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☆ Right-wing media figures vow revenge after Trump‘s conviction
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-31 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Donald Trump’s media allies are demanding retribution in the wake of his conviction. Following weeks of attacks targeting the historic hush money case against the former president, prominent right-wing media figures immediately flooded the public discourse Thursday with extreme and disturbing rhetoric after Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts. The toxic commentary is also enflaming desires of retribution held by Trump supporters, with popular right-wing media figures openly declaring their hope that the GOP candidate to nakedly seek revenge against his critics, should he emerge victorious in November and return to the Oval Office. Some of the right’s most popular talking heads are openly calling for the weaponization of government to seek retribution against Trump’s political opponents. But as the legal walls actually begin to close in on Trump, the commentary in right-wing media is getting angrier, more menacing, and taking a markedly darker tone.

Persons: CNN — Donald Trump’s, Trump, Juan Merchan, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Joe Biden, Matt Walsh, Sean Davis, ’ Jesse Watters, “ We’re, Robert Mueller, Tucker Carlson, he’s, Laura Ingraham, ” Sean Hannity, Biden Organizations: CNN, Fox News, Trump, Manhattan, Attorney, GOP, MAGA Media, Daily, YouTube, Federalist, Fox, United, He’ll Locations: United States, Russia, Trump, China, Cuba, North Korea

☆ South Africa elections: A guide and everything you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Sarah Dean | David Mckenzie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Johannesburg, South Africa CNN —South Africans go to the polls on May 29 for what will likely be the most pivotal general election since the end of apartheid. This is the seventh general election South Africa has held since the end of white minority rule 30 years ago. South Africa general election 101 • South Africa uses a “proportional representation” system. This year South Africa received its lowest score on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. Democratic Alliance (DA) party leader Johan Steenhuisen speaks to supporters during a party event on May 9, 2024, in Soweto, South Africa.

Persons: Nelson Mandela, Cyril Ramaphosa, Jacob Zuma, What’s, Ramaphosa –, –, “, Ramaphosa, ”, John Steenhuisen, Johan Steenhuisen, Anders Pettersson, Zuma, Julius Malema, Malema, Floyd Shivambu, Steenhuisen Organizations: South Africa CNN, National Congress, ANC, Independent Electoral, •, “, Democratic Alliance, White South, Party Charter, uMkhonto weSizwe Party, Economic, Fighters, EFF, MK, Finance, Constitutional, Social Research Foundation Locations: Johannesburg, South Africa, Africa, China, Cuba, Soweto

☆ Is the Party That Ended Apartheid Losing Its Grip on South Africa?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( John Eligon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The stadium boomed with chants like “We thank you, A.N.C., today we are joyful!” and it was hard to miss the gestures of solidarity with other liberation movements. Hanging high above the crowd was a Cuban flag, a reminder that Cuba was an important ally in the A.N.C.’s armed struggle. The spectators, who included officials from the liberation movements that now govern Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola and Mozambique, soaked up the event as if it were a spiritual experience. South Africa today struggles to provide the most basic needs for its people. The murder rate is among the highest in the world (six and a half times higher than in the United States), and most South Africans live in poverty.

Organizations: International Court of Justice Locations: Cuban, Cuba, Palestinian, Gaza, Israel, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, United States, Johannesburg

☆ I work in the unpredictable film industry so I started blogging as a side hustle. Now it supports me fully — here's how I built it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Elle Hardy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I could be on a three-month film set or a nine-month series set and then go months without a call. I started working on YouTube thumbnails and event flyers for the music industry. For example, a friend helped repair my dishwasher, so I put together "gift ideas for makers and tinkers." AdvertisementI started posting in groups and asking for gift ideas to write blog posts about. It's not money I would make on a film set, but it was something.

Persons: —, Ana Julia Gomes, I've, John Wick, Jessica Jones, It's, I'm, DINK Organizations: Service, Business, Constellation, Apple, DJ, WordPress, Facebook Locations: Berlin, Cuba, Miami, New York City

☆ Jury selection begins in bribery case against Sen. Bob Menendez in New York
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Jonathan Dienst | Dareh Gregorian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Jury selection begins Monday in the federal criminal trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., who is charged with accepting "hundreds of thousands of dollars" in bribes — including some in gold bars — in return for official acts. It also alleges the couple received "gold bars, payments toward a home mortgage, compensation for a low-or-no-show job, a luxury vehicle and other items of value," such as jewelry and exercise equipment. The other two, Fred Daibes and Wael Hana, have pleaded not guilty and will stand trial alongside Menendez. The indictment noted a search of Menendez's home in 2022 turned up "two one-kilogram gold bars and nine one-ounce gold bars that had serial numbers indicating they had previously been possessed" by Daibes. The federal criminal trial is the second Menendez has faced since he was elected to the Senate in 2006.

Persons: . Sen, Bob Menendez, he's, Nadine Menendez, Damian Williams, Jose Uribe, Fred Daibes, Wael Hana, Menendez, Daibes, Uribe, He's, Donald Trump Organizations: ., Senate Foreign Relations, Prosecutors, Southern, of New York, Government, Democratic, Senate, Democratic Party Locations: New Jersey, Qatar, Egypt, Hana, Cuba, Florida, Paris

☆ 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

CNN —Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said his forces were “always ready” to combat external threats, as he addressed crowds gathered at Moscow’s Red Square on Thursday to celebrate the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Around 27 million people in the Soviet Union died in World War II, more than in any other country. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu salutes soldiers as he is driven along Red Square. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told TASS in an interview that “unfriendly countries” were not invited for a third Victory Day since the war in Ukraine began. His Victory Day address comes just days after the Russian leader was inaugurated for a fifth term in office, in a carefully choreographed ceremony.

Persons: CNN —, Vladimir Putin, “, Putin, ” Putin, ”, Sergei Shoigu, Alexander Nemenov, Sefa, Shoigu, Alexander Lukashenko of, Emomali, Serdar, Miguel Diaz, Thongloun, Maria Zakharova, ” Zakharova, Mikhail Klimentyev, Reuters Putin Organizations: CNN, Nazi, Russian, Getty, Canel, Russian Foreign Ministry, TASS, Sputnik, Reuters, Kyiv, Kremlin Locations: Soviet, Nazi Germany, Russia, Ukraine, “ Russia, AFP, Red Square, Anadolu, Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Cuba, Laos, Guinea, Bissau, Russian, United States

☆ Amid pomp and propaganda, Russia holds Victory Day military parade as war rumbles on
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-09 | by ( Holly Ellyatt | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Russian President Vladimir Putin watches a military parade on Victory Day, which marks the 77th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two, in Red Square in central Moscow, Russia May 9, 2022. Mikhail Metzel | Sputnik | ReutersRussia kicked off its 79th "Victory Day" military parade on Thursday as the war with Ukraine rumbles on into a third year. Russian paratroopers march during the Victory Day Red Square Parade on May 9, 2023 in Moscow, Russia. He said participants in the "special military operation" — code for the Russian war against Ukraine — are also marching this year. The Yars ballistic missiles take part in a rehearsal of the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, May 7, 2022.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Mikhail Metzel, Suvorov, Sergei Shoigu, Ukraine —, Bai Xueqi, Alexander Lukashenko, Anatolii STEPANOV, ANATOLII STEPANOV, Stepanov Organizations: Nazi, Sputnik, Reuters, Kremlin, Getty, Youth Army, Russian Defense, Ukraine, Russian Air, Xinhua News Agency, West, NATO, Afp Locations: Nazi Germany, Red, Moscow, Russia, Reuters Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, China, Kostyantynivka, Donetsk, AFP

☆ 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

☆ Federal prosecutors are examining financial transactions at Block, owner of Cash App and Square
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Gretchen Morgenson | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +13 min

Cash App, introduced in 2013, allows users to send and receive money instantaneously among themselves and to buy stocks and Bitcoin. As of December, Cash App had 56 million active transacting accounts and $248 billion in inflows during the previous four quarters, the company said. (Merchants are considered customers at Square, while users are considered customers at Cash App.) Cash App is not a bank, but it uses external banking partners to conduct various services. On March 29, Sutton Bank settled a consent order with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. that echoed the whistleblowers' allegations.

Persons: Jack Dorsey, Block, Venezuela —, Edward Siedle, Prosecutors, Cash, OFAC, Lawrence Summers, Sharon Rothstein, Summers, Rothstein, Lord Paul Deighton, Goldman Sachs, Deighton, Dorsey, Banks, Sutton, James Booker Organizations: Twitter, Southern, of, NBC, NBC News, Securities and Exchange Commission, Block, Foreign Assets Control, U.S . Treasury, Cash, OFAC, Goldman, Financial Market, Bank of Lithuania, Payments Lithuania UAB, PayPal, Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, Sutton Bank, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, FDIC Locations: of New York, Cuba, Iran, Russia, Venezuela, Ohio, Sutton

☆ Woman was denied top-secret US security clearance for being a close relative of dictator
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Haley Britzky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —An unnamed woman was denied a top-secret security clearance this year due to being a “close” relative of an authoritarian dictator of an unnamed country, according to a publicly available document from the Defense Department’s Office of Hearings and Appeals. The judge said that Country X “supports international terrorism, and it conducts cyberattacks and espionage against the United States.”“Applicant was born a citizen of Country X,” the record says. “A close family member (cousin, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew) is the dictator of Country X. Applicant’s parents and their children, including Applicant, immigrated to the United States in the 1990s when she was young. Administrative decisions on security clearance eligibility are regularly posted publicly by the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals. “One thing people forget is it’s not like you get the keys to the kingdom,” Posard said of a secret clearance, which is the second lowest level security clearance available.

Persons: —, ”, “, ’, Edward Loughran, credibly, Loughran, Marek Posard, Kim Jong, ” Posard, ” Loughran, Posard, it’s, It’s Organizations: CNN, Defense Department’s, Defense, RAND Corporation, The Washington Locations: United States, American, Country, North Korea, DPRK, Cuba, Iran, Syria, The, Loughran

☆ 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

☆ Julian Assange’s mission was to change the world - but at what cost?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | Claudia Rebaza | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

Julian Assange leaves a Melbourne court after facing charges of computer hacking in 1995. WikiLeaks/ReutersUnder a global spotlightAs WikiLeaks continued its disclosures, Assange found himself the latest cause célèbre – his every movement intensely scrutinized. … He liked the fuss that (the disclosures) caused but he was oddly incurious actually about the documents.”Others offer alternative explanations for Assange’s eccentricities. There were mounting calls for Assange to leave WikiLeaks and, when he didn’t, many cut ties with it. Outside the confines of his diplomatic shelter, the world questioned whether Assange was trying to circumvent justice.

Persons: London CNN — Julian Assange, ”, He’s, Chelsea Manning, Joe Biden, Assange’s, Anthony Albanese, Assange, “, ” –, Julian Assange, Ian Kenins, Sarah Palin’s, Atika Shubert, Shubert, ” Shubert, célèbre, Fidel Narvaez, “ Assange, ” Narvaez, James Ball, Joe Raedle, ” Ball, Ball, …, Narvaez, Hans Crescent, Lenin Moreno, Moreno, Abu Hamza al, Masri, Stella Assange, Daniel Leal, Stella, “ I’m, Nick Vamos, It’s, Alice Jill Edwards, Agnès Callamard, El País, Der Spiegel, Jameel Jaffer, Xiaofei Xu, Alex Stambaugh Organizations: London CNN, WikiLeaks, Court, Ecuadorian, Army, Australian, Pentagon, NASA, University of Melbourne, Fairfax Media, of Scientology, Republican, CNN, Chelsea, Apache, Reuters, Guardian, Ellingham, Hans, London’s Metropolitan Police, US Justice Department, of Justice, Britain's, Getty, Peters & Peters, Prosecution Service, Human Rights, UN, Amnesty, The New York Times, Columbia University Locations: United States, Australian, London’s, Australia, Townsville, Queensland, cybercrime, Melbourne, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Iraq, London, Afghanistan, ”, Sweden, Ecuador, UK’s, Belmarsh

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ 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

☆ A shadowy Russian assassination unit may be behind mysterious 'Havana syndrome' cases: investigation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A new investigation has linked a shadowy Russian unit to instances of 'Havana Syndrome.' Carrie's account of "Havana Syndrome" was reported in an investigation jointly published by 60 Minutes, German outlet Der Spiegel, and investigative outlet The Insider. The outlets link Unit 29155, a shadowy Russian assassination unit, to multiple incidences of the syndrome, which is formally known to the US government by the term "anomalous health incidents," or AHIs. The Insider traced the movements of several Unit 29155 operatives around the time of several instances of alleged Havana Syndrome. AdvertisementHowever, in 2021 unnamed US officials told Politico that the GRU was at least suspected in ongoing investigations into the syndrome.

Persons: Der Spiegel, —, Carrie, she's, Greg Edgreen, Joy, Albert Averyanov, Marc Polymeropoulos, Insider's Aylin Woodward, It's, Walter Reed Organizations: Service, FBI, Der, CIA, Defense Intelligence Agency, The, National Intelligence, US, Politico Locations: Havana, Russian, Florida, Cuba, China, Russia, Tbilisi , Georgia, Moscow

☆ 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

☆ Outspoken Cuban Priest Cries Foul as Country Marks Good Friday
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( March | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Nelson Acosta and Marc FrankHAVANA (Reuters) - Cuban Roman Catholics held public processions across the Communist-run country on Friday to mark Good Friday, but there was at least one exception in Havana where 150 of the faithful were relegated to the church parking lot. “It is not possible today to introduce Jesus Christ without introducing to him a people who are having a hard time,” he said. The Cuban government largely blames U.S. sanctions for the crisis and U.S. subversion for the unrest, charges that Washington denies. “What I have heard from the government is that there are 111 authorized processions throughout the country,” he said. Christmas and then Good Friday were recognized as holidays and religious processions are now common.

Persons: Nelson Acosta, Marc Frank HAVANA, Lester Zayas Diaz, Parish, Christ, ”, Jesus Christ, ” Zayas, Washington, Ariel Suarez, Cuba's, Zayas, Pope John Paul, Marc Frank, David Gregorio Organizations: Communist, Reuters, Facebook, U.S, Cuban, Cuba's Bishop's Locations: Cuban, Havana, Vedado, Cuba

☆ An 82-year-old who moved to Florida by herself nearly 4 decades ago follows one key tip to avoid loneliness — and it led her to run her first marathon at 60
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-24 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

She loves being active and has found her closest friends through her running group. "It was difficult finding friends, and I didn't know how to make friends," Arguelles told Business Insider. AdvertisementBefore coming to Florida, Arguelles worked in real estate in Chicago, and she found a job in the same field in Florida — but she didn't enjoy it, so she quit. But when she saw a flyer for a running group that was raising money to fight leukemia, she decided to join — and ended up running her first marathon at the age of 60. "I started making friends in that running group, and those friends became a very tight community," Arguelles said.

Persons: Vivien Arguelles, —, Arguelles, didn't, Patrick's, She's, it's, Vivek Murthy, I'd, she's, I'm, Dianne Stone, Stone, we're Organizations: Service, Business, —, National Council, National Institute of Senior Centers Locations: Florida, Cuba, Chicago, Spain, Portugal, Italy

☆ 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

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of arrests for illegally crossing the U.S. southern border with Mexico nudged upward February over the previous month. But at a time when immigration is increasingly a concern for voters, the numbers were still among the lowest of Joe Biden's presidency. According to figures from Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrol agents made 140,644 arrests of people attempting to enter the country between the legal border crossing points during February. The numbers come after a December that saw the Border Patrol tally 249,785 arrests — a record high that increased tensions over immigration — before plunging in January. Separately, 42,100 migrants used an app called CBP One to schedule an appointment to present themselves at an official border crossing point to seek entry into the United States.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Biden, Donald Trump, —, Alejandro Mayorkas Organizations: WASHINGTON, Customs, Border Patrol, CBP, Republicans, Republican, Patrol, Homeland Locations: U.S, Mexico, Brownsville , Texas, Arizona, Sonora, Mexican, Tucson, San Diego, El Paso , Texas, United States, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela

☆ House passes bill to bar data brokers from selling sensitive personal information to U.S. adversaries
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-20 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee speaks during the hearing with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew before the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 23, 2023 in Washington, DC. Rodgers and Pallone, the respective chair and ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, introduced the bill to prohibit data brokers from selling sensitive data to certain countries in March. The strong showing "should help build momentum to get this important bipartisan legislation, as well as more comprehensive privacy legislation, signed into law this Congress," the lawmakers said. The bill bans organizations that profit from selling personal data, known as data brokers, from making data accessible to a foreign adversary country or entities controlled by adversaries. The legislation follows earlier efforts by the Biden administration to hold data brokers who sell highly sensitive information more accountable by bolstering the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Persons: Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Shou Zi Chew, Frank Pallone, Rodgers, Pallone, Biden Organizations: House Energy, Commerce, WASHINGTON, Wednesday, Energy, Federal Trade Commission Locations: Rayburn, Washington , DC, United States, China, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Russia, Venezuela, American, TikTok, U.S

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