Press Play with Madeleine Brand

California may be deep blue in this fall’s presidential contest, but further down the ticket, a handful of House races in Southern California could determine whether the GOP or Democrats control the House. 

Prop 33 would expand rent control. Prop 34 focuses on health care reform. These seemingly unrelated measures are masking a fight between CA’s landlord lobby and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

Critics review the latest film releases: “Wolfs,” “Megalopolis,” “The Wild Robot,” and “Saturday Night.”

The benefit of making your own chocolate chip cookies is customization. Crispy or chewy? Nuts or not? Can you wait 24-36 hours for the dough to “age,” thus ensuring a more flavorful result, or do you need them now?

After polling missed the extent of Donald Trump's appeal in 2016 and overstated Joe Biden's strength in 2020, why should we believe what polls are telling us now?

LA DA candidate Nathan Hochman explains his party affiliation change, defending Sheriff Lee Baca, and his “hard middle” approach to crime.  

Filmmaker Agnes Varda shaped the French New Wave in the ‘60s, and was known as a “punk grandma” in her later years. A new biography traces her art-filled life.

CA Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a law banning plastic grocery bags. Attorney General Rob Bonta is suing ExxonMobil. This is a big week in the state’s fight against plastic.

LA District Attorney George Gascón talks about the impact of his progressive policies on Angelenos, Prop 36, and his standing among members of his own office.

Michigan is beating California in legal weed sales, despite having only a quarter of the population. Many of its customers are out of state. 

The fall TV season includes new series like “The Penguin” and “Disclaimer,” alongside a fresh take on “Matlock.”

As UCLA begins its fall quarter, new rules are in place to prevent future violent confrontations about the Israel-Hamas war. The UC Board of Regents approved extra non-lethal weapons for campus police.

On Friday, the Georgia State Election Board voted 3-2 along partisan lines to require counties to hand-count every ballot cast on Election Day.

Shohei Ohtani became the first MLB player to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in one season. Plus UCLA and USC struggle in Big Ten, and the WNBA announces its MVPs.

A new documentary series examines the world of 1980s hair metal. KCRW talks to director Jeff Tremaine and founding Guns N’ Roses member Tracii Guns. 

The Federal Reserve announced a half-a-percentage point cut in interest rates on Wednesday. Mortgage rates had already been falling, but the median home price in LA is $1 million.

The attack on Hezbollah, using tampered pagers and walkie-talkies, reveals vulnerabilities in our globalized electronics supply chain.

“Colored Television” follows a broke novelist who struggles to write about the mixed race perspective for Hollywood. 

Critics review the latest film releases: “The Substance,” “A Different Man,” “In the Summers,” and “The Falling Star.”

The U.S. says Israel was behind this week’s remote detonations of Hezbollah’s communication devices. How was the operation pulled off?

Gov. Newsom signed several AI bills on Tuesday that protect Hollywood actors, and try to prevent voters from being duped by deepfakes ahead of the November election.

San Francisco’s political landscape is shifting as the mayoral race approaches. A once-liberal city is leaning centrist on crime and homelessness.

Best-selling author Rumaan Alam’s new novel follows a young Black woman who starts working for an elderly billionaire at his philanthropic foundation, then starts to covet his lifestyle.

The moistness of zucchini adds a lot to bakes, creating a more tender crumb. The veggie also boosts longevity and nutrition. And its neutral flavor makes it easy to pair with ingredients.

The Bridge Fire is now the largest wildfire in Southern California. How are residents and small businesses in the path of the flames faring?

This morning’s earthquake is a reminder of the importance of retrofitting buildings. The LA Times discovered the city has had trouble reporting accurate data on this.

Alimento’s owner, Zack Pollack, explains why he closed his 10-year-old Italian bistro, and what it takes for today’s neighborhood restaurants to survive. 

Critics review the latest film releases: “Speak No Evil,” “My Old Ass,” “The Killer's Game,” and “Look Into My Eyes.”

On this 9/11 anniversary, KCRW looks at what has happened in Afghanistan since U.S. forces withdrew, particularly the ongoing erosion of rights for women under the Taliban.

In 2020, many prominent Black women became executives for major book publishers. But four years later, some of the most notable hires no longer have those jobs.

In "Question Everything," Brian Reed looks at questions around journalistic standards following criticism he received for his approach to "S-Town."

Learn how to make a traditional sheet pan dinner, a savory tray bake from a Cypriot-Turkish tradition, and an upside down baking technique.

SoCal is facing three big wildfires amid a historic heat wave, including the Line Fire, which has burned more than 26,000 acres. How are firefighters coping?

A UC Davis scientist is trying to bioengineer cow microbes so they produce less methane. Changing how the animals process their diet — through gene editing — could help delay global warming.

With the launch of its new, artificial intelligence-powered iPhone 16, Apple is hoping to boost smartphone sales, which have been sluggish lately. 

With the rising popularity of medical content on streamers like HBO and Netflix, New York’s Northwell Health has launched its own film and TV production studio. 

Actor James Earl Jones died Monday at age 93. He’s best known as the voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa. But his best work, and maybe least well-known, came on stage.

Israelis took to the streets to protest the deaths of six hostages kidnapped by Hamas. How does this growing pressure change the calculus for Netanyahu and the U.S.? 

Election lawsuits in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and other battleground states could complicate the aftermath of a close presidential election in November. 

ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” is a mockumentary that portrays the chaos within an inner-city school. Janelle James talks about playing the brash, self-centered principal.

USC and UCLA won their openers as new members of the Big 10 Conference. NFL season begins Thursday. And LA Dodgers’ Shohei Otani returns to his old stomping grounds in Anaheim tonight. 

The Democratic Convention kept the good times rolling for Kamala Harris and a rejuvenated Democratic Party. But with 10 weeks until Election Day, the race is tied. 

Thanks to a little-known provision in the law that compensates whistleblowers for the fraud they expose, one man has turned it into a lucrative business.

The groundbreaking TV show “My So-Called Life” made waves 30 years ago, especially because of Wilson Cruz’s portrayal of biracial, queer teenager Rickie Vasquez.

After a 15-year hiatus, Liam and Noel Gallagher are reuniting Oasis. The brothers are known for their decades-long feud that has troubled the band’s reputation.

Jimi Hendrix built the Electric Lady recording studio in New York, but died a few weeks after it opened. A new documentary shows how later generations of artists made it a sanctuary.

In deposition tapes obtained by NPR, former LA Mayor Eric Garcetti says he didn’t know about his aide Rick Jacobs’ alleged sexual misconduct. Former city staffers say Garcetti is lying.

An Ohio judge ruled that several abortion laws now violate the state constitution — after voters approved an amendment last year guaranteeing the right to an abortion.

From Vice President Harris’ bespoke suits to Senator Vance sporting the first beard in decades, KCRW looks at the messages politicians are sending through their fashion choices.

While most voters know Kamala Harris is the vice president, polling suggests few know much more about her. The presidential candidate’s nomination speech gives her an opportunity to change that.

Democrats worry that sexism will prevent Kamala Harris from beating Donald Trump. But research shows that Americans vote for women at the same rates they vote for men. 

Critics review the latest film releases: “The Crow,” “Blink Twice,” “Between the Temples,” and “The Killer.”

Tennis star Jannik Sinner tested positive earlier this year for a banned substance. Authorities said it wasn’t intentional, but it does cast a shadow over this year’s U.S. Open.

Riverside native Ivan Cornejo fuses folk and rock with regional Mexican music. The 20-year-old’s first arena tour starts on August 23.

Protests and violence marred the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Could this year’s convention, also in Chicago, see similar alienation and division?

Former Republican Congressman George Santos pleaded guilty to wire fraud, money laundering, and identity theft today. It ends a long saga that began before he took office.

Phil Donahue died on Sunday at age 88. For decades, he hosted TV shows that let audiences interact with interesting, controversial, and famous people.

Cucumbers are a perfect foil for condiments of all kinds, so it’s not surprising that TikTok’s cucumber king, Logan Moffitt, is going viral with every cucumber salad recipe he posts.

Vice President Kamala Harris hasn’t offered many details on her policy positions yet. Some Democrats have been urging her to keep it vague.

Music is a key component in the 2024 election. Harris has been playing Beyonce’s “Freedom.” Meanwhile, many artists have asked former President Donald Trump to stop playing their music. 

Critics review the latest film releases: “Alien: Romulus,” “Rob Peace,” “Skincare,” and “Close to You.”

Mayor Karen Bass returned from Paris to LA on Monday, bringing the official Olympic flag with her. She talks about preparing LA for the 2028 Games and what it will mean for homelessness. 

The epicenter of Monday’s 4.4 magnitude earthquake was in El Sereno on the Puente Hills fault system. While it's not as famous as the San Andreas fault, it could be more dangerous.  

The documentary “Sugarcane” reveals the painful history of Catholic-run boarding schools in the U.S. and Canada, where thousands of Native children suffered horrific abuse.

Many psychedelic mushroom edibles don't contain the active ingredient psilocybin, and have potentially harmful or illegal compounds, a recent LA Times investigation found.