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The Headlines

A Surge of U.S. Spy Planes Over Cuba, and Retailers’ $20 Billion Bet on Physical Stores

The Headlines

The New York Times

Headlines, New York Times, News, The Daily, The Headlines, News Commentary, Daily News, Society & Culture, New York Times Audio

4.3630 Ratings

🗓️ 15 May 2026

⏱️ 13 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Plus, the Friday news quiz.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

From the New York Times, it's the headlines.

0:04.8

I'm Tracy Mumford.

0:05.9

Today's Friday, May 15th.

0:07.8

Here's what we're covering.

0:12.9

The Trump administration's pressure campaign on Cuba has pushed the energy crisis there to a breaking point.

0:20.2

They've been struggling with blackouts for years due to crumbling infrastructure and other factors.

0:25.2

Then a few months ago, the U.S. effectively cut off all oil shipments to the island.

0:31.1

Now the Cuban government says it's run down its reserves completely.

0:35.4

The country's energy minister said that electricity in the capital city

0:38.6

is out for 20 to 22 hours a day. Even the delivery trucks that would carry fuel are out of fuel to run on.

0:46.8

People are sleeping on rooftops to escape the heat and buying charcoal or firewood to cook food.

0:53.1

At the same time, in the skies above Cuba,

0:56.1

there has been a growing number of U.S. military aircraft. U.S. officials told the times that

1:01.5

drones and surveillance planes have increased their reconnaissance flights as part of what's

1:06.4

expected to be a larger U.S. military buildup in the region in the coming weeks.

1:11.7

Experts say the aircraft could be used to ease drop on Cuban officials, and that the flights

1:16.7

seem to be intended to intimidate the government there.

1:20.6

Yesterday, the CIA director traveled to the island to deliver a warning in person.

1:26.0

According to American officials, he told Cuba it needs to

1:28.9

stop letting Russia and China operate intelligence posts there, and that Cuba's communist government

1:34.9

needs to make economic changes. The administration, though, hasn't specified what exactly those would be.

1:41.1

Behind the scenes, Havana and Washington have been in secret negotiations for weeks,

...

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