The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill allowing a referendum in Puerto Rico to decide the future of the territory.
The referendum would allow Puerto Rican voters to choose between three options: becoming an independent nation, becoming a state, or becoming a sovereignty with a formal U.S. association. The options do not include Puerto Rico’s current status as a territory.
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Puerto Rico has become a popular tax haven for super rich Americans who take advantage of local laws, which allow them to avoid paying U.S. federal income taxes.
Over the last decade, thousands of wealthy Americans have built homes, started businesses and spent a significant amount of time in Puerto Rico, all in order to take advantage of the island’s tax code that exempts them from U.S. taxes. While just a few thousand have taken advantage of the law, the U.S. federal government has potentially lost out on hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue, according to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
“It’s being done, in a sense, in plain sight,” Peter Palsen, an international tax expert at the Washington D.C-area law firm Frost Law, told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “The IRS has the knowledge of who’s doing it.”
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The future of Puerto Rico’s botched primaries rested in the hands of the island’s Supreme Court as answers trickled out Monday on why voting centers lacked ballots and forced officials to reschedule part of the primaries in a blow to the U.S. territory’s democracy.
A plan to hold another primary on Aug. 16 for centers that could not open on Sunday could change depending on the ruling of a lawsuit filed by Pedro Pierluisi, who is running against Gov. Wanda Vázquez to become the potential nominee of the pro-statehood New Progressive Party. Joining the lawsuit was Puerto Rico Sen. Eduardo Bhatia, of the main opposition Popular Democratic Party.
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The Senate of Puerto Rico is set to hold public hearings Monday on the nomination of veteran politician Pedro Pierluisi to replace embattled former governor Ricardo Rossello, who resigned as promised Friday.
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by Chris White Thousands of protesters in Puerto Rico are demanding Gov. Ricardo Rosselló resign over corruption charges and what many believe are misogynistic private messages he shared with officials. Protesters hurled bricks, glass and fireworks, at police Wednesday evening in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Police fired tear…
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Sen. Amy Klobuchar spent the weekend visiting with leaders in Puerto Rico and repeatedly attacked President Donald Trump for his response to Hurricane Maria ahead of her visit to the U.S. territory. “A lot of it has to do with this president, who continually wants to look at Puerto…
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A federal bankruptcy judge approved a major debt restructuring plan for Puerto Rico on Monday in the first deal of its kind for the U.S. territory since the island’s government declared nearly four years ago that it was unable to repay its public debt. The agreement involves more than $17…
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by Jude Schwalbach The new year is bringing exciting developments to Puerto Rico’s education reforms. Not only will the U.S. territory open new charter schools, it will also launch a new pilot private school voucher program in the fall. The need for education reform is most clearly illustrated by…
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Biologists are trying to save the last of the endangered Puerto Rican parrots after more than half the population of the bright green birds with turquoise-tipped wings disappeared when Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico and destroyed their habitat and food sources. In the tropical forest of El Yunque, only…
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by Jude Schwalbach Thirteen months ago on Sept. 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria slammed the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, devastating homes and infrastructure and leading to loss of life across the island. The storm greatly exacerbated the problems of a school system already in crisis: Puerto Rican fourth- and…
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by Jude Schwalbach Thirteen months ago on Sept. 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria slammed the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, devastating homes and infrastructure and leading to loss of life across the island. The storm greatly exacerbated the problems of a school system already in crisis: Puerto Rican fourth- and…
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President Donald Trump on Monday declared himself an “absolute no” on statehood for Puerto Rico as long as critics such as San Juan’s mayor remain in office, the latest broadside in his feud with members of the U.S. territory’s leadership. Trump lobbed fresh broadsides at San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín…
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by Rachel Greszler An economic crisis has engulfed Puerto Rico. The Financial Oversight Management Board, a federally-mandated advisory group, has worked to help Puerto Rico deal with its financial crisis and establish policies that will lead to long-run growth. The board says Puerto Rico must reform its labor market to…
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TJX Companies, Inc., the corporate owners of Marshalls, T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods, announced just recently that even though its shops’ doors have been closed for more than six weeks in hurricane-plagued Puerto Rico, all its employees will still be paid. This is how America rolls. Truly, this is what Founding…
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As President Donald Trump readies to fly into Puerto Rico on Tuesday, at least one mayor is thanking the administration and the federal government for their response to Hurricane Maria, which rocked the island in late September. Angel Perez Otero — the mayor of Guaynabo, San Juan’s western neighbor —…
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Latinos For Tennessee is partnering with the Clarksville Hispanic American Family Foundation (CHAFF) to support hurricane victims in Puerto Rico. Clarksville is home to a large share of Tennessee’s Puerto Rican population because of Fort Campbell, where many serve in the military. The groups are putting together emergency kits for…
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President Donald Trump lifted US shipping restrictions on storm-battered Puerto Rico for 10 days Thursday, temporarily removing a legal obstacle blamed for slowing the disaster relief response to Hurricane Maria, the White House said. A 1920 law that restricts shipments between American ports to US-owned and operated cargo ships has…
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