United States Allows More Airports to Fly to Cuba

United States Customs has approved another eight US airports for passenger flights to Cuba. This action comes after President Barack Obama announced in January that the United States would loosen U.S. travel restrictions to Cuba. This sadly does not mean that all Americans can travel freely to Cuba. Some of those allowed to travel to Cuba have relatives in Cuba, Correspondents, and Medical Professionals. This could be a precursor to possibly even more freedom of movement between the US and Cuba for all Americans; cross your fingers cigar connoisseurs.

• Below is a List of Airports Allowed to Fly to Cuba
• ATLANTA: Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Georgia
• BALTIMORE: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI), Maryland
• DALLAS: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), Texas
• NEW ORLEANS: Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY), Louisiana
• CHICAGO: Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), Illinois
• NEW YORK: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), New York
• LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), California
• MIAMI: Miami International Airport (MIA), Florida
• PITTSBURGH: Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), Pennsylvania
• SAN JUAN: Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU), Puerto Rico
• TAMPA: Tampa International Airport (TPA), Florida

Second Annual Nicaraguan Cigar Festival

The Second Annual Nicaraguan Cigar Festival – Sensations of My Country (Sensaciones de Mi Tierra) will be held form April 5th to the 8th. Participants in the festival will visit the capital Managua, and the cities of Granada, Esteli and also the fertile valley of Jalapa. Part takers will even have the chance to visit the Masaya Volcano National Park. Of course while all this is happening cigars will be constantly lit. Sponsors of the event are Drew Estate Tobacco Co., Padrón Cigars, My Father Cigars (Pepin Garcia), Placensia Tobaccos, Scandinavian Tobacco Group, N.A.C.S.A, Oliva Cigar Family, AJ Fernandez Cigars, Rocky Patel (Tabacalera Villa Cuba, S.A), San Rafael Tobaccos, GK, and Joya de Nicaragua.

Challenge to California’s Anti-Tobacco Legislation Raised

This week in California The International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association are questioning the State’s Senate’s consideration of proposed legislation that would prevent all retail tobaccos shops and other locations that have been except from the state’s current smoking bans for the past 10 years. The Senate Bill 575 wants to ban smoking in all remaining areas that have been previously exempted from the Smoke-Free Workplace laws which past over 10 years ago. This Bill would cost the state more money, small businesses, and jobs which isn’t right. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis published a study with information used by the U.S. Bureau of Statistics that proves this point. This isn’t right and goes against what this country was founded on and the right to enjoy a good smoke.