Press Play With Madeleine Brand

ICE sweeps through Ventura County farms, leaving fields almost empty and workers fearful. Community leaders and families face uncertainty and disruption. Musical visionary Brian Wilson’s family announced on Wednesday that the Beach Boys’ co-founder died at 82. Biographer David Leaf has been a close friend of Wilson for more than 45 years, and his new book is “SMiLE: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Brian Wilson.” Critics review the latest film releases: “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Echo Valley,” “Materialists,” and “Prime Minister.” Serve peaches on your favorite scone or pound cake with whipped cream, or stuff them with crumbled cookies and chocolate. Stone fruit also pairs well with fresh or briny cheeses. 

Viral videos from the LA ICE protests show police firing “less lethal” weapons into crowds and at journalists. Advocates say the cops are not following the law. Weeks before ICE raided a Home Depot in Westlake on Friday, the White House ordered the agency to ramp up sweeps to help meet President Trump’s deportation targets.  The Supreme Court decision New York Times v. Sullivan protects journalists from debilitating lawsuits. A group of billionaires, lawyers, and right-wing groups are trying to overturn it. Culture critic Carolina Miranda weighs in on a retrospective of Diane Arbus’ photography at Zwirner gallery, and a Wende Museum exhibition about mass surveillance in former East Germany during the Cold War. 

The White House’s immigration crackdown, the protests, the mobilization of the National Guard and Marines have all reignited the personal feud between President Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom, and the White House versus California. LAUSD officials are deploying school police to create "perimeters of safety” around graduation ceremonies and campuses where federal immigration agents have been detected.  ICE is looking to spend as much as $45 billion on private prisons and related infrastructure over the next two years. Border czar Tom Homan says he wants 100,000 detention beds. Kenny Scharf has painted mischievous-looking cartoons on about 300 cars, most of them in LA. He talks about making art accessible, plus his relationships with Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Andy Warhol. 

ICE raids in Los Angeles kicked off four days of protest. As sheriffs and the LAPD fight protesters, Trump is sending in the Marines.   Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta are suing President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after Trump deployed hundreds of National Guard troops to SoCal over the weekend. Immigrant Defenders Law Center has been sending attorneys out to locate people detained by ICE, give them info on their rights, and ensure people aren’t being unlawfully deported. Pachy Garcia grew up in Puerto Rico and was influenced by the Caribbean’s reggae and dub sounds. Now he lives in LA and is out with his fifth album.

The Supreme Court issued 9-0 opinions today on big cases concerning employment discrimination, the liability of gun manufacturers, and tax exemptions for religious organizations. President Trump also unveiled a new travel ban better equipped to survive legal scrutiny. After the Trump administration cut billions in foreign aid, two African countries that succeeded in curbing the spread of HIV are now in danger of backsliding. Critics review the latest film releases: “Ballerina,” “Predator: Killer of Killers,” “This Is Chuck,” “Dangerous Animals.” Why do so many young adults feel broke even when they’re not? Social feeds flaunt luxury, but thanks to money dysmorphia, many young adults feel left behind. 

An 11-week Israeli blockade brought Gaza to the brink of famine. Now the military – and a shadowy nonprofit – are overseeing a chaotic aid rollout.  The Department of Defense plans to strip civil rights leader Harvey Milk’s name from a Navy ship. KCRW hears from San Francisco’s former supervisor, who was a second-generation Navy veteran discharged for being gay. Nadya Tolokonnikova talks about her new art show “Police State,” losing herself in a Russian penal colony, plus the need for activists to speak up despite risks.  Going to an outdoor event at the Hollywood Bowl or Gloria Molina Grand Park? Consider packing steak salad, Vietnamese banh mi, pastries with savory fillings, and more.

Ukraine's weekend attack on Russian air bases revealed how much the country is leveraging inexpensive drone technology in the conflict.  Buy-now-pay-later financing has skyrocketed since the pandemic. With more people defaulting, experts raise concerns about the broader impact on the economy.  Want to eat at Koreatown’s Here’s Looking At You? June 13 will be your last chance. Lien Ta reflects on co-owner Jonathan Whitener’s influence and the business rollercoaster during COVID. In the 1970s, actress Candy Clark shot relaxed, intimate portraits of her friends and boyfriends, including Jeff Bridges, Nicolas Roeg, and Ed Ruscha. The images are now part of a new book.

Mohamed Sabry Soliman attacked protesters in Boulder who were calling for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza. Hours beforehand, Israeli soldiers reportedly shot and killed more than 20 Palestinians who were trying to get food aid. The CA Democratic Convention took place in Anaheim over the weekend, where Tim Walz delivered a fiery speech calling out his party, gubernatorial hopefuls vied for attention, and Kamala Harris made a remote video address as the party grappled with its future. Several federal discrimination cases are falling apart as the Trump administration abandons a core aspect of civil rights law known as “disparate impact.” Blending punk, disco, reggae, and funk, with a dash of Marxist theory, Gang of Four offered the sound of dissent for many in Margaret Thatcher’s Britain. Last week, the remaining members wrapped up their farewell tour.

Five months after the wildfires, Palisades and Altadena realtors describe parcels and lots on the market now and their prices. Plus, what are residents’ concerns and challenges about rebuilding? On Tuesday, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. announced the federal government no longer recommends the COVID vaccine for healthy children and pregnant women. The FDA also plans to limit eligibility for this fall’s updated vaccine to people only over age 65, or who have certain medical conditions. Critics review the latest film releases: “Karate Kid: Legends,” “The Phoenician Scheme,” “Bring Her Back,” and “Mountainhead.” June is the ninth anniversary of Smorgasburg. Every Sunday, a parking lot off Central Avenue hosts food vendors offering jerk BBQ, Thai street food, vegan tacos, and other specialties. 

On Tuesday, the California Interscholastic Federation announced “any biological female student-athlete” who didn’t qualify because a trans athlete placed ahead of them would be allowed to compete in this weekend’s state track and field finals. The move came hours after President Trump threatened to withhold federal funding from California. Actor Paul Reubens appeared in public as Pee-wee Herman for much of his career. Two years after his death, a new documentary shows the man behind the character. In just about 20 years, the beaks of Anna’s hummingbird became longer and more tapered, according to a new study published in the scientific journal “Global Change Biology.”

NPR and three public radio stations in Colorado filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration today. They argue the White House’s executive order calling on the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to cease federal funding to NPR and PBS is unconstitutional. The Trump administration has made deep cuts to universities, federal agencies, and cultural and historical institutions. Their goal is to undermine information gathering and education that doesn’t support the MAGA agenda. Opioid overdose deaths dropped nearly a quarter last year, thanks in part to medicines like Narcan. But the Trump administration wants to cut funding for Narcan, and experts worry that progress will be lost.  Four East LA artists in their early 20s formed an art collective called Asco in 1972, exploring police brutality, immigration, gender, and sexuality. They’re the subject of a new documentary.

Earlier today the U.S. Senate voted to block California’s plan to phase out gas-powered vehicles by 2035. State attorney general Rob Bonta plans to sue over how that happened. Critics review the latest film releases: “Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning,” “Sister Midnight,” “Fountain of Youth,” and “Jane Austin Wrecked My Life.” Boutique butchers across Southern California crank out a near endless variety of artisanal sausages.

HBO’s “The Rehearsal” probes the causes of plane crashes at a time when flyers have increasing concerns about air safety.  Native artist Jeffrey Gibson represented the US at last year’s Venice Biennale. That same show is now on view at The Broad.  A restaurant critic from the San Francisco Chronicle opens up on getting tossed from The French Laundry by celebrity chef Thomas Keller.

Mayor Bass issues executive order meant to slow runaway film and TV production. It’s part of broader efforts in Sacramento with the same goal. Is it too little, too late? Trump’s DOJ intervenes in excessive force case against LASD deputy convicted of restraining, pepper-spraying innocent woman New documentary ‘Art for Everybody’ charts painter Thomas Kinkade’s journey from brooding work to mass-producing ‘feel-good’ kitsch   

The suspect in the bombing of a Palm Springs fertility clinic held views that were against human procreation. He likely suffered from “profound psychological distress.” He was the only person killed in the attack.  Five years since the George Floyd protests, has policing changed in Los Angeles? Chief Jim McDonnell sits down for a wide-ranging interview.  Questlove unpacks 50 years of “SNL” music, sharing backstage stories. Rhythm and risk drive his life behind the drums and the lens. 

The Supreme Court heard arguments today about whether lower court federal judges should have the power to block President Trump’s policies nationwide. To put pressure on Hamas, Israel has blocked aid from entering Gaza since early March. International groups say that’s a war crime. Critics review the latest film releases: “Final Destination: Bloodlines,” “Magic Farm,” “Caught by the Tides,” and “Hurry Up Tomorrow.” Ricotta is a fresh Italian cheese known for its light, creamy texture and mild, slightly sweet flavor. Eat it with vegetable salads, pastas, pastries, and more. 

Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state’s budget problems are largely a result of volatility in the stock market, caused by President Trump’s tariffs. Newsom calls it the “Trump Slump.”  Far-right blogger Curtis Yarvin thinks democracy is outdated and wants to restore a monarchy to the U.S. Among his followers is Vice President JD Vance.   The person who usually gets the biggest role and the most money for a film is known as “No. 1 on the call sheet.” Black actors and actresses who’ve achieved that status are the focus of a new documentary.  Gambling scandals meant Pete Rose and “Shoeless” Joe Jackson were ineligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame. That changed on Tuesday. 

Qatar plans to give President Trump a plane to use as Air Force One, which even some supporters say crosses a line. But the appearance of corruption doesn’t stop there. The Trump administration gave refugee status to white South Africans, despite no evidence they face more danger than Black South Africans.  “Uptown Girl” Christie Brinkley is out with a new biography about becoming the biggest model of the 1980s. The Cannes Film Festival kicks off today. There’s a new “Mission: Impossible” and films from Spike Lee, Ari Aster, and Lynne Ramsay.

As surgeon general, Casey Means would be able to advocate for alternative medicine that may not have been scientifically vetted.  On May 15, the Supreme Court takes up President Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship for certain children of immigrants, but this case is really about the power of lower courts to issue nationwide injunctions. Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore originated with breezy, seaside tunes and evolved to churn out synth-pop and rock with R&B influences. Their seventh and last studio album is “Face Down in the Garden.”

In his first speech from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV – a 69-year-old Chicago native – shared a message of peace. He is the first American pope. Public media in rural America is often the only source of local news and emergency information. They rely heavily on federal funding to fulfill their missions.  Critics review the latest film releases: “Clown in a Cornfield,” “Friendship,” “Fight or Flight,” and “Absolute Dominion.” Serving pancakes to mom on Mother’s Day has to be one of the most universally embraced American holiday traditions. Flapjacks are easy to make, and you can use all-purpose flour or add other grains.