Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Host Madeleine Brand looks at news, culture and emerging trends through the lens of Los Angeles.
Episodes
An anthropologist and a psychiatrist weigh in on “AI psychosis,” following several recent, high-profile cases of users losing touch with reality during conversations with bots.
The summer COVID spike is here, but new FDA vaccine restrictions limit who can get a booster, and CDC turmoil impacts U.S. public health policy.
Critics review the latest film releases: “Caught Stealing,” “T...
The Federal Reserve was set up over 100 years ago to insulate monetary policy from politics. Now Trump is trying to exert authority over the organization.
The Spotify habits of politicians, celebrities, and other public figures were released on a site called Panama Playlists. The leak revealed just how much of our online lives may be less private than we think.
Merle Oberon hid her mixed-race, impove...
After Kamala Harris declined to run for California governor, the crowded field lacks a clear frontrunner. Former Congresswoman Katie Porter has a slight edge, but Rick Caruso could shake up the race.
Heat waves are among the deadliest natural disasters. Shade is a vital defense. But in cities like LA, it’s treated as a privilege, not a right.
A new Hulu series&nbs...
Kilmar Abrego Garcia was wrongly deported to a Salvadoran prison. Now the Trump administration is trying to send him to Uganda.
States are redrawing congressional maps in an aggressive battle for control. Texas and California are leading the charge, sparking a partisan fight leading up to the midterm elections.
President Trump has said he wants to get rid of FEMA and shift relief responsibility to t...
HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is cutting hundreds of millions of dollars of mRNA vaccine funding research. The groundbreaking technology is used in most COVID-19 vaccines, and shows promise in other areas.
At the end of Ruth Asawa’s life, an encounter with an auction house curator turned her from a relatively obscure artist into one whose works command millions of dollars.
Critics review the latest...
Israel has approved a West Bank settlement plan that would split the territory and pave the way for thousands of apartments, drawing global criticism and threatening hopes of a Palestinian state.
Gov. Newsom last year accused oil companies of “screwing” customers, but now he wants to increase oil drilling in Kern County to prevent a possible rise in gas prices in 2026.
Jerry Garcia and the Grateful ...
Sam Tsemberis came up with Housing First — permanent housing with supportive services. He explains the root causes of homelessness and why Trump’s executive order paints a false reality.
When Amber Mariah Metzinger entered a Housing First program, she stopped using meth, and started working toward a career in drug and alcohol counseling.
After 15 years off air, “King of t...
A new California congressional map, commissioned by Democrats, seeks to counter Texas’ proposed gerrymandering. The man who drew the map had never drawn a partisan one before.
Californians are likely headed to the ballot box in November for a special election on redistricting – and the state is likely headed to court over the scheme.
For 45 years, Blue Note in Greenwich Village served as New Y...
President Trump claims crime is rising in D.C., when it’s actually down there — and across the country. Critics say his rhetoric is part of a longer history of “copaganda.”
The Dodgers hit a rough patch, losing to the Angels and slipping to second place in the NL West. LAFC made headlines by signing soccer star Son Heung-Min. Tennis legend Venus Williams re...
After two months of denied access, Rep. Brad Sherman tours LA’s secretive ICE facility, raising questions about masked raids, detainee living conditions, and oversight rights.
Matt, 19, got hormones and surgery through CHLA. After the hospital ended its gender-affirming care, he turned to a new clinic but is considering leaving the U.S.
By now, you or someone you know has probably ridden...
Pali High starts its new academic term on August 13. Instruction will still temporarily happen at the old Sears in Santa Monica. There’s optimism for rebuilding the old campus and community.
Over the weekend, an Israeli airstrike killed Anas Al-Sharif and four other Al Jazeera journalists in what the Israeli military said was a targeted attack on their media tent.
In the novel “Wanting,” two c...
A new chapter is unfolding in the power struggle between President Trump and cities as he sends the National Guard into DC — and defends the LA deployment in court.
UC regents are meeting to discuss whether to settle with the Trump administration over their freezing of grants. But an appeals court may unfreeze the money first.
New research reveals the death toll from the January fires in LA County m...
LAUSD starts its new academic term a week from today. Superintendent Alberto Carvalho talks about student proficiency in math and reading, enrollment, and protecting kids from ICE raids.
Writer Peter Beinart says American Jews need to reckon with Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza, and they should support equality for Palestinians.
Critics review the latest film relea...
The Trump administration froze UCLA’s roughly 800 grants, covering research into medicine, science, energy, and climate. How are scholars and the university responding?
Luke Farritor, a 23-year-old tech prodigy with no government experience, is at the center of sweeping federal cuts reshaping how government works.
For about a decade, the director of the Knoedler Gallery ended up buying fake art from...
Texas lawmakers are trying to gerrymander their way to five more Republican seats in Congress. California Democrats want to retaliate — can they?
Will fully autonomous military machines be the future of war, or will nations like the U.S. abide by certain constraints?
Nobuyuki Matsuhisa — whose signature sushi flavors feature citrus, cilantro, and spice — owns res...
A federal appeals court upholds a ruling that blocks ICE from broad immigration stops in LA, raising questions about what this means for immigrant communities and enforcement moving forward.
President Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship is not faring well in court. This time, the Supreme Court may not save him.
COVID ticked up in parts of California and is expected to peak in the LA area in late...
France and Canada have promised to formally recognize Palestine at the U.N. General Assembly in September. The U.K. will join them if Israel doesn’t agree to a ceasefire with Hamas.
Humans are extracting fresh water from underground aquifers, accelerating the drying of land all over the world and driving sea level rise, according to a new study.
Critics review the latest fil...
A 2009 Obama-era environmental finding has underpinned a lot of climate-related regulation. It’s now the latest target of the Trump administration.
Street vending in LA is now tougher than when it was illegal, a MacArthur Park clothes merchant says. SB 635 would prohibit state agencies from sharing street vendor data with ICE.
Ever wonder what your life would look like if you made one radically ...
UCLA is the latest college to settle an antisemitism case, and it will give several million to Jewish organizations. A lawsuit by pro-Palestinian activists remains pending.
6.6% of college-educated 20 to 24-year-olds are unemployed and actively job-hunting, according to the Labor Department. Why are they struggling to launch?
Employers in coveted fields are turning to AI instead of hiring recent col...
In response to Texas’ plan to redraw its congressional map to add GOP seats, CA Gov. Newsom is threatening to redistrict here to add Democratic seats. Is it legal?
Considered the most powerful psychedelic, 5-MeO DMT causes extreme trips that last only 30 minutes. Two startups are trying to take it to market as a depression treatment.
Lollapalooza runs July 31 to August 3 in Chicago. Three decad...
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