By Alison Durkee 15 October 2017 (Mic) – It has now been more than three weeks since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico and the island is still reeling from the devastation it caused.Despite an influx of federal and private aid, many on the hurricane-ravaged island are still without such basic necessities as potable […]
By José A. Iglesias 13 October 2017 (Miami Herald) – Three weeks after Hurricane Maria ransacked Puerto Rico, mounds of soaking, animal-infested garbage still line streets. Public health experts say every day that the debris remains, the risk of an epidemic grows. Kamille Camacho, of Iniciativa Comunitaria, says, “I feel helpless because I want to […]
By Jim Wyss 14 October 2017 SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (Miami Herald) – Washboards, candles, and cash are the new must-have items on this powerless island. Almost four weeks after Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico, 85 percent of the population is still without electricity, forcing people to get creative — and go old school — […]
By Aída Chávez 13 October 2017 (The Intercept) – Nestled in the $36.5 billion disaster relief package the House of Representatives approved Thursday is $5 billion specifically for Puerto Rico to maintain basic government function after being devastated by two hurricanes, as economic activity on the island has come to a near standstill, and tax […]
By Anne Branigin 13 October 2017 (The Root) – Here are a couple of things your tax dollars have paid for in the past few weeks: Vice President Michael Pence’s NFL protest/publicity stunt, the Scotch tape keeping Donald Trump’s ties together, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders calling for Jemele Hill to get fired, […]
By John D. Sutter 14 October 2017 Dorado, Puerto Rico (CNN) – Jose Luis Rodriguez waited in line Friday to fill plastic jugs in the back of his pickup truck with water for drinking, doing the dishes and bathing. But there is something about this water Rodriguez didn’t know: It was being pumped to him […]
By Sandra Lilley , Suzanne Gamboa, Daniella Silva, and Carmen Sesin 13 October 2017 (NBC News) – President Donald Trump’s Twitter comments on Thursday threatening to pull federal resources from Puerto Rico as the U.S. territory grapples with the lack of basic necessities elicited shock and alarm on the island and the mainland.San Juan Mayor […]
12 October 2017 (UN News) – Recent devastating natural events – from hurricanes in the Caribbean to floods in South Asia and earthquakes in Mexico – have again shone a spotlight on the importance of efforts to reduce disaster risk, and how impossible it is to achieve global development goals without addressing such hazards.“If you […]
By Chris Flood 13 September 2017 (Financial Times) – A coalition of institutional investors managing more than $1 trillion in assets is demanding that 60 of the world’s largest banks take action to protect the world from the threat of catastrophic damage due to climate change.The devastation caused by Hurricane Irma across the Caribbean and […]
By Cristina Marcos 12 October 2017 (The Hill) – Legislation to provide $36.5 billion in aid for communities affected by recent wildfires and hurricanes, including Puerto Rico, secured widespread support in the House on Thursday save for 69 Republicans. The votes in opposition included many members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, who believe government […]
