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Alan Gross is an American who has spent more than four years imprisoned in Cuba. His wife says he told her he can't take life in prison much longer.

U.S. Government Contractor Marks Five Years In Cuban Detention

Alan Gross was working for USAID, to bring Internet access to Jewish Cubans. The Cuban government sentenced him to 15 years in prison.

Cuban refugees float in heavy seas 60 miles south of Key West, Fla., in 1994. The Obama administration is ending a two-decades-old policy of allowing Cuban refugees to stay in the U.S. if they can make it to U.S. soil.

Obama Administration Ends Refugee Policy That Favored Cubans

The so-called wet-foot, dry-foot policy let Cuban migrants stay if they arrived on U.S. shores but not if they were intercepted at sea. Now they face the same rules as people from other countries.

Hanan Isweiri is a Ph.D. student at Colorado State University. She flew to Libya in January to visit with family after her father's death. She was able to re-enter the U.S. Saturday.

Travel Ban Keeps Scientists Out Of The Lab

The Trump administration's travel ban is preventing some researchers from returning to the U.S. Scientists fear this could negatively impact collaborations and international scientific meetings.

A plane sits at Melbourne Airport in December, ahead of the Australian Open. The country will reopen its international borders to visa holders and fully vaccinated travelers on Feb. 21.

Australia will reopen to fully vaccinated travelers in 2 weeks

Doubly vaccinated travelers will be welcomed starting Feb. 21, nearly two years after it first closed its border. The move is seen as relief for its tourism industry.

Web-Based System Finds Missing Foreign Students

When five foreign students from Egypt didn't show up for a month-long course at a Montana university, a web-based tracking system went into action. The system had been created in 2001. A manhunt ensued and the missing students were located within a matter of days. It turns out they had come to find jobs, not to study.

A statue of George Washington, in the U.S. Capitol's Rotunda.

Thursday Morning Political Mix

Some in Congress are raising the possibility of a short-term budget deal to put off a government shutdown by a week... Republicans seem to be shifting the Obamacare fight to the debt-ceiling debate... Sen. Ted Cruz isn't exactly beloved by his fellow Senate Republicans.

Sponsors Monitor Corruption Charges Against Soccer Officials

The arrest of 7 FIFA officials in Zurich is raising questions for corporations that underwrite soccer's main event, the World Cup. Coca-Cola, Adidas and others are withholding public comment for now.

Queens University of Charlotte students attend an event, organized by the Latin American Student Organization (LASO), on Feb. 24, 2025.

'It’s a little weird': Trump’s social media vetting rules stir international student worries

Some international graduates from Queens University of Charlotte received a message alerting them to new requirements around providing the government access to their social media profiles. The message comes after expanded guidelines from the Trump administration that are aimed at "vetting" international students.

State Department Expels 15 Cuban Diplomats

The order to cut staff at the Cuban embassy comes a few days after the U.S. embassy in Havana downsized dramatically after attacks caused serious health problems for American officials in Cuba.

Judge blocks Trump administration's effort to bar Harvard from enrolling international students

The preliminary injunction prevents the federal government from revoking Harvard's ability to enroll international students.

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