Why the DOJ just charged Cuba’s Raúl Castro with murder

Summary

Apple News Today — Episode Summary

Podcast: Apple News Today

Date: May 21, 2026
Host: Gideon Resnick (in for Shamita Basu)
Episode Theme:
A deep dive into the surprise indictment of Cuba’s former president Raúl Castro by the U.S. Department of Justice over the decades-old 1996 Brothers to the Rescue incident. The episode also covers major geopolitical updates—Xi Jinping’s summit with Putin and Trump, the end of Stephen Colbert’s Late Show era, and other major headlines.

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Main Story: DOJ Charges Raúl Castro with Murder

Overview

The Department of Justice has indicted former Cuban president Raúl Castro, now 94, for murder in connection with the 1996 downing of two civilian planes (Brothers to the Rescue) in international airspace. The move marks a sharp escalation in U.S.-Cuba relations, amid broader Trump-era hardline policies in the region.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• The Indictment’s Origins

  • This case stems from the 1996 incident where Cuban military shot down two civilian aircraft belonging to a Miami-based exile group ([00:38]–[00:50]).
  • At the time, Cuba claimed the planes were in their airspace, but subsequent independent investigation found they were over international waters ([01:37]).
  • For decades, the U.S. refrained from criminal charges, weighing potential diplomatic escalation.

• Symbolism and Escalation

  • Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the indictment at Miami’s Freedom Tower ([01:23]).
  • Quote (Todd Blanche, via Brian Stelter at [01:23]): “If you kill Americans, we will pursue you, no matter who you are, no matter what title you hold, and in this case, no matter how much time has passed.”
  • The move is widely seen as an escalation and a signal: expectations around U.S. actions in the hemisphere have grown since the U.S. military captured Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro in January ([02:05]–[02:23]).

• Diplomatic Fallout

  • Cuba seeks relief from a U.S.-imposed oil blockade, while the U.S. demands economic reforms ([02:23]–[02:33]).
  • Quote (Luke Cohen, Reuters, at [02:33]): “There have long been diplomatic talks between them... This indictment makes that more complicated. The decision to go forward with this is certainly going to be seen as an escalation, a kind of recognition, perhaps, that the diplomatic route has run its course.”
  • Cuban authorities denounced the indictment as a pretext for military aggression ([03:13]).

• Practical Outcomes & Uncertainties

  • Raul Castro no longer holds office, but is seen as influential ([03:13]).
  • Extradition is unlikely; the U.S. issued an arrest warrant but did not specify means of capture ([03:33]).
  • Trial in the U.S. could mean a death sentence if convicted ([03:45]).

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Other Key Stories

China’s Diplomatic Tightrope: Xi Meets Trump and Putin

• Historic Summits

  • Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted both President Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin in the same month—a first for any Chinese leader ([03:45]–[04:16]).
  • Quote (Ling Lingwei, Wall Street Journal, at [04:16]): “It’s the kind of choreography he has spent almost a decade working toward.”

• Messaging and Alignment

  • China and Russia released a joint statement firmly warning against unilateral global power projection by the U.S. ([04:23]–[04:39]).
  • Quote (Ling Lingwei, at [04:39]): “That joint statement really jumped out at me... they’re still very much aligned in terms of their resistance to the United States.”

• Risks and Realities

  • China’s domestic issues: overcapacity, real estate collapse, weak demand—blamed on Xi’s policies ([04:53]–[05:39]).
  • Reliance runs both ways: China props up Russia’s war economy, but Russia now plays “junior partner” to China ([05:58]).
  • Quote (Ling Lingwei, at [05:58]): “China is the reason that this war against Ukraine is still ongoing... However, Russia now has become a junior partner of sorts to China.”
  • Chinese attempts to project an image of parity with the U.S. are more about optics than reality ([06:43]).

Stephen Colbert Ends “The Late Show” Era

• A Cultural Milestone

  • Colbert concludes his 11-year run as host, capping a tradition that began with David Letterman in 1993 ([07:56]–[08:05]).
  • CBS cited financial pressures: over $100 million/year production costs, declining audience despite genre-leading ratings ([08:28]).
  • Colbert’s exit came soon after he publicly criticized CBS’s parent company, Paramount, raising speculation of political factors ([09:02]).
  • Quote (Brian Stelter, CNN, at [09:02]): “Most Colbert fans believe this has a lot to do with politics. …It is very clear that CBS and its parent company, Paramount, have felt the pressure from the Trump administration.”

• Legacy and Notable Moments

  • Colbert’s increased criticism of Trump during the latter’s second term, frequent hosting of Democratic politicians ([09:24]).
  • Quote (Colbert, at [09:54]): “I thought maybe tonight’s occasion would be a little sad being the end of your run here, but this brings true joy to my heart. We are up here for the wanton destruction of CBS property.”
  • The show’s blend of comedy and news made it a touchstone beyond cable news ([10:05], [10:35]).

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Quick Headlines and Memorable Quotes

Lawsuit Over DOJ Fund for January 6 Defendants

• Two police officers who defended the Capitol on January 6 are suing to block a DOJ fund intended to compensate those prosecuted for the attack ([11:28]).
• Quote (Stephen Colbert, at [11:28]): “They’ve been weaponized. …They paid legal fees that they didn’t have. They’ve gone bankrupt. Their lives have been destroyed and they turn out to be right.”

SpaceX IPO

• SpaceX files for IPO at $1.7 trillion valuation, surpassing Tesla ([12:05]).
• The IPO provides funding for Musk’s AI ventures and comes amid legal battles with OpenAI ([12:18]).

Remembering Barney Frank

• Barney Frank, first openly gay member of Congress and Dodd-Frank co-architect, dies at 86 ([13:14]).
• Memorable Exchange:
  • (Frank, at [13:14]): “Are you gay? And I gave what was a very considered answer, yes or what?”
  • (Brian Stelter, at [13:22]): “Yes. So what?”

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “If you kill Americans, we will pursue you, no matter who you are, no matter what title you hold, and in this case, no matter how much time has passed.”
  — Todd Blanche (via Brian Stelter), [01:23]

• “There have long been diplomatic talks between them... This indictment makes that more complicated. The decision to go forward with this is certainly going to be seen as an escalation, a kind of recognition, perhaps, that the diplomatic route has run its course.”
  — Luke Cohen, Reuters, [02:33]

• “It’s the kind of choreography he has spent almost a decade working toward.”
  — Ling Lingwei, WSJ, [04:16]

• “China is the reason that this war against Ukraine is still ongoing.”
  — Ling Lingwei, [05:58]

• “Most Colbert fans believe this has a lot to do with politics… It is very clear that CBS and its parent company, Paramount, have felt the pressure from the Trump administration….”
  — Brian Stelter, [09:02]

• “What do you think happens when we die? Keanu Reeves: I know that the ones who love us will miss us.”
  — Keanu Reeves, [10:29]

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Episode Flow & Structure

1. DOJ Indicts Raúl Castro — Context, diplomatic implications, U.S. policy under Trump
2. China-Russia-U.S. Geopolitics — Xi’s summits, global alignments, domestic challenges
3. End of the Colbert Era — Television industry trends, political context, show legacy
4. Quick Hits — Capitol riot fund lawsuit, SpaceX IPO, Barney Frank’s passing

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Conclusion

The episode provides a nuanced analysis of the sudden DOJ indictment of Raúl Castro, explores the ripple effects of current U.S. foreign policy, tracks major global summits, reflects on the passing of a late-night era with Stephen Colbert, and quickly touches on other headline news. The tone blends serious international coverage with moments of humor and nostalgia. The podcast skillfully highlights how the world’s biggest stories and their consequences are being reported — and remembered.

Transcript

[Gideon Resnick]

Good morning. The DOJ announces an indictment into a former Cuban leader.

[Brian Stelter]

Nations and their leaders cannot be permitted

[Gideon Resnick]

to target Americans, kill them and not face accountability. Reuters explains the context and what comes next. Also, what happened when Xi and Putin met on the world stage. And it's the end of Stephen Colbert's run as late night host. It's Thursday, May 21st. I'm Gideon Resnick in for Shamita Basu. This is Apple News.

[Brian Stelter]

Today.

[Gideon Resnick]

It was an indictment 30 years in the making.

[Stephen Colbert]

Good evening. The Clinton administration is calling for an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council after two civilian aircraft were shot down by Cuba yesterday.

[Gideon Resnick]

The aircraft that was CBS News covering the 1996 shooting down of two civilian planes that belong to the Cuban exile organization Brothers to the Rescue. It has long been a point of tension between Cuba and the US Yesterday, the Department of justice surprised many by announcing that a grand jury had returned murder charges against Cuba's former president Raul Castro over his alleged role at the top of the military's chain of command. Years ago, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanch made an appearance in a symbolic event at Miami's Freedom Tower.

[Brian Stelter]

President Trump is committed to restoring a very simple but important principle. If you kill Americans, we will pursue you, no matter who you are, no matter what title you hold, and in this case, no matter how much time has passed.

[Gideon Resnick]

At the time, Cuba justified its actions by saying that the planes were violating their airspace. An independent investigation later found that they were over international waters, but the US Resisted pursuing charges that could provoke further escalation. Now relations between the two countries are at a low ebb as the administration puts heavy pressure on the Cuban regime. An indictment like this has inevitably drawn comparisons with the actions that Trump took before the recent capture of another foreign leader.

[Luke Cohen]

Trump has long taken a hard line on Cuba, but I think expectations and speculation about how far he might go really increased after the US Military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January.

[Gideon Resnick]

Luke Cohen is a legal reporter with Reuters. He explained that Cuba is desperate to see a recent US Oil blockade brought to an end while the US Insists on major economic reforms.

[Luke Cohen]

Even though the two sides are decades long adversaries, there have long been diplomatic talks between them and negotiations. This indictment makes that more complicated. The decision to go forward with this is certainly going to be seen as an escalation, a kind of recognition, perhaps, that the diplomatic route has run its course.

[Gideon Resnick]

Though for now, President Trump isn't signaling further action. Publicly at least, there won't be escalation.

[Stephen Colbert]

I don't think there needs to be look, the place is falling apart. It's a mess and they've sort of lost control. They've really lost control of Cuba.

[Gideon Resnick]

Cuba's current president condemned the indictment and said it was being used as a precursor for military aggression. At age 94, Raul Castro is no longer leading the country, but is believed to still wield influence behind the scenes. Given that an extradition is unlikely to be on the table, it's not clear how far the administration is willing to go to see Castro in court.

[Luke Cohen]

Todd Blanche did say that an arrest warrant had been issued for Raul Castro and they expect him to come face the charges whether he turns himself in or if he comes some other way. He didn't specify what that other way would be.

[Gideon Resnick]

If he ever does face trial, his charges could potentially bring a death sentence if he were convicted. This week, Chinese President Xi Jinping wrapped up a pair of high profile diplomatic meetings that no Chinese leader before him has managed to land. Back to back visits from the sitting US President and the sitting Russian president in the same month. Trump left Beijing last week and Russia's Vladimir Putin left yesterday.

[Ling Lingwei]

It's the kind of choreography he has spent almost a decade working toward.

[Gideon Resnick]

Ling Lingwei is the chief China correspondent for the Wall Street Journal. She told us the summit was a chance for the two countries to deliver a message to the US and they did. A strongly worded statement followed the meeting warning that the era of states attempting to single handedly manage world affairs was over.

[Ling Lingwei]

That joint statement really jumped out at me in terms of how Russia and China, they're still very much aligned in terms of their resistance to the United States.

[Gideon Resnick]

But she noted that China's positioning has come at a cost.

[Ling Lingwei]

At home, you look beneath the pageantry is a Chinese economy that's struggling pretty badly with overcapacity, with property market collapse, with weak inflation, industrial and consumer demands. All of those problems are the result of Xi's own policy, right. So fixated on out competing the United States. And at the same time, this strategic bear hog of Russia really has eliminated China from a lot of European countries that also traditionally have been a big customer for the Chinese businesses and for Putin.

[Gideon Resnick]

Wei says the visit came as his strongman reputation at home is weakening and that this visit, his ninth face to face meeting with Xi since the war in Ukraine began, signals that Moscow now more than ever is leaning heavily on Beijing. It provides Russia with weapons components and buys Russian oil, which helps Moscow sustain its war efforts.

[Ling Lingwei]

Simply put, China is the reason that this war against Ukraine is still ongoing. To this day. However, Russia now has become a junior partner of sorts to China. Xi Jinping really has gone from admiring Putin greatly to now looking at him as more of a junior partner precisely because this war has been going on for so long.

[Gideon Resnick]

This past week, Xi found himself meeting two presidents stuck in conflicts without an easy resolution. In both cases, China holds a lot of influence. But Wei cautions against overestimating the country's capacity to dictate events entirely.

[Ling Lingwei]

The summit between President Trump and President Xi really was used by the Chinese side to project an image of an equal partner to the United States. And I do think, at least in terms of rhetoric and optics, they have achieved a goal. But in reality, obviously the United States still leading in some industries in terms of military power and in terms of its geopolitical influence worldwide. So, yeah, on the surface, the Chinese would love to say that now maybe China is the center of gravity in the global system, but the jury certainly is still out on that.

[Gideon Resnick]

Tonight, CBS will broadcast its most famous house band to an excited studio audience one last time.

[Ling Lingwei]

And now, live on tape from the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City, it's Stephen Colbert.

[Gideon Resnick]

Colbert will sign off of the Late show for good, bringing an end to his nearly 11 year run and a franchise that began with David letterman back in 1993.

[Brian Stelter]

It really is an end of an era moment, not just for the Late show, Not just for CBS, but for broadcast television.

[Gideon Resnick]

Brian Stelter is CNN's chief media analyst.

[Brian Stelter]

It's a reflection of the financial pressure broadcast TV is under and how broadcast TV is diminishing and how it's shrinking in a world of infinite options, from podcasts to everything else.

[Gideon Resnick]

CBS cited financial pressures in its decision to cancel. The show costs more than $100 million a year to make, including a reported $15 million salary for Colbert, and it loses tens of millions annually. The Late Show's audience has declined over the years, though it was the number one performer in the genre for much of Colbert's run. Despite market trends, the decision raised a lot of media industry eyebrows. The announcement came days after Colbert criticized the show's parent company, Paramount, for agreeing to settle a lawsuit with President Trump for $16 million and for a pending merger that needed government approval.

[Brian Stelter]

I think most Colbert fans believe this has a lot to do with politics. There is no smoking gun. There is no evidence that President Trump called up Paramount and said, I want Colbert off the air. But it is very clear that CBS and its parent company, Paramount, have felt the pressure from the Trump administration, have taken steps to appeal to Trump and to the administration.

[Gideon Resnick]

Stelter told us that Colbert has become more vocal in his criticism of Trump during his second term, attracting Democratic politicians to the sofa. But Stelter says the show will be remembered for its comedy and for a much loved format that struggles to compete in today's media landscape.

[Brian Stelter]

When I think about the Late Show, I think about David Letterman's top 10 lists. I think about stupid human tricks. I think about sketches and skits that both Letterman and Colbert have done over the years.

[Gideon Resnick]

Would you share with the people why

[Brian Stelter]

we are on the roof of the

[Gideon Resnick]

Ed Sullivan right now?

[Stephen Colbert]

I thought maybe tonight's occasion would be a little sad being the end of your run here, but this brings true joy to my heart. We are up here for the wanton destruction of CBS property. I know for many years I think

[Brian Stelter]

about interviews with celebrities and authors and honestly, sometimes more news making interviews with politicians than you usually see on cable news. When guests are more comfortable, when they're more candid, when they're sitting down on the couch next to Letterman or Colbert, they open up. What do you think happens when we die? Keanu Reeves.

[Gideon Resnick]

I know that the ones who love us will miss us.

[Brian Stelter]

And so the show made news. The show helped people make sense of the world and most importantly, the show made people laugh day in, day out.

[Gideon Resnick]

Colbert, for his part, said recently that he'll miss the show's camaraderie and the audience most of all. Before we let you go, a few other stories we're following. Two police officers who defended the US Capitol on January 6th have sued to block a new DOJ fund that was created to compensate people who claim that they have been politically prosecuted. Those payouts could go to people who were convicted of crimes for their role in the January 6th attack, who President Trump has already pardoned. He told reporters earlier this week that he believes the rioters deserve compensation along with clean legal records.

[Stephen Colbert]

They've been weaponized. They've been in some cases imprisoned wrongly. They paid legal fees that they didn't have. They've gone bankrupt. Their lives have been destroyed and they turn out to be right.

[Gideon Resnick]

But the police officers behind this lawsuit, Daniel Hodges and Harry Dunn, argue the fund is unconstitutional and encourages future political violence. The Capitol attack injured more than 100 police officers. Hodges was pinned against a door during a fight with a rider, and Dunn's experience on January 6 motivated him to run for a seat in Congress. Elon Musk's SpaceX filed for an initial public offering Wednesday. In one of the most highly anticipated listings this year, the company is seeking a massive valuation of $1.7 trillion, making it slightly more valuable than Musk's Tesla and conceivably one of the world's most valuable publicly traded companies. The IPO will also provide a fresh injection of cash into Musk's AI ambitions as well. Xai, also owned by Musk, merged with SpaceX earlier this year. The Wall Street Journal notes that the company, which at one point was just a handful of employees that almost went out of business, grew to develop reusable rockets, win lucrative contracts with NASA, and create technology that even some nation states haven't matched. The IPO filing comes the same week that Musk lost his court case against rival firm OpenAI, and amid reports that OpenAI is preparing to go public soon as well. And Barney Frank, a Democrat, liberal stalwart and the first openly gay member of Congress, died Tuesday. Known for his quick wit and verbal sparring, the Boston area congressman served in the house for 32 years before retiring in 2013. Frank talked about his identity and coming out in the 80s during a 60 Minutes interview in 2008. With his characteristic humor, Kay came and

[Stephen Colbert]

sat down and put a tape recorder in front of me and said, are you gay? And I gave what was a very considered answer, yes or what?

[Brian Stelter]

Yes. So what?

[Stephen Colbert]

Yes or what?

[Brian Stelter]

Yeah.

[Ling Lingwei]

And that was it.

[Stephen Colbert]

Yeah, I wanted to be kind of butcher.

[Gideon Resnick]

Frank was also the co architect of the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform act, which barred big banks from engaging in risky behavior as a response to the 2008 financial crisis. It's considered the most significant piece of regulatory financial legislation in U.S. history. Frank died at his home in Maine after entering hospice care last month. He was 86. You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app. And if you're already listening in the News app right now, we've got a narrated article coming up next. The Atlantic reports on the vast fortune left behind by the late great fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld and why some believe a good portion of it went to his beloved cat Choupet. If you're listening to the podcast app, you can follow Apple News Narrated to find that story and I'll be back with the news tomorrow.