Sep 15, 2026 · 59 min
Macklemore, Clippers scrutiny and Cuba’s sanctions crisis collide
9/15/26: Macklemore Dropped, Pablo Torre Returns, Cuban Official Interview
The episode links disputes over political speech, alleged sports-finance misconduct and the human costs of U.S. pressure on Cuba.
- 1The hosts frame Macklemore’s tour removal as selective outrage that pressures performers over support for Palestine.
- 2Pablo Torre examines alleged financial misconduct involving the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard and undisclosed endorsement arrangements.
- 3Cuba’s deputy foreign minister attributes shortages and blackouts to sanctions while defending reforms and a strategy for energy stability.
Don't miss
Carlos Fernández de Cossío explains how sanctions, fuel constraints and energy shortages affect Cuban hospitals, schools and families.
The brief
The hosts open with Macklemore’s removal from Ed Sheeran’s tour after pro-Palestine remarks, arguing that selective outrage and pressure from powerful interests threaten free expression.
Pablo Torre returns to discuss reporting on alleged salary-cap circumvention involving Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers, Steve Ballmer and undisclosed endorsement arrangements tied to Aspiration’s bankruptcy.
The Cuba interview shifts the stakes from institutional scrutiny to daily survival: blackouts, fuel shortages, strained hospitals and migration are presented alongside competing accounts of responsibility.
Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío defends Cuba’s reforms and sovereignty while describing efforts to expand private activity, diversify energy supplies and withstand secondary sanctions.
The episode’s central tension is whether pressure produces accountability or entrenches crisis, whether the subject is a performer, a sports franchise or an entire country.
Featuring
Kawhi Leonard
United StatesListen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.