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Power Bills, Pharmacies, and a Very Long Monday · 787daily — Puerto Rico Every Morning

• 0:00
  Good morning!
• 0:00
  This is 787daily, your Puerto Rico briefing for Friday, October 23.
• 0:04
  Grab your coffee, because the power bill is the story today.
• 0:08
  Here's the one hitting close to home.
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  The Puerto Rico Community Pharmacies Association warned on Thursday that higher electricity costs could lead to reduced hours at neighborhood pharmacies.
• 0:16
  The headline goes further: those costs could even force closures.
• 0:19
  These are the counters where you pick up your prescriptions, so this one matters.
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  So where are the higher costs coming from?
• 0:25
  Fuel, and a finger-pointing match to go with it.
• 0:28
  LUMA notified the Energy Bureau of about $48 million in additional fuel costs from generating companies.
• 0:33
  LUMA president Janisse Quiñones says that's a contractual obligation, triggered when fuel costs exceed the budget by more than $20 million.
• 0:40
  Fortaleza sees it differently.
• 0:41
  It accuses the Oversight Board of siding with LUMA, and it blames the Energy Bureau for the electric rate hikes.
• 0:47
  Three players, one bill, and you're the one holding it.
• 0:50
  And power is back in the news with a date to circle.
• 0:54
  LUMA Energy announced that work at the Covadonga substation will interrupt service in Old San Juan on Monday, October 26.
• 0:59
  It's a 16-hour outage, starting at six in the morning.
• 1:02
  If you live or work in the old city, plan ahead: charge the phone, and make your coffee before six.
• 1:08
  Now for some good news about homes.
• 1:11
  FEMA has approved nearly $82 million for recovery and mitigation projects across Puerto Rico.
• 1:15
  Nearly 30 million of that goes to the Public Housing Administration, for permanent repairs at 10 public housing complexes damaged by Hurricane María.
• 1:22
  Permanent repairs, for families who have waited a long time for them.
• 1:25
  Next, a big decision lands on the governor's desk.
• 1:28
  The Legislative Assembly approved Senate Bill 1,096 on Thursday.
• 1:31
  It repeals the 2003 Judiciary Act and eliminates municipal judges, and it now goes to Governor González Colón.
• 1:37
  The chief of the Puerto Rico Supreme Court is asking the governor to veto it.
• 1:42
  We'll be watching to see what she does.
• 1:44
  One more story, about answers.
• 1:46
  Senator Juan Oscar Morales says that 31 of 38 requested points on agency contracting went unanswered.
• 1:51
  That follows the firing of former ADSEF administrator Blanca Medina Díaz.
• 1:54
  So the Senate has given the Family secretary 48 hours to hand over the information or face a contempt charge.
• 2:00
  The clock is ticking.
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  You can read every one of these stories in full at 787daily.com.
• 2:06
  Thanks for starting your day with 787daily!
• 2:09
  And before you go, your Puerto Rico fun fact for today: Reggaeton grew up right here in Puerto Rico before it took over the world.