Press Play with Madeleine Brand

KCRW

Latest episode

Louise Erdrich’s remarkable encounters with the natural world
2026-04-21 | 51 mins.
Plus, Xavier Becerra is the biggest beneficiary of Eric Swalwell’s stunning political collapse, surging in the latest polls. And a new study divides Shark Tank competitors into good and bad narcissists.
‘Ramones’ turns 50: Punk producer Craig Leon’s stories from the studio
2026-04-20 | 52 mins.
Plus, will Star Wars’ return to the big screen save theaters? A Texas man sues a California doctor for mailing his girlfriend mifepristone, and AI so powerful its maker is keeping it from the public.
LACMA’s decades-in-the-making $724 million wing finally opens
2026-04-16 | 52 mins.
Plus, Yale confirms higher education is in crisis and says the blame lies mainly with…elite universities like Yale, our weekly film reviews, and Evan Kleiman on how tofu can be creamy.
AI is replacing coders, but some coders welcome the change
2026-04-16 | 51 mins.
Plus, how a culture on Capitol Hill may have enabled Eric Swalwell’s alleged crimes and sexual misconduct, a split in the U.S. Catholic Church between more progressive leaders and their flock, and Tax Day’s winners and losers.
‘LIVE from…’ London? Saturday Night Live expands to the UK
2026-04-14 | 52 mins.
Plus, labor unions in LA’s public schools unite to win big salary increases, layoffs and sluggish sales in the video game industry, and how a chimpanzee civil war makes humans look good by comparison.