Las Notis is a daily news column that gets you up to speed on the political, media + other going ons in Latin America and the diaspora—all in one quick digest.
- Here’s your glimpse at what’s going on today:
- As countries, including the U.S., try to ramp up their vaccinations, new research shows that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine might be effective after the first shot. Still, experts such as Dr. Fauci remain committed to F.D.A. recommendations that Americans receive two doses. [NYT]
- NASA’s Perseverance rover has sent back never-before-seen photos of Mars after safely landing there on Thursday (Feb. 18). An image, shared during a NASA press conference on Friday (Feb. 19), that shows the raver nearing Mars’ surface during entry, descend, and landing, something that hadn’t been possible to capture on previous missions. [CNN]
- Despite Puerto Rico’s governor saying earlier this month that Congress should act on legislation for Puerto Rican statehood that may be presented soon,Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said this week he would not support a statehood bill for the island. “I don’t agree with them. I am not going to support their statehood bill until we straighten Puerto Rico out,” Schumer said. [Latino Rebels]
- Just after facing intense backlash for leaving Texas to vacation in Mexico, Ted Cruz returned home and sat down for an interview with KTRK ABC13 Houston. After his team initially declined to confirm the trip and after he said he was trying to make his daughters happy, Cruz finally admitted the trip was “a mistake.” Many have continued to call for his resignation. [CNN]
- After heightened tensions, Mexican government said it was working to reverse an order from Texas Governor Greg Abbott to restrict natural gas exports. The order was issued as part of an effort to resolve widespread power outages amid a deadly storm in the state, but Mexico had protested the move since it’s working to resolve its own mass outages. [NYT]
- A new promo for this week’s episode of SNL shows Bad Bunny joking around about changing his name before his performance this weekend. The show will be hosted by Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page. [Billboard]