Trump thinks PR officials are using disaster relief to pay off debt
Issue #25: Puerto Ricans might sway elections in Florida, Lin-Manuel Miranda is trying to save coffee on the island and more...
→ Trump, Without Evidence, Accuses Puerto Rico Of Abusing Hurricane Relief Funds
It’s not clear from where Trump got the impression that officials in Puerto Rico are using disaster relief funding for anything other than disaster relief. San Juan Mayor Carmen Carmen Yulín Cruz quickly responded: “if you mean that no relief $ will be used to pay debt (hedge funds) we finally AGREE on something.” (Sara Boboltz / HuffPost)
→ Puerto Ricans May Finally Have a Voice in the Elections — Some by Proxy
Latino activists say that Puerto Ricans who moved to Florida will make November’s election a game changer. (Jim Wyss / Miami Herald)
→ For Small Aqueducts In Puerto Rico, An Assist From The Mainland
“This is life, this is life," says Israel Chevere, who heads the independent water authority for the community of Pozo Azul. "We’ve sustained ourselves from this. This is how we feed ourselves, what we bathe with, what we drink." (Simon Rios / WBUR)
→ Lin-Manuel Miranda is Trying to Revive Puerto Rico’s Devastated Coffee Industry
Miranda is the face of a 5-year multi-million dollar initiative – led by the Hispanic Federation, Nespresso, Starbucks and others – to revive the coffee industry in Puerto Rico. (Jim Wyss / Miami Herald)
→ Puerto Rico's Unlikely Financial Bounceback
Puerto Rico’s bonds are back to pre-Maria levels. (Felix Salmon / Axios)
→ After Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico May Shift to 100% Renewable Energy
Puerto Rico’s House and Senate held a joint hearing to consider a bill that would transition the island to 100% renewable energy. (Adele Peters / Fast Company)
→ “We Had Gone Back 20 Years.” The Heads of Puerto Rico’s Largest Media Company on Life After Hurricane Maria
“It was a race to transform ourselves. We were responsible for informing and connecting everyone in a very tricky environment. From the first moment, because our business is connecting people, we had to pick ourselves up and do our job. But the hurricane forced us to see ourselves in a different way. Our call centers became the FEMA call centers. We were supplying electricity and water to our properties that are part of our real estate business, and so we began to rent out small spaces to people who needed to get back to work but had no place to go.” – Maria Luisa Ferré Rangel, president of Grupo Ferré Rangel (Laura Amico / Harvard Business Review)
→ Activists Demand Closure of Puerto Rico Zoo after Deaths
The Dr. Juan A. Rivero zoo, located in Mayaguez, has been closed to the public since Hurricane Irma. Following deaths of animals and reports of improper care, animal activists are calling for the permanent closure of the zoo. (Danica Coto / AP)
→ How this Cheese Factory in Puerto Rico Increased Sales by About 20% in the Aftermath of Hurricane Maria
Indulac’s factory was the only one equipped to keep up with demand following the storm, and sales have exploded. (Abby Narishkin and Aliza Gulab / Insider)