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Theodore Roosevelt’s Words of Wisdom for His Time and Ours

On October 27, 1913, Theodore Roosevelt had the following words of wisdom in his address entitled “Character and Civilization” in Sao Paulo, Brazil:[1] “By character I mean the sum of those qualities, distinct from the purely intellectual qualities, which are essential to moral efficiency. Among them are resolution, courage, energy, power of self-control combined with fearlessness in taking the…

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Obama Foundation’s Leaders Program 

“On September 9, the Obama Foundation (a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world) announced  and “welcomed 206 changemakers from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the United States into The Obama Foundation’s Leaders Program. Representing 70 nations and territories, these Leaders will join four regional programs that showcase…

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U.S. Stands Ready to Help the Cuban People 

That was the title of an October 30 Press Statement by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio[1] that stated the following: “In the wake of Hurricane Melissa’s devastation of eastern Cuba, the Trump Administration stands with the brave Cuban people who continue to struggle to meet basic needs. As in neighboring Caribbean countries, the Department is issuing a Declaration of Humanitarian Need for…

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President Trump Addresses the United Nations 

On September 23, U.S. President Donald Trump addressed the U.N. General Assembly. Here is a report of what he said.[1] “President Trump today urged world leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly to adhere to the U.N.’s original purpose — the resolution of international disputes by peaceful means.” “Noting that he himself has ended seven conflicts in the first seven months of his…

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U.S. State Department Again Ranks Cuba in Tier 3 (the Lowest Ranking) of the 2025 Trafficking in Persons Report

The U.S. State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Office “leads the Department’s global efforts to combat human trafficking through the prosecution of traffickers, the protection of victims, and the prevention of human trafficking by: objectively analyzing government efforts and identifying global trends, engaging in and supporting strategic bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, targeting…

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History of Roman Catholic Church’s Support of Migrants and Refugees

As Robert Cardinal McElroy briefly mentioned in his September 28th homily, the Roman Catholic Church for the last 110 years has held annual masses in support of immigrants and refugees. [1] `Here is more information about that history. International Catholic Migration Commission[2] This Commission holds an annual World Day of Migrants & Refugees and over the year provides the following types of…

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Homily Against Trump Immigration Policies by Roman Catholic Cardinal Robert McElroy 

At the September 28, Mass at Washington, D.C.’s Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Robert Cardinal McElroy delivered a blistering homily against some of President Trump’s immigration policies. The occasion was the 111th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.[1] The Homily’s Text[2] “For the past one hundred ten years, Mass has been celebrated throughout our country to honor and support immigrants…

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U.N. Meeting About Revising the Global Refugee and Asylum System

“On September 25, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau headlined an event on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly titled “The Global Refugee and Asylum System: What Went Wrong and How to Fix It.” He was joined by a panel of high-level representatives from Panama, Liberia, Bangladesh, and Kosovo. They were also joined by representatives from other nations, international…

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U.S. Statement on Cameroon National Day  

On Cameroon National Day (May 20, 2025), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the following positive statement:[1] “On behalf of the United States of America, I congratulate the government and people of Cameroon as you celebrate your country’s 53rd National Day. We proudly reaffirm our sustained friendship with all Cameroonians, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration in the year…

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U.S. Sanctions Cuban President and Others for Alleged Participation in Serious Human Rights Violations 

On July 11,  the U.S. State Department announced sanctions against Cuba/s President (Miguel Diaz-Canel) and members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and Ministry of the Interior (Alvaro Lopez Miera and Lazaro Alberto Alvarez Casas and members of their families) for alleged participation in serious human rights violations associated with the popular demonstrations on July 11 and 12, 2021.[1] A…

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President Trump Directs Strengthening U.S. Policy Towards Cuba                                                                                                                                                   On June 30, U.S. President Donald J. Trump directed a strengthening of U.S. policy regarding Cuba by issuing a National Security Presidential Memorandum and the Fact Sheet: President Donald…

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Honoring Oscar Romero at London’s Westminster Abbey           In 1998, individual statues for Oscar Romero and ten other modern martyrs (Maximillian Kolbe, Manche Masemola, Manche Masemola, Janani Luwum, Elizabeth of Russia, Martin Luther King Jr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Esther John, Lucian Tapiedi and Wang Zhiming) were added above the West Entrance to London’s Westminster Abbey.  [1] The Abbey’s…

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Cuba Population: 9,740,000 

Cuba’s National Office of Statistics and Information has reported that the island’s population at the end of 2024 was 9,740,000. The number of births during the year was 71,000,  “the lowest figure in recent decades and confirming that women of childbearing age in Cuba are postponing or choosing not to have children.” “The serious crisis Cuba is experiencing, with no short- or medium-term…

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More on Cuba’s Desperate Economic Situation 

According to Mary Anastasia O’Grady, a Wall Street Journal columnist, Cuba’s “legendary repression continues while medicine, housing and fuel are in short supply. Inflation is galloping. Parents find it hard to feed their children. In September the government cut back bread rations to 60 grams a day from 80 grams. In December, after more than six decades, it finally said it will eliminate the…

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Trump and Florida Republicans Planning Increased Sanctions on Cuba To Topple Communist Regime

“In a gambit to try to precipitate regime change in Cuba, the Trump administration is planning to ramp up sanctions on the island’s military as part of a maximum-pressure campaign that may also further restrict travel, remittances and exports. Trump administration officials and Cuban-American members of Congress believe the communist regime in Havana is at its weakest moment in decades and have…

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U.S. Condemns Cuban Harassment of Its Citizens

Starting April 1, Cuban police have been harassing Jose Daniel Ferrer, a prominent opposition leader, at the headquarters of the Patriotic Union of Cuba (UNPACU) along with ordinary Cubans gathered there to obtain free food, which the police seized. Nevertheless, that day the organization fed 1,281 people, more than 40 of whom were victims of arrests and harassment.[1] On April 2, the U.S. State…

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Reflections on Cuba’s Independence from Spain  

In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, Jose Maria Aznar wrote that “Cuba wasn’t a mere colony, but part of Spain’s territory.”[1] On the other hand, Professor Carlos Boix of Princeton University points out that a young Winston Churchill in 1895 “briefly joined the Spanish army fighting Cuban pro-independence guerrillas. In his first dispatch from the island, he wrote: “The insurgents gain…