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☆ In a Communist Stronghold, Capitalists Become an Economic Lifeline
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( David C. Adams | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

A modern grocery store whose shelves are packed with everything from pasta to wine fills a spot in central Havana once occupied by a drab state-owned flower shop, its ceilings and walls repaired and repainted. A former state glass company in a Havana suburb now houses a showroom for a private business selling Cuban-made furniture. And at the Cuban capital’s port, forklifts carefully unload American eggs from a refrigerated container. The eggs are bound for an online private supermarket that, much like Amazon Fresh, provides home delivery. These ventures are part of an explosion of thousands of private businesses that have opened in recent years across Cuba, a remarkable shift in a country where such enterprises have not been permitted and where Fidel Castro rose to power leading a communist revolution determined to eliminate capitalist notions like private ownership.

Persons: Fidel Castro Locations: Havana, Cuban, Cuba

☆ Israeli Weapon Damaged Iranian Air Defenses Without Being Detected, Officials Say
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Farnaz Fassihi | Ronen Bergman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

Some Democrats are fine sending defensive weapons to Israel, but want to see some limits on offensive weapons, which could be used against civilians in Gaza. But progressive Democrats estimated that 40 to 60 members of their party may oppose it on the House floor on Saturday. The legislation would allocate $5 billion to Israel’s defense capabilities and $9 billion for “worldwide humanitarian aid,” including for civilians in Gaza. “To give Netanyahu more offensive weapons at this stage, I believe, is to condone the destruction of Gaza that we’ve seen in the last six months. But they see a “no” vote as part of a strategy to pressure Mr. Biden to condition aid and halt future offensive weapons transfers.

Persons: Biden, ’, Pramila Jayapal, Joaquin Castro, We’re, Mr, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, ”, Ro Khanna, Netanyahu, Nancy Pelosi, Mike Johnson, —, Becca Balint, “, it’s, Lloyd Doggett, Doggett, Ms, Balint, Dan Kildee, Greg Casar Organizations: Democrats, Democratic, “, Congressional Progressive Caucus, ”, Democrat, Israel, Democratic Party, Republican, Republicans, Texas Democrat, White House, Michigan Democrat Locations: Israel, Gaza, Iraq, Washington, Texas, Ukraine, Taiwan, United States, Rafah, Iran, California, Yemen, Louisiana, Vermont, U.S, American

☆ Liberal Democrats Urge ‘No’ Vote on Israel Aid to Pressure Biden on Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Kayla Guo | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A group of left-leaning House Democrats is urging its colleagues to oppose the $26 billion aid package for Israel expected to pass on Saturday, hoping to maximize the number of “no” votes from the party in a bid to send a warning to President Biden about the depth of discontent in his political coalition over his support for Israel’s tactics in Gaza. Framing the upcoming vote as a make-or-break moral choice akin to Congress’s votes to authorize and fund the Iraq war, progressive leaders in the House are working to muster a sizable bloc of Democratic opposition to the aid measure, which is all but certain to become law in the coming days. “In the wake of those votes, people came around much, much later and said, ‘We shouldn’t have allowed that to go forward,’” Representative Pramila Jayapal, Democrat of Washington and the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said of the decades-ago debate over Iraq. “And I think that this is that moment.”Representative Joaquin Castro, Democrat of Texas, called it a “defining vote,” adding, “We’re either going to participate in the carnage, or we’re not.”

Persons: Biden, ’, Pramila Jayapal, Joaquin Castro, We’re, ” Organizations: Democrats, Israel, Democratic, “, Congressional Progressive Caucus, ”, Democrat Locations: Gaza, Iraq, Washington, Texas

☆ Live Updates: Muted Reactions to Israeli Strikes on Iran Hint at De-Escalation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Alissa J. Rubin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

☆ 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

☆ Congress cut funds cities need to handle the migrant surge
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Tami Luhby | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Congress last month approved the fiscal year 2024 funding level for FEMA’s Shelter and Services Program in the federal funding package, nearly six months into the fiscal year. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democrat who represents San Antonio, said that immigration is a federal responsibility. “Funding from the Shelter and Services Program (SSP) has helped Catholic Charities and other groups in my city of San Antonio offer basic migrant services without straining local resources. “Due to the substantial demand that exceeds the limited SSP program funding authorized by Congress, not all requests can be fulfilled,” a DHS spokesperson told CNN. The Migrant Resource Center opened in July 2022 as a temporary place for migrants traveling through San Antonio.

Persons: of San Antonio doesn’t, Biden, Joaquin Castro, ”, of San Antonio, Antonio Fernandez, Fernandez, Greg Abbott, Mark Ritacco, John Giles, Giles, Ron Nirenberg, he’s, Joe Biden, Carlos Kosienski, Priscilla Alvarez Organizations: CNN, of San, Resource Center, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Democrat, “, Shelter, Services, Catholic Charities, Catholic, San, FEMA, GOP Texas Gov, Democratic, Republicans, Department of Homeland Security, Congress, National Association of Counties, US Customs, Protection, US, Mayors, Migrant Resource Center Locations: San Antonio, Washington, DC, Cities, Mexico, Atlanta ; Chicago ; New York City, Albuquerque , New Mexico, Laredo , Texas, Riverside County , California, Pima County , Arizona, Mesa , Arizona, Texas

☆ USAID administrator says it is ‘credible’ to assess famine is already occurring in parts of Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The top US humanitarian official said Wednesday it is “credible” to assess that famine is already occurring in parts of Gaza as the war between Israel and Hamas continues. Although US officials have been sounding the alarm about the imminent risk of famine in the war-torn strip, USAID Administrator Samantha Power is the first official to publicly agree with an assessment that famine is already taking place. The assessment is likely to fuel further calls for the administration to put restrictions on its military aid to Israel. Power noted that “in northern Gaza, the rate of malnutrition, prior to October 7, was almost zero. And it is now one in three, one in three kids.”“Food has not flowed in sufficient quantities to avoid this imminent famine in the south and these conditions that are giving rise already to child deaths in the north,” she said.

Persons: Samantha Power, ”, Joe Biden, Israel, Antony Blinken, Power, “, Joaquin Castro Organizations: CNN, USAID, Foreign, Biden, Integrated, IPC, Democratic Rep, Gaza Locations: Gaza, Israel, States, ”

☆ 3G Capital quietly exited its Kraft Heinz investment last year
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

They had continued to be an investor and were treated as we do any investor," Kraft Heinz said in a statement to CNBC. "We did learn from their recent filing that 3G exited the Kraft Heinz stock entirely in 2023." Brazilian private equity firm 3G Capital quietly sold off its 16.1% stake in Kraft Heinz in the fourth quarter, nearly nine years after masterminding the blockbuster merger of Kraft Foods and Heinz with Warren Buffett. Kraft Heinz sought to drive inorganic growth through a takeover bid for Unilever, but the Popsicle owner rejected its offer. In 2022, it distributed about 7% of Kraft Heinz to investors in its fund, which reportedly included tennis star Roger Federer.

Persons: Kraft Heinz, Warren Buffett, 3G's, Heinz, Buffett, Jorge Paulo Lemann, Alexandre Behring, Joao Castro, Neves, Roger Federer, Carlos Abrams, Rivera, he's Organizations: 3G, CNBC, Kraft, 3G Capital, Kraft Foods, Heinz, Busch InBev, Burger King, Big, Unilever, Securities and Exchange, Berkshire, InBev, Planters Locations: Berkshire, Lactalis

As Tax Day approaches, there are plenty of things small business owners should keep in mind when filing taxes this year. Since business tax filing is complex, most experts recommend small business owners work with a professional tax adviser rather than trying to file on their own or even with tax-filing software. Here are things small business owners should consider as the April 15 deadline looms. There’s also a tax credit based on employer contribution, up to $1,000 annually per employee, over the plan’s first five years. Designed to help small businesses keep employees during pandemic-era shutdowns, the generous credit let businesses file amended tax returns to claim the credit.

Persons: ”, Amber Kellogg, “, it’s, Mitch Gerstein, Gerstein, There’s, Scott Orn, Orn, ” Orn, Danny Castro, Occams Organizations: Occams Advisory, Isdaner, Congress, Kruze Consulting, BDO USA, BBO, ERC, IRS Locations: Florida

CNN —At least 27 people have been killed in southeast Brazil as rainfall continues to ravage parts of the country, according to CNN affiliate CNN Brasil citing state authorities. The death toll in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo rose to 19, and at least eight people have been killed in neighboring state Rio de Janeiro, CNN Brasil reported citing each state’s respective Civil Defense. At least six people are still missing, and more than 7,000 people were forced to flee their homes in Espirito Santo, according to CNN Brasil. Construction worker Nicelio Goncalves, 52, shows the interior of his flooded house outside in Rio de Janeiro state on Sunday, March 24. Flooding and landslides remain one of the main concerns as rainfall has yet to cease through the week.

Persons: Nicelio Goncalves, Pilar Olivares, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Rio de Janeiro Governor Claudio Castro, Renato Casagrande, Allison Chinchar Organizations: CNN, CNN Brasil, Civil Defense, Reuters, Rio de Janeiro Governor, Espirito Santo Locations: Brazil, Brazilian, Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de, Rio Grande do Sul, Sao Paulo

☆ 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

☆ Putin scores a resounding win, but what’s next for Russia?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Nathan Hodge | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

Sovfoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Putin poses for a picture with his wife, Lyudmila, and daughters, Yekaterina and Maria. Brooks Kraft LLC/Corbis via Getty Images Putin rides a horse during a vacation in Southern Siberia in August 2009. Dmitry Astakhov/RIA Novosti/AFP via Getty Images Putin plays with his dogs Yume, left, and Buffy at his home in Novo-Ogaryovo, Russia, in March 2013. Chris McGrath/Getty Images Putin and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attend the G20 summit in Buenos Aires in November 2018. Getty Images Putin speaks with American right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson during an interview in February 2024.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Putin, ”, Dmitry Kiselyov, Mikhail Mishustin, Ukraine –, Kiselyov, “, Maria Putina, Archivio GBB, ZUMA Press Wire Putin, Laski, Maria, Vladimir, Anatoly Sobchak, Lyudmila, Yekaterina, Boris Yeltsin, Yeltsin, Fidel Castro, Reuters Putin, George W, Bush, Stephen Jaffe, Camp David, Brooks Kraft, Alexey Druzhinin, Alexey Nikolsky, Mikhail Metzel, Ivan Sekretarev, AP Putin, Dmitry Medvedev, Dmitry Astakhov, Buffy, Angela Merkel, Jochen Lübke, Thomas Bach, Medvedev, Vladimir Konstantinov, Alexei Chalyi, Sergei Aksyonov, Sergei Ilnitsky, Kirill Kudryavtsev, Alexander Lukashenko, Merkel, Francois Hollande, Petro Poroshenko, Mykola Lazarenko, Barack Obama, Ban, Chip Somodevilla, Turkey Andrei Karlov, Karlov, Donald Trump, Chris McGrath, Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, LUDOVIC MARIN, Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky, Eliot Blondet, Joe Biden, Antony Blinken, Biden, Sergey Lavrov, Denis Balibouse, Macron, Sergey Ponomarev, Mikhail Gorbachev, —, Alexander Nemenov, Alexey Danichev, Xi Jinping, Pavel Byrkin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Prigozhin, Pavel Bednyakov, Kim Jong Un, Kim, Tucker Carlson, Zuma Press Putin, Maxim Shemetov, – what’s, Alexey Navalny, Navalny, ” Putin Organizations: CNN, coy, Kremlin, Getty, Russian, ZUMA Press, Putin, KGB, ZUMA Press Wire, Getty Images, Reuters, US, White House, Camp, Brooks, Brooks Kraft LLC, RIA Novosti, AP, AFP, International Olympic, Crimean, Ukrainian, United Nations, UN, Assembly, Russian Foreign Ministry, Sputnik, World, Saudi Arabia's Crown, Macron, SPUTNIK, New York Times, Central Clinical Hospital, AP Putin, Belarus, State Russian Museum, AP North Korean, Vostochny, Tucker Carlson Network, Zuma Press Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Putin Russia, Russian, Bakhmut, St . Petersburg, Leningrad, Germany, Moscow, AFP, Kazan, Cuba, Soviet Union, Southern Siberia, Russia's Tver, Novo, Ogaryovo, Hanover, Sevastopol, Crimea, Belarusian, Minsk, Belarus, France, Turkey, Helsinki, Finland, Buenos Aires, Ukrainian, Paris, Geneva, Switzerland, Taganrog, Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Tsiolkovsky, Russia's, North Korea, United States

LOS ANGELES (AP) — There is a whole other show that happens offscreen at the Oscars that the home audience doesn't see on television. “It’s not OK, it’s bad, I’m going home.”GRETA GERWIG AND THE COSTUME DESIGNERSOut in the lobby Gerwig had a fan who wanted to talk to her about something very specific: Ann Roth’s ‘Barbie’ cameo. During the performance, the Dolby Theatre took on the feel of a Taylor Swift concert, with everyone in the room standing and breaking into spontaneous, joyous dance. And the biggest fan in the room was Gerwig, who was given her own personal Ken right up in her face. During the commercial break Mark Ronson found his way to Gerwig, Robbie and a crowd of admirers.

Persons: Martin Scorsese, Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Jimmy Kimmel’s, Marcus Mumford, Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence, Greta Gerwig beelined, Robbie, Joy Randolph, Mulligan, Mumford, EMMA, ”, attentively, Florence Pugh, Pugh, John Cena, “, Stone, GRETA GERWIG, Gerwig, Ann Roth’s ‘ Barbie, Eduardo Castro, who’s, Roth, “ Barbie, Kimmel, She’s, Ma, ” Castro, Betty ”, ” Gerwig, Greta, Noah Baumbach, Gosling, Taylor, Ken, Mark Ronson, Ronson, Downey, Emily Blunt, chatted, Ball, Cord Jefferson, Kate McKinnon, Marlee Matlin, Steven Spielberg, Barbie ”, I’m Organizations: ANGELES, Associated Press, America, Dolby Theatre Locations: Gerwig

☆ South China Sea: On board an outnumbered Philippine ship facing down Chinese aggression
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( Rebecca Wright | Ivan Watson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Near Second Thomas Shoal, South China Sea CNN —As dawn slowly broke on the horizon, a large fleet of Chinese vessels came into view from the deck of a Philippine Coast Guard ship as it entered the contested waters of the South China Sea. Filipino soldiers on the dilapidated Sierra Madre ship, anchored near the Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, on May 11, 2015. The US military also maintains a regular presence in the South China Sea, with aircraft overflights, so-called “freedom of navigation” operations, and patrols and exercises with allies and partners to assert that the South China Sea is an international waterway. The Philippine Coast Guard said it counted five China Coast Guard vessels and 18 boats belonging to Beijing’s “maritime militia." Rebecca Wright/CNNTarriela, the Coast Guard spokesperson, said a China Coast Guard vessel had come within 20 yards (60 feet) of the Cabra.

Persons: David, Goliath, “, ”, Thomas Shoal, Rebecca Wright, Sabina, Ritchie, Jiao, –, Jay Tarriela, Mao Ning, China Coast Guard “, Thomas, Ferdinand “ Bongbong ” Marcos Jr, Rodrigo Duterte, Marcos Jr, Jose Manuel Romualdez, CNN Tarriela, Tomas Etzler, Erik de Castro, month’s, ” Tarriela, ‘, Collin Koh, ” Koh, Ray Powell, SeaLight, “ Will, ” Powell, we’ve Organizations: South China, CNN, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine, Armed Forces, China Coast Guard, ” CNN, Philippine Navy, Coast Guard, Foreign Ministry, Sierra Madre, Center for Strategic, Studies, China Power, Ministry, Washington, Philippine News Agency . Diplomacy, Coast Guardians, Guard, Madre, Reuters, USS, China, Rajaratnam, of International Studies, National Security, Stanford University Locations: South, South China, Philippines, United States, Philippine, China, Bulilyan, Palawan, Sierra Madre, Sierra, The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan, Madre, Hague, Beijing, China’s, Manila, Shanghai, Singapore

☆ The ‘Griselda’ Creator’s Miami
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Danielle Pergament | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The magic of Miami is that “you can still discover places,” said the writer and producer Eric Newman. There’s a healthy civic pride and gratitude.”Mr. Newman, who created the Netflix show “Narcos” and produced “Griselda,” starring Sofia Vergara, has, over the years, spent months at a time on location in Miami. “There’s an appreciation in Miami that you don’t see in other places,” he said. Maybe you came to escape East Coast winters, or you came to escape Castro, or you came to escape taxes. An after-hours salsa club, a Xanadu hiding in plain sight, the best Cuban sandwich around: These are the secrets that Miami has slowly revealed to him.

Persons: ”, Eric Newman, ” Mr, Newman, Griselda, Sofia Vergara, it’s, “, Castro, Mr Organizations: Netflix Locations: Miami, California, Florida, Mexico

☆ 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

☆ Remember the labor shortage? Immigrants are helping to fix it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | Andy Kiersz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementThat means the strong job numbers of recent months have largely been due to immigrants , specifically foreign-born workers, entering the workforce in large numbers. “Foreign-born labor force participants have accounted for all of the job growth over the last year,” Bill Adams, an economist at Comerica Bank, told The New York Times. AdvertisementAdditionally, he said these job gains haven’t come at the expense of US-born workers either. As of 2022, foreign-born workers were more likely than US-born workers to be in service, natural resources, construction, and maintenance jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. As of January, 65.7% of foreign-born workers were working or looking for work, compared to 61.4% of US-born workers.

Persons: —, ” Bill Adams, Paul Krugman, “ They're, ”, Louis, Miguel Faria, Castro, Donald Trump Organizations: Service, Business, Comerica Bank, New York Times, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Immigrants, Congressional, Office, St, Louis Fed

☆ Opinion: Alexey Navalny, one man who stood up to a dictatorship
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

We’re looking back at the strongest, smartest opinion takes of the week from CNN and other outlets. “In his courageous and too short life,” wrote Russia scholar Daniel Treisman, “Navalny became a symbol of hope for the younger generations of his compatriots. “He never gave up on the prospect of what he called ‘the beautiful Russia of the future,’” Treisman noted. “For a ‘beautiful Russia of the future’ to emerge in coming years, Putin must lose the war he started. Navalny understood this.”“Navalny’s death represents the extinguishing of all hope for Russia’s turnaround,” wrote Sasha Vasilyuk.

Persons: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Joseph Stalin “, “, ”, you’ve, Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s, Navalny, fearlessly, Putin, Daniel Treisman, “ Navalny, Navalny’s, ’ ” Treisman, Sasha Vasilyuk, Alexey Navalny’s, Peter Bergen, Andrei Sakharov, ” Putin, Bergen, Nick Anderson, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, authoritarians, Bill Bramhall, James Mattis, ” Peter Bergen, Frida Ghitis, Fidel Castro’s playbook, Patrick Mahomes, Andy “, Amy Bass, New York Democrat Tom Suozzi, George Santos, ” Suozzi, CNN Suozzi didn’t, Biden, isn’t, Long, Max Burns, ” “, Alejandro Mayorkas, ” “ Suozzi, Burns, Robert Hur’s, Norm Eisen, Richard Painter, Joshua Kolb, Hur, ” Joel Pett, Lawrence C, Levy, Julian Zelizer, Dean Obeidallah, Mark Dent, Dent, Saw, Clay Jones, David Orentlicher, ” Orentlicher, Will Cooper, Fani, Willis, Nathan, Wade, ” “ Willis, Antony Blinken, Batniji, Blinken, Fatah, Hussein, Don’t, David Horsey, Agency Jill Filipovic, Lynda Gorov, Taylor Swift, Jim Parrott, Mark Zandi, Brigid Schulte, Yuliya, Kara Alaimo, Frankie de la, Jackie Robinson’s, Jon Stewart’s, Jon Stewart, Matt Wilson, Jon Stewart skewered Trump, Bill Carter, Stewart, ” “ Stewart Organizations: CNN, IK, Moscow Times, Kremlin, Twitter, Facebook, Soviet, Tribune, Agency, Republican, Senate, Agency Former US Defense, Trump, , Kansas City Chiefs, Chiefs, nab, New, New York Democrat, Democratic, GOP, Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church, Super Bowl, Kansas, West Bank Locations: Soviet, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, New York, Washington, Georgia, ,, York, Glen Cove, Joel Osteen’s, Houston, Kansas City, America, ”, Kansas, Gaza, San Francisco, Israel, Iran

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

☆ Opinion: Is Putin serious about preferring Biden? Ask Fidel Castro
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Opinion Frida Ghitis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. CNN —Russian President Vladimir Putin fired off a few intriguing statements during a Wednesday television interview with loyal journalist Pavel Zarubin. Among them was his claim that he would prefer that President Joe Biden win the 2024 US presidential election. After his first summit in Geneva with Biden as president, back in 2021, Putin sounded a similar note. But on Wednesday, the Russian president was contemptuous.

Persons: Frida Ghitis, Vladimir Putin, Pavel Zarubin, Joe Biden, Fidel Castro, Al Gore, George W, Bush, Castro, Fidel, Zarubin, Putin, Biden, “, ” Putin, Angela Merkel, Merkel’s, —, Tucker Carlson, Carlson, Carlson “, didn’t, Donald Trump, Castro didn’t Organizations: CNN, Washington Post, Politics, Texas Gov, Russia “, KGB, Fox News, CIA, Russia, Ukraine Locations: Havana, Cuba, Russia, Geneva, Labrador, Europe, Russian, Ukraine

☆ 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

☆ How hitman Jorge 'Rivi' Ayala's sex scandal changed the case against Griselda Blanco
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Jorge "Rivi" Ayala, played by Martín Rodríguez, is one of those people, and he's an important figure in both the series and Blanco's real life. It's not that different from how things played out in real life, though "Griselda" certainly fills in the gaps about Ayala's intentions. In real life, Ayala was arrested and convicted of multiple murders. According to NBC Miami, Ayala pleaded guilty in 1993 to three killings. But Ayala's involvement in a phone sex scandal changed everything after it was revealed that he and three secretaries in the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office had been having sexually explicit phone conversations and sharing gifts, per CBS.

Persons: —, Sofia Vergara, Griselda Blanco, Jorge, Rivi, Ayala, Martín Rodríguez, he's, Blanco, It's, Griselda, Johnny Castro, Johnny's, Jesus Castro, Nelson Andreu, Johnny, Jesus, Jorge Ayala, Andreu, Michael Band, Dade Circuit Judge, Jim Lewis Organizations: Service, Netflix, Business, NBC Miami, CBS News, West Miami Police, CBS, Miami - Dade, Attorney's Office, Tampa Bay Times, Miami Herald, Dade Circuit, Florida Department of Corrections, Suwannee Correctional Institution Locations: Miami, Colombia, United States, Florida, Suwannee, Oak

☆ Group of Democrats call on Blinken to provide answers on bypassing Congress to approve arms sales to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Jennifer Hansler | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —A group of 19 predominantly Democratic lawmakers is calling on Secretary of State Antony Blinken to provide answers about why he bypassed Congress last month to approve arms sales to Israel. The top US diplomat made two emergency determinations in December to immediately approve the transfer hundreds of millions of dollars in military equipment to Israel. In their letter, the lawmakers noted the rarity of administrations using emergency declarations to immediately approve arms sales without congressional approval. “Use of a national emergency waiver does not exempt the U.S. government from assessing whether arms sales are consistent with” those standards, they wrote. I would say that the process that the secretary followed and the process that we follow here at the State Department is the process that the law actually prescribed,” Miller said at a State Department briefing.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Joe Biden, Independent Sen, Bernie Sanders, Democratic Sens, Elizabeth Warren, Jeff Merkley, Peter Welch, James McGovern, Earl Blumenauer, Joaquin Castro, Judy Chu, Raúl, Pramila Jayapal, Barbara Lee, Betty McCollum, Chellie Pingree, Mark Pocan, Delia Ramirez, Jan Schakowsky, Jill Tokuda, Maxine Waters, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Leahy, credibly, “ Israel, ”, ’, “, Matt Miller, ” Miller Organizations: CNN, UN, Independent, Democratic, State Department, Leahy, ”, Department Locations: Israel, Gaza, Hamas

☆ Jam Master Jay’s life and death and the long search for the Run-DMC DJ’s killers
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-28 | by ( Eric Levenson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

With Jam Master Jay scratching the turntables as DJ, they created a new sound and street look, with their Adidas gear, leather jackets, gold chains and black Kangol hats. Jason Mizell (Jam Master Jay), Joseph Simmons (Run) and Darryl McDaniels (DMC) pose at the Grammy Awards in the 1980s. The coffin of Run-DMC's Jam Master Jay was carried out of Allen A.M.E Cathedral after his funeral on November 5, 2002. Seth DuCharme, acting US attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced charges in August 2020 against two men in the killing of Jam Master Jay. In a statement, Jam Master Jay’s son Jesse Mizell and the Mizell family thanked those who had reached out in support.

Persons: Jay, Ronald Washington, Karl Jordan Jr, Jason Mizell, Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, Aerosmith, ” Jay, Tricky, ”, ’, “ King, wasn’t, “, Allen A.M.E, Hanny Ray Abrams, Jordan, Mizell, Seth DuCharme, Brendan McDermid, Seth D, DuCharme, ” DuCharme, Jesse Mizell, Jay Bryant, Bryant, Cesar de Castro Organizations: CNN, Prosecutors, Queens, Adidas, Stone, DJ Times, Duo, Hulton, Hall of Fame, MTV, of Fame, Allen A.M.E Cathedral, Getty, Eastern, of, Reuters Locations: New York City, Brooklyn, Jamaica, Queens, Allen, AFP, of New York, Washington, Jordan, Reuters Jordan

And it certainly wouldn’t be the first time states have lent a hand to Abbott to help border security efforts. Kevin Stitt also sent National Guard troops to the border last year – about 50 of them each – to, at least symbolically, bolster Abbott’s efforts. “[Abbott] is exactly right to invoke Texas’ constitutional authority to defend itself,” she said in a statement. “It's unfortunate that there is a governor in Texas, Governor Abbott, who has politicized this issue of what's happening on the border. “Governor Greg Abbott is using the Texas National Guard to obstruct and create chaos at the border,” Rep. Joaquin Castro, Texas Democrat, said in a statement.

Persons: Gregg Abbott, Biden, Abbott, ” Abbott, ”, “, Bertrall Ross, James Madison, Trump, –, ” Trump, Ron DeSantis, ” DeSantis, Kristi Noem, Kevin Stitt, Mike Johnson, Alejandro Mayorkas, Karine Jean, Pierre, Governor Abbott, ” Jean, we’ve, he's, – Jean, Greg Abbott, Joaquin Castro, Abott Organizations: Texas Gov, White, University of Virginia, Karsh Center for Law and Democracy, U.S ., Appeals, Circuit, Border Patrol, Texas National Guard, National Guard, Florida Gov, U.S, South Dakota Gov, Oklahoma Gov, Biden Administration, Republican, Homeland, Mayorkas, White House, CNN, Republicans, Democrats, ”, Texas Democrat Locations: U.S, Mexico, Texas, United States, “ Texas, Florida, Alabama , Arkansas, Georgia , Idaho , Iowa, Louisiana , Montana , Nebraska, North Dakota , Oklahoma, South Carolina , Tennessee , Utah, West Virginia, Wyoming, ”

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