US vice president announces more than $100M to help Caribbean during official visit to Bahamas
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris has announced that the U.S. is investing more than $100 million in the Caribbean region to crack down on weapons trafficking, help alleviate Haiti’s humanitarian crisis and support climate change initiatives.
Costa Rica finds 2 bodies in crash of plane carrying Germans
Authorities in Costa Rica have found two bodies in the search for six people, apparently including the German businessman behind Gold’s Gym, who went missing when their small plane disappeared from radar just off the country’s Caribbean coast.
Train endangers some of Mexico's oldest pre-historic sites
The Mexican government has decided to invoke national security powers to forge ahead with a tourist train along the Caribbean coast known as the “Riviera Maya,” threatening extensive caves where some of the oldest human remains in North America have been discovered.
Caribbean storm likely to gain force, hit Central America
The U.S. National Hurricane Center says a storm that has hurled rain on the southern Caribbean and the northern shoulder of South America is expected to hit Central America as a tropical storm over the weekend and eventually develop into a hurricane over the Pacific.
Kellogg’s splits into 3 independent companies -- here’s everything you need to know
On Tuesday, the Kellogg Company announced that the headquarters will transition to a duel campus being shared in Battle Creek and Chicago. The cereal company also announced its plans on separating into three independent companies to focus on particular strategic priorities.
Listen to how this cool instrument creates those unique Caribbean/Hip-Hop vibes
A steelpan drum is often used in Caribbean music and now a local musician is updating those sounds and blending them into a fusion with Hip-Hop. Aaron BraveSoul Parrott explained how he learned to play this drum, going to Toronto with his father, and watching live performances. Parrott eventually earned to play and says the instrument should not be limited to one style of music.
Elsa strengthens into season’s 1st hurricane in Caribbean
Elsa has strengthened into the first hurricane of the Atlantic season and it's blowing off roofs, snapping trees and destroying crops in the eastern Caribbean, where officials closed schools, businesses and airports under the threat of flash flooding and landslides.
Tropical storm Elsa, 5th named storm, threatens Caribbean
Officials in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are warning people to plan for possible evacuations as the tiny islands hit recently by massive volcanic eruptions prepares for potential flooding and landslides from Tropical Storm Elsa, which was whirling toward the eastern Caribbean.
18th century graveyard found at former Caribbean plantation
An 18th century burial ground has been discovered at a former sugar plantation on the Dutch Caribbean island of St. Eustatius, officials, and archaeologists say it likely contains the remains of slaves and could provide a trove of information on their lives.
St. Vincent seeks water, funds as volcano keeps erupting
Leaders of volcano-wracked St. Vincent say that water is running short as heavy ash contaminates supplies and they estimated that the eastern Caribbean island will need hundreds of millions of dollars to recover from the eruption of La Soufriere.
'Huge' explosion rocks St. Vincent as volcano keeps erupting
La Soufriere volcano has fired an enormous amount of ash and hot gas in the biggest explosive eruption yet since volcanic activity began on the eastern Caribbean island of St. Vincent late last week, with officials worried about the lives of those who have refused to evacuate.
2 Royal Caribbean lines to resume Caribbean cruises in June
FILE - In this March 14, 2020 file photo, Royal Caribbean International cruise ship docked at PortMiami, among other cruise ships, as the world deals with the coronavirus outbreak in Miami. Royal Caribbean Group is putting its cruising toes back in the water this summer. The cruise company said Friday, March 19, 2021 that two of its lines Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises will resume Caribbean sailings in June. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)MIAMI – Two Royal Caribbean cruises will resume in June, ending a yearlong hiatus, but passengers 18 and older must test negative for COVID-19 before getting on a ship. Shares of Miami-based Royal Caribbean rose more than 2% Friday.
Sun, sand, shots: Caribbean seeks vaccines to revive economy
The Caribbean is hunting for visitors and vaccines to jump-start the stalled economy in one of the worlds most tourism-dependent regions (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)SAN JUAN – The Caribbean is hunting for visitors and vaccines to jump-start the stalled economy in one of the world’s most tourism-dependent regions. Clear waters and warm sand attracted a record 31.5 million tourists to the Caribbean in 2019, but visits plummeted by an estimated 60% to 80% as the pandemic hit last year. “Many countries prefer hurricanes compared to what has happened with the pandemic,” said Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, a former Bahamian tourism minister who also led the Caribbean Tourism Organization. Cuba — the largest Caribbean nation and the only one working on its own vaccines — choked off arrivals after seeing infections surge. Neil Walters, acting secretary general of the Caribbean Tourism Organization.
You’ve never had a donut like these Caribbean inspired ones!
So how about a donut with some flair that’s channeling the flavors of the Caribbean? Host Tati Amare was joined by Toi Roberts, owner of Rolais’ Caribbean Bakery, a business that is bringing this creative combination to life. She was introduced to Caribbean flavors by a friend of hers and fell in love with them, deciding to add them to her baked treats. Flavors include Lemon Poppyseed Hibiscus, Passionfruit Lemon, Calypso Coconut Lime, Butter Rum Raisin, Guava Stuffed, Limbo Lime Pie, and many more. AdYou can find Rolais’ Donuts at Eastern Market on Saturdays, and on their website.
Hurricane Iota heads for already battered Central America
Iota became a Category 2 hurricane late Sunday afternoon, and the U.S. National Hurricane Center warned it would likely be an extremely dangerous Category 4 storm when it approached the Central America mainland late Monday. It was already a record-breaking system, being the 30th named storm of this year’s extraordinarily busy Atlantic hurricane season. It hit Nicaragua as a Category 4 hurricane, killing at least 120 people as torrential rains caused flash floods and mudslides in parts of Central America and Mexico. Eta was the 28th named storm of this year’s hurricane season, tying the 2005 record for named storms. The official end of hurricane season is Nov. 30.
Iota threatens second tropical hit for Nicaragua, Honduras
Eta weakened from the Category 4 hurricane to a tropical storm after lashing Nicaragua's Caribbean coast for much of Tuesday, its floodwaters isolating already remote communities and setting off deadly landslides. (AP Photo/Carlos Herrera)ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Tropical Storm Iota was brewing in the Caribbean Sea early Saturday, threatening a second tropical strike for Nicaragua and Honduras, countries recently ransacked by a Category 4 Hurricane Eta. Iota could wreak more havoc in a region where people are still grappling with the aftermath of Eta. Iota is already a record-setting system, being the 30th named storm of this year’s extraordinarily busy Atlantic hurricane season. Eta was the 28th named storm of this year’s hurricane season, tying the 2005 record for named storms.
Tropical Storm Iota forms, could follow Eta's deadly path
Hurricane experts were closely watching the Caribbean, where Tropical Storm Iota formed Friday afternoon. The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Iota could bring dangerous wind, storm surge and as much as 30 inches (76 centimeters) of rainfall to northern Nicaragua and Honduras. The storm was located about 350 miles (560 kilometers) south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica and had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph). Iota is a record-setting 30th named storm of this year’s extraordinarily busy Atlantic hurricane season. Earlier, firefighters in Tampa had to rescue around a dozen people who got stuck in storm surge flooding on a boulevard adjacent to the bay.
Hurricane Eta grinds inland into Nicaragua; at least 3 dead
A man fixes the roof of a home surrounded by floodwaters brought on by Hurricane Eta in Wawa, Nicaragua, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Carlos Herrera)MANAGUA – Hurricane Eta churned inland through northeast Nicaragua Tuesday night with devastating winds and rains that destroyed rooftops, caused rivers to overflow and left at least three people dead in the region. The hurricane had sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, down from an overnight peak of 150 mph (240 kph). Even before it made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, Honduras reported the first death after a mudslide trapped a 12-year-old girl in San Pedro Sula and two miners were killed in a mudslide in Bonanza, Nicaragua. Hurricane season still has a month to go, ending Nov. 30.
New storm Zeta a hurricane threat to Mexico, US Gulf Coast
MIAMI – Newly formed Tropical Storm Zeta strengthened Sunday in the western Caribbean and will probably become a hurricane before hitting Mexico's resort-dotted Yucatan Peninsula and the U.S. Gulf Coast in coming days. Zeta was the earliest named 27th Atlantic storm recorded in an already historic hurricane season. The system was centered about 300 miles (480 kilometers) southeast of Cozumel island in Mexico at midafternoon, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. The government is still handing out aid, including sheet roofing, to Yucatan residents hit by Hurricane Delta and Tropical Storm Gamma earlier this month. The hurricane center said it could make landfall anywhere from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.
UN: Pandemic has cost 34 million jobs in Latin America
All rights reserved)MEXICO CITY – The U.N.’s International Labour Organization said Wednesday that at least 34 million jobs have been lost in Latin America due to the coronavirus pandemic. The count was up from the ILO’s previous estimates in early August that 14 million jobs had been lost in the region. The organization's Director for Latin America and the Caribbean, Vinícius Pinheiro, called it “an unprecedented challenge.”Pinheiro said the third quarter had brought a recovery in economic activity and, according to preliminary data, a tentative recovery in employment. The ILO figures were based on data from nine countries which account for 80% of the region's workforce. The ILO lists Latin America and the Caribbean as the worst-hit region in the world in terms of lost working hours, with a drop of 20.9% in the first three quarters of the year, compared to an average of 11.7% worldwide.
Venezuela says captured US spy sought to sabotage power grid
Authorities said cellphones taken from the men when they were arrested last week include images of a large bridge in Zulia state, military installations and dilapidated oil refineries in Falcon state. President Nicolás Maduro announced on Friday that an unnamed suspected U.S. spy had been captured, saying he was a Marine and former CIA operative in Iraq. Venezuela also struggles to provide electricity to residents, especially in Zulia state, once a major hub of the nation's vast oil production. The three Venezuelans accused of conspiring with Heath include a military officer, Saab said, adding that they helped him enter from Colombia. The ex-Green Berets in Goudreau's force — Luke Denman Airan Berry Venezuela — have been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Damaged Venezuelan oil tanker drawing international concern
CARACAS The sight of a huge oil tanker that has taken on water and is leaning to one side off a remote stretch of Venezuela's coast has triggered international calls for action. However, anti-government oil workers like Eudis Girot, head of the Unitary Federation of Petroleum Workers of Venezuela, has launched a campaign seeking to get President Nicols Maduro to pay attention. He is urging the embattled leader to look beyond years of bitter disputes between his government and the oil workers union to head off a potential environmental disaster. PDVSA and Venezuelas ministry of communications did not immediately respond to emailed requests by AP seeking comment on the Nabarima. Consilium, compared the Venezuelan tanker to the FSO Safer, which has been decaying for years off the coast of Yemen with more than 1 million barrels of oil.
Tropical Storm Omar forms as Nana approaches Central America
MIAMI Tropical Storm Omar formed off the U.S. East Coast on Tuesday as Tropical Storm Nana approached the coast of Central America, the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported. Nana was moving west at 18 mph (30 kph) on a path that could damage Central America on Wednesday and Thursday. The National Hurricane Center later said the entire coast of Belize had been placed under a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch. The National Hurricane Center expects Tropical Storm Omar to be short-lived. Omar was 225 miles (365 kilometers) east of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, and moving east-northeast at 15 mph (24 kph).
Tracking the Saharan dust plume: What to expect in Michigan
There is a Saharan dust plume heading for North America. Saharan dust plumes as 6 a.m. Wednesday, June 24, 2020. Saharan dust plume over the Caribbean at 6 a.m. Wednesday, June 24, 2020. The jet stream should allow for the Saharan dust plume in the Caribbean to move northward starting June 25, 2020. (WDIV)If the skies are clear in Michigan, this will allow the dust plume to create a very nice sunrise and sunset through the weekend and perhaps into early next week.
Man charged in Caribbean hotel worker's death skips hearing
DARIEN, CT A Connecticut man charged in the death of a hotel worker he says attacked his family in Anguilla has declined to return to the British Caribbean territory for the latest pretrial hearing, a spokesman said Monday. Scott Hapgood, of Darien, is worried about his safety in light of death threats, and Anguilla officials have not provided assurances that he would be allowed to return home on bond after the hearing, family spokesman Jamie Diaferia said. Anguilla officials rejected an offer for Hapgood to appear by video link for Monday's hearing, Diaferia said. Hapgood and his family say a hotel worker, Kenny Mitchel, of Dominica, showed up at their room unannounced during their April vacation and demanded money, then attacked them. Diaferia said that a toxicology report was suppressed and that Mitchel was found to have drugs, including cocaine, in his system.
Three tropical storms are spinning in the Atlantic
CNN image(CNN) - Tropical Storms Karen, Jerry and Lorenzo are spinning across the Atlantic Basin Monday and two of the storms threatened islands. A Tropical Storm Warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area, within the next 36 hours. Tropical Storm Jerry moves towards BermudaTropical Storm Jerry is still in the Atlantic and generally moving north-northwest. A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the island. Tropical Storm Lorenzo forms near AfricaOn the other side of the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Lorenzo has formed a few hundred miles southeast of the Cabo Verde Islands.
How did Hispanic Heritage Month come to be?
National Hispanic Heritage Month is held annually from mid-September to mid-October, but what does that mean, exactly? The month is dedicated to celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America, hispanicheritagemonth.gov explains. It started as Hispanic Heritage Week, until President Ronald Reagan expanded it to a month in 1988. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Da de la Raza, which is Oct. 12, falls within this 30 day period.
Several airlines offering travel waivers ahead of TS Dorian
Several U.S. airlines are offering travel waivers to customers with scheduled flights to the eastern Caribbean as the storm travels through the Caribbean Sea. The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch for Puerto Rico on Tuesday morning. SouthwestCustomers flying Southwest to Turks and Caicos, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico between today and Aug. 30 may rebook a flight. AmericanAmerican Airlines will waive the fee to change flights scheduled until Aug. 29 if they're canceled. Trips to Barbados, Haiti, Martinique, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Saint Lucia are subject to cancellation.
Puerto Rico under tropical storm warning as Dorian approaches
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch for Puerto Rico on Tuesday morning as Tropical Storm Dorian continues to move across the Caribbean toward the island. The storm, which weakened a bit overnight as the system hit Barbados, is expected to pass near, or just south of Puerto Rico Wednesday afternoon and evening as a strong tropical storm. A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within 48 hours and a tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within 36 hours. "St. Lucia seems to be the bull's eye (Monday night) for tropical storm conditions," including strong winds and heavy rain, Brink said. Tropical storm conditions are possible throughout the Lesser Antilles through Tuesday morning and over Puerto Rico Wednesday, the center said.
Teen Girl Survives After Parents Drown While Vacationing in the Caribbean
A 15-year-old Texas girl was pulled to safety, but her mother and father drowned during a family vacation in the Caribbean, police said. The bodies of Roy Perez, 38, and Irma Barrera, 33, were plucked from the waters off Bambarra Beach in the Turks and Caicos islands, authorities said. Their daughter survived, as did the daughter of family friend Dr. Richard Okoloise, who perished along with the couple. "We are at a loss for words," reads a post on the fundraising page, "but are rallying together to help." The Turks and Caicos Islands, a popular vacation destination, is a British territory of 40 coral islands located southeast of the Bahamas.
New Dominican safety measures aim to ease tourist fears
(CNN) - The Dominican Republic's Ministry of Tourism is rolling out new safety measures in an effort to calm the fears of Americans traveling to the Caribbean island, according to the ministry's chief of staff Pablo Espinal. The measures include inspecting hotels more often, requiring hotels to post emergency contact information in every guest room, adding more monitoring measures to medical facilities located inside hotels and opening an emergency tourist center. At least 10 American citizens have died after an apparent sudden health issue in the Dominican Republic since June 2018. Dominican Republic authorities maintain that their own investigations revealed that the Americans died from natural causes. The emergency tourist center is expected to open in Punta Cana in partnership with the Dominican Republic Attorney General's office.