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FEMA’S head details the agency’s hurricane recovery efforts before lawmakers today

Oct 31, 2017
Puerto Rico’s controversial contract and massive recovery will come under scrutiny

The Army Corps of Engineers is tasked with turning the lights back on in Puerto Rico

Oct 20, 2017
The mission: Put things back the way they were, including 62,000 telephone poles.
A car drives under tilted power line poles in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Humacao, Puerto Rico, on Oct. 2.
RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP/Getty Images

What happens when corporations rush in to help in a disaster?

Oct 9, 2017
Will aid from corporations help Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Maria faster?
Kids bike in an area without grid power or running water about two weeks after Hurricane Maria swept through the island on October 5, 2017 in San Isidro, Puerto Rico.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

Solar power could be a model for Puerto Rico beyond Hurricane Maria

Oct 6, 2017
Two weeks after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, only a fraction of residents have electricity. The rest are facing a months-long wait for power. Now, a number of companies are looking to solar power, not just as a disaster response, but as way to power the island long term. The idea is to use several […]

Could Puerto Rico’s devastated power grid be rebuilt using solar energy instead?

Oct 6, 2017
It’s been weeks now since Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, and still a vast majority of the island, nearly 90 percent, doesn’t have power. Elon Musk, on Twitter, suggested his solar power technology could be scaled up to rebuild the entire power grid, and the governor of the island, Ricardo Rossello, tweeted back “Let’s talk.”  […]

As workers flow into Puerto Rico, residents try to leave

Oct 6, 2017
A recent United Airlines flight carried volunteer workers into Puerto Rico and evacuated residents who wanted to leave.
Damaged homes are seen as people deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Joe Raedle / Getty Images

Parsing President Trump’s Puerto Rico debt comments

Oct 4, 2017
Puerto Rico’s billions of dollars in outstanding debt involves a complicated mix of obligations: general government bonds sold by Puerto Rico, sales tax-backed bonds, electric power revenue bonds … it’s a long list. Bond insurers are on the hook for a portion of the debt if the government agencies that issued the bonds fail to […]

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FEMA chief said helping Puerto Rico must be a public and private effort

Oct 2, 2017
The Trump Administration plans to ask Congress for around $13 billion in new aid for Puerto Rico, according to news reports. The president is expected to visit tomorrow. Large parts of the island are still without electricity and clean drinking water after Hurricane Maria made landfall nearly two weeks ago. Yesterday, FEMA’s administrator pointedly defended […]

Puerto Rican farms are starting over from seeds

Sep 29, 2017
Hurricane Maria devastated farmland on the island.
Irma Maldanado stands with Sussury her parrot and her dog in what is left of her home that was destroyed when Hurricane Maria passed through on September 27, 2017 in Corozal, Puerto Rico. 
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

How federal officials assess damage and rebuilding needs after disasters

Sep 29, 2017
President Donald Trump has tweeted out criticisms of Puerto Rican elected officials over their emergency response to the devastation of Hurricane Maria. He has linked the enormous scale of devastation to the island’s poorly maintained infrastructure, and suggested that federal financial assistance for rebuilding might be impacted by the island’s multi-billion dollar outstanding debt. Experts […]