AGP Executive Report

Arts & Heritage: Puerto Rican conga master Giovanni Hidalgo received the 2026 National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, honoring a lifetime of Afro-Caribbean rhythm and teaching that’s shaped salsa and Latin jazz far beyond the island. Culture & Identity: Miss Universe Puerto Rico hopeful Kaziah Liz Mejo shared her Puerto Rico plans—bioluminescent bay kayaking, a “Bollywood moment,” and salsa as her go-to rhythm—framing “yo soy boricua” as pride with roots. Food Safety: Check your freezer: frozen berries sold at Walmart and Trader Joe’s were expanded in an E. coli recall, including specific lot codes and UPCs; the FDA notes the risk is higher when berries are eaten without cooking. Travel & Lifestyle: Nobu announced Nobu Hotel and Restaurant San Juan, a 50-room luxury debut planned for 2028—another sign San Juan’s hospitality scene keeps leveling up. Family Travel: TSA rolled out “Families on the Fly” with dedicated lanes at select airports in Puerto Rico and the U.S. for kids 12 and under, aiming to reduce airport stress for parents. Music & Sound: Zaccai Curtis’ Cubop Lives! project highlights the 1940s Cuban-Puerto Rican and Black jazz collaborations in New York, blending bebop harmonies with Latin syncopation.

Miss Universe spotlight: Kaziah Liz Mejo is ready to represent Puerto Rico with a plan rooted in culture, curiosity, and a little Bollywood drama—she even ties her Puerto Rico vibe to bioluminescent-bay dreams, mango with spice, and salsa energy. Food safety: The FDA says frozen berries sold at Walmart and Trader Joe’s are recalled for possible E. coli contamination, including lots shipped to Puerto Rico—check your freezer and affected UPCs/lots. Culture & community: A British pianist, Simon Mulligan, is set to perform Nov. 15 at Reform Congregation Oheb Sholom for the Kozloff-Rotenberg Night of Music, with a dessert reception after. Lifestyle travel: A new guide argues you can still do a Caribbean getaway for about $1,500 with airfare, lodging, food, and activities—useful inspiration for Puerto Rico-bound planners. Sports & identity: Reggaeton pioneer Randy is expanding into cannabis with La Zaza, built around Caribbean identity and legal compliance, aiming to bring Latin urban culture into the mainstream without losing its roots.

Puerto Rico Culture & Lifestyle: Public Art Training: The Office of Arts & Culture announced the 2026 Public Art Bootcamp cohort, a new in-person program (seminars, lectures, and workshops through January 2027) aimed at helping artists move from gallery work into community-facing public art. Music & Identity: Reggaeton & Cannabis: Jowell & Randy’s Randy is launching “La Zaza,” a Caribbean-identity cannabis brand tied to Puerto Rican urban culture, with plans to expand beyond the island. Food & Community: Puerto Rican Flavor on the Move: “Esta isla” keeps traveling and now aims for the Goya Awards, bringing Puerto Rican production to a major Spanish-language film stage. Local Culture Spotlight: Wine & Heritage: A Puerto Rico-born sommelier’s debut book includes a chapter on Nochebuena and offers simple, budget-friendly wine pairings for family celebrations. Health & Safety (Puerto Rico): E. coli Recall: Great Value and Trader Joe’s frozen organic berry products were expanded for possible E. coli contamination, with Puerto Rico included in distribution.

Puerto Rico in the spotlight: The island’s film “Esta isla” keeps climbing toward the Goya Awards, adding another major cultural milestone for Puerto Rican storytelling. Culture & music: The 2026 Hispanic Heritage Awards are set to air Oct. 2 with Los Tigres del Norte headlining and a star-packed lineup celebrating Latino talent on PBS. Local arts training: The Office of Arts & Culture announced the 2026 Public Art Bootcamp cohort, a new round of workshops and mentorship for artists moving from galleries to public spaces. Bomba stays alive: In Arizona, Orgullo Boricua AZ is keeping Puerto Rico’s oldest music movement—bomba—going for a new generation. Food & lifestyle: A Puerto Rican Christmas Eve chapter is featured in a sommelier’s debut holiday wine-pairing book, tying wine culture to Nochebuena traditions. Hospitality news: Nobu Hospitality is expanding to Puerto Rico with a planned San Juan hotel and restaurant opening in 2028.

Puerto Rico Culture & Lifestyle: Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rico-made album “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” is driving global Grammy buzz, with the piece noting how non-English music is breaking through mainstream awards. Music Heritage: A Phoenix group, Orgullo Boricua AZ, is keeping bomba alive—describing it as Puerto Rico’s oldest music and a living community language. Food & Community Safety: Great Value and Trader Joe’s frozen organic berry products sold in Puerto Rico are under an expanded E. coli recall; consumers are urged to check freezers and avoid affected lots. Travel & Hospitality: Nobu Hospitality is expanding to Puerto Rico with a new San Juan hotel and restaurant slated to open in 2028, aiming for culturally immersive stays. Local Growth: Wendy’s Puerto Rico earned Best International Market for 2026, citing workforce development and expansion to 85 locations. Arts & Education: A UPR-led project received $99,999 to strengthen farmland protection tools, training educators and extension agents to help preserve productive land.

Puerto Rico Tourism Tech: Discover Puerto Rico is rolling out AI agents on DiscoverPuertoRico.com to match travelers and meeting planners with vetted local hotels, venues, and attractions using the island’s own verified sources. Luxury Hospitality: Nobu announced Nobu Hotel and Restaurant San Juan, a 2028 opening bringing its signature dining and rooftop lounge to the historic capital. Culture & Community: Fort Buchanan marked Fire Prevention Week with a lithium-battery safety push, urging residents to charge and store devices properly. Local Lifestyle Spotlight: A Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve Puerto Rico guide highlights the beachfront-meets-mountains resort as a meeting-planner favorite, with Puerto Rican dining experiences and group-ready amenities. Sports & Representation: A Puerto Rico connection shows up in women’s volleyball as Manhattanville’s roster features Alana Rivera Torres of Guaynabo. Heritage Moment: Milwaukee’s Latiné Heritage Month recognition includes the perspective of a Puerto Rican-descended leader, underscoring how Latin communities shape local culture.

Bilingual Homeownership Push: Casa Chapulina founder Diana Vasquez announced “Cimientos,” a Nov. 17 fundraiser at NEXUS Club New York to expand bilingual financial literacy and homebuyer education, aiming to serve 300 Hispanic families in 2027. Romance Meets Tourism: Puerto Rico’s tourism authority teamed up with TLC for “90 Day: Hunt for Love” themed sweepstakes, offering two winners a nearly $5,000 prize package including flights, resort stay, and Toro Verde tickets. Local Workforce Boost: Puerto Rico’s DDEC awarded $999,975 in WIOA funds to Nuestra Escuela Inc. for “Construyendo Nuestro Futuro,” helping 75 young people finish high school and gain job skills in Caguas and Loíza. Fire Safety Spotlight: Fort Buchanan marked Fire Prevention Week with a lithium battery safety push, urging safe charging, storage, and use of approved chargers. Luxury Tourism Watch: Nobu announced plans for a Nobu Hotel and restaurant in San Juan by 2028 as Puerto Rico’s luxury hotel occupancy continues climbing. Community Health Funding Shift: HIV-prevention groups across the U.S., including Puerto Rico, face grant losses as federal dollars redirect toward state and local health departments.

Afro-Puerto Rican Arts & Community: Bomba de Aquí brings Puerto Rico’s bomba tradition—drums, dance, and songs from the island’s African heritage—to the Strand Family Series in Rockland, with performances built for all ages. Puerto Rico Culture in the Diaspora: At the Schomburg Center, Puerto Rican organizers and elected officials urged NYC to resist colonial-style pressures displacing Boricuas and weakening public services, tying the fight to library collections and storytelling. Literature & Identity: A new Latino horror anthology, “Something Followed Us Home,” gathers 17 stories by Latin American authors (including Puerto Rican writer Cynthia Pelayo) exploring what haunts communities across borders. Arts & Architecture: Philadelphia’s Taller Puertorriqueño hosts “En Su Sitio / In Its Place,” an exhibition on architect Antonio Fiol-Silva’s work—designing places, not just buildings. Food & Heritage: The 8th Annual Creole Food Festival announces its Grand Tasting chef lineup for Oct. 3 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, spotlighting diaspora flavors including Puerto Rico. Local Civic/Services: Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced $26.5M for Special Education transportation and government tech renewals after board approval. Holiday Giving: USPS Operation Santa is now accepting letters, including from Puerto Rico, with postmarks due Dec. 5.

Nobu Hospitality: Nobu announced its first Puerto Rico property—Nobu Hotel and Restaurant San Juan—set to open in 2028 with a 50-room luxury hotel, a signature Nobu restaurant/bar, and a rooftop lounge. Afro-Puerto Rican Arts: Bomba de Aquí opens the Strand Theatre’s 2026-27 Strand Family Series on Oct. 24 with drums, dance, and songs rooted in Puerto Rico’s African heritage. Identity & Race Talk: Joseline Hernandez says she’s “a Black woman” and pushes back on Puerto Ricans who avoid identifying as Black, arguing skin color and lived experience shape identity. Hispanic Heritage Spotlight: The Hispanic Heritage Awards move to Minneapolis for this year’s PBS broadcast, framed around community resilience amid immigration enforcement fears. Puerto Rico in the Diaspora: A Creole Food Festival lineup highlights Puerto Rican chef Frances Roman among global diaspora talent for Oct. 3 in Brooklyn. Local Culture Memory: Puerto Rican internet celebrity “Mami” (María Morales Tirado) dies at 107, remembered by fans for her Yabucoa life updates. Sports & Representation: Jose Fernandez becomes the first Latino head coach in the WNBA as the Dallas Wings push into the playoffs. Public Safety: Fort Buchanan Fire & Emergency Services expands child passenger safety training with newly certified inspectors. Migration Crisis: Coast Guard reports 49 rescued and 10 missing after a migrant boat capsized west of Puerto Rico near Mona Island, with a machete attack reported onboard.

Puerto Rican Kids’ TV Gets a Big Boost: Siesta Entertainment acquired worldwide sales rights to the Spanish animated preschool series Rockolandia Las Cabritas, a revival built on family, friendship, and self-confidence. Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: A roundup piece marks September’s Hispanic Heritage Month theme “Together, We Are More,” with reflections on Latino contributions and identity. Representation in Higher Ed: Trinity Washington University students say Latina faculty representation still lags behind Latina enrollment, shaping belonging and confidence. Health & Food Safety: The CDC declared an end to a Salmonella outbreak tied to backyard poultry flocks, with cases reported across 46 states and Puerto Rico. Coast Guard Search Off Mona Island: After a migrant boat capsized west of Puerto Rico, rescuers recovered 3 bodies and continued searching for 10 more. Tourism & Culture Planning: Puerto Rico’s Chamber of Commerce tourism committee met to set priorities and improve coordination across the visitor economy. Co-op Sector in Focus: Banco Cooperativo hosted an executive forum bringing together leaders to discuss geopolitical, demographic, and financial risk trends shaping Puerto Rico’s credit unions. Local Food Culture Abroad: A Puerto Rican-owned restaurant in Wisconsin is bringing mofongo, pernil, and more to the community with a Puerto Rico-themed event. Sports With Puerto Rican Pride: Savannah Bananas added Puerto Rican broadcaster José “Cheito” Benítez as their first Spanish-language voice, streaming free on YouTube.

Puerto Rico Tourism & Culture: The Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce convened 50+ tourism players to set priorities and coordinate goals with the Tourism Company and Discover Puerto Rico, aiming to align the visitor economy with what’s next. Diaspora & Community Food: In Isabela, “Isabela Tiene Sabor” returns as a free, family-friendly weekend showcase of local restaurants, artisans, demos, and live music—gastronomy as the bridge between culture and entertainment. Puerto Rican Identity Abroad: Toñita (Maria Antonia Clay) keeps Puerto Rican culture alive in Williamsburg, feeding her community daily and turning a neighborhood club into a home for the diaspora. Arts on the Move: Sculptor José Buscaglia is building a “cultural complex on wheels” to reach Puerto Rican communities across the U.S., preserving history through outreach. Migration Crisis Near Mona: The U.S. Coast Guard reports multiple deadly capsizes near Puerto Rico’s Mona Passage, including a machete attack aboard a makeshift boat—49 rescued, 10 missing, and at least three bodies recovered. Civic Access & Voting: A White House proposal would restrict federal grant money for voter registration drives, raising alarms about access for elderly and disabled voters. Local Life & Care: National Foster Alliance brought pet adoption and foster opportunities to Fort Buchanan, spotlighting Puerto Rico’s stray-animal challenge.

Migrant Rescue Off Mona Island: The U.S. Coast Guard says it rescued at least 40 people after a makeshift boat capsized several miles west of Puerto Rico; two died and survivors reported about 60 aboard, after a machete fight left people injured and many jumped in without life vests. Puerto Rico Recovery Funding: Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón announced FEMA has obligated $87.1M for 47 reconstruction projects, including PREPA street-light modernization and permanent work at the Punta Santiago Pier in Humacao. Water Crisis & Autonomy Push: In NYC, Puerto Rico advocates rallied for three Avilés-backed resolutions targeting debt “vulture” practices, the unelected “La Junta” oversight board, and displacement tied to the Esencia luxury project in Cabo Rojo. Culture & Community Events: Music Box Village hosts the free “Feel the Rhythm of the Drums” festival Oct. 3, featuring Puerto Rico’s NolaRican Bomba Project among international groups. Health & Identity in the Spotlight: A new Miss Universe Nigeria 2026 winner, Danielle Adewusi, a doctor and women’s health advocate, is set to represent Nigeria globally—while Puerto Rico’s own cultural presence continues to travel beyond the island.

Arts & Community: UrbanTheater Company co-founder Ivan Vega, who helped bring Puerto Rican stories to Chicago stages, received the 2026 Leaders for a New Chicago Award—$50,000 for him and $25,000 for his nonprofit—highlighting how theater can build belonging, including ties to LGBTQ+ community. Disaster Recovery: Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón announced FEMA obligated $87.1M for 47 Puerto Rico reconstruction projects, including $38.0M for PREPA street-light modernization and $9.2M for permanent work at the Punta Santiago Pier in Humacao. Health & Daily Life: A pediatric guide urges families to protect kids during water shortages as drought pressures grow. Culture & Reading: A Hispanic Heritage Month roundup spotlights notable works by Hispanic authors, framing literature as “home” beyond the calendar. Local Business & Tech: Puerto Rico SMEs are adopting basic AI to improve operations, mostly using it for simple questions and research rather than full automation.

Hispanic Heritage in Action: Lawrence marked Hispanic Heritage Month with Puerto Rican flags and traditional dances outside City Hall, bringing residents and officials together for a community celebration. Puerto Rico in Pop Culture: Bad Bunny won Best Latin at the 2026 MTV VMAs for “NUEVAYoL,” a track tied to Puerto Rico’s “Nueva York” diaspora story. Music & Spotlight: Ricky Martin headlined the Cowboys vs Ravens halftime show in Rio with Pedro Sampaio, debuting “Pikito, Pikito,” while VMAs buzz also included backlash after Nirvana’s Pat Smear smoked during a tribute. Pageant Culture: Danielle Adewusi was crowned Miss Universe Nigeria 2026, pairing the win with women’s health advocacy through “Scrub the Stigma.” Caribbean Tourism: Guyanese-American journalist Melissa Noel will host SOTIC 2026 in Guyana, spotlighting culture and the future of Caribbean travel. Immigration & Faith: A pastor called ICE’s Adelanto Detention Center a “place of evil,” as community members continue visiting detained immigrants.

Daylight Saving Time: Americans are still set to “fall back” one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, as Congress debates making daylight saving permanent. Puerto Rico in the spotlight: A new historical drama, “Porto Rico,” is set to explore the 1898 U.S. takeover of the island, with a stacked cast led by Bad Bunny and featuring Puerto Rican talent. Hispanic Heritage Month, Puerto Rican sound: The Dalí Museum kicked off its Hispanic Heritage Month celebration with Puerto Rican bomba and plena—drums, dancing, and culture traveling from the island to Tampa Bay. Immigration and fear: A pastor and community members are speaking out against ICE detention, calling Adelanto a “place of evil,” while an immigration attorney warns people with I-220A not to risk travel, including to Puerto Rico. STEM with Puerto Rico ties: Nigeria’s U-17 Flamingos won the WAFU Girls’ Cup, and Puerto Rico is listed in their World Cup group—plus a Puerto Rico-linked finalist story highlights how young innovators are making waves.

Puerto Rico Identity on Screen: The award-winning independent film “Esta Isla” is headed to Connecticut with talks on identity and belonging, following a teen navigating hardship and love as Puerto Rico itself becomes a “character.” Tourism & Culture Politics: The Puerto Rico Tourism Company issued a cease-and-desist letter to Thai businessman Nawat Itsaragrisil over statements it says are false or misleading about Miss Universe 2026 and public funds. Water as Community Art: Artist Antonio Martorell is using art and words to defend water and push conservation after worsening supply problems tied to administrative and infrastructure issues. STEM for Puerto Rican Futures: NSF Arecibo C3 unveiled new lab spaces and a makerspace aimed at expanding STEM access in Puerto Rico. Youth & Parenting Support: Proyecto Nacer and Albizu University partnered to support teen parents. Hispanic Heritage Month Spotlight: A Puerto Rico–linked cultural moment shows up in coverage of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations and identity conversations across the U.S.