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**SNIP** After more than a year of planning by university administration, students and show producers, “Hamilton” announced on Dec. 21 — less than a month before opening night — that it was relocating the production to Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré, the cultural center about five miles away, to avoid the threat of union unrest and campus protests over rising fees. On Dec. 27, crews came to remove the sets that had been in place for much of the month. Three days later, all that remained were the light post banners proudly trumpeting a show that no longer...

“I’d rather see the Democrats come back from their vacation and act,” Trump told Fox News host Judge Jeanine Pirro. “They’re not acting, and they’re the ones that are holding it up. It would take me 15 minutes to get a deal done, and everybody could go back to work...But I’d like to see them act responsibly, and they’re not acting responsibly, and that’s it. We could be — I’m in the White House, and most of them are in different locations. They’re watching a certain musical in a very nice location and frankly, it’s ridiculous. The whole thing is...

Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico share the fundamental aspiration of statehood, although framed within different historical and constitutional contexts. Both jurisdictions are subject to the powers of Congress and have one non-voting member in the House of Representatives. There is also a broad recognition by the majority of the American citizens in each jurisdiction that the only way they can each achieve effective and politically meaningful representation in Congress is through statehood.

President Trump is staying put in snowy Washington while his government shutdown duel with Democrats continues, canceling every fancy trip out (that doesn't include a non-touristy one to the Texas border), including even a Christmas trip to his home in Florida. That's fitting for the times, and it suggests a leader looking for a resolution. But then there are...the Democrats. A whole slew of them packed off to Puerto Rico for a junket, getting hold of those hard-to-get Hamilton tickets (no shutout there); bunking in with 109 K Street lobbyists in $429-a-night hotel rooms; and, sure enough, partying hearty.  WashEx's Paul Bedard has the opening story. Some 30 Democratic lawmakers left the government shutdown behind Friday on a...

And the Democrats are the ones that care so much about everybody and everything. The Democrats care about you love and compassion, human rights, civil rights and all this. Yet the Democrats appear uninterested in even dealing with this problem, and yet Trump cancels his vacation, stays in Washington, does everything he can to try to fix the problem. In a sane world, the Democrats would have stepped in it big time here. But the Democrats are never gonna think they step in it big time because of the cover that the media provides. And the Democrats are the ones...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- "Hamilton" star and writer Lin-Manuel Miranda on Monday praised a delegation of congressional Democrats for traveling to Puerto Rico, despite criticism over their trip's timing during a partial government shutdown. "I'm very proud to work with the Latino Victory Fund because you're here to work, despite what anyone might claim," said Miranda during a speech at the progressive organization's summit. "I know you all saw the blue tarps when your plane landed in Puerto Rico," Miranda told the members of Congress in the audience, referring to temporary roof coverings provided by the Federal Emergency Management...

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Liz G. Rodríguez Quiñonez grew up schooled in being able to throw her body to the floor in the middle of the night, in the event that stray bullets from a nearby shootout came crashing through her window. But it was only this past fall when Ms. Rodríguez, who operates a food truck in a town just east of the Puerto Rican capital, experienced her first murder: Standing by the stove in her truck one morning in September, she heard a series of pops, then screaming, and realized that the man who was the intended...

Some 30 Democratic lawmakers left the government shutdown behind Friday on a chartered flight to Puerto Rico for a winter retreat with 109 lobbyists and corporate executives during which they planned to see the hit Broadway show “Hamilton” and attend three parties including one with the show’s cast. Those attending the Congressional Hispanic Caucus BOLD PAC winter retreat in San Juan planned to meet with key officials to discuss the cleanup after Hurricane Maria at a roundtable Saturday. But the weekend is packed with free time for the members and their families on the trip. “We are excited for you...

President Trump is working around the clock during the government shutdown trying to negotiate with Pelosi and Schumer to secure border wall funding. The Democrats however, are partying at a beach resort in Puerto Rico on day 22 of the government shutdown. The Democrats don’t care about the 800,000 federal workers who are currently not receiving a paycheck. Democrat Senator Bob Menendez was spotted hanging out with a bikini-clad “colleague” on the beach in Puerto Rico three weeks into the shutdown without a care in the world. The Hispanic Caucus of liberal Democrats is holding their retreat at a posh...

As you know, Nancy Pelosi and about 40 House Democrats and/or Lobbyists are in Puerto Rico enjoying the lovely weather and Hamilton, which the average Puerto Rican cannot afford to attend. Below (in the comments section), I’ve translated some of the comments from the Puerto Rican people made in El Nuevo Día Facebook page. The large majority upset that such spectacle is being presented on the island. COMMENTS: LUTY: “Who is Hamilton? I know the story of Christopher Columbus! Long Live Spain!” NELSON: “Does anyone know if crime has lowered because this play is being shown in Puerto Rico?” DIOSELINA:...

Julián Castro, the former housing secretary and former mayor of San Antonio, announced on Saturday that he would run for president, one of the most high-profile Latino Democrats ever to seek the party’s nomination. His first campaign stop will be in Puerto Rico, where he will speak on Monday at the Latino Victory Fund’s annual summit and meet with residents still struggling to recover from Hurricane Maria. Later in the week, his campaign said, he will go to New Hampshire. Mr. Castro, in prepared remarks that he was set to deliver in San Antonio on Saturday, said, “When my grandmother...

Dozens of Congressional Democrats flocked to Puerto Rico on Friday to watch the opening weekend of Hamilton amid the ongoing government shutdown, in a trip that organizers hope will allow them to lobby for additional federal funding to the impoverished island.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Congress on Wednesday gave final passage to legislation that would shut down legal cockfights in U.S. territories including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, ending an institution dating from the colonial era that generates millions of dollars each year. Opponents of the measure approved by the House said it will have a devastating effect on the islands' economies, noting that in Puerto Rico alone the cockfighting industry generates $18 million a year and employs some 27,000 people. “We're all going crazy. Everybody is desperate,” said 86-year-old Angel Ortiz, who owns a cockfighting ring in...

The narratives of the midterm elections were set when suburban voters turned against President Trump, women racked up record numbers of electoral wins and Republicans dominated rural states and counties. But dive deeper into the results and some more surprising storylines emerge, from familial ties to long shot candidates, expanding suburbs and new battlegrounds. Here are the overlooked stories that didn’t get enough coverage after the polls closed. Did Puerto Ricans elect Rick Scott? When Hurricane Maria left Puerto Rico devastated in 2017, almost 400,000 of the island’s residents moved to the mainland. Many of them landed in Florida, where...

The narratives of the midterm elections were set when suburban voters turned against President Trump, women racked up record numbers of electoral wins and Republicans dominated rural states and counties. But dive deeper into the results and some more surprising storylines emerge, from familial ties to long shot candidates, expanding suburbs and new battlegrounds. Here are the overlooked stories that didn’t get enough coverage after the polls closed. Did Puerto Ricans elect Rick Scott? When Hurricane Maria left Puerto Rico devastated in 2017, almost 400,000 of the island’s residents moved to the mainland. Many of them landed in Florida, where...

President Donald Trump reportedly plans to stop financial aid to millions of Americans in Puerto Rico still dealing with the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria. The president believes, without evidence, that the Puerto Rican government is using the disaster relief funds to pay off debt rather than help its citizens rebuild, according to Axios. The island nation is still rebuilding after Maria’s destruction more than a year ago; most of the country waited almost 11 months for power to be restored and thousands of people are still displaced after their homes were destroyed. Trump was initially reluctant to send money...

Wasn't the "massive influx of hurricane evacuees" supposed to turn Florida into a Democrat stronghold?

Thursday on The View, the liberal hosts grilled their guest, FNC's Geraldo Rivera, for comments he made about the pipe bomb suspect, and the media’s attacks on President Trump. Rivera, who's not a conservative by any stretch of the imagination, still took heat because he defended President Trump and called out CNN for being partisan and biased. The interview started with Rivera disagreeing with the president about immigration and the caravan but he quickly got into a heated argument with the liberal hosts once they started talking about the mail bombs and the media. Co-host Joy Behar asked about Rivera’s...

By a narrow margin, more voters think Puerto Rico should become a state than think it should stay a territory. According to the latest Fox News Poll, 41 percent say Puerto Rico should become the 51st star on the flag. That’s an 11-point increase since the last time the question was asked in June 2007, when 30 percent opted for statehood.

Weeks after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico, the island remains in crisis. Eighty three percent of people in Puerto Rico don’t have power and thirty five percent don’t have access to clean water. The death toll currently stands at 48 but is likely to keep rising in the coming weeks. Washington has responded to this crisis with billions in immediate disaster assistance, helping the cash-strapped island afford its basic expenses after tax revenue has all but dried up. This financial commitment isn’t going to end anytime soon: Experts suggest the final cost could exceed $100 billion.