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☆ Gig work is the new Ellis Island for immigrants looking for work. But many drivers feel trapped in the long hours and low pay.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-12 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Immigrants nationwide are relying heavily on gig work driving for Uber and Lyft to make ends meet. AdvertisementThe major ride-hailing companies told BI they aim to support immigrant drivers. BI spoke with a dozen immigrant Uber and Lyft drivers who moved to South Florida from countries including Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, and Venezuela. Dozens of ride-hail drivers from across the country who spoke to BI over the last few months said they've recently noticed more immigrant drivers on the apps. AdvertisementDespite the challenges of earning enough, some drivers are set on perfecting strategies to make driving work for them.

Persons: Uber, —, Rodolfo, He's, he's, Katie Wells, Ellis, Wells, they've, she's, Edgar, didn't, hasn't, Alex, haven't, Eliezer, Carlos, Nicanor Organizations: Service, Ipsos, McKinsey, Georgetown University, International Rescue, Immigrants, Economic, The Washington Post, New York, Deliveristas Unidos, BI, Uber, Amazon, Miami, downtown Locations: South Florida, Venezuela, Washington, DC, Cuba, El Salvador, Haiti, New, Miami, Haitian, Nicaragua, Miami Beach, New York, downtown Miami

☆ I lived in Cuba for 20 years. Moving back to the US has me questioning the meaning of 'home.'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Conner Gorry | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

After living there for 20 years, she saw herself as an immigrant, rather than an expat. I'm in the toothpaste aisle at Target, dumbfounded by a selection that runs several shelves long and as many high. After more than 20 years in Cuba, where Close-Up and La Perla were the only choices for most of that time, I'm overwhelmed by the number of options. In Cuba, moreover, women have full autonomy over their bodies, which I feel is the only way it should be. Comfort food, like a juicy hamburger, is one of the great things about living back in the US.

Persons: Conner Gorry, —, La Perla, Davidson Jose Salgado, Harley, Davidson, Fidel Castro, I'd, you've, I'm, doctor's, Carolyn Gorry, I've Organizations: Service, La, World Trade, Harley, Diplomats Locations: New York, Havana, Target, Cuba, Detroit, Pakistan, Haiti, —, Dijon

☆ Murders, imprisonment and violence: Threats to press freedom grow in Latin America
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Esteban Campanela | Sol Amaya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

These are just the tip of the iceberg of the challenges faced by many media workers in Latin America, where experts say the status of press freedom is increasingly worrisome. The Prosecutor’s Office confirmed in a press conference that they believed the crime was linked to his journalistic work. Last week, the Mexican president criticized the US State Department’s report on human rights in the world, which refers to concerns over press freedom in Mexico, saying that US authorities should “be respectful”. In a publication in social network X, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez said US officials are not concerned about the human rights of Cubans and that the United States has its own human rights violations. Nicaragua: Ortega-Murillo regime targets journalismHarassment of the press in Nicaragua has been widely reported on numerous occasions.

Persons: CNNE, Francisco Cobos, ”, Cobos, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, López Obrador, Enrique Peña Nieto, Felipe Calderón, Lourdes Maldonado López, Maldonado López, Séptimo Día, Roberto Figueroa, Xochitl Zamora, Lourdes Maldonado, Maldonado ´, Marco Ugarte, AP López Obrador, Andres Oppenheimer, Javier Milei, Lopez Obrador, Abraham Jimenez, Jimenez, civically, “, Miguel Diaz, Yamil Lage, Jiménez, Bruno Rodríguez, Ortega, Murillo, Juan Lorenzo Hollman Chamorro, Hollman Chamorro, Chamorro, Carlos Fernando Chamorro, Rosario Murillo, … provocateurs, Chávez, Vos, Chavez, ” Edgar López, López, Juan Pablo Lares, Maximiliano Bruzual, Ariana Cubillos, Nicolas, Maduro’s, Yván Gil, ” Jeannine Cruz, Gustavo Petro, Nayib Bukele, Gonzalo Zegarra, Rey Rodríguez, Manuela Castro, Ana María Cañizares, Ivonne, José Álvarez, Elvin Sandoval, Iván, Sarmenti, Español Organizations: CNN, Amnesty International, Protect Journalists, Univision, Televisa, Prosecutor’s, AP, CIA, Canel, Getty, Cuban Foreign, La Prensa, National Police, ”, El, Regional, Democracy, Nicaraguan, State Department, National College of Journalists, Venezuelan, TC Television, Communication, “ Locations: Mexico, Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Latin America, Mexican, American, Tamaulipas, McAllen , Texas, Tijuana, Morelos, Tijuana , Mexico, Spain, Cuban, Havana, AFP, United States, Costa Rica, El Confidencial, Managua, NIcaragua, Sur, Washington, Venezuelan, “, Caracas, ”, Ecuador, Guayaquil, America, Argentina, Colombian

☆ The red flags that will tell us when China's actually ready to invade Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

"I don't think they lack for anything that they need," Lyle Goldstein, director of Asia engagement at Defense Priorities, said of China's forces. Military forces are being deployed nearer to Taiwan than ever, effectively shortening Taiwan's reaction time. Stockpiling of China's rocket force, too, suggests it would have more than enough missiles and rockets to target Taiwan. One common concern is that as China's military exercises around Taiwan have grown in frequency and size, the line between exercise and potential attack is becoming blurred. Xie Huanchi/Xinhua via Getty ImagesExperts, as well as US and Taiwan lawmakers and military officials, have long debated about the readiness of the People's Liberation Army as China's military is known.

Persons: —, Lyle Goldstein, Stringer China, Xi, Thomas Shugart, who's, Shugart, Goldstein, Mike Studeman, Xi Jinping, Dean Cheng, haven't, Cheng, Xie Huanchi, There's, Kyle Amonson, Dane Egli, Annabelle Chih, Getty Images Goldstein, Joe Biden Organizations: Service, Business, Defense, REUTERS, Taiwan's, Taiwan's Ministry of Defense, US Department of Defense, China Economic, Security, PLA, Patriot, US, Center, New, New American Security, Marine Corps, China Coast Guard, Scarborough, ROSA, Military, of Naval Intelligence, Pacific Command, US Institute of Peace, of, People, Getty Images, People's Liberation Army, CCP, Soviet, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Japan, US Coast Guard, Chinese Communist Party, Democratic Progressive Party, Kyodo, Stills Locations: China, Taiwan, Asia, Liaoning, Beijing, New American, AFP, Hong Kong, Xinhua, DoD's China, Cuba, US, Tainan, Japan, Philippines

☆ For U.S. Cuban claims holders, spy Manuel Rocha's plea deal raises fresh questions
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Michelle Caruso-Cabrera | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Raul Rubiera | Miami Herald | Getty ImagesWhen Carolyn Lamb saw news of Cuban spy Victor Manuel Rocha's arrest on the news last December, she recognized him immediately. The lower the value of the claims, the less the Cuban government would have to pay in any future negotiated settlement. Ashby assumed Rocha's paranoia about eavesdropping was in response to the George W. Bush administration's opposition to the Cuba claims buying business. But according to the Justice Department, by that point Rocha was already in his third decade as a Cuban agent. File photo of former US ambassador to Bolivia, Manuel Rocha, talking to the press on the 11th of July 2001.

Persons: V, Manuel Rocha, Steel Hector, Davis, Raul Rubiera, Carolyn Lamb, Victor Manuel Rocha's, Rocha, Lamb, Lamb's, Castro, Justin Solomon, CNBC Castro didn't nationalize, of Rocha, Fidel Castro's, It's, Jason Poblete, Poblete, John Kavulich, Sears Roebuck, Timothy Ashby, Ashby couldn't, Ashby, George W, Bush, Little, Covert, Gonzalo Espinoza Organizations: Miami Herald, Steel, Cuban, US State Department, National Security, Cuban Telephone Company, " Beverage Company, CNBC, Pepsi, General Electric, Century Fox, Cuba Trade, Economic Council, Justice Department, Citizen, State Department, National Security Council, DOJ, Cubans, FBI, AFP, Getty Locations: America, Omaha, Bolivia, Cuba, Havana, United States, Cuban, Rocha, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Mexico, Argentina, Miami, Chile

☆ Former U.S. Ambassador Is Sentenced to 15 Years for Acting as Cuban Agent
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Patricia Mazzei | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A former United States ambassador accused of working for decades as a secret agent for Cuba in one of the biggest national security breaches in years pleaded guilty on Friday and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Manuel Rocha, 73, pleaded guilty to two charges — conspiring to defraud the United States as a foreign agent and failing to register as a foreign agent — as part of an agreement with the federal government. He also faces three years of supervised release, and a $500,000 fine. Mr. Rocha, wearing a beige prison uniform and black glasses, conceded before he was sentenced to the “betrayal of my oath of loyalty to the United States during my two decades in the State Department.”“During my formative years in college, I was heavily influenced by the radical politics of the day,” said Mr. Rocha, who prosecutors said was recruited by Cuban intelligence agents in 1973. “Today, I no longer see the world through the radical eyes of my youth.”

Persons: Manuel Rocha, —, . Rocha, ”, Rocha Organizations: United, State Department, “ Locations: United States, Cuba, Cuban

☆ Iconic photos show the biggest moments from O.J. Simpson's 'trial of the century'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Talia Lakritz | Geoff Weiss | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Simpson trial lives on infamy more than 30 years later. Here are some of the biggest moments from "the trial of the century." NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. The trial still remains a cultural touchstone, with the Emmy-winning 2016 FX series "The People v. O.J. Here's a look back at some of the most iconic photos from the trial.

Persons: Simpson, —, Rodney King, Rupert Murdoch, O.J, Cuba Gooding, Sarah Paulson, John Travolta, David Schwimmer, Sterling K, Brown Organizations: Bronco, Service, NFL, Los Angeles Police Department, Fox, CNN

☆ Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs lawsuits: A closer look at the sexual misconduct lawsuits
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Eric Levenson | Nicki Brown | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

CNN —Even before law enforcement raided his homes, the rapper, producer and businessman Sean “Diddy” Combs faced a host of legal issues. The investigation stems from many of the same sexual assault allegations put forth in the civil lawsuits, according to a second law enforcement source familiar with Monday’s searches. Ventura v. CombsCassie Ventura has accused Diddy, her former boyfriend, of rape and abuse. Gardner v. CombsSean "Diddy" Combs has been accused of misconduct in multiple lawsuits filed since November. O’Marcaigh v. Christian and Sean CombsChristian Combs is accused of sexual assault in a lawsuit filed April 4 in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Persons: Sean “ Diddy ” Combs, Aaron Dyer, –, Mr, Combs, ”, Diddy, Ventura, Combs Cassie Ventura, Ethan Miller, Cassie, Ben Brafman, “ Mr, “, ” Brafman, Dickerson, Neal, Joi Dickerson, drugging, Gardner, Combs Sean, Shareif Ziyadat, Liza Gardner, Aaron Hall, Jane, Guy, Hall, Jane Doe, Harve Pierre, Daddy’s, Doe, Pierre, ” Pierre, Rod, Rodney Jones, videographer, Lil Rod, Jones, ” Jones, Cuba Gooding, Shawn Holley, Gooding, Sean Combs, Gareth Cattermole, Grace O’Marcaigh, Christian Combs, O’Marcaigh, Dyer Organizations: CNN, New York, Authorities, Department of Homeland Security, of, Diddy, Bad Boy Records, Bad Boy Entertainment, Combs Enterprises, Epic Records, Doe Corps, New York Supreme, Syracuse University, MCA Inc, MCA Music Entertainment Group, Geffen Records, Universal Music Group, ABC Corps, ” CNN, Inc, Bad Boy Entertainment Holdings, Plaintiff, Bad Boy Entertainment Holdings Inc, Los Angeles Superior Court Locations: Southern, of New York, New York, Los Angeles

☆ A month's pay in one week: South Florida Uber and Lyft drivers explain how they capitalize on the spring break rush despite 'a little sand' and 'crappy music'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Police made 573 arrests in Miami Beach last spring break and confiscated over 100 guns, per The Wall Street Journal. For some drivers, spring break is their ticket to a vacation of their own, but for others, the spring break slowdown has thrown their earnings for a loop. Many, like Jared S., 27, say they don't actively seek out spring breakers, though sometimes spring break rides can be profitable. AdvertisementBreaking up with spring breakMike McGrath, 57, is glad spring break is more under control this year. AdvertisementCapitalizing on spring break crowdsRenee said maximizing her earnings during spring break comes down to knowing when to be in certain areas.

Persons: Trent T, South Florida — Uber, it's, he's, Trent, He's, I'm, You'll, Jared S, Juan, Mike McGrath, McGrath, David Lowell, he'll, Lowell, Renee, Lyft, John D, John, Hiedi, Handford, Mark, there's, Marian O, Eliezer, Edgar Organizations: Service, South Florida —, Trent, Miami Beach, Police, Street, West Palm Beach, Miami, Delray, Facebook Locations: South Florida, Miami, Miami Beach, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach, Cuba, West Palm, South Beach, Delray Beach, Tennessee, Ubers, Boca Raton, Nicaragua, Venezuela

☆ Russia is betting big on Cuba as it courts alternative economic partners
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Russia is expanding its economic and trade ties with Cuba, per TASS. Russia has been pivoting to alternative markets in the face of Western sanctions. Cuba — which has been sanctioned by the US for decades — has been in an economic crisis since the COVID-19 pandemic. AdvertisementRussia has set its sights on broader economic and trade ties with Cuba. The companies are involved in various sectors including heavy industry, energy, banking, agriculture, IT, and tourism, Chernyshenko said at an intergovernmental meeting between Russia and Cuba.

Persons: —, Dmitry Chernyshenko, Chernyshenko Organizations: Service, TASS Locations: Russia, Cuba, Russian

☆ Cuba sees rare protests amid power cuts and food shortages
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-18 | by ( Patrick Oppmann | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Demonstrators took to the streets in at least four cities on Sunday to complain about hours-long power cuts and increasing food scarcity. The island has seen frequent power cuts and shortages of food, fuel, and medicine since the Covid-19 pandemic, prompting Cubans to flee to the United States in record numbers. US diplomats said Sunday they were monitoring the protests and called on the Cuban government to listen to the demonstrators. The Cuban government, which typically does not allow organized dissent, did not say how many protesters had been arrested. After island-wide demonstrations in the summer of 2021, more than 1,000 Cubans were put on trial and convicted of rising up against the communist-run government, according to human rights groups.

Persons: Miguel Diaz, Canel, Fidel Castro’s, Diaz Organizations: CNN, Cuban, country’s Communist Party, Twitter Locations: Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, United States, Miami’s, Cuban, Havana

☆ Where is Diana Nyad now? Everything to know about the athlete at the center of Netflix's biopic 'Nyad'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Olivia Singh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Diana Nyad's historic long-distance swim from Cuba to Florida is the focus of the Netflix film "Nyad." "Nyad" stars Annette Bening as the titular swimmer and Nyad has been supportive of the biopic. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementLong-distance swimmer Diana Nyad's story is back in the spotlight thanks to the Netflix biopic and awards season contender "Nyad." Nyad is best known for being the first person to successfully swim 110 miles from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage.

Persons: Diana Nyad's, Nyad, Annette Bening, — Organizations: Netflix, Service, Swimming Association, Business Locations: Cuba, Florida

A former U.S. ambassador accused of working for decades as a secret agent for Cuba indicated on Thursday that he would plead guilty, a move that would bring to a swift end the legal case over one of the biggest national security breaches in years. Manuel Rocha, 73, said in federal court in Miami that he would file a change of plea, signaling that he is prepared to plead guilty. He was charged in December with acting as an agent of a foreign government and defrauding the United States. Mr. Rocha is expected to plead guilty to two counts of conspiring to act as a foreign agent. Prosecutors are expected to drop the other charges; the wire fraud charge carried a 20-year maximum sentence.

Persons: Manuel Rocha, Rocha, Rocha’s Organizations: Prosecutors, Associated Press Locations: U.S, Cuba, Miami, United States

☆ Former US diplomat accused of spying for Cuba indicates he plans to plead guilty, court docket shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Manuel Rocha, the former US ambassador to Bolivia accused of acting as a secret foreign agent of Cuba, said in court Thursday that he plans to plead guilty to charges, according to his court docket. During a hearing in Miami Thursday, Rocha and prosecutors “announce[d] the Defendant will be changing his plea,” according to the court docket. The court record does not give any information about what charges Rocha plans to plead guilty to. Rocha served as the US ambassador to Bolivia from 2000 to 2002 and as the deputy principal officer of the US Interests Section in Cuba in the 1990s. His role as the political officer at the US Embassy in the Dominican Republic gave him “special responsibility” for Cuba, prosecutors alleged.

Persons: CNN — Manuel Rocha, Rocha, “, Fidel Castro Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, US Embassy, Embassy, Cuban Locations: Bolivia, Cuba, American, Miami, Dominican Republic, Italy, Mexico, Argentina

☆ Biden Acts to Stop Sales of Sensitive Personal Data to China and Russia
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( David Mccabe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden will issue an executive order Wednesday seeking to restrict the sale of sensitive American data to China, Russia and four more countries, a first-of-its-kind attempt to keep personally identifying information from being obtained for blackmail, scams or other harm. The president will ask the Justice Department to write rules restricting the sale of information about Americans’ locations, health and genetics to China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela, as well as any entities linked to those countries. The restrictions would also cover financial information, biometric data and other types of information that could identify individuals and sensitive information related to the government. The White House said this kind of sensitive data could be used for blackmail, “especially for those in the military or national security community,” and against dissidents, journalists and academics. The new restrictions would be the United States’ first-ever broad prohibition on the sale of digital data to individual countries in an era when companies known as data brokers assemble huge amounts of information on people, from favorite hobbies to household income and health conditions, and then typically sell it to marketers that target them with ads.

Persons: Biden, United States ’ Organizations: Department Locations: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, United States

☆ Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs sued by male producer who alleges sexual assault
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Khorram allegedly ordered prostitutes and illicit drugs for Combs and his guests and according to the lawsuit, Jones believed Khorram “aided and abetted” Combs’ sexual assault. “Our attempts to share this proof with Mr. Jones’ attorney, Tyrone Blackburn, have been ignored, as Mr. Blackburn refuses to return our calls. “This was done to ease Mr. Jones’ anxiety concerning homosexuality,” the suit alleges. In a statement to CNN, he called Jones’ allegations “false.”“My lawyer will be handling this going forward,” Stevie J added. Combs was present while Mr. Jones was being assaulted by Cuba Gooding Jr.,” the suit alleges.

Persons: CNN —, Sean “ Diddy ” Combs, ” Rodney “, Rod ” Jones, videographer, Combs, Jones, Combs ’, Kristina Khorram, Sir Lucian Grainge, Justin, Justin Combs, Khorram, Khorram “, abetted ” Combs, “, DeLeon Tequila, Grainge, Habtemarian “, ” Jones, Shawn Holley, Sean Combs, ”, ” Holley, Tyrone Blackburn, Blackburn, “ Justin Combs, Sean, Diddy, Chris Pizzello, Steven ‘ Stevie J ’ Jordan, Stevie J, ’, Oscar, Cuba Gooding, Jr, Mr, “ Mr, ” Gooding, Casandra Ventura, ” Ben Brafman, Ventura, ” Weeks, ” Combs, Rodney Jones, Lucian Grainge, Grainge “ Organizations: CNN, Universal Music Group, Motown, Ethiopia, Khorram, Billboard, Islands, Motown Records, Cuba Locations: New York, Los Angeles

Here are some key findings from an Associated Press investigation into Rocha's alleged betrayal and the missed red flags that could have helped him avoid scrutiny for decades. Rodríguez told AP he believed at the time he received from the Cuban defector in 2006 was an attempt to discredit a fellow anti-communist crusader. It wasn’t just Rodríguez’s tipster — whom he refused to identify to the AP but says was recently interviewed by the FBI. Officials told the AP that as early 1987, the CIA was aware Castro had a “super mole” burrowed deep inside the U.S. government. The FBI and CIA declined to comment, and the State Department didn’t respond to requests.

Persons: Manuel Rocha, Félix Rodríguez, Rocha, “, ” Rodríguez, MANUEL ROCHA, ”, Fidel Castro’s, Fidel Castro, “ El, Liliana Ayalde, Castro, Evo Morales, Ayalde, retracing, “ Che ” Guevara, Rodríguez, tipster, Peter Romero Organizations: MIAMI, Ivy League, CIA, Cuban, Miami, FBI, State Department, Associated Press, WHO, Yale, of Intelligence, Authorities, The Taft School, Prosecutors, U.S, AP, Officials, . Locations: America, Cuban, Cuba, Chile, Colombia, New York City, Connecticut, Bolivia, U.S, Paraguay, Brazil, Latin America, Investigative@ap.org

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Slugging free agent outfielder and designated hitter Jorge Soler has agreed to a $42 million, three-year contract with the San Francisco Giants, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the deal was pending a successful physical. Soler played 137 games for the Marlins last season, batting .250 with 36 home runs and 75 RBIs. He spent 102 games as DHThe games played were third-most in his 10-year big league career with the Chicago Cubs, Kansas City, Atlanta and the Marlins. San Francisco hopes to contend in the NL West after hiring Melvin from division rival San Diego to replace Gabe Kapler following two straight years missing the playoffs.

Persons: Jorge Soler, Farhan Zaidi, Bob Melvin, Zaidi, Soler, San Francisco, Melvin, San, Gabe Kapler Organizations: FRANCISCO, San Francisco Giants, Associated Press, San, Baseball, Miami, Marlins, Chicago Cubs, Royals, Kansas City, Braves, NL West, The Giants Locations: San Francisco, Cuba, Kansas City, Atlanta, San, San Diego

☆ House impeaches Alejandro Mayorkas, first Cabinet secretary to be impeached in almost 150 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-13 | by ( Annie Grayer | Clare Foran | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The House of Representatives, by an extremely narrow margin, voted Tuesday to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, the first Cabinet secretary to be impeached in almost 150 years. The Department of Homeland Security said that House Republicans “will be remembered by history for trampling on the Constitution” following the vote to impeach. “Secretary Mayorkas and the Department of Homeland Security will continue working every day to keep Americans safe,” the statement said. Ken Buck, Tom McClintock, and Mike Gallagher are three House Republicans who voted against impeaching Mayorkas. Mayorkas has sent a letter to House Republicans to defend his record in public service in advance of the vote.

Persons: Alejandro Mayorkas, Mayorkas, Joe Biden, William Belknap, Republicans – Ken Buck, Republicans – Ken Buck of Colorado, Mike Gallagher of, Tom McClintock, California –, Republicans “, Mia Ehrenberg, Steve Scalise, Texas Democrat Al Green, Ken Buck, Mike Gallagher, impeaching Mayorkas, “, Troy Nehls, we’re, ”, Lance Gooden, Patrick McHenry of, Kevin McCarthy, Mike Johnson, “ He’s, Ian Sams, Chuck Schumer’s, Pro Tempore Patty Murray, ” Schumer, Johnson, Donald Trump, ” Mayorkas, CNN’s Morgan Rimmer, Manu Raju Organizations: Homeland, Republicans, Biden, Department of Homeland Security, “, Texas Democrat, AP, Getty, GOP, CNN, Texas, Democratic, Pro Tempore, House Republicans, ”, Communist, Democrats, Homeland Security, Republican, Border Patrol Locations: Republicans – Ken Buck of, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, California, Israel, Texas, “, Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, Cuba

☆ Cuba Charges 30 Over Massive Chicken Heist
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba has charged 30 people for stealing 133 tonnes of chicken and selling them on the street in a rare major heist at a time of food shortages in the communist-run nation. The chicken had been earmarked for Cuba`s "rationbook" system introduced after the late Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution to provide subsidized staples for all. Rigoberto Mustelier, director of government food distributor COPMAR, said the quantity stolen was the equivalent of a month`s ration of chicken for a medium-sized province at current distribution rates. The amount of chicken available via the rationbook has fallen sharply in recent years as economic crisis has brought scarcities of food, fuel and medicines. Authorities did not say when the chicken theft took place, but noted it likely occurred between midnight and 2 a.m., when they detected fluctuations in the temperature of the cold storage facility.

Persons: Fidel Castro's, Rigoberto Mustelier, Dave Sherwood, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: TV, Authorities Locations: HAVANA, Cuba, Havana, Cuban

☆ Ecuador Top Court Recognizes Right to Euthanasia
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Alexandra ValenciaQUITO (Reuters) - Ecuador's Constitutional Court on Wednesday approved a request from a terminally ill patient to decriminalize euthanasia and ordered the National Assembly to approve a law regulating the procedure within a year. Paola Roldan, who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2020, petitioned Ecuador's top court in August last year to recognize her right to euthanasia, given her deterioration and pain caused by the illness. The resolution is immediately applicable and Roldan can choose to be euthanized whenever she decides, her lawyers told journalists. Ecuador is the latest country in the region to authorize euthanasia, following Cuba - which gave it the green light in December - and neighboring Colombia, which allows euthanasia in certain instances. "This has been a very special moment for me," Roldan told journalists, adding she will now take time to assimilate what this means alongside her lawyers.

Persons: Alexandra Valencia, Paola Roldan, Ecuador's, Roldan, Oliver Griffin, Sandra Maler Organizations: Alexandra Valencia QUITO, National Assembly, Ministry of Health Locations: Ecuador, Cuba, Colombia

☆ The real June Hawkins from 'Griselda' served as a consultant on the Netflix show. Here's where she is today.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

June Hawkins is a Miami PD analyst in "Griselda," the Netflix series starring Sofia Vergara. The real Hawkins worked in homicide for the Miami PD and consulted on the show. The real Hawkins-Singleton served as a consultant on "Griselda," working with her husband (and former colleague) Alan Singleton to recall the events of her investigation into Blanco, she told People. Hawkins-Singleton told Tudum that she only met Blanco once, and it was after she had stopped working on homicide. "Those lunches and those meetings with Smitten became the way we rekindled," Hawkins-Singleton told People.

Persons: Hawkins, Griselda, Sofia Vergara, Blanco, She's, —, Griselda Blanco's, Singleton, née Hawkins, Juliana Aidén Martinez, Alan Singleton, there's, Doug Miro, Vanity, Singleton's, Miro, Eric Reynolds, Elizabeth Morris, Netflix Hawkins, Tudum, Richard, Alan Organizations: Netflix, Miami PD, Service, Miami Police Department, Boynton Beach Police Department, Miami Locations: Miami, Cuba, Florida, Washington, Nashville

WASHINGTON (AP) — To his supporters, Alejandro Mayorkas is a thoughtful, driven secretary — a “Boy Scout” — who brings a prosecutor's tenacity and his personal understanding of the immigrant experience in America to running his sprawling agency. But it is the department’s role in immigration that has made Mayorkas a target of impeachment. Mayorkas said his immigrant and refugee background mean that he brings an intense patriotism to the job. Citizenship and Immigration Service, Mayorkas put in place a program giving protection from deportation to migrants brought to the border as children. Since taking the job as DHS secretary, Mayorkas has been subject to often hostile rhetoric over the administration's handling of the border and immigration.

Persons: —, Alejandro Mayorkas, Ali, he’ll, Tom Warrick, ” Warrick, Joe Biden, Biden, Mayorkas, Donald Trump, “, ”, didn’t, Cecilia Munoz, Obama, Munoz, Barack Obama, “ He’s, Mark Green of, impeaching, William Belknap, Ulysses Grant, Brandon Judd, Trump, Judd, Ahilan Arulanantham, Arulanantham, Angela Kelley Organizations: WASHINGTON, Department of Homeland Security, Republicans, Atlantic Council, “, DHS, Republican, Associated Press, Mayorkas, White, . Citizenship, Immigration Service, Democratic, Trump, House Homeland Security, National Border Patrol Council, Security, Border Patrol, Biden, Center for Immigration Law, UCLA School of Law, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Congress Locations: America, U.S, Mexico, United States, Washington, Ukraine, California, Cuba, Los Angeles, Miami, Mark Green of Tennessee

☆ Cuban President Sacks Economy Minister as Controversy Grows Over Price Hikes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel sacked economy minister Alejandro Gil on Friday, state media reported, as controversy continued to grow over the delay of recently announced measures to hike the price of fuel and transportation fares in the communist-run country. The Council of State, under Diaz-Canel`s direction, has appointed Central Bank president Joaquín Alonso, 60, to replace Gil. The upheaval comes just two days after the government put off an unpopular five-fold hike in gasoline prices planned for Feb. 1, saying a cyberattack from outside Cuba had thwarted implementation. Former economy minister Gil had advocated for the unpopular plan to raise prices for many government subsidized services, and has long been criticized for his management of the country`s near-bankrupt economy. Gil's planned price hikes, initially announced in December and early January, rocked Cuba, where residents have long depended on a vast program of state subsidized food, fuel and medicine.

Persons: Miguel Díaz, Canel, Alejandro Gil, Diaz, Joaquín Alonso, Gil, Elba Rosa Perez, Eduardo Martinez, Alberto Lopez, Manuel Santiago Sobrino, Nelson Acosta, Dave Sherwood, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: of State, Central Bank, Technology, Food Industry Ministry Locations: HAVANA, Cuban, Cuba, Santa Clara

☆ We won't meddle in the 2024 election, China's Xi Jinping told Biden: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Chinese leader Xi Jinping promised President Joe Biden in a brief in-person exchange in November that Beijing would stay out of the 2024 US election, CNN reported. AdvertisementBiden was the one who broached the subject with Xi, one of the sources told CNN. Foreign election interference has increasingly been in the spotlight in the US, especially in the wake of the Russian hacking controversy in the 2016 election. We oppose making China an issue based on election politics," the Chinese Foreign Ministry told CNN when asked for comment. AdvertisementAt the time, China's Foreign Ministry called the accusations "groundless and fabricated out of thin air."

Persons: Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, Biden, Wang Yi, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Wang Wenbin Organizations: CNN, Economic Cooperation, Chinese, White House National, Foreign Ministry, Foreign, Ministry Locations: Beijing, Asia, San Francisco, China, Bangkok, United States, Iran, Russia, Cuba

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