ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota was at the forefront of bringing a slice of American culture to Cuba in 2015, but any continuation of that effort was sharply curtailed last week when the Trump administration announced new travel restrictions to the country.

Four years ago, the Minnesota Orchestra took the first direct flight ever from Minneapolis to Havana and became the first American symphony orchestra to perform there in 15 years.

Arturo Lopez-Levy, a visiting professor at Gustavus Adolphus College, says in overturning President Barack Obama's more lenient travel policy, President Donald Trump is trying to appeal to Florida voters with the 2020 election in mind.

"Remember that there is only 90 miles between Key West and Havana, so why Trump is doing this? I think for clearly electoral reasons," Lopez-Levy states.

In reversing the Obama-era travel opportunities to Cuba, the Treasury Department argued that the country continues to play a destabilizing role in the Western Hemisphere in places such as Venezuela.

Critics say the Trump administration supports a change in government in Venezuela and blames Cuba for interfering.

More than 250,000 American tourists cruised or flew to Cuba in just the first four months of this year, many for people-to-people visits, which included educational and cultural trips.

Kaifa Roland, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Colorado, has studied Cuba's tourism economy and maintains the administration's actions will rally Cubans to their government rather than turn them against it.

"We had a new class of Cubans that were coming into their own, they were gaining capital, they were becoming capitalists,” she points out. “But when the United States is outside trying to squeeze the Cuban government, all they are winding up really squeezing are the Cuban people."

The U.S. imposed an economic embargo against Cuba in 1960, assuming deteriorating living conditions would make the Cuban people overthrow the Castro government. That didn't happen, but the long-standing economic blockade continued until 2014 when Obama began an effort to normalize relations.


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Local Jewish advocates for Palestinians are joining forces to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

They are calling on the U.S. to stop arming the Israeli military and to end the widespread starvation in the region. Monday, members of Jewish Voice for Peace Chicago began a hunger strike. Elected officials and a variety of city and statewide groups gathered at a rally today in Federal Plaza to start the demonstration.

Ashley Bohrer, one of the hunger strikers, said they are standing in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and calling for aid to Gaza to resume, for an arms embargo and for a permanent ceasefire.

"Jewish law and thought holds the sanctity of human life above all else," Bohrer pointed out. "What we are witnessing right now in Gaza is a total disregard for the lives of two million innocent people who are being slaughtered."

She noted they plan to strike until substantial amounts of food, water and medicine are allowed back into Gaza or until their bodies fail them. They are also calling for support for a proposed bill known as the "Block the Bombs Act," which would stop the sale or transfer of specific U.S. weapons to Israel. Supporters of Israel say the country has made efforts to facilitate the delivery of aid to Gaza and that it tries to alleviate suffering of Palestinians.

Avey Rips, a hunger striker, said Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war. He criticized politicians for campaigning on commitments to programs like SNAP while he said the U.S. government supports the starvation of more than 2 million people in Gaza. He believes the conflict demands escalated tactics to force elected officials to act.

"We are trying to send a message that the communities here will not stand for our money being used for genocidal purposes," Rips emphasized.

Rabbi Brant Rosen of Tzedek Chicago said Chicago's participation in the hunger strike will be part of a larger collective effort to promote Palestinian advocacy. His hope is the initiative will amplify Palestinian voices and give them agency, while encouraging people to understand the conflict from their perspective.

"While these are Jewish hunger strikers and Jewish Voice for Peace is a Jewish organization, we really are part of a larger Palestinian-led-movement," Rosen stressed. "In that regard we still see ourselves as standing by them but ultimately accountable to them."

A number of local events bringing attention to Palestinians in Gaza will continue to take place throughout the week, including a Shabbat service at Federal Plaza on Friday.


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Exports are important to Wisconsin's economy but a new report found they are facing turbulence between a decade-long decline and the uncertainty of new tariffs.

Businesses and farmers across the state rely on exports and some of the biggest categories are industrial, electrical and agriculture. The value of exports has dropped in the last 10 years, according to the Wisconsin Policy Forum report. The state has gone from the 19th top-exporting state to 21st.

Tyler Byrnes, senior research associate for the Wisconsin Policy Forum, said the cause is difficult to pinpoint but factors like labor costs, consumer tastes and workforce changes all play a role.

"Wisconsin is one of the most dependent states on agriculture and manufacturing jobs," Byrnes pointed out. "Any disruption to our access to international markets puts a lot of people at risk."

Byrnes added U.S. tariffs triggering retaliatory actions could make Wisconsin goods more expensive, potentially causing consumers to seek alternatives.

The report looked at state-produced goods, where they are produced and which countries buy them. Milwaukee exports the most goods, with total exports last year valued at $9.7 billion, down nearly 20% from a decade ago.

Byrnes noted it mirrors drops seen in other industrial cities.

"Exports are an important measure of the economic health of an area, of a state, of a city," Byrnes explained. "But it's not the primary measure. It's one of many."

Last year, Canada, the European Union, Mexico and China were the top buyers of Wisconsin-made products, accounting for about two-thirds of all the state's exports, according to the report, and the U.S. has imposed tariffs on all of them. Byrnes emphasized the uncertainty creates challenges, both for businesses and consumers.

"Over the long term, we don't really know what exactly it's going to look like," Byrnes acknowledged. "I'm hesitant to make a guesstimate. But I do think there are impacts related to this uncertainty around where we're going to source goods, where we're going to sell goods, and what trade is going to look like."


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California supporters of the Palestinian cause say they are cautiously optimistic - now that the ceasefire in Gaza has taken hold and the hostage releases have begun.

More aid trucks are arriving in Gaza and families are starting to make their way back to survey the almost-total destruction.

Professor Ahlam Muhtaseb with Cal State San Bernardino said about 47,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombardment - but notes the journal Lancet estimates the total death toll on the Palestinian side to be between 110,000 and 300,000 people.

"There are 10,400 Palestinian hostages," said Muhtaseb. "The narrative should be balanced where we care about the humanity of Palestinians, and the genocide they went through for over 15 months."

About 1,200 Israelis died and about 250 were kidnapped on October 7, 2023.

Supporters of the Palestinian people rallied in San Diego's Balboa Park on Saturday - and in Long Beach, Los Angeles, and San Francisco on Sunday, calling for a lasting peace so Gaza can start to rebuild.

Summer Ismail is a community organizer with the Council on American Islamic Relations in San Diego.

She said she's disappointed that the agreement took so long, since the basic framework has been around since last spring.

And she condemned the fact that Israeli airstrikes killed dozens more people after the deal was announced.

"I would like the United States to stop sending our tax dollars to Israel," said Ismail. "And I'd also like to see the international community continue pursuing their charges against Benjamin Netanyahu and find Israel guilty of genocide."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that President Donald Trump assured him of full U.S. support to resume hostilities, quote, "if Israel reaches the conclusion that the second stage of negotiations are ineffectual."




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