Aid flows to Puerto Rico but many still lack water and food

Thousands of Puerto Ricans were finally getting water and food rations Friday as an aid bottleneck began to ease, but many remained cut off from the basic necessities of life and were desperate for power, communications and other trappings of normality in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. There were many people across the island, especially outside the capital, unable to get water, gas or generator fuel.

Puerto Rico under a flash flood watch as the wait for supplies drags on

Ten days after Hurricane Maria began to crash into Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm, the island is dealing with a humanitarian crisis as millions remain without electricity and water, and limited access to gas and cash. The majority of the US commonwealth is without power, with the exception of people and facilities using generators, the US Energy Department says.

Big decisions’ needed on rebuilding Puerto Rico, Donald Trump says

Donald Trump tweeted that "big decisions" were pending on how to rebuild hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico as the mayor of the island's biggest city, San Juan, said the response to the disaster was "not a good news story". Acting Homeland Secretary Elaine Duke had suggested as much a day earlier in the White House driveway, saying the federal response to the aftermath of Hurricane Maria is "a good news story" and adding "the relief effort is under control".

‘Big decisions will have to be made’: Trump shares ominous message on future of Puerto Rico

President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Friday morning to defend his administration's handling of the crisis in Puerto Rico, but left questions as to how the recovery efforts will be financed. "Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello just stated: 'The Administration and the President, every time we've spoken, they've delivered......'" he wrote, adding "...The fact is that Puerto Rico has been destroyed by two hurricanes.

Puerto Rico’s recovery: Here’s what lies ahead

Puerto Rico is under a flash flood watch as the agonizing wait for food and supplies continues in the US island after Hurricane Maria hit more than a week ago. Heavy rain is expected through the weekend, which "will aggravate the ongoing recovery and relief efforts," the National Weather Service said.

Rihanna slams Trump on Puerto Rico: ‘Don’t let your people die’

Rihanna criticized President Donald's Trump response to the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, suggesting that the president is not paying enough attention to the disaster occurring on the island.

Puerto Ricans say US relief efforts failing them

The Trump administration declared Thursday that its relief efforts in Puerto Rico are succeeding, but people on the island said help was scarce and disorganized while food supplies dwindled in some remote towns eight days after Hurricane Maria devastated the US territory of 3.4 million people. President Donald Trump cleared the way for more supplies to head to Puerto Rico by issuing a 10-day waiver of federal restrictions on foreign ships delivering cargo to the island.

Puerto Ricans says US relief efforts failing them

The Trump administration declared Thursday that its relief efforts in Puerto Rico are succeeding, but people on the island said help was scarce and disorganized while food supplies dwindled in some remote towns eight days after Hurricane Maria devastated the U.S. territory of 3.4 million people.

Reporter’s Notebook: For the hurricane-battered island of Vieques, help seems far off

We've just returned from Vieques, a 134-square-mile island off Puerto Rico's eastern coast which suffered harrowing devastation from Hurricane Maria. This once-picturesque island of approximately 9,300 -- known for its secluded beaches, snorkeling and wild horses that roam the countryside -- is now a dream-turned-nightmare: There's no power, no running water, and the hospital was so severely damaged that it has been forced to set up a temporary triage tent outside to treat patients.

Puerto Ricans say Trump’s disaster response was too slow, too clumsy

Residents of Puerto Rico accused President Donald Trump of being slow to dispatch aid after Hurricane Maria and clumsy in his public remarks once it was clear the U.S. territory had been devastated by the storm. After days of urging, Trump on Thursday temporarily lifted restrictions on foreign shipping from the U.S. mainland to Puerto Rico to move aid more quickly and the Pentagon appointed a senior general to oversee military relief operations.

Trump waives cargo restrictions to speed help to Puerto Rico

Under pressure to do more for hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, President Donald Trump is waiving federal restrictions on foreign ships' transportation of cargo to the island. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Twitter Thursday that Trump has authorized a waiver for the U.S. territory for a little-known federal law that prohibits foreign-flagged ships from shuttling goods between U.S. ports.

Supreme Court to hear new challenge to labor unions

U.S Navy veteran fears the Trump administration's new travel ban on Iranians will keep him from bringing his fiancA e to America. Sen. John McCain is demanding a full accounting from the Department of Veterans Affairs on the financial status of its private-sector health care program.

Democrats to Trump: Send an aircraft carrier to help Puerto Rico with Hurricane Maria

A group of 145 House Democrats said Wednesday the Defense Department response to the disaster in Puerto Rico has been inadequate and they urged President Trump to send an aircraft carrier to help relieve the territory's suffering residents. A carrier's additional military aircraft and engineers are needed to help clear roads, rescue stranded residents and deliver emergency supplies to isolated parts of the island after it was slammed by Hurricane Maria last week, the lawmakers wrote in a letter to Trump.