Puerto Rico

Ex-Air Force Officer To Oversee Puerto Rico's Power Restoration

1:36am October 26, 2017

by Scott Neuman

The appointment of retired Col. Noel Zamot comes after a controversial $300 million contract to rebuild the island's power grid was awarded to a tiny company with little experience.

Weeks after Tesla founder Elon Musk and Gov. Ricardo Rossello spoke about the tech company aiding Puerto Rico, Tesla says it has restored electricity to a children's hospital, using solar energy and batteries.

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Tesla Turns Power Back On At Children's Hospital In Puerto Rico

5:11pm October 25, 2017

by Bill Chappell

The hospital offers services to some 3,000 young patients. Tesla's solar system is reportedly providing the hospital with all the electricity it needs.

Whitefish Energy workers restore power lines damaged in Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, on October 15. Gov. Ricardo RossellÃ³ has ordered an audit of the $300 million deal the island's power authority made with Whitefish.

Tiny Montana Firm Gets $300 Million Contract To Help Restore Power In Puerto Rico

6:06pm October 24, 2017

The decision by Puerto Rico's electric authority to give such a big contract – and such an enormous challenge – to Whitefish Energy has been met with surprise. The governor has now ordered an audit.

Mainland Colleges Offer In-State Tuition To Students Affected By Hurricane Maria

9:44am October 22, 2017

by Ariana Figueroa

State colleges, community colleges and one private university are working to help students in Puerto Rico and beyond continue their education.

Volunteers assemble tens of thousands of sandwiches each day at the Coliseo in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Chef José Andrés, who is overseeing the massive effort to feed displaced Puerto Ricans, calls it "one of the most effective sandwich lines made by volu

National

Chef José Andrés Has Served Nearly 1.5 Million Meals To Hungry Puerto Ricans

10:09pm October 20, 2017

by Christina Cala

In the capital, San Juan, the coliseum has become the center of a massive effort, led by D.C. restaurateur and celebrity chef Andrés, to feed tens of thousands of Puerto Ricans after Hurricane Maria.

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A worker repairs power lines in San Isidro, Puerto Rico. An outdated, aboveground power grid coupled with a comparative shortage of utility workers have hobbled efforts to restore power in the territory.

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Why It's So Hard To Turn The Lights Back On In Puerto Rico

12:51pm October 20, 2017

by Tim Webber

Almost a month after Hurricane Maria made landfall, most of the island is still without electricity. Officials have estimated it could be months before power is restored.

Local Puerto Rican Grad Student Harnessing Power Of Music To Rebuild

11:36am October 16, 2017

by David Ford

This fall, Luis Sanz traveled from his home in Puerto Rico to study composition at the UNC School of the Arts in Win

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Glisela Vega Rivera and her three children wait to board a flight to Miami. Thousands of Puerto Ricans have poured into Florida after Hurricane Maria. More than 27,000 have arrived through Port Everglades and the Miami and Orlando airports alone since Oct

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'Get Us Out Of Here': Amid Broken Infrastructure, Puerto Ricans Flee To Florida

12:36pm October 13, 2017

by Isabel Dobrin

With more than 80 percent of people still without power in Puerto Rico, thousands are pouring out of the island to find relief on the mainland.

President Donald Trump walks with FEMA administrator Brock Long, second from right, and Lt. Gen. Jeff Buchanan, right as he tours an area affected by Hurricane Maria in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, on Oct. 3, 2017.

National

What Does Being A U.S. Territory Mean For Puerto Rico?

4:43am October 13, 2017

by Tim Webber

Residents of the territory have been frustrated with the federal government's response to Hurricane Maria. What responsibilities does Washington have to the people of Puerto Rico?

Continued flooding brings more suffering to neighborhoods of Utuado after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico.

National

Progress Destroyed: Rural Puerto Rico Faces Continual Trauma Of Flooding Rain

1:58pm October 12, 2017

by Elissa Nadworny

Blanca Matos' home, which backs up against a river, has flooded, and re-flooded, nearly every day this week. After each rain, she mops the house, cursing the river.