...THAT is the question.

Today, as in the last 17 years, the United Nations is taking up a resolution, demanding that the United States end its trade embargo on Cuba. Every year, the measure has overwhelmingly passed. This year, the same is expected.

But, this year, the resolution comes with a bit of a change, in the American attitude towards Cuba. Since President Barack Obama took power, he's slowly tried to ease tensions with the communist island. Yet, the embargo remains in place. And, there are no signs that that will change. Some say the reason is simple: Florida.

The southern U.S. state is among the most important, when it comes to national politics. Arguably, no one can become president of the U.S. without winning the "Sunshine State" - as we all saw in 2000, when George W. Bush took the White House, thanks to the close vote in Florida. Cubans make up a significant portion of that vote, in the heavily populated area of Miami. And, in Washington, the Cuban lobby is also quite strong - with 5 Cuban-American members of Congress.

As a result, presidents from BOTH political parties have shyed away from eliminating the embargo. But, will Barack Obama be different?

One thing going in his favor is the growing generational divide within the Cuban-American community. Namely, younger Cubans are more and more inclined to support the end of the embargo. I can make that claim, because I am one of those young Cuban-Americans. My generation (known by some, as "Generación Ñ") did not grow up, during the early years of the Castro regime. We did not experience the brutality of the revolution. We did not see the drastic changes that happened in Cuba, after Fidel Castro took power. And, for a large group of us (myself included), we weren't even born on the island. Therefore, a lot of people in "Generación Ñ" see the embargo elimination, as a good change. After all, the embargo hasn't resulted in democratic change on the island. So, a new plan is probably a good idea. No??

Only time will tell what Pres. Obama plans to do. But, like he said during the presidential campaign, it's time for a "change" - both in U.S. policy and in Havana's government.

Hey there, everyone...

First of all, Hala continues to be off for most of the week. She'll be back, before you head back to your weekend. Isha is manning the later edition of I-Desk, while Hala is on holiday this week.

Now, for the news - It was a busy and deadly weekend in Iraq and Afghanistan. Starting in Iraq, where the country is mourning the deadliest attacks in two years. Well over 100 people were killed in Baghdad, hundreds more wounded. In Afghanistan, helicopter-related deaths ruled the weekend, as more than a dozen NATO servicemembers, most of them American, were killed. So, what's the solution in either country? For Iraq, the U.S. still plans on pulling out, despite the surge in violence after their forces left small towns in June. In Afghanistan, the opposite plan appears to be in play, with U.S. Pres. Barack Obama considering an increase in boots on the ground. Are these the right courses of action?

Now, for the accused war criminal. Radovan Karadzic refused to appear in court Monday - essentially, boycotting his own war crimes trial at the Hague. Karadzic claims he hasn't had enough time to prepare for his trial. Should the judge force him into court? Or, should he grant more time?

Those are the biggest stories we're following right now at the I-Desk... Of course, if that changes, we'll have the latest for you.

See you then!
J the P

Hey there, everyone...

Hala is on holiday all week. Isha is filling-in most of the week. When she's not in, we'll have a guest appearance from BackStory's Michael Holmes.

No matter who's at the helm of the I-Desk, we'll continue bringing you the latest stories with live reports from around the world. And, from what we can tell from this weekend, Pakistan and Iran will most likely be among our biggest stories this week - with a suicide attack in southern Iran, and the military offensive in Pakistan.

Starting with Iran, dozens of people were killed. Some leaders in the government are blaming the United States, for having some kind of hand in the attack. What do you think?

And, in Pakistan, the military offensive is in full swing in South Waziristan. Is that going to be enough, to stop the Taliban?

Let us know your thoughts... We'll share some of them throughout the week. See you then, at the I-Desk!

J the P.

A few minutes before today's first edition of I-Desk, we got word of a bill approved by France's lower house of parliament. Normally, this wouldn't make news. But, this time, it caught our attention. And, here's why:

The bill aims at cracking down on illegal internet downloads. It's an issue that has plagued the "information superhighway" for several years. Countries all over the world have made attempts at stopping internet piracy... And, frankly, most have failed. But, in this law, France proposes suspending internet use for people caught performing illegal downloads. That's right, lawmakers want to cancel the internet for online criminals.

The law has already gone through legal wranglings, including a ruling from a constitutional court. And, it's expected to continue moving through the court system. Yet, some are commending France's aggressive moves to stop internet piracy - namely, recording artists, artists, and producers. But, is the proposal going too far? And, more importantly, can it even be enforced?

For now, the law remains in parliament. The next step is for a joint committee to take a look at it and vote. But, there's little doubt, that if it's approved, the law could have a significant impact on internet users everywhere.

Hey there, everyone...

Our good friend, Michael Holmes, is back at the I-Desk. And, we're following several stories, where the common them is: anger.

First, in Afghanistan, where journalists are outraged about what happened, when troops rescued a British journalist this week, BUT left an Afghan journalist behind. We're talking live with Michael Ware in Kabul, about what people there are saying.

Anger is also coming to the forefront in Turkey. Thousands of people are now living in filth, following this week's deadly floods. That's enough reason to be mad. But, for these innocent victims of Mother Nature, they're also ticked at the government for what happened before the storm. We're talking live with Ivan Watson in Istanbul, to explain.

And, the lighter side of the anger theme comes to us from Argentina. There's little doubt that football, or fútbol, is the 2nd religion in that country. And now, for the first time in nearly 40 years, the South American football giant is about to be eliminated from the World Cup. As you might imagine, every Argentine has an opinion on what's gone wrong, including blaming the country's football icon - and the team's manager - Diego Maradona.

Finally, yesterday, we weren't able to bring you the "happiest cities in the world" list, due to breaking news out of Mexico. But, we have that list for you tonight... And, once again, Michael is smiling!

Find out why... at the I-Desk!
J the P.

Tonight at the I-Desk, you witnessed I-Desk's coverage of breaking news, at its finest. Here's what happened, behind the scenes:

About 5 minutes after the show started, we got word of the hijacking in México. At first, we heard it had happened in Cancún. Turned out, it was actually in México City. As soon as we heard about the possibility of the hijacking, I told Michael Holmes, who filled in for Hala tonight. That way, he would be aware that we were working on the story.

Once the hijacking was confirmed by CNN, we ended our Stephanie Elam liveshot, to bring you the news. Unfortunately, Michael did not have much information to report. So, we took a quick commercial break.

Literally, two seconds before we came back on the air, we received instant translation of our affiliate, TV Azteca. Just so you're aware, our producer, Mayra Cuevas, was the person translating. She did an excellent job!!! Without her voice and efforts, it would have been difficult to bring you the latest, as it happened.

For the next 35 minutes, we stayed on Mayra's translation of TV Azteca. Other CNN affiliates, including Televisa, also covered the story. When we received their live pictures, we showed them to you on the I-Desk Wall.

While that was going on, Michael jotted down notes, watched the coverage closely, and waited for our next move. That move was to wait until the situation seemed to be resolved, then turn to Michael for a quick wrap-up.

That's exactly what we did. We waited until the alleged hijackers were put in the police paddy wagon, then Michael wrapped up the story and tossed to Becky Anderson, for the start of "Connect the World".

Hope you enjoyed it... Tomorrow is sure to be another busy day, at the I-Desk!

See you then!
J the P

Hello everyone...

Once again, Hala is off. And, today, BackStory's Michael Holmes is joining us at the I-Desk.

Joining Michael will be Ivan Watson in Turkey. He's following those deadly floods, which have claimed the lives of dozens of people. We'll also show us some dramatic video of desperate people, caught up in the raging floodwaters.

Over in California, we're following the return appearance of Apple CEO Steve Jobs. He spoke at an event, just a few hours ago. It's his first appearance in public, since having liver transplant surgery a few months ago. We'll go live to a journalist, who attended the event.

Also coming to the I-Desk, Atia Abawi in Afghanistan, Nic Robertson in Libya, Ed Henry in Washington, and several others. It's a busy show!

And, at the end, find out if your city makes the list of the world's happiest places... Quick hint: Michael is VERY happy about the Top 5.

See you in a few minutes!
J the P

Hello everyone...

This week, Hala is on holiday. So, Isha is manning both editions of I-Desk all week long.

Today, we're starting with a new effort by the NATO commander in Afghanistan, to win the hearts and minds of the people. The U.S. Defense Department has released a new video, featuring General Stanley McChrystal. In the fully translated video, which is airing across Afghanistan, McChyrstal sends a message to Afghans about NATO's goals, and their role in helping their homeland.

The video comes on the same day that a Swedish group claimed U.S. forces stormed into a hospital, and tied down employees, among other things. Atia Abawi is watching both of those developments from Kabul. She'll join us live to break down the details.

Also on the docket, new comments by Iranian Pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad regarding his country's nuclear program. We're also covering a major verdict in Sudan, new Israeli settlements approved in Palestinian territories, and a BIG change for drivers on a South Pacific island. You don't want to miss that!

In the United States, today is the Labor Day holiday. So, the entire country is taking it light. So, we'll reflect that a bit, towards the end of the show... with a look at surfing and tug-of-war.

See you then!
J the P.

In the hidden streets of Ciudad Juarez, it's a sure bet that you'll find a junky injecting himself with heroine, or smoking marijuana, or snorting a line of cocaine. Just a few meters away in El Paso, you can probably see the same thing. The similarities between both places don't stop there.

They are sister cities, that share a river and a culture, among many other things. But, they lie in two different countries, with two different sets of laws. And now, one of those laws has added a wrinkle to an on-going battle against drugs, drug cartels, and deadly violence, which has claimed the lives of thousands.

Just last week, Mexico followed in the footsteps of countries around the world - most recently, its Latin American brethren, Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina - by eliminating jail-time for small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, LSD and Meth. The reason seems very logical. Mexico's government says its prisons are packed with drug users. And, with the escalating violence in that country, they'd rather make room in prison cells for violent offenders and dealers.

Across the border, in the United States, police are concerned. In fact, they claim this goes against Mexican President Felipe Calderon's war against drugs and drug cartels, which is blamed for the deaths of 11,000 people since Calderon took office in 2006. U.S. authorities say the new law in Mexico gives a green light for people to use and abuse some of the world's most dangerous drugs. But, from Mexico's perspective, the government is trying to draw a line between the users, who need help not punishment; and the dealers, who deserve to be incarcerated.

This is the latest chapter in Mexico's Drug War that stretches far beyond the river, which divides Ciudad Juarez and El Paso. It's a war, which doesn't get as much attention as Iraq and Afghanistan. It's a war fought mostly in Mexico, with U.S. weapons, and claiming innocent Mexican lives - young, old, women, men, anyone.

On Monday at the I-Desk, we're going to delve deep into this war, the new law, and what's being done to fight drug runners. Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz of Ciudad Juarez is joining Hala live on set. His fair city is caught up in the middle of the violence. And, his perspective of this drug war is unlike any other.

See you then. And, as they say in Mexico, cuidense.

(Photo of soldier standing guard as seized drugs are incinerated in Mexico – Getty Images)

Hello again, everyone...

First and foremost, we have an encore appearance by BackStory's Michael Holmes today, as he fills in for Hala. And, for those of you wondering, the very-well-rested Ms. Gorani returns on Monday.

Now, down to business:

Today, we're following Typhoon Morakot, which is slamming into Taiwan, as I'm writing this update. We have a journalist on the island, who is monitoring the situation. And, he'll join us live at the I-Desk. Of course, we'll also have the latest forecast, and a look at what's next for the strengthening storm.

Also, we're taking you Pakistan, where there are reports that Taliban leader, Baitullah Mehsud, is dead. Pakistani officials say he was killed by a U.S. drone attack; while, the United States military has not confirmed the death. We're getting the latest from Islamabad, as well as The Pentagon.

Over in Iran, just 2 days into Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's second term, a scathing report is released by Amnesty International. The human rights group claims that Iran has executed 115 people, just between the June 12th election and Wednesday's inauguration... compare that to 196 people executed between January 1st of this year and the election. An unbelievable jump! But, how does Amnesty know for sure? We're asking an official from the group, who is joining us live at the I-Desk.

Next door in Iraq, our Arwa Damon is tracking two stories. Both extremely sad. One of them is sure to make you cringe. It's a report, you just can't miss.

And, finally, a light-hearted end to the show... What do Pope Benedict and famous rapper, Snoop Doggy Dogg, have in common? We'll show you.

See you tonight... at the I-Desk.
J the P