Press Play with Madeleine Brand

The staff working for Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency are mostly inexperienced engineers in their early 20s. They now have direct access to the U.S. federal payments system. The Army Corps of Engineers released water from two dams in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. State officials had no warning, and there seems to be no practical reason why it happened. HBO’s “Nature of the Crime” documentary follows three men who repeatedly go before parole boards. It also gives perspectives of their lawyers and the parole board members. A mystery photographer documented key moments in 1960s San Francisco, including the Summer of Love and formation of the Black Panther Party. One project is trying to uncover the person’s identity.

The Trump administration is seeking to dismantle the world’s largest humanitarian aid program — the U.S. Agency for International Development. What lives are on the line as a result? The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) could fall under the purview of the State Department, or be dissolved entirely. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says that would be “illegal and against our national interests.” Oscar nominee “Incident” uses police body and dashboard cameras, plus security cameras, to show a multi-angle replay of a Black man dying at the hands of Chicago law enforcement in 2018. At this year’s Grammys, Beyoncé took home Album Of The Year for the first time. Kendrick Lamar scooped up both Song and Record Of The Year. Other big names like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish came up empty.

The EPA designated two locations for sorting and processing locations for hazardous debris from the Palisades and Eaton Fires. Residents in both areas are concerned. We must rethink city planning and development following the LA fires, says UCLA Professor Alex Hall, who advises building homes away from wildlands. Critics review the latest film releases: “Dog Man,” “Companion,” “Love Me,” and “Liza: A Truly Terrific Absolutely True Story.” Eat out to support restaurants that lost business due to the Palisades Fire. Evan Kleiman shares recommendations for west side eateries participating in DineLA, which is happening now. Using film, models, music, and costumes, artist and futurist Liam Young envisions a world where everyone on earth lives together in a single city.

On Monday, President Trump rescinded trillions in federal funding. On Tuesday, a federal court paused the freeze. Today, Trump walked the entire plan back. LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath addresses residents' criticisms of officials' initial response to the Palisades Fire. She also discusses fire department investments, cleanup, and rebuilding. Architectural historian Erik Ghenoiu and his architect wife made their home more fire-resistant, and they were active in community fire mitigation efforts. Still, their house didn’t survive the Eaton Fire. The book “Mood Machine” explains how Spotify contracts with production companies to create so-called “perfect fit content” that it releases under pseudonymous artist profiles.

President Trump’s new executive order says people identifying as a different gender from their “individual sex” do not meet military standards. Trans service members are defending their right to serve. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. begins Senate confirmation hearings Wednesday to lead HHS. His views of alternative medicine are increasingly embraced by the MAGA movement. The mental health effects of battling wildfires are enormous. But firefighters aren’t always willing to ask for help. A spreadsheet allows families to describe stuffed animals they lost in the LA fires, and connect with volunteers who’ll try to replace them. Shana Merrill used it to find a very specific owl.

President Trump has deployed 1,500 active-duty troops to the U.S. border with Mexico. But a nearly 150-year-old law, the Posse Comitatus Act, bars using the military for domestic law enforcement purposes. The CA Environmental Protection Agency secretary explains the cleanup phases for LA’s wildfires, and expects no complications from the Trump administration. DeepSeek built an open-source AI chatbot to rival ChatGPT that it claims is more efficient. The company’s rise improves China’s position in the AI development race. Companies like Suno and Udio are releasing ever more sophisticated generative AI music tools, and more artists are starting to collaborate with the technology.

Monica Motta runs a small house cleaning business and has lost her clients in Pacific Palisades, an area that accounted for two-thirds of her income. President Trump’s executive orders on immigration face legal roadblocks. But he’s still sending U.S. troops to the southern border, and threatening to investigate local officials who stand in the way of arresting and deporting people. From what to do if your home burned, to what to expect on your next insurance bill even if it didn’t, a consumer advocate answers urgent insurance coverage questions. Critics review the latest film releases: “Presence,” “Rose,” “Inheritance,” and “Myth of Man.”

LA County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger responds to reports of residents not receiving text evacuation alerts, and shares updates on rebuilding efforts. Among his executive orders, President Trump has discontinued diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in the federal government. It's part of a larger rollback of DEI efforts nationwide. Will Rogers State Park was beloved by Angelenos, especially Palisades residents. The January 7 fire destroyed the ranch house and outbuildings of the early 20th-century movie star, columnist, and leading political wit of his day. Only by patronizing neighborhood restaurants can we keep them afloat and our communities vibrant. Evan Kleiman recommends eateries located in neighborhoods adjacent to the Eaton Fire.

A sculptor/printmaker and the J. Paul Getty Trust president share how the recent fires devastated LA’s artist community. Residents in western Altadena experienced a delay in getting evacuation notices as the Eaton Fire raged, according to an LA Times investigation. President Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of every January 6 insurrection defendant, including Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the far-right Proud Boys. TV critics review “The Pitt,” “Apple Cider Vinegar,” “On Call,” and “Severance” season two.

President Trump took office today and immediately signed a slew of executive orders related to immigration, energy, trade, and gender. They’ll almost certainly face legal challenges. President Trump’s embrace of tech bosses raises questions of conflicts of interest during his term. Poolside’s Jeffrey Paradise and rapper “Fat Tony” Obi both lost their homes and studios in the recent fires. Each vows to stay in LA.

LA City Councilmember Traci Park represents Pacific Palisades and has introduced a suite of legislation to respond to last week’s devastating wildfires and protect affected residents. In President Biden’s farewell speech, he listed his administration’s accomplishments and echoed another president when it came to a “tech industrial complex.” Critics review the latest film releases: “One of Them Days,” “Wolf Man,” “I'm Still Here,” and “Wish You Were Here.” Filmmaker David Lynch was known for an unconventional approach and non-linear storytelling. His name was used as an adjective — Lynchian — to express surreal normalcy. He died today at age 78.

Both the incoming and outgoing White House administrations played a role in negotiating, and applying necessary pressure, for a ceasefire and hostage release deal between Hamas and Israel. A senior from Palisades Charter High and a coordinator at the Westside Waldorf School share how students and staff are faring amid the wildfires. There has been so much misinformation, and even outright conspiracy theories, circulating since the wildfires broke out last week. Press Play debunks some of the more egregious claims. LA’s cooks, restaurateurs, caterers, small grocers, etc. went from (barely) making profits to donating meals to wildfire victims. They still need to make payroll, so please eat out.

Was the Palisades Fire caused by embers left over from another extinguished fire? Was Eaton the fault of power lines? It may take months before investigators know. National and international firefighters have been coming to SoCal to help fight the wildfires devastating the region. How are they deployed? These wildfires have displaced tens of thousands of Southern Californians, many of them suddenly entering LA’s brutal, competitive, and already crowded rental market. Writer Caitlin Flanagan’s friendship with Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet Seamus Heaney profoundly shaped her life and her Catholic faith. She writes about their bond in The Atlantic.

California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara addresses challenges facing homeowners affected by the wildfires, possible solutions, and what the future holds for the state’s insurance market. FEMA provides assistance to individuals, local aid organizations, and state and local agencies before, during, and after disasters. What kind of help is available? LA faces ongoing fire danger with strong winds expected. Water officials advise against drinking tap water in some areas, and air quality remains a concern. “Hard Truths” explores family dynamics through sisters: one angry and fearful, the other loving. Director Mike Leigh teamed up with Marianne Jean-Baptiste.

A Palisades community leader and a co-owner of an Altadena restaurant both describe the destruction of their areas as apocalyptic. Still, they have plans to rebuild. A trauma studies professor offers guidance on alleviating your own grief, talking to someone who’s lost everything, and preparing for the long recovery. Mayor Karen Bass has faced political blowback for being in Ghana as devastating wildfires broke out all across Los Angeles. Critics review the latest film releases: “Hard Truths,” “Vermiglio,” “Diane Warren: Relentless,” and “The Last Showgirl.”

The entire LA basin is on high alert as three major fires are burning uncontrolled. The Palisades Fire has burned nearly 16,000 acres as of Wednesday 2 p.m. Altadena’s Eaton Fire has exceeded 10,000 acres. And Sylmar’s Hurst Fire: 700 acres. Residents of Topanga, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and Pasadena share their experiences evacuating the fires. A KQED reporter describes the situation for Eaton Fire evacuees at the Pasadena Convention Center. NOAA estimates how long the fierce winds will last and what the coming forecast may look like.

At least two wildfires — in Pacific Palisades and West Hollywood — have started as the worst windstorm in more than a decade blasts SoCal. Meta announced today it would remove fact-checkers and have fewer speech restrictions on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads. The move signals an attempt to garner favor with the incoming Trump administration. Jimmy O. Yang talks about his early difficulties landing bit parts in Hollywood, to now playing the lead in Hulu’s “Interior Chinatown.” He says Asian storytellers must be “undeniably good” to move Hollywood forward. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy wants cancer warning labels on all bottles of booze, but there are conflicting reports about the health impacts of alcohol.

Four years after Trump supporters stormed the Capitol to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s election win, President-elect Trump was certified on another January 6 day. The Supreme Court hears a challenge on Friday to a federal law that will ban TikTok if the Chinese parent company ByteDance doesn’t sell the popular social media app. 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 newly expanded college football playoffs were supposed to make games more competitive. How come all the top-seeded teams crashed out?

On New Year’s Day, a former Army veteran drove a car into a crowd on Bourbon Street, and opened fire on civilians and law enforcement. He had shown sympathies with ISIS. Filmmaker RaMell Ross’ latest movie looks at the plight of two boys incarcerated in an abusive reform school in 1960s Florida. Big-screen films to look forward to in 2025 are “Wicked: For Good,” “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning,” “28 Years Later,” “Mickey 17,” and more. Sometimes called a German pancake or bismarck, a Dutch baby is baked in the oven, and is made of eggs, flour, milk, and sugar.

As Press Play takes a break for the holidays and wrap up 2024, we listen back to a few of our favorite interviews of the year. The groundbreaking TV show “My So-Called Life” made waves 30 years ago, especially because of Wilson Cruz’s portrayal of biracial, queer teenager Rickie Vasquez. Noel Fielding is known in the U.S. for co-hosting “The Great British Bake-Off.” In his latest streaming show, he plays an infamous British highwayman, but with a twist. A new documentary series examines the world of 1980s hair metal music. KCRW talks to director Jeff Tremaine and founding Guns N’ Roses member Tracii Guns.