Puerto Ricans left homeless after biggest quake in century

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By DANICA COTO

GUANICA, Puerto Rico (AP) — Cars, cots and plastic chairs became temporary beds for hundreds of families who lost their homes in southwest Puerto Rico as a flurry of earthquakes struck the island, one of them the strongest in a century.

The magnitude 6.4 quake that struck before dawn on Tuesday killed one person, injured nine others and knocked out power across the U.S. territory, and more than half a million Puerto Ricans remained without electricity early Wednesday.

In addition, hundreds of people were staying in government shelters in the island’s southwest region as U.S. President Donald Trump declared an emergency and Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez activated the National Guard.

The hardest hit municipality was the southwest coastal town of Guánica. More than 200 people had taken shelter in a gymnasium after a quake on Monday, only for the latest shake to damage that structure — forcing them to sleep outside.



A Puerto Rican flag hangs within the rubble, after it was placed there where store owners and family help remove supplies from Ely Mer Mar hardware store, which partially collapsed after an earthquake struck Guanica, Puerto Rico, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020. A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck Puerto Rico before dawn on Tuesday, killing one man, injuring others and collapsing buildings in the southern part of the island. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)


Read more: https://apnews.com/fa2622a2111cce804d8a5b54ff900a41

[AllaN01Bear]

1. wonder what the thing will throw at them? more paper towels.

been watching this situation brewing for the last sevearl weeks .

[Sucha NastyWoman]

2. Or rakes

[Maxheader]

3. Stumpy needs to open the purse...

And help this country..

[Skittles]

4. he does not care

Trump is a racist piece of shit

[Marthe48]

12. he is still holding funds to help with

Hurricane Marie. All of the other places affected got their funds. turd is holding up P.R. to investigate corruption. turd likes to use that for favors or revenge. Hoping he rots in hell.

(I read that all the other places got funds by Oct. Read that in December. I doubt that P.R. got their funds released since I read it, but if I'm wrong, please let me know)

[Kid Berwyn]

5. Where's Washington?

Demented Donnie has kept busy delaying and diverting dollars already allocated for PR. Toss in his work time diverting public attention by drone and he’s calling it a day.

It’d be grand if Congress could find some gumption. That’s where We the People come in.

The People of Puerto Rico are citizens of the United States. It’s past time We started treating them as such.

That includes lighting a fire under Our elected officials’ collective backsides.

[KYBlue]

9. Barely a blip on the national news about the destruction in Puerto rico

The news media seems to be refusing to cover what's going on in Puerto Rico. Makes me wonder if it's because Trump told them not to cover it. The media is talking more about Megan Markle and Prince Harry than what's happening to Americans in Puerto Rico. It's truly sad.

[sakabatou]

6. What happened to the money that was allocated for Maria?

[Kid Berwyn]

7. Billions illegally delayed by Trump

https://www.newsweek.com/puerto-rico-access-billions-disaster-relief-delayed-hud-violating-law-1466099

[sakabatou]

8. And still delayed or has it been handed out?

[Kid Berwyn]

10. Still awaiting relief -- illegally withheld, per Speaker.

Hit by devastating earthquakes, Puerto Rico still waiting on billions for hurricane relief

Pelosi calls on administration to ‘cease and desist’ its ‘unlawful’ withholding of funds

By Erica Werner
The Washington Post, Jan. 9, 2020 at 6:00 a.m. EST

As Puerto Rico weathers devastating earthquakes, the island is still waiting on more than $18 billion in federal funding that was designated after hurricanes that struck more than two years ago. On Thursday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) accused the Trump administration of acting unlawfully in withholding the money and called on officials to “cease and desist that illegal activity.”

The holdup has continued past a congressionally mandated deadline last fall for more than $8 billion of the aid to be officially announced. As aftershocks continued to shake the U.S. territory after a 6.4-magnitude earthquake Tuesday morning, Democrats sought to refocus attention on the delayed hurricane aid, while questioning whether the federal government will give Puerto Rico what it needs to recover this time.

“I think it puts a considerable burden on the administration to show good faith,” said Rep. David E. Price (D-N.C.), pointing to President Trump’s history of criticizing Puerto Rico and moving to slow the disbursement of money. “And in this case, good faith involves not just responding to this latest disaster, but cleaning up from the previous one as well.”

An ongoing dispute over Puerto Rico could also become an issue in the presidential election. Residents of Puerto Rico cannot vote in federal elections, even though they are U.S. citizens, but many live and cast ballots in Florida, a critical swing state.

Trump’s opposition to sending aid to Puerto Rico stalled a major nationwide disaster relief bill last year and led to disputes with Democrats. The island’s governor at the time, Ricardo Rosselló, described Trump as a “bully” and threatened to punch him in the mouth.

Continues...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/01/09/hit-by-devastating-earthquakes-puerto-rico-still-waiting-billions-hurricane-relief/

[sakabatou]

11. WTF?!

One wonders if Trump will withhold again or not.