Today, Explained
Today, Explained

Is Cuba next?

March 9, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

🎙️ The Voices & The Context

  • The Format: Interview-driven news podcast episode blending speculative geopolitical analysis with personal testimony.
  • The Key Players:
    • Guest 1: Vivian Salama, staff writer at The Atlantic, expert on wars and foreign policy; provides insider whispers on Trump's aggressive regime-change ambitions.
    • Guest 2: Joe (Yoy) Suarez, exiled Cuban journalist who fled persecution; shares raw firsthand accounts of life under the regime.
    • Host: Noel King, guiding sharp questions on "Today Explained."
  • The Vibe: Intense and educational with geopolitical intrigue, mixed with raw human despair and glimmers of hope—feels like a thriller podcast unpacking "what if" U.S. interventions.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:01) **🎙️ Introduction: Vivian Salama, The Atlantic Staff Writer**
  • 2 (02:22) **Trump's Vision for Western Hemisphere Dominance**
  • 3 (04:58) **Cuba as a Strategic Threat**
  • 4 (06:47) **Timing and Justification for Action**
  • 5 (10:36) **Post-Regime Change Questions**
  • 6 (11:49) **Political Risks and Strategy**
  • 7 (18:01) **🎙️ Interview: Joe Suarez, Cuban Exile Journalist**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

If you take the president at his word, the answer is yes.

This episode was produced by Dustin DeSoto, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Andrea Lopez-Cruzado, engineered by Patrick Boyd and David Tatasciore, and hosted by Noel King.

An apple seller walking past a figure holding the Cuban flag with the word "Resilience" after a blackout in Havana. Photo by Yamil LAGE / AFP via Getty Images.

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