Arts

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Host Madeleine Brand looks at news, culture and emerging trends through the lens of Los Angeles.

Latest Episodes:

ICE is hiring. Many prospective candidates are Latino Sep 03, 2025

Show notes

Judge Charles Breyer ruled that the Trump administration’s use of the military as domestic police violated federal law, setting the tone for legal challenges in other cities.

Thousands of people hoping to join ICE attended a recruitment fair in Texas. Many applicants were Latino.

Building atom bombs was a feat rivaling the science behind them. The Manhattan Project oversaw hundreds of thousands of workers in cities that technically didn’t exist.

The single bloodiest day of World War II was the firebombing of Tokyo — before atomic bombs destroyed Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Why isn’t it mourned that way?

Labor Day special: New Hollywood’s leading men in photos Sep 01, 2025

Show notes

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.

When AI companionship turns into psychosis Aug 29, 2025

Show notes

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,” “The Roses,” “The Toxic Avenger,” and “A Little Prayer.”

Finger clapping — touching your thumb and middle finger together in a form of silent applause — may seem like a hot new thing on TikTok. But the queer ballroom scene has been doing it for years.

‘Love, Queenie’: Hollywood’s first Indian star hid her origins Aug 28, 2025

Show notes

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, impoverished background to become a movie star in Britain and then Hollywood. But her career fizzled out in the 1940s, and all that cover-up had a psychological impact.

Consider setting up a pickle bar for your Labor Day get-together. Pickles fit right in with cheese, charcuterie, and crackers. They can also be used for sandwiches and cocktails.

Why did modern cities move away from creating shaded public spaces? Aug 27, 2025

Show notes

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 revisits the story of Amanda Knox, the American college student studying abroad who was accused of killing her roommate. Knox and Monica Lewinsky are executive producers.

The colonial-era Mercator map distorts continental size, making Africa look smaller than it is. The 55-nation African Union joins the push to embrace a new world map.

At 90, father of minimalist music is still performing Aug 26, 2025

Show notes

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 the states. FEMA employees say this leaves the U.S. unprepared for the next Hurricane Katrina.

Terry Riley is known for creating minimalist music, which influenced artists across genres, including ambient, electronic, pop, and rock. On Sept. 7, the Ford amphitheater will host a concert celebrating his work.

HHS cuts investments in mRNA vax research. Impact on US science? Aug 21, 2025

Show notes

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 film releases: “Honey Don’t!,” “Splitsville,” “Lurker,” and “Suspended Time.”

Granola and energy bars often start with the same pantry staples such as oats, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, etc. They diverge in the proportion of ingredients and the technique used to make them.

Newsom does a 180 on oil drilling Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

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 Dead were counterculture icons. But according to author Jim Newton, Garcia himself wasn’t particularly political. At least not publicly, or even in ways we might traditionally think.

Forty-two cats in a traditional portrait setting. Felines filling the frame in an array of poses on blue and pink fabrics, bathed in soft light. The 1891 masterpiece "My Wife's Lovers" is just as fabulous as it sounds.

Housing First: Hear from its pioneer and a beneficiary Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

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 the Hill” returns with new laughs, old neighbors, and storylines that echo today’s political and social divide.

Dan Tana, 90, died of cancer on Saturday in his native Serbia — far from the city where his name welcomed diners and scenesters for decades.

LA gets its own Blue Note. Expect jazz plus hip-hop performances Aug 19, 2025

Show notes

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 York City’s upscale club for jazz. Then came locations in Asia, Europe, and South America. Last week, LA got its own Blue Note.

KCRW’s LeRoy Downs says Blue Note LA will appeal to a wide audience, even those who don’t often listen to jazz. He highlights some artists who will perform there this season.

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