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


  • Black Agenda Radio
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio 2.7.2025
    07 Feb 2025
    This week, we speak to a journalist about the recent fires in Los Angeles County that destroyed the lives and homes of many, including a Black community located in Altadena. First, we get an update…
  • Congo protesters
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Turmoil in Congo Creates Public Dispute Between South Africa and Rwanda Presidents
    07 Feb 2025
    Maurice Carney is Executive Director of Friends of the Congo . He joins us from Washington to provide an update on the crisis in Congo. Since he last appeared on Black Agenda Radio the capital city…
  • Altadena fire
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Thandisizwe Chimurenga on the Los Angeles Fire and Black Politics
    07 Feb 2025
    Thandisizwe Chimurenga is a Los Angeles-based journalist and host of RootWork, which can be seen on Black Liberation Media’s YouTube channel. She joins us from Los Angeles to discuss the impact…
  • Margaret Kimberley, BAR Executive Editor and Senior Columnist
    Democratic Party Collusion, Race Baiting, and Death by Austerity
    05 Feb 2025
    Donald Trump began his presidency with unconstitutional and possibly illegal orders that put the minority Democratic Party on the sidelines. Democrats have not utilized their own bully pulpit to…
  • Cheikh Anta Diop
    Editors, The Black Agenda Review
    ESSAY: Africa, China, and the U.S., Cheikh Anta Diop, 1965
    05 Feb 2025
    Cheikh Anta Diop’s anti-imperialist Pan-African socialism.
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us