Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

San Juan Mayor Calls Out Firm Picked By Trump To Restore Puerto Rico's Power

Carmen Yulin Cruz
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

She is not backing down.

San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz of Puerto Rico, engaged in heated banter on Twitter Wednesday with the small Montana energy firm awarded a $300 million no-bid contract to restore power to the island devastated by Hurricane Maria.

Last month, the Trump administration awarded Whitefish Energy Holdings the contract to restore Puerto Rico's power grid. But that decision invited controversy as the island still struggles to provide power to more than 75% of residents. Hurricane Maria hit on September 20.


Whitefish Energy is a tiny two-year old for-profit utility company connected to a prominent Trump campaign donor as well as Trump’s Interior Secretary, Ryan Zinke. Mayor Yulin Cruz called the no-bid contract "alarming" and demanded it be voided in light of ethical discrepancies.

The contract should be voided right away, and a proper process which is clear, transparent, legal, moral and ethical should take place. What we need is somebody that can get the job done and that has the expertise to get the job done."

Whitefish Energy, which reportedly employed only two full-time employees when the contract was awarded, said it shared Cruz's frustrations but in an attached image on their letterhead called her comments "disappointing", "demoralizing", and "misplaced".

Whitefish Energy responds to Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz via Twitter attachment on official letterhead. (Photo credit / Twitter)

In response, Cruz criticized Whitefish for suggesting she was alone in her concerns about the no-bid contract and included their Tweet criticizing her comments.

Mayor Cruz also shared a breakdown of costs associated with the use of private company Whitefish Energy out of Montana instead of requesting mutual aid from public utilities in nearby states with experience dealing with hurricane damage.

In the Trump administration's awarding of the contract, through the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA), they chose not to make arrangements with other, larger utilities more commonly used following natural disasters, including those in Texas and Florida.

Cruz's shared graphic is in Spanish, but as she notes, one doesn't need to know the language to do the math.

In a now deleted Tweet, a Whitefish Energy official appeared to threaten to remove workers because of Mayor Cruz's criticisms. Cruz shared a screenshot of their Tweet in her response.

Whitefish Energy and its representatives have since deleted most of their side of the battle with Mayor Cruz. They have also posted an apology to Mayor Cruz and the people of Puerto Rico.

More from News/political-news

Man in a tux wearing fancy watch
Charbel Aoun/Unsplash

People Recall The Most Out Of Touch Thing They've Heard Anyone Say

Getting everyone's point of view can be fascinating whenever you're with a group of people engaged in a discussion on a range of topics. However, the occasion can be eye-opening when someone unable to read the room makes a comment that can be interpreted as wildly inappropriate.

In an age where social norms are always challenging the way we engage in discourse, nothing is surprising... except for that one rare instance.

Keep ReadingShow less
Steve Guttenberg
KTLA

Actor Steve Guttenberg Praised For Helping Fire Crew Move Abandoned Cars Amid L.A. Wildfires

There has been all kinds of heroism that emerged in Los Angeles amid the horrifying wildfires ravaging the city. And one of those moments involves an icon of '80s cinema.

Actor Steve Guttenberg, best known for his roles in '80s classics like Police Academy, Short Circuit and Three Men And A Baby, is going viral after stepping in to help first responders.

Keep ReadingShow less
A man sitting outside with his head in his hands
man on thinking pose
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

People Describe The Lowest Point In Their Lives

At some point in our lives, we've all said that a certain day was "the worst day of my life."

Chances are, we said that when we were fairly young, and many days followed that were, in fact, much worse.

Keep ReadingShow less
Meghan Markle; 'Guy,' Markle's beagle
Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images, @meghan/Instagram

Meghan Markle Pays Poignant Tribute To Her 'Sweet' Rescue Dog After His Death

Meghan Markle is grieving the loss of her beloved beagle named Guy, saying she's cried "too many tears to count" in a poignant tribute on her reactivated Instagram account.

The Duchess of Sussex said she adopted Guy from a dog rescue in Canada after he was given a "few days to live" while previously at a kill shelter in Kentucky.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Glenn Close; J.D. Vance
The View/YouTube; Scott Olson/Getty Images

Glenn Close Says JD Vance Changed After 'Hillbilly Elegy' Film: 'I Don't Know What Happened'

Actor Glenn Close is an eight-time Academy Award nominee, recognized for her work in such classics as The World According to Garp, Fatal Attraction, and Dangerous Liaisons.

But her most recent nomination came in 2021 in the Best Supporting Actress category for her work as Mamaw—the grandmother of a young J.D. Vance—in Ron Howard's adaptation of Vance's bestseller Hillbilly Elegy, which positioned him as a notable voice on rural America and the political ascent of Donald Trump, now the president-elect.

Keep ReadingShow less