Audio By Carbonatix
The White House plans to announce an $11.6 billion aid package for Puerto Rico, focused on the territory’s energy and education systems, to help the island recover from the devastation brought by 2017’s Hurricane Maria, Fox News reported on Friday, citing unnamed sources.
Puerto Rico was already struggling financially before the deadly hurricane struck three years ago, and filed a form of municipal bankruptcy for the commonwealth in 2017 to restructure about $120 billion of debt and obligations.
Since then, the U.S. commonwealth has been hit by more hurricanes, earthquakes, the coronavirus pandemic and political upheaval, and has been the target of increased federal scrutiny into its use of U.S. aid.
A large portion of its financial distress was linked to the territory’s power utility.
Meanwhile, Republican President Donald Trump is working to woo Hispanic voters in the upcoming Nov. 3 presidential election, where he is in a tight race against Democrat Joe Biden.
Biden said Trump “has done nothing but assault the dignity of Hispanic families” in a speech on Tuesday in Kissimmee, Florida, where many people settled after fleeing Maria’s devastation.
Latest Stories
-
Ablakwa receives Presidential Special Envoy on Reparations to advance global agenda
1 minute -
Christina Koch becomes first woman to travel around the moon on Artemis II
12 minutes -
Epstein survivors’ calls to meet King Charles and Queen harder to ignore as US visit approaches
18 minutes -
UN Secretary-General names Ghana’s Anita Kiki Gbeho as South Sudan envoy
20 minutes -
Mali withdraws recognition of Sahrawi Republic, backs Morocco’s autonomy plan
24 minutes -
Gov’t distributes over 8,500 laptops to One Million Coders project
25 minutes -
Julius Debrah, ‘man to beat’ as NDC’s James Agbey dismisses Musah Dankwah’s polls
31 minutes -
GPRTU in Savannah Region to protest alleged eviction in Damongo
1 hour -
Re: Reinsurance does not replace process — A response to the SIGA–SIC defence
1 hour -
Gender Ministry supports Harriet Amuzu in ongoing abuse case
1 hour -
AG joins plaintiff to scrap OSP ?: We should be mindful of the mischief in this – Bobby Banson
2 hours -
Samson Lardy Anyenini questions willingness of Attorneys-General to prosecute political colleagues
2 hours -
It is only fair the OSP is heard in Supreme Court case – Bobby Banson
2 hours -
Asiedu Nketia resumes Ashanti tour, second leg kicks off on Sunday
2 hours -
NLA denies salary cut claims, threatens legal action over reports
2 hours