International
Wine Tales from the White House: A historic blend of american influence
In the annals of recent U.S. history, amid episodes like the 2021 Capitol siege, America’s experience with unforeseen circumstances dates back to 1829. It was a time when the raucous celebration of the seventh president’s inauguration, Andrew Jackson, spun out of control for a clear reason: wine.
“At that time, anyone could enter the White House, and with alcohol, the crowd went wild at the inaugural party, damaging objects in the building,” detailed Frederick J. Ryan in an interview with EFE. Ryan, who served as chief of staff for former President Ronald Reagan (1981-1989) after his tenure at the White House, reveals such secrets and anecdotes in the new edition of ‘Wine and the White House: A History,’ shedding light on the historical significance of wine in the life within the president’s official residence.
“The staff had to take alcohol to the front yard of the White House to get people out of the house,” continued the author, who was one of the creators of the Politico portal in 2007 and later served as editor and executive director of The Washington Post for a decade.
Exploring Wine’s Influence
The hefty tome aims to support the educational mission of the White House Historical Association. The author recently released a second updated edition of the work that originally hit shelves in 2020, garnering 12 national and international awards since then.
“Wine has been used in diplomacy since the founding of the country. There are records of President George Washington drinking wine while planning the War of Independence,” affirmed Ryan from his office at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, where he currently chairs the board of trustees.
Tradition and Change
Ryan added that wine serves as “a tool of protocol and persuasion,” a hallmark of significant encounters with its own language: “Toasting, raising a glass at the table, is a way of showing respect.”
The White House has hosted presidents with great interest in the field, such as Richard Nixon and Thomas Jefferson, who meticulously noted the wines served at banquets. Ronald Reagan, as recounted by his former chief of staff to EFE, was familiar with the wine industry from his years as governor of California (1967-1975).
These profiles contrast with more recent ones, as three of the last four U.S. presidents are teetotalers: George Bush, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden do not drink, but wine continued to play a central role during their presidencies, with alternatives like fruit juice, water, or other beverages being served for toasts.
Wine Policy at the White House
Nevertheless, Ryan clarified that the wine quantities served at these gatherings are “moderate” because hosts and guests “are about to make important decisions.”
Currently, the White House cellar shelves exclusively hold American wines in small quantities. Instead of storing thousands of bottles for years, “the president and his staff purchase wine before each special event.”
Celebrating Cultural Diversity
The final selection always features American labels to showcase that “all 50 states now have good wine.” Thus, the geographical connection with guests is established based on other aspects, such as the vintner’s origin.
“When King Juan Carlos I of Spain visited in 2000, three different American wines produced by vintners of Spanish descent were served,” explained Ryan, offering an example while displaying the dedicated page in the book.
Paradoxically, wine remained in the White House even during the Prohibition era, leading Ryan to believe that “its presence at the presidential table will not wane,” becoming an integral part of American and global power customs.
International
ACLU seeks emergency court order to stop venezuelan deportations under Wartime Law
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on Friday asked two federal judges to block the U.S. government under President Donald Trump from deporting any Venezuelan nationals detained in North Texas under a rarely used 18th-century wartime law, arguing that immigration officials appear to be moving forward with deportations despite Supreme Court-imposed limitations.
The ACLU has already filed lawsuits to stop the deportation of two Venezuelan men held at the Bluebonnet Detention Center, challenging the application of the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The organization is now seeking a broader court order that would prevent the deportation of any immigrant in the region under that law.
In an emergency filing early Friday, the ACLU warned that immigration authorities were accusing other Venezuelan detainees of being members of the Tren de Aragua, a transnational criminal gang. These accusations, the ACLU argues, are being used to justify deportations under the wartime statute.
The Alien Enemies Act has only been invoked three times in U.S. history — most notably during World War II to detain Japanese-American civilians in internment camps. The Trump administration has claimed the law allows them to swiftly remove individuals identified as gang members, regardless of their immigration status.
The ACLU, together with Democracy Forward, filed legal actions aiming to suspend all deportations carried out under the law. Although the U.S. Supreme Court recently allowed deportations to resume, it unanimously ruled that they could only proceed if detainees are given a chance to present their cases in court and are granted “a reasonable amount of time” to challenge their pending removal.
International
Dominican ‘False Hero’ Arrested for Faking Role in Nightclub Collapse That Killed 231
A man identified as Rafael Rosario Mota falsely claimed to have rescued 12 people from the collapse of the Jet Set nightclub in Santo Domingo—a tragedy that left 231 people dead—but he was never at the scene.
Intelligence agents in the Dominican Republic arrested the 32-year-old man for pretending to be a hero who saved lives during the catastrophic incident, authorities announced.
Rosario Mota had been charging for media interviews in which he falsely claimed to have pulled survivors from the rubble after the nightclub’s roof collapsed in the early hours of April 8, during a concert by merengue singer Rubby Pérez, who was among those killed.
“He was never at the scene of the tragedy,” the police stated. The arrest took place just after he finished another interview on a digital platform, where he repeated his fabricated story in exchange for money as part of a “media tour” filled with manipulated information and invented testimonies.
“False hero!” read a message shared on the police force’s Instagram account alongside a short video of the suspect, in which he apologized: “I did it because I was paid. I ask forgiveness from the public and the authorities.”
Central America
Nicaraguan Exiles to Mark 7th Anniversary of 2018 Protests with Global Commemorations
The Nicaraguan opposition in exile announced on Thursday that it will commemorate the seventh anniversary of the April 2018 protests against the government of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo, with events in Costa Rica, the United States, and several European countries.
The commemorative activities—which will call for justice for the victims, as well as freedom and democracy for Nicaragua—will include religious services, public forums, cultural fairs, and other public gatherings, according to official announcements.
In April 2018, thousands of Nicaraguans took to the streets to protest controversial reforms to the social security system. The government’s violent response quickly turned the demonstrations into a broader call for the resignation of President Ortega, who is now 79 and has been in power since 2007.
The protests resulted in at least 355 deaths, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), although Nicaraguan organizations claim the toll is as high as 684. Ortega has acknowledged “more than 300” deaths and maintains the unrest was an attempted coup d’état.
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Dominican ‘False Hero’ Arrested for Faking Role in Nightclub Collapse That Killed 231
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