Press Play with Madeleine Brand

KCRW

Latest episode

The déjà vu of the 1970s oil shock after a Middle East war
2026/03/26 | 53 mins.
Plus, the IOC bans trans athletes, our weekend movie reviews, including arthouse body horror and a Vince Vaughn crime caper, and Evan Kleiman on how to cook an underappreciated vegetable: the leek.
Writer Annabelle Gurwitch on the ‘unexpected joys’ of cancer
2026/03/25 | 52 mins.
Plus, a jury finds Meta and YouTube liable in a groundbreaking personal injury lawsuit. Why is flying so awful? Blame 1970s deregulation. And a requiem for Echo Park’s beloved restaurant Taix.
Writer McKay Coppins on his 'year as a degenerate gambler'
2026/03/24 | 54 mins.
Plus, think LA city politics are boring? Think again. The week before the deadline to file as a candidate in the mayoral election was filled with drama. And Saudi Arabia may be pushing President Trump to continue the war with Iran.
James Blake’s ‘Trying Times’ and how he sees the world
2026/03/23 | 52 mins.
Plus, two Republicans lead the California governor’s race, the Supreme Court appears skeptical of mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day, and LA’s Darwinian left turns at a yellow light.
Fallout for the farmworker movement Cesar Chavez led
2026/03/19 | 53 mins.
Plus, California moves to rename Cesar Chavez Day, how to detox from your phone, reviews of the new Ryan Gosling movie and other big releases, and the hot weather has Evan Kleiman thinking soft serve.