Nick Shirley Goes Inside Communist Cuba

Last week, Nick Shirley flew to Havana to document Cuba's humanitarian crisis, one of the worst the country has faced in over 50 years. Within 24 hours, he was barricaded in a hotel room on the eighth floor, recording an emergency video with Cuban intelligence agents waiting in the lobby below. Watch Nick tell the full story of what happened.

Cuba has been under communist rule since 1959, and its economy has struggled for decades. In recent months, things have become much worse. Venezuela, once Cuba's main oil supplier, stopped providing support after Nicolas Maduro was captured earlier this year. This loss, along with the ongoing U.S. embargo and years of mismanagement, has led many to call this Cuba's worst humanitarian crisis in over 50 years. When Nick and his team arrived, they saw the effects themselves. Gas prices at $10 a liter have left the streets nearly empty. Buildings are crumbling. Hospitals often have no reliable electricity, and surgeons are said to be operating by flashlight. More than two million Cubans are living in a state of emergency, and over 96,000 surgeries are currently on hold across the country.

While filming in Havana, Nick and his security team realized they were being followed by undercover agents. As a precaution, they headed back to their hotel. When they got there, a two-star general was waiting in the lobby. That night, Nick recorded a video from his eighth-floor room, describing what was happening in real time. "This is probably the most dangerous situation I've ever been in my life right now," he said. He and his team decided to leave the next morning, earlier than planned. They took several taxis to the airport, bought last-minute tickets, and left the country. Nick posted the video to X on May 4th, and it immediately went viral. Miami-Dade County Commissioner Roberto J. González, who represents the largest Cuban-American community in the U.S., shared the video and called it "real journalism."

Nick's experience in Cuba stands in sharp contrast to what some other Americans have reported. In March, left-wing commentator Hasan Piker visited Cuba with a government-approved guide, stayed in a luxury hotel, and told his audience that Cubans were "partying in the streets" despite daily blackouts, blaming all the country's problems on U.S. sanctions. Piker did not face surveillance, equipment seizures, or agents in his hotel. When Nick posted his video, Piker responded by quote-tweeting it, saying he "obviously doesn't believe this even a little bit" and calling Nick "medically stupid" for what he assumed was propaganda to manufacture U.S. intervention. Nick fired back with a photo of the two-star general who waited outside his hotel room all night. "You wouldn't believe the truth if it were in front of you anyway," Nick wrote. "You went to Cuba and still think communism is a good idea. Are you 'medically stupid'?"

Nick's experience is not uncommon in Cuba. The country ranks 160 out of 180 on the 2026 Press Freedom Index, making it the second-worst in Latin America after Nicaragua. In January, 69 journalists were detained without cause, a 430 percent increase from the same month last year. Cuba now has 775 political prisoners, including 338 people sentenced for joining the July 11th, 2021 protests.

Nick has announced that the full video filmed inside Cuba will be released in the coming days. From what he has already shared, the footage promises to show viewers something they have never seen before.

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Two weeks ago, we covered Nick Shirley's investigation into Ilhan Omar's $30 million "accounting error" and the questions about her links to Minnesota's Feeding Our Future fraud scandal. Since then, the situation for the congresswoman has become even more troubling.

The Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee set a May 5th deadline for Omar to provide documents and communications about the case, especially any links between her office and people convicted in the scheme. Omar missed the deadline and did not submit any documents. She had already refused to testify before the committee and ignored several earlier invitations. Committee Chair Kristin Robbins said Omar had "ghosted" them completely.

With no other options, Robbins tried to issue a subpoena to Omar. The vote was 5-3 in favor, with all Republicans supporting it. However, Minnesota's House rules require a two-thirds majority, or 6 votes, for a subpoena. All three Democrats voted against it, so the subpoena did not pass and Omar was not required to provide any documents.

"It's the same story every time," Robbins posted on X after the vote. "Fraud is committed, information is suppressed, and the dysfunction continues."

Robbins said she plans to contact Congressional Republicans about issuing a federal subpoena. She pointed out that the Feeding Our Future case used federal nutrition program funds, so Congress has authority over it. She also said the federal government has a "whole menu of legal options available."

Omar sponsored the MEALS Act in 2020. Robbins and other Republicans claim this law removed oversight from the federal school nutrition program and allowed fraud to happen. Prosecutors say money meant for children's meals was used for luxury items and personal gain. Dozens of people have been charged.

If there is nothing to hide, there should be no reason to block the subpoena. What do you think should happen next? Should Congress look into issuing a federal subpoena? Let us know your thoughts by replying to this email.

Back in March, we covered New York City's $368 million homeless spending problem under Mayor Mamdani. The spending has not slowed down, but the city's ability to pay for it might be about to take a serious hit.

On Tax Day, Mamdani posted a video outside Ken Griffin's $238 million Manhattan penthouse to promote a proposed "pied-à-terre" tax on luxury properties valued over $5 million. The video has received over 52 million views. Griffin, founder of Citadel and developer of a planned $6 billion office tower at 350 Park Avenue, was singled out in the video. The project is expected to generate 6,000 construction jobs and 15,000 permanent positions. Griffin and his employees have contributed $2.3 billion in city and state taxes and $650 million in charitable donations to New York institutions.

Griffin responded at the Milken Institute Global Conference, calling the video "creepy and weird" and expressing security concerns, referencing the recent assassination of the UnitedHealthcare CEO near his residence. He announced Citadel will expand its Miami headquarters, filing new permits and increasing office space. "We will add far more jobs in Miami over the next decade as an immediate and direct consequence of the mayor's poor decision," Griffin stated. Citadel's COO, Gerald Beeson, described the 350 Park Avenue project as uncertain and criticized Mamdani's tactics as "shameful," also labeling the city's spending as "often costly and wasteful."

Other leaders have also criticized the video. Vornado Realty Trust CEO Steven Roth called it "irresponsible and dangerous." Former X Corp. CEO Linda Yaccarino described it as "one of the scariest things I have seen." Former Mayor Eric Adams requested an apology from Mamdani.

Mamdani has declined to apologize, maintaining that the city requires this revenue. However, his approach may risk losing key contributors. If high-earning residents and businesses depart, the city's financial position could worsen. We welcome your perspective on balancing necessary revenue with potential consequences. Please share your thoughts with us.