Press Play with Madeleine Brand

The federal government is planning to investigate the CA Dept. of Education over a state law that says schools cannot require officials to notify parents if students identify as transgender or are exploring their gender identity on campus.

The federal government will not test soil in the fire zones, so USC researchers are doing it for them. For earth scientist Josh West, the work is close to home. 

Critics review the latest film releases: “Death of a Unicorn,” “Grand Tour,” “An Unfinished Film,” and “The Ballad of Wallis Island.”

The appearance of rhubarb stalks in markets is a welcome burst of color and tart flavor. You can use the vegetable in breakfast, dessert, and cocktail recipes.

The Trump administration has halted a program financing lawyers for immigrant children. That leaves 26,000 kids nationwide at risk of immediate deportation, unless alternate funding can be found.

President Trump continued his assault on the country’s biggest law firms by signing an executive order targeting Chicago-based Jenner & Block. It revokes security clearances from the firm’s lawyers who require them to do their jobs, and limits attorneys’ access to federal buildings.

Harriet Tubman has come back to life and wants to make a hip-hop album. That’s the premise of Bob the Drag Queen’s debut novel.

Duonychus tsogtbaatari is a newly discovered plant-eater that roamed Earth tens of millions of years ago. It had a long neck, two legs, and two massive claws.

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in a challenge to Louisiana’s voting maps. A group of “non-African American” voters argue the state illegally relied on race to create the new districts.

James Murdoch reveals the real-life “Succession” drama roiling his family in an exclusive interview with The Atlantic. At stake: Who controls Fox News?

Frontman Jim James talks about handing over creative control of My Morning Jacket’s 10th studio album. He also shares his personal success with EMDR therapy. 

Ukraine says tens of thousands of children have been taken and illegally hidden within Russia’s adoption system since the invasion. A lab at the Yale School of Public Health that had been tracking this fell victim to the Trump administration’s foreign aid cuts

Dina Ament spent about four years remodeling her historic Tudor-style cottage. After the Eaton Fire leveled it, she at first wanted to rebuild, but ultimately decided that selling was best.

Part play, part rock concert, "Cambodian Rock Band" is a story of survival. Playwright Lauren Yee explores Cambodia's dark past with music and humor.

Microgravity, confined quarters, and heightened galactic radiation lead to physiological changes in humans. What we’re learning in space is influencing terrestrial health care. 

The Environmental Protection Agency might eliminate its office of scientific research — a move that advocates say would have drastic consequences on efforts to protect Americans from hazardous chemicals, air and water pollution, and climate change. 

The National Institutes of Health gives most of its money to universities, medical schools, and research institutions. Due to actions by the Trump administration, the NIH says it’ll sharply cut the size of its grants.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed on set filming the low-budget Western “Rust.” One of her closest friends directed a new documentary about her life.

The Dodgers start their run for back-to-back World Series championships with a win over the Cubs in front of a supportive crowd in Tokyo. 

President Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport more than 200 alleged Venezuelan gang members. But a judge blocked those deportations over the weekend.

Salvadoran President and self-proclaimed “world’s coolest dictator” Nayib Bukele is cozying up to Trump. He’s viewed as a hero on the right for his mass-imprisonment policies.

DOJ lawyers accused Rasha Alawieh, a kidney transplant specialist at Brown University, of having “sympathetic” photos of Hezbollah leaders on her phone. She was put on a plane to Paris and informed that her H1-B visa had been canceled.  

Jennifer Lee’s new album is a tribute to her late best friend. She also talks about LA’s impact on her identity, and what it was like to not comprehend music or language due to a brain disorder.

President Trump’s ambitious goal to deport 10 million immigrants faces legal challenges and pushback. What do the on-the-ground realities look like?

With roughly two dozen hostages still alive, the Gaza ceasefire is in trouble. How is Trump impacting the negotiations? 

Critics review the latest film releases: “Mickey 17,” “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl,” “Night of the Zoopocalypse,” and “The Rule of Jenny Pen.”

Canada is the top export market for California wine. Trump’s threatened 25% tariffs on our northern neighbor have led some Canadian provinces to pull not just wine, but all American alcohol, from their shelves.

President Trump’s trade war and Friday’s Oval Office berating of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky represent a remarkable shift in American foreign policy.

President Trump has imposed tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China. That could mean car price increases of nearly $10,000.

Set in 1970s New Mexico, “Dark Winds” follows Tribal police officers who must balance their traditional Navajo beliefs with modern law enforcement. Season three sees Lt. Leaphorn haunted by his past.

The Original Pantry Cafe, famous for its pancakes, abruptly shut down amid a labor dispute, leaving loyal patrons and decades-long employees heartbroken.yt

Zelensky’s visit to the white house turned catastrophic when Trump and Vance accused him of disrespecting the U.S. What does it mean for peace talks?  

A federal judge has extended a block of President Trump’s plan to withhold funding from medical institutions that provide healthcare to transgender youth.

“Anora” won Best Picture at the Oscars on Sunday, and director Sean Baker took home four awards total. He explains how having a bigger budget and professional actors changed his filmmaking process.

South African musician Abel Selaocoe explains his “paper” technique of practicing cello as a kid, the power of singing to unite a community, and how he more deeply explored his roots while away from his homeland. 

Consumer confidence had the biggest drop since August 2021, due mostly to concerns about the president’s proposed tariffs and high prices on staples like eggs. 

Sepsis cases in pregnant women have spiked roughly 50% since Texas’ abortion ban took effect in 2021, according to ProPublica’s new analysis. Sepsis is a life-threatening infection, often seen in the elderly and those with prolonged hospital stays.

Jennifer Finney Boylan wrote an acclaimed memoir in 2003 about changing from a man to a woman. She’s back with a new book about life before, and after, her transition.

Bulgar wheat has a fantastic chew, minimal cooking time, and multiple nutrients. It’s a staple in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, and a great addition to any leafy salad or grain bowl. 

A group of government workers filed a lawsuit in federal court in California today, arguing that Elon Musk’s demands for federal employees to provide a bulleted list of everything they accomplished last week violates federal law.

Some Democrats and a few Republicans have announced they’re running in California’s 2026 gubernatorial race. Others are waiting to see if 2024 Democratic presidential hopeful Kamala Harris will enter. 

In his third album “Horror,” Bartees Strange channels terror and heartbreak into newfound confidence and wide-ranging sonic pastiche.

Weight loss drugs like Ozempic bring health gains, but at what costs to relationships? Couples must face new challenges as eating habits, routines, and identities change.

Germans head to the polls Sunday at a time of increasing popularity for far-right politicians and Europe at a crossroads over Ukraine. 

Trump wants to stop funding schools with diversity initiatives. LAUSD officials fear losing more than a billion dollars in federal funding.

Critics review the latest film releases: “Old Guy,” “The Monkey,” “Picnic at Hanging Rock,” “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.”

Two foods that are fun to make and satisfying to eat: onigiri (Japanese rice balls) and spring rolls. Both involve steamed rice wrapped in seaweed sheets or rice paper, and a wide variety of fillings. 

The Museum of Jurassic Technology has recreated a meditative space from medieval Andalusia as part of the Getty’s region-wide PST Art event. 

With President Trump back in the White House, Ukraine finds its once top ally has now become a wild card in its three-year war with Russia.

The U.S. has frozen billions of dollars earmarked for foreign aid, significantly hampering medical, food, and other humanitarian aid and development assistance programs overseas.

Instrumentalist and audio engineer Daniel Ramirez lost his family’s rental home in the Eaton Fire. He reflects on his sons’ learning music there, and what the disaster meant for his history of depression. 

Kelsey McKinney hosted the podcast “Normal Gossip” for two years, spilling the tea with guests and dramatizing certain details. Her lessons about gossip are now published in a new book, which combines research, personal essays, and memoirs. 

The image of Elon Musk’s Tuesday press conference in the Oval Office — the unelected billionaire not even eligible to be president — punctuated the unprecedented developments we’ve seen over the past three-and-a-half weeks.

Critics review the latest film releases: “Captain America: Brave New World,” “Paddington in Peru,” “Universal Language,” and “Sly Lives!”

A new book explores the history of romantic comedies. The genre is as old as Shakespeare, but the modern era begins with the screwball comedies of the 1930s.

Investigators are looking into whether one of SoCal Edison’s idle power lines may have become re-energized and caused the Eaton Fire. The utility already faces over 40 lawsuits.

Old press releases from ICE raids dating back to 2008 are topping Google search results, inflating the perceived number of ongoing enforcement operations. 

“Death By Numbers,” now nominated for an Oscar, follows Sam Fuentes as she recovers from the Parkland school shooting and prepares to confront the gunman during his sentencing.

Flip Phone February is a challenge to swear off your iPhone or Android, and return to the app-free days of the Motorola Razr. One Toronto student did this for two years.