/13/2017

PUERTO RICO: “The wonderful people of Puerto Rico, with their unmatched spirit, know how bad things were before the H’s. I will always be with them!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 13, 2017 07:01am […]

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10/12/2017

CRISIS/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump suggested again on Thursday [10-12-17] that Puerto Rico bore some of the blame for its current crisis following twin hurricanes, and that there were limits to how long he would keep troops and federal emergency workers on the island to help. Mr. Trump, who has been criticized for a […]

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10/12/2017

CRISIS/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: ” ‘Puerto Rico survived the Hurricanes, now a financial crisis looms largely of their own making.’ says Sharyl Attkisson. A total lack of… accountability say the Governor. Electric and all infrastructure was disaster before hurricanes. Congress to decide how much to spend… We cannot keep FEMA, the Military & the First […]

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10/9/2017

PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Puerto Rican politicians holding office on the mainland United States, especially those in New York, have long felt compelled to look after the territory, given its limited federal representation and chronic financial distress. But the catastrophic aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which has thrust Puerto Rico to the edge of a humanitarian […]

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10/8/2017

CRISIS/LOBBYING/PUERTO RICO: “Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló, citing an ‘unprecedented catastrophe,’ is lobbying Capitol Hill for a significant new influx of money in the near term as the island sits on the brink of ‘a massive liquidity crisis,’ according to a letter obtained by CNN. In a three-page letter sent to congressional leaders, Rosselló is […]

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10/8/2017

PUERTO RICO: “Nobody could have done what I’ve done for #PuertoRico with so little appreciation. So much work! https://t.co/k2jAkIpfjI” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, October 8, 2017 06:37pm […]

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10/8/2017

FEMA/PUERTO RICO: “The chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Sunday [10-8-17] that criticism of relief efforts in Puerto Rico by the mayor of San Juan had been ‘filtered out.’ In an interview on ABC’s ‘This Week,’ FEMA administrator Brock Long brushed off criticism from San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz, who has slammed […]

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10/4/2017

CRISIS/PUERTO RICO: “Puerto Rico’s official death toll from Hurricane Maria more than doubled from 16 to 34 two weeks after the storm as a result of a full accounting intended to add up the piecemeal reports from around the island, Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said Wednesday [10-4-17]. Governor Rosselló said at a news briefing Wednesday that […]

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10/4/2017

BUDGET/MICK MULVANEY/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney on Wednesday [10-4-17] appeared to dial back President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. would help wipe out Puerto Rico’s massive debt load… Trump on Tuesday sparked confusion when he told Fox News in an interview that people are ‘going to say […]

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10/3/2017

CRISIS/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump on Tuesday [10-3-17] told officials in Puerto Rico that they should be proud that only 16 people died in Hurricane Maria, compared with the ‘thousands’ killed in ‘a real catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina.’… Hurricane Katrina claimed 1,833 lives. Officials in the Trump administration have often compared the relief efforts […]

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10/3/2017

CRISIS/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump ventured on Tuesday [10-3-17] to a storm-ravaged American island territory where residents have felt neglected by their government, telling Puerto Rican officials that they should be proud that only 16 people were known to have died in Hurricane Maria… Shortly after Mr. Trump departed the island, Governor Ricardo Rosselló […]

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10/3/2017

BUDGET/CRISIS/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump commended rescue workers and passed out supplies to storm victims as he toured Puerto Rico on Tuesday [10-2-17], while also saying that the costs tied to Hurricane Maria have ‘thrown our budget a little out of whack,’ drawing rebukes from Democrats who called the remarks callous… Lawmakers last […]

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10/2/2017

CRISIS/EDUCATION/PUERTO RICO: “School districts from Florida to Massachusetts are anticipating an influx of Puerto Rican students displaced by Hurricane Maria and have begun preparations to identify which schools have space and which resources will be needed. Puerto Rican schools have been closed since the Category 4 hurricane made landfall on Sept. 20, battering the island […]

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10/1/2017

CRISIS/FEMA/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Sunday [10-1-17] criticized the media and what he called ungrateful politicians after his administration faced criticism for its early efforts to support hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico. Democrats have said Mr. Trump seemed to focus more on issues such as National Football League protests than the early federal response […]

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10/1/2017

CRISIS/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Puerto Ricans still living largely in darkness 12 days after Hurricane Maria leveled their island reveled in small victories on Sunday [10-1-17] in what promises to be a months-long slog back to some semblance of normal life. Some islanders got their cell phone service back on Sunday, others gathered at bars […]

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10/1/2017

CRISIS/FEMA/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “We have done a great job with the almost impossible situation in Puerto Rico. Outside of the Fake News or politically motivated ingrates…people are now starting to recognize the amazing work that has been done by FEMA and our great Military. All buildings now inspected…for safety. Thank you to the Governor […]

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9/30/2017

CRISIS/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump lashed out at the mayor of San Juan on Saturday for criticizing his administration’s efforts to help Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, accusing her of ‘poor leadership’ and implying that the people of the devastated island were not doing enough to help themselves. As emergency workers and troops struggled […]

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9/30/2017

CRISIS/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “My Administration, Governor @RicardoRossello, and many others are working together to help the people of Puerto Rico in every way… @ricardorossello ……#FakeNews critics are working overtime, but we’re getting great marks from the people that truly matter! #PRStrong??” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 30, 2017 02:55pm and 02:56pm […]

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9/30/2017

CRISIS/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Mayor of San Juan, who was very complimentary only a few days ago, has now been told by the Democrats that you must be nasty to Trump… Such poor leadership ability by the Mayor of San Juan, and others in Puerto Rico, who are not able to get their workers […]

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9/29/2017

CRISIS/DHS/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The mayor of San Juan, Puerto Rico, lashed out at acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke’s comment that the Hurricane Maria relief efforts are a ‘good-news story,’ saying, that in reality, it’s a ‘people-are-dying story.’ Speaking outside the White House on Thursday [9-28-17], Duke said she is ‘very satisfied’ with […]

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9/29/2017

CRISIS/PUERTO RICO: “Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello just stated: ‘The Administration and the President, every time we’ve spoken, they’ve delivered… The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes. Big decisions will have to be made as to the cost of its rebuilding!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 29, 2017 06:14am and 06:18am […]

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9/28/2017

CRISIS/FEMA/PUERTO RICO: “Puerto Rico is devastated. Phone system, electric grid many roads, gone. FEMA and First Responders are amazing. Governor said ‘great job!’ “ -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 28, 2017 07:03pm […]

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9/28/2017

CRISIS/FEMA/PUERTO RICO: “FEMA & First Responders are doing a GREAT job in Puerto Rico. Massive food & water delivered. Docks & electric grid dead. Locals trying… really hard to help but many have lost their homes. Military is now on site and I will be there Tuesday. Wish press would treat fairly!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, […]

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9/28/2017

CRISIS/MILITARY/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration, facing criticism for its response to the devastation in Puerto Rico, sent a three-star general to the island Thursday [9-28-17] to ramp up relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, a commander of U.S. Army North, had already been overseeing the effort from […]

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9/28/2017

CRISIS/DHS/PUERTO RICO/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Foreign-flagged ships will be allowed to deliver aid to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico after the Department of Homeland Security waived a law blocking non-U.S.-ships from transporting goods between U.S. ports. On Thursday [9-28-17] morning, the Trump administration and DHS announced that a waiver to the Jones Act, which was blocking foreign-flagged vessels […]

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9/28/2017

CRISIS/PUERTO RICO: “The electric power grid in Puerto Rico is totally shot. Large numbers of generators are now on Island. Food and water on site.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 28, 2017 09:01am […]

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9/27/2017

CRISIS/FEDERAL RESERVE/PUERTO RICO: “The Federal Reserve Bank of New York said Wednesday [9-27-17] it is working to ensure banks in hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico have the cash they need to meet customer demand. While demand for cash is ‘extraordinarily high,’ the bank said that ‘we have adequate inventory to meet demand from depository institutions on the […]

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9/25/2017

CRISIS/FEMA/PUERTO RICO: “Texas & Florida are doing great but Puerto Rico, which was already suffering from broken infrastructure & massive debt, is in deep trouble… It’s old electrical grid, which was in terrible shape, was devastated. Much of the Island was destroyed, with billions of dollars… owed to Wall Street and the banks which, sadly, […]

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9/24/2017

CRISIS/PUERTO RICO: “The full scope of Hurricane Maria’s devastation of Puerto Rico began to emerge as many of the island’s 78 mayors, some of them cut off since the storm, met this weekend with Gov. Ricardo Rosselló for the first time bringing reports of ruined homes and destroyed infrastructure. Four days after the storm, Mr. […]

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6/11/2017

POLITICS/PUERTO RICO/VOTING: “With schools shuttered, pensions at risk and the island under the authority of an oversight board in New York City, half a million Puerto Ricans voted overwhelmingly on Sunday [6-11-17] to become America’s 51st state, in a flawed election most voters sat out. With nearly all of the precincts reporting, 97 percent of […]

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7/2/2013

BUSINESS/GOLF/PUERTO RICO: “Trump Puerto Rico is 1st development in Puerto Rico to combine lavish residences, world class golf & a beach http://t.co/nhFEbOs73Y”  – Donald Trump, Twitter.com, trumptwitterarchive.com, July 2, 2013 08:30am […]

Read More… from 7/2/2013