Over half of Puerto Rico has power restored after island-wide blackout
(Photo by Jose Jimenez/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Over half of Puerto Rico had their electricity restored by Thursday evening following an island-wide blackout that left 1.4 million customers in the dark and disrupted service at hospitals, its international airport and hotels, according to the Associated Press.
The outage, which began Wednesday afternoon, also left more than 400,000 residents without water. By Thursday evening, power had been restored to 57% of customers, while water service resumed for 83% of the affected population, the AP reported.
The cause of the blackout remains under investigation as of Thursday.
LUMA Energy, the private company responsible for power transmission on the island, said in a statement that the massive outage appears to have been caused by a combination of factors, including a “failure in the protection system as initial trigger” and vegetation on a transmission line along the island’s northern coast.
“This sequence of failures triggered a chain of events that resulted in an island-wide outage,” LUMA said in the statement.
In a Wednesday X post, LUMA Energy said it could take two to three days to restore service to 90% of customers. It noted that the priority was restoring power to critical facilities like Centro Médico hospital in the capital San Juan.
Earlier in the day, LUMA Energy said the Palo Seco plant, just outside San Juan, came back online around 3 p.m., “which represents a key step toward system recovery.”Rep. Ritchie Torres criticized the ongoing power crisis in an Instagram post.
“The three million American citizens of Puerto Rico have long been denied affordable and reliable electricity — despite paying some of the highest utility rates in the United States,” Torres said. “Access to dependable power — a basic right most Americans take for granted — remains out of reach for millions on the island. As we speak, more than 400,000 Puerto Ricans are without electricity in the wealthiest nation on Earth. That is a national disgrace.”
The blackout is the latest in a series of significant power disruptions that have plagued the island in recent years, following the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017, which destroyed much of the power grid. The island’s aging power infrastructure has been a persistent source of frustration for residents, who face frequent outages and some of the highest electricity rates in the U.S.
In December, Puerto Rico experienced an island-wide blackout on New Year’s Eve when an underground power line failure plunged the island into darkness for two days.
Power outages have become so common in Puerto Rico that many residents have installed solar panels and batteries in their homes and businesses. The ongoing instability of the power grid has also led to protests, with many criticizing LUMA, which took over power transmission and distribution in 2021.
(STONE COUNTY, Ark.) — The manhunt continues for Grant Hardin, the escaped former Arkansas police chief serving a 30-year sentence for murder and rape, as officials enter their fourth day of search efforts.
Grant Hardin, 56, who has been in prison since 2017 for first-degree murder and rape, escaped the Calico Rock North Central Unit on Sunday at approximately 2:50 p.m., the Stone County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Hardin escaped custody through a sally port by impersonating a corrections officer “in dress and manner,” which caused another corrections officer “operating a secure gate to open the gate and allow Hardin to walk away from the North Central Unit,” according to an affidavit obtained by ABC News.
Surveillance footage shows Hardin pulling a cart, which was found abandoned outside the gates of the prison.
Hardin remains at large on Wednesday.
Officials said citizens in Izard County and surrounding counties should “stay vigilant, lock your house and vehicle doors and report any suspicious activity by calling 911 immediately,” according to the Izard County Sheriff’s Office.
The U.S. Marshals and Eastern Arkansas Fugitive Task Force are also assisting in the search efforts, a spokesperson for the U.S. Marshals said on Tuesday.
“I am very scared that this guy is going to hurt or kill somebody before this is over with,” Stone County Sheriff Brandon Long told ABC News.
Hardin, who was the former police chief of Gateway, Arkansas, worked in the prison kitchen, according to a spokesperson from the department of corrections, but it is unclear whether this job involved any access to the sally port he used to escape. He has had no significant disciplinary issues during his time at the prison, and there is no reason to believe anyone aided him in this escape, officials said.
Nathan Smith, the former Benton County prosecutor who helped put Hardin behind bars, told Arkansas ABC affiliate KHBS the escaped inmate is “a sociopath.”
“He has no moral core or center that would prevent him from doing anything,” Smith told KHBS.
Hardin is “considered to be extremely dangerous and should not be approached,” officials said.
Authorities are using helicopters, drones, K9 officers and ATVs in their search for Hardin. Rugged terrain, densely wooded areas, hills and days of rain have been “hindering the ongoing search,” a spokesperson with the department of corrections said. Deputies are continuing to monitor the roadways near the prison and are conducting security checkpoints in the area, officials said.
Hardin pleaded guilty in October 2017 to first-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of 59-year-old James Appleton, according to The Associated Press.
He was also convicted of the 1997 rape of an elementary school teacher in Rogers, Arkansas, a crime highlighted in the 2023 television documentary “Devil in the Ozarks.”
Cheryl Tillman, the mayor of Gateway, Arkansas, and Appleton’s sister, told KHBS that Hardin is “an evil man” and said his escape is “almost like déjà vu all over again.”
Hardin is described as 6 feet tall and weighing 259 pounds.
Authorities said anyone with information regarding his whereabouts should contact local law enforcement immediately.
(NEW YORK) — In a split verdict, hip-hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs was found guilty of two of the five charges he faced but was acquitted of the most serious charge, racketeering conspiracy, capping a high-profile trial in Manhattan federal court.
Combs was also acquitted of two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion – pertaining to former girlfriend Cassie Ventura and another former girlfriend who testified under the pseudonym “Jane.”
However, the jury found Combs guilty of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution – one each for Ventura and “Jane.” Combs faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years for each of those counts.
Following six weeks of testimony presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Arun Subramanian that saw the prosecution present 34 witnesses and the defense present none, the jury of eight men and four women deliberated just over two days before reaching their verdicts.
The verdicts sparked mixed reactions at the lower Manhattan courthouse and beyond.
Combs got down from his chair and knelt on the floor after the verdicts were read, appearing to pray while some of his attorneys embraced. Marshals then escorted Combs out of the courtroom while some spectators in the gallery cheered and applauded.
Subramanian said he will decide whether Combs get released today before he adjourned the court. He said that the decision might take some time – including giving the lawyers time to write letters arguing for and against release – but that it will happen sometime today. Prosecutors asked for a “few hours” and the judge gave them until 1 p.m. ET to submit their arguments.
Prosecutor Maurene Comey said the government plans to pursue “significant incarceration” for Combs.
Defense attorney Marc Agnifilo said that Combs should be released today.
“I am not saying it is not a serious crime. It is a crime of a vastly different nature,” he said. “I believe that a significant change in conditions is warranted.”
“Although the jury did not find Combs guilty of sex trafficking Cassie beyond a reasonable doubt, she paved the way for a jury to find him guilty of transportation to engage in prostitution,” Douglas Wigdor, the attorney for Cassie Ventura, Sean Combs’ ex-girlfriend and a witness in the case, said in a statement.
“By coming forward with her experience, Cassie has left an indelible mark on both the entertainment industry and the fight for justice,” the statement continued, in part. “We believe and support our client who showed exemplary courage throughout this trial. She displayed unquestionable strength and brought attention to the realities of powerful men in our orbit and the misconduct that has persisted for decades without repercussion.”
“This case proved that change is long overdue, and we will continue to fight on behalf of survivors,” the statement concluded.
“Sex crimes deeply scar victims, and the disturbing reality is that sex crimes are all too present in many aspects of our society,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, which prosecuted the case, said in a statement. “Victims endure gut-wrenching physical and mental abuse, leading to lasting trauma. New Yorkers and all Americans want this scourge stopped and perpetrators brought to justice.”
“Prosecuting sex crimes requires brave victims to come forward and tell their harrowing stories. We and our law enforcement partners recognize the hardships victims endure and have prioritized a victim-centered approach to investigating and prosecuting these cases,” the statement concluded.
Combs was initially indicted in September 2024 on charges of racketeering, sex trafficking by force and transportation to engage in prostitution. A superseding indictment in March 2025 included additional allegations of forced labor under the racketeering conspiracy count, while another superseding indictment the following month added an additional charge of sex trafficking and one of transportation to engage in prostitution
Federal prosecutors accused Combs of using his many businesses, and the people he employed to run them, to conduct a criminal enterprise to illegally coerce women into sex and conceal his alleged illicit conduct to protect his reputation. The alleged activities included “sex trafficking, forced labor, interstate transportation for purposes of prostitution, coercion and enticement to engage in prostitution, narcotics offenses, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice,” according to the indictment.
In addition to the racketeering charge, the indictment also included two separate counts each of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion and transportation to engage in prostitution, both involving two alleged victims.
Combs’ attorneys countered that Combs may well be a violent man – one who indulges in unconventional sexual conduct, abused illegal drugs and committed domestic violence – but he wasn’t part of a broader criminal organization.
“This case is about those real-life relationships, and the government is trying to turn those relationships into a racketeering case,” Combs’ attorney, Teny Geragos, told jurors in her opening statement. “The evidence is going to show you a very flawed individual, but it will not show you a racketeer, a sex trafficker, or somebody transporting for prostitution.”
The prosecution called 34 witnesses over six weeks of testimony, beginning with Combs’ former girlfriend Cassie Ventura, whom Combs was seen physically assaulting in a widely circulated hotel surveillance video from 2016. Other witnesses included two alleged Combs victims who testified under the pseudonyms “Mia” and “Jane,” as well as two male escorts to testified that they were paid to participate in so-called “freak-off” sexual encounters with Combs, Ventura and other alleged victims. The jury also heard from witnesses to alleged abuse and sexual acts, and a forensic psychologist who testified regarding why people often remain in abusive relationships.
One of the most high-profile prosecution witnesses was Scott Mescudi, aka rapper Kid Cudi, who testified that he was told Combs allegedly broke into his home and had someone set his car on fire after learning that he was dating Cassie Ventura. Combs previously denied any involvement in the car fire.
Federal prosecutors the following day told Judge Arun Subramanian that they were no longer including attempted kidnapping and attempted arson as underlying crimes in the alleged racketeering conspiracy charge against Combs. Instead, prosecutors signaled that they would push sex trafficking and forced labor as primary predicate acts that the jury could find to convict Combs of racketeering conspiracy.
Defense attorneys had argued that no evidence was presented directly tying Combs to the arson that damaged rapper Kid Cudi’s vehicle. Defense attorneys also argued that the alleged kidnapping of Combs’ former employee, Capricorn Clark, by Combs to confront Kid Cudi was far removed from the heart of the case. Federal prosecutors did not elaborate on their decision in their letter to the judge.
The prosecution delivered a nearly five-hour-long closing argument on Thursday, June 26, summarizing 28 days of testimony and evidence. The defense spent four hours the next day presenting their summation, followed by the prosecution rebuttal. Deliberations began on Monday, June 30 after Judge Arun Subramanian gave the jury their instructions.
On Tuesday, the jury told the court that they’d reached a verdict on four of the five five counts with which Combs was charged, they were unable to reach a verdict on the first count — racketeering conspiracy — prompting the judge to instruct them to continue deliberations.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
(VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas) — A murder suspect is on the loose in north Texas after allegedly removing his ankle monitor before a court appearance, according to the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office.
Trevor McEuen was due in court on Monday for a murder charge in Kaufman County, the sheriff’s office said in a statement.
Kaufman County, which is east of Dallas, has an active warrant for bail revocation for capital murder for McEuen, officials said.
“If you are aware of anything suspicious in the area, please contact 911. Do not attempt to apprehend McEuen,” the sheriff’s office said.
“Our number one priority is the safety of all citizens of Van Zandt County. We are working diligently with our partner agencies to ensure the safety of all our citizens,” Sheriff Kevin Bridger said in a statement.
McEuen is accused of shooting his neighbor to death in May 2023, according to Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA. Aaron Martinez, 35, was found dead in his truck, which had been riddled with bullets.
Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, had called for hate crime charges when the shooting happened, saying, “Three weeks ago, Aaron Martinez was murdered in cold blood by a man who wanted to drive Hispanics out of Kaufman County. … If Kaufman County authorities continue to drag their feet on filing hate crimes charges against Trevor McEuen, federal prosecutors need to step in to ensure that justice is served.”
McEuen was arrested again in September 2024 after he posted a photo of Martinez and Martinez’s uncle on Instagram and threatened to shoot the uncle.
ABC News’ Bonnie McLean contributed to this report.
