U.S., Cuba to Chat

The day may be coming soon when there is a McDonalds on every corner in Havana. The U.S. and Cuba are planning an informal meeting in which diplomats will begin to take measure of the possibility of improving relations. One State Department official likened the momentum to engage the island nation to "a steamroller," and said the Obama administration is going to great lengths to weigh the political implications. The meeting will attempt to determine whether there is an opportunity for formal talks on issues such as "migration, drug trafficking and other regional security matters." There will also be discussions of possible cultural and academic exchanges. But, as is standard operating procedure with Cuba, diplomats are not overly optimistic. “This thing with Cuba is going to take a lot of time, and it may not work,” one official said.