1M Cubans Flee Hurricane Paloma

Hurricane builds strength as it heads towards Cuba, Gulf Coast

(AP) - Gustav swelled to a fearsome Category 3 hurricane with winds of 115 mph as it neared Cuba early today, the AP reports. The storm, which killed 71 people in the Caribbean, rolled over the Cayman Islands last night, with fierce winds that tore down trees and power lines, but there was little flooding. Gustav could strike the Gulf Coast anywhere from the Florida Panhandle to Texas, but forecasters said there is a better-than-even chance that New Orleans will get slammed. More»

It's a category 2 but looks to be weakening

(AP) - Hurricane Paula charged toward western Cuba and its lush tobacco fields today, threatening to inundate an area still recovering from three major hurricanes in 2008. Officials took heart that the storm was weakening and becoming less defined. It's expected hit tonight or early tomorrow. More»

(NEWSER) - Cuba is battling a toilet paper shortage, the Miami Herald reports. The country says the global financial crisis and recent hurricanes have forced it to shutter factories and cut down on electricity usage. The result: The cost of a four-pack of TP in Havana is the equivalent of 2 days' wages for the average worker. The government doesn't subsidize toilet paper as it does other staples, so needy citizens resort to using pages of the "soft paper" that makes up Chinese and North Korean magazines. More»

Celebrations sobered after tough year for Cuba

(NEWSER) - New Year's Day marks a sober occasion for Cuban-Americans: Fidel Castro's takeover 50 years ago and the exile and family separations that ensued. Many Cubans once hoped the dictator would bring them prosperity. Today, with their beloved island in decay and many lives lost in attempts to flee, few of the 850,000 transplants to South Florida have cause to celebrate, the New York Times reports. More»

Cuban president cuts worker subsidies to shore up struggling economy

(NEWSER) - Saying Cuba’s finances “don’t square up,” President Raul Castro called for belt-tightening measures in the wake of three hurricanes and a global recession that have hobbled the communist nation. The state plans to dole out fewer worker subsidies, halve the number of overseas trips, and halt costly programs that reward workers with free vacations. Cuba’s GDP experienced a slower-than-expected growth rate of 4.3% this year. More»