Press Play With Madeleine Brand

Sea otter 841 went viral last summer for stealing surfboards and evading authorities. Now she’s returned to the Santa Cruz waters where she made her name.  Can Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and Juan Merchan, the judge presiding over Donald Trump’s hush money trial, be impartial about the former president, given their actions outside the courtroom that could be perceived as political bias? Noah Gittell’s new book, “Baseball: The Movie,” traces the lineage of and connection between two great American pastimes — baseball and film. Critics review the latest film releases: “Young Woman and the Sea,” “Jim Henson Idea Man,” “In A Violent Nature,” and “The Young Wife.”

Some travel tips for summer: Set price tracking alerts based on locations or dates, fly earlier in the day, and consider cargo pants/vests for extra storage space.  The White House says the latest Israeli airstrikes in Rafah didn’t cross the red line, in spite of civilian casualties and the growing humanitarian crisis.  The French Open kicked off on Sunday. Rafael Nadal lost in the first round, Coco Gauff advanced, while Naomi Osaka fell to Iga Swiatek in an intense match. Decades worth of Negro League figures are now part of the Major League Baseball’s record books. Poet, historian, and author Rowan Ricardo Phillips argues that MLB should do more. Chow down on cherries — dozens of varieties exist — while they’re still in markets for the next few weeks. Use them in pudding, salads, pies, and more.

TV critics share the best shows to watch, including “We Are Lady Parts,” “Lady in the Lake, ”The Acolyte,” and the 2024 Summer Olympics.  UCLA academic workers are protesting the school’s response to its Gaza Solidarity Encampment — days after Congress members grilled Chancellor Gene Block on the unrest. Last week the Supreme Court upheld a voting map in South Carolina that concentrates Republican power. The ruling will make it harder to bring challenges on grounds that districts are racially gerrymandered. A bit of sun exposure can benefit many people — Australia recently updated its public health guidelines to reflect this. So how much — or little — sunscreen should you wear?  Bill Walton, a UCLA star-turned-Clippers player, died on Sunday. After shooting hoops in the NBA, he became an ESPN broadcaster known for colorful commentary.

As Disney plans to pour $1.9 billion into upgrading its Anaheim resort, workers say the company needs to look out for them too. The Department of Justice and more than two dozen states want to break up Live Nation-Ticketmaster. Joe Biden’s former trust-busting architect discusses what it means. The LA Sparks host the Indiana Fever (and phenom Caitlin Clark) on Friday. They’ve moved the game from the 5,000-seat Walter Pyramid in Long Beach to the Crypto.com Arena in Downtown LA, which seats close to 20,000. Critics review the latest film releases: “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” “Taking Venice,” “Hit Man,” and “Queen of the Deuce.”

The California coast spans 840 miles and boasts diverse flora and fauna. Pat Krug’s new book explains why these creatures live where they do, and gives tips on how to spot them.  Scarlett Johansson says ChatGPT’s new AI assistance, “Sky,” sounds alarmingly like her. She previously declined a request from OpenAI to be its voice.   Film critic Tim Grierson reviews what’s new at Cannes, including works from Francis Ford Coppola and Yorgos Lanthimos. A Donald Trump biopic is also in the lineup.  Alyse Whitney’s new cookbook is exuberant, fun, and filled with recipes for all kinds of dips — classics, five-minute ideas, plus light and healthy fare. 

The first laws criminalizing stalking in California stemmed from the 1991 trial of Tucson resident Robert Bardo, who tracked down and killed LA actress Rebecca Schaeffer.  Nevada is crucial for another Biden presidential victory in November. But an emerging group of evangelical Latino voters could deliver a win for Trump, who leads in the polls. After closing arguments next week, Trump’s legal fate will be with a New York jury. They must decide whether he ordered a hush money payout and falsified business records to cover it up.  A new HBO docu-series looks at the rise of Stax Records. The label that boasted Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes couldn’t survive the cut-throat music industry.

LA officials are increasing law enforcement presence on the county’s Metro system following a spike in violence over the last few weeks.  Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi died in a helicopter crash on Sunday. His death leaves two major roles to fill in Iran’s regime. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito blamed his wife for displaying a "stop the steal" symbol at their home after the January 6 insurrection. It's just the latest example of a justice wading into partisan politics.  The LA City Council declared May 19 “Father Greg Boyle Day,” and Joe Biden recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Boyle for his anti-gang violence work. KCRW re-airs an interview with Boyle from 2022.

Critics review the latest film releases: “Back to Black,” “IF,” “Gasoline Rainbow,” and “Babes.” Google will start putting AI-generated answers at the top of search results. Content creators and media outlets say this will cost them clicks. A military historian and retired Army colonel discusses Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategy against Hamas, and what the war in Gaza means for Israeli politics domestically and globally.  How are various sugars made, and what textures and flavors do they add to baked goods and other dishes? Evan Kleiman walks you through her library of sugars.

Billions in the UC system’s portfolio are tied to holdings targeted by pro-Palestinian protests. Plus, did CHP officers break California law during its UCLA encampment sweep? Cartels in Mexico have created one of the deadliest election years in the country’s history. What will this mean for voters heading to the polls next month? The 401(k) has increased the wealth of millions while exacerbating income inequality among older Americans. What can be done to close that gap? Growing up in mostly white, small towns in Ohio, Jamie Figueroa felt cut off from her Puerto Rican heritage. She chronicles her journey to connect with her Boricua roots in a new book.

Decades of erosion and climate change constantly shut down Highway 1 through Big Sur. The damage is worsening as more intense storms hit the coast. President Biden today announced higher tariffs on Chinese goods, saying the aim is to protect the U.S. economy from overseas competitors. Trump has taken aim at U.S.-China trade policy as well.  The New York Times spoke to dozens of people who reported COVID side effects, ranging from shingles to brain damage, as part of a year-long probe. Despite reports to the CDC, concerns have gone unanswered. Comedian Richard Gadd says “Baby Reindeer” is a true story of his stalker. That woman says Gadd exaggerated greatly and is threatening to sue.

LA Philharmonic Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel talks about conducting Beethoven's only opera, plus his choice to start leading the New York Philharmonic in 2026. The New York Times/Siena College polls show Biden losing to Trump in Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia. Biden has lost support with key Democratic demographics.   The state of California tried to stop a lawsuit relating to a fatal COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin prison. Today, the Supreme Court allowed it to go forward. Roger Corman, who died last Thursday, helped launch the careers of directors like Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, and James Cameron.

Andrea Nguyen, Clarissa Wei, and Hetty Lui McKinnon have all been nominated for a James Beard Award. Try their cookbook recipes during this AAPI Month. The new book “White Rural Rage” explores anger in the heartland and the threat it poses to American democracy.  Critics review the latest film releases: “The Poolman,” “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” “Last Stop in Yuma County,” and “Power.”  Though he hated being called a “producer,” Steve Albini was behind albums by The Pixies and Nirvana. He helped create a D-I-Y, analog sound in rock music that influenced others. 

In “Help Wanted,” part-time employees of a big-box retail store in New York are barely making a living. Author Adelle Waldman’s own job experiences inspired the novel.  Ryan Crocker, a former U.S. ambassador to Middle Eastern countries, says Israel should heed the message behind the Biden administration’s withholding of bombs. Hollywood’s summer box office season is here. So far, it pales in comparison to last year’s $4 billion bonanza brought in by  “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.”  Actor Chris Pratt razed an architecturally significant house. Another wealthy homeowner wants to demolish Marilyn Monroe’s former home. What are LA’s historic preservation rules?

Lookout Santa Cruz has earned the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting. The winning coverage was about the flooding and mudslides along the Central Coast last January. Once viewed as a progressive movement for a Jewish state, Zionism has taken on a settler colonialist connotation for many pro-Palestinian protestors.  One reason for sky-high veterinary bills? Private equity funds and big corporations have been gobbling up small, independent vets. Maya Rudolph spent eight seasons on “Saturday Night Live” doing impressions. In her latest show, she’s a billionaire determined to donate her fortune.

Joan Baez talks about her poetry, memories of abuse, living with dissociative identity disorder, and abstaining from the Gaza protests on college campuses.  After violence broke out between pro-Palestinian activists and counter-protestors at UCLA, campus officials are launching its new Office of Campus Safety.  Student protesters are demanding universities divest from Israel. But in California, divestment may not be legally achievable because of a little-known civil rights law.  Six months after the Hollywood strikes, film and TV productions are still down. Now IATSE is at the table with the AMPTP. Could a strike be on the horizon? 

Critics review the latest film releases: “The Fall Guy,” “I Saw the TV Glow,” “Evil Does Not Exist,” and “Mars Express.” Police arrested more than 130 people at UCLA after law enforcement dispersed protesters and dismantled a pro-Palestinian encampment. The demonstrations have taken attention away from the actual war in Gaza.  Arizona's Republican-led legislature repealed the state's Civil War-era abortion ban, reverting to a 15-week limit. Meanwhile, Florida enforces a six-week ban. Shows that have all the trappings of prestige TV — the cinematic look, the big names — are everywhere on streaming services. But one critic says they’re all average.

Strawberries are easy to transform into a dish that’s like a gift. To kick them up a notch, marinate them with a drizzle of flavorful balsamic vinegar. After violence between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian sides broke out at UCLA overnight, two Dartmouth lecturers with differing views on the war offer a model for cooperation. The Department of Justice proposed making cannabis a Schedule 3 drug, acknowledging after decades of illicit use that it has medical value and a lower risk for abuse. It’s currently Schedule 1, along with heroin. The daughter of late film critic Gene Siskel is out with a new poetry book, “Two Minds,” about grief and the sudden death of her father when she was 12 years old.

Trader Joe’s works with global suppliers to make eclectic products, but some small food producers say the company rips them off, reports Adam Reiner, founder of Restaurant Manifesto.  Campus protestors nationwide are demanding universities divest of financial ties to Israel. Is that possible in today's complex, global economy?  The NLRB has accused Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, Amazon, and SpaceX of harassing and intimidating workers. The companies are challenging the power of the board to protect workers’ jobs.  Author and USC professor Viet Thanh Nguyen won a Pulitzer Prize for his 2015 novel “The Sympathizer.” It’s been adapted into a new limited series from HBO. After the Denver Nuggets eliminated the Lakers from the NBA playoffs on Monday night, Lebron James refused to say whether or not he’ll be wearing purple and gold next season.

USC journalism professor Sandy Tolan talks about what he witnessed when visiting Gaza protest encampments on campus. He also responds to the commencement cancellation.  Despite tense moments between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators at UCLA over the weekend, school administrators and police mostly stayed out of it. Hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested nationwide amid protests on college campuses. Law professor Jessica Levinson explains the free speech issues and how these schools have responded. Brian Eno pioneered “ambient music” and helped create the sounds of U2, David Bowie, and other rock stars. Multiple versions of a new documentary show his life and work.

Critics review the latest film releases: “Challengers,” “Uncropped,” “Egoist,” and “Alien” (re-release).  The Supreme Court justices grant that presidents have some immunity when it comes to prosecution, but differ in how much and when it applies. A New York appeals court has overturned the rape conviction against Harvey Weinstein, saying a judge mistakenly allowed women who were not part of the charges to testify that the former Hollywood producer abused them. More than a dozen horses died during the 2023 racing season at events like the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. A new documentary looks at what’s behind the crisis.