WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. authorities removed Cuba from a list of countries deemed to have insufficient security in their ports, eliminating on Thursday a major impediment to the free flow of shipping in the Florida Straits. The move marks one more step toward normalized relations ahead of President Barack Obama's historic trip to Cuba Sunday.
The shift clears the way for U.S. cruise ships, cargo vessels and even ferries to travel back and forth with much less hassle. No longer will all ships have to wait to be boarded by the U.S. Coast Guard for inspections, though the Coast Guard still can conduct random inspections.
BOSTON – Downplaying the appearance that he and his staff sought to hide his participation in a secretive summit of conservative leaders in Georgia earlier this month, Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday said he did not engage in reported discussions about how to stop the rise of Donald Trump.
Baker traveled to Sea Island, a posh resort off the coast of Georgia, on the first weekend in March for the World Forum, a conference hosted by the Washington-based think-tank American Enterprise Institute. The gathering featured panels and interviews with conservative political and thought leaders such as House Speaker Paul Ryan and commentator Bill Kristol, as well as business leaders like Apple's Tim Cook.
