Odds and ends

·         The Herald has an unusual story on an unusual campaign tactic apparently employed by Rep. David Rivera in his re-election bid: funding of an unknown Democratic candidate in the Democratic primary election with “$43,000 in secret money.”  The candidate, Justin Lamar Sternad, was defeated by Joe Garcia, who will now face off against Rivera in November.  The story is unusual in that those involved, in this case direct mail vendors, spoke on the record about Rivera’s role.  This will be the second Rivera-Garcia contest and the first in a redrawn district less favorable to Rivera.  Garcia, a former official of the Cuban American National Foundation, would break the unanimity among Cuban Americans in Congress.  He supports President Obama’s Cuba policy and would be the first to support that part of the community that fills dozens of flights to Cuba each week.  More here from the the Wall Street Journal.

·         Granma reports on the degree of womens’ participation in politics and government on the occasion of the 52^nd anniversary of the founding of the Cuban Women’s Federation, one of Cuba’s quasi-official organizaciones de masas.

·         Nick Miroff at NPR on Bollywood, one of Havana’s new paladares.