In 1938, with the support of Columbia University and the School of Tropical Medicine of the University of Puerto Rico, primatologist Clarence Carpenter populated the island of Cayo Santiago with 450 rhesus macaques from India. With its current population of 2,000 primates, Cayo Santiago is popularly known as Monkey Island. Human visitors, other than the research scientists,… Read more »

Encouraging entrepreneurship and business investment has been a feature of Puerto Rico’s economic development plans over the years, and it is a focus of the legislation introduced by Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon. But how is Puerto Rico doing on that front? Third party indicators suggest that Puerto Rico is struggling, but making some progress. The… Read more »

The New York Times brings us news, but also cultural content like recipes and food history. Von Diaz’s Essential Puerto Rican Recipes begins with sofrito, a mix of garlic, onions, peppers, and a local variant on cilantro. This mixture provides basic flavor for many dishes,and for Diaz, it provides smell of nostalgia. Diaz, a journalist and… Read more »

The Small Business Administration has announced new funding for Women’s Business Centers in Puerto Rico. A total of $300,000 will be divided into two grants which can go to established or new organizations. The organizations will host the WBCs, which will provide services for female entrepreneurs. SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman attended the White House Puerto… Read more »

Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, released a statement commending the revival of the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico. “The Biden administration has committed to resolving the serious issues affecting the territory and its residents, and I sincerely commend them for this decision,” Grijalva said. “I look forward… Read more »

Puerto Rico’s legislature has sent a bill to Governor Pierluisi which is designed to allow Puerto Rico to make the most of the EITC provision in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP). The ARP makes changes to the federal Earned Income Tax credit, but Puerto Rico residents are not eligible for that credit. Puerto Rico… Read more »

  Puerto Rican teams compete at the Olympics.  They have done so since 1948, when boxer Juan Venegas earned a bronze medal. The Island has sent a team to every Summer Olympics event since then, and has also competed in several Winter Olympics contests. There are other Olympics teams that don’t represent actual present-day countries:… Read more »

U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) sent a letter to Senate Committee on Finance Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) calling for a long-term solution to Puerto Rico’s Medicaid underfunding. Puerto Rico is facing another Medicaid cliff in September when it is scheduled… Read more »

President Biden has convened a working group focusing on Puerto Rico. White House Director of Intergovernmental Affairs Julie Chávez Rodriguez, Director of the National Economic Council Brian Deese, and Director of the Domestic Policy Council Susan Rice will co-chair the new Puerto Rico Task Force, which met for the first time this week. “The president… Read more »

A proposal to increase Medicaid spending for Puerto Rico and delay the upcoming funding “cliff” in September is moving this week in the House of Representatives. The legislation (H.R. 4406) would provide Puerto Rico with at least $2.809 billion and up to $3.009 billion in Fiscal Year 2022 and, then at least $2.719 billion and… Read more »