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Tag: Fidel Castro
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Today in History: Feb. 16, Castro sworn in as Cuban leader
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Assata Shakur, Black Liberation Activist and aunt of Tupac, dies in Havana at 78
Havana (CNN) — Assata Shakur, the Black Liberation Army member and fugitive with a $2 million FBI reward on her head, died in Havana where she had received political asylum from Fidel Castro, the Cuban Foreign Ministry announced Friday.
According to the short announcement, Shakur, who was also known as Joanne Chesimard, died Thursday from “health ailments and her advanced age.”
Shakur, who was also the godmother and step-aunt of slain rapper Tupac Shakur, was 78 years old.
An outspoken proponent of armed revolution in the United States, Shakur was convicted for her role in a 1973 shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike that killed a state trooper. Shakur was herself wounded in the exchange of gunfire and claimed that the FBI had targeted her for assassination as part of a widespread campaign against black militant organizations in the 1960s and 70s.
While serving a life sentence for the murder of State Trooper Werner Foerster, Shakur escaped prison in New Jersey in 1979 and began her life on the run.
Assata is transferred by authorities from Riker’s Island prison to the Middlesex County jail in January 1976 to await trial in the murder of state trooper Werner Foerster. Credit: Frank Hurley / NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images via CNN Newsource She resurfaced in 1984 in Cuba where then Cuban leader Fidel Castro awarded her political asylum. While living in Cuba, Shakur wrote books, appeared in a documentary and mocked US efforts to force her extradition.
In 2013 the FBI made Shakur the first woman on its most wanted terrorists list and, with the state of New Jersey Attorney, increased the reward for her capture to $2 million.
Her asylum on the communist-run island among a handful of other US fugitives from justice provided fodder for anti-Castro activists who argued that Cuba should be remain on the US State Department list of countries that sponsor state terrorism.
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Patrick Oppmann and CNN
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Jussie Smollett Trends On X After Dem. Barbara Lee Tells Story About A 'White Guy' Stopping Her At The Capitol
Custom: Screenshots – Kaitlan Collins X Video Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Jussie Smollett were both trending on X after the former claimed a “white guy” had stopped her from getting on the ‘members-only’ elevator in the Capitol building.
Lee made the comments during an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins. She began by asserting that “institutional racism is in the DNA of this country.”
She then pivoted to a story that she claimed is an example of “personal racism” she had suffered as a member of Congress.
“I was walking … to the Capitol and a man, a white guy, stopped me and told me I could not get into the members’ elevator,” she claimed without evidence.
“And he blocked me from getting into the elevator and told me I was not a member of Congress and it was for members only. I said, ‘Sir, I’m a member of Congress,’” she continued. “And I showed him my pin and he said, ‘Whose pin did you steal?’”
Rep. Barbara Lee: “I was walking to the Capitol and a man stopped me, a white guy, and told me I could not get into the members’ elevator…He told me it was for members only. I said, ‘Sir, I’m a member of Congress’ and showed him my pin. And he said, ‘Whose pin did you steal?’” pic.twitter.com/RGhOpfTMjM
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 19, 2024
RELATED: Jussie Smollett Likely Heading Back To Prison As Conviction Is Upheld By Illinois Appeals Court
People Were Skeptical Of Barbara Lee’s Claim
Now, as far as we know, Barbara Lee didn’t embellish her story with a mention that she was heading to Subway at 2 am in a -20-degree windchill when a “white guy” suddenly yelled, “This is MAGA country!”
But it kind of felt like she was one step away from doing so. And social media users on X noticed, with Jussie Smollett trending alongside the congresswoman.
“I’m gonna go with this never actually happened. How very Jussie Smollett of you,” one person wrote.
Conservative documentary filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza noted that Lee’s story “has that Jussie Smollett ring of inauthenticity” and added that Collins’ “uncritical reaction adds to the atmosphere of political fakery.”
Others suggested that had the incident actually taken place, it’s highly unlikely that Lee wouldn’t report it to somebody in the building and even less likely that they wouldn’t be able to pull video of the exchange.
In order to access members’ elevators, one needs to get through various security checkpoints with a staff I.D. or Members’ pin, so it should be easy to root out the alleged racist. It’s someone who works at the Capitol.
RELATED: AOC Tears Up Having To Relive January 6 Footage: ‘I Am So Angry’
Lee Tried To Crash A Congressional Hearing
When she’s not channeling her inner Jussie Smollett, Barbara Lee is busy channeling her inner Hunter Biden. No, not ‘crackhead’ Hunter. ‘Crashing congressional hearings for attention’ Hunter.
Lee tried to disrupt the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday, only to be turned away by Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-FL).
“Today, I exercised my authority as Subcommittee Chairwoman to not allow an off-Committee Member to spread communist propaganda during my Cuba hearing,” Salazar wrote on X. “Members are not entitled to join any Committee proceedings without full consent of the Committee Members.”
Lee posted video of her getting the boot after she tried to interrupt official congressional business or, as some have called it, staged an insurrection.
I was just kicked out of a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing on Cuba policy because the Republican Chair didn’t like my views.
I’d share the livestream, but Republicans cut out the sound when I stood up to defend myself & call them out. pic.twitter.com/eqV1ymor9j
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) January 18, 2024
The committee hearing was called to discuss the Biden administration’s lenient policies on Cuba.
Lee has been a noted sympathizer of the late Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro. The congresswoman took the occasion of his death to praise Castro, calling him a global leader who deserves to be mourned.
“We need to stop and pause and mourn his loss,” she said, adding he was a “smart man” who “led a revolution in Cuba that led social improvements for his people.”
Rusty Weiss
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Cheney Offers to Waterboard Trump – Ralph Lombard, Humor Times
Ex-Congresswoman wants to waterboard Trump to ‘get at the truth’ about January 6th.
In a less-publicized section of Liz Cheney’s tell-all expose “Oath and Honor,” the former US Congresswoman explains how she’d personally deal with Donald Trump.
Like father, like daughter: Liz Cheney wants to waterboard Trump. “I’d waterboard him,” she writes. “Donald Trump is, without a doubt, the gravest threat this country has ever faced. And I mean ever! Far greater than Bin Laden ever was, far greater than Lee Harvey Oswald, or Fidel Castro, or Jefferson Davis, or John Wilkes Booth, or Benedict Arnold, or even Hitler himself. And if that doesn’t justify enhanced interrogation techniques, I don’t know what does!
“I think that if I was allowed just five minutes alone with him at an undisclosed location in Guantanamo Bay for a heart-to-heart chat — well, I just think that would go a long way towards helping bring out the real truth about Trump’s involvement in the January 6th insurrection. As a matter of fact, if I’m any judge of character, it might only take ten or fifteen seconds.”
In a later chapter Cheney reveals what she thinks would be the proper punishment for Trump’s many crimes.
“When Trump gets sent to prison — I mean if Trump gets sent to prison, ha-ha– he certainly should not be given a free ride. Hopefully by that time he’ll be financially ruined and completely penniless, and absolutely dependent on the good will of all the people he’s thrown under the bus over the years. Which is to say, he’ll be all alone.
“This will force him to engage in demeaning outsourced manual labor to pay for his keep in prison. Fast-food employment might well be considered. Of course working at McDonald’s would be more of a reward than a punishment, but I think that working at Taco Bell as, say, the toilet cleaning boy, might be entirely appropriate. And we’d even give him three free meals a day of all the tacos he could eat, washed down with plenty of genuine imported Mexican water.
“On the weekends Trump could be locked in a pillory in the prison exercise yard for gala celebrations. The festivities could begin with a “dangerous fruit” throwing contest for the children, followed by a thousand-dollar-a-plate fund-raiser, where participants get to break the plates over Trump’s head. Ten thousand dollar kicks in the ass would also be available. The grand finale could be an auction, with a minimum bid of one hundred thousand dollars, where one lucky lady gets to grab Trump by the bells (sic), and wring them for thirty seconds!”
I was born a young baby. Then I grew up. Then I grew confused. Then I grew tired. I’m a 20th century man who’s somehow been transported to the 21st century, with one foot in the gone past and the other in the here now. I started my blog mymanymoodsofme toward the end of 2012. There I write humorous essays, stories and poems (lyrics from my songs), in addition to my aphorisms. It’s good work… if you get it. In my spare time I play chess, write songs, and reflect upon what I see. I’m very happy to be colluding with Humor Times, and hope you enjoy the result. Cheers!
Latest posts by Ralph Lombard (see all)Ralph Lombard
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Former U.S. ambassador Manuel Rocha arrested, accused of serving as agent of Cuba, sources say
A former American diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia has been arrested in a long-running FBI counterintelligence investigation, accused of secretly serving as an agent of Cuba’s government, The Associated Press has learned.
Manuel Rocha, 73, was arrested in Miami on Friday on a criminal complaint and more details about the case are expected to be made public at a court appearance Monday, said two people who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss an ongoing federal investigation.
One of the people said the Justice Department case accuses Rocha of working to promote the Cuban government’s interests. Federal law requires people doing the political bidding of a foreign government or entity inside the U.S. to register with the Justice Department, which in recent years has stepped up its criminal enforcement of illicit foreign lobbying.
The Justice Department declined to comment. It was not immediately clear if Rocha had a lawyer and a law firm where he previously worked said it was not representing him. His wife hung up when contacted by the AP.
Rocha’s 25-year diplomatic career was spent under both Democratic and Republican administrations, much of it in Latin America during the Cold War, a period of sometimes heavy-handed U.S. political and military policies. His diplomatic postings included a stint at the U.S. Interests Section in Cuba during a time when the U.S. lacked full diplomatic relations with Fidel Castro’s communist government.
Born in Colombia, Rocha was raised in a working-class home in New York City and went on to obtain a succession of liberal arts degrees from Yale, Harvard and Georgetown before joining the foreign service in 1981.
He was the top U.S. diplomat in Argentina between 1997 and 2000 as a decade-long currency stabilization program backed by Washington was unraveling under the weight of huge foreign debt and stagnant growth, triggering a political crisis that would see the South American country cycle through five presidents in two weeks.
At his next post as ambassador to Bolivia, he intervened directly into the 2002 presidential race, warning weeks ahead of the vote that the U.S. would cut off assistance to the poor South American country if it were to elect former coca grower Evo Morales.
“I want to remind the Bolivian electorate that if they vote for those who want Bolivia to return to exporting cocaine, that will seriously jeopardize any future aid to Bolivia from the United States,” Rocha said in a speech that was widely interpreted as a an attempt to sustain U.S. dominance in the region.
The gambit angered Bolivians and gave Morales a last-minute boost. When he was finally elected three years later, the leftist leader expelled Rocha’s successor as chief of the diplomatic mission for inciting “civil war.”
Rocha also served in Italy, Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and worked as a Latin America expert for the National Security Council.
Rocha’s wife, Karla Wittkop Rocha, would not comment when contacted by the AP. “I don’t need to talk to you,” she said before hanging up.
Following his retirement from the State Department, Rocha began a second career in business, serving as the president of a gold mine in the Dominican Republic partly owned by Canada’s Barrick Gold.
More recently, he’s held senior roles at XCoal, a Pennsylvania-based coal exporter; Clover Leaf Capital, a company formed to facilitate mergers in the cannabis industry; law firm Foley & Lardner and Spanish public relations firms Llorente & Cuenca.
“Our firm remains committed to transparency and will closely monitor the situation, cooperating fully with the authorities if any information becomes available to us,” Dario Alvarez, CEO of Llorente & Cuenca’s U.S. operations, said in an email.
XCoal and Clover Leaf Capital did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Foley & Lardner said Rocha left the law firm in August.
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Today in History SUN JAN 01
Today in History
Today is Sunday, Jan. 1, the first day of 2023. There are 364 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that slaves in rebel states shall be “forever free.”
On this date:
In 1892, the Ellis Island Immigrant Station in New York formally opened.
In 1942, the Rose Bowl was played in Durham, North Carolina, because of security concerns in the wake of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor; Oregon State defeated Duke, 20-16.
In 1953, country singer Hank Williams Sr., 29, was discovered dead in the back seat of his car during a stop in Oak Hill, West Virginia, while he was being driven to a concert date in Canton, Ohio.
In 1954, NBC broadcast the first coast-to-coast color TV program as it presented live coverage of the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.
In 1959, Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries overthrew Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista, who fled to the Dominican Republic.
In 1975, a jury in Washington found Nixon administration officials John N. Mitchell, H.R. Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman and Robert C. Mardian guilty of charges related to the Watergate cover-up (Mardian’s conviction for conspiracy was later overturned on appeal).
In 1979, the United States and China held celebrations in Washington and Beijing to mark the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
In 1984, the breakup of AT&T took place as the telecommunications giant was divested of its 22 Bell System companies under terms of an antitrust agreement.
In 1985, the music cable channel VH-1 made its debut with a video of Marvin Gaye performing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
In 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two new countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
In 2006, President George W. Bush strongly defended his domestic spying program, calling it legal as well as vital to thwarting terrorist attacks. The Medicare prescription drug plan went into effect.
In 2014, the nation’s first legal recreational pot shops opened in Colorado at 8 a.m. Mountain time.
Ten years ago: The Senate approved a compromise in the small hours to avert the “fiscal cliff” and sent it to the House, which approved it in a late-night vote; President Barack Obama announced he would sign the measure. In Maryland, same-sex marriage became legal in the first state south of the Mason-Dixon Line. No. 8 Stanford held off Wisconsin 20-14 in the 99th Rose Bowl. Singer Patti Page, 85, died in Encinitas, California.
Five years ago: Former Fox News Channel anchor and 1989 Miss America Gretchen Carlson was named chairwoman of the Miss America Organization’s board of directors, with three other past pageant winners joining her on the board. In the first Rose Bowl to go into overtime, Georgia advanced to college football’s national championship game with a 54-48 win over Oklahoma. Alabama advanced by beating top-ranked Clemson, 24-6, in the Sugar Bowl. Peter Martins, the longtime leader of the New York City Ballet, announced his retirement in the midst of an investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct. California launched legal sales of recreational marijuana, with customers linking up early for ribbon cuttings and promotions.
One year ago: A Louisiana federal judge ruled that President Joe Biden could not require teachers in the Head Start early education program to be vaccinated against COVID-19. A year after New Year’s Day passed without a Rose Parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, the floral spectacle marched on in Pasadena, California, despite a new surge of infections. Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu was remembered at a state funeral in South Africa for his Nobel Peace Prize-earning role in ending the country’s apartheid regime and for championing the rights of LGBTQ people. Chicago police said 2021 had ended as one of the deadliest years on record in the city, with 797 homicides. Former Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Reeves died at his Atlanta home at the age of 77.
Today’s Birthdays: Documentary maker Frederick Wiseman is 93. Actor Frank Langella is 85. Rock singer-musician Country Joe McDonald is 81. Writer-comedian Don Novello is 80. Actor Rick Hurst is 77. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., is 69. The former head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, is 67. Rapper Grandmaster Flash is 65. Actor Renn Woods is 65. Actor Dedee Pfeiffer is 59. Country singer Brian Flynn (Flynnville Train) is 57. Actor Morris Chestnut is 54. R&B singer Tank is 47. Model Elin Nordegren is 43. Actor Jonas Armstrong is 42. Actor Eden Riegel is 42. Olympic gold medal ice dancer Meryl Davis is 36. Rock musician Noah Sierota (Echosmith) is 27.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxToday in History
Today is Sunday, Jan. 1, the first day of 2023. There are 364 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that slaves in rebel states shall be “forever free.”
On this date:
In 1892, the Ellis Island Immigrant Station in New York formally opened.
In 1942, the Rose Bowl was played in Durham, North Carolina, because of security concerns in the wake of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor; Oregon State defeated Duke, 20-16.
In 1953, country singer Hank Williams Sr., 29, was discovered dead in the back seat of his car during a stop in Oak Hill, West Virginia, while he was being driven to a concert date in Canton, Ohio.
In 1954, NBC broadcast the first coast-to-coast color TV program as it presented live coverage of the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.
In 1959, Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries overthrew Cuban leader Fulgencio Batista, who fled to the Dominican Republic.
In 1975, a jury in Washington found Nixon administration officials John N. Mitchell, H.R. Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman and Robert C. Mardian guilty of charges related to the Watergate cover-up (Mardian’s conviction for conspiracy was later overturned on appeal).
In 1979, the United States and China held celebrations in Washington and Beijing to mark the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
In 1984, the breakup of AT&T took place as the telecommunications giant was divested of its 22 Bell System companies under terms of an antitrust agreement.
In 1985, the music cable channel VH-1 made its debut with a video of Marvin Gaye performing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
In 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two new countries, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
In 2006, President George W. Bush strongly defended his domestic spying program, calling it legal as well as vital to thwarting terrorist attacks. The Medicare prescription drug plan went into effect.
In 2014, the nation’s first legal recreational pot shops opened in Colorado at 8 a.m. Mountain time.
Ten years ago: The Senate approved a compromise in the small hours to avert the “fiscal cliff” and sent it to the House, which approved it in a late-night vote; President Barack Obama announced he would sign the measure. In Maryland, same-sex marriage became legal in the first state south of the Mason-Dixon Line. No. 8 Stanford held off Wisconsin 20-14 in the 99th Rose Bowl. Singer Patti Page, 85, died in Encinitas, California.
Five years ago: The nation’s first legal recreational pot shops opened in Colorado at 8 a.m. Mountain Standard Time. Actress Juanita Moore, 99, died in Los Angeles. No. 4 Michigan State romped to a 24-20 victory over No. 5 Stanford in the 100th Rose Bowl. No. 15 Central Florida pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the bowl season by outlasting No. 6 Baylor 52-42 in the Fiesta Bowl.
One year ago: A Louisiana federal judge ruled that President Joe Biden could not require teachers in the Head Start early education program to be vaccinated against COVID-19. A year after New Year’s Day passed without a Rose Parade due to the coronavirus pandemic, the floral spectacle marched on in Pasadena, California, despite a new surge of infections. Anglican Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu was remembered at a state funeral in South Africa for his Nobel Peace Prize-earning role in ending the country’s apartheid regime and for championing the rights of LGBTQ people. Chicago police said 2021 had ended as one of the deadliest years on record in the city, with 797 homicides. Former Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Reeves died at his Atlanta home at the age of 77.
Today’s Birthdays: Documentary maker Frederick Wiseman is 93. Actor Frank Langella is 85. Rock singer-musician Country Joe McDonald is 81. Writer-comedian Don Novello is 80. Actor Rick Hurst is 77. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., is 69. The former head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, is 67. Rapper Grandmaster Flash is 65. Actor Renn Woods is 65. Actor Dedee Pfeiffer is 59. Country singer Brian Flynn (Flynnville Train) is 57. Actor Morris Chestnut is 54. R&B singer Tank is 47. Model Elin Nordegren is 43. Actor Jonas Armstrong is 42. Actor Eden Riegel is 42. Olympic gold medal ice dancer Meryl Davis is 36. Rock musician Noah Sierota (Echosmith) is 27.
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CBS Weekend News, December 31, 2022
CBS Weekend News, December 31, 2022 – CBS News
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Iconic news anchor Barbara Walters dead at 93
Iconic news anchor Barbara Walters dead at 93 – CBS News
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Cubans search for holiday food amid deepening crisis
HAVANA — As Belkis Fajardo, 69, walks through the dense streets of downtown Havana with a small bag of lettuce and onions in hand, she wonders how she’ll feed her family over the holidays.
Scarcity and economic turmoil are nothing new to Cuba, but Fajardo is among many Cubans to note that this year is different thanks to soaring inflation and deepening shortages.
“We’ll see what we can scrap together to cook for the end of the year,” Fajardo said. “Everything is really expensive … so you buy things little-by-little as you can. And if you can’t, you don’t eat.”
Basic goods such as chicken, beef, eggs, milk, flour and toilet paper are difficult and often impossible to find in state stores.
When they do appear, they often come at hefty prices, either from informal shops, resellers or in expensive stores only accessible to those with foreign currency.
It’s far out of the range of the average Cuban state salary, approximately 5,000 pesos a month, or $29 USD on the island’s more widely used informal exchange rate. Nearby, a pound of pork leg was selling for 450 pesos (around $2.60.)
“Not everyone can buy things, not everyone has a family who sends remittances (money from abroad),” Fajardo said. “With the money my daughter earns and my pension, we’re trying to buy what we can, but it’s extremely hard.”
In October, the Cuban government reported that inflation had risen 40% over the past year and had a significant impact on the purchasing power for many on the island.
While Fajardo managed to buy vegetables, rice and beans, she still has no meat for Christmas or New Years.
The shortages are among a number of factors stoking a broader discontent on the island, which has given rise to protests in recent years as well as an emerging migratory flight from Cuba. On Friday, U.S. authorities reported stopping Cubans 34,675 times along the Mexico border in November, up 21% from 28,848 times in October.
The dissatisfaction was made even more evident during Cuba’s local elections last month, when 31.5% of eligible voters didn’t cast a ballot — a far cry from the nearly 100% turnout during Fidel Castro’s lifetime.
Despite being the highest voting abstention rate the country had seen since the Cuban revolution, the government still hailed it as “a victory.” However in an address to Cuban lawmakers last week, President Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged the government’s shortcomings in handling the country’s complex mix of crises, particularly food shortages.
“I feel an enormous dissatisfaction that I haven’t been able to accomplish, through leadership of the country, the results that the Cuban people need to attain longed-desired and expected prosperity,” he said.
The admission provoked a standing ovation in the congressional assembly, made up solely of politicians from Díaz-Canel’s communist party.
But Ricardo Torres, a Cuban and economics fellow at American University in Washington, said he saw the words as “meaningless” without a real plan to address discontent.
“People want answers from their government,” he said. “Not words — answers.”
For years, the Caribbean nation has pushed much of the blame for its economic turmoil on the United States’ six-decade trade embargo on Cuba, which has strangled much of the island’s economy. However, many observers, including Torres, stress that the government’s mismanagement of the economy and reluctance to embrace the private sector are also to blame.
On Friday, a long line of Cubans waited outside an empty state-run butchery, waiting for a coveted item: a leg of pork to feed their families on New Year’s Eve.
About a dozen people The Associated Press asked for an interview said they were scared to speak, including one who said “it could have consequences for us.”
Estrella, 67, has shown up to the state butcher every morning for more than two weeks, waiting her turn to buy pork to share with her children, grandchildren and siblings. So far, she’s come up dry.
Although pork is available to buy from private butchers, it’s often far more expensive than at state-run facilities, which subsidize prices.
So she waits, hopeful that she’ll be able to cook Cuba’s traditional holiday dish.
“If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to buy it today,” she said. “If we’re not, we’ll come back tomorrow.”
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Cubans search for holiday food amid deepening crisis
HAVANA — As Belkis Fajardo, 69, walks through the dense streets of downtown Havana with small bag of lettuce and onions in hand, she wonders how she’ll feed her family over the holidays.
Scarcity and economic turmoil are nothing new to Cuba, but Fajardo is among many Cubans to note that this year is different thanks to soaring inflation and deepening shortages.
“We’ll see what we can scrap together to cook for the end of the year,” Fajardo said. “Everything is really expensive … so you buy things little-by-little as you can. And if you can’t, you don’t eat.”
Basic goods such as chicken, beef, eggs, milk, flour and toilet paper are difficult and often impossible to find in state stores.
When they do appear, they often come at hefty prices, either from informal shops, resellers or in expensive stores only accessible to those with foreign currency.
It’s far out of the range of the average Cuban state salary, approximately 5,000 pesos a month, or $29 USD on the island’s more widely used informal exchange rate. Nearby, a pound of pork leg was selling for 450 pesos (around $2.60.)
“Not everyone can buy things, not everyone has a family who sends remittances (money from abroad),” Fajardo said. “With the money my daughter earns and my pension, we’re trying to buy what we can, but it’s extremely hard.”
In October, the Cuban government reported that inflation had risen 40% over the past year and had a significant impact on the purchasing power for many on the island.
While Fajardo managed to buy vegetables, rice and beans, she still has no meat for Christmas or New Years.
The shortages are among a number of factors stoking a broader discontent on the island, which has given rise to protests in recent years as well as an emerging migratory flight from Cuba.
The dissatisfaction was made even more evident during Cuba’s local elections last month, when 31.5% of eligible voters didn’t cast a ballot — a far cry from the nearly 100% turnout during Fidel Castro’s lifetime.
Despite being the highest voting abstention rate the country had seen since the Cuban revolution, the government still hailed it as “a victory.” However in an address to Cuban lawmakers last week, President Miguel Díaz-Canel acknowledged the government’s shortcomings in handling the country’s complex mix of crises, particularly food shortages.
“I feel an enormous dissatisfaction that I haven’t been able to accomplish, through leadership of the country, the results that the Cuban people need to attain longed-desired and expected prosperity,” he said.
The admission provoked a standing ovation in the congressional assembly, made up solely of politicians from Díaz-Canel’s communist party.
But Ricardo Torres, a Cuban and economics fellow at American University in Washington, said he saw the words as “meaningless” without a real plan to address discontent.
“People want answers from their government,” he said. “Not words — answers.”
For years, the Caribbean nation has pushed much of the blame for its economic turmoil on the United States’ six-decade trade embargo on Cuba, which has strangled much of the island’s economy. However, many observers, including Torres, stress that the government’s mismanagement of the economy and reluctance to embrace the private sector are also to blame.
On Friday, a long line of Cubans waited outside an empty state-run butchery, waiting for a coveted item: a leg of pork to feed their families on New Year’s Eve.
About a dozen people The Associated Press asked for an interview said they were scared to speak, including one who said “it could have consequences for us.”
Estrella, 67, has shown up to the state butcher every morning for more than two weeks, waiting her turn to buy pork to share with her children, grandchildren and siblings. So far, she’s come up dry.
Although pork is available to buy from private butchers, it’s often far more expensive than at state-run facilities, which subsidize prices.
So she waits, hopeful that she’ll be able to cook Cuba’s traditional holiday dish.
“If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to buy it today,” she said. “If we’re not, we’ll come back tomorrow.”
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Today in History: November 28, deadly Cocoanut Grove fire
Today in History
Today is Monday, Nov. 28, the 332nd day of 2022. There are 33 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Nov. 28, 1942, fire engulfed the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston, killing 492 people in the deadliest nightclub blaze ever. (The cause of the rapidly spreading fire, which began in the basement, is in dispute; one theory is that a busboy accidentally ignited an artificial palm tree while using a lighted match to fix a light bulb.)
On this date:
In 1520, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean after passing through the South American strait that now bears his name.
In 1919, American-born Lady Astor was elected the first female member of the British Parliament.
In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin began conferring in Tehran during World War II.
In 1961, Ernie Davis of Syracuse University became the first African-American to be named winner of the Heisman Trophy.
In 1964, the United States launched the space probe Mariner 4 on a course toward Mars, which it flew past in July 1965, sending back pictures of the red planet.
In 1979, an Air New Zealand DC-10 en route to the South Pole crashed into a mountain in Antarctica, killing all 257 people aboard.
In 1990, Margaret Thatcher resigned as British prime minister during an audience with Queen Elizabeth II, who then conferred the premiership on John Major.
In 1994, serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was slain in a Wisconsin prison by a fellow inmate. Sixties war protester Jerry Rubin died in Los Angeles, two weeks after being hit by a car; he was 56.
In 2001, Enron Corp., once the world’s largest energy trader, collapsed after would-be rescuer Dynegy Inc. backed out of an $8.4 billion takeover deal. (Enron filed for bankruptcy protection four days later.)
In 2016, the first commercial flight from the United States to Havana in more than 50 years arrived in Cuba as the island began week-long memorial services for Fidel Castro.
In 2018, Democrats overwhelmingly nominated Nancy Pelosi to become House speaker when Democrats took control of the House in January.
In 2020, Pennsylvania’s highest court threw out a lower court’s order preventing the state from certifying dozens of contests on its Nov. 3 election ballot; it was the latest lawsuit filed by Republicans attempting to undo President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the battleground state. Sarah Fuller became the first woman to participate in a Power Five conference football game when she kicked off for Vanderbilt to start the second half at Missouri.
Ten years ago: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said his state would need nearly $37 billion to recover and rebuild from Superstorm Sandy and that the state would seek federal aid to cover most of the expenses.
Five years ago: A Libyan militant was convicted in federal court in Washington of terrorism charges stemming from the 2012 Benghazi attacks that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans, but the jury found Ahmed Abu Khattala not guilty of murder. (Khattala was sentenced the following June to 22 years in prison.) Jay-Z led the 2018 Grammy Award nominations as the top four categories were heavily dominated by rap and R&B artists.
One year ago: The Netherlands confirmed 13 cases of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus, while Australia and Canada each found two. Israel barred entry to all foreign nationals as countries around the world scrambled to slow the spread of the new variant. Lee Elder, who broke down racial barriers as the first Black golfer to play in the Masters, died in Escondido, California; he was 87. Carrie Meek, one of the first Black Floridians elected to Congress since Reconstruction, died at her Miami home at 95. Virgil Abloh, a leading designer whose groundbreaking fusions of streetwear and high couture made him one of the most celebrated tastemakers in fashion and beyond, died of cancer at 41.
Today’s Birthdays: Recording executive Berry Gordy Jr. is 93. Former Democratic Sen. Gary Hart of Colorado is 86. Former U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is 85. Singer-songwriter Bruce Channel is 82. Singer Randy Newman is 79. CBS News correspondent Susan Spencer is 76. Movie director Joe Dante is 75. Former “Late Show” orchestra leader Paul Shaffer is 73. Actor Ed Harris is 72. Former NASA astronaut Barbara Morgan is 71. Actor S. Epatha (eh-PAY’-thah) Merkerson is 70. Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff is 69. Country singer Kristine Arnold (Sweethearts of the Rodeo) is 66. Actor Judd Nelson is 63. Movie director Alfonso Cuaron (kwahr-OHN’) is 61. Rock musician Matt Cameron is 60. Actor Jane Sibbett is 60. Comedian Jon Stewart is 60. Actor Garcelle Beauvais (gar-SEHL’ boh-VAY’) is 56. Actor/comedian Stephnie (cq) Weir is 55. R&B singer Dawn Robinson is 54. Actor Gina Tognoni is 49. Hip-hop musician apl.de.ap (Black Eyed Peas) is 48. Actor Malcolm Goodwin is 47. Actor Ryan Kwanten is 46. Actor Aimee Garcia is 44. Rapper Chamillionaire is 43. Actor Daniel Henney is 43. Rock musician Rostam Batmanglij (baht-man-GLEESH’) is 39. Rock singer-keyboardist Tyler Glenn (Neon Trees) is 39. Actor Mary Elizabeth Winstead is 38. R&B singer Trey Songz is 38. NHL goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (marhk-ahn-dray FLOOR’-ee) is 38. Actor Scarlett Pomers is 34. Actor-rapper Bryshere Gray is 29.
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Borscht Belt comedian Freddie Roman dies at age 85
Comedian Freddie Roman, the former dean of The Friars Club and a staple of the Catskills comedy scene, has died. He was 85.
Roman died Saturday afternoon at Bethesda Hospital in Boynton Beach, Florida, his booking agent and friend Alison Chaplin said Sunday. His daughter told the entertainment trade Deadline that he suffered a heart attack that morning.
Roman made his name performing at hotels and resorts in the Catskill Mountains, also referred to as the Borscht Belt for the largely Jewish crowd that vacationed there and the comics such as Mel Brooks and Don Rickles who entertained them. He later performed at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and Bally’s Grand in Atlantic City, and he roasted the likes of Rob Reiner, Chevy Chase, Jerry Stiller and Hugh Hefner. He also conceived of “Catskills on Broadway,” where he and his friends Dick Capri, Marilyn Michaels and Mal Z. Lawrence brought their nostalgia-tinged, Catskills-flavored standup to New York. He also appeared in various television shows and films over the years, including “Red Oaks” on Amazon.
“A great loss to the world of comedy,” Paul Reiser wrote on Twitter. “He was such a huge supporter & mentor when I was starting out. A GREAT comic, the ultimate pro with the biggest heart. I will miss our phone calls and his big, beauty laugh.”
Born Fred Kirschenbaum on May 28, 1937 in Newark, New Jersey, and raised in Jamaica, Queens, Roman got a taste for stand-up comedy early thanks to his family. His uncle and grandfather owned the Crystal Spring Hotel in the Catskills, where Roman started emceeing at age 15.
In “Catskills on Broadway,” Roman commented about everything from his childhood in Queens to his “retirement life” in Florida.
“I took a cholesterol test,” Roman quipped. “My number came back 911.”
The New York Times, in its review of the show in 1991, wrote, “Catskill resorts may be fighting the recession, but Catskill comedy has not lost its flair.”
The show, he’d later say, changed his life. It went to Broadway and then toured around the country, and Roman would continue performing for years to come. He was also made Dean of the New York City Friars Club, where he mentored many aspiring comedians and infused the private club with young talent.
One of those young comedians was Jeffrey Ross, who said of Roman in 2003 that, “When I was becoming a member, there weren’t many of us who were younger. … But Freddie would always come over and spend time with me and my friends and be real lovable.”
Capri, in the same interview, said Roman was the perfect comedy ambassador.
“He’s the social director of the world,” Capri said. “And he loves every second of it.”
The stint lasted a bit longer than he expected. Roman joked of his tenure that, “Eleven years ago I became president for two years. I’m like the Fidel Castro of comedians. I’m president for life.” In 2014, he was succeeded by Larry King.
But, he told Atlantic City Weekly in 2011, the greatest job he ever had was opening for Frank Sinatra, when his regular opening comedian Tom Dreesen wasn’t available. Roman learned about the opportunity on a layover in Chicago, left the plane and boarded another for Philadelphia to make the show in Atlantic City with just a few hours to spare.
He left the stage to see Sinatra laughing. The singer even called him back for another bow.
“Frank hugged me, and I saw my wife and daughter and they were crying,” Roman said. “It was unbelievable. … Nothing ever topped working with Sinatra.”
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Today in History: November 25, Fidel Castro dies at 90
Today in History
Today is Friday, Nov. 25, the 329th day of 2022. There are 36 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Nov. 25, 2016, Fidel Castro, who led his rebels to victorious revolution in 1959, embraced Soviet-style communism and defied the power of 10 U.S. presidents during his half-century of rule in Cuba, died at age 90.
On this date:
In 1783, the British evacuated New York during the Revolutionary War.
In 1914, baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio was born in Martinez, California.
In 1915, a new version of the Ku Klux Klan, targeting blacks, Jews, Catholics and immigrants, was founded by William Joseph Simmons.
In 1947, movie studio executives meeting in New York agreed to blacklist the “Hollywood Ten” who’d been cited for contempt of Congress the day before.
In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower suffered a slight stroke.
In 1961, the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, USS Enterprise, was commissioned.
In 1963, the body of President John F. Kennedy was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery; his widow, Jacqueline, lighted an “eternal flame” at the gravesite.
In 1986, the Iran-Contra affair erupted as President Ronald Reagan and Attorney General Edwin Meese revealed that profits from secret arms sales to Iran had been diverted to Nicaraguan rebels.
In 1999, Elian Gonzalez, a 5-year-old Cuban boy, was rescued by a pair of sport fishermen off the coast of Florida, setting off an international custody battle.
In 2001, as the war in Afghanistan entered its eighth week, CIA officer Johnny “Mike” Spann was killed during a prison uprising in Mazar-e-Sharif, becoming America’s first combat casualty of the conflict.
In 2002, President George W. Bush signed legislation creating the Department of Homeland Security, and appointed Tom Ridge to be its head.
In 2009, Toyota said it would replace the gas pedals on 4 million vehicles in the United States because the pedals could get stuck in the floor mats and cause sudden acceleration.
Ten years ago: Rioters stormed a Muslim Brotherhood headquarters building in northern Egypt on the third day of street battles following a power grab by President Mohammed Morsi. YouTube announced that “Gangnam Style” by South Korean rapper PSY had become the site’s most viewed video to that time, with more than 805 million viewings.
Five years ago: On what was designated as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, President Emmanuel Macron launched an initiate to combat violence and harassment against women in France and change what he described as France’s sexist culture. A volcano on the Indonesian island of Bali rumbled to life, temporarily disrupting some international flights to the popular tourist destination. Veteran Hollywood actor Rance Howard, the father of director Ron Howard, died at the age of 89.
One year ago: France launched a plan to give COVID-19 booster shots to all adults. A methane explosion in a coal mine in Siberia quickly filled the mine with toxic smoke; authorities said 46 miners and five rescuers were killed. Giant balloons once again wafted through miles of Manhattan as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade returned in full, a year after being crimped by the coronavirus pandemic. Italy’s government said National Geographic magazine’s famed green-eyed “Afghan Girl,” Sharbat Gulla, had arrived in Italy as part of the West’s evacuation of Afghans following the Taliban takeover of the country.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor Kathryn Crosby is 89. Actor Christopher Riordan is 85. Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs is 82. Singer Bob Lind is 80. Author, actor and economist Ben Stein is 78. Actor John Larroquette is 75. Actor Tracey Walter is 75. Movie director Jonathan Kaplan is 75. Author Charlaine Harris is 71. Retired MLB All-Star Bucky Dent is 71. Dance judge Bruno Tonioli (TV: “Dancing with the Stars”) is 67. Singer Amy Grant is 62. Former NFL quarterback Bernie Kosar is 59. Rock musician Eric Grossman (K’s Choice) is 58. Rock musician Scott Mercado is 58. Rock singer-musician Tim Armstrong is 57. Actor Steve Harris is 57. Actor Billy Burke is 56. Singer Stacy Lattisaw is 56. Rock musician Rodney Sheppard (Sugar Ray) is 56. Rapper-producer Erick Sermon is 54. Actor Jill Hennessy is 53. Actor Christina Applegate is 51. Actor Eddie Steeples is 49. Actor Kristian Nairn is 47. Former NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb is 46. Actor Jill Flint is 45. Actor Jerry Ferrara is 43. Actor Joel Kinnaman is 43. Actor Valerie Azlynn is 42. Former first daughter Barbara Pierce Bush is 41. Former first daughter Jenna Bush Hager is 41. Actor Katie Cassidy is 36. Actor Stephanie Hsu is 32. Contemporary Christian singer Jamie Grace is 31.
