Puerto Rico hit with massive island-wide blackout ahead of Easter weekend
A massive island-wide blackout hit Puerto Rico on Wednesday as residents were looking ahead to the Easter weekend.
A spokesman for Luma Energy, which oversees the transmission and distribution of power for the U.S. territory, told The Associated Press that all 1.4 million customers were affected, including the main international airport and several hospitals. At least 328,000 customers were without water.
Power had only been restored for around 175,000 customers – or 12% – by Wednesday.
Hotels were near capacity, with thousands of tourists celebrating Easter vacations on the island. Tourism officials rushed to reassure them that many hotels and other businesses were operating with generators.
New Jersey Women Identified As One Of 200 Dominican Republican Nightclub Collapse Victims
"There are no words that can ease the frustration we feel as a people in the face of another massive blackout," Gov. Jenniffer González, who cut her vacation short and flew back to Puerto Rico, wrote on X. "I'm with you because the people of Puerto Rico deserve their officials to respond in times of crisis, and that's why I'm here."
Read On The Fox News App
It was not immediately clear what caused the shutdown, which is the latest in a string of major blackouts on the island in recent years.
In December, another massive blackout left nearly 1.3 million in the dark as residents were beginning preparations to celebrate New Year's Eve.
The governor pledged she would cancel the contract with Luma but noted that while government officials have started analyzing the contract and finding possible replacements, it wouldn't be a quick process.
González also said that she has requested an in-depth investigation into the blackout, noting that officials have already warned there won't be enough generation of power for this summer, when demand peaks.
"Puerto Rico can't be the island where the power goes out all the time," González said. "We're going to take action. Let people have no doubts."
Officials said 90% of clients would likely have electricity 48 to 72 hours after the blackout occurred.
Mlb Legend Pedro Martinez Reveals Family Members Missing After Roof Collapse In Dominican Republican
The latest blackout has left thousands of Puerto Ricans fuming, with many renewing their calls that the government cancel the contract with Luma and Genera PR, which oversees generation of power on the island.
Reggaeton superstar Bad Bunny echoed the collective rage, writing on X: "When are we going to do something?"
Dozens of people were forced to walk on an overpass next to the rails of the rapid transit system that serves the capital, San Juan, while scores of businesses were forced to close.
Professional baseball and basketball games were canceled as the hum of generators and smell of smoke filled the air. Traffic became snarled as police officers were deployed to busy intersections.
Those without generators crowded around grocery stores and other businesses to buy ice across Puerto Rico.
The island of 3.2 million residents has a more than 40% poverty rate, and not everyone can afford solar panels or generators.
Roughly 117,000 homes and businesses on the island have solar rooftops. Meanwhile, petroleum-fired power plants provide 62% of Puerto Rico's power, natural gas 24%, coal 8% and renewables 7%, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Earthquake Shakes San Diego Area
Daniel Hernández, vice president of operations at Genera PR, said at a news conference that a disturbance hit the transmission system shortly after noon on Wednesday, during a time when the grid is vulnerable because there are not many machines regulating frequency at that hour.
Verónica Ferraiuoli, Puerto Rico's acting governor and secretary of state, said the White House reached out to local officials and said they are available if needed.
Pablo José Hernández, Puerto Rico's representative in Congress, said he would work to ensure that "Washington understands the real and urgent situation Puerto Ricans face every day."
"The electric grid crisis is frustrating, and after years of blackouts, it feels like it's going from bad to worse," he said.Original article source: Puerto Rico hit with massive island-wide blackout ahead of Easter weekend
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
23 minutes ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
The GOP's big bill would bring changes to Medicaid for millions
Republican Sen. Josh Hawley has been clear about his red line as the Senate takes up the GOP's One Big Beautiful Bill Act: no Medicaid cuts. But what, exactly, would be a cut? Hawley and other Republicans acknowledge that the main cost-saving provision in the bill – new work requirements on able-bodied adults who receive health care through the Medicaid program -- would cause millions of people to lose their coverage. All told, estimates are 10.9 million fewer people would have health coverage under the bill's proposed changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. That includes some 8 million fewer in the Medicaid program, including 5.2 million dropping off because of the new eligibility requirements. 'I know that will reduce the number of people on Medicaid,' Hawley told a small scrum of reporters in the hallways at the Capitol. 'But I'm for that because I want people who are able bodied but not working to work.' Hawley and other Republicans are walking a politically fine line on how to reduce federal spending on Medicaid while also promising to protect a program that serves some 80 million Americans and is popular with the public. As the party pushes ahead on President Donald Trump' s priority package, Republicans insist they are not cutting the vital safety net program but simply rooting out what they call waste, fraud and abuse. Whether that argument lands with voters could go a long way toward determining whether Trump's bill ultimately ends up boosting — or dragging down — Republicans as they campaign for reelection next year. Republicans say that it's wrong to call the reductions in health care coverage 'cuts.' Instead, they've characterized the changes as rules that would purge people who are taking advantage of the system and protect it for the most vulnerable who need it most. What's in the bill House Republicans wrote the bill with instructions to find $880 billion in cuts from programs under the purview of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has a sprawling jurisdiction that includes Medicaid. In the version of the bill that the House passed on a party-line vote last month, the overall cuts ended up exceeding that number. The Kaiser Family Foundation projects that the bill will result in a $793 billion reduction in spending on Medicaid. Additionally, the House Ways & Means Committee, which handles federal tax policy, imposed a freeze on a health care provider tax that many states impose. Critics say the tax improperly boosts federal Medicaid payments to the states, but supporters like Hawley say it's important funding for rural hospitals. 'What we're doing here is an important and, frankly, heroic thing to preserve the program so that it doesn't become insolvent,' Speaker Mike Johnson said on NBC's 'Meet the Press.' House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, meanwhile, has denounced the bill as an 'assault on the healthcare of the American people' and warned years of progress in reducing the number of uninsured people is at risk. Who would lose health coverage The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the GOP's proposed changes to federal health programs would result in 10.9 million fewer people having health care coverage. Nearly 8 million fewer people would be enrolled in Medicaid by 2034 under the legislation, the CBO found, including 5.2 million people who would lose coverage due to the proposed work requirements. It said 1.4 million immigrants without legal status would lose coverage in state programs. The new Medicaid requirements would apply to nondisabled adults under age 65 who are not caretakers or parents, with some exceptions. The bill passed by the U.S. House stipulates that those eligible would need to work, take classes, or record community service for 80 hours per month. The Kaiser Family Foundation notes that more than 90% of people enrolled in Medicaid already meet those criteria. The legislation also penalizes states that fund health insurance for immigrants who have not confirmed their immigration status, and the CBO expects that those states will stop funding Medicaid for those immigrants altogether. Why Republicans want Medicaid changes 'What we are trying to do in the One Big Beautiful Bill is ensuring that limited resources are protected for pregnant women, for children, for seniors, for individuals with disabilities,' said Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., in a speech on the House floor. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso argued that Medicaid recipients who are not working spend their time watching television and playing video games rather than looking for employment. Republicans also criticize the CBO itself, the congressional scorekeeper, questioning whether its projections are accurate. The CBO score for decades has been providing non-partisan analysis of legislation and budgetary matters. Its staff is prohibited from making political contributions and is currently led by a former economic adviser for the George W. Bush administration. What polling shows While Republicans argue that their signature legislation delivers on Trump's 2024 campaign promises, health care isn't one of the president's strongest issues with Americans. Most U.S. adults, 56%, disapproved of how Trump was handling health care policy in CNN polling from March. And according to AP VoteCast, about 6 in 10 voters in the November election said they wanted the government 'more involved' in ensuring that Americans have health care coverage. Only about 2 in 10 wanted the government less involved in this, and about 2 in 10 said its involvement was about right. Half of American adults said they expected the Trump administration's policies to increase their family's health care costs, according to a May poll from KFF, and about 6 in 10 believed those policies would weaken Medicaid. If the federal government significantly reduced Medicaid spending, about 7 in 10 adults said they worried it would negatively impact nursing homes, hospitals, and other health care providers in their community. For Hawley, the 'bottom lines' are omitting provisions that could cause rural hospitals to close and hardworking citizens to lose their benefits. He and other Republicans are especially concerned about the freeze on the providers' tax in the House's legislation that they warn could hurt rural hospitals. 'Medicaid benefits for people who are working or who are otherwise qualified,' Hawley said. 'I do not want to see them cut.'
Newsweek
24 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Republicans Turn on Each Other in Arizona
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Republican officials in control of Arizona's electoral systems have taken a disagreement over how elections should be managed to the courts. Maricopa County recorder Justin Heap sued his fellow Republicans on the county's board of supervisors on Friday, after a monthslong battle over which powers his position holds. Newsweek has contacted Heap and the board of supervisors for comment on the situation via email. The Context Heap, a former Republican state representative, was elected to the recorder position in 2024, and has consistently clashed with the Republican-controlled Maricopa County board of supervisors since. He says that the board has taken control of his position's election duties, a charge that the board has dismissed as "irresponsible and juvenile." What To Know The dispute evolved into a legal matter on Thursday after Heap announced he was suing the board. In the filing for the lawsuit, which was brought to the county's superior court, Heap said that the board was "engaged in an unlawful attempt to seize near-total control over the administration of elections." Traditionally, the management of elections is split between the board and the recorder, with a "shared services agreement" (SSA) allocating the different duties, such as handling voter registration, counting ballots, managing early balloting and running mail balloting. A vote sign outside the polling location at the Burton Barr Central Library on November 5, 2024, in Phoenix. A vote sign outside the polling location at the Burton Barr Central Library on November 5, 2024, in Phoenix. Getty Images In response to the lawsuit, Maricopa County board chairman Thomas Galvin and vice chairwoman Kate Brophy McGee said in a statement: "From day one, recorder Heap has been making promises that the law doesn't allow him to keep. "Arizona election statutes delineate election administration between county boards of supervisors and recorders to ensure there are checks and balances, and recorder Heap clearly doesn't understand the responsibilities of his position." What People Are Saying Maricopa County recorder Justin Heap said in a statement on the dispute: "For weeks, since before being sworn into office, I've sought reasonable, common-sense solutions with my fellow Republicans on the board, only to be ignored. Maricopa County elections need a practical, workable SSA to ensure efficient, accurate elections; however, the Supervisors' refusal to engage in honest dialogue risks a crisis in our upcoming elections. "With an election less than 90 days away, the supervisors' unwillingness to address these concerns will force me to take legal action against the board to restore this office's full authority, and deliver the results voters elected me to achieve." What Happens Next The lawsuit will be heard at the Maricopa County Superior Court in the coming months. The results will determine how powers are shared between the recorder and the board for elections at the congressional midterms in 2026.
Hamilton Spectator
27 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
The GOP's big bill would bring changes to Medicaid for millions
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Josh Hawley has been clear about his red line as the Senate takes up the GOP's One Big Beautiful Bill Act : no Medicaid cuts. But what, exactly, would be a cut? Hawley and other Republicans acknowledge that the main cost-saving provision in the bill – new work requirements on able-bodied adults who receive health care through the Medicaid program — would cause millions of people to lose their coverage. All told, estimates are 10.9 million fewer people would have health coverage under the bill's proposed changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. That includes some 8 million fewer in the Medicaid program, including 5.2 million dropping off because of the new eligibility requirements. 'I know that will reduce the number of people on Medicaid,' Hawley told a small scrum of reporters in the hallways at the Capitol. 'But I'm for that because I want people who are able bodied but not working to work.' Hawley and other Republicans are walking a politically fine line on how to reduce federal spending on Medicaid while also promising to protect a program that serves some 80 million Americans and is popular with the public. As the party pushes ahead on President Donald Trump' s priority package, Republicans insist they are not cutting the vital safety net program but simply rooting out what they call waste, fraud and abuse. Whether that argument lands with voters could go a long way toward determining whether Trump's bill ultimately ends up boosting — or dragging down — Republicans as they campaign for reelection next year. Republicans say that it's wrong to call the reductions in health care coverage 'cuts.' Instead, they've characterized the changes as rules that would purge people who are taking advantage of the system and protect it for the most vulnerable who need it most. What's in the bill House Republicans wrote the bill with instructions to find $880 billion in cuts from programs under the purview of the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has a sprawling jurisdiction that includes Medicaid. In the version of the bill that the House passed on a party-line vote last month, the overall cuts ended up exceeding that number. The Kaiser Family Foundation projects that the bill will result in a $793 billion reduction in spending on Medicaid. Additionally, the House Ways & Means Committee, which handles federal tax policy, imposed a freeze on a health care provider tax that many states impose. Critics say the tax improperly boosts federal Medicaid payments to the states, but supporters like Hawley say it's important funding for rural hospitals. 'What we're doing here is an important and, frankly, heroic thing to preserve the program so that it doesn't become insolvent,' Speaker Mike Johnson said on NBC's 'Meet the Press.' House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, meanwhile, has denounced the bill as an 'assault on the healthcare of the American people' and warned years of progress in reducing the number of uninsured people is at risk. Who would lose health coverage The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the GOP's proposed changes to federal health programs would result in 10.9 million fewer people having health care coverage. Nearly 8 million fewer people would be enrolled in Medicaid by 2034 under the legislation, the CBO found, including 5.2 million people who would lose coverage due to the proposed work requirements. It said 1.4 million immigrants without legal status would lose coverage in state programs. The new Medicaid requirements would apply to nondisabled adults under age 65 who are not caretakers or parents, with some exceptions. The bill passed by the U.S. House stipulates that those eligible would need to work, take classes, or record community service for 80 hours per month. The Kaiser Family Foundation notes that more than 90% of people enrolled in Medicaid already meet those criteria. The legislation also penalizes states that fund health insurance for immigrants who have not confirmed their immigration status, and the CBO expects that those states will stop funding Medicaid for those immigrants altogether. Why Republicans want Medicaid changes Republicans have cited what they call the out-of-control spending in federal programs to explain their rationale for the changes proposed in the legislation. 'What we are trying to do in the One Big Beautiful Bill is ensuring that limited resources are protected for pregnant women, for children, for seniors, for individuals with disabilities,' said Rep. Erin Houchin, R-Ind., in a speech on the House floor. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso argued that Medicaid recipients who are not working spend their time watching television and playing video games rather than looking for employment. Republicans also criticize the CBO itself, the congressional scorekeeper, questioning whether its projections are accurate. The CBO score for decades has been providing non-partisan analysis of legislation and budgetary matters. Its staff is prohibited from making political contributions and is currently led by a former economic adviser for the George W. Bush administration. What polling shows While Republicans argue that their signature legislation delivers on Trump's 2024 campaign promises, health care isn't one of the president's strongest issues with Americans. Most U.S. adults, 56%, disapproved of how Trump was handling health care policy in CNN polling from March . And according to AP VoteCast , about 6 in 10 voters in the November election said they wanted the government 'more involved' in ensuring that Americans have health care coverage. Only about 2 in 10 wanted the government less involved in this, and about 2 in 10 said its involvement was about right. Half of American adults said they expected the Trump administration's policies to increase their family's health care costs, according to a May poll from KFF , and about 6 in 10 believed those policies would weaken Medicaid. If the federal government significantly reduced Medicaid spending, about 7 in 10 adults said they worried it would negatively impact nursing homes, hospitals, and other health care providers in their community. For Hawley, the 'bottom lines' are omitting provisions that could cause rural hospitals to close and hardworking citizens to lose their benefits. He and other Republicans are especially concerned about the freeze on the providers' tax in the House's legislation that they warn could hurt rural hospitals. 'Medicaid benefits for people who are working or who are otherwise qualified,' Hawley said. 'I do not want to see them cut.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
