Cuba

April 19, 2018: This week, the South Korean government and President Trump confirmed news items that seemed out of the realm of possibility just one month ago: a prospective meeting between President Trump and Kim Jong-un, and talks to formally end the over-60-years-long Korean War. President Trump also confirmed on Wednesday that C.I.A. Director and Secretary of State nominee Mike Pompeo secretly met with Kim Jong-un during Easter to lay the groundwork for the president’s own meeting in May or June. North and South Korea have technically been in an armistice since 1953, creating a demilitarized zone and a de facto border that has split the two Koreas, and along with it, the families who live on either side. The Takeaway examines the looming prospect of an end to the Korean war. Plus, we look at Cuba’s newest president and hand-picked successor to the Castro regime; a voice from the Somali community in Kansas targeted by a recent bomb plot; and a conversation with comedian Louie Anderson, who plays a mother inspired by his own on the T.V. show “Baskets.”

March 31, 2017:

1. Advocates Say N.C. Bathroom Bill Repeal is Not a Victory (8 min)

2. Federal Government Rolls Back Data Collection on LGBT Seniors (5 min)

3. Haze of PTSD Lingers When Veterans Put on The Police Badge (7 min)

4. Celebrating the Iranian New Year with Food and Family (7 min)

5. Films to Catch and Skip at the Box Office This Weekend (4 min)

6. Exploring the Evolution of Cuban Protest Music (4 min)

7.  Why Brexit Will Be a Boon for Russia (7 min)

March 21, 2016: 1. Obama Forges New Path Forward With Historic Cuba Visit | 2. Why is Trump Winning? He’s Selling Glamour – Not Policy | 3. Supreme Court Fight: Will Chief Justice Roberts Challenge Republicans? | 4. Meet the Man Who Can Remember Everything

Click on the audio player above to hear this interview.

Since the U.S. and Cuba normalized relations, Cuban migration into the U.S. has spiked exponentially, which is upsetting Central Americans, Mexicans, and other immigrant groups.

In fact, in 2015, over 40,000 Cubans entered the U.S. through land ports, according to Pew Research. Many were flying to Ecuador—until December, visas weren’t required for travel north—before they eventually made their way to the U.S./Mexico border.

At the border, Cubans are asked some simple questions and then given a temporary visa. Once on American soil, they’re given financial assistance and can apply for a green card after a year of residency.

Geoff Thale, the program director at Washington Office on Latin America, an advocacy organization advancing human rights in the Americas, talks about the spike in Cuban migration and its fallout. 

What you’ll learn from this segment:

What’s causing the dramatic spike in Cuban immigration.
How the U.S. approach to Cuban immigration has and hasn’t changed in recent years.
Why other immigrant groups resent Cubans.

February 17, 2016: 1. An Outsider’s Perspective on an Insider Candidate | 2. Immigration Envy Grows as Cubans Get Easy Access | 3. A Best in Show Pooch and Plenty of Westminster Rejects | 4. When High Fashion Meets a Wheelchair | 5. The End of Average | 6. Turkish MP: Turkey Nearing Civil War

President Obama’s announcement to begin normalizing relations with Cuba marks the most significant change in US policy toward the island nation in a half century. But as America looks to make it easier to travel to the country and establish more economic ties, what does that mean for the average Cuban or Cuban American?

Playing in a death metal band probably wasn’t a big deal in most Latin American cities in the 1980s and 90s. But in Havana, it was a different story. Daniel Alarcón talks to Radio Ambulante producer Luis Trelles, who traveled to Cuba to produce a story about the heavy metal scene in the island.