Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Plus, how Infinite Jest is not just a novel for pretentious guys (according to one female novelist at least), our weekly film reviews, and a new Stanford dating app may be the antidote to swiping.

Plus, new reporting from The New York Times reveals Jeffrey Epstein had hidden cameras in his homes, ICE is recording and identifying people to be deported with technology that’s far from reliable, and Evan Kleiman has a can’t-miss Valentine’s Day idea.

Plus, what a rollback of a landmark environmental policy could mean, how peptides became the “it drug” in the wellness world, and the history of romcoms from the screwball era to today.

Plus, a last-minute addition upends the LA mayor’s race, Instagram and YouTube face accusations their algorithms are addictive, and Tesla kills its iconic models S and X in favor of…humanoid robots.

Plus, more candidates consider running for LA mayor after a critical Los Angeles Times story about Mayor Karen Bass, and our film critics tackle a man in love with vacuum cleaner and a BDSM “dom-com.”

Plus, Raman's efforts to reform LA’s so-called “mansion tax,” big layoffs hit The Washington Post, a former Los Angeles Times editor gets candid about the future of news, and the origin of KCRW’s pie contest.

Plus, inhumane conditions at the immigrant detention facility in the Mojave Desert, deported migrants who become targets of the cartels when they return to Mexico, and why the show Survivor endures.

Plus, the latest Epstein files include LA28 chairman Casey Wasserman, LA County reports two measles cases as an outbreak surges in South Carolina, and how to create music kids and their parents will like.

Plus, the prospects of President Trump’s Board of Peace running Gaza, our weekend film reviews, and the behind-the-scenes studio machinations of the new Melania Trump "documentary."

Plus, how California lawmakers are responding to federal immigration enforcement tactics, why fentanyl overdose deaths suddenly declined in 2023, and why a $1,500 per person dinner sold out in minutes.

Plus, how the narrative about ICE is shaped by cell phone videos from both protesters and agents, President Trump turns his eyes to Cuba, and a dispatch from the Sundance Film Festival.

Plus, how LA activists are monitoring ICE activity at a MacArthur Park Home Depot, and rapper IDK on how serving time set him on a path to make music.

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.