“The Status of Puerto Rico” is an in-depth report on Puerto Rico’s status produced by the program  Inside America with Ghida Fakhry from the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation. Luis Fortuño After explaining the new statehood admissions bill and the competing HR 2070, Fakhry began by talking with former Governor of Puerto Rico, Luis Fortuño…. Read more »

As a territory, Puerto Rico is treated differently from the 50 states in many ways. Usually, this means unequal – and lesser – treatment. For example, nutrition assistance (food stamps) in Puerto Rico is different from the system in the states. Puerto Rico receives capped funding for its Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP), originally set at… Read more »

Carlos Romero Barceló, who served as Governor of Puerto Rico and Resident Commissioner during a political career lasting over 40 years, died on May 2, 2021, at the age of 88. Romero Barceló was born in 1932 in San Juan. His grandfather, an associate of Luis Munoz Rivera, was president of The Puerto Rico Senate,… Read more »

Johnny Velazquez, a native of Carolina, Puerto Rico, won the Kentucky Derby for the second time in a row this year. This makes him one of just seven jockies who have ever won consecutive Derby races. Velazquez has actually won the Derby four times: with Animal Kingdom in 2011, Always Dreaming in 2017, Authentic in 2020,… Read more »

The U.S. Census Bureau announced the changes in population that have occurred in U.S. States and territories over the past decade. Puerto Rico’s population has fallen by 11.8%, to 3.285 million. Puerto Rico’s population peak was 3.8 million people in 2004, but there has been a fairly steady decline since then. U.S. population growth and… Read more »

It has been such a long time since the United States added a state that most of us have forgotten how it works. One uncertainty is the question of ratification. HR 1522, The Puerto Rico Statehood Admissions bill, calls for the voters of Puerto Rico to ratify, or approve, the offer of statehood presented by… Read more »

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) recently mentioned the U.S. territory of Guam in a public speech. She said that she, as “a regular person,” wanted to see her “hard-earned dollars” helping America, not “China, Russia, the Middle East, Guam, whatever…” It was clear that Greene was using Guam as an example of a foreign country…. Read more »

Shortly before the hearing on Puerto Rico’s status held earlier this month, a group of constitutional law scholars from the University of Puerto Rico, Columbia, Yale, Harvard and across the nation collaborated on a letter explaining their support of HR 1522, the Puerto Rico Statehood Admissions Act, and pointing out legal problems with the competing… Read more »

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) spoke about statehood for Washington, DC, in yesterday’s debate on the subject in Congress. He also spoke twice about statehood for Puerto Rico. At 56:59, he said, “And so I say to my [Republican] friends, okay they don’t see the problem of taxation without representation in Washington. They don’t see the… Read more »

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) had authorized $8.2 billion in funding for Puerto Rico under HUD’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Relief, or CDBG-DR, program. The funds were allocated but were not actually provided to Puerto Rico. HUD had placed restrictions on the funds, including a special monitor who came on board… Read more »