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Another Frustrating Blackout In Cuba   March 18, 2025

 

Hello, everyone. Happy Tuesday. I'm Coy Wire.

 

This is CNN 10, your 10 minutes of news where I simply tell you the what, letting you decide what to think. No opinion, no slant, just the news. Let's get caught up on some of the top news stories from around the world.

 

We start in Cuba, where a power grid collapse triggered a nationwide blackout. Cuban officials said failures at a substation in Havana Friday evening began a chain reaction that completely shut down power generation across the island.

 

blackout [ˋblæk͵aʊt] n. 灯火管制；灯暗；熄灯；停电

substation [ˋsʌb͵steʃən] n. 变电所

 

More than 10 million people were without power for days until power was gradually restored, starting in Havana, Cuba's capital, Sunday night.

 

The nationwide power outage is the fourth major loss of power in only six months.

 

For nearly a week in October last year, most of Cuba suffered near total blackouts, making it the worst energy outage in decades.

 

While Cubans are used to having their power go out more often than they'd like, this event is the latest in a series of failures for the island struggling with aging infrastructure, natural disasters and economic uncertainty.

 

go out 停止工作; 罢工

 

Cuban officials have previously blamed U.S. economic sanctions for crippling an already debilitated energy sector.

 

debilitated [dɪˋbɪlə͵tetɪd] adj. 疲惫不堪的；操劳过度的

 

Since 1962, the U.S. has imposed a full trade embargo or an official ban on trade in response to actions taken by Cuba's communist government. It remains in place today, blocking important goods and services from being imported to the island nation.

 

embargo [ɪmˋbɑrgo] n. 封港令；禁运；禁止（或限制）买卖

 

On the other hand, critics say the Cuban government has not done enough to invest in infrastructure or to keep the power grid on the island working optimally. Our Patrick Oppmann is in Havana with more, including how people there are getting by without electricity.

 

get by ph. (勉强) 过活

 

Most if not all of Cuba is in a complete blackout at the moment.

 

And the only reason we're able to do this report is because we have a generator going. That's the racket you probably hear behind me. The vast majority of Cubans are not so lucky.

 

racket [ˋrækɪt] n. 喧嚷，吵闹声

 

And so if you drive around Havana at the moment, I've not seen any streetlights that are working. It is a little bit hairy getting around the city.

 

hairy [ˋhɛrɪ] adj.  惊险的;（尤指）刺激的

 

And most people are at home sitting in the dark, trying not to open the fridge because they are afraid that they will lose the food that they have, that they have to simply wait out this latest blackout.

 

The lucky few that do have generators are searching for more gas, more diesel to keep them running.

 

And people are concerned because even though this is the fourth nationwide blackout, something that's quite extraordinary in Cuba, a place that's used to power shortages, the fourth blackout that's taken place in six months, this is not, this latest blackout is not the result of a hurricane or any kind of natural disaster.

 

extraordinary [ɪkˋstrɔrdn͵ɛrɪ] adj. 异常的；特别的，破例的

 

It has simply been caused, Cuban officials say, by a fluctuation in power.

 

fluctuation [͵flʌktʃʊˋeʃən] n. 波动，起伏不定

 

And the fact that it has brought down the entire grid, 10 million people essentially in the dark, is very concerning.

 

bring down 打落; 撂倒; 使…跌倒; 使…坍塌

 

Officials say that as the hours go by, they are working on bringing up what they call sort of micro systems, small pockets in cities around this island, and giving those small pockets power, and then bringing back larger power plants.

 

pocket [ˋpɑkɪt] n.（孤立的）小块地区

 

That has really yet to lead to any city, though, in large fraction being brought back online.

 

Havana at this hour is completely without power. And even though certain pockets of cities do have power, we're told, you know, it's not really significant. And as the hours go by, people begin to lose their food, their tempers get shorter and shorter.

 

temper [ˋtɛmpɚ] n. 脾气

 

And certainly the concern is, as we get into the summer months, that this kind of nationwide blackout could become more common.

 

Pop quiz hotshot. How many sunrises and sunsets do astronauts aboard the International Space Station experience in 24 hours?

 

One of each, 10, 16, or 24?

 

Your answer is 16.

 

Orbiting at a speed of 17,500 miles per hour, astronauts on the ISS witness a sunrise or sunset approximately every 45 minutes, resulting in 16 sunrises and sunsets in 24 hours.

 

American astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are no strangers to the 16 sunrises and sunsets that can be seen aboard the International Space Station each day.

 

They've been stuck up there for more than nine months.

 

Their trip to space aboard the first crewed test flight of Boeing's Starliner capsule was supposed to last just eight days, but due to multiple technical problems with the vehicle, they are still up there.

 

Now, Mr. Wilmore and Ms. Williams are one step closer to making their way home. The Crew 10 mission launched on Friday and docked at the ISS on Sunday, delivering the crew of astronauts who will take over duties from Williams and Wilmore.

 

Our Nick Valencia shows us how the pair have spent their extended stay in space before their planned return home this week.

 

What a long, strange trip it's been.

 

Let's get going. Now, let's put some fire in this rocket.

 

It's been a nine-month odyssey that was supposed to last about a week. Last June, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore rode on an initial wave of excitement as Boeing's Starliner capsule flew to the ISS with the crew aboard for the first time.

 

odyssey [ˋɑdəsɪ] n. 长途飘泊

 

But it was a bumpy ride, marked by helium leaks and propulsion issues, and NASA decided a return trip with astronauts on board was too risky.

 

Looking back on the extended mission, Williams told CNN it's all part of the job.

 

You do what's right for the team.

 

And what was right for the team is to stay up here and be expedition crew members for the International Space Station. So, you know, you have to just pivot. You have to change your plan and then go with it and make the best of it.

 

pivot [ˋpɪvət] v. to make a dramatic change in policy, position, or strategy

 

Both astronauts said they're looking forward to seeing their families again. NASA says Williams and Wilmore completed hundreds of hours of research and science experiments while on the ISS, including a spacewalk together.

 

We are just fortunate and thankful, though, that we have seats and we'll be coming home riding the plasma, splashing down in the ocean. So that's what we're looking forward to.

 

plasma [ˋplæzəmə] n. 电浆（一种几乎没有电荷的气体，见于太阳和其他星球上）

splash down 溅起水花坠入, 溅落

 

Now to news about a bagel boom in Beijing. Bagels are pretty common for many of us, especially here in the U.S., but across the world in China, they were never really a thing.

 

thing [θɪŋ] n. 时髦的东西

 

But recently, they've become a new must-have food craze. Let's go to our Mark Stewart in Beijing to find out why locals are paying 10 to 20 times more for the delicious rolls than they do for the more traditional snacks and buns.

 

craze [krez] n.（一时的）狂热；风尚

 

Some say they're much more than just bread with a hole. They are a whole vibe.

 

This is a new kind of bread from my perspective.

 

Is eating a bagel a cool thing to do in China?

 

At first, I thought it was quite cool because there weren't any bagels before, but now I think it's already a regular option for me. However, some people still do not quite get it.

 

The baking bustle has begun at this bagel bakery, but this isn't New York City. This is Beijing, China.

 

bustle [ˋbʌs!] n. 忙乱，喧嚣

 

You could say the city's booming with bagels in cafes, on phone delivery apps, and on social media.

 

Healthy, good-looking, and it's also a new trend.

 

This is a traditional Chinese bun, and like a bagel, it's made of flour and water.

 

But bagels cost 10 to 20 times more on average, and people are willing to pay for it.

 

One of the newest stores, Bagel Boogle, opened in Beijing just a few months ago.

 

Why do you think bagels are so popular right now in Beijing?

 

Young people, they more and more like the healthy lifestyle, and they also get so many news in the social media to know the bagel is a healthy food.

 

Today's story, getting a 10 out of 10, another curiously shaped Cheetos up for auction.

 

Check out this NBA legend, Michael Jordan-inspired Cheeto, shaped like the Jumpman logo. It's coming in flaming hot on the heels of Cheetos-Ard, the Pokemon-shaped Cheetos auctioned earlier this month for nearly $90,000.

 

This new Cheetos seemingly depicted the six-time NBA champ, his royal airness, and his iconic silhouette on the verge of dunking.

 

dunk [dʌŋk] n.【篮】灌篮，扣篮

 

Golden Auctions is bringing the collectible snack up for bid, and it begs the question, will the iconic Jumpman Cheetos surpass the nearly $90,000 Cheetos-Ard, or will Pokemon reign supreme?

 

reign supreme 称霸

 

Here's a famous Michael Jordan quote about never giving up for you to munch on. He once said, I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career.

 

munch [mʌntʃ] v. 津津有味地嚼[（+away/at/on）]

 

I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times I've been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.

 

Our shout-out today goes to my Panthers at James Hart Middle School in Homewood, Illinois. Rise up. Follow me @CoyWire on the socials.

 

Put your unique vocabulary word and definition in the comment section of the most recent post. Tomorrow is #Your Word Wednesday. We're featuring one of your words in our show, complete with a shout-out.

 

So bring it. Making an awesome day, everyone. I'm Coy Wire, and we are CNN 10.