Oct 19 Watch 7:05 Why restoring Puerto Rico’s power is so difficult By PBS News Hour Both federal and local authorities have faced criticism for the speed of Puerto Rico recovery efforts. A month after Hurricane Maria, some 80 percent of the island remains without electricity. Hari Sreenivasan speaks with José Sánchez, of the U.S. Army… Continue watching
Oct 19 WATCH: Puerto Rico governor says Trump made clear ‘no U.S. citizen will be left behind’ By Associated Press The president says the federal government has done a "really great job." He says he has given his blessing to Congress for a funding plan, but adds that the governor "understands that these folks can't be there forever."… Continue reading
Oct 17 Watch 6:05 Puerto Ricans still don’t have reliable drinking water, and fears of contamination are rising By PBS News Hour It’s been almost a month since Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico, killing at least 48 people, but citizens on the island are still coming to grips with the scale of the devastation. William Brangham speaks with David Begnaud of CBS… Continue watching
Oct 13 2017 is on track to be a record-setting year for massive natural disasters in the U.S. By Laura Santhanam So far, 2017 has produced 15 major U.S. natural disasters and shows no sign of slowing down. Here's a look at these disasters by the numbers. Continue reading
Oct 12 Watch 9:49 White House is committed to long-term Puerto Rico recovery despite Trump tweets, says Gov. Rosselló By PBS News Hour Puerto Rico’s painfully slow recovery from Hurricane Maria has alarmed the island’s residents and become the subject of a political fight. President Trump tweeted that federal aid in Puerto Rico cannot continue “forever,” drawing criticism from San Juan’s mayor. P.J. Continue watching
Oct 12 Trump says Puerto Rico can’t get aid ‘forever’ By Associated Press Trump criticized the U.S. territory in a series of tweets Thursday. He says there is a "total lack of accountability" and "electric and all infrastructure was disaster before hurricanes."… Continue reading
Oct 10 Watch 4:24 News Wrap: Hurricane Maria death toll rises in Puerto Rico By PBS News Hour In our news wrap Tuesday, the confirmed death toll in Puerto Rico rose to 43 nearly three weeks after Hurricane Maria wrecked the island. Authorities blamed infections and bad road conditions, among other factors. Also, President Trump denied he was… Continue watching
Oct 09 Political disputes are hurting Puerto Rico relief, FEMA chief says By Luis Alonso Lugo, Associated Press He did not identify which individual officials he blamed, but the mayor in San Juan has drawn the ire of President Donald Trump for her criticism about how quickly aid is reaching people on the island. Continue reading
Oct 07 Watch 3:05 Puerto Rico’s power struggles predate Hurricane Maria By PBS News Hour Hurricane Maria destroyed Puerto Rico’s grid, but the U.S. territory's power provider was in deep financial trouble and known for neglecting outages before the storm struck last month. Jessica Resnick-Ault, a reporter with Reuters who investigated the bankrupt utility company,… Continue watching
Oct 06 Watch 7:21 Shuttered school in Puerto Rico opens its doors for community in need By PBS News Hour Hurricane Maria has taken a toll on Puerto Rico’s power grid and water supply, but for children, school closures and isolation from friends presents a daily reminder of the storm's devastation. For a working class community outside San Juan, schools… Continue watching