News | Warren Seeks Info on Water & Vector-Borne Diseases in Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands

United States Senator Elizabeth Warren sent a letter to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to request information on the spread of water and vector-borne diseases in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. The letter expresses concern that due to the significant damage caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria to the islands' sanitation infrastructure, residents are at serious risk of contracting waterborne diseases such as leptospirosis, which has reportedly been diagnosed in people in both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

USACE teams with PRASA to provide water to 100,000 residents, businesses in NW Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico Running water is still a scarce commodity for many Puerto Ricans in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. But, in the past weeks residents in Isabella and Quebradillas have been able to wash, bathe, cook and drink from the tap again.

Former Puerto Rico official denies any role in Whitefish deal

A former Puerto Rico official who has been mentioned in connection with a controversial contract to restore electricity to the bankrupt U.S. territory after Hurricane Maria has denied having any role in securing it. In papers filed on Friday in federal court in San Juan, Elias Sanchez, a friend and one-time adviser to Governor Ricardo Rossello, said under penalty of perjury that he "never had any kind of relationship" with contractor Whitefish Energy or its principals.

Federal Probe Into Puerto Rico Power Scandal Expands

A second federal contract with a company hired to rebuild Puerto Rico's all but collapsed power grid is coming under scrutiny, drawing the attention of federal investigators and even members of Congress even as most of the hurricane-ravaged island remains without power. The news of a second faulty contract is also raising questions about the contracting process for the island's government-owned power company, the Puerto Rican Electric Power Authority .

After Maria: Boston uses schools as one-stop shop to assist Puerto Rican families

Boston's approach is one model for how big cities can accommodate families after disasters, with centralized support via welcome centers that offer everything from registering for school to filing paperwork with FEMA. After arriving from Puerto Rico in late October, Alicia Santiago and Lexian Cordava and Paulette Alvarez sign up for housing and school enrollment at Sociedad Latina on November 2, 2017 in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.

House questions FEMA over Puerto Rico power contracts

The U.S. House of Representatives' energy committee on Wednesday said it wants the Federal Emergency Management Agency to explain how it is overseeing contracts for rebuilding Puerto Rico's power grid after it was devastated by Hurricane Maria. In a letter to FEMA, the committee raised questions about contracts between Puerto Rico's Electric Power Authority and two companies: Whitefish Energy Holdings and Cobra Acquisitions LLC, a subsidiary of Mammoth Energy Services Inc. The committee said "federal leadership and strategic coordination" is needed to restore power, and outlined a series of concerns about the role played so far by FEMA.

Hurricane Maria evacuees start over in the Tampa Bay area

Times Puerto Rican evacuee Shamira Melendez, 4, watches "Finding Dory" on a tablet while her mom Ivana Reyes, 22, talks to representatives from local agencies while her son Jezel Garcia, 1, snoozes in his stroller at the Hispanic Outreach Center Thursday 11/2/2017. - Pinellas County government hosted a bilingual panel Thursday featuring community organizations providing help for local Hurricane Maria evacuees from Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico models Hurricane Maria recovery program after Louisiana strategy: report

A new recovery program in Puerto Rico aimed at getting people back in their homes as quickly as possible after Hurricane Maria will be modeled after one used by Louisiana following the historic flooding in 2016, according to WBRZ , a Baton Rouge television station. Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello formerly launched Puerto Rico's version of Louisiana's Shelter at Home program Monday while Gov. John Bel Edwards and First Lady Donna Edwards were visiting the island.

Court partially blocks Trump’s transgender military ban

Paul Manafort, Who Once Ran Trump Campaign, Told to Surrender - WASHINGTON - Paul Manafort and his former business associate Rick Gates were told to surrender to federal authorities Monday morning, the first charges in a special counsel investigation, according to a person involved in the case. Manafort to turn himself in to Mueller, source says - Source: Manafort to turn himself in to Mueller - STORY HIGHLIGHTS - Manafort is the first person in Trump's orbit charged in connection with the special counsel investigation - Washington Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort How the Russia Investigation Entangled a Manafort Protg - Nearly everywhere Paul Manafort went, it seemed, Rick Gates followed, his protg and junior partner.

Canceled contract with Trump-linked company throws Puerto Rico power restoration into disarray

Workers seek to repair distribution lines damaged by Hurricane Maria in the Cantera community of San Juan, Puerto Rico. CREDIT: AP Photo/Carlos Giusti Puerto Rico's decision to cancel its contract with Whitefish Energy Holdings LLC, a small Montana-based company with ties to the Trump administration, has thrown the island's electricity restoration efforts into disarray.

Spain seeks rebellion charges against fired Catalan leaders

Hundreds of thousands of Catalans took to the streets of Barcelona Sunday to call for their region to remain ... . TV crews stand in front of the Palau Generalitat as they wait for the arrival of the Catalonia president Carles Puigdemont, in Barcelona, Spain, early Monday Oct. 30, 2017.

Puerto Rico utility moves to scrap $300M Whitefish contract

The head of Puerto Rico's power company said Sunday the agency is cancelling its $300 million contract with Whitefish Energy Holdings amid scrutiny of the tiny Montana company's role in restoring the island's power system. The announcement by Ricardo Ramos came hours after Gov. Ricardo Rossello urged the utility to scrap the deal for Whitefish's help in rebuilding the electrical system from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Maria.

Puerto Rico Says It’s Scrapping $300M Whitefish Contract

The head of Puerto Rico's power company said Sunday the agency will cancel its $300 million contract with Whitefish Energy Holdings amid increased scrutiny of the tiny Montana company's role in restoring the island's power system following Hurricane Maria. The announcement by Ricardo Ramos came hours after Gov. Ricardo Rossello urged the utility to scrap the deal for Whitefish's help in rebuilding the electrical system.