Puerto Rico

The strongest storm ever recorded in the Atlantic outside of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico is expected to pass "near or just north of Puerto Rico this afternoon or tonight," forecasters say.

The debt-racked territory voted to become the 51st state in 2012, but Congress never picked up the result. Puerto Rico voted again Sunday and partial results show most voters support U.S. statehood.

About 5 percent of pregnant women infected with Zika in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories last year had babies with birth defects, says the federal health agency. And the risk isn't over.

López Rivera had been in custody since 1981. He was imprisoned over his connection with a militant group that fought for Puerto Rican independence and claimed responsibility for dozens of bombings.

Between its public-sector debt and what it owes pension funds, the U.S. territory's bills exceed $120 billion. That makes for some difficult decisions in court, which opened hearings Wednesday.

Amid the wreckage of economic crisis in Puerto Rico, a local food movement is taking root. Hopeful farmers are leasing long-abandoned land. But why was the land abandoned in the first place?

A Natural Resources Defense Defense Council study finds the island has the highest rate of drinking water violations in the U.S. The group calls for investment in upgrades.

The territory, which is ineligible for bankruptcy, filed to begin a similar procedure tailor-made for its more than $70 billion debt crisis, which is likely to dwarf Detroit's 2013 Chapter 9 filing.

The island has been struggling with a massive debt burden for nearly two years, and protection from lawsuits are about to expire. An oversight board could initiate a bankruptcy-like process.

The Zika virus may have infected more than 1 million people in Puerto Rico, including thousands of pregnant women. Doctors are watching babies born to infected moms who don't show birth defects.

It may be considered the national pastime, but in the first three World Baseball Classics the United States was far from dominant. That changed Wednesday night in a lopsided title win.

Since coming to the U.S., Colón acted in over 90 films, imbuing her often secondary roles with soul. Behind the scenes, as a theater producer, she also blazed a path for other Latino actors to follow.