The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. May 4, 2017 Puerto Rico to Seek Bankruptcy Protection ----------------------------------------- Puerto Rico filed for a form of bankruptcy protection on Wednesday, seeking to restructure $123 billion in debt and pension obligations, in a move that's likely to slash money for healthcare, pensions and infrastructure on the island territory. Years of austerity programs aimed at paying back the debt has left Puerto Rico's official unemployment rate at nearly 12 percent, with nearly half of all Puerto Ricans living in poverty. The U.S. Supreme Court will now designate a bankruptcy judge to handle the case. .