Wednesday, January 21th, 2015

Cuba Lowers Expectations on Eve of High-Level Talks With US

HAVANA — Jan 20, 2015, 10:03 PM ET By BRADLEY KLAPPER and MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN Associated Press A senior Cuban official said Tuesday that restoring diplomatic ties with the United States won't immediately lead to a full relationship between the Cold War foes after a half-century of enmity. The message appeared designed to lower expectations a day before the arrival of… [Read Full Article]

Wednesday, January 21th, 2015

President Asks Congress to Lift the Embargo Against Cuba

Jan 20, 2015, 6:48 PM ET By JIM AVILA and MEGHAN KENEALLY President Obama asked Congress to begin to lift the embargo against Cuba during the State of the Union address this evening. "In Cuba, we are ending a policy that was long past its expiration date. When what you’re doing doesn’t work for fifty years, it’s time to try… [Read Full Article]

Saturday, January 17th, 2015

New Rules for Travel to Cuba, a Destination Already in Transition

A state-run food market in Havana. The Treasury Department announced new, more flexible, regulations on Thursday that will make travel to Cuba easier for Americans. Related article. Credit Ramon Espinosa/Associated Press Estelle Grush sliced cucumber and guava in the busy kitchen one recent evening at Café Laurent, a small, privately owned restaurant in a 1950s penthouse a few blocks from… [Read Full Article]

Friday, January 09th, 2015

CUBA Four locals share in the high hopes of an island nation

By Michael Sullivan 01/08/2015 On Dec. 13, four Ventura locals — Patti Channer, community patroness and architect; William Hendricks, professor of photography at Ventura College; Ron Picciotti, retired engineer; and Susan Pollack, commercial interior designer, plus a few Brooks Institute students — flew into Cuba. Hendricks, who had visited the country 55 times before, and his fellow travelers were about… [Read Full Article]

Tuesday, January 06th, 2015

Lacking Internet, Cubans Rely On 'The Package' For Entertainment

Young Cubans prepare their sticks to charge the latest internet "package" with films, television series, software and other similar stuff from foreign origin downloaded from the web. AFP/Getty Images   Cuba has promised its citizens better Internet access in this New Year. The few Cubans who now manage to get online find it expensive and slow. Warming ties with the… [Read Full Article]