Ricardo Rossello

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Puerto Rico Has a New Governor, but There Are Already Problems

Some question legitimacy of Pedro Pierluisi, sworn in to replace Ricardo Rossello

(Newser) - Puerto Rico has a new governor, and his "unbreakable commitment" to the island is "stronger than ever." Those were the words of Pedro Pierluisi, 60, sworn in Friday to the US territory's top spot after a tumultuous month , a rep for the governor's office says,...

Puerto Rico Governor Names His Possible Successor

Whether Pedro Pierluisi will be approved by legislators remains to be seen

(Newser) - Puerto Rico's governor says he's chosen former Congress representative Pedro Pierluisi as the US territory's secretary of state. That post would put Pierluisi in line to take over as governor when Ricardo Rosselló steps down this week—but he's unlikely to be approved by legislators, reports...

Puerto Rico's Next Governor Has Her Own Challenges

Wanda Vázquez could see her term complicated by criticism

(Newser) - The woman set to become Puerto Rico's next governor—and just its second female governor—has been criticized for her reluctance to confront problems in Gov. Ricardo Rosselló's administration during her nearly two years as the territory's top law enforcement official. That criticism is likely to...

Puerto Rico Governor Resigning Over Chat-Message Scandal

Ricardo Rossello will leave office Aug. 2

(Newser) - Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló said late Wednesday that he will resign Aug. 2 after nearly two weeks of furious protests and political upheaval touched off by a leak of crude and insulting chat messages between him and his top advisers. A crowd of demonstrators outside the governor's mansion...

This Might Be Biggest Protest Ever in Puerto Rico

They want Gov. Ricardo Rossello to step down now

(Newser) - Thousands of Puerto Rican flags fluttered in the morning breeze as demonstrators arrived from across the island Monday for what many expected to be one of the biggest protests ever seen in the US territory, with irate islanders pledging to drive Gov. Ricardo Rosselló from office. Hundreds of thousands of...

Puerto Rico Gov. Responds to the Furor

Ricardo Rosselló will no longer lead his party

(Newser) - Puerto Rico's embattled governor says he will not seek re-election but will not resign as the island's leader, though he will step down as head of his pro-statehood party, the AP reports. Ricardo Rosselló made the announcement Sunday via a brief Facebook video as hundreds of viewers posted...

Puerto Rico Governor Called NYC Official a 'Whore'

Ricardo Rossello apologizes

(Newser) - Puerto Rico's governor apologized Thursday for profanity-laced comments he made in a private chat to describe a former New York City government official and a federal control board overseeing the island's finances. Ricardo Rosselló said he was working 18-hour days and releasing tensions when he called former New...

Trump Goes All In on Puerto Rico Hurricane Fight

Calls response an 'unappreciated great job'

(Newser) - President Trump's Tuesday declaration that the federal government's response to Hurricane Maria was "incredibly successful" drew complaints, especially in light of a recent federal report that found nearly 3,000 people died as a result of the 2017 storm. The criticism didn't deter him from doubling...

After $3.8B Spend, Puerto Rico Power Grid Still 'Highly Fragile'

It's almost certain to collapse in the next hurricane

(Newser) - After an eight-month, $3.8 billion federal effort to try to end the longest blackout in United States history, officials say Puerto Rico's public electrical authority, the nation's largest, is almost certain to collapse again when the next hurricane hits this island of 3.3 million people. "...

Trump Has Officially Rated His Response to Puerto Rico

'I'd say it was a 10'

(Newser) - On Thursday, President Trump gave himself perfect marks for the federal government's response to the ongoing disaster in Puerto Rico, USA Today reports. "I'd say it was a 10," Trump told reporters during a meeting with Gov. Ricardo Rossello of Puerto Rico. According to the Washington ...

Trump to Puerto Rico: You've Thrown Budget 'Out of Whack'

'And that's fine,' he says

(Newser) - "Every death is a horror," President Trump said Tuesday while meeting with local and federal officials at Muniz Air National Guard Base in Puerto Rico, but other remarks he made weren't quite so heavy. While discussing his administration's response to the devastation on the island, he...

Satellite Photo Shows How Bleak It Is in Puerto Rico
As Puerto Rico Cries Out,
Trump Brings Up Its Debt
the rundown
Sep 26, 2017 1:53 PM CDT

As Puerto Rico Cries Out, Trump Brings Up Its Debt

'We need more help,' says governor

(Newser) - President Trump plans to visit Puerto Rico next Tuesday to see for himself the devastation of Hurricane Maria. At an afternoon news conference, Trump promised that the federal government is "doing everything we can" to help, reports CNN . "All available federal resources, including the military, are being marshaled...

Bill Seeks to Make Puerto Rico 51st State by 2025

'We are treated as second-class American citizens': prominent pol

(Newser) - Puerto Rico's new rep to the US Congress filed a bill Wednesday that would turn the island into the 51st US state by 2025. The bill is the first step in a renewed quest for statehood that's to include a referendum letting Puerto Rico voters choose between independence...

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