journalist and author
Author and journalist Ann Louise Bardach has covered Miami, Florida, and Cuba for many years, as a former contributor to the Daily Beast. She is the author of several books, including Cuba Confidential: Love and Vengeance in Miami and Havana and Without Fidel: A Death Foretold in Miami, Havana and Washington, and the editor of The Prison Letters of Fidel Castro. She is also a member of the KCRW Advisory Board
Cuba, without Fidel Castro, enters the Trump Era After Fidel Castro's death on Friday night, President Obama expressed hope that the warming of relations between Cuba and the United States could continue. Donald Trump and members of his transition team issued statements reflecting what Trump said on the campaign trail. "All of the concessions that Barack Obama has granted the Castro regime were done through executive order which means the next president can reverse them, which I will do unless the Castro regime meets our demands -- not my demands, our demands. Those demands will include religious and political freedom for the Cuban people and the freeing of political prisoners." Photo courtesy of Televisione Streaming We hear more about Fidel Castro's complex legacy from Nick Miroff, who reports for the Washington Post in Havana, and Ann Louis Bardach, a former journalist for the Daily Beast and the author of several books, including Cuba Confidential: Love and Vengeance in Miami and Havana, and Without Fidel: A Death Foretold in Miami, Havana, and Washington .
90 Years of History 90 Miles Away After yesterday's landing in Cuba , just 90 miles from American shores, President Obama spoke at the newly reopened US embassy. "It's been nearly 90 years since a US President stepped foot in Cuba. It is wonderful to be here." But his trip hasn't left controversy behind. The President's criticized for encouraging business deals without demanding important concessions. Meantime, the Castro regime is cracking down on the wives and daughters of political prisoners and telling dissidents Obama wants to meet to stay home. Cuba wants the end of America's economic embargo. We hear how the historic visit is going.
Rubio Ascendant With his strong debate performances, Marco Rubio appears to be taking over as the Republican Party’s establishment candidate. He often talks about his family’s background: leaving Cuba to come to the States. Journalist Ann Louise Bardach has taken a closer look at his backstory.
Washington Opens Ties with Havana President Obama says isolation and punishment have not forced Communist Cuba to change, so he’s reversing 50 years of diplomatic policy. He said the US will end its isolation of Cuba and begin establishing normal relations by opening an embassy in Havana. Critics call normalizing relations an "undeserved bailout" of the Castro regime, based on the "illusion" that renewed ties will translate into political freedom. But supporters say it puts the onus on Cuba itself to further liberalize its economy, allow more dissenting voices and, ultimately, to establish democracy. Will it produce a historic transition or more of the same?
Drought Produces an Upstairs, Downstairs in California There are recent predictions that the drought will be with us for very long time to come, and it seems that every town in California has a different story about the problem. Saul Gonzalez and Ann Louise Bardach join us.
Bay of Pigs in 140 Characters? It sounds like a fantasy TV script or a failed CIA effort, but a plan to undermine the government of Cuba was created by the US Agency for International Development. Associated Press reports -- from 1000 pages of documents and "multiple interviews"-- that USAID drew 40,000 Cubans onto a clandestine cell-phone messaging network. After building a "critical mass" with "non-controversial content," operators would introduce political issues, hoping to inspire "smart mobs" to trigger a "Cuban Spring" like those that toppled regimes in the Middle East. Freelance journalist Ann Louise Bardach is author of Without Fidel : A Death Foretold in Miami, Washington and Havana.
Hugo Chavez: His Life and Legacy During fourteen years as President, Hugo Chavez used Venezuela's vast oil resources to help the poor, which made him a hero to masses of people. It also earned the ongoing opposition of the previous ruling class while, in this country, Chavez was demonized as anti-capitalist and anti-American. What's the mood today in Caracas? What about oil, Castro's Cuba and relations with the United States?
The Castros Pick Cuba's Next Leader Fidel Castro led Cuba's Communist revolution in 1959, and served as president until anointing his brother Raul in 2006. This week, Raul Castro announced his retirement in 2018 and named the man he wants to take over when he retires five years from now. Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermudez is Cuba's first vice president. Ann Louise Bardach is writer at larger for Newsweek/Daily Beast and the author of Without Fidel : A Death Foretold in Miami, Havana and Washington.
Cuba: A Country for Old Men In 2008, Raul Castro took the Presidency of Cuba from his ailing brother Fidel. Prior to last week's first Communist Party Central Committee meeting in 14 years, Raul promised economic reforms and what he called "systematic rejuvenation" of Party leadership. But, "We're not seeing new blood—this is the oldest blood Cuba has." That's according to Anne Louise Bardach, writer for Newsweek and the Daily Beast and author of, Without Fidel : A Death Foretold in Miami, Havana and Washington.
Cuba: A Country for Old Men Like other dictatorships, the leaders of Cuba face a new generation impatient for less repression and economic freedom. But computers, cell phones, Facebook and Twitter are in short supply in Cuba, as is information about what's happening elsewhere in the world. In 2008, Raul Castro took the Presidency of Cuba from his ailing brother, Fidel. Prior to last week's first Communist Party Central Committee meeting in 14 years, Raul promised economic reforms and what he called csystematic rejuvenation" of Party leadership. But Fidel Castro's chosen successors are as old as he is. What do they mean by economic "modernization?" Is democracy on their radar screen? What's President Obama's view of the US embargo?
Jerry Brown's Cuban Adventure Ann Louise Bardach is a veteran reporter, author and frequent visitor to Fidel Castro’s Cuba. Today on the website Daily Beast , she wrote that Jerry Brown was there, too, in the year 2000. The current Attorney General and candidate for Governor was Mayor of Oakland then, and in casual conversation with Bardach and her husband, Brown said jokingly that he had committed a crime. Bardach picks up the story.
Dirty Tricks in Miami-Dade as Diaz-Balarts Fight for Seats John McCain supports the 48-year old US embargo on Cuba; Barack Obama has said he'd be open to diplomacy, even if Fidel Castro and his brother Raul are still in charge. Meantime, in Florida, two Cuban exiles who have been fierce guardians of the embargo are fighting for their political lives. Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart , nephews of Castro, are opposed, respectively, by Democrats Raul Martinez and Joe Garcia , who are brothers despite their different names. Ann Louise Bardach, author of the forthcoming book, Without Fidel , has written about the election for the Daily Beast.com .
Castro's Health and Cuba's Medical System Despite Cuba's economic troubles, its health system has been called "one of world's best public services" by the BBC, "a shining example" by the Kaiser Family Foundation, and "the envy of other nations" by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. So what's the significance that 80 year-old Fidel Castro, who's believed to be on the brink of death, is reportedly being diagnosed and treated by a Spanish doctor? UC Berkeley reserach economist Kamran Nayeri has studied Cuba's healthcare system. Journalist Ann Louise Bardach has covered Cuba for many years.
How Serious Is Castro's Condition? Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says his friend Fidel Castro is in a " great battle for life ," but that he's optimistic about a quick recovery. Just what is Castro's condition? Have the media done enough to find out? What do we know about the man and his evolution into a dictator? Ann Louise Bardach, author of Cuba Confidential , has interviewed Fidel Castro twice and has just edited his letters from prison for Sunday's New York Times .
How Serious Is Castro's Condition? Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says his friend Fidel Castro is in a "great battle for life," but that he's optimistic about a quick recovery. Just what is Castro's condition? Have the media done enough to find out? What do we know about the man and his evolution into a dictator? Ann Louise Bardach, author of Cuba Confidential , has interviewed Fidel Castro twice and has just edited his letters from prison for Sunday's New York Times . Read an excerpt from Cuba Confidential.
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.
What is Trump's plan for Middle East peace? On his first foreign tour, President Trump has promised "peace" between Israel and the Palestinians. Are there any details for re-starting talks that have been stalled for the past three years?
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?
