Press Play with Madeleine Brand

KCRW

Latest episode

How Tucker Carlson went from mainstream pundit to MAGA extremist
24/2/2026 | 52 mins.
Plus, violence in Mexico after one of the most powerful cartel leaders is killed, President Trump lashes out after SCOTUS strikes down his tariffs, and the classical crossover music of Bridgerton.
Sanders, Newsom on opposite sides of California’s ‘wealth tax’
19/2/2026 | 52 mins.
Plus, how the movie “Wuthering Heights” is a lot tamer than the nearly 200-year-old novel, our weekly film reviews, and Evan Kleiman celebrates the Lunar New Year with rice cake recipes.
Artist Sayre Gomez recreates LA’s infamous ‘graffiti towers’
18/2/2026 | 52 mins.
Plus, the U.S. orders warships to the Middle East. Any military action against Iran would likely involve Israel. And is AI coming for your job? It could radically reshape American life. One writer says we’re not ready.
How ‘America’s Next Top Model’ trafficked in abuse
18/2/2026 | 52 mins.
Plus, will LA28’s Casey Wasserman survive the Epstein scandal? A court ruled LA can’t throw away the belongings of unhoused people, and why Texas gives Democrats hope of flipping a Senate seat.
Ski patrol deaths at Mammoth Mountain prompt scrutiny
13/2/2026 | 51 mins.
Plus, how Infinite Jest is not just a novel for pretentious guys (according to one female novelist at least), our weekly film reviews, and a new Stanford dating app may be the antidote to swiping.