Press Play with Madeleine Brand

KCRW

Latest episode

Iran’s $200/barrel oil threat could mean $8 gas in California
18/03/2026 | 51 mins.
Plus, President Trump restarts an oil pipeline in California to lower prices, why he talks about Hannibal Lecter like he’s a real person, and the Sklar Brothers preview the NCAA basketball tournaments.
Is Israel preparing to occupy Lebanon again?
16/03/2026 | 51 mins.
Plus, President Trump loses a court battle against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, a free music showcase called The Rehearsal at a downtown market, and remembering the philosopher who coined the term “the public sphere.”
What makes good casting as the Oscars add a new category
12/03/2026 | 52 mins.
Plus, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s first public statement raises questions about the health of Iran’s supreme leader. And our weekend film reviews include a Colleen Hoover drama all about yearning.
Iran War could prompt a fresh look at alternative energy
11/03/2026 | 51 mins.
Plus, a preliminary report says the U.S. fired the missile that hit an Iranian school, new shows starring Tracy Morgan, Rachel Weisz, and Steve Carrell, and Evan Kleiman on how to make the simple potato sing.
Why air power alone is destined to fail in the Iran War
10/03/2026 | 51 mins.
Plus, California Republicans are scrambling to hold power after Congressional maps were redrawn to favor Democrats, and how a school in rural Louisiana managed to send so many kids to elite colleges.