INSIDER
Trump's pick of Rubio as America's top diplomat could reshape US policy in Latin America
Read full article: Trump's pick of Rubio as America's top diplomat could reshape US policy in Latin AmericaPresident-elect Donald Trump's pick of Sen. Marco Rubio to become U.S. secretary of state is likely to jolt Latin America after decades of neglect from Washington.
Afro-Cuban drums, Muslim prayers, Buddhist mantras: Religious diversity blooms in once-atheist Cuba
Read full article: Afro-Cuban drums, Muslim prayers, Buddhist mantras: Religious diversity blooms in once-atheist CubaThe 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro installed an atheist, Communist government that sought to replace the Catholic Church as the guiding force in the lives of Cubans.
LGBTQ-inclusive church in Cuba welcomes all in a country that once sent gay people to labor camps
Read full article: LGBTQ-inclusive church in Cuba welcomes all in a country that once sent gay people to labor campsAfter the 1959 revolution, Cuba repressed gay people and many were sent to labor camps.
Career US diplomat abruptly admits to spying for communist Cuba for decades
Read full article: Career US diplomat abruptly admits to spying for communist Cuba for decadesA former career U.S. diplomat says he will plead guilty to charges of serving as a secret agent for communist Cuba going back decades.
Ex-Green Beret stands with Venezuelan coup plotter ahead of U.S. sentencing on terror charges
Read full article: Ex-Green Beret stands with Venezuelan coup plotter ahead of U.S. sentencing on terror chargesA U.S. veteran who plotted to overthrow Venezuela’s president is proudly standing with a former Venezuelan army general who pleaded guilty in New York on terrorism charges.
Houston City Council to help residents move away from Fifth Ward Cancer Cluster
Read full article: Houston City Council to help residents move away from Fifth Ward Cancer ClusterHouston City Council will provide $5 million to help residents who want to voluntarily move out of the Fifth Ward and Kashmere Gardens cancer cluster.
Both parties want to win South Florida. Here's one Cuban activist's view of the political fight
Read full article: Both parties want to win South Florida. Here's one Cuban activist's view of the political fightSoon after Felix Llerena arrived in Miami in 2017, the Cuban activist was drawn to then-President Donald Trump by the Republican's aggressive approach toward Cuba’s communist government.
Trump and other Republicans conjure a familiar enemy in attacking Democrats as ‘communists’
Read full article: Trump and other Republicans conjure a familiar enemy in attacking Democrats as ‘communists’Former President Donald Trump's arraignment in federal court has highlighted a popular strategy among Republicans: likening their opponents to “Marxists” and “communists.”.
Cuba's parliament ratifies President Díaz-Canel for new term
Read full article: Cuba's parliament ratifies President Díaz-Canel for new termCuba’s National Assembly has ratified President Miguel Díaz-Canel for a new five-year term, in a decision to maintain continuity as the island faces a deep economic crisis.
Seen at 7: Financial resolutions for 2023
Read full article: Seen at 7: Financial resolutions for 2023With high inflation and volatility on wall street, there is no better time to make a financial resolution! But getting your finances back on track is sometimes easier said than done. Financial professional Matt Stevenson from Allied Wealth joins us with tips for setting and sticking to your financial goals for 2023.
A swing state no more? GOP confidence grows in Florida
Read full article: A swing state no more? GOP confidence grows in FloridaDemocrats are increasingly concerned that Florida may be slipping away this fall — and perhaps beyond — as emboldened Republicans seize on divisive cultural issues and demographic shifts in crucial contests for governor and the U.S. Senate.
Letters sent to García Márquez to be shown in Mexico City
Read full article: Letters sent to García Márquez to be shown in Mexico CityWhile reviewing the photo archives left by Nobel Prize-winning Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez, one of his granddaughters came across a mysterious plastic box with the word “grandchildren” written on its label.
In Cuba, crabs embark on perilous migration to Bay of Pigs
Read full article: In Cuba, crabs embark on perilous migration to Bay of PigsEvery year in Cuba, millions of crabs emerge from the forest at the beginning of the spring rains and head for the waters of the Bay of Pigs, crossing streets and highways on a perilous journey to mate and reproduce there.
A look at de Blasio's NYC mayoral tenure and what's next
Read full article: A look at de Blasio's NYC mayoral tenure and what's nextBill de Blasio swept into the New York City mayor’s office eight years ago promising a liberal remolding of the nation’s largest city that would level deep inequities and reform police practices.
Geelani, Kashmir’s staunchest anti-India leader, dies at 91
Read full article: Geelani, Kashmir’s staunchest anti-India leader, dies at 91Syed Ali Geelani, an icon of disputed Kashmir’s resistance against Indian rule and a top separatist leader who became the emblem of the region’s defiance against New Delhi, has died at 91.
Cuba's leader lays some blame for protests on his government
Read full article: Cuba's leader lays some blame for protests on his governmentCuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has acknowledged shortcomings in his government’s handling of shortages and of neglecting certain sectors, but he is urging Cubans to not act with hate — a reference to violence during recent street protests.
Cuba’s president says government has some blame for protests
Read full article: Cuba’s president says government has some blame for protestsCuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has acknowledged shortcomings in his government’s handling of shortages and of neglecting certain sectors, but he is urging Cubans to not act with hate — a reference to violence during recent street protests.
Cuba confirms 1 man dead during antigovernment protests
Read full article: Cuba confirms 1 man dead during antigovernment protestsCuban officials say one person has died during demonstrations that have shaken the island in recent days by protesting over food shortages, high prices and other grievances against the government.
Police patrol Havana in large numbers after rare protests
Read full article: Police patrol Havana in large numbers after rare protestsLarge contingents of Cuban police are patrolling the capital of Havana following rare protests around the island nation against food shortages and high prices amid the coronavirus crisis.
Ex-rebel capitalizes on Colombia unrest by showing restraint
Read full article: Ex-rebel capitalizes on Colombia unrest by showing restraintA former rebel leader in Colombia who would undo antinarcotics cooperation with the U.S. is looking to capitalize on the biggest antigovernment unrest in decades and ride it to the presidency next year.
Cuba rolls out mass vaccines while awaiting study results
Read full article: Cuba rolls out mass vaccines while awaiting study resultsHundreds of thousands of Cubans have begun receiving new, locally produced vaccines against COVID-19 in the past few days as the socialist government ramps up an inoculation campaign.
Era ends as Raul Castro steps down as Communist Party chief
Read full article: Era ends as Raul Castro steps down as Communist Party chiefRaul Castro says he is stepping down as Cuban Communist Party leader, leaving the island without a Castro guiding affairs for the first time in more than six decades and handing control of the party to a younger generation.
Raul Castro, long a sidekick, finally the face of his nation
Read full article: Raul Castro, long a sidekick, finally the face of his nationFor most of his life, Raul Castro played second-string to his brother Fidel — first as a guerrilla commander, later as a senior figure in their socialist government.
Raul Castro, long a sidekick, finally the face of his nation
Read full article: Raul Castro, long a sidekick, finally the face of his nationFor most of his life, Raul Castro played second-string to his brother Fidel — first as a guerrilla commander, later as a senior figure in their socialist government.
Cuban leader Raul Castro confirms he’s resigning, ending long era in country
Read full article: Cuban leader Raul Castro confirms he’s resigning, ending long era in countryRaul Castro says he is stepping down as head of Cuba’s Communist Party, ending an era of formal leadership by he and his brother Fidel Castro that began with the 1959 revolution.
Ecuador, Peru to elect presidents amid strengthened pandemic
Read full article: Ecuador, Peru to elect presidents amid strengthened pandemicA surging pandemic that has brought new lockdown measures has pushed the upcoming elections to the background for many weary voters in the neighboring South American nations of Ecuador and Peru.
Latinos face barriers like fear, language in getting vaccine
Read full article: Latinos face barriers like fear, language in getting vaccineDr. Ingrid Felix-Peralta, second from left, and her husband Dr. Victor Peralta, second from right, administer second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in New York, Friday, Feb. 5, 2021. From elderly Cuban Americans in Florida to farmworkers in California, Latinos face daunting barriers like fear, language and a lack of education and access as the COVID-19 vaccines roll out, creating risks for public health as the virus mutates and spreads. From elderly Cuban Americans in Florida to farmworkers in California, Latinos face daunting barriers to getting COVID-19 vaccines, creating risks for public health as the coronavirus mutates and spreads. The poll says Latinos' willingness to get the vaccine is similar to the American public overall. “As efforts to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine continue, trust and acceptance of Hispanics will be crucial," León said.
Leftist leads in early returns for Ecuador presidential vote
Read full article: Leftist leads in early returns for Ecuador presidential vote(AP Photo/Dolores Ochoa)QUITO – A young leftist backed by a convicted-but-popular former president led the field of 16 candidates in early returns from Ecuador’s presidential election Sunday, which was held under strict sanitary measures due to the coronavirus pandemic. Arauz got 31.5% of the votes, while Pérez had 20.04% and Lasso had 19.97%, according to the Electoral Council of Ecuador. To win outright, a candidate needed 50% of the vote, or to have at least 40% with a 10-point lead over the closest opponent. Pérez's challenge to grab second place surprised some observers as he had trailed behind Arauz and Lasso in pre-election polls. That conviction barred him from running as Arauz's vice presidential candidate.
Trump hits Cuba with new terrorism sanctions in waning days
Read full article: Trump hits Cuba with new terrorism sanctions in waning daysWASHINGTON – The Trump administration on Monday re-designated Cuba as a “state sponsor of terrorism,” hitting the country with new sanctions that could hamstring President-elect Joe Biden's promise to renew relations with the communist-governed island. Since Trump took office, after a campaign that attacked Obama's moves to normalize relations with Cuba, ties have been increasingly strained. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez condemned the U.S. action. The latest sanctions put Cuba alongside North Korea, Syria and Iran as the only foreign nations deemed state sponsors of terrorism. Obama’s removal of Cuba from the “state sponsors of terrorism” list had been a major target of Trump, Pompeo and other Cuba hawks in the current administration.
Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona dies at 60
Read full article: Argentine soccer great Diego Maradona dies at 60Argentine soccer superstar Diego Armando Maradona cheers after the Napoli team clinched its first Italian major league title in Naples, Italy, on May 10, 1987. The Argentine soccer great was among the best players ever and who led his country to the 1986 World Cup title before later struggling with cocaine use and obesity. The office of Argentina's president said it will decree three days of national mourning, and the Argentine soccer association expressed its sorrow on Twitter. “Maradona inspires us,” said then-Argentina striker Carlos Tevez, explaining his country’s everyman fascination with Maradona at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He failed another doping test for stimulants and was thrown out of the 1994 World Cup in the United States.
Biden aims to expand map as Trump recovers from coronavirus
Read full article: Biden aims to expand map as Trump recovers from coronavirusMIAMI – As President Donald Trump recovers from the coronavirus, Joe Biden is capitalizing on having the campaign trail largely to himself by hitting critical swing states and investing in longtime Republican bastions that he hopes might expand his path to victory. Even Biden’s former primary rival, Bernie Sanders, has resumed in-person campaigning for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak in March. “They are running a solid race focused on the swing states we need to win but now have excess resources to expand the map." “The Trump campaign continues to run their presidential campaign, and we are going to continue to run our presidential campaign," said Biden campaign senior strategist Anita Dunn. Biden shared a stage with the president for 90 minutes during last week’s first presidential primary debate.
Biden aims to expand map as Trump recovers from coronavirus
Read full article: Biden aims to expand map as Trump recovers from coronavirusMIAMI – As President Donald Trump recovers from the coronavirus, Joe Biden is capitalizing on having the campaign trail largely to himself by hitting critical swing states and investing in longtime Republican bastions that he hopes might expand his path to victory. Even Biden’s former primary rival, Bernie Sanders, has resumed in-person campaigning for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak in March. “They are running a solid race focused on the swing states we need to win but now have excess resources to expand the map." “The Trump campaign continues to run their presidential campaign, and we are going to continue to run our presidential campaign," said Biden campaign senior strategist Anita Dunn. Biden shared a stage with the president for 90 minutes during last week’s first presidential primary debate.
History on screen: East Germany through its filmmakers' eyes
Read full article: History on screen: East Germany through its filmmakers' eyesIn this Wednesday, June 17, 2020 photo Gunnar Dedio, German film producer and managing director of PROGRESS Film GmbH poses for a photo between rolls of film in the archive of PROGRESS Film, in Leipzig, Germany. A new project is underway to digitize thousands of East German newsreels, documentaries and feature films 30 years after Germanys reunification. The East German Augenzeuge, or Eyewitness, newsreel on the Kennedy visit trumpeted the prank as a triumph, scoffing that the American president got an “unexpected surprise instead of the great view into the East German capital promised by his Secret Service” and allegedly had to cut his visit from “20 minutes to five." Germany was divided into four occupation zones after World War II, the Soviet-influenced East Germany and West Germany's American, British and French sectors. In 1950, the year after East Germany was established as a country, the authorities formed another company, Progress, as a state monopoly to distribute DEFA films and to import foreign productions.
Trump tightens Cuba sanctions as he woos Cuban-American vote
Read full article: Trump tightens Cuba sanctions as he woos Cuban-American voteThe action came as Trump is seeking to boost his appeal among Cuban Americans, a crucial Republican-leaning voting bloc in the all-important state of Florida. Trump said the new Treasury Department sanctions will ensure that U.S. dollars do not fund the Cuban government. He said U.S. sanctions will remain until Cuba releases all political prisoners, rights to free assembly and expression are respected, political parties are legalized and free elections are scheduled. Americans are allowed to visit Cuba to see family, for humanitarian visits and for several other reasons expressly outlined by the U.S. government. “This is a desperate and hypocritical attempt by Trump to pander to Cuban-American voters in Florida," Democratic Party spokesperson Enrique Gutierrez said in an email.
Biden faces worries that Latino support slipping in Florida
Read full article: Biden faces worries that Latino support slipping in FloridaThat's fueling an urgent effort by Biden, Harris and their allies to shore up older voters, suburbanites and African Americans to make up for potential shortcomings elsewhere. If Biden reclaims the upper Midwest for Democrats, he won’t need Florida to capture the presidency. Hispanic voters in Florida tend to be somewhat more Republican-leaning than Hispanic voters nationwide because of the state’s Cuban American population. Nationally, little public polling is available to measure the opinions of Latino voters this year and whether they differ from four years ago. “As we get closer to November you’re going to see an even greater amount of activity to turn out Latino voters," Alex said.
On Western swing, Trump aims to court pivotal Latino voters
Read full article: On Western swing, Trump aims to court pivotal Latino votersThere is increasing concern about Democrats that their nominee, the former vice president, has not done enough to court Latino voters. Estimates from the Pew Research Center and AP VoteCast show that about 3 in 10 Latino voters supported Trump in 2016 and Republican candidates in 2018. That’s also consistent with long-term trends in party identification among Latino voters, according to Pew. Nationally, little public polling is available to measure the opinions of Latino voters this year and whether they differ from four years ago. After Nevada, Trump planned to visit California on Monday for a briefing on the devastating wildfires racing through the region.
For Harris, memories of mother guide bid for vice president
Read full article: For Harris, memories of mother guide bid for vice presidentEach step of the way, friends point to the influence of Gopalan Harris as a constant. Gopalan Harris defied generations of tradition by not returning to southern India after getting her doctorate, tossing aside expectations of an arranged marriage. Gopalan Harris mother took in victims of domestic abuse and educated women about contraception. Gopalan Harris relished roles in her daughters early campaigns but was gone before seeing her advance beyond a local office. There is no title or honor on earth Ill treasure more than to say I am Shyamala Gopalan Harris daughter, she wrote.
VP contender's Cuba baggage a burden in Florida
Read full article: VP contender's Cuba baggage a burden in FloridaBut the recent college graduate had long heard stories from his grandfather recounting the days of oppression in Cuba under Fidel Castro. Even for some young Cubans, the congresswoman's remarks are troubling and a reminder that Castro still stirs strong passions. The Pew Research Center estimates that nearly a third of Floridas Hispanic voters have roots in Cuba. Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, a Cuban American, has called the congresswoman a Castro sympathizer." But his real worry is that Republicans would use Bass' remarks as distraction from what he called the more important goal of electing Biden.
5 Things to Know for Today
Read full article: 5 Things to Know for TodayAn army helicopter drops water at the scene of Tuesday's massive explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020. Residents of Beirut awoke to a scene of utter devastation on Wednesday, a day after a massive explosion at the port sent shock waves across the Lebanese capital, killing dozens of people and wounding thousands. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:1. CHILDREN FLEEING DANGER EXPELLED Citing the coronavirus, more than 2,000 unaccompanied children have been expelled from the U.S. since March under an emergency declaration by the Trump administration. NORTH KOREA ESCALATES VIRUS RESPONSE Pyongyang is quarantining thousands of people and shipping food and other aid to a southern city locked down over coronavirus worries, officials say.
AP Interview: Clyburn warns US lacks plan to stop virus
Read full article: AP Interview: Clyburn warns US lacks plan to stop virusOur entire economy is at stake, Clyburn told The Associated Press in a Newsmakers interview. The third-ranking House Democrat said he's hopeful that negotiators on Capitol Hill can reach an agreement soon on a new virus aid package. Weve got a health care crisis wrapped into an economic crisis, and they are so interwoven, Clyburn said. And so that we can have a fair, unfettered election, said Clyburn, who is the House Democratic whip. You know, when I was a child, I spoke as a child and understood as a child.
2020 Watch: And the Democratic veepstakes winner is?
Read full article: 2020 Watch: And the Democratic veepstakes winner is?At the same time, the Trump administration has opposed any significant efforts in the latest coronavirus rescue package to protect and strengthen mail voting. But this week largely belongs to Biden, who is days away from announcing the winner of the veepstakes. The question then becomes whether the Trump administration will do anything to address his concerns about mail voting. GOP officials said over the weekend that the vote to formally give Trump his party's 2020 presidential nomination will be conducted in private later this month. ___2020 Watch runs every Monday and provides a look at the week ahead in the 2020 election.
Leading Democratic VP contender Bass defends stance on Cuba
Read full article: Leading Democratic VP contender Bass defends stance on CubaCalifornia Congresswoman Bass has emerged a leading contender to be Democrats' vice presidential candidate. Allies say her reputation as a bridge-builder would make her a strong partner to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. Bass said she traveled to Cuba to help construct homes in her late teens and early 20's. She said her views of Cuba are in line with policy under former President Barack Obama, who sought to thaw U.S. relations with the country. As a matter of fact, I was honored to go to Cuba with President Obama.
'Building bridges': How Bass became a leading VP contender
Read full article: 'Building bridges': How Bass became a leading VP contenderCalifornia Congresswoman Bass has emerged a leading contender to be Democrats' vice presidential candidate. Allies say her reputation as a bridge-builder would make her a strong partner to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. Enter Karen Bass, who became Assembly speaker that May, the first Black woman to hold the role. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee appeared with Bass for the first time at a fundraiser on Thursday. With Karen Bass' comments about Fidel Castro, it will be served up on a silver platter."
Pence turns up heat on Biden with Wisconsin speech
Read full article: Pence turns up heat on Biden with Wisconsin speechThe speech delivered on the campus of Ripon College in battleground Wisconsin comes as polls show Trump trailing Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, in a state that Trump won by fewer than 23,000 votes in 2016. Pence said that if Biden wins the election, the country will spin into economic decline, be less safe and have open borders and taxpayer-funded abortions. Biden spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield countered that Trumps economic policies have harmed Wisconsin at every turn and that Pence glossed over Trumps economic record, both before the pandemic and since. The Pence visit came as COVID-19 cases were spiking in Wisconsin. Pence wore a mask when he entered the room but removed it for his speech.