things that matter

Here Are 5 Quick Stories To Keep You Up On What You Might Have Missed

@JLO / @SaeedBaygi / Twitter
By May 26, 2017 at 3:57 pm

In today’s world, the news happens so fast that it’s nearly impossible to keep up with the latest, breaking developments. Here are five quick headlines to keep you up on the stories that might have gotten lost in the shuffle this week.

Day laborers find a powerful ally in Casa Latina, a Seattle-based non-profit.


Immigrant laborers in search of work are usually forced to stand outside a retail establishment until they are selected. Often times, these jobs are unregulated, and many can be cheated out of earned wages. Seattle-based non-profit Casa Latina is changing the formula, providing a safe space for day laborers, matching them to trustworthy employers, and ensuring they earn a livable wage for their work. They’re doing great work!

[MORE] KOMO NEWS: Seattle’s Casa Latina offers immigrant laborers work, education, safe space

One million dollars is on the line in Jennifer Lopez’s new reality dance show: “World of Dance.”


With a ton of money on the line and the title of “Best in the World,” you just know the competition’s going to be sizzling on the first season of “World of Dance.” According to J.Lo, the show has everything a reality show needs: physicality, drama, and even a few broken bones. Having Lopez oversee the competition makes perfect sense. As Lopez told the New York Times, “Before I was anything, I was a dancer. It’s so much a part of my trajectory.”

[MORE] New York Times: In Jennifer Lopez’s ‘World of Dance,’ the Dancers Are the Stars

How Venezuela’s futuristic “Heliocoide” mall became a beautiful place to torture political prisoners.


The Heliocoide mall was meant to be more than a normal mall. While it would house more than 300 stores, the building also planned on offering amenities usually found in luxury hotels, like bowling allies, gyms, movie theaters, and more. However, as Venezuela was rocked by political turmoil, the Heliocoide slowly became a hell on Earth for criminals and political prisoners alike. The entire story is worth checking out at City Lab.

[MORE] City Lab: How an Icon of Venezuelan Architecture Became a Prison

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon are getting married… again!


Mariah and Nick definitely know how to keep their relationship interesting. In 2014, Cannon filed for a divorce from the world famous diva, but love triumphed and the duo announced their second wedding. Don’t get it twisted, their second marriage is all set to put their first one to shame. Not only will there be amazing cameos from music giants, but Carey’s dress alone is expected to cost upwards of $250,000.

[MORE] Life & Style: Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon Are Getting Remarried This Summer! (EXCLUSIVE)

Zoo in Argentina closed a year ago, but animals are still living in cages.


When the Buenos Aires Zoo closed down a year ago, more than 1,000 animals were expected to relocate to sanctuaries. Instead, those animals have been stuck living in the zoo in conditions described as “inhumane.” Claudio Bertonatti, the zoo’s former director, has said, “It’s gone from bad to worse. Everything is set for Noah’s Arc to be shipwrecked.” As the situation continues to get worse, Buenos Aires city officials are struggling to have the animals moved.

[MORE] People: A Year Since Zoo Closure, Hundreds of Animals Remain Caged Inside

READ: In Case You Missed It: Diego Luna’s Getting Love, Oprah’s Race Issue, Brazil’s Corruption And More

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With The Help Of A Few Politicians, The White House Has Announced A Full Review Of U.S.-Cuba Policies

things that matter

With The Help Of A Few Politicians, The White House Has Announced A Full Review Of U.S.-Cuba Policies

Gage Skidmore / Andrew Wagg / Flickr
By Jorge Rodriguez-Jimenez May 30, 2017 at 2:52 pm

President Donald Trump’s administration has announced that several Obama-era Cuban policies are now up for review. One policy that could possibly be reversed is the ‘wet foot, dry foot‘ policy that Obama discontinued eight days before Trump took office. According to The Daily Caller, the Trump administration has been trying to figure out a way to start reviewing and changing parts of the policies Obama made with Cuba since February 2017. Now, with the urging of Republican Senator Marco Rubio and Republican Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, it has been confirmed that Cuba-U.S. policies are under full review. During a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer cited Trump’s commitment “to an agenda of ensuring human rights for all citizens throughout the world.”

“We’ve been walking through all these issues with the president and his team, figuring out the right steps to take and when,” Rubio told El Nuevo Herald. “I am confident that President Trump will treat Cuba like the dictatorship it is and that our policy going forward will reflect the fact that it is not in the national interest of the United States for us to be doing business with the Cuban military.”

If Trump follows through with the review and implementation of the recommendations, there could be new restrictions on travel and trade but will not impact the thawing of diplomatic ties with the island nation. According to The Independent, we can expect a decision from the White House about Cuba in June.

People were quick to make jokes that Trump is really just trying to curry favor for a new Cuban hotel.


?

Like, seriously. The Trump Tower in Cuba joke was the joke du jour.


After all, nothing says Cuba like a giant gold tower in Havana, right?

Some lamented the likelihood of not being able to travel to Cuba.


“Recognizing the inherent right of Americans to travel to Cuba isn’t a concession to dictators, it is an expression of freedom,” Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake said in a statement. “It is Americans who are penalized by our travel ban, not the Cuban government.”

Some people are celebrating the announcement of a change in policy toward Cuba.


But many are just left confused about why Trump is putting his energy into Cuba right now.


READ: Cuban Refugees Will No Longer Benefit From ‘Wet Foot, Dry Foot’

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Tags: politics, Cuba
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