A U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer stands guard as pedestrians enter the United States at the San Ysidro port of entry on April 9, 2018 in San Ysidro, California. ; Credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images

A federal judge has ruled on Thursday that the US Justice Department cannot require that local police departments help immigration and customs enforcement in order to receive federal funding.

The move is a setback to the Trump administration in its effort to crack down on illegal immigration. But the ruling is only one in a long list of disputes between the Golden State and the current administration. California has filed 29 lawsuits against the Trump administration, the disputed issues vary from immigration, environment, census to voting rights. Some legal analysts say the lawsuits pose questions about the Constitution’s distribution of power.

We break down the biggest disputes between California and the federal government and explore if such clashes are historically unusual.

With guest host Libby Denkmann

Guest:

Adam Liptak, Supreme Court reporter for The New York Times, who’s recently written a piece looking at the numerous lawsuits California has filed against the Trump administration; he tweets @adamliptak

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Product Specialist for Waze Mark Campos speaks on stage at LocationWorld 2016 Day 2 at The Conrad on November 3, 2016 in New York City.; Credit: Brian Ach/Getty Images for LocationWorld 2

Waze and Echo Park’s Baxter Street have lately been synonymous in national headlines.

Known as one of the steepest streets in L.A. Baxter slopes at a 32 percent grade, and the navigation app, Waze, has been pegged as the culprit for its congestion.

Earlier this week, L.A. Councilmember Paul Krekorian announced plans for the city’s transportation department to investigate Waze, Google and Apple’s liability in causing dangerous traffic conditions in certain neighborhoods. Among the recommendations is to examine L.A.’s partnership with Waze and other apps, and whether those navigation apps could be held liable for collisions caused by their users.

Krekorian’s motion has raised questions about tech and distracted driving, especially in a city known for its traffic. But how could L.A. city actually hold Waze accountable? And what types of regulations could be put in place?

Here's what some of you had to say about the topic: 

I find that when I use @waze in LA (I live in Long Beach) it often will take me on side streets to cut through a neighborhood that then requires me to turn left from a small street onto a busy thoroughfare when waiting for a light would have been faster and safer.

— Joe Lemble (@JoeLemble) April 13, 2018

@AirTalk At the end of the day, the drivers are responsible for being safe while driving. We have had maps showing every street in LA for nearly 100 years. The apps should not be liable for simply making it easier to access public information.

— chris (@cphartman) April 13, 2018

@AirTalk educate drivers put up signs and give out traffic tickets. Congestion is not just the driver’s problem it’s the city Engineers. Give pple the tools to travel responsibly

— Back in Black (@ontheqtip) April 13, 2018

The app era is a give and take of legislation and technology, as we can see with the current facebook hearings - a few “no left turns between Xam - Zam” will solve 90% of the problems; oh, and better public transportation :)

— Mehmet Bozatli (@mehmetic) April 13, 2018

With guest host Libby Denkmann

Guest:

Paul Krekorian, Los Angeles City Councilmember representing District 2, which stretches from Studio City to Sun Valley; he introduced the motion to study the negative impact of Waze on L.A. neighborhoods

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Farm workers harvest celery in a field of Brawley, California, in the Imperial Valley, on January 31, 2017. ; Credit: SANDY HUFFAKER/AFP/Getty Images

Many predictions on the fallout of a potential China trade war have focused on farmers in the Midwest, but according to a new study by Brookings Institution, these tariffs would have an especially hard hit to California.

Currently, 128 different products, including plastics, Tesla cars, pharmaceuticals, wine, fruit and nuts, are potential tariff targets by China’s Ministry of Commerce. According to the study, out of the 40 U.S. industries that would feel the pain of these tariffs, nearly 20 percent are based in California and Washington. And Los Angeles County has the highest number of jobs at risk out an any county in the country.  

We talk to Robert Maxim, author of the Brookings report, to get a further breakdown of the study, as well as the president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers to get his take on how these tariffs would affect the wine industry in the state.

With guest host Libby Denkmann

Guests:

Robert Maxim, co-author of a study on how China’s proposed tariffs could affect US industries; he is a senior research analyst at the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, a Washington-based non-profit think tank; he tweets @robmaxim

John Aguirre, president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers

Richard Matoian, executive director of the American Pistachio Growers, the trade group representing pistachio farmers in California, Arizona and New Mexico

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Students walk across the campus of UCLA on April 23, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. ; Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

A new study from UCLA finds that Los Angeles’ rising cost of living is causing a lot of agitation among residents – particularly younger folks who feel squeezed by how expensive housing costs have become.

Larry speaks with Zev Yaroslavsky, former LA County supervisor and current UCLA professor who headed the study.

Guest:

Zev Yaroslavsky, led UCLA’s third annual “Los Angeles County Quality of Life Index” survey; he is the director of the Los Angeles Initiative at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs and a former Los Angeles County Supervisor; he tweets @ZevYaroslavsky

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill June 8, 2017 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

AirTalk’s weekly politics roundtable recaps the headlines you may have missed over the weekend and looks ahead to what to watch for this week in D.C.

Topics subject to change but may include:

• “Comey Week” begins with an interview at ABC News, and Trump’s tweetstorm response

• Syria strike on Friday night, and its impact on U.S.-Russia relationship; also, issues with Trump’s use of AUMF

• Paul Ryan announces retirement and endorses Kevin McCarthy to replace him

• Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen is in court today to try and keep prosecutors from seeing the documents seized in a raid last week

• Internal report says McCabe misled FBI and DOJ officials

• Is the U.S. back in TPP?

• Garcetti goes to Iowa

Guests:

Jack Pitney, professor of politics at Claremont McKenna College; he tweets @jpitney

John Iadarola, host of the YouTube show ThinkTank, part of The Young Turks Network; he also serves as a co-host for The Young Turks weekly live show; he tweets @johniadarola

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

In this handout released by the U.S. Air Force, A U.S. Air Force B-1 Bomber separates from the boom pod after receiving fuel from an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker en route to strike chemical weapons targets in Syria April 13, 2018. ; Credit: Handout/Getty Images

On Friday, the U.S. led an airstrike against Syria in retaliation for President Bashar Assad’s chemical gas attack against his civilians.

The attack was aimed at three locations and was chosen over a more expansive and aggressive strategy. According the Wall Street Journal, President Trump was presented with three options, ranging from conservative to aggressive. Ultimately, the U.S., British and French coalition strike was a fairly limited one that was a mix of the two more conservative options. Some are lauding the president’s restrained response but others caution that a passive-aggressive strategy will create more problems in the Middle East.

Plus, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is saying that Trump circumvented the law by conducting the strike without the approval of Congress – but is his decision different from those of other presidents?

We debate the strategy and potential repercussions of Trump’s limited strike on Damascus.

Guests:

Clare Lopez, former CIA operations officer for 20 years, working domestically as well as in the former Soviet Union and the Balkans; Vice President for Research and Analysis at the Center for Security Policy, a DC-based national security think tank; she tweets @ClareMLopez

Brian Katulis, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, he focuses on U.S. national security strategy and counterterrorism policy; he tweets @Katulis

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Billionaire venture capitalist Tim Draper has a new proposal to split up The Golden State, this time with a proposal to divide the nation's most populous state into three states. ; Credit: Cal 3

Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper introduced a ballot initiative that would split California into three states.

The plan proposes a central state made up of Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey and San Benito counties; a southern state consisting of Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Imperial, Kern, Kings, Fresno, Tulare, Inyo, Madera and Mono counties; and the remaining 40 counties would be part of a northern state. Critics opposing the initiative argue that splitting California would triple the State’s challenges and not solve them.

The initiative, called “CAL 3” has more than 600,000 signatures, enough to qualify for the November ballot and will be submitted to election officials next week. Splitting California into three states would require congressional approval.

Guests:

John Myers, Sacramento bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times; he tweets @johnmyers

Joseph Rodota, co-chairman of OneCalifornia, a committee opposing “CAL 3,” a ballot initiative proposing to split California into three states; he served as former aide to California Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Classroom at West Los Angeles College in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2016.; Credit: Susanica Tam/For KPCC

A study by the Modern Language Association (MLA) found the number of US college students studying foreign languages is on a steady decline.

Data shows fewer students are enrolling in language classes other than English. The most popular language among college students was Spanish, which has also seen a drop in student enrollment, according to research findings. Other languages with a popularity decline were German, Russian and Italian.

By contrast, the Korean language has seen an increase in interest with enrollment up 65 percent – that said the actual number of students studying Korean is just 14, 000 compared to 700,000 students studying Spanish. The study is based on the enrollments of undergraduate introductory courses as well as advanced-degree programs.

Guest:

Dennis Looney, director of programs and of the association of departments of foreign languages at the Modern Language Association (MLA); he co-authored the study that found a decline in student enrollment in foreign language classes

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Photo of a BIRD e-scooter.; Credit: BIRD/Instagram

In case you haven’t heard, the latest public nuisance facing the city San Francisco takes the form of undocked motorized scooters.

Three companies that make these e-bikes – including the Santa Monica-based Bird – were served cease and desist letters by San Francisco’s City Attorney for essentially creating a mess in the city.  

Riders of these scooters use an app to pay for their use, and can park them anywhere when they are done. And that’s precisely one of the problems: annoyed San Franciscans say that these e-scooters are left everywhere, oftentimes blocking sidewalks and business entrances. Furthermore, users are accused of unlawfully riding on the sidewalks, sans helmets, sometimes going faster than the 15 miles per hour speed limit.

San Francisco isn’t the only city where these e-scooters are rampant. These bikes are also popular in SoCal cities like Santa Monica.

Guests:

Kevin Truong, reporter and multimedia producer for the San Francisco Business Times who has been following the story

David Estrada, chief legal officer and head of government relations at Bird, the Venice-based e-scooter company which has been served a cease and desist letter by the City Attorney of San Francisco

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Ms. Magalong's kindergarten class does an activity called "The Mirror," where one leader moves their arms slowly and the other students mirror their movements.; Credit: Carla Javier/KPCC

A legislation that would allow all 4-year-olds to attend transitional kindergarten passed the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday.

Transitional kindergarten, known as TK, is a publicly funded education program that is offered to children who turn five between Sept. 2 and Dec. 2 each year. California Senator Bill Dodd (D-Napa), who authored the bill, wants to change that and expand TK to all 4-year-old kids.

The California State PTA, a volunteer-led child advocacy association, is supporting the bill, but other groups like KinderCare, a for-profit daycare and early education provider, and the Professional Association for Childhood Education (PACE), a nonprofit association of private childcare providers, oppose Sen. Dodd’s bill. PACE argues that high student-teacher ratios in public education would make it difficult to properly teach four-year-olds. Meanwhile, Sen. Dobb says the bill would provide more opportunities for early education during critical years for childhood development.

We weigh the pros and cons: should publicly funded transitional kindergarten be expanded to all 4-year-olds in California? Call us at 866-893-5722.

Guests:

Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), author of Senate Bill 837 that would allow all 4-year-olds to attend publicly funded transitional kindergarten; he tweets @BillDoddCA

Celia Sims, vice president of Government Relations at KinderCare Education, a Portland-based privately held education services firm

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Lucy Jones, a USGS seismologist talks during a news conference at Caltech in Pasadena, Calif, on Monday, March 17, 2014. ; Credit: Nick Ut/AP

Planet earth wouldn’t have nearly as much life if we didn’t have earthquakes, volcanoes and floods.

For instance, earthquakes bring up natural springs, and that’s something to be thankful for, especially in drought-burdened California. But when we can’t withstand these events, they become natural disasters. And the effects of the “big one” from the past can influence how we cope in the future.

Seismologist and Angeleno Lucy Jones is a leading expert on earthquakes, and she’s taking a deep dive into the history of natural disasters, and what they can teach us, in her new book, “The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them).” The book explores questions about the effects of natural disaster as far back as Pompeii. How did the ancient Roman city’s volcanic eruption challenge religious views at the time? What did the 1862 California floods show us about the limits of human memory? And with natural disasters as recent as last year’s hurricanes in Puerto Rico and Houston, Jones looks at the impact of growing populations in high-risk areas, as well as an increase in the earth’s temperature.

So how can we be ready for the next “big one”? Larry speaks to Jones today to find out more.

EVENT:

Dr. Lucy Jones will discuss her book at The Writers Guild Theater on Thursday, April 19.. The conversation starts at 7:30pm with writer and former Los Angeles Times book critic David Ulin.  

Guest:

Lucy Jones, seismologist and founder and chief scientist at the Lucy Jones Center for Science & Society, a natural disaster risk reduction research organization; she is author of the book, “The Big Ones: How Natural Disasters Have Shaped Us (and What We Can Do About Them" (Doubleday, 2018)

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Armando Ventura sells gold-plated costume jewelry at the corner of Florence and Graham avenues in unincorporated Los Angeles County.; Credit: Leslie Berestein Rojas/KPCC

In the effort to legalize and regulate street vending, a new proposal was announced Monday at City Hall that wants the city to alert businesses when sidewalk sellers seek permits to sell outside their doors.

Under a revised proposal for new regulations, property owners would not be able to prohibit vending on adjacent sidewalks, but they would get a chance to appeal. Store owners argue that sidewalk vendors block walkways and that weakens their businesses. Meanwhile, vendor supporters find it unfair to give stores that kind of veto power over other entrepreneurs.

Guests:

Leslie Berestein Rojas, KPCC’s Immigration and Emerging Communities Reporter who is at the City Council meeting

Jeff Zarrinnam, board member and immediate past president of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce

Katie McKeon, attorney at the public interest law firm, Public Counsel, a member of The Los Angeles Street Vendor Campaign that seeks to legalize food vending in L.A.

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

A budtender displays cannabis at the Higher Path medical marijuana dispensary in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California, December 27, 2017.; Credit: ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

Should an Inland Empire church that uses cannabis as part of its religion be allowed to stay open?

It’s the question at the heart of a legal battle going on between the Vault Church of Open Faith and the city of Jurupa Valley, where it’s located. Local officials have been trying to shutter the church for over a year, arguing that it is operating as an illegal pot shop in a city that prohibits any marijuana enterprise. As of Tuesday morning, the church could be found advertising on Weedmaps, a website that shows the location and menus for local medical and recreational marijuana dispensaries. For its part, Vault Church filed a complaint against the city seeking $1.2 million in damages, saying the city harassed and discriminated against it. The church says its congregants both smoke cannabis and use edibles as part of their religious sacrament, and argue the city is using municipal zoning laws to religiously discriminate against it.

The Vault Church is not alone in its mission. A number of so-called “pot churches” have appeared across California from Oakland to Los Angeles Counties in the wake of recreational marijuana use being legalized in 2016.

Guests:

Matt Pappas, attorney for The Association of Sacramental Ministries, which represents various cannabis churches; the Association filed the claim against Jurupa Valley

John Eastman, constitutional law professor at Chapman University Fowler School of Law; senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, a think tank in Upland, CA

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Soldiers fighting in the Battle of Bennington during the American War of Independence. ; Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

For Americans, the British accent can sound either sexy or snobby. To the British, Americans are ruining the English language. Why the love-hate relationship?

One linguist has set out to unravel this sibling rivalry. Why the widespread British phobia of American words? How’d Americans even get from centre to center? And what keeps driving us further apart?

Professor Lynne Murphy, a New York native who now resides in England, details her observations on the English language in her new book, “The Prodigal Tongue: The Love-Hate Relationship Between American and British English.” She’s used her longtime alter ego, Lynneguist, to blog about our intriguing separation by a common language.

Murphy speaks with Larry Mantle about her most amusing and insightful findings. Call us to weigh in with your questions and comments at 866-893-5722.

Guest:

Lynne Murphy, linguistics professor at the University of Sussex in England and author of the book, “The Prodigal Tongue: The Love-Hate Relationship Between American and British English” (Penguin Random House, 2018); she is also author of the blog, “Separated by a Common Language”; she tweets @lynneguist

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Special Counsel, and former FBI Director, Robert Mueller arrives before the House Judiciary Committee in 2013.; Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images

On the surface, a Supreme Court case involving the Securities and Exchange Commission would likely only pique the interest of financial junkies and the most die-hard court-watchers.

One such case currently before the high court appears to deal with stock fraud, but could expand into answering a question that’s been permeating through the country: does President Trump have the authority to fire White House special counsel Robert Mueller?

Lucia v. Securities and Exchange Commission looks at whether SEC administrative law judges (ALJs), who function as hearing officers within the SEC and other government agencies when a person or company is accused of violating antifraud laws, are “officers” and therefore subject to firing by the president, or are simply “employees,” which would prevent the president from firing them.

So, where do President Trump and Bob Mueller fit into all this? Lawyers for the Trump administration say that Mueller falls under the appointments clause’s definition of an “officer,” and President Trump has the authority to fire Mueller if he wants to do so. Others argue that Mueller was appointed on rules stating he can only be removed for “misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or for other good cause,” therefore only deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein would have the power to fire him.

So which is it? Officer or employee? Larry consults legal experts to dig into the matter.

Guests:

Ilya Shapiro, senior fellow in constitutional studies at the libertarian Cato Institute, which filed an amicus brief in support of the petitioner in this case; editor-in-chief of the Cato Supreme Court Review; he tweets @ishapiro

Peter Shane, expert in administrative law and separation of powers; law professor at Ohio State University; his book on the separation of powers is "Madison’s Nightmare: How Executive Power Threatens American Democracy" (2009, University of Chicago Press)

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Protestor Soren Mcclay, 14, (C) demonstrates outside a Center City Starbucks on April 15, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.; Credit: Mark Makela/Getty Images

Starbucks is closing some 8,000 of its locations in May for implicit bias training, after a store manager in Philadelphia called the cops that led to the arrests of two black men.

The coffee giant is widely criticized for what happened. This morning, the company’s executive chairman Howard Schultz appeared on CBS This Morning for a sit down with co-host Gayle King. Schultz told King in the interview that the store manager at the center of the controversy has “left the company.”

“I think you have to say in looking at the tape that she demonstrated her own level of unconscious bias,” Schultz went on to say. “And in looking at the tape, you ask yourself whether or not that was racial profiling.”

How is implicit bias determined from a human resource standpoint?  

Guest:

Sue Bendavid, chair of the employment law department and attorney at Lewitt Hackman in Los Angeles; the firm represents companies and employers

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Former first lady Barbara Bush attends day two of the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Xcel Energy Center on September 2, 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota.; Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Barbara Bush, the former US first lady died on Tuesday at the age of 92.

The cause of her death wasn't immediately known.

Bush, who passed away after a series of hospitalizations, is known for being a fierce champion of literacy. She was the second woman in American history to have had a husband and a son elected as president, after Abigail Adams.

Bush once wrote how she “had the best job in America." and in her 1994 memoir, Bush described her days at the White House as “interesting, rewarding and sometimes just plain fun.” We take a look at Bush’s legacy as First Lady, and how the role has evolved through the years.

Guest:

Stacy Cordery, first ladies historian, bibliographer for the National First Ladies Library and professor of history at Iowa State University; her latest book is "Juliette Gordon Low: The Remarkable Founder of the Girl Scouts" (Penguin Books, 2013) and she tweets @StacyCordery

Catherine Allgor, first ladies historian and president of the Massachusetts Historical Society; she is the author of several books, including “Parlor Politics: In Which the Ladies of Washington Help Build a City and a Government” (University of Virginia Press, 2000) and she tweets @CatherineAllgor

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck joins AirTalk for his monthly check-in to discuss the new CA bills looking to change police policies regarding use-of-force standards and public access to records related to officer misconduct.; Credit: HECTOR MATA/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck joins Larry Mantle for his monthly check-in. Topics discussed include:

• Protocol when officers are called to remove someone from a business, like the incident at the Philadelphia Starbucks
• The California bill that would change the long-standing definition of when an officer can use deadly force
• The California bill that would allow the public access to police records regarding investigations into officer misconduct like use-of-force or on-the-job sexual assault
• D.A. Jackey Lacey’s controversial decision not to bring criminal charges against the LAPD officer who shot Brendon Glenn, after Beck called for him to be prosecuted
• The LAPD’s policy on muting body cam microphones after the Sacramento shooting
• A jump in L.A. pedestrian deaths in 2017
• The increase in hate crimes within the city of L.A. during 2017
• The ever-present danger of L.A. street races
• The federal judge ruling preventing the LAPD from enforcing gang injunctions and what the transition has been like – plus, Trump’s criticism that California isn’t doing enough

Guest:

Charlie Beck, chief of police of the Los Angeles Police Department; his last day as chief will be June 27, 2018, his 65th birthday

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) (C) talks to reporters with Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY) (L) and Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) following the weekly Democratic policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol November 7, 2017 in Washington, DC. ; Credit: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The U.S. Senate unanimously agreed Wednesday to allow senators to bring babies under the age of one onto the Senate floor during votes.

The move came after Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) submitted a resolution this week that would allow her to vote on the Senate floor even while she is on  an unofficial maternity leave. Senators must be present on the floor in order to cast votes, and cannot vote by proxy like they would on committees.

Earlier this month, the Illinois Democrat made history when she became the first sitting senator to give birth while in office.

With guest host Libby Denkmann

Guests:

Jennifer Haberkorn, senior health reporter for Politico Pro who has been covering the story; she tweets @jenhab

Jon Hyman, employment lawyer and author of the Ohio Employer’s Law Blog; he is a partner in the Labor & Employment Group at Cleveland’s Meyers, Roman, Friedberg & Lewis; he tweets @jonhyman

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.

Cuban President Raul Castro (C) welcomes Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome Wirtu (R) at the Revolution Palace in Havana, on January 9, 2018.; Credit: ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/Getty Images

For the first time in 60 years, Cuba will be ruled by someone outside of the Castro family.

The transition of power takes place today. The Cuban government on Wednesday selected 57-year-old First Vice President Miguel Mario Diaz-Canel Bermudez as the sole candidate to succeed President Raul Castro. His approval is all but certain. The move will ensure that the country's single-party system outlasts the aging revolutionaries who created it.

The 86-year-old Castro will remain head of the Communist Party, designated by the constitution as "the superior guiding force of society and the state." As a result, Castro will remain the most powerful person in Cuba for the time being. His departure from the presidency is nonetheless a symbolically charged moment for a country accustomed to 60 years of absolute rule first by revolutionary leader Fidel Castro and, for the last decade, his younger brother.

With files from the Associated Press.

With guest host Libby Denkmann

Guest:

Will Grant, correspondent for the BBC in Havana, Cuba; he tweets @will_grant

This content is from Southern California Public Radio. View the original story at SCPR.org.