Puerto Rico

The closures would go into effect April 12, roughly a month after some 100 of the island's 858 public schools were authorized to reopen for the first time in a year amid the pandemic. The announcement was praised by some health experts, teachers and parents who worried about an increase in infections and had warned that reopening schools was a rushed decision. Health Secretary Carlos Mellado said that while no COVID-19 breakouts were identified at any of the schools, the move is necessary given the recent spike in cases.

The 305-metre-wide radio telescope at Arecibo, Puerto Rico is permanently closing. Engineers cannot find a safe way to repair it after two cables supporting the structure suddenly and catastrophically broke, one in August and one in early November.

"Even attempts at stabilization or at testing the cables could result in accelerating the catastrophic failure," said Ralph Gaume, the NSF's head of astronomy, at a 19 November media briefing.

Judge William G. Young has ruled that the United States federal government "discriminates" Puerto Ricans by denying Supplemental Security Income and is unconstitutional. Nine plaintiffs had appealed to the courts.

The judge has granted the federal government a two-month administrative timeframe in which the ruling only applies to the nine plaintiffs and legal experts expect the government to appeal the ruling and probably take it to the highest instance, the United States Supreme Court.