President Obama says embassies will open in the U.S. and Havana, African American ballerina Misty Copeland takes top job in dance, Harvard's transgender swimmer.
U.S. and Cuba to reopen embassies
The United States will re-establish diplomatic relations with Cuba. President Obama made the announcement this morning, saying the decision was a “choice between the future and the past.”
For the first time in 50 years, the countries will operate embassies in their respective capitals.
The decision is the latest step taken by the Obama administration to thaw U.S.-Cuba relations. The shift started last December, when President Obama loosened travel restrictions to the island nation. There are now 12 different criteria for authorized travel.
William Leogrande is a professor at American University and author of the book, “Back Channel to Cuba: The Hidden History of Negotiations between Washington and Havana.” He tells Take Two that today’s announcement is a good step, but pushing further changes through congress will be difficult. “The biggest challenge is going to be Republican opposition to whoever President Obama nominates to be the ambassador to Cuba,” he says. “Senators Rubio and Menendez have already said that they’re prepared to hold up any nomination in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But the actual opening of diplomatic relations is, constitutionally, a power of the president, so that’s going to go forward whether congress likes it or not.”
While the two nations are working closer now than at any point in recent history, the embargo is likely to remain in place for the foreseeable future. “I think it will be a few years,” Leogrande says. “We’re going to have to wait until after the presidential election and the election of a new congress in order to lift the embargo. [That’s] going to take a while. But it won’t be long before the U.S. and Cubans are traveling back and forth in a relatively free and open way.”
Press the play button above to hear professor William Leogrande talk to Take Two.
A look at United States and Cuban relations 10 years ago
Things may be about to change in Cuba...
But what was it like in the past for Americans trying to promote diplomacy there?
James Cason (CAY-son) is currently the mayor of Coral Gables, Florida.
But in the early 2000's, he was the chief of mission at the U.S. Interests Section in Havana.
Host Alex Cohen talks to James about what Cuba was like a decade ago.
Click no the blue player to listen to the interview.
What would a world without work be like?
Let's imagine a scenario... a world without work. Imagine that robots can do all of the jobs that humans were doing. That you have unlimited leisure time and no career to speak of.
Does a world without work sound like a dream or a nightmare to you?
Well, according to Derek Thompson, Senior Editor at The Atlantic, that scenario might not be that far off. He joins A Martinez to talk about the future of work.
If you'd like to hear the entire interview, click on the audio embedded above.
Dancer Debbie Allen says Misty Copeland is changing ballet
One of the most famous ballerinas in the U.S. made history yesterday. Misty Copeland became the American Ballet Theatre's first female African-American principal dancer.
Not one to shy away from the topic of the lack of representation of African-American dancers at top ballet companies, Copeland has become widely recognized even beyond the world of dance.
Dancer and choreographer Debbie Allen, founder and artistic director of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, joined Take Two to talk about what makes Misty Copeland's promotion significant.
To hear the full interview with Debbie Allen, click the link above.
Sports roundup: NBA free agency opens with frenzy, U.S. women advance to World Cup final
NBA free agency began this week and, already, moves are in the works. Could the Lakers beat out the Spurs to land star center LaMarcus Aldridge? And the US Women's soccer team beat top-ranked Germany to advance to the final match of the World Cup in Canada.
We're joined for our regular sports segment with
.
Transgender swimmer to make history by competing on men's team
Schuyler Bailar has already made history for the Harvard swim team, without ever swimming a lap.
This fall, the incoming freshman will become the first openly transgender collegiate swimmer completing on a NCAA Division 1 team.
Bailar had been selected to swim for the women's team - but before joining the team, Bailar made the decision to undergo sexual reassignment surgery.
Here's a video of Bailar talking about his childhood and his decision to transition.
So, instead of swimming for the women's team, he will be swimming on the men's team.
We talked to Kevin Tyrell, the Ulen-Brooks Endowed Coach for Harvard Men's Swimming & Diving.
Federal panel calls for reforms to border patrol investigations
US Customs and Border Protection is the nation's largest law-enforcement agency, with more than 44,000 officers. But its internal affairs department is understaffed and in need of reforms, according to a Homeland Security Department report out this week.
The report also criticizes the border patrol for a dismal lack of accountability when it comes to hundreds of shootings by agents, some of them deadly. In the past decade, no agent has been formally disciplined for killing someone through the use of force.
For more, we're joined by Bob Ortega, senior reporter at the Arizona Republic.
To hear more about this, click on the audio player above.
Morongo tribe may bid for Colt: A look at 'the Gun that Won the West'
The Morongo Band of Mission Indians has expressed interest in bidding on the Colt Holding Company - the gun manufacturer behind the Colt revolver. The 179-year-old company filed for bankruptcy this month.
Drew Ryce is an attorney for Morongo, and he told Reuters Tuesday that the tribe may bid on the failing company, saying, "Colt is the Gun that Won the West. We are the West."
If it seems strange that a California tribe would want to buy the company behind "the Gun that Won the West," Jeffrey Richardson agrees, "It's a little surprising."
Richardson is the Gamble Curator of Western History, Popular Culture, and Firearms at the Autry National Center of the American West, and author of "The Colt Revolver in the American West." He told Take Two that the possible bid is "dripping with irony."
"When you hear the phrase 'Won the West', that means someone lost the West," Richardson said, adding that Native Americans are widely considered to be the ones who lost.
But Richardson explained that the Native people of Southern California and the rest of the West also used firearms, including Colt revolvers.
"The history of the American West and Native Americans as it relates to firearms is just as intricate and complex as that relationship between white American settlers and firearms in the West," Richardson said.
"The common assumption is you have John Wayne with his gun in hand, going up against Native Americans," Richardson said. "But Native Americans used firearms for all of the same reasons that outlaws and lawmen did in the American West; and it was actually access to firearms that allowed certain Native American tribes to conquer other Native American tribes."
To hear more about the history of "The Gun that Won the West," click on the audio player above.
What Hollywood could do with Cuba
Today, President Obama announced plans to reopen the US embassy in Havana later this summer.
This new chapter in US - Cuba relations could lead to all sorts of interesting partnerships, including one with Hollywood.
Recently, a delegation from Hollywood flew to Cuba to explore the possibilities there.
Seth Abramovitch wrote about it for the Hollywood Reporter and joined us on Take Two.
Click on the blue player to hear the interview.
Jon Macks talks 22-year career on 'Tonight Show with Jay Leno'
On May 25, 1992, Jay Leno made his big debut. Since then, he went on to tell hundreds of thousands of jokes for more than 20 years.
Many of those jokes were written by Jon Macks. Macks is one of only two writers who was with Jay Leno for the full extent of his late night career.
Macks wrote about those experiences in his new book "Monologue: What Makes America Laugh Before Bed," and he joined host Alex Cohen with more.
Listen to Jon's full interview by clicking the blue audio player above.