them, as well, and i think that on the cuba side of things, they're cautious. they don't quite have the infrastructure yet for it. they don't have the buses and the gas and the food and the electricity. >> and the internet. >> and the internet. >> and the internet, yeah. >> or the tour guides. i mean, americans still need to go on a people-to-people license. >> you've got one of the pictures that you brought from your book "passage to cuba," which i have on my desk. it's just fabulous. >> thank you. >> let's put up the picture here and show with me or share with me what, in particular, you like about this picture. >> well, this is sort of a fun picture. it's in old havana, near the parque central, where all the americans are staying. and, of course, there's old american cars everywhere, and we've been seeing that for years, but what's interesting is that now it's the status symbol to have that apple logo on the back of your car, and it's sort of ironic, and it's part of the cuban sense of humor that, in a country where it's illegal to buy apple products or it's

from cuba, mr. obama will travel to argentina where they will meet with the country oos new president. >> christine: and team coverage moves to miami international airpt. >> diana: alex de armas is there live gathering reaction to president's travel plans. >> reporter: we heard from several cub-americans throughout the day and the opinions are mixed. some say it's time for change. others strongly disagree. president obama's upcoming visit florida. the announced trip generating me buzz at miami international airport to where passengers are taking off onhartered flights to the island nation. >> kind of med emotions. i have been here 50 years and never come back to ku baa. i think that in 50 years nothing has really happened. so b mabt's time for a change. >> reporter: the visit also topic in versailles in havana telling what they think about the trip. >> i think it's just another violatioio of this agreement of bb trying t initiate. they're going to continue to systematically violate human rights on t

my next door neighbor say cuba american, he fled cuba as i kid. he likes trump. the only thing that took a shine off him are his statements on planand parenthood. don't count trump off at hees in the republican primary. >> what about ted cruzment i was watching last night, here's the fourth place finisher making a victory speech. they all m me victory speeches last night. i've got to say there is something about ted cruz that is so off-putting. there is something self-pitting about the way he presents himself. last night here we see him making ts speech. and maybe we should run the sound bite but he said they said i couldn't win in iowa. they said i couldn't win in new they said i couldn't win in south carolina. and i won if i am not the nominee, the second amendment will go away.i just-- i listen to this and i kind of think to myself, where is this guy coming from? >> he has to justify his poor performance in south carolina, which typically wouldldave been the evangelical vote. he thought he was going to corner the market in an incredibly conservative state. so

he is headed to cuba next monthhe is headed to cuba next month. the fit time in more than 80 years that a sitting president will advice i hate it country. is planned from march 21-22 according to abc news. and in about 30 minutes, we will learn in a white house briefing, but first, let's go to our coverage. local 10 political reporter michael putney will hav more details on that trip, and sanelalasabovic will are reaction. first start with michael. >> reporter: constance and kristi, we have come down from a news conference of the office of ileana ross-lehtinen and another from miami was also there. cuban-americans. and, as would you expect, they are livid of this prospepeive trip to cuba by president obamatrip to cuba by president obama. they say it t not justified especially in light of the fact they say cuba has cracked down even harder in the last year on pro-democoacy dissidents. president obama and mrs. obama are scheduled to go to cuba march 21-22. this is the first time a u.s. president will have been on the 1928. the white house says in a

cuba relations. the countries have agreed to reestablish commercial air travel for the first time in more than 50 years. up till now, only charter flights were allowed. u.s. law prohibits travel to cuba ford taurus activity. the state affirmance of the new arrangements will make authorized travel easier and will strengthen people to countries. starting tuesday, u.s. air carriers can submit their requests for cuban routes. >>> we are looking at the pictures right now, live in cuba, in havana. this is the pope making his way to that airplane. we will keep an eye on this for you because he is going to be departing shortly. he is scheduled to depart at 5:30. it may be a bit earlier. >> things seem to be moving faster than perhaps they had thought. you see raul castro their accompanying the pope as he walks back to his plane. he is shaking hands. again, we can't stress the role that the pope has played in helping to elevate the stature of cuba on the world stage. not only playing a behind-the- scenes role

laura: cuba and the u.s. just signed an agreement between direct flights -- on direct flights between the countries. michael: there could be some things on internet, which has expanded in cuba, but clearly, that's an area that could benefit from further development. there are a lot of tech companies that want to get involved in cuba. cuba's laws are still restricted in that regard, and i think president obama is going to push. laura: the cubans are enthusiastic about this visit, but a spokesperson for the foreign ministry did say that the u.s. trade embargo of cuba has got to be lifted if the countries are going to normalize relations. what chance of that with this congress? michael: very unlikely, but i think the president's strategy is that with his visit, the cubans will respond positively with some economic opening, perhaps some lessening of restrictions around internet and other things, and that will help the pro-embargo forces in washington to move in that direction. laura: presidential visits, always c

i was born in cuba. i was in one of cuba's most prominent schools when i made a joke about president fidel castro. i was a teenager. the kid that slept on the bunk bed on top of me recorded our conversation and i was expelled from school. my mom said the only choice is for us to leave cuba. i've lived in miami 35 years. it's my home base. i come back and forth it cuba. i've been coming to cuba for over 20 years. cuba is a communist country in economic transition. >> fidel castro allowed cubans to establish more businesses, there are people that are making money, there are people that have created a tremendous amount of wealth. >> people with family connections to the states, people tied to the exploding tourist industry, small businessowners, taxi drivers, people operating in ever-changing gray areas of what is permissible. how's it work right now? if you're cuban, you can sell your property to -- >> another cuban from cuba. that's what's happening right now. a lot of cuban-americans, a lot of cubans liv

and cuba. president barack obama will make a historic visit to cuba next month. that's according to a senior administration official. today the white house will release the president's travel plans. this is the first time in more than 80 years a sitting u.s. president will visit cuba. >>> and not everyone thinks the president's visit to cuba is such a good idea. >> our senator marco rubio is against it. the republican presidential candidate explained why at a town hall in south carolina. >> and i'll tell you the problem with the cuban government, it's not just the dictatorship, it's the anti- america dictatorship. now they have access to millions if not billions of dollars in resources before this opening. slammed president barack obama's cuba trip. >>> some american businesses are in support of our new relationship with cuba. news channel 8's jeff patterson is only the bay area tv reporter in havana right now. this morning, he shows us how lifting the embargo could profit american companies but cuba has a long way to go to be ready. >> reporter: from a distance,

considered whether to go this year to cuba, the that ent's judgment was number one, going to cuba was an in rtant step forward signalling this beginning between our two countries and eoples and also importantly, that going to cuba could help benefitshis space that the cuban people and increases ties between our countries. going earlier this year would allow us to try to around his e both visit and the days and months that follow. focusing on with respect to the visit is how can e take the changes we made in our policies and regulations and ry to connect them to changes and reforms that the cube bans are making so that there's more and more of tivity an opening for u.s. businesses cubans importantly for to benefit from that activity and be able to access more and again achieve a better life. how can we expect our people to people ties? there's increased travel but also increased cooperation number of areas and we have had a good cooperation, for issues , discussions on related to medical cooperation, vaccines and other areas where we can expand our people to people engagement. are we s

president visited cuba. the nigig team's robin simmons is live in the satellite center with the late-breaking details on all of this. >> reporter: it is really worth noting that the cuba embargo is still in place and so we will not so it completely opened to tourists until congress opens the embargo, but it appearsrs that president obama is just weeks from being the first sitting president to visit cuba. >> december 17th, 2014, president obama announcing the renewal of relations. the goal reopening embassies, and just four months later he met with castro for the first time at the summit of the americas in panama, president shaking hands, mr. obama talking about the long and complicated relationship between the two nation and said tt cuba would not be removed from the state department list of state sponsor of terror without further investigation, in july of 2015, the former cuba, intersection in washington, d.c. was reopened as the cuba embassy, protestors gathering across the street t they raised the flag. j

then a beat ship to cuba. when president obama boards airforce one to fly to cuba, he will meet with ras ctro and the white house says they will speak withdy dissidents who want change on the island. >> it is historic for the first time in decades, a sitting u.s. president will step foot in cuba. president obama tweetingext month i'll travel to cuba to advance ourro pgress and efforts that can in prove the lieftz cuban people. ce we still have differences with the cuban government that i will raiseseirectly. america will always stand f human rites around the world. the prident will travel with first lady michelle obama to the island mash 21 for a two day visit. when president cool aj and his wife took ah a battleship to havana i1928. >> the opening to cuba hold out real promise to improve the lives of the cuban people. >> this is really at core of our policy. >> the president plans to meet with dissidents during hi visit. relationships were improved between the two count treatment short term groups of proteste

and cuba. nine months after dropped from the state sponsored terrorist list, president obama is planning a trip to the island nation. it's been rumored for weeks and this morning it appears imminent. >> diana: this will be the first time a sitting president has visited the island nation in nearly 90 years. >> president obama: today america chooses t t cut loose the shackles of the past. >> reporter: president obama announcing the reknewable in diplomatic nations after the cold war. havana and washington, d.c. just four months later he met with raul castro face to face for the first time at the summit of americas in panama. president obama an the cuban leader shaking hands. mr. obama talking about the long and complicated relationship between the two neighs and would not be removed from the list of terror without further investigation. the cuban embassy reopened. protesters gathered across the street as dignitaries raised the flag. august, secretary of state john kerry traveled to cuba to watch

>> not if it's not a free cuba. and the problem with the cuban communist leadership is anti- american communist dictatorship >> reporter: in december 2014 sbo and cuban leader raul castro announced restoration of dillon ties. after a split of more than 50 years. they shared this handshake at a summit in panama last april. >> agreed to our news partners the miami herald the president will visit cuba march 21. there's a lot going on in cuba around the states. march 20 the rolling stones will and their latin american tour with a concert in cuba and a march 20 and a march 22 national baseball team will play against tampa bay rays in havana. today secretary of state john kerry will visit with cuba's minister of foreign trade and announcing the president's trip and giving details. >>> an 18-year-old accused of posing as a doctor in palm beach county is out of jail and speaking out and tonight he did anything wrong. >> i would simply ask if you could please pray for us in this time. that everything that's happened that we

on your first cuba questions. you know, we have been steadily making regulatory changes since december 17th. at the end of january announced our last tranche. but i would expect that that process will continue. so as we have additional regulatory changes to make, we will announce them. i don't want to preview what they are because that's, you know, an ongoing process that involves our efforts to ensure that, you know, not only are we acting consistent with the laws that are on the books, even if we would lift the embargo if we could, but they were also focused on the right issues and areas. generally what we've aimed to do is promote additional travel, commerce and economic activity in cuba that, again, we believe benefits the cuban people. in terms the steps the cuban government can take. you know, again, i don't want to be overly prescriptive from here. i would say that we talked to our business community. there are a number of things that cuba could do that could make it easier for businesses to operate in cuba

travel between the us and cuba. this for the first time in 50 years. the white house now says conditions are right for the president to visit the communist island. more than one year after secretary of state john kerry traveled to havana for the reopening of the embassy, president barack obama will follow. he's expected to travel to the communist country next month. he said he would like to go to cuba before the end of his term only if the conditions were right. candidate ted cruz and marco rubio had this to say on cnn. >> is that -- as president is at something you do? >> not as long as the casters were in power. i was saddened to hear that not surprised this was foreshadowed for longtime >> i think it's a mistake. he ought to instead be pushing for a free cuba. >> one year and two months after the opening to cuba the cuban government remains as repressive as ever but now they have access to audience of dollars and resources they did not have access to before. >> this be the first time and 90 years a sitting us pre

president will head to cuba. president obama tweeting i'll head to havana to advance our progress with the cuban people. we still have difference was the cuban government that i'll raise directly. america will always stand for human rights in the corm world. he will travel with his wife, michelle obama, and the last time was when coolidge went on a battleship in 1928. >> signaling between the two countries and peoples, and going to cuba could help to enlarge this space that benefits the cuban people. reporter: the obama administration believes that improved relationships will help something that the embargo hasn't been able to do. the president set this day in motion in 2014 when the u.s. government reopened ties with cuba, and then last morning the cuban embassy in washington opened and the u.s. embassy in havana opened its doors. also to manufacture tractors on the island. south florida are clamoring president's planned >> there's no justification for president obama to make a visit to cuba before any real and

cuba is no different. so we may have a complex history, but, you know, the fact that we meet with and support people who are seeking to have their voices heard is part of what the united states does. and doesn't mean that we're seeking to overthrow the cuban government. it means that we're seeking to support basic universal values that, again, we would care about in any country. >> do you expect him to see fidel castro while he's there? and do you expect this to be tied in any way to the colombia peace talks? >> so i wouldn't expect him to meet with fidel castro. raul castro is the president of cuba. he'll certainly meet with president castro. with respect to the colombian peace process, we have had good cooperation from cuba on that issue. the cubans have hosted the talks between the colombia government. we've had a member attending a number of those discussions. we and the cubans together have worked to support the colombians as they are pursuing a peace agreement. i think it will certainly be a subject

marco rubio (from cnn town hall) "there are no elections in cuba, there are no choices in cuba and so, my whole problem is i want the relationship between the u-s and cuba to change, but it has to be reciprocal." but for cuban officials.. it's welcome news. ((sot)) josefina vidal, director of the cuban foreign ministry's united states division: "his visit will represent a step forward in the improvement of relations between cuba and the united states.." elizabeth hur tag: it's a step forward but to fully restore ties between the two nations.. it needs the approval from congress. the president's trip is planned for march 21st and 22nd.. eh, abc news, ny." jack: we want to know your thoughts on the president heading to cuba. you can connect with us on facebook and twitter. send us an email to: "news at we are iowa dot com" or call us in the newsroom: 1- 800-858-5555 we'd love to hear what you think about this other. stephanie/2shot: cuba sounds right about now. and hopefully we won't see anymore freezing temps out "really" doesn't temps return. ""it needed to go down just as it happened

>> not unless it's a free cuba. it's not just the comments to kinship with anti-american communist dictatorship >> reporter: in december 2014 president barack obama and raul castro announced restoration of diplomatic ties between the us and cuba. they shared this handshake at a summit in panama last april. against our news partners the miami herald report this visit will happen on march 21. there's a lot going on in cuba around those days. the rolling stones are expected to close the latin american the national team will be playing tampa bay rays in havana. today the white house will be official. also today secretary of state john kerry will meet with cuba 's minister of foreign trade. >>> stay with us for continuing coverage of the president's historic trip.>>> an 18-year- old accused of posing as a doctor in palm beach county is out of jail and speaking out denying he did anything wrong. >> i was simply asking if you could pray for us in this time that everything that has happened that we get the truth out. and on

meanwhile, be sure to follow all the latest developments out of cuba in the@ cuba crossroads section of the nbc 6 news and weather app. >>> we new details. miami police have arrested 32-year-old alfredo garcia for the crime that happened last month. he's the man seen on surveillance video fallollowing a group of teens. police have linked garcia to a string of robberies. >>> a broward lawyer accused of having sex with an inmate returns to court to try to get her client out of jail. as she defends him, broward deputies find a way to get the two separated. we are live at the courthouse in ft. lauderdale with more. >> reporter: jawan, jessica will have to meet w wh her client at the jail behind a window with cameras present ter learning that her client's bond has been denied yet again. she says this is not fair because she never had inappropriate relations with her client. now it's going to be diffifiult for her to continue to prepare for his trial. defense attorney jessica david making headlines back in a broward courtroom today not because she's tryg to get bond for her client, who is

doctor berman will stay in touch with counterparts in cuba. they hope this becomes an annual meeting and already working on toning much-needed medical equipment. fox 31 denver. now, pinpoint weather chief meteorologist dave fraser. a live radar with a couple of then we have some snow and it's hugging along i 70, and any left over traveling in countering that, slow go there, blown around by the winds. and more about the wind out there blooming it around. and that winds down the west side of town and outside of the high wind warning area. 52 miles per hour and it will get better. the future cast in a second. and up and over the mountains, and in the 50s, 60s, 70s him pueblo, temperatures in the mountains and the 40s and 50s especially, denver well been on the second week. week. 59 degrees, 50-51 the 9:00 o'clock hour. the winds notice pull 22 miles an hour. 53 and if you 40s in sterling, fort morgan 41 castle rock, the strong winds right now, those higher peaks in the first part of tomorrow. rain showers here come to an end quickly. snow showers

in havana cuba jeff patterson. >> we're the only station bring ugh reports from cuba on this trip. jeff patterson will continue to bring the stories from havana all week, including the us congressional delegation, and the effort to lift the embargo completely. what impact this could have, he'll explain that coming up tonight at 11:00. >>> 71 degrees here at freedom plaza in sun city center, about summing up the day. headed out to the fair tonight, a slight possibility of a passing shower, otherwise the rest of the evening looking good. 68 at 9:00 p.m. as for the rain chances, right after mid night, and then tapering off, and then comfortable range of temperatures the rest of the week. 70s, plenty of low 70s at this hour. 71 north port, and 70 in inverness. the winds up with an approaching cold front in the early morning hours directly from the west about 12:30 tuesday, picking up a bit midday, but by the afternoon and evening hours tomorrow winds should be lighter, but strong wind gusts once the line of thunderstorms comes through after midnight to 8:00 a.m., and the northern areas

he was dealing with cuba. he had his domestic challenges. he sent troops to train the south vietnamese army. but he wasn't happy about it. >> in the final analysis, it's their war. they're the ones that have to win it or lose it. we can help them, give them equipment. send our men out there as advisors. but they have to win it. the people of vietnam against the communists. >> kennedy felt that the united states had to draw a line against communist expansion but the soviets supported the north vietnam regime. we supported the south. >> it's what becomes known as the domino theory. if south vietnam falls, then all the rest of southeast asia laos, cambodia, the philippines, they might be defeated. >> as i believe i reported upon my return from previous visits, i'm very much encouraged by the progress the south vietnamese have been making and the assistance our forces have rendered to them. >> when vietnam started up, they believed that they so expertly micro managed the cuban missile crisis that they can do the same in the southeast asian natio

, there's no choice inn cuba. my whole problem, i want the relationship between tht u.s. and cuba to change but it has to be resiple. >> the president is in fact going to the only latin america military dictatorship. how does that benefit the united states at all? does it make us any safer to have a cuban embassy in washington? no, it makes us less safe and does it benefit the people of c ca in any way? >>reporter: the last and only sitting u.s. president to visit cuba was calvin coolidge back in 1928 which wasas close to 90 years ago. look for live reports from calvin hughes and local 10 news reporter hatzel vela next month. >>> a robbery bordering really on bizarre. a knife-wielding man here threatening a clerk for cash. this all happening a a mobile gas station on west broward boulevard. the clerk in the heat jersey there making the won clean out the register. if you have ana information, you recognize that guy, please give police a call. >>> a teen arrested in a deadly new year's crash in queen now has been ch

the embargo is only hurting the people of cuba right now and we saw that. because some of the living conditions there are deplorable. the buildings are falling apart. it is because they don't have the materials and infrastructure. >> a change is coming. no matter how it happens, change is going to happen. it has been a long time since i have been to cuba. 2006 in guantanamo bay. >> i hear going back will be fun because the rolling stones will be there. >> thank you very much for your report jeff. you can count on us to continue to bring you complete coverage of president obama's historic visit to cuba. i will be there with the president every step of the way. that visit is scheduled next month on the 21 and the 22. >> so much change. >> happening so quickly. >>> changing the punishment when it comes to marijuana. >> we will show you tampa's plan to focus on fines rather than jail time. >> plus, we told you about an elderly couple victimized by a con artist. their roof full of leaks. we will show you how a bay area roofer came to the rescue. >> 74 degrees. a

it certainly was high praise for cuba, and cuba does get a lot of prestige simply by hosting this meeting for two to three hoursrs and then the pope is going to fly on to mexico. >> janine: well, and i think thiss now the second time that pope francis has been here and has sort of brokere these meetings between entities that haven't spoken in a long time, and that seems to be something thth he's good at. >> victor: ground breaking uff, healing these ties between the eastern and western christianity here. again, he said right out of gate, what pop francis said was they spoke as brothers, they have t same baptism and they're both bishops. unity he said is made by walking. >> janine: one thing he did not say but we believe something they may have spoken about is war on christians in africa, in the mideast, and that is sort of common ground between the two. >> michael: that is an important part apparently of this meeting, was their shared concern over the murders by isis and al-shabab and other terroristic jihaddist groups, muslim groups, jihaddist muslim groups which have been killing christ

. >> reporter: another big milestone for tampa bay and cuba on march 22nd the rays will be in cuba to play the cuban team. it is the first mlb team to go to cuba to play since 1999. >>> two days before the republican primary in south carolina polls show donald trump is in the lead. latest cbs news poll shows donald trump leading the pack. another poll gives senator ted cruz a narrow lead. craig boswell is keeping tab on the canidates in south carolina. >> reporter: pope francis is sounding off on donald trump. he responded to a question about trump's pledge to build a a person who thinks only of building walls and not of building bridges is not christian. the trump campaign has yet to comment. a poll shows donald trump with a 2-1 advantage over ted cruz. the only canidate left out of the top five in the poll is jeb bush. he stopped by a farmers market sunday morning. >> i ask for your support on saturday. >> reporter: governor nikki haley appeared at a town hall event with marco rubio after endorsing him for president on wednesday. >>i'm here to ask you for your vote. i'm as conservat

president has visited cuba since 1928. president obama hopes to advance the progress made between the two countries as well as improve the lives of the cuban people. natalie joins us live with more on the president's trip. >> the president began his two- -will begin his two day trip to the island on march 21 and the white house says normalizing relations with cuba will be a cornerstone of his legacy and counting on the first lady to help make the trip a success too. many cuban political leaders in an off the cuff moment chatting with reporters president obama had a light demeanor about his up coming significant trip to cuba. >> it will be fun when we go. >> fun aside the white house says the president intends to press the cuban government to do more to move towards democracy and a cuban government. >> we see it as a means to push forward the process trying to achieve a greater opening between the united states and cuba. >> south florida congress woman highlighted american values to blast the president's decision. >> the tr

and qrv cuba. since then, both embassies have opened, o in washington and one in havana, secretary of state john kerry also visid the island and now the culmination with a visit from president obama march 21st. but in order for the normalization of relations to happen, there w a trade so to speak. ed a alan gross' freedom and the three known as the cuban five in federal prison were also released. >> -- ignored the judicial powers, ignore edd to the supreme court and wasn't held by any court and just the decision on his own showing what his leanings are. leans more to the left and to us it is insulting. >> hernandez was serving a double life sentence with no possibility of parole and he was the head of the one that informed them. and yeteven the united states actually facilitated hernandez and wife getting pregnant. >> it is insulting to intelligence of the community here and to the people that they did so much haham. i can't see how the united states that i knew and loved could do a thing like this

and cuba. >> u.s. airlines will have flights between any state in the united states and anywhwhe in cuba. >> and raul castro and president o bhavment more than 100 round trip flights in and out of cuba possible. other cities in the country. starting next week u.s. ain airlines will start bidding to routes in the decade way decision to be made this summer. >> u.s. carriers will have 15 days to submit their application to the city that they want to rve 20 u.s. and cuba. meanwhile tourism still not lewd. u.s. citizens must clarify their reasons for going to@ cuba under 12 categories. like visiting family.. humanitarian work. a keylement to the broader policy of normalize regulations between the two countries so this, you know, this is more people to people contact. >> reporter: and that deal is set to be signed esday. it will not affect how charter flights are operating. reporting live in miami airport. waltlt morris. 7 news. >> >> belkeys: a smash and cash ate south florida restaurant. throwing throa age

president will step foot in cuba. president obama stweeting next month i will travel to cuba to advance our efforts that can improve the eives of the cuban people. we still have difference with the cuban government t tt will i will raise directly. america will all stand for human the president will travel with first lady michelle obama to the island onarch 21 for a two day visit. last time it happened is when president cool aj and his wife took a battleship to havana in 1928. >> the opening to cuba olds out real promise to im improving the lives the cuban people. >> this is part of it. >> and activist say since relations were improved 22 count treatment short terms of protesters has are risen from several hundred to about 1000 monthly. >> today the united states of of america ishanging it's relationship with the people of bacu >> reporter: the president set this day in mot i2014 whhe.s. govnment opened cub en last ye thean emb the u.s. embassy in also opened it's door. earlier this week the obama administration gave a

and cuba. president barack obama will make a historic visit to cuba next month according to a senior administration official. today the white house will plans. and now this is the first time, listen to this, in more than 80 years that a sitting u.s. get that, more than 80 years. now not everyone thinks the good idea. >> our senator marco rubio is totally against it. the republican presidential candidate explain idea at a town hall in south carolina. >> and i'll tell you the problem with the cuban government, it's not just a communist tick at a or theship, dictatorship. and now they have access to billions of dollars in resources that they didn't have access to before this opening. >> and texas senator ted cruz also slammed the trip. >>> some american businesses though are in support of the new relationship with cuba. news channel 8's jeff patterson is the only bay area tv reporter in havana right now. this morning, hi shows us how lifting the embargo could profit american companies but ready. >

going to china and obama going to cuba? >> well, i'm not going to be an apologist for the nixon policy engagement with china, but an argument can be made that the chinese model is quite different from the cuba model. >> michael: she says thatt when richard nickson went to china he was dealing from a pition of strength. she says obama going to cuba is dealing from a position off weakness. here is helping the cuban people. we are in the video port this afternoon, back to you. >> calvin: and tas you can imagine, the president's trip to cuba is not making a lot of people happy in the exile community here in south florida. local10's hatzel vela continues our live team coverage from southwest miami-dade. hatzel. >> hatzel: calvin, you speak to members s the cuban exile community and they'll tell you they are not too happy that he is going, i say it's too son, but now that he's going they feel he should take with them a pro-democracy message and they staih he misis must m%et with dissidents. too many concessions by the president,

we were snapping photographs of what was going on in cuba. it soon became apparent that the soviet union was developing medium-range ballistic missiles and intermediate range ballistic missile sites in cuba. kennedy informed the nation on a --r 22 from the oval office on october 22 from the oval office and it's considered the most alarming speech of the cold war. >> this sudden clandestine to station strategic weapons for the first time outside soviet soil is a deliberately provocative and unjustified change in the status quote which cannot be accepted by this country. if our courage and our commitment are ever to be trusted him by either friend or foe. >> americans were terrified. we had no idea what was going to happen. to all-outwould lead nuclear warfare between the united states and the soviet union potentially leading to world war iii. >> there was a selected group of air force pilots who had been trained through the dragon lady program. that's the nickname of the u-2 and rudolph anderson was in this group from the beginning. allegedly

to havana and other cities throughout cuba. >> is cuba ready for that? >> no. no. but that's okay, let cuba deal with that problem. i think from our side, what is should not be restricting access for our people to the cultures and people of other countries. >> reporter: sarah silverman is with the center for democracy in the americas and helped organize the congressional trip to cuba. she believes this will make it easier for americaning to travel here and eventually, she thinks cuba will catch up to the increase in people visiting. >> the easier it can be to get here, the better and the cubans understand that this is a tsunami and they have a lot of work to do to create more hotel rooms. to create more infrastructure to make it work and they are hard at work doing that. >> reporter: hard at work getting it done. but as i'm finding out, very quickly. jeff patterson, newschannel8. >> and newschannel8 is the only television station covering the congressional delegation's trip to cuba. the exclusive reports from havana all week. >>> do you remember the record- ball ja

, there's no choice in cuba. and so my whole problem-- i want the whole relationship between the us and cuba change but it has to be reciprocal. and so today a year and two months after the opening of cuba, the cuba government remain as repressive as ever but now >> warner: even so, the white house said lawmakers from both parties will accompany the president. for the pbs newshour, i'm margaret warner. >> woodruff: for more on this, i'm joined now by william leogrande, a specialist in latin america at american university, he's written a number of books on u.s.-cuban relations. welcome back to the "newshour", good to see you. >> thank you. >> woodruff: how big a deal is this visit by the president next months? >> i think it's historic and when we look back on it i think it's as signature as richard nixon's 1972 trip to china which was the symbolic break in the old policy and a new policy of engagement with china. in the same way this trip by president obama is symbolic of the fundamental shift that he made in u.s.

what brought you to cuba? >> interest in the people and culture. >> reporter: kathleen brought her daughter her from north carolina. it's her second trip. since you have been here before what have you noticed about change? >> a lot of americans. tons of difference. much more building going on. >> reporter: steve has been bringing american tourists to cuba for more than 20 years and believes the agreement signed yesterday allowing daily commercial flights make it cheaper and easier to get her for many americans. the question now is where will the flights come from? we talked about it while riding in the back of a 56 pontiac. they say they can fly from other markets in the united states. where might that be? >> they will concentrate on . some of the bigger cities like chicago, los angeles, new york, houston's those places will certainly have flights. >> reporter: u. s. airlines have 15 days to submit applications to make daily flights to cuba possible. in the havana cuba jeff patterson news channel 8. >> jeff wi

airlines have days to apply for new routes to cuba. where those flights might be coming from next. >>> those stories posture storm team eight forecast and sports with dan lucas coming up and news channel 8. the station >>> right now on news channel 8 at 6:00. >>> a drug heist goes very wrong for the bad guy. he's taken down and knocked out by a customer. >>> the magic man keeps on misbehaving cashing in on the fight he was never supposed to box in. >>> exclusives coverage from cuba. a new deal could make travel to good evening i'm stacie schaible. >> i'm keith cate and thanks for joining us. a drug store beat down caught on tape. a man goes in a drug store says he has a gun at the man's narcotics but it becomes clear he picked the wrong place at the wrong time. surveillance video shows a customer jumping into action taking down a would-be thief and holding him until police arrived. john rogers spoke with the customer and joins us live from sarasota. this works out well in the end but the customer took a big chance. he had a gun.>> repo

latin american people do look after cuba in terms of direction. and what they'd like to be able to emulate. that gives american companies like ours to sell not only to the cuban market. but to all of latin america. very advantage terms. cuba has very good treaties that we don't have. talk to us about the factory itself. where it will be. how big it will be. the factory is going to be at a special development i don't know that the cubans put in place. the terms for investment are very good in terms of facilities, we build 100 to #00 for the first you we believe that will provide employment at the beginning for around 30 people. and up to 300 over the next five years. >> that's fantastic. >> what kind of concerns do you have about this venture over all. >> there's a couple of concerns, the main one being the embargo, or the blockade as they call it in cuba. we believe that that will disappear over time. hopefully sooner rather than later. as soon as that disappears much of the problems that we foresee will no longer be there. the other thing that ma

pat: he visited cuba and mexico. there's a reason why people are running away from cuba and mexico and trying to get into the united states and why the united states can't take everybody on earth and needs to build a security fence or some kind of wall to protect our country. john: let's not forget, either, that the vatican, in rome, is surrounded by wall. should those walls be taken pat: those walls were there to prevent various invasions -- muslim invasions and other invasions. one of the popes, as you know, john, had to deal with attila the hun. would you like to have a wall to protect yourself from him? clarence: i have been across the bridge in front of that. the vatican has a bridge in front of it. they have walls and bridges. that's what the pope was saying, it's better to build bridges than walls and that was a very benign statement in my view. eleanor: and the audience he spoke to in mexico, he really is a beacon of hope for a lot of people who feel they're marginalized in this world so i think that's his me

going to china and obama going to cuba? >> well, i'm not going to be an apologist for the nixon policy engagement with china, but an argument can be made that the chinese model is quite different from the cuba model. >> michael: she says thatt when richard nickson went to china he was dealing from a pition of strength. she says obama going to cuba is dealing from a position off weakness.

, has made it no secret that he planned to make a trip to cuba, and he said he will go to cuba with first lady michelle obama on march 21st and 22nd, an overnight trip, as part of an overseas trip to argentina and elsewhere. any president in his series of tweets says we still have differences with the cuban government, but he believes his trip there will help facility progress towards a more open and civil society, and in fact the president announced that he in addition to meeting with recall all castro, the president, he will meet with elements of civil society that translates to human rights advocates, and civil rights advocate within cuba. he said that was something that was a predicate before he could go on to cuba. that evidently has been ironed out. the last trip by a u.s. president was in 1978 and calvin coolidge. >> how does this visit play into the presidential race? >> reporter: well, this is g is the president wants to do. and i think the presidents and democrats consider it a winner. if you look at the polling conducted around this historic opening, even cuban americans in sou

president visited cuba. the nigig team's robin simmons is live in the satellite center with the late-breaking details on all of this. >> reporter: it is really worth noting that the cuba embargo is still in place and so we will not so it completely opened to tourists until congress opens the embargo, but it appearsrs that president obama is just weeks from being the first sitting president to visit cuba. >> december 17th, 2014, president obama announcing the renewal of relations. the goal reopening embassies, and just four months later he met with castro for the first time at the summit of the americas in panama, president

the president's trip could happen in march but soon all of cuba. >> reporter: that's right. cuba are charter flights. soon commercial airlines could start bidding for 110 u.s. cuba flights a day. some will likely be from this airport. the airlines are bidding over the next two weeks. last year nearly 74,000 people traveled from tampa to cuba. i'm also digging deeper to figure out how the upcoming election could change our relationship with cuba. republican presidential marco rubio and ted cruz have cuban roots and vow to cut cuban ties if elected. they say they have seen no change in cuba's oppressive regime. president obama said cuba is making big strides. today we'll learn if the flight to cuba could coincide with the i'll be back with that part of the story at 6:30. >>> senator ted cruz is responding to donald trump's threat to sue him calling a lawsuit frivolous. trump is upset over an ad being run by cruz saying donald trump is pro-choice. >> if you want to challenge this ad file a lawsuit. >> in a statement trump said he is pro-life and would not support taxpayer funding for pl

. >>> right now at 5, president obama is going to cuba. >> we've also been engaging the cuban american community that follows these issues very closely. >> and not everyone with south florida ties is happy about it. >> he's supposed to be the standard barrier for the values we stand for for our american ideals. >> tonight the president's plan for a historic visit. and when president obama goes to cuba next month it will be the first time an american president has done that in nearly nine decades. >> and he's not going alone. the first lady will be with him. we have live team coverage beginning in the control room the president hopes to accomplish. innataliea. >> we know what the white house hopes to accomplish. cuban american political leaders are harshly criticizing and one calling it shameful and the other urging to cancel the trip all together. in a move that will be part of his legacy president obama will announce he will take a trip not taken by a president since color t.v. next month i'll travel to cuba to advance our progress and efforts to improve the lives of the cuban people.

position towards cuba has in some sense beshared them. for many decades the united states represented the interest of the people of cuba. and there is a threat at this moment, that the interest of the party in cuba. and so it's an opportunity for president obama to emphasis that america stands with the people of cuba. even though at the moment, we are diplomatically enganging with the castro regime. but there has to be accountable for past crimes. innocent killings, and there has to be a brighter future and that future cannot be based on single party dictatorship and on lies about the past. and so it is a historic moment, and it is great opportunity to speak for the disdents in cuba, president obama could meet some of these individuals and that would be a great testament to the fact that the united states sees a freer future for them. >> mariane smith, thank you for getting us your opinion. >> thank you. >> it is the first time in 20 years the price has increased. part of emergency measures in a country that has the highest inflation rate

but some say the us hasn't done enough to force cuba to treat its people better. i looked into what has changed since december and here's what i found: - new embassies have opened in washington and havana - u.s. businesses are now allowed to export products to cuba - flights as we mentioned as well as us cell service now available on the island. here's what i'm working on now-- interesting to see what happens when we get a new president in the white house. i'll explain how those running with cuban roots could make a suprising change in that relationship. live at tia, sarah hollenbeck, 10news wtsp this morning on the effects of the zika virus. evidence suggests the virus can potentially infect the fetus. research in the "lancet infectious disease" detected the virus in the amniotic fluid of two women whose babies developed the birth defect, microcephally. two giant tech companies are questioning the government's court order to break into the i-phone belonging to one of the san bernardino killers. both apple and google say the invasion of privacy could have negative