Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Press Play with Madeleine Brand

Host Madeleine Brand looks at news, culture and emerging trends through the lens of Los Angeles.

Elon Musk says he's scaling back his work in Washington D.C. and returning to Tesla. He and DOGE had promised to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget.

Journalist Katherine Stewart charts the rise of the Christian right and its influence in the Trump administration in her new book “Money, Lies, and God.”

LA Mayor Karen Bass has released her next budget. To help close a massive deficit, the city may have to lay off around 5% of the city workforce.

Pope Francis, who died overnight, is remembered for having a more progressive approach to immigration, climate change, and the LGBTQ commmunity than his predecessors.

Google and Meta are under fire in court. Officials claim they crushed rivals to stay on top. The outcome could upend how Big Tech works.

The Oakland mayoral race is a close call between progressive Barbara Lee and moderate challenger Loren Taylor. In SF, Mayor Daniel Lurie rounds out his first 100 days.

Harvard will not comply with sweeping demands from the Trump administration targeting pro-Palestinian organizing. Can other universities afford to join them?

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.”