Cubama: President Obama arrives in Cuba today for the first visit to the island country by a US president in 88 years. It’s an historic warming to the country that has been frozen out of world commerce since its communist revolution kicked out a pro-American dictatorship in 1959.

The Cubans have been busily getting ready in recent weeks, paving roads and sprucing up in areas where the president is expected to travel. The people are thrilled that Obama is coming. The president will be carried back into a world frozen in 1959 improved with spotty WiFi service.

Obama has loosened some trade restrictions with Cuba by executive order, but the Republican Congress refuses to lift the economic embargo. They are unlikely to do it while Obama is president and let him take the credit.

The Rising: Anti-Trump demonstrators blocked a road to a Donald rally outside Phoenix yesterday and marched on Trump Tower in New York. In Arizona, some protesters chained themselves to cars while in New York at least one marcher carried a sign saying “Build a wall around Mar-A-Lago,” Trump’s gold plated Florida getaway.

The rising noise around Trump overshadows quieter efforts by Republican leaders to block Trump from winning their party’s nomination for president. The NY Times reports that Republican bosses have hatched a 100-day plan to derail the Trump candidacy, starting with a major effort to thwart him in the April 5 Wisconsin primary.

The Times reports that Republican conspirators are pondering whether to endorse either Ted Cruz of John Kasich, or to launch an independent in the event that Trump wins the party nomination. The paper quotes David McIntosh, president of the conservative Club for Growth, saying, “This is still a winnable race for a free-market conservative that’s not Donald Trump.” McIntosh added, “It’s not a layup, but there’s a clear path to victory.”

Permawar: A US marine was killed yesterday and several others injured in a rocket attack outside the Islamic State occupied city of Mosul. Iraq. The Marines are there to train Iraqi soldiers to fight ISIS.

State of Siege: While investigators try to get accused Paris terrorist Salah Abdeslam to talk, evidence uncovered in police raids has them concerned that more attacks were being planned. A Belgian apartment where Abdeslam’s fingerprints were found contained a large amount of ammunition and a black Islamic State flag that’s often used in propaganda and suicide attack videos.

Outbreak: As the Zika virus migrates across the Latin world, as many as a quarter of the Puerto Rico’s population of 3.5 million people is expected to contract the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Puerto Rico is warm and wet — a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Added to that, the island’s government is broke and the insecticide most commonly used against mosquitoes doesn’t work anymore.

Puerto Rico is a popular vacation getaway and stop for cruise ships. The CDC fears that it could be a gateway to spread Zika into the states.

The Royals: Two-year old George, third in line to the throne of England, calls his great grandmother the queen “Gan-Gan.” He’s the only person in the world who could get away with that.

-30-