By Sarah Ferris, CNN

(CNN) — Senate Republicans have formally removed funding for President Donald Trump’s ballroom security as part of their sprawling immigration funding package, according to revised legislative text released Wednesday.

The decision to drop the ballroom funding, which had sparked significant debate among lawmakers, is not a complete surprise, though it is likely to frustrate Trump. Senate GOP leaders had already acknowledged that the language would have derailed the entire immigration package, both politically and procedurally, after the chamber’s official rule-keeper determined that it violated the highly specific budgetary rules governing the legislation.

If the language remained in, it would have required 60 votes to move forward, meaning Democrats would have been able to filibuster the bill — preventing the White House from receiving $70 billion for ICE and border patrol.

Some GOP senators also had political concerns, worried that funding the ballroom as Americans wrestle with cost-of-living issues ahead of the midterms would portray them as out-of-touch.

In a statement, the White House downplayed the funding’s removal from the package, suggesting it was the result of parliamentary rules and not political pressure on Republicans. Trump has previously urged the Senate GOP to fire the parliamentarian and expressed frustration they would not do so.

“The parliamentarians decision was reported weeks ago. This framing is false as it implies that republicans removed it deliberately rather than under parliamentary pressure,” the White House said Wednesday.

Construction on the ballroom is already underway, and it is unclear how Congress not appropriating money might affect that. Before discussions in Congress kicked up over security funding, Trump had said the ballroom would be funded by private donations, including from himself. The project is of keen interest to the president, who recently invited reporters to come tour the construction site as he highlighted some of the security benefits.

The Senate GOP’s initial text included nearly $1 billion for “security adjustments and upgrades” to the White House ballroom project, as well as other pots of security money after the assassination attempt against Trump this spring. Administration officials had sought to clarify that only about $200 million would go toward the East Wing project, with the rest going toward other security efforts.

The debate had become a major flashpoint among Senate Republicans as they tried to muscle through a roughly $70 billion immigration funding package. White House officials fought hard to convince GOP senators to keep the money, dispatching Secret Service director Sean Curran to join lawmakers to a Senate GOP lunch, while Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin spoke to other groups of Republicans on the Hill.

But ultimately, Senate GOP leaders were unable to find a workaround after the chamber’s parliamentarian formally declared it against the budgetary rules necessary to bypass the filibuster.

This developing story has been updated.

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CNN’s Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.

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Por Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Español

La cadena española Meliá Hoteles, la mayor operadora extranjera de hoteles en Cuba, anunció que deja de operar y comercializar los 15 establecimientos en la isla, una decisión que se suma a la de otras empresas extranjeras tras las amenazas de Estados Unidos de congelar activos de entidades que apoyen en sectores clave de la economía del país caribeño.

La firma hotelera resolvió que su filial, la entidad portuguesa Ilha Bela, concluya “de forma inmediata la prestación de los servicios de gestión y comercialización, así como la cesión de uso de las marcas hoteleras”, según informó en un comunicado.

El texto indica que la decisión fue tomada “desde un profundo sentido de responsabilidad empresarial y responde y es consecuencia de una combinación de circunstancias sobrevenidas ajenas a la capacidad de gestión o actuación de Ilha Bela”.

El lunes, la canadiense Blue Diamond, la tercera mayor cadena extranjera en Cuba, también comunicó a operadores turísticos el cese total de operaciones, que incluye las marcas Royalton, Memories, Starfish, Mystique y Resonance. También el lunes la aerolínea Iberia suspendió sus operaciones en Cuba, una medida que ya había sido anunciada en abril.

El próximo viernes 5 se cumple el plazo fijado por Estados Unidos a las empresas extranjeras para deshacer sus lazos económicos y empresariales con Cuba y las empresas del conglomerado de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias (FAR), Gaesa.

El éxodo apuntala la crisis del turismo, que es esencial para la economía cubana y ya venía sufriendo una crisis desde la pandemia y que fue agravada por el bloqueo petrolero de EE.UU.

En los últimos años, incluso en plena pandemia de covid-19, las autoridades apostaron por invertir en el sector hotelero, que no alcanzó las cifras de ocupación previa a la crisis de 2020 y ahora vuelven a bajar. Entre enero y abril, Cuba recibió a 328.608 turistas internacionales, menos de la mitad que en el mismo período de 2025, según datos de la Oficina Nacional de Estadística e Información.

La Unión de Agencias de Viajes (UNAV) de España afirmó que las ventas están siendo “muy complicadas” en Cuba y agregó que la situación política y económica invita a que clientes se decanten por otros destinos de la región como Riviera Maya (México), Punta Cana (República Dominicana) o Cabo Verde.

Meliá informó que al cierre del primer trimestre la ocupación de sus establecimientos en el país fue del 34,1 %, un descenso de 6,5 puntos con respecto a los primeros meses de 2025, y muy por debajo de la media de sus cartera (58,8 %).

La cadena también aseguró que la decisión tiene un impacto limitado porque “la gran mayoría” de los 15 hoteles ya estaban cerrados y sin actividad, como consecuencia de los problemas energéticos y de caída de la demanda.

Los establecimientos que la compañía deja de operar son Gran Hotel Bristol Habana Vieja Member of The Meliá Collection, Innside Catedral Habana, Meliá Buena Vista, Meliá Cayo Santa María, Meliá Jardines del Rey, Meliá Las Dunas, Meliá Península Varadero, Paradisus Los Cayos, Paradisus Princesa Mar, Paradisus Río de Oro, Paradisus Varadero, Sol Caribe Beach, Sol Cayo Santa María, Sol Río de Luna y Mares y Sol Varadero Beach.

El Gobierno de Donald Trump acusa a GAESA de acumular en secreto los beneficios de las industrias más valiosas del país y de utilizarlos en beneficio del ejército y de la élite cubana. El martes, Cuba rechazó las acusaciones de corrupción en un comunicado sobre GAESA, y señaló que Washington intenta confundir al pueblo y a la opinión pública internacional.

“(GAESA) no es una estructura opaca, ni paralela al Estado cubano; ha sido, por el contrario, una respuesta articulada de probada eficiencia frente al cerco económico que históricamente ha tratado de asfixiar a la Revolución cubana”, indicó el Gobierno castrista.

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By Kit Maher, CNN

(CNN) — President Donald Trump is suggesting that the UFC lighting grid, known as “The Claw,” will stay on the White House South Lawn well beyond the fight there later this month.

In a video on TikTok posted Tuesday, Trump compared the structure to the Eiffel Tower, which was supposed to be destroyed 20 years after its original construction.

“Many don’t know that in Paris, France, the Eiffel Tower — 1889 it was built. It was supposed to be taken down immediately after the World’s Fair, and then they said, ‘You know, we sorta like it, let’s leave it up a little bit longer.’ Well, they never took it down,” Trump said.

“And, you know, we’re building something in front of the White House that’s quite attractive to a lot of people,” he continued. “It’s going to have the big UFC fight on June 14, and I’m looking at it — and maybe we’ll never, ever take it down.”

It’s unclear if Trump was making the comment in jest or if he actually wants to keep the massive structure, which is decorated like the American flag and is taller than the White House. Both Trump himself and White House staffers frequently use social media to try to incite outrage among their critics.

Keeping the Claw would be a huge hassle, logistically. Trump’s arrivals and departures on the South Lawn have been temporarily halted, given the area where the UFC fight will take place covers where Marine One typically lands and departs. Instead, Trump has been motorcading to-and-from Joint Base Andrews for trips on Air Force One. The South Lawn is also frequently used to host large events.

But it wouldn’t be the first time Trump bends typical practice to put his stamp on both the White House grounds and Washington, DC, more broadly. He’s rapidly made other controversial changes to the presidential home, including demolishing the East Wing, paving the Rose Garden, gilding the Oval Office, redoing the storied Lincoln Bedroom bathroom and creating “The Presidential Walk of Fame,” featuring descriptions of past presidents in Trump’s notorious Truth Social voice.

He’s also moved quickly to change parts of Washington in the name of the America 250 celebration, painting the bottom of the Reflecting Pool in “American flag blue” and restoring fountains throughout the city.

UFC CEO Dana White was spotted walking into the West Wing on Monday, about 24 hours before the video was posted to Trump’s TikTok. UFC is paying for expenses associated with the hot-ticket event and the relevant construction, an estimated cost of about $60 million. White told Sports Business Journal that UFC plans to pay $700,000 just to re-sod the grass of the South Lawn, where the “Claw,” audience stands and the Octagon will sit.

“Because we’re going to f**k up the South Lawn, $700,000 just to replace the grass,” he said.

The White House is heavily promoting the UFC event, which takes place on Flag Day and Trump’s 80th birthday, including posting an image Wednesday of a jacked Uncle Sam on the White House X page.

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