Puerto Rico, this week

Puerto Rico's Agriculture Department will pay $33 million that it owes to farmers from the previous fiscal year. The money lands on the farmers who were still waiting on those amounts, and the announcement means the debt is now slated to be paid rather than left open. The takeaway gives no schedule or payment method, so farmers' next step is to see when the money actually arrives.

FEMA separately approved more than $71 million in additional funding for Puerto Rico's disaster recovery. The approval adds to the money available for recovery work on the island. The takeaway does not say which projects or communities the funds will reach, or when they will be released, so those details remain to be spelled out.

The Financial Oversight Board, known in Spanish as the JSF, cleared more than $114 million for road repaving and rehabilitation in 40 municipalities. The allocation lands on local governments and the drivers who use their roads, since the money covers both repaving and rehabilitation work. The sources do not name the towns or give a timeline for the work.

The board is also the subject of a request from municipal leaders. The Federation of Mayors of Puerto Rico asked the JSF to speed up the disbursement of $89 million in budget allocations. The mayors are not disputing the money itself but pressing for it to move faster, which affects when municipalities can count on the funds in their budgets. The takeaway does not say whether the board has responded, or how this $89 million relates to the $114 million approved for road work.

Households face a different kind of payment. The Energy Bureau confirmed that electric bills are rising, with the average residential customer paying $42.27 more on their bill. That is a direct cost for every home on the average-customer measure the bureau used. The sources do not explain what is driving the increase or whether any relief is planned.

The Center for Investigative Journalism, known as CPI, filed a mandamus action against the Treasury Department (Hacienda) to obtain information about donors to the Fundación del Palacio de Santa Catalina. A mandamus is a court filing that asks a judge to compel an agency to act, so the case turns on whether Hacienda must hand over the donor information. The matter now rests with the court, and the takeaway does not say how Hacienda has responded.

The Special Independent Prosecutor's Panel, known as FEI, expanded its probe into the scandal at the Department of Economic Development and Commerce (DDEC). It will now investigate Roberto LeFranc Fortuño, the department's deputy secretary. His inclusion means the inquiry reaches into the agency's senior ranks. The sources do not describe the allegations or say what the investigation will examine regarding him, and no findings have been announced.

The Electric Power Authority, known as the AEE, will sue NFEnergía LLC for failing to supply natural gas to the San Juan Power Plant. The headline says the cutoff raises cost concerns, though the takeaway gives no figures or explanation of how. The lawsuit puts the dispute over the missing gas supply before a court. The sources do not say when the suit will be filed or how the plant is operating without the gas, so the cost question remains open.