SAN JUAN — The federal government significantly underestimated the potential damage to Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria and relied too heavily on local officials and private-sector entities to handle the cleanup, according to a POLITICO review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s plan for the disaster. The plan, which was

Governor Kenneth Mapp (left) stands next to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma. WASHINGTON — Governor Kenneth Mapp said that he and “his team” were back at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Thursday to continue

PANAMA CITY — The Caribbean and Latin America and the Caribbean is the only part of the world where child marriages and early unions have not decreased in the last 10 years, the regional office of UNICEF, based in this city, said. In a press release, the United Nations agency said

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — A cross-section of 350 representatives from government, private sector, nonprofit, and civil organizations gathered at the University of Miami to explore partnerships to “build back a better” Caribbean region devastated by two horrific hurricanes last year. The upcoming storm season, just two months off the horizon,

MIAMI – Former President Bill Clinton formally launched the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Action Network on Post-Disaster Recovery at the University of Miami in Coral Gables this morning. The meeting brings together at least 350 leaders from government, business, and civil society to discuss and develop solutions that address immediate

SAN JUAN — Straddled across Ausberto Maldonado’s backyard in Bayamon, a suburb of Puerto Rico, is a nagging reminder of Hurricane Maria’s destructive power. “See, that tree broke off that branch, which is as thick as a tree — and now it’s in my yard,” said Maldonado, a 65-year-old retiree.

SAN JUAN — The older folks in the Caribbean have a very popular saying “If it ain’t the sugar it’s the sugar pan,” meaning “if it ain’t one thing it’s another. And if you have lived long enough you will know that in life this goes without saying. The shattered

CHRISTIANSTED – The federal program that provides emergency prescription assistance for uninsured disaster survivors has been extended through May 15 at the territory’s request. Virgin Islanders who have no prescription insurance coverage and lost medicine or medical supplies due to hurricanes Irma and Maria may be eligible for a free 30-day

CHARLOTTE AMALIE — Over the weekend, children with varying abilities flocked to the “Cultivating Inclusion – Easter at the Movies” event hosted by Gov. Kenneth Mapp. On Saturday, over 200 children on St. Thomas, and 250 more on St. Croix on Sunday, filled Caribbean Cinemas for a private screening of Sherlock

  CHRISTIANSTED — Project Promise, a non-profit organization on St. Croix, will launch a month-long initiative, starting April 3, 2018, to help residents deal with the psychological after-effects of Hurricane Maria. Project Promise, in collaboration with The Coaching and Leadership Professional Training Institute, will provide much-needed mental health services to residents, to