Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Host Madeleine Brand looks at news, culture and emerging trends through the lens of Los Angeles.
Most Recent Episode
How would LA Medicaid patients be affected by proposed budget cuts?
Congress may be cutting hundreds of billions from Medicaid over the next decade. That could have massive implications for Angelenos, whether they’re on Medicaid or not.
The proposed budget cuts would eliminate hundreds of billions in clean energy and EV credits. It’s the latest Republican retreat from addressing climate change.
Julia Whelan is one of the most sought-after narrators in the $2 billion audiobook industry. She explains her extensive prep for the job, the physical toll, and potential impact of AI.
Adrian Quesada’s new album, “Boleros Psicodelicos 2,” is a love letter to the Latin ballads of the 1960s and 70s, featuring around a dozen music stars from the contemporary Latin music scene.
More Episodes
Future of miracle HIV drug, Jackie Castillo’s immigrant-centric art
New York State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, 33, shocked political observers with his likely upset of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary.
Tens of millions of people worldwide live with HIV. Lenacapavir can prevent the virus for months with one injection — a potential game changer. But President Trump and Elon Musk have upended foreign aid.
Jackie Castillo’s new installation features terra cotta tiles hanging from the ceiling, suspended by rebar, creating a staircase of local construction materials. The work speaks to the city and immigrants.
Tracy Anderson built a luxury fitness empire where movement is art, silence is part of the workout, and clients spend thousands chasing the perfect body.
Sen. Wiener’s ‘No Secret Police Act,’ Sally Ride documentary
The U.S. shipped a nuclear reactor to Tehran in the late 1960s. After it cut diplomatic ties with Iran after the Islamic Revolution and during the hostage crisis, Iran turned to Pakistan to keep its atomic ambitions alive.
Federal officials aren’t saying how many immigrants they’ve detained. But immigrant advocates say the Adelanto detention center is “bursting at the seams.” Those inside lack access to family members and attorneys.
In California, agents claiming to be ICE are wearing masks and refusing to show identification when arresting immigrants. A new bill seeks to make that illegal.
Sally Ride was the first American woman in space, and when she died in 2012, her obituary publicly revealed that she was gay. KCRW hears from her partner Tam O’Shaughnessy, plus the director of the documentary “Sally.”
Private ICE detention centers, Kenny Scharf’s Karbombz project
The White House’s immigration crackdown, the protests, the mobilization of the National Guard and Marines have all reignited the personal feud between President Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom, and the White House versus California.
LAUSD officials are deploying school police to create "perimeters of safety” around graduation ceremonies and campuses where federal immigration agents have been detected.
ICE is looking to spend as much as $45 billion on private prisons and related infrastructure over the next two years. Border czar Tom Homan says he wants 100,000 detention beds.
Kenny Scharf has painted mischievous-looking cartoons on about 300 cars, most of them in LA. He talks about making art accessible, plus his relationships with Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Andy Warhol.
Impact of ICE raids in LA, Pachyman on dub music
ICE raids in Los Angeles kicked off four days of protest. As sheriffs and the LAPD fight protesters, Trump is sending in the Marines.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta are suing President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after Trump deployed hundreds of National Guard troops to SoCal over the weekend.
Immigrant Defenders Law Center has been sending attorneys out to locate people detained by ICE, give them info on their rights, and ensure people aren’t being unlawfully deported.
Pachy Garcia grew up in Puerto Rico and was influenced by the Caribbean’s reggae and dub sounds. Now he lives in LA and is out with his fifth album.
Food crisis in Gaza, Nadya Tolokonnikova’s ‘Police State’
An 11-week Israeli blockade brought Gaza to the brink of famine. Now the military – and a shadowy nonprofit – are overseeing a chaotic aid rollout.
The Department of Defense plans to strip civil rights leader Harvey Milk’s name from a Navy ship. KCRW hears from San Francisco’s former supervisor, who was a second-generation Navy veteran discharged for being gay.
Nadya Tolokonnikova talks about her new art show “Police State,” losing herself in a Russian penal colony, plus the need for activists to speak up despite risks.
Going to an outdoor event at the Hollywood Bowl or Gloria Molina Grand Park? Consider packing steak salad, Vietnamese banh mi, pastries with savory fillings, and more.
New Hollywood’s leading men in photos, 10 years of Here’s Looking At You
Ukraine's weekend attack on Russian air bases revealed how much the country is leveraging inexpensive drone technology in the conflict.
Buy-now-pay-later financing has skyrocketed since the pandemic. With more people defaulting, experts raise concerns about the broader impact on the economy.
Want to eat at Koreatown’s Here’s Looking At You? June 13 will be your last chance. Lien Ta reflects on co-owner Jonathan Whitener’s influence and the business rollercoaster during COVID.
In the 1970s, actress Candy Clark shot relaxed, intimate portraits of her friends and boyfriends, including Jeff Bridges, Nicolas Roeg, and Ed Ruscha. The images are now part of a new book.
Selling and rebuilding 5 months after fires, new COVID vax rules
Five months after the wildfires, Palisades and Altadena realtors describe parcels and lots on the market now and their prices. Plus, what are residents’ concerns and challenges about rebuilding?
On Tuesday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced the federal government no longer recommends the COVID vaccine for healthy children and pregnant women. The FDA also plans to limit eligibility for this fall’s updated vaccine to people only over age 65, or who have certain medical conditions.
Critics review the latest film releases: “Karate Kid: Legends,” “The Phoenician Scheme,” “Bring Her Back,” and “Mountainhead.”
June is the ninth anniversary of Smorgasburg. Every Sunday, a parking lot off Central Avenue hosts food vendors offering jerk BBQ, Thai street food, vegan tacos, and other specialties.
Controversy over Riverside trans athlete, the man behind Pee-wee Herman
On Tuesday, the California Interscholastic Federation announced “any biological female student-athlete” who didn’t qualify because a trans athlete placed ahead of them would be allowed to compete in this weekend’s state track and field finals. The move came hours after President Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from California.
Actor Paul Reubens appeared in public as Pee-wee Herman for much of his career. Two years after his death, a new documentary shows the man behind the character.
In just about 20 years, the beaks of Anna’s hummingbird became longer and more tapered, according to a new study published in the scientific journal “Global Change Biology.”