Latest news with #Orbitz
The Guardian
04-05-2025
- The Guardian
US jury's $30m verdict brings hope for Cuban exiles over confiscated land
Long before it became one of Cuba's most popular tourist destinations in the 1990s, the small island of Cayo Coco, with its pristine beaches and powdery white sands, attracted a different kind of clientele. Inspired by its unspoiled beauty, and his observations of shack-dwelling fishermen scratching out a meager living, Ernest Hemingway set scenes from two of his most famous books there, including the 1952 classic The Old Man and the Sea. Then came the giant all-inclusive mega-resort hotels that have proliferated in recent decades along the island's northern coast, and brought in millions of desperately needed dollars for a largely destitute Cuban government. Now, there's a bitterly contested multimillion-dollar lawsuit that has implications for the descendants of dozens of Cuban exiles in the US who have been fighting for decades for compensation for land and property seized following Fidel Castro's 1959 communist revolution. Mario Echeverría, head of a Cuban American family in Miami that says it owned Cayo Coco, and saw it stolen from them in Castro's aggressive land reforms, won a $30m verdict this month from the travel giant Expedia after a two-week trial. The jury said Expedia, and subsidiaries Orbitz and illegally profited from promoting and selling vacation packages at hotels there. The rare lawsuit was one of the first brought under Title III of the 1996 Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act, also known as the Helms-Burton Act. The act was designed to finally open a legal pathway for such compensation claims, but was suspended by successive presidents until Donald Trump made the decision to activate it in 2019. The intention was to deter US and international companies from investing in Cuba by exposing them to potentially huge financial penalties for conducting business there. For Echeverría, who reminisced about his grandmother tending the beachfront at Cayo Coco in a moving Spanish-language interview with UniVista TV earlier this year, the verdict is not the end of the story. He and his family may never see a penny after Federico Moreno, the district court judge overseeing the case, paused the award and set a further hearing for August seeking 'specific evidence' that the family itself legally acquired the land on Cuba's independence from Spain in 1898. The only other previously adjudicated Helms-Burton penalty, a $439m illegal tourism ruling in 2022 against four major cruise lines operating from Havana, was overturned last year. An appeals court said a claim by descendants of the original dock owners was essentially out of time. A handful of other cases, meanwhile, have stalled – including one by the oil giant Exxon Mobil that claims various Cuban state corporations are profiting from its confiscated land. But those at the forefront of the fight for justice say the Expedia case in particular brings hope to scores of others pursuing compensation for property they insist was illegally seized. 'There are 45 other suits that are making their way through the courts, there may be more new ones after this verdict also,' said Nicolás Gutiérrez, president of the National Association of Sugar Mill Owners of Cuba. Gutiérrez is a Miami-based consultant who has worked with hundreds of dispossessed exiles and their families, in addition to pursuing amends for his own family's lost houses, farmland and mills. 'We are hopeful that this is just the beginning. We waited 23 years, from 1996 to 2019, to have the key provisions of Title III be put into effect by President Trump, and now there's new generations of families in these cases I'm working with,' he said, adding: 'The old guys back then are gone, but in many cases their kids have continued with their crusade. Some have given up, some have been sort of reactivated along the way, and it's not only justice for the families, it's like a historic and moral commitment. We sacrificed and built up prosperity in Cuba that was taken for no good reason.' Gutiérrez also believes that desperate conditions on the island could hasten the fight. 'They never recovered from the pandemic with tourism. The sugar, nickel and rum industries, and tobacco to a lesser extent, have been run into the ground. Remittances and trips are going to be further cut by the Trump administration, and that's really what they're relying on now,' he said. 'They don't even have electricity for more than a couple hours a day. 'Someday, relatively soon, there will be a big change, and if a future Cuba wants to attract the serious level of investment it will need to dig itself out of the hole that this totalitarian nightmare has dug over the last 66 years, what better way to inspire confidence than to recognize the victims of the illegal confiscations?' Analysts of Cuban politics say the government is taking notice of the Helms-Burton actions. These analysts are also looking into the ramifications of Trump's existing and planned crackdowns designed to increase financial pressure on the communist regime. 'There are people looking at the impact it's having overall in the investment scenario in the island, and apparently it's having some chilling effect,' said Sebastian Arcos, director of Florida International University's Cuban Research Institute. 'The most important chilling effect is the fact that the Cuban economy is going nowhere, and everybody knows it. 'The government stole properties from many thousands of Cubans, and what we're seeing now is a systematic attempt of many of the people who inherited these claims from their families not to try to recover, because it's impossible to recover anything as long as the Cuban regime is there, but at least to punish the regime financially for doing what they did.' It's unclear if Echeverría's family will become the first to actually receive compensation, but with stretches of Cayo Coco's northern coastline now consumed by the concrete of almost a dozen super-resorts offering more than 5,000 hotel rooms, they accept the land will not be returned. Their attorney, Andrés Rivero, said in a statement: 'This is a major victory not only for our client, but also for the broader community of Cuban Americans whose property was wrongfully taken and has been exploited by US companies in partnership with the Cuban communist dictatorship. 'We are proud to have played a role in securing justice under a law that had never before been tested before a jury.' Expedia did not reply to specific questions. A spokesperson said in a statement to the Guardian: 'We are disappointed in the jury's verdict, which we do not believe was supported by the law or evidence. We believe the court was correct to decline immediate entry of judgment and look forward to the court's consideration of the legal sufficiency of the evidence presented to the jury.'
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Neon Acquires ‘Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie'
Grab a bottle of Orbitz, because Neon has acquired the rights to 'Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.' Variety confirmed the news after Neon teased the acquisition in a cryptic social media post featuring an image of an Orbitz bottle (a now-defunct Canadian non-carbonated fruit-flavored beverage from the 1990s) and the caption 'IYKYK.' More from Variety 'Together' Trailer: Alison Brie and Dave Franco Inject Body Horror Into Their Real-Life Marriage 'Anora' Is Now Streaming on Hulu 'The Actor' Director Duke Johnson on Embracing the Film's 'Theater Troupe Energy' and Why André Holland Is 'Such an Intuitive Actor' Canadian creators Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol star in this time-traveling comedy film based on their mockumentary TV series 'Nirvanna the Band the Show,' which aired for two seasons from 2017 to 2018. As in the series, the duo play musicians Matt and Jay, who, though they've never written or recorded a song, make it their mission to play a concert at Toronto's Rivoli. Orbitz proves crucial to Matt and Jay's journey in a way we wouldn't dare spoil. Johnson directs the film from a script he wrote with McCarroll. Variety chief film critic Peter Debruge called the film 'far and away the wildest film of the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival,' adding, 'Hilarious as the movie can be, there's an even more amusing meta level on which we laugh at how insane it is that it exists at all, marveling how they pulled it off.' Johnson previously made a splash on the festival circuit with the 2023 Jay Baruchel and Glenn Howerton-led dramedy 'BlackBerry,' for which McCarrol was the composer. Previous directorial credits include 'The Dirties' and 'Operation Avalanche.' More to come… Best of Variety What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump and plastic straws: What about Florida cities that only allow paper?
President Donald Trump is making his opinion known regarding the debate between paper and plastic straws. The president signed an executive order on Monday creating a policy aimed at phasing out paper straws within 45 days to alleviate the forced use of paper straws nationwide, according to the White House. On his first day in office, Trump rescinded the previous order from former President Joe Biden to phase out by 2032 of all single-use plastic products on all federal lands including national parks. While signing the order, Trump explained his issues with paper straws to reporters, saying they "break, they explode. If something's hot, they don't last very long, like a matter of minutes, sometimes a matter of seconds, it's a ridiculous situation." "I don't think that plastic is going to affect a shark very much as they're eating as they're munching their way through the ocean," he added. Will Floridians truly be impacted by switching back to plastic? Here's what to know. Paper straws have largely replaced plastic due to environmental concerns. According to Turtle Island Restoration Network, plastic straws can take up to 200 years to decompose and are among the top pollutants found in oceans. The shift gained momentum after a 2015 video of a sea turtle with a plastic straw lodged in its nose went viral, prompting global outcry. In response, governments and businesses enacted bans or phased them out, pushing for biodegradable alternatives. The president ordered federal agencies and department heads to stop buying paper straws and make sure they aren't offered in their buildings. As of now, this won't impact any nongovernment municipalities or establishments' bans on plastic straws. "Cities and states across America have banned plastic straws, caving to pressure from woke activists who prioritize symbolism over science," the order reads. Agencies also must work to eliminate policies that "disfavor plastic straws" and Trump is tasking the head of his Domestic Policy Council with creating a "national strategy to end the use of paper straws." Florida has not banned plastic straws entirely throughout the state. According to Orbitz interactive map, these cities have made the push for paper straws: Fort Myers Beach Miami Beach West Palm Beach/Palm Beach Delray Beach Fort Lauderdale St. Petersburg Hallandale Beach Deerfield Beach Hollywood Dania Beach Coral Gables Pinecrest Surfside It is also worth noting that Walt Disney World has not offered plastic straws since 2023 unless a guest requests them. This change was implemented at the theme parks' quick-service restaurants and snack locations. Eight states have enacted bans on single-use plastic straws to address environmental concerns: California: Implemented a statewide restriction in 2019, requiring sit-down restaurants to provide plastic straws only upon customer request. Maine: Enforced a ban on single-use plastic straws as part of broader legislation targeting single-use plastics. New Jersey: Prohibited single-use plastic straws, mandating that food service businesses provide them only upon request. New York: Implemented a ban on single-use plastic straws, with certain exceptions for individuals with disabilities. Oregon: Enacted a law requiring restaurants to ask customers before providing plastic straws. Rhode Island: Passed legislation restricting the use of plastic straws in food service establishments. Vermont: Prohibited single-use plastic straws, mandating that food service businesses provide them only upon request. Washington: Implemented a ban on single-use plastic straws and utensils in 2021. Paper straws are often seen as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic, but they can still have environmental drawbacks. While they decompose more quickly than plastic, according to USA TODAY, their production process requires significant energy and water. Many people also dislike paper straws due to their tendency to soften quickly, especially in cold or sugary drinks. Some report an unpleasant taste or texture as well. Contributing reporting: Joey Garrison and Zac Anderson, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump bans paper straws. Will this impact FL cities with plastic ban?
