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Press Play with Madeleine Brand

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

Latest Episodes:

Sen. Wiener’s ‘No Secret Police Act,’ Sally Ride documentary Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

The U.S. shipped a nuclear reactor to Tehran in the late 1960s. After it cut diplomatic ties with Iran after the Islamic Revolution and during the hostage crisis, Iran turned to Pakistan to keep its atomic ambitions alive.

Federal officials aren’t saying how many immigrants they’ve detained. But immigrant advocates say the Adelanto detention center is “bursting at the seams.” Those inside lack access to family members and attorneys.

In California, agents claiming to be ICE are wearing masks and refusing to show identification when arresting immigrants. A new bill seeks to make that illegal.

Sally Ride was the first American woman in space, and when she died in 2012, her obituary publicly revealed that she was gay. KCRW hears from her partner Tam O’Shaughnessy, plus the director of the documentary “Sally.”

US attacks on Iran, summer book picks, Ty Segall’s ‘Possession’ Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

Iran launches missiles at the largest American military base in the Middle East. Is this the beginning of a larger war between the U.S., Israel, and Iran?

The Constitution says Congress has the power to declare war. But it also designates the president as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, with the power to respond to emergencies, including limited military actions overseas.

Need a good book for summer? Consider “The Bombshell,” “An Oral History of Atlantis,” “A Marriage at Sea,” “A Truce That is Not Peace,” “The Hounding,” and “Tilt.”

Laguna Beach native Ty Segall has experimented with different music genres over the years. Now his 16th album centers on American storytelling.

Medical treatments for transgender minors, future of C-SPAN Jun 19, 2025

Show notes

In a 6-3 ruling today, the Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law banning some medical treatments for transgender minors. The decision could have broad implications nationwide.

C-SPAN is facing an existential crisis as more people cut the cable cord. Longtime CNN journalist Sam Feist took the reins of CSPAN last year with a mandate to turn things around.

Critics review the latest film releases: “Elio,” “The Damned,” “Meeting with Pol Pot,” and “Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers.”

Each summer, tomatoes arrive in a kaleidoscope of shapes and colors. Ripe tomatoes are so good that most ways to prepare them are very simple. Here are unusual recipes to try.

Homeboy Industries’ Father Boyle on ICE, 50 years of ‘Jaws’ Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

Israel says now is the time to end Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Five days into fighting, the conflict could turn into a war to topple the Islamic Republic.

As the toll of ICE raids weighs heavily on local immigrant communities, Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries says, “No. We reject this. This isn’t who we are.”

Jesse Armstrong offers a sharp take on power in the show “Mountainhead,” where four tech billionaires ignore the looming dangers of AI as the world unravels around them.

“Jaws,” which turns 50 this week, was shot as an “incredible exercise in suspense.” It also tapped into people’s fear of being alone and defenseless, and kept audiences engaged with the three lead characters.

End of CHLA’s gender-affirming care, Tune-Yards’ music for political change Jun 17, 2025

Show notes

A Minnesota state representative and her husband were killed over the weekend. What’s driving the increase in American political violence?

Amid federal pressure, Children’s Hospital LA is ending its gender-affirming care in July. Thousands of trans youth and families are scrambling for new options.

In the final weeks of the Supreme Court’s term, we’re still waiting on major opinions concerning trans health care for minors, a birthright citizenship case that’s really about whether lower courts can issue nationwide injunctions, and a redistricting case that could affect the makeup of Congress.

The Oakland-based duo Tune-Yards has long sung about racism, gender, and white privilege. Their new album aims to inspire political change.

ICE farm raids, Brian Wilson’s ‘SMiLE,’ stone fruit recipes Jun 12, 2025

Show notes

ICE sweeps through Ventura County farms, leaving fields almost empty and workers fearful. Community leaders and families face uncertainty and disruption.

Musical visionary Brian Wilson’s family announced on Wednesday that the Beach Boys’ co-founder died at 82. Biographer David Leaf has been a close friend of Wilson for more than 45 years, and his new book is “SMiLE: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Brian Wilson.”

Critics review the latest film releases: “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Echo Valley,” “Materialists,” and “Prime Minister.”

Serve peaches on your favorite scone or pound cake with whipped cream, or stuff them with crumbled cookies and chocolate. Stone fruit also pairs well with fresh or briny cheeses.

LAPD’s ‘less lethal’ weapons against protesters, Diane Arbus’ photography Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

Viral videos from the LA ICE protests show police firing “less lethal” weapons into crowds and at journalists. Advocates say the cops are not following the law.

Weeks before ICE raided a Home Depot in Westlake on Friday, the White House ordered the agency to ramp up sweeps to help meet President Trump’s deportation targets.

The Supreme Court decision New York Times v. Sullivan protects journalists from debilitating lawsuits. A group of billionaires, lawyers, and right-wing groups are trying to overturn it.

Culture critic Carolina Miranda weighs in on a retrospective of Diane Arbus’ photography at Zwirner gallery, and a Wende Museum exhibition about mass surveillance in former East Germany during the Cold War.

Private ICE detention centers, Kenny Scharf’s Karbombz project Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

The White House’s immigration crackdown, the protests, the mobilization of the National Guard and Marines have all reignited the personal feud between President Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom, and the White House versus California.

LAUSD officials are deploying school police to create "perimeters of safety” around graduation ceremonies and campuses where federal immigration agents have been detected.

ICE is looking to spend as much as $45 billion on private prisons and related infrastructure over the next two years. Border czar Tom Homan says he wants 100,000 detention beds.

Kenny Scharf has painted mischievous-looking cartoons on about 300 cars, most of them in LA. He talks about making art accessible, plus his relationships with Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Andy Warhol.

Impact of ICE raids in LA, Pachyman on dub music Jun 10, 2025

Show notes

ICE raids in Los Angeles kicked off four days of protest. As sheriffs and the LAPD fight protesters, Trump is sending in the Marines.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta are suing President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after Trump deployed hundreds of National Guard troops to SoCal over the weekend.

Immigrant Defenders Law Center has been sending attorneys out to locate people detained by ICE, give them info on their rights, and ensure people aren’t being unlawfully deported.

Pachy Garcia grew up in Puerto Rico and was influenced by the Caribbean’s reggae and dub sounds. Now he lives in LA and is out with his fifth album.

Cuts to HIV/AIDS funding, film reviews, money dysmorphia Jun 06, 2025

Show notes

The Supreme Court issued 9-0 opinions today on big cases concerning employment discrimination, the liability of gun manufacturers, and tax exemptions for religious organizations. President Trump also unveiled a new travel ban better equipped to survive legal scrutiny.

After the Trump administration cut billions in foreign aid, two African countries that succeeded in curbing the spread of HIV are now in danger of backsliding.

Critics review the latest film releases: “Ballerina,” “Predator: Killer of Killers,” “This Is Chuck,” “Dangerous Animals.”

Why do so many young adults feel broke even when they’re not? Social feeds flaunt luxury, but thanks to money dysmorphia, many young adults feel left behind.

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