In the midst of the largest Cuban migration to South Florida in a decade, the U.S. embassy in Cuba is renewing its visa and consular services.
The embassy is set to start processing immigrant visas as the U.S. looks to aid in the reunion of families that were broken up in their quest to leave the communist-run island country.
The announcement comes on the heels of at least two dozen Cuban migrants being rescued from small boats by commercial cruise liners. The past weekend alone saw more than 300 migrants from Cuba touching down on the continental United States.
According to NPR, the embassy will process 20,000 visa applications, which would provide many more people with a legal and safe route to enter. In November, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol encountered Cuban migrants 34,675 times along the Mexican border, which was a 21 percent jump from October when 28,848 migrants were stopped by officials.
Efforts by the U.S. to quell migrant tensions with Cuba have been ongoing and officials have conducted several talks in recent months surrounding migration with Havana.
"Engaging in these talks underscores our commitment to pursuing constructive discussions with the government of Cuba where appropriate to advance U.S. interests," the U.S.Embassy in Cuba said in a statement.
One Good Thing: Extinct Turtle Born at Zoo
A retired bank official testified that former president Donald Trump obtained hundreds of millions of dollars in loans based on financial statements that have since been deemed fraudulent.
Former Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone was given a suspended sentence of 17 months after pleading guilty to fraud in a London courtroom.
A Texas kindergarten teacher who gave melatonin gummies to special education students has resigned.
Negotiations have stalled between SAG-AFTRA and Hollywood studios.
A suspended judge in Oklahoma could be removed from office after an investigation into her text messages during a murder trial.
Caitlyn Marie Armstrong, the woman suspected of killing a professional cyclist, attempted to escape authorities during a medical appointment Wednesday. Armstrong was charged with murder for allegedly shooting Anna Mariah Wilson.
Cheddar News checks in with your coast-to-coast weather forecast for Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023.
Palestinians in Gaza lined up outside bakeries on Thursday after spending the night in pitch darkness surrounded by the ruins of pulverized neighborhoods, as Israel launched new airstrikes and said it was preparing for a possible ground invasion.
The Israel-Hamas war has underscored how the platform now known as X has become not only unreliable but is actively promoting falsehoods.
