Welcome to the daily briefing. This morning’s breaking news is:
nicole farato Here’s the news you need to know on Thursday, from the indictment of Raul Castro to why young people are carrying little white pouches instead of coffee as their energy source.
Castro indicted as tensions rise in Cuba
For decades, secret recordings of senior Cuban officials were shared among U.S. intelligence officials and members of Congress, but no action was taken.
An 11-minute audio recording in which Cuban leader Raul Castro allegedly explains how he instructed Cuban MiG fighter pilots to shoot down an unarmed plane flown by a U.S. citizen near Cuban airspace is now at the center of an explosive movement. The 1996 incident left three Americans dead and led to sanctions and the codification of the ongoing trade embargo against Cuba.
President Donald Trump said he does not expect further “escalation” between the United States and Cuba after the Justice Department indicted Mr. Castro and five other Cubans on Wednesday.
More news you need to know right now
- Could President Trump’s midterm election strategy backfire? President Trump has been successful in unseating Republicans who oppose him. But polls show the president is leading the Republican Party into politically dangerous territory with a wide swath of voters.
- Fires in California today: Wildfire officials are scattered across Southern California, battling multiple blazes on the state’s mainland and on an island several miles offshore.
- This data has helped combat job discrimination. Large companies annually submit to the federal government a breakdown of their workforce by race and gender in a format commonly known as an EEO-1 report. But it doesn’t last very long. The Trump administration has signaled it intends to put a stop to this as part of its diversity, equity and inclusion reforms.
Let’s take a look
Why cosplayers flock to Atlanta
MomoCon, the festival celebrating anime, animation, gaming, live-action role-play, and more, returns to Atlanta over Memorial Day weekend for a four-day convention that draws tens of thousands of fans. And yes, very creative cosplay.
health and wellness
“What’s in your mouth?”
Some might say, “It’s an energy boost.” Young people slip small white bags between their gums and lips. Pouches are a fast-growing category of caffeine pouches marketed as a trendier, cheaper, and more individualized alternative to coffee, energy drinks, and pre-workout powders. But critics point out the overlap between the nicotine and caffeine pouch industries.
before you go
Have feedback about the daily briefing? Email Nicole at NFallert@usatoday.com.
