The death penalty was abolished in Puerto Rico in 1929, two years after the last hanging took place in the U.S. territory. “The death penalty shall not exist” is part of the territory’s 1952 constitution, approved by the U.S. Congress. In 1994, the United States government determined that the death penalty could be applied in… Read more »
Puerto Rico’s Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB) is facing a number of challenges right now, from ongoing conflict with the territorial government to a legal ruling declaring the board unconstitutional. They’re relying on advice from management consulting firm McKinsey & Company. The consulting firm sees Puerto Rico’s troubles as “a management crisis brought to… Read more »
Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello delivered the State of the Territory address for Puerto Rico earlier this week. He expressed determination to create jobs, lessen the flow of people from the Island to the mainland, and continue moving toward statehood with a new referendum. Rossello also spoke about the importance of equal treatment with the… Read more »
The Puerto Rico Research Hub of the University of Central Florida and the Center for Puerto Rican Studies of the Hunter College of New York held a summit in Orlando to define needed research on the Puerto Rican population in Florida. The summit, “In Pursuit of Puerto Rican Studies,” had the goal of identifying research… Read more »
Navigator research recently checked on awareness of and support for eight political changes, including statehood for Puerto Rico. These reforms were, in the words of the Navigator report, “bigger ideas geared at bolder electoral and political reforms.” Some of these ideas have been coming up in early presidential campaigns, or in reform proposals in Congress…. Read more »
Climate change has affected Puerto Rico in some extremely significant ways. First, warmer ocean water temperatures fueled Hurricane Maria, bringing as much rain in one day as the Island usually sees in three months. A new study determined that the sheer quantity of rain was enough to cause landslides, flooding, and unsafe water conditions across… Read more »
The House passed a disaster funding bill in January. This bill provided $14.17 billion for emergency spending on nutrition assistance, repairs, and other actions to help people in Puerto Rico and other States and territories recover from natural disasters. House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY) said. “This legislation is a critical first step… Read more »
An important distinction in historical research is the difference between primary and secondary sources. Puerto Rico makes an excellent study for this topic. There are many misconceptions and disagreements about the history of Puerto Rico. Challenge students to choose a topic on which people now disagree, and track down primary sources that can help distinguish… Read more »
Workers in Puerto Rico pay payroll taxes — the Social Security and Medicare taxes that are deducted from American’s paychecks across the country. These taxes cover unemployment insurance, Social Security, and federal health care costs. Bona fide residents of Puerto Rico do not have to pay income tax on the wages they receive from Puerto… Read more »
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), along with 43 other Democratic Senators, introduced the Working Families Tax Relief Act today. If enacted, the proposal’s supporters state the bill would: Lift 7 million people out of poverty Bring 3 million children out of poverty Bring another 22 million people nearer to the poverty line — close to leaving… Read more »
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