Welcome to SCIM this. This week we're diving right into the headlines to explain the latest on protests in Cuba, new data on the opioid epidemic, and the story behind some Texas lawmakers great escape.

Then, if you've been hearing about booster shots or third vaccine doses, we'll recap what's going on, and why the US government is saying slow down guys.

Later, finding an affordable house right now feels impossible. We'll speak to some experts about why the housing market is so nuts, and how long it's going to stay like this.

And finally, we're taking a trip to the French Riviera for the Cannes Film Festival.

We're here to make you smarter and the news less overwhelming. I'm Alex Carr, let's SCIM this.

Alright, let's get to a few headlines from the week's news and give you some context on why they matter.

First up, Cuba is seeing its biggest anti-government protests in decades.

Here's what's going down.

After more than 60 years of communist rule, life on the island remains pretty hard, with Cubans dealing with political oppression and economic instability driven in part by US sanctions.

And the pandemic's impact on tourism hasn't helped. Cuba has been seeing food and medicine shortages, rapidly rising prices and frequent power outages.

Fed up, Cubans took to the streets earlier this week, calling for an end to the communist government. That didn't go over well.

Cubans on the island telling us they're cutting up power so people don't have ways to charge their suffers.

Access to Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram was blocked. There were clashes, violent clashes between protesters and police.

These to 80 demonstrators have been arrested.

These historic protests and the Cuban government's violent crackdown against them is getting a lot of attention here in the US.

Earlier this week, President Biden said he stands with the Cuban protesters, but many people want him to do more.

Though what that should look like depends on who you ask. Some advocates want the US to send humanitarian aid to the island, while some Republicans want Biden to increase support for protesters by providing satellite internet to Cubans so they can communicate with the world.

Others, like Florida Senator Marco Rubio, want Biden to get even tougher and use sanctions to punish Cuba's communist government.

And this is where Biden faces a big choice. Cuba has always been a policy challenge for the US, and decades of restrictions against the country haven't led it to a ban on communism.

But with instability on the island reaching a fever pitch, some say now is the time for the US to try to influence Cuba's future once again, leaving Biden with a big diplomatic decision to make right in America's backyard.

Our next headline is a pretty upsetting one.

Overdose deaths soared 29% last year to a record high.

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