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

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

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

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

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

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

☆ 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

☆ Biden administration discussing using Guantanamo Bay to process possible influx of Haitian migrants
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Priscilla Alvarez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The Biden administration is discussing using Guantanamo Bay to process Haitian migrants if there is a mass exodus to the US amid worsening conditions in the country, according to a US official. “We are clear-eyed that economic, political, and security instability are key drivers for migrants around the world. A Homeland Security spokesperson said that so far, migration from the Caribbean remains low. The United States returns or repatriates migrants interdicted at sea to The Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti,” the spokesperson added. And we are ready if a mass migration — if we need to deal with a mass migration.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, ”, Ariel Henry, “, Laura Richardson, Rebecca Zimmerman, they’re, Joe Biden, CNN’s Haley Britzky Organizations: CNN, National Security, Homeland Security, DHS, State Department, United Nations, United, Marine, Team, Immigration, Customs, Department of Homeland Security, Defense Department, Congress, Southern Command, Defense for Homeland Defense, US Customs, Border Protection Air, Marine Operations, US Border Patrol, Coast Guard, Border Patrol, Border Protection, House, Republican Locations: Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Haiti, Florida, Guantanamo, Caribbean, United States, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Port, Mexico

☆ Judge Upholds Biden Program Giving Some Immigrants Short-Term Legal Status
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Miriam Jordan | More About Miriam Jordan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A federal judge on Friday allowed the Biden administration to keep in place a program that officials have used to give temporary legal status to some citizens of Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. The decision is a notable victory for the White House, which has faced criticism on immigration policy and has used the temporary status program to discourage people from some of the region’s most troubled countries from illegally crossing the southern U.S. border. Texas and other Republican-led states had sued the Biden administration to block the program. But Judge Drew B. Tipton of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas sided with the administration, which considered the program vital to border management. The number of unlawful crossings by nationals from three of the countries in the program has declined, even as the overall number of migrant crossings has continued at historically high levels.

Persons: Biden, Drew B Organizations: White, Republican, Tipton, U.S, Southern, Southern District of Texas Locations: Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela, U.S, Texas, Southern District

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

☆ Opinion: Conflict is the new normal
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Fareed Zakaria | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Editor’s Note: Fareed Zakaria is the host of Fareed Zakaria GPS, airing at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. But conflict is the new normal. The war is going badly for Ukraine, which is critically outgunned and outmanned by its much larger adversary. The IDF’s goal is to weaken Hezbollah to the point that the roughly 80,000 Israelis who fled their homes in northern Israel can return. At some point, Hezbollah might respond forcefully, which could trigger an Israeli incursion into Lebanon, truly widening the war.

Persons: Fareed Zakaria, Fareed, Read, Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Netanyahu, Amir Levy, —, don’t Organizations: CNN, Fareed’s, European, Gulf, Israel Defense Forces, United, British Navy, Republicans Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Russia, European, North Korea, Cuba, China, India, Turkey, Gulf States, Gaza, Hamas, British, Palestinian, Israel, Lebanon, North, Suez, United States, Red

☆ Jimmy Carter’s spirit ‘as strong as ever’ after year in hospice, grandson says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-18 | by ( Aileen Graef | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —As former President Jimmy Carter marked one year in hospice care on Sunday, his family celebrated his resolve and expressed gratitude for the support they’ve received. He entered hospice care in February 2023 after a series of hospital stays. There is no time limit on how long a person can receive hospice care. “One year after entering hospice care, President Carter continues to be at home with his family. The Carter Family is grateful for the many expressions of love they have received and the continued respect for their privacy during this time,” the Carter family said in a statement Sunday.

Persons: Jimmy Carter, they’ve, ” Jason Carter, Jimmy Carter’s, Carter, “, ”, Rosalynn Carter, Anwar Sadat, Menachem Begin, CNN’s Carma Hassan, Erica Henry, Michelle Shen, Keith Allen, Julia Manchester Organizations: CNN, CBS, Accords, Israeli, Democrat, Carter Locations: Georgia, United States, Cuba, Sudan, North Korea, Guinea

Maxar Technologies Visual Investigations The $2.8 Billion Hole in U.S. Sanctions on Iran A Times investigation reveals how lax government oversight allowed shadowy oil tankers, covered by American insurance, to fund Iran’s regime. The American Club is one of only 12 major insurers of its kind, and the only one based in the United States. By then, the tankers had transported at least $2.8 billion in crude oil, based on the lowest reported prices of Iranian oil in 2023. The Treasury office has publicly enforced sanctions on the American Club only once in the past 20 years. Ultimately, the office said the American Club did “not appear to have been willful or reckless” and the case was settled.

Persons: Biden, ”, penna gabrielle toyomi, penna selene gabrielle, gabrielle, selene, lisa marianne selene, Samir Madani, Maggie Hassan, Daniel Tadros, “, Mr, Tadros, Shipowners, ” Mr, Madani of TankerTrackers.com, David Tannenbaum Organizations: Maxar, Maxar Technologies, Sanctions, U.S, White, New York Times, Times, Treasury Department, American Club, Treasury, cathay kirin, Copernicus, Planet Labs, Star, American, The Times, Revolutionary Guards Corps, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Club’s, Hamas, Bloomberg, United Against Nuclear, Nuclear, Glory, United, National Iranian Tanker, Labs, Copernicus Sentinel, Club, International Maritime Organization, AIS, Spire Locations: Gulf of Oman, American, U.S, Iran, New York, New Hampshire, United States, Hong Kong, Kharg, Kpler, China, Israel, Yemen, United Against Nuclear Iran, Nuclear Iran, United Arab Emirates, Asaluyeh, Dubai, of Oman, Persian, Oman, Cuba, Sudan, MarineTraffic, SynMax, TankerTrackers.com

☆ Navalny is the latest in a long line of Putin critics who met an early death
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Lauren Said-Moorhouse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

CNN —When Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny returned to Russia in 2021, there were many who feared he would face an untimely end. The Kremlin has said it is investigating the critic’s death, the circumstances of which were not immediately clear. After his death, opposition leader Ilya Yashin said his friend had been working on a report about Russian troops and their involvement in Ukraine. Nemtsov’s death came two days before he was set to lead an opposition rally in the Russian capital. Alexander PerepilichnyyOver the years, suggestions have emerged of the possible use of a rare plant poison in the death of Russian financier Alexander Perepilichnyy.

Persons: Alexey Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s, ”, Navalny, Yegveny Prigozhin Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner, Reuters Yevgeny Prigozhin, –, Bill Browder, “ Putin, ” Boris Nemtsov, Boris Nemtsov, Dmitry Korotayev, Boris Yeltsin, Ilya Yashin, Nemtsov, Vladimir Putin, Nemtsov’s, Boris Berezovsky Boris Berezovsky, Yelena Gorbunova, Peter Macdiarmid, Boris Berezovsky, Putin, Berezovsky, Alexander Perepilichnyy, CNN Alexander Perepilichnyy, Perepilichnyy, Sergei Magnitsky, ANDREY SMIRNOV, Magnitsky, Browder, Alexander Litvinenko Alexander Litvinenko, Natasja Weitsz, Alexander Litvinenko, Litvinenko –, Robert Owen, Putin “, Litvinenko, Marina Litvinenko, Anna Politkovskaya, JENS SCHLUETER, Lom, Ali Gaitukayev, Politkovskaya, Chechen Republic …, ” Drownings, Prigozhin, Gennady Lopyrev –, “, Lopyrev, Pyotr Kucherenko, Pavel Antov, Vladimir Budanov, Budanov, Alexander Buzakov, Anatoly Gerashchenko, Ravil Maganov, Lukoil, Maganov “, Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Sergei Skripal, Skripal, Yulia Organizations: CNN, Putin’s United, “, Kremlin, PMC Wagner, Reuters, Republican Party of Russia, Party, Newsweek, Royal Botanic, Getty Images, Hermitage Capital, KGB, Getty, Authorities, The, Protect Journalists, RIA Novosti, Russia’s, Science, Higher Education, Gazprom, Lukoil, Moscow Aviation Institute, TASS Locations: Russia, Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Putin’s United Russia, Ukraine, ” Boris Nemtsov Russian, Kremlin, Moscow, Russian, London's, England, Soviet Union, Britain, Surrey, London, Kew, American, Chechnya, Leipzig, Germany, AFP, The New York, Chechen Republic, Washington, Gelendzhik, ”, Cuba, India, United States

☆ 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

☆ 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

☆ Havana waves and high winds hurl jellyfish and seaweed into the streets
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —An unusually strong cold front slammed Cuba’s north coast on Tuesday, with white-capped waves flooding streets with seawater, causing scattered power outages and littering the capital Havana with blowing trash and downed branches. People navigate through a flooded street on a raft in Havana, on February 6, 2024. Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty ImagesAt dawn, the water flowed through some city streets like coastal rivers, moving jellyfish, seaweed and flotsam several blocks landward. “The climate has changed.”Havana, a coastal city built centuries ago on the Gulf of Mexico, is particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels and strengthening storms brought on by human-caused climate change, scientists and city planners have said. Rising sea levels threaten some coastal cities like Havana and could completely wipe from the map low-lying states in parts of the South Pacific Ocean.

Persons: Yamil Lage, ”, Jaqueline Dalardes Organizations: CNN, Getty, UN Locations: Havana, Florida, Cuba, AFP, of Mexico

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

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

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

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

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

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

WASHINGTON (AP) — The massive $118 billion Senate border bill not only contains once-in-a-decade border security legislation and wartime aid to Israel and Ukraine, but also offers a chance for the U.S. to keep its promise to Afghans who worked alongside U.S. soldiers in America’s longest war. Tucked inside the sprawling package is a measure that would provide a long-awaited pathway to residency for tens of thousands of Afghan refugees who arrived in the U.S. on military planes after the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. Conservatives have said the package does not go far enough in limiting the number of daily migrant crossings at the southern border. Both Republican and Democratic senators and their staff worked to bridge the divide and produce legislative text that both sides could support. Republican leaders in the House have declared the bill a non-starter, and even passage through the Senate, where the deal was negotiated, is an uphill climb.

Persons: there’s, Democratic Sen, Chris Coons, ”, they’ve, Shawn VanDiver Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Republican, Democratic, Associated Press, Allies, Navy, Senate, State Department Locations: Israel, Ukraine, America’s, U.S, Afghanistan, Kabul, Cuba, Vietnam, Iraq, Chris Coons of Delaware, United States

Some days, more than 1,000 arrive in the boulder-strewn mountains near San Diego, alone. These encampments would likely vanish under a Senate bill that would make sweeping changes to immigration laws, including allowing a border emergency authority that would restrict asylum when arrests for illegal crossings hit certain thresholds. If it overcomes long odds, the legislation would radically upend how asylum is handled at the border. Mbala Glodi, 42, arrived in Jacumba Hot Springs, a tiny border town east of San Diego, after crossing the border illegally in September. ___Spagat reported from San Diego.

Persons: Donald Trump, ”, Juan Andres Valverde, Samuel Schultz, Maria del Rosario Lanza, ___ Spagat Organizations: Senate, “, Homeland, Biden, Homeland Security, CBP Locations: SPRINGS, Calif, China, Colombia, Mexico, U.S, San Diego, Ukraine, Israel, New York, Vermont, United States, Angola, COVID, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Tijuana , Mexico, Honduran, Tegucigalpa, Chicago, Washington, Fort Worth , Texas

☆ Colombia Government, ELN Rebels Are Yet to Agree Ceasefire Extension -ELN
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Feb. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA (Reuters) - The government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrillas have not yet agreed to extend their bilateral ceasefire for another six months, the rebel group said on Monday. The government of President Gustavo Petro restarted peace talks with the ELN in 2022 as part of a policy of 'total peace', to end Colombia's six-decade conflict, which has left more than 450,000 dead. An initial six-month ceasefire expired last week and was extended for five days, a measure that will end on Monday night. "Measures are being taken to resolve factors of crisis factors and add new elements of commitment to be fulfilled by both parties, with the purpose of agreeing on an extension of another six months of this temporary and national bilateral ceasefire," the ELN delegation said in a statement. The statement was released ahead of the close of a sixth cycle of talks between the rebel group and the government in Cuba's capital, Havana.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, Oliver Griffin, Franklin Paul Organizations: National Liberation Army Locations: BOGOTA, Colombia, Cuba's, Havana

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