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☆ Cuba calls U.S. trade embargo a 'hurricane' that never ends
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

HAVANA, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Cuba on Wednesday said the decades-old U.S. trade embargo has been causing record financial losses and untold human suffering in recent months, at a time when Cuba was also battling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and Hurricane Ian. Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez made the comments at the launch of an annual campaign for a United Nations resolution condemning the trade embargo, which was put in place after Cuba's 1959 revolution. He said Cuba was grateful for the U.S. aid but was still crippled by the embargo, which he called a "hurricane" that never ceases to batter the island. The U.N. General Assembly will vote on Nov. 2 and 3 on a non-binding resolution condemning the trade embargo. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Dave Sherwood and Nelson Acosta, Editing by Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. approves Delta, United bids to delay restart of Havana flights
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Transportation Department (USDOT) on Tuesday said it would allow Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) and United Airlines (UAL.O) to temporarily delay resuming flights to Cuba. United last month said it has been working for months to relaunch Havana service but faces hurdles, while Delta also said it was facing issues in reestablishing service. USDOT said it would require United to resume service no later than Dec. 1 and Delta no later than late March. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden administration to provide $2 mln to Cuba for Hurricane Ian relief
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 18 (Reuters) - The Biden administration will provide $2 million to Cuba for emergency relief efforts following Hurricane Ian, the State Department said on Tuesday. The United States will work with independent organizations to provide the aid, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"We stand with the Cuban people as they work to recover from this disaster," Price said. U.S. President Joe Biden has promised to re-engage with Cuba after years of tensions between Havana and Washington. But Cuba's crackdown following widespread protests on the island last July led instead to sanctions on Cuban officials.

☆ EXCLUSIVE Rosneft moves into tanker chartering as EU ban looms
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Nidhi Verma | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Some of the G7 countries are working to introduce a price ceiling on Russian oil though it is not yet clear how this will work in practice. FIRST CHARTER The three sources said Rosneft is using its Rosnefteflot subsidiary to handle the shipping costs for buyers. The volumes have steadily increased and in October Rosneft chartered almost 1 million tonnes, mainly via Rosnefteflot, based on trade sources and Refinitiv Eikon data. That represents nearly 40% of the planned 2.5 million tonnes of Rosneft Urals crude tanker exports scheduled for October, according to Refinitiv Eikon and traders' data. Unlike Russia's second biggest oil company, Lukoil, and oil producer Gazpromneft, Rosneft does not have a chartering arm.

REUTERS/Lindsey WassonWASHINGTON, Oct 17 (Reuters) - When a Washington state beauty salon charged Simran Bal $1,900 for training after she quit, she was shocked. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterNearly 10% of American workers surveyed in 2020 were covered by a training repayment agreement, said the Cornell Survey Research Institute. The practice, which critics call Training Repayment Agreement Provisions, or TRAPs, is drawing scrutiny from U.S. regulators and lawmakers. While waiting to complete the training, Bal worked at the front desk, which paid less. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters said in comments that training repayment demands were "particularly egregious" in commercial trucking.

☆ What happened during the Cuban Missile Crisis — the 13-day standoff that almost ended the world
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( Michelle Mark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

New photographs emerged on Oct. 26 showing further missile site construction, and Castro sent Khrushchev a private letter urging him to annihilate the US with nuclear weapons. "However harsh and terrible the solution, there would be no other," Castro wrote to Khrushchev. However harsh and terrible the solution, there would be no other," Castro wrote. Meanwhile, Khrushchev wrote to Kennedy declaring he was willing to remove the missiles from the island if the United States would pledge never to invade Cuba. "You would declare that the United States will not invade Cuba with its forces and will not support any sort of forces which might intend to carry out an invasion of Cuba.

☆ 60 years after the Cuban missile crisis, the nuclear dangers posed by the war in Ukraine are 'far worse,' experts warn
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-16 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

October marks 60 years since the Cuban missile crisis, when the US and USSR were on the brink of nuclear war. "The current crisis is far worse than the Cuban missile crisis," one historian recently told Insider. But today's simmering Ukraine war poses 'far worse' nuclear dangers, experts say. "The current crisis is far worse than the Cuban missile crisis, in part because during the Cuban missile crisis both Kennedy and Khrushchev were willing to discuss a way of walking back the confrontation. "This crisis is more dangerous than the Cuban missile crisis," Andy Weber, a former assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical and biological programs, recently told Politico.

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. appears in New York Criminal Court for his sentencing hearing after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of forcibly touching a woman at a New York nightclub in 2018, in Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S., October 13, 2022. REUTERS/Mike SegarOct 13 (Reuters) - Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. pleaded guilty on Thursday to a single count of harassment under an agreement with prosecutors sparing him any jail time while disposing of a criminal case that stemmed from allegations by several women of sexual misconduct. One of Gooding's lawyers, Frank Rothman, told Reuters that Gooding's harassment plea in Manhattan benefits his client by avoiding a criminal record as well as sparing him further jail time. Charges relating to two out of the three were dismissed outright, and the third ended up in a plea to harassment as a violation," Rothman said. "I've waited three years for the opportunity to speak about the injustice of Cuba Gooding Jr.

☆ No jail time for Cuba Gooding Jr. in forcible touching case
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. resolved his New York City forcible touching case Thursday with a guilty plea to a lesser charge and no jail time after complying with the terms of a conditional plea agreement reached in April. Gooding, 54, faces no additional penalties and, by replacing his misdemeanor plea with a plea to a noncriminal violation, he will not have a criminal record. Gooding pleaded guilty in April to a misdemeanor charge that he forcibly kissed a worker at a New York nightclub in 2018. Judge Curtis Farber earlier had ruled if the Gooding case went to trial, prosecutors could have called two additional women to testify about their allegations that Gooding also violated them. Along with the criminal case, Gooding is accused in a lawsuit of raping a woman in New York City in 2013.

☆ Bahamas to introduce price controls on dozens of key food staples
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 12 (Reuters) - The Bahamas on Wednesday outlined the details of temporary price control measures aimed at helping families brave mounting global inflation, saying they would affect 38 key staples, such as eggs, bread and sanitary towels. Prime Minister Philip Davis announced the controls in a national address on Tuesday as part of broader measures to help the island nation, which imports many goods, tackle the effects of rising price pressures globally. The controls, which limit price increases to 15% for wholesalers and 25% for retailers, take effect from Monday and will last six months, after which they will be subject to review. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"The prime minister remains confident that these additional measures will provide relief to Bahamian families," the government said in a statement. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sarah Morland in Mexico City and Jasper Ward in Nassau; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da CostaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN —Cuba Gooding Jr. will not face any jail time after complying with the terms of a plea agreement in a forcible touching case, according to Emily Tuttle, spokesperson for the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Gooding previously pleaded guilty in April to a misdemeanor charge of forcibly touching a woman at a New York City nightclub in 2018. Gooding admitted to kissing the woman, a waitress at the club, on her lips without consent. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Gooding was required to continue alcohol and behavior modification treatment for six months and have no new arrests. On Thursday, Gooding pleaded guilty to a lesser harassment violation that will always remain on his record, but no criminal charges will remain.

☆ Crypto exchange Bittrex to pay $29-mln penalty to U.S. Treasury Department
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department said on Tuesday that cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex Inc had agreed to pay $29 mln in fines for "apparent violations" of sanctions on certain countries and anti-money laundering law. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) had levied fines of about $24 million and $29 million, respectively, on Bittrex. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterEffectively, Bittrex will have to pay a penalty of about $29 million. FinCEN said its investigation found that from February 2014 through December 2018, Bittrex did not maintain an effective anti-money laundering program. Bittrex in an emailed statement to Reuters said it was "pleased to have fully resolved" the matter with OFAC and FinCEN on mutually agreeable terms.

☆ Treasury Fines Crypto Exchange Bittrex $53 Million
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Treasury Department imposed two enforcement actions with fines totaling $53 million against cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex Inc. for alleged violations of sanctions and anti-money-laundering laws, the agency said Tuesday. The Treasury said Tuesday’s actions highlight the importance of crypto firms maintaining risk-based sanctions and anti-money-laundering compliance programs, and that noncompliance with these requirements can result in enforcement actions and exposure to potential abuse by illicit actors. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | Risk and Compliance Journal Our Morning Risk Report features insights and news on governance, risk and compliance. PREVIEW OFAC alleged that Bittrex failed to prevent people located in jurisdictions facing U.S. sanctions, including Ukraine’s Crimea region, Cuba and Iran, from using its platform to conduct crypto transactions between 2014 and 2017. FinCEN said Bittrex also failed to file required suspicious activity reports between 2014 and 2017.

☆ Crypto Exchange Bittrex to Pay $29 Million Over Violating Sanctions
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Mengqi Sun | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +3 min

Cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex Inc. will pay $29 million to the U.S. Treasury Department to settle allegations that it violated sanctions and anti-money-laundering laws. The Treasury said Tuesday that fined Seattle-based Bittrex a total of $53 million: a $24 million penalty from the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the Treasury unit that enforces sanctions, and $29 million fine from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, which combats illicit finance. As a result, Bittrex will pay about $29 million out of pocket. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | Risk and Compliance Journal Our Morning Risk Report features insights and news on governance, risk and compliance. Bittrex collected customers’ internet protocol address and physical address information when they joined the platform, OFAC said, but the exchange failed to screen this information for potential sanctions violations.

☆ Crypto exchange Bittrex fined $53 mln by U.S. Treasury Dept
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 11 (Reuters) - The U.S. Treasury Department said on Tuesday that cryptocurrency exchange Bittrex Inc was fined about $53 million to settle "apparent violations" of U.S. sanctions on certain countries and anti-money laundering laws. The OFAC alleged that Bittrex failed to prevent people located in the sanctioned jurisdictions of Ukraine's Crimea region, Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria from using its platform between March 2014 and December 2017. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe FinCEN said its investigation found that from February 2014 through December 2018, Bittrex failed to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program. Bittrex in an emailed statement to Reuters said it was pleased to have fully resolved the matter with OFAC and FinCEN on "mutually agreeable terms". Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Manya Saini in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Treasury fines crypto company $29.3 million for violating multiple U.S. sanctions, Bank Secrecy Act
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen holds a news conference in the Cash Room at the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, U.S. July 28, 2022. The Treasury Department fined a Washington-based cryptocurrency trading platform $29.3 million for violating multiple sanctions, including those prohibiting U.S. companies from doing business with individuals operating in Iran, Sudan, Syria, Cuba and the Crimea region of Ukraine, the agency announced Tuesday. The Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network division, or FinCen, imposed a total civil penalty of $29.3 million, which covers additional violations under the Bank Secrecy Act. FinCEN also discovered that the company did not maintain an effective anti-money laundering program from February 2014 through December 2018. A sanctions compliance program was not adopted until December 2015, though Bittrex began offering virtual currency services in early 2014.

☆ Hurricane Ian live updates: Millions without power as Ian downgraded to tropical storm
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Phil-Helsel-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Nbc News | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

Ian was downgraded to a tropical storm Thursday morning after slamming into Florida’s southwest coast as a major Category 4 hurricane Wednesday afternoon, bringing 150 mph winds and life-threatening storm surge. Maximum sustained winds dropped to near 65 mph with higher gusts early Thursday, but the storm has continued to cause destruction as it moves northeast. Its center is expected to move off the east-central coast of Florida later Thursday before approaching the coast of South Carolina on Friday. President Joe Biden on Thursday declared a major disaster in Florida over the devastation caused by Ian. Meanwhile, in Cuba power is slowly being restored for residents across the country following sweeping outages in Ian's wake.

☆ Hurricane Ian live updates: Florida residents trapped by floods as millions without power
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Phil-Helsel-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Nbc News | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

More than two million people across Florida were without power Thursday morning after Hurricane Ian walloped the state as one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the U.S., causing widespread devastation and flooding that trapped residents in their homes. Ian was downgraded to a Category 1 storm hours after slamming into Florida’s southwest coast as a major Category 4 hurricane Wednesday afternoon, bringing 150 mph winds and life-threatening storm surge. Further weakening is expected over the next day or so, but it continued to cause destruction as it moved northeast. Maximum sustained winds had dropped to near 75 mph with higher gusts as of early Thursday morning, the NHC said. Meanwhile, in Cuba power is slowly being restored for residents across the country following sweeping outages in Ian's wake.

A flooded street is seen in downtown as Hurricane Ian makes landfall in southwestern Florida, in Fort Myers, Florida, U.S. September 28, 2022. REUTERS/Marco BelloVENICE, Fla., Sept 29 (Reuters) - A weakened but still formidable Hurricane Ian chugged across Florida toward the Atlantic seaboard on Thursday after thrashing the state's Gulf Coast with fierce winds, torrential downpours and raging surf that flooded oceanside communities. Separately, U.S. border authorities said 20 Cuban migrants were missing after their boat sank off the Florida coast as Ian neared the coast on Wednesday. Up to 30 inches (76 cm) of rain was forecast to fall on parts of central Florida, the NHC said. DeSantis said Ian had generated life-threatening storm surges - waves of wind-driven seawater rushing in along the coast - of up to 12 feet (3.7 meters) in some places.

Many of the most destructive and potentially deadly impacts of a hurricane — including storm surge, flooding and rainfall — are not accounted for in a storm's category number. "Hurricane Ian is a very large, slow-moving hurricane. "There have been several alternative scales proposed over the years and none have gained enough attention or traction by the National Hurricane Center," Collins said. "It is important to have such evidence before even proposing to the National Hurricane Center that this should be considered as a replacement." Kantha said the National Hurricane Center acts conservatively and carefully with changes, particularly those with legal implications.

Share this -Link copiedFloridians are livestreaming Hurricane Ian on TikTok Floridians are giving TikTok users a front-row seat to Hurricane Ian. Storm surge map, they didn’t have a color for 12 to 15 feet," he said about the historic levels of storm surge expected near where Ian is expected to make landfall. Share this -Link copiedA view of Hurricane Ian from the International Space Station A view of Hurricane Ian from the International Space Station, on Monday. Share this -Link copiedSatellite images show Hurricane Ian approaching Florida Hurricane Ian over the Gulf of Mexico early Wednesday. Share this -Link copiedIan expected to strengthen until making landfall, officials say Hurricane Ian is still forecast to strengthen until the hurricane makes landfall in Florida, the National Hurricane Center said.

PINAR DEL RÍO, Cuba — Brigades of electrical workers were focused Wednesday on restoring electricity to the western region of Cuba, where Hurricane Ian made landfall the day before, leaving the entire country without power. Crews were working to bring power back to the Pinar del Río Province, where the eye of the then-Category 3 storm entered Cuba, and the municipality of Artemisa, where Ian's gusty winds knocked power out. In Pinar del Río, a region known for its agriculture and a source of produce for much of Cuba, crops such as rice, yucca and beans were lost. Yamil Lage / AFP - Getty ImagesCuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said damages in Pinar del Río "are great, although it has not yet been possible to account for it." Hurricane winds bent countless pieces of metals used as roofs all over Cuba, particularly in Pinar del Río.

☆ Fact Check-Clip of Fox News anchor issuing warning about a hurricane dates from 2016
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A 2016 clip of former Fox News anchor Shepard Smith warning about Hurricane Matthew ahead of its landfall in October that year has resurfaced online in 2022 after Hurricane Ian knocked out power in Cuba, with Floridians preparing for its approach. Other examples of the clip shared as Hurricane Ian made landfall can be found (here), (here), (here). The footage dates from a broadcast filmed in October 2016 when Shepard Smith worked for Fox News and was recorded ahead of Hurricane Matthew’s landfall. The lower-third also refers to Hurricane Matthew, not Hurricane Ian. Shepard Smith left Fox News in 2019 and now hosts a show on NBC titled ‘The News with Shepard Smith’ (here).

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was the only GOP committee member to oppose the bill. Other numbers to know:155 miles per hour: How fast the maximum sustained winds of Hurricane Ian were as of Wednesday morning, per the National Hurricane Center. 23 percentage points: Democrat Beto O’Rourke’s edge over Republican Gov. Last night, Democratic Gov. Tim.”Oklahoma Senate: Former President Donald Trump endorsed Republican Sen. James Lankford in his Senate bid, after conspicuously not endorsing the GOP incumbent in his primary.

☆ Cuba without power after Hurricane Ida knocks out grid
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

The Kremlin said no decision had been taken on whether to seal Russia's borders to stop an exodus of military-aged men fleeing the country, after days of chaotic scenes during its first military mobilisation since World War Two.

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