Press Play with Madeleine Brand

KCRW

Latest episode

Swalwell’s stunning exit adds more chaos to CA governor race
14/04/2026 | 51 mins.
Plus, who will succeed Eric Swalwell after he resigns from Congress, how a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz would work, and a love letter to the music of the Texas-Mexico border.
Remembering “Swedish Death Cleaning” guru Margareta Magnusson
09/04/2026 | 53 mins.
Plus, the Iran War’s economic impact will last for a while, a rave review for a new Steven Soderbergh film called The Christophers, and Evan Kleiman’s elegy for peas.
LA Phil's new conductor Anna Handler 'energized, motivated' by Los Angeles
08/04/2026 | 51 mins.
Plus, the European man MAGA loves, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, fights a tough reelection battle, how we name colors, and one frustrated Angeleno’s experience trying to buy the elusive $28 Olympics ticket.
Photographer Cathy Opie remembers friend, mentor Larry Sultan
07/04/2026 | 51 mins.
Plus, assessing the success and shortcomings of LA's Inside Safe program, President Trump’s former personal attorney now leads the Justice Department, and rapper Ye attempts a comeback after years of antisemitism.
UCLA demolishes South Carolina to claim first national title
06/04/2026 | 51 mins.
Plus, the Supreme Court sides with Steve Bannon, how AI is changing the books you’re reading, and all the new music venues in Los Angeles. Some have taken over old spots.