Free Republic

Jeb Bush criticized President Trump's controversial tweets about the death toll in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. "Incredibly disheartening comments from our President," Bush tweeted Thursday. Trump beat the former Florida governor for the Republican nomination for president in 2016. Trump sparked controversy earlier Thursday when he tweeted that the estimated 3,000 death toll was intentionally inflated by Democrats. The 3,000 approximation comes from a George Washington University study that tried to total how many "excess deaths" occurred because of Hurricane Maria and would not have happened in the absence of the cyclone. Those involved with the study have emphasized...

President Donald Trump on Thursday denied the massive death toll estimate in Puerto Rico caused by Hurricane Maria last year, claiming without evidence that Democrats invented the numbers "to make me look as bad as possible." "3,000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico. When I left the Island, AFTER the storm had hit, they had anywhere from 6 to 18 deaths," Trump tweeted Thursday morning. "As time went by it did not go up by much. Then, a long time later, they started to report really large numbers, like 3,000." Trump added that, "This...

Democrats and the media have been pounding President Donald Trump over the past few days, as Hurricane Florence nears the Carolinas, over his alleged insensitivity to deaths in Puerto Rico last year from Hurricane Maria. On Thursday morning, President Trump pushed back on Twitter, alleging that Democrats had inflated the death toll “in order to make me look as bad as possible.” That led to more criticism, with the Associated Press accusing Trump of making claims “without evidence.” But Trump is correct. His opponents — including the media — have strained for more than a year to turn Hurricane Maria...

George Washington University is standing behind a study produced by university researchers that determined Hurricane Maria led to the deaths of nearly 3,000 Puerto Ricans. The statement backing up GW's study comes hours after President Trump on Thursday morning called into question the death toll, claiming it was inflated by Democrats. "We stand by the science underlying our study which found there were an estimated 2,975 excess deaths in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria," reads the statement from GW's Milken Institute School of Public Health, obtained by NBC. "We are confident that the number - 2,975 - is the most...

Death tolls are the primary way we understand the impact of a disaster. And for nearly two weeks after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, as a humanitarian crisis was intensifying, the death toll was frozen at 16. “Sixteen people certified,” Trump said on October 3 during his visit to the island, repeating a figure confirmed by the territory’s governor. "Everybody watching can really be very proud of what's taken place in Puerto Rico." It was a moment that crystallized two conflicting narratives about the Puerto Rico disaster. The first one, from the federal government and Puerto Rico’s governor, is of...

The federal response to Hurricane Maria is under scrutiny again after photos show what appear to be millions of water bottles meant for victims of the storm still sitting on a runway in Ceiba, Puerto Rico. The photos began circulating on social media Tuesday, the same day President Trump again praised the government's response to Maria during a meeting with top DHS and FEMA officials. Marty Bahmonde, a senior official at FEMA, confirmed to CBS News' David Begnaud that the agency delivered the water to the island. From there, the details are unclear. Bahmonde said they don't track specific shipments...

President Donald Trump has been criticised for hailing the US response to the deadly Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico last year as "tremendous". The mayor of its capital tweeted: "If he thinks the death of 3,000 people is a success God help us all." Puerto Rico only finished restoring full power last month, 11 months after the hurricane hit. A recent report says 8% left the island after the hurricane and many died due to poor health care and other services. The island's Governor Ricardo Rossello issued a statement on Tuesday night, describing Maria as "the worst natural disaster in...

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz attacked the Trump administration on Wednesday after the island's estimated death toll from last year's hurricanes rose to almost 3,000. "What came out of the White House yesterday was, 'we're very proud of what we did, and very committed,' " Cruz said in an interview with CNN, paraphrasing a statement released by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders Tuesday night. "The Trump administration killed the Puerto Ricans with neglect. The Trump administration led us to believe that they were helping when they weren't really up to par and they didn't allow other countries...

Congressman Darren Soto won by a landslide, against Alan Grayson, gaining overwhelming support of the large Boricua [Puerto Rican] community in Kissimmee. But Florida International University researcher, Jorge Duany, said this isn’t an indication of what might play out in November. “Many Puerto Ricans who come from the island directly especially the middle [class] are more open to joining the Republican party or becoming independent.” Duany said this is a phenomenon unique to Florida. It’s not seen in other states with a large population of Puerto Rican voters like New York and Connecticut A recent Florida International University poll shows...

The mayor of the Puerto Rican capital San Juan says President Donald Trump's response to the hurricane that devastated the US territory last year is a "stain on his presidency". Carmen Yulin Cruz's comments came a day after officials said 2,975 people had died in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria last September. The revised death toll is nearly 50 times the previous estimate of 64. "The Trump administration killed the Puerto Rican with neglect," she said. Speaking to CNN, she added: "The Trump administration led us to believe that they were helping when they weren't really up to par." The...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Hurricane Maria killed far more people in Puerto Rico than initially thought, accounting for an estimated 2,975 deaths on the island from September 2017 through February 2018, according to a new analysis. The study found that those in low-income areas, and elderly men, were at greatest risk of dying. The independent analysis was commissioned by the governor of Puerto Rico and conducted by researchers at George Washington University's Milken Institute School of Public Health. CBS News obtained a report on the findings from Carlos Mercader, executive director of the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration. To...

Hello! It's been a few months since my last report about the situation in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria hit on 9/21/17. In my last report (December 2017), my Dad, who lives in Old San Juan, got intermittent power back on December 3rd. In June 2018, he indicated that he got through 2 straight weeks where the power did not go out at all, and last week he indicated that about "95% of the island has power restored". He says that he and others have gone through deep depressions because of continuous months without power. It's been a stressful 11...

A major protest is reportedly scheduled to take place on Sept. 22 at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to mark the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Maria. According to CBS News, the Latino Victory Project (LVP) and Power 4 Puerto Rico (P4P) are launching a seven-figure campaign to register displaced Puerto Rican voters ahead of midterm elections. They are also organizing major demonstrations at the president’s Florida estate and at Trump Tower in New York as part of the initiative. After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico last year, the Trump administration faced immense criticism for its handling of recovery efforts...

The Puerto Rican government acknowledged in a new report in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria that more than 1,400 people likely died on the island because of the storm, roughly 20 times the previous number that had been provided. The government on Thursday published a report titled "Transformation and Innovation in the Wake of Devastation," which outlines the island's response to the storm and what it intends to do to strengthen its economy and infrastructure moving forward. It also includes new estimates on the death toll. “Although the official death count from the Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety was...

Last week’s release of the Harvard study revealing the death toll from Hurricane Maria – a number more than 70 times the official Puerto Rican government estimate – is as shocking as it is absolutely deeply disturbing.This weekend provided a memorial to the lives lost at the steps of the capital building in San Juan with over 4,645 pairs of shoes representing each life lost.A report by Harvard recently concluded that “the official death count of 64 is a substantial underestimate of the true burden of mortality after Hurricane Maria,” advising that, “As the United States prepares for its next hurricane...

A new Harvard study published Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine estimates that at least 4,645 deaths can be linked to the hurricane and its immediate aftermath,...The Harvard findings indicate that health-care disruption for the elderly and the loss of basic utility services for the chronically ill had significant impacts... You may recall that President Trump boasted about the low number of fatalities during his visit (the one where he tossed rolls of paper towels at American victims as if he were shooting a basketball). CNN reported at the time: “Every death is a horror,” Trump said, “but...

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF PUERTO RICO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff, v. JOSE LUIS VAELLO-MADERO, Defendant. CASE NO. 17-2133 (GAG) OPINION AND ORDER The United States moves for voluntary dismissal of its claims against José Luis Vaello- Madero arising from erroneous and in excess payments under the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. (Docket No. 23). For the reasons discussed below, the United States’ motion is DENIED. I. Relevant Factual Background The following facts are taken from the record and parties’ submissions, and are only considered as true for purposes of this motion: Vaello-Madero lived...

<p>SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The U.S. government announced Tuesday that it will award $18.5 billion worth of disaster recovery grants to Puerto Rico to help repair homes, businesses and its crumbling power grid as the U.S. territory struggles to recover from Hurricane Maria.</p>

Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló has long blamed his predecessors and those in Washington – namely Republicans including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) – for his woes.Rosselló has called the ground-breaking Tax Cuts and Jobs Act a setback for the island.  The governor has also criticized the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, despite their efforts to rebuild the power utility long-neglected by a long line of Puerto Rico leaders.While many things about Puerto Rico’s governance remain opaque, one thing is quite clear: Gov. Rosselló will stop at nothing to blame everyone else for his own failings. By blaming others and feigning...

The mission for the Federal Emergency Management Agency was clear: Hurricane Maria had torn through Puerto Rico, and hungry people needed food. Thirty million meals needed to be delivered as soon as possible.