Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Plus, a new magazine called Geezer is a tongue-in-cheek alternative to the AARP, our weekend film reviews, and Evan Kleiman previews Dine LA’s Restaurant Week.

Plus, why a particularly nasty strain of flu is surging, LA drops charges against a crosswalk vigilante trying to make the city safer for pedestrians, and the future of the dictionary in an age of AI.

Plus, the Supreme Court hears cases on gun rights and executive power, why the U.S. has had a longer adversarial relationship with Iran than with the USSR, and remembering fashion designer Valentino.

Plus, LA-based quintet SML blurs the lines between jazz and electronica, and a new book tells the story of the women of Parliament-Funkadelic who shaped the sound of ‘70s funk.

Plus, San Francisco’s free childcare could be a way for Democrats to thread the affordability needle, a campaign for social media not in the hands of tech billionaires, and our weekend film reviews.

Plus, how climate change is prompting some Americans to move north, and Evan Kleiman learns a lot about food through niche newsletters. She shares her favorites.

Plus, the billionaires working to defeat a wealth tax that’s not even on the ballot yet, how AI can help someone grieving, and what exactly is beef tallow?

Plus, the future of Iran’s regime after hundreds of protesters are killed, the Supreme Court hears two big trans rights cases, and why President Trump is so obsessed with Greenland.

Plus, why rebuilding the Palisades and Altadena exactly as they were could be a huge missed opportunity, the controversy surrounding “Zone Zero” regulations, and a review of a horror film about a chimp gone wild.

Plus, how the disaster turned ordinary people into activists, and an LA Times investigation reveals the Los Angeles Fire Department made big mistakes that could have prevented much of the destruction.

Plus, why President Trump is so interested in Venezuela’s oil, and new TV shows you might want to binge, including yet another Ryan Murphy production.

Plus, the legal questions surrounding Maduro’s ouster, new so-called “Trump Accounts” seed a retirement-style investment for kids, and a new album celebrates women who sing Jewish religious music.

Plus, how one of the most reputable galleries in the world trafficked $80 million in fake art, and Susan Choi’s new novel about family and Korean politics.

Plus, ‘Electric Nebraska’: the Bruce Springsteen album that never was…until now. And how to find new music in your fifties.

Plus, Wall Street investors are hoping to profit from LA County sex abuse settlements, KCRW’s Evan Kleiman eulogizes restaurants shuttered this year, and our weekly film reviews.

Plus, CBS top editor Bari Weiss draws ire after pulling a segment critical of the Trump administration, Argentinian musician Juana Molina is back with a new album, and the playoff-bound Rams and Chargers could lead to an all-LA Super Bowl.

Plus, the “slow-motion, slightly-off-the-front-page collapse” of the FBI under Kash Patel, our weekend film reviews, and Evan Kleiman has the best spice blends for last-minute stocking stuffers.

Plus, President Trump’s chief of staff spoke candidly to Vanity Fair about her boss and others in the White House, and how to choose a holiday movie everyone will like.

Plus, an attack on Americans in Syria and the Bondi Beach antisemitic shooting renews focus on ISIS, and the origin story of the drunken, debaucherous SantaCon.

Plus, nine former Justice Department attorneys resign over pressure to investigate antisemitism on UC campuses, and the band HAIM dishes on their new album, relationships, and Paul Thomas Anderson.

Plus, our weekend film reviews (including the latest Knives Out entry) and Evan Kleiman brings brisket and salmon recipes ahead of Hanukkah.

Plus, why he’s going mask-off as a reviewer, assessing the first year of President Trump’s immigration agenda, and a look at the Best Books of 2025.

Plus, Australia bans social media for users under 16, Target continues to face backlash over its rollback of DEI efforts, and Paramount’s Landman drops us right in the middle of a West Texas oil boom.

Plus, Paramount’s hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, the Supreme Court considers expanding presidential power, and LA-based quintet SML blurs the lines between jazz and electronica.

Plus, why self-driving cars could be a “public health breakthrough,” a new documentary follows a woman in rural Iran who won a seat on her village council, and our weekly film reviews.