Raúl Castro Charged With Murder in U.S. Court

MIAMI—The Trump administration has secured an indictment against Raúl Castro, Cuba’s aging patriarch and former president, escalating its pressure campaign as it seeks to force economic and political concessions from the country’s Communist regime. 

Federal prosecutors charged Castro with murder, conspiracy to kill U.S. nationals and destruction of aircraft, according to court documents, dealing a blow to a leader of the Cuban revolution who remains the country’s most powerful figure despite his retirement from public life.

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Ballot delivery boost in Mobile Co. slashes reporting time after past elections lagged

MOBILE, Ala. (NBC 15) — Mobile County expedited the publishing of election results Tuesday night. Probate Judge Mark Erwin, who was overseeing his first election as judge, says he worked with cities and police departments across the county to have more people on hand to physically deliver ballots to the courthouse after polls closed. Erwin says about 50 officers were deputized so there could be one at each polling precinct to transport ballots.

"So shortly after 7pm last night, we had 78 law enforcement officers en route to Mobile County," said Erwin.

In past elections, he says one deputy was responsible for several polling locations. Having one per precinct sped up the process and precinct returns were posted online two hours after polls closed.

“In the past, 10:30 might be a great night to have everything published, so to have everything published right at 9 o’clock is a substantial shortening of that time,” said Erwin. “And again, I appreciate very much the cooperation of the municipalities and allowing us to deputize their officers to assist us in this process, and the sheriff’s office for being part of the solution here, too.”

Erwin says he hopes this becomes the new standard for election night reporting in Mobile County.

Erwin also says there were complaints from voters who were assigned to one polling location during the recent mayor's race and another for the primary election.

"There's still an awful lot of confusion in the in the city of Mobile itself over where did I vote for the municipal election versus where do I vote for federal, state, and county elections," said Erwin. "We do not want voters to give up on the process because they may have gone to the wrong location."

Erwin says he'd like to address the issue before the next municipal election.

"Not sure exactly what that would, how that would manifest, but to try to work toward maybe some uniformity between our election precincts with the county and the city election precinct," said Erwin.

Read More : Ballot delivery boost in Mobile Co. slashes reporting time after past elections lagged