Latest news with #CongressionalRecord
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Radio Martí is alive and well and transmitting to Cuba from Miami. Here's how
On March 26, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, which oversees Radio and TV Martí reopened its doors amid a sweeping transformation of its parent agency, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM). In the face of staffing limitations, we recommitted to our core mission: delivering timely, accurate and uncensored information to the Cuban people. OCB is not just a media organization — it is a lifeline to truth for millions living under authoritarian control. What we achieved in the weeks that followed is a testament to our team's dedication and to the enduring value of public service journalism. Here's how we did it: Through careful analysis of audience patterns and programming needs, we realigned our content schedules to focus on high-impact time blocks. Our review of staff roles allowed us to reassign tasks more efficiently, and we adjusted work shifts to ensure full coverage with fewer hands. We relaunched Radio Martí with a dynamic, 24-hour format featuring original programming, trusted newscasts and curated evergreen content. Our technical and production teams were restructured and unified under a single editorial and operational vision. Since March, we have done more than resume operations — we have innovated. We launched Asuntos de Estado – State Affairs in partnership with the U.S. State Department's Media Hub of the Americas, bringing direct and transparent diplomatic insights to the Cuban public. Our collaboration with Trinity Audio, an AI-powered text-to-speech tool, surpassed 1.5 million plays in one year — clear proof of growing demand for our content. On May 20, we marked the 40th anniversary of Radio Martí. The celebration drew broad support: Miami U.S. Rep. Congressman Carlos Giménez submitted the date into the Congressional Record and Miami-Dade County issued an official proclamation delivered by Commissioner Juan Carlos 'JC' Bermúdez. We premiered two short documentaries that reflect the spirit of resistance and the enduring demand for freedom among Cubans. 'Ferrer, Portrait of a Dissident'chronicles over 20 years of activism by José Daniel Ferrer, one of the island's most prominent opposition figures. 'Ramón Saúl Sánchez and His Struggle' highlights the tireless work of the well-known Cuban exile leader and advocate for human rights and democratic change. Both films serve not only as tributes to individual courage but also as reminders of a broader movement that continues to push for liberty — on and off the island. We also resumed shortwave broadcasting to Cuba. On June 27, transmissions from the Edward R. Murrow Transmitting Station in North Carolina returned to the air on three frequencies. This expanded reach is more than a technical achievement — it is a moral obligation to ensure our signal breaks through censorship barriers. Since the start of FY 2025, OCB has recorded over 622 million video views on Facebook, with 223.7 million meeting the 3-second industry engagement standard, and 65% of those views coming from Cuba. Our efforts are reaching those inside Cuba. In June alone, Facebook videos reached 100.7 million views, including 35.5 million 3-second views. On YouTube, we recorded 1.6 million views in June, with 51.3% of that audience in Cuba. Overall, YouTube has reached 19.4 million views this fiscal year, with 52% originating from inside the island. These figures are verified by Meta Business Suite's Professional Dashboard. None of this would have been possible without the consistent support of Cuban American elected officials who have fiercely defended OCB's mission. In President Donald Trump's National Security Memorandum, OCB's role was explicitly reaffirmed as a key component of the renewed Cuba Internet Task Force, charged with expanding online access to the Cuban population. That designation was not symbolic — it was strategic. The ability to inform, connect and empower a society isolated from the world begins with access to truth. OCB remains a vital actor in that effort. OCB has proven that with purpose, resilience and innovation, we can achieve extraordinary results. Our mission remains clear: to be a trusted source of information for Cubans, a platform for the voiceless and a force against censorship. Álvaro Alba is the deputy director of the Office of Cuba Broadcasting. Click here to listen to Radio Marti online.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bristol, Va. Swift Water Rescue Team recognized by congressman for work during Helene
BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL) — The Bristol Virginia Swift Water Rescue Team was recognized on Tuesday by Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-Va.) for its efforts in responding to emergencies during Hurricane Helene. Griffith visited the Bristol, Virginia Fire Department (BVFD) to speak with crew members and learn more about their personal testimonies from responding during Hurricane Helene. He also provided a copy of his extension of remarks he presented to Congress recently, highlighting the work the Bristol Swift Water Rescue Team has done. 8 Months Since Helene: 4 state-owned bridges still closed in Northeast Tenn. 'Somewhere on one of these times that they've gone into rescue, those people wouldn't have gotten out,' Griffith said. 'And so there have been lives saved. How do you count those lives? Well you can't. Because we saved them. But the odds are that of those 80 rescues that they've done in six months, some of the people that they went out to rescue probably, I'm just guessing, but one could guess, maybe as many as half would not have survived the swift water without this team.' BVFD Lt. Tyler Wright told News Channel 11 that he can't begin to list all of the people in the department who helped tremendously during the aftermath of the recent storms, Helene and otherwise, and he's glad they're getting recognized nationally in Congress. 'Luckily, we have a team here in the region that can come out and help you,' Wright said. 'You know, our guys go through rigorous training each year, and they're obviously very aware of the dangers of being around water. And they take certain steps to try to mitigate that danger and operate as safely as they can.' Griffith explained why he ensured that the crew was honored for their work. 'This is about presenting what we call an extension of remarks that's put into the Congressional Record. And just basically, it's to recognize the great work that the Bristol Swift Water Team has done, not just here in Bristol, but all throughout the region.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Do Democrats' strongly worded letters pack a punch?
As a former congressional liaison specialist with the Department of Agriculture and now a Jane Austen scholar, I should also suggest — in reply to 'Late Night' host Seth Meyers's quip 'Is this a constitutional crisis or a Jane Austen novel?' — that the pages of the Congressional Record, like Austen's masterpieces, are replete with ironic cultural insights; if the letters and legislation therein were as brilliantly written as Austen's novels, that publication might be more widely read — which would be helpful to us all. Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up Price Grisham Advertisement Salem Voters will come crying back This last election was the same as many others in which voters fall victim to Republican scams and put them in charge. A few years later, when, under Republican leadership, things get worse for everyone but the rich, voters have come crying back to the Democrats for help. The difference this time is that there may not be another election as Republicans consolidate power and turn our democracy into a dictatorship. Advertisement I think the question we should ask is not what Democrats can do to win back voters but, rather, what voters can do to win back Democrats into office. Dominic Cucé North Attleborough
CNBC
20-05-2025
- Politics
- CNBC
Trump signs bill cracking down on explicit deepfakes
President Donald Trump signed legislation Monday that bans the nonconsensual online publication of sexually explicit images and videos that are both authentic and computer-generated. The Take It Down Act makes publishing such content illegal, subjecting violators to mandatory restitution and criminal penalties such as prison, fines or both. The bill also establishes criminal penalties for people who make threats to publish the intimate visual depictions, some of which are created using artificial intelligence. The measure requires websites, through enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission, to remove such imagery after they receive requests from victims within 48 hours and to make efforts to take down copies, as well. "With the rise of AI image generation, countless women have been harassed with deepfakes and other explicit images distributed against their will. This is ... wrong, and it's just so horribly wrong," Trump said at an afternoon signing ceremony in the White House Rose Garden. "It's a very abusive situation like, in some cases, people have never seen before. And today we're making it totally illegal." First lady Melania Trump, who championed the legislation, attended the event. "This legislation is a powerful step forward in our efforts to ensure that every American, especially young people, can feel better protected from their image or identity being abused through nonconsensual, intimate imagery," she said at the ceremony. "Artificial Intelligence and social media are the digital candy for the next generation — sweet, addictive and engineered to have an impact on the cognitive development of our children, but unlike sugar, these new technologies can be weaponized, shape beliefs and, sadly, affect emotions and even be deadly." It is only the sixth bill Trump has signed into law in his second term. By his 100th day in office, he had signed only five bills — fewer than any other president in the first 100 days of an administration since at least Dwight D. Eisenhower in the 1950s, according to an NBC News analysis of data in the Congressional Record. The Senate approved the measure by unanimous consent and the House overwhelmingly passed it in a 409-2 vote last month. Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., sponsored the bill in the Senate, while Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., introduced its companion in the House along with several other members, including Democrats. According to the bill's sponsors, while many states have laws explicitly banning sexual deepfakes, they vary in terms of classification of crime and penalties. Trump highlighted the bill in early March, joking that it would apply to him. "I'm going to use that bill for myself, because nobody gets treated worse than I do online," he said. The first lady also held an event on Capitol Hill that month touting the proposal. "It's heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content like deepfakes," she said. "This toxic environment can be severely damaging," Melania Trump continued. "We must prioritize their well-being by equipping them with support and tools necessary to navigate this hostile digital landscape. Every young person deserves a safe online space to express themselves free without the looming threat of exploitation or harm."
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
NJ Transit strike ends after shutting down New Jersey trains for weekend, union says
The strike that idled NJ Transit trains is over after three days, just in time for the Monday commute. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen said Sunday night that after two days of post-strike negotiations they'd reached a deal and 'will return to work and trains will begin running on their regular schedules Monday." The union, known as BLET, was seeking pay comparable to the wages made by engineers at other nearby railroads, including Long Island Rail Road. NJ Transit, which has long had shaky finances, was trying to avoid blowing a hole in its own budget. BLET's general chairman for the NJ Transit union said the union was 'able to show management ways to boost engineers' wages that will help NJT with retention and recruitment, without causing any significant budget issue or requiring a fare increase.' Gov. Phil Murphy and NJ Transit CEO are expected to brief the media on Sunday night. The terms of the agreement were not immediately available, largely because the union's rank and file still need to review and vote on them. In April, BLET's members overwhelmingly rejected a March deal, setting up the strike that began Friday. The new deal was reached with the help of the National Mediation Board, which called both sides back to the table on Sunday. But even before that, the national head of BLET, Mark Wallace, called NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri on Friday night to restart talks on Saturday. The strike that began 12:01 a.m. Friday came at a relatively lucky time for the Murphy administration. Fridays are the lightest ridership day and service is expected to resume in time for the Monday rush hour. The last strike to idle trains came in 1983, as NJ Transit was being born as a statewide transit agency. It lasted more than a month. So the quick end is likely to contain the political fallout. One political feature of the strike was how little anyone in Washington seemed to care that one of the nation's largest railroads was going to shut down, idling the trains that carry 100,00 people a day. In 2022, Congress rushed to intervene in a freight rail strike, like it has on several other occasions to delay or prevent disruptions. Wallace praised Congress for staying out of it. 'This should be a lesson for other railroad disputes,' he said in a statement. 'Nothing would have been gained by kicking the can down the road. Allowing strikes to happen encourages settlement rather than stonewalling.' While members of New Jersey's congressional delegation urged both sides back to the table, none of them took to the floor to discuss the issue in recent days, according to a search of the Congressional Record, and no one introduced legislation to avert the strike. Instead, they largely issued blameless statements. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat running for governor, posted a video of himself on Saturday sitting at a folding table and chairs outside a train station in Bergen County 'until everyone comes to the table to get the trains moving.' The negotiations, which happened on Saturday and wrapped up Sunday, were happening in another county.
