Hurricane death toll in Puerto Rico jumps to 34

Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rosselló raised the death toll from Hurricane Maria to 34 on Wednesday after officials did a more thorough survey of area hospitals. The Category 4 hurricane struck the U.S. territory two weeks ago and much of the island remains in disaster response mode. Officials have restored power to about 8.6 percent of customers and hope to restore service for one-quarter of the island within a month. But the ongoing strain of recovery, including limited access to food and clean drinking water, has health officials worried about Puerto Ricans’ emotional and mental stability. Rosselló confirmed Wednesday that two of the deaths attributed to the storm came from suicides, although he didn’t provide any details. Officials attribute 20 deaths directly to the storm, including drownings and several people caught in mudslides. The rest are people who died as an indirect result of the storm, including elderly residents left without access to oxygen after the electrical grid failed. President Donald Trump visited the island Tuesday and suggested the United States might consider wiping out the territory’s $74 billion public debt as a way to boost recovery efforts. But on Wednesday, White House budget director Mick Mulvaney dashed those hopes by clarifying Trump did not intend to offer Puerto Ricans a bailout. Instead, the president will ask Congress to approve a standard disaster relief aid package that includes funds for “rebuilding, repair, debris removal, getting the electric grid up, getting the water back running, and so forth,” Mulvaney said.