Press Play with Madeleine Brand

The California coast spans 840 miles and boasts diverse flora and fauna. Pat Krug’s new book explains why these creatures live where they do, and gives tips on how to spot them. 

Scarlett Johansson says ChatGPT’s new AI assistance, “Sky,” sounds alarmingly like her. She previously declined a request from OpenAI to be its voice.  

Film critic Tim Grierson reviews what’s new at Cannes, including works from Francis Ford Coppola and ...

The first laws criminalizing stalking in California stemmed from the 1991 trial of Tucson resident Robert Bardo, who tracked down and killed LA actress Rebecca Schaeffer. 

Nevada is crucial for another Biden presidential victory in November. But an emerging group of evangelical Latino voters could deliver a win for Trump, who leads in the polls.

After closing arguments next week, Trump’s legal fate will be with a New York jury. T...

LA officials are increasing law enforcement presence on the county’s Metro system following a spike in violence over the last few weeks. 

Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash on Sunday. His death leaves two major roles to fill in Iran’s regime.

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito blamed his wife for displaying a "stop the steal" symbol at their home after the January 6 insurrection. It's just the latest exampl...

Critics review the latest film releases: “Back to Black,” “IF,” “Gasoline Rainbow,” and “Babes.”

Google will start putting AI-generated answers at the top of search results. Content creators and media outlets say this will cost them clicks.

A military historian and retired Army colonel discusses Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategy against Hamas, and what the war in Gaza means for Israeli politics domestically and globally. 

How are va...

Billions in the UC system’s portfolio are tied to holdings targeted by pro-Palestinian protests. Plus, did CHP officers break California law during its UCLA encampment sweep?

Cartels in Mexico have created one of the deadliest election years in the country’s history. What will this mean for voters heading to the polls next month?

The 401(k) has increased the wealth of millions while exacerbating income inequality among older Amer...

Decades of erosion and climate change constantly shut down Highway 1 through Big Sur. The damage is worsening as more intense storms hit the coast.

President Biden today announced higher tariffs on Chinese goods, saying the aim is to protect the U.S. economy from overseas competitors. Trump has taken aim at U.S.-China trade policy as well. 

The New York Times spoke to dozens of people who reported COVID side effects, ranging from...

LA Philharmonic Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel talks about conducting Beethoven's only opera, plus his choice to start leading the New York Philharmonic in 2026.

The New York Times/Siena College polls show Biden losing to Trump in Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia. Biden has lost support with key Democratic demographics.  

The state of California tried to stop a lawsuit relating to a fatal COVID-19 ...

Andrea Nguyen, Clarissa Wei, and Hetty Lui McKinnon have all been nominated for a James Beard Award. Try their cookbook recipes during this AAPI Month.

The new book “White Rural Rage” explores anger in the heartland and the threat it poses to American democracy. 

Critics review the latest film releases: “The Poolman,” “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” “Last Stop in Yuma County,” and “Power.” 

Though he hated being called a “p...

In “Help Wanted,” part-time employees of a big-box retail store in New York are barely making a living. Author Adelle Waldman’s own job experiences inspired the novel. 

Ryan Crocker, a former U.S. ambassador to Middle Eastern countries, says Israel should heed the message behind the Biden administration’s withholding of bombs.

Hollywood’s summer box office season is here. So far, it pales in comparison to last year’s $4 billion b...

Lookout Santa Cruz has earned the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting. The winning coverage was about the flooding and mudslides along the Central Coast last January.

Once viewed as a progressive movement for a Jewish state, Zionism has taken on a settler colonialist connotation for many pro-Palestinian protestors. 

One reason for sky-high veterinary bills? Private equity funds and big corporations have been gobbling ...

Joan Baez talks about her poetry, memories of abuse, living with dissociative identity disorder, and abstaining from the Gaza protests on college campuses. 

After violence broke out between pro-Palestinian activists and counter-protestors at UCLA, campus officials are launching its new Office of Campus Safety. 

Student protesters are demanding universities divest from Israel. But in California, divestment may not be legally achie...

Critics review the latest film releases: “The Fall Guy,” “I Saw the TV Glow,” “Evil Does Not Exist,” and “Mars Express.”

Police arrested more than 130 people at UCLA after law enforcement dispersed protesters and dismantled a pro-Palestinian encampment. The demonstrations have taken attention away from the actual war in Gaza. 

Arizona's Republican-led legislature repealed the state's Civil War-era abortion ban, reverting to a 15-...

Strawberries are easy to transform into a dish that’s like a gift. To kick them up a notch, marinate them with a drizzle of flavorful balsamic vinegar.

After violence between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian sides broke out at UCLA overnight, two Dartmouth lecturers with differing views on the war offer a model for cooperation.

The Department of Justice proposed making cannabis a Schedule 3 drug, acknowledging after decades of ill...

Trader Joe’s works with global suppliers to make eclectic products, but some small food producers say the company rips them off, reports Adam Reiner, founder of Restaurant Manifesto. 

Campus protestors nationwide are demanding universities divest of financial ties to Israel. Is that possible in today's complex, global economy? 

The NLRB has accused Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, Amazon, and SpaceX of harassing and intimidating workers....

USC journalism professor Sandy Tolan talks about what he witnessed when visiting Gaza protest encampments on campus. He also responds to the commencement cancellation. 

Despite tense moments between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators at UCLA over the weekend, school administrators and police mostly stayed out of it.

Hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested nationwide amid protests on college campuses. Law professor ...

Critics review the latest film releases: “Challengers,” “Uncropped,” “Egoist,” and “Alien” (re-release). 

The Supreme Court justices grant that presidents have some immunity when it comes to prosecution, but differ in how much and when it applies.

A New York appeals court has overturned the rape conviction against Harvey Weinstein, saying a judge mistakenly allowed women who were not part of the charges to testify that the former...

Fava beans are one of the most ancient plants and among the easiest to grow. They’re key in Mediterranean and Middle East food cultures. 

Biden’s new legislation is forcing TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the social giant to a U.S. company. TikTok plans to challenge this in court.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author David Sanger’s new book chronicles America’s plunge into simultaneous conf...

LACMA has signed on as a partner in the development of Las Vegas’ only standalone art museum. Pieces from LACMA will be on rotating loan in Vegas once the museum is complete. 

Protests over the war in Gaza have engulfed college campuses across the country. Faith leaders offer guidance in these contentious times.

Tesla sales are slumping. Its trucks have been recalled to fix a safety issue. And Elon Musk seems to be alienating pot...

Erick Elliott’s (a.k.a. Erick the Architect) first solo album, “I’ve Never Been Here Before,” features big-name collaborators like James Blake and George Clinton. 

The Supreme Court appeared divided after oral arguments over a Grants Pass, an Oregon law that bans camping in public areas. Lower courts say it amounts to “cruel and unusual punishment.”

Private companies are buying farmland in rural Arizona. The goal isn’t to farm cr...