Press Play With Madeleine Brand

The Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to facilitate Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s return to the U.S. The White House is asserting its power to say “no.”  Immigration agents visited two South LA schools recently, looking for five students they said were undocumented. School officials turned them away in a test of LAUSD’s policy of noncooperation with ICE. An autocracy journalist discusses the rise of authoritarianism in Hungary and sees parallels in some recent actions by the Trump administration. In the 1970s and 80s, Jeff Bridges recorded songs with his childhood buddies in his West LA neighborhood. Now those songs are in the new album “Slow Magic, 1977-1978.”

Several top IRS officials resigned as the Trump administration revealed its plans to use tax data to target undocumented immigrants. Despite vowing to fight a trade war to “the end,” Chinese officials are dealing with economic dilemmas at home. Critics review the latest film releases: “The Amateur,” “Drop,” “Warfare,” and “One to One: John & Yoko.” “The Great Gatsby” was published 100 years ago today. Its enduring message about the empty and corrupting power of wealth may be even more relevant now.

President Trump’s pause on tariffs against most nations sent the stock market soaring. Meanwhile, tariffs against China, and from China, are going up. DuPont Clinic was supposed to open in Beverly Hills to provide late-term abortions. However, after abortion rights activists got involved with city officials, the lease for the clinic’s office got rescinded.  PAPER Magazine Co-founder Kim Hastreiter talks about her new book, “STUFF: A New York Life of Cultural Chaos.” It’s a memoir and a 50-year cultural history of NYC.  The Broad is breaking ground today on an expansion that will add 55,000 square feet — offering more galleries, programming space, and open-air patios. 

President Trump is not backing down from imposing tariffs on all countries doing business with the U.S., including 100% or more on China. China has threatened tariffs against U.S. exports too, which could begin Thursday. Dire predictions about the future of artificial intelligence are in a recent report by a Berkeley-based group called the AI Futures Project. “Deli Boys” creator Abdullah Saeed and actor Saagar Shaikh discuss the personal stories that shaped Hulu's dark comedy about family, crime, and identity. Palm Springs’ economy has heavily relied on Canadian tourists, and now officials are worried about losing that revenue due to increasing political tensions between the U.S. and Canada. 

California’s nearly $4 trillion economy is heavily dependent on international trade. A tariff war could impact that significantly. The Altadena Ale and Wine House survived the Eaton Fire. Owner Gail Casburn also lost her house — and won’t give up her beloved pub. Dyanne Cano put together an archival map of 84 independent record stores that closed in LA between 1956 and 2020. They highlight Dolphin’s of Hollywood Records, Record Store Discos Exitos No. 2, and Vinyl Fetish.  “White Lotus,” about ultra-rich people’s antics, wrapped its third season. How does the series continue to grab our imagination?

The manager of Rafu Bussan in Little Tokyo says she’s been stockpiling goods imported from Japan in preparation for Trump’s tariffs, but she may have to eat costs or raise prices soon.  Stocks are in a tailspin following President Trump’s tariffs. Now’s the time to prepare for a possible recession, says personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary. With cuts to Ivy League and other schools, President Trump tries to reshape higher education. Schools are falling in line, but some professors are fighting back. Critics review the latest film releases: “Freaky Tales,” “A Minecraft Movie,” “The Luckiest Man in America,” and “The Friend.” Layering matzo sheets with veggies borrows heavily from the idea of lasagna. After baking, you get layers of unbelievable lightness, and this dish works as both a satisfying side or entrée.

Democrats won a key Wisconsin Supreme Court race. The result is being seen as a rebuke of Elon Musk, who campaigned in the state and spent millions on the GOP candidate. New auto tariffs are supposed to be for “foreign” cars and parts, but no US-made vehicle will escape the impact. Detroit’s obsession with big cars won’t help.  UCLA’s cityLAB has launched a design competition where contestants can submit proposals for low-cost, easy-to-build starter homes on vacant city-owned lots. Bernie Krause’s thousands of hours of recordings reveal how climate change is affecting the natural world. His life and work are the subject of the documentary “The Last of the Nightingales.” Actor Val Kilmer died Tuesday at age 65. His career included both “Top Gun” films, “Batman Forever,” “Heat,” and an iconic performance as Jim Morrison in “The Doors.”

What is President Trump trying to accomplish with reciprocal tariffs, and do economists think he can reach his goals with these tactics?  The Trump administration admitted in court on Monday that it mistakenly deported a Maryland father to a notorious Salvadoran prison. Scientists say a massive algal bloom is releasing toxins that are making some marine animals more aggressive, and causing others to wash ashore either dead or seriously ill.  Zack Mack’s father went down a conspiracy theory rabbit hole that tore apart his family. Mack spent the past year making a podcast about it called “Alternate Realities.” The agony and ecstasy of March Madness were on full display this weekend for LA college basketball fans.

On this Cesar Chavez Day, Press Play reairs some of our favorite segments:  “Porcelain War” is a documentary that vividly portrays the lives of civilians-turned-soldiers on and off Ukraine’s battlefield against Russia.  Johnny Carson was seemingly a friend to millions as the host of "The Tonight Show" for three decades. That wasn’t the case in his personal life, according to “Carson the Magnificent,” published in November 2024.  In the mid-1970s and ‘80s in SoCal, bands like Steely Dan, the Doobie Brothers, and Toto blended jazz, R&B, and pop to create a new soft style: yacht rock. 

The federal government is planning to investigate the CA Dept. of Education over a state law that says schools cannot require officials to notify parents if students identify as transgender or are exploring their gender identity on campus. The federal government will not test soil in the fire zones, so USC researchers are doing it for them. For earth scientist Josh West, the work is close to home.  Critics review the latest film releases: “Death of a Unicorn,” “Grand Tour,” “An Unfinished Film,” and “The Ballad of Wallis Island.” The appearance of rhubarb stalks in markets is a welcome burst of color and tart flavor. You can use the vegetable in breakfast, dessert, and cocktail recipes.

The Trump administration has halted a program financing lawyers for immigrant children. That leaves 26,000 kids nationwide at risk of immediate deportation, unless alternate funding can be found. President Trump continued his assault on the country’s biggest law firms by signing an executive order targeting Chicago-based Jenner & Block. It revokes security clearances from the firm’s lawyers who require them to do their jobs, and limits attorneys’ access to federal buildings. Harriet Tubman has come back to life and wants to make a hip-hop album. That’s the premise of Bob the Drag Queen’s debut novel. Duonychus tsogtbaatari is a newly discovered plant-eater that roamed Earth tens of millions of years ago. It had a long neck, two legs, and two massive claws.

The Trump administration’s release of war plans on a group chat that included the Atlantic’s editor-in-chief raises questions about the competence of the president’s top national security staff and their use of the messaging app Signal. How should Democrats respond to Trump? His second term has sparked an internal reckoning.  The season two finale of “Severance” left fans buzzing. KCRW breaks down its twists, hidden meanings, and what’s next for TV’s most mind-bending show. Three must-see art exhibitions up now are “Charles Gaines: Numbers and Trees, The Tanzania Baobabs,” “Tau Lewis: Spirit Level,” and “Hugo Crosthwaite: Ex-voto.”

The Supreme Court heard oral arguments today in a challenge to Louisiana’s voting maps. A group of “non-African American” voters argue the state illegally relied on race to create the new districts. James Murdoch reveals the real-life “Succession” drama roiling his family in an exclusive interview with The Atlantic. At stake: Who controls Fox News? Frontman Jim James talks about handing over creative control of My Morning Jacket’s 10th studio album. He also shares his personal success with EMDR therapy. 

Amid a new phase of war, public opinion polls show a majority of Israelis want to see the end of fighting in Gaza and a return of hostages. Meanwhile, many Gazans have turned against Hamas. Spanish-language TV networks Telemundo and Univision have aired DHS ads urging people in the U.S. illegally to leave. That’s angered staff at Univision who are already worried the network is covering Trump too timidly. Critics review the latest film releases: “The Alto Knights,” “Snow White,” “Misericordia,” and “Ash.” Scandinavian brown cheese has the color of caramel and a fudgy consistency. In Scandinavia, it’s most commonly eaten on bread with jam, atop waffles, or melted into other dishes.

Ukraine says tens of thousands of children have been taken and illegally hidden within Russia’s adoption system since the invasion. A lab at the Yale School of Public Health that had been tracking this fell victim to the Trump administration’s foreign aid cuts Dina Ament spent about four years remodeling her historic Tudor-style cottage. After the Eaton Fire leveled it, she at first wanted to rebuild, but ultimately decided that selling was best. Part play, part rock concert, "Cambodian Rock Band" is a story of survival. Playwright Lauren Yee explores Cambodia's dark past with music and humor. Microgravity, confined quarters, and heightened galactic radiation lead to physiological changes in humans. What we’re learning in space is influencing terrestrial health care. 

The Environmental Protection Agency might eliminate its office of scientific research — a move that advocates say would have drastic consequences on efforts to protect Americans from hazardous chemicals, air and water pollution, and climate change.  The National Institutes of Health gives most of its money to universities, medical schools, and research institutions. Due to actions by the Trump administration, the NIH says it’ll sharply cut the size of its grants. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was shot and killed on set filming the low-budget Western “Rust.” One of her closest friends directed a new documentary about her life. The Dodgers start their run for back-to-back World Series championships with a win over the Cubs in front of a supportive crowd in Tokyo. 

President Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport more than 200 alleged Venezuelan gang members. But a judge blocked those deportations over the weekend. Salvadoran President and self-proclaimed “world’s coolest dictator” Nayib Bukele is cozying up to Trump. He’s viewed as a hero on the right for his mass-imprisonment policies. DOJ lawyers accused Rasha Alawieh, a kidney transplant specialist at Brown University, of having “sympathetic” photos of Hezbollah leaders on her phone. She was put on a plane to Paris and informed that her H1-B visa had been canceled.   Jennifer Lee’s new album is a tribute to her late best friend. She also talks about LA’s impact on her identity, and what it was like to not comprehend music or language due to a brain disorder.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new podcast has featured far-right provocateurs like Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon. It’s been angering his political base. Trump’s executive orders mandate no federal money should pay for programming that promotes diversity. Museums are falling in line.  Critics review the latest film releases: “Black Bag,” “Opus,” “Novocaine,” and “The Electric State.” Chicories, which include radicchio and known for bitterness, are often paired with bacon/pancetta and winter citrus in salads. You can also cook the different varieties of this vegetable.

The Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate offices that handle environmental justice issues, like pollution in poor neighborhoods and communities of color. It’s part of a wider crackdown on Biden-era climate policies. The Trump administration is dismantling public health infrastructure in the U.S. and abroad. How ready are we for the next public health crisis?  Figure skating is seen as an elite, mostly white sport, but a new documentary series tells the story of a program for girls in Harlem looking to change that. The legal dispute between actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni over alleged sexual harassment has become a cause celebre among right-wing media. 

Tesla sales have plummeted since Elon Musk followed Donald Trump into the White House in January. How much trouble is his company in now? LA City Councilmember Nithya Raman discusses a new scathing audit of LAHSA. Her ideas on addressing homelessness include building more housing and cutting red tape. Five years ago today, the WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic. COVID transformed this country in ways that are still coming into focus, argues the New York Times’ David Wallace-Wells.