Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

Puerto Rico Crippled Before Hurricane Hit
Nellie Bailey and Glen Ford
12 Dec 2017
🖨️ Print Article

Harsh austerity measures imposed by a federal financial oversight board set Puerto Rico up for disaster, said Lara Merling, a researcher for the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research. A new study shows about 1,000 more deaths resulted from Hurricane Irma than were officially reported. “It’s not surprising that the Puerto Rican government had no ability to respond” to the storm, as a result of the spending cuts, said Merling.

Puerto Rico

Related Podcasts

BAR Radio Logo
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Black Agenda Radio March 6, 2026
06 March 2026
In this week’s segment, we discuss past and present U.S.
Puerto Rico independence movement
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution and Struggle for Independence in Puerto Rico
06 March 2026
Brianna Alvarado Ramos of Diaspora Pa’lante Collective discusses the challenges
BAR Radio Logo
Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
Black Agenda Radio September 19, 2025
20 September 2025
In this week’s segment, we discuss a new book that analyzes the latest iteration of fascism currently emerging in the United States.

More Stories


  • Drone Whistleblower Thrown in Pen With Terrorists
    John Kiriakou
    Drone Whistleblower Thrown in Pen With Terrorists
    19 Oct 2021
    In a cruel act of revenge, the U.S. government sent Daniel Hale, who exposed U.S.
  • Black families Passed Their Homes from One Generation to the Next. Now They May Be Lost.
    Sarah Sax
    Black families Passed Their Homes from One Generation to the Next. Now They May Be Lost.
    13 Oct 2021
    Unstable property rights mean Black southerners may survive a flood but lose their home, and it’s causing the racial wealth gap to grow larger.
  • Anti-Black Racism in Canadian Prisons Remains Rampant, Despite Government Pledges
    Simon Rolston, Nora Demnati
    Anti-Black Racism in Canadian Prisons Remains Rampant, Despite Government Pledges
    13 Oct 2021
    Systemic racism is built into Canada’s prison system, but federal parties have little to offer incarcerated Black Canadians and their families.
  • The Obama Presidential Center Will Displace Black People
    Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    The Obama Presidential Center Will Displace Black People
    13 Oct 2021
    The Obama Presidential Center will inevitably displace a working class Black community in Chicago.
  • I’m no nuanced Negro, but…
    Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
    I’m no nuanced Negro, but…
    13 Oct 2021
    I’m no nuanced Negro, but…   I’m no nuanced Negro—never have been—never will be. I’m a lower the forks, pick up the pallet, put it on the
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us