Arts

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

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

Latest Episodes:

Food crisis in Gaza, Nadya Tolokonnikova’s ‘Police State’ Jun 05, 2025

Show notes

An 11-week Israeli blockade brought Gaza to the brink of famine. Now the military – and a shadowy nonprofit – are overseeing a chaotic aid rollout.

The Department of Defense plans to strip civil rights leader Harvey Milk’s name from a Navy ship. KCRW hears from San Francisco’s former supervisor, who was a second-generation Navy veteran discharged for being gay.

Nadya Tolokonnikova talks about her new art show “Police State,” losing herself in a Russian penal colony, plus the need for activists to speak up despite risks.

Going to an outdoor event at the Hollywood Bowl or Gloria Molina Grand Park? Consider packing steak salad, Vietnamese banh mi, pastries with savory fillings, and more.

New Hollywood’s leading men in photos, 10 years of Here’s Looking At You Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

Ukraine's weekend attack on Russian air bases revealed how much the country is leveraging inexpensive drone technology in the conflict.

Buy-now-pay-later financing has skyrocketed since the pandemic. With more people defaulting, experts raise concerns about the broader impact on the economy.

Want to eat at Koreatown’s Here’s Looking At You? June 13 will be your last chance. Lien Ta reflects on co-owner Jonathan Whitener’s influence and the business rollercoaster during COVID.

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.

Democrats chart new vision at convention, Gang of Four tours for last time Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

Mohamed Sabry Soliman attacked protesters in Boulder who were calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Hours beforehand, Israeli soldiers reportedly shot and killed more than 20 Palestinians who were trying to get food aid.

The CA Democratic Convention took place in Anaheim over the weekend, where Tim Walz delivered a fiery speech calling out his party, gubernatorial hopefuls vied for attention, and Kamala Harris made a remote video address as the party grappled with its future.

Several federal discrimination cases are falling apart as the Trump administration abandons a core aspect of civil rights law known as “disparate impact.”

Blending punk, disco, reggae, and funk, with a dash of Marxist theory, Gang of Four offered the sound of dissent for many in Margaret Thatcher’s Britain. Last week, the remaining members wrapped up their farewell tour.

Selling and rebuilding 5 months after fires, new COVID vax rules May 29, 2025

Show notes

Five months after the wildfires, Palisades and Altadena realtors describe parcels and lots on the market now and their prices. Plus, what are residents’ concerns and challenges about rebuilding?

On Tuesday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced the federal government no longer recommends the COVID vaccine for healthy children and pregnant women. The FDA also plans to limit eligibility for this fall’s updated vaccine to people only over age 65, or who have certain medical conditions.

Critics review the latest film releases: “Karate Kid: Legends,” “The Phoenician Scheme,” “Bring Her Back,” and “Mountainhead.”

June is the ninth anniversary of Smorgasburg. Every Sunday, a parking lot off Central Avenue hosts food vendors offering jerk BBQ, Thai street food, vegan tacos, and other specialties.

Controversy over Riverside trans athlete, the man behind Pee-wee Herman May 29, 2025

Show notes

On Tuesday, the California Interscholastic Federation announced “any biological female student-athlete” who didn’t qualify because a trans athlete placed ahead of them would be allowed to compete in this weekend’s state track and field finals. The move came hours after President Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from California.

Actor Paul Reubens appeared in public as Pee-wee Herman for much of his career. Two years after his death, a new documentary shows the man behind the character.

In just about 20 years, the beaks of Anna’s hummingbird became longer and more tapered, according to a new study published in the scientific journal “Global Change Biology.”

NPR’s lawsuit against Trump, fentanyl deaths, Asco art collective May 28, 2025

Show notes

NPR and three public radio stations in Colorado filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration today. They argue the White House’s executive order calling on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease federal funding to NPR and PBS is unconstitutional.

The Trump administration has made deep cuts to universities, federal agencies, and cultural and historical institutions. Their goal is to undermine information gathering and education that doesn’t support the MAGA agenda.

Opioid overdose deaths dropped nearly a quarter last year, thanks in part to medicines like Narcan. But the Trump administration wants to cut funding for Narcan, and experts worry that progress will be lost.

Four East LA artists in their early 20s formed an art collective called Asco in 1972, exploring police brutality, immigration, gender, and sexuality. They’re the subject of a new documentary.

Schiff decries effort to block CA pollution rules, new “Mission Impossible” misses mark May 22, 2025

Show notes

Earlier today the U.S. Senate voted to block California’s plan to phase out gas-powered vehicles by 2035. State attorney general Rob Bonta plans to sue over how that happened.

Critics review the latest film releases: “Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning,” “Sister Midnight,” “Fountain of Youth,” and “Jane Austin Wrecked My Life.”

Boutique butchers across Southern California crank out a near endless variety of artisanal sausages.

‘The Rehearsal’ taps into air safety worries, native artist brings Biennale show to The Broad May 21, 2025

Show notes

HBO’s “The Rehearsal” probes the causes of plane crashes at a time when flyers have increasing concerns about air safety.

Native artist Jeffrey Gibson represented the US at last year’s Venice Biennale. That same show is now on view at The Broad.

A restaurant critic from the San Francisco Chronicle opens up on getting tossed from The French Laundry by celebrity chef Thomas Keller.

Mayor Bass looks to slow runaway production, Trump DOJ aids convicted LASD deputy May 21, 2025

Show notes

Mayor Bass issues executive order meant to slow runaway film and TV production. It’s part of broader efforts in Sacramento with the same goal. Is it too little, too late?

Trump’s DOJ intervenes in excessive force case against LASD deputy convicted of restraining, pepper-spraying innocent woman

New documentary ‘Art for Everybody’ charts painter Thomas Kinkade’s journey from brooding work to mass-producing ‘feel-good’ kitsch

Explaining ‘Anti-Natalism,’ LAPD Chief McDonnell discusses recruitment challenges May 20, 2025

Show notes

The suspect in the bombing of a Palm Springs fertility clinic held views that were against human procreation. He likely suffered from “profound psychological distress.” He was the only person killed in the attack.

Five years since the George Floyd protests, has policing changed in Los Angeles? Chief Jim McDonnell sits down for a wide-ranging interview.

Questlove unpacks 50 years of “SNL” music, sharing backstage stories. Rhythm and risk drive his life behind the drums and the lens.

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