Press Play With Madeleine Brand

SoCal is facing three big wildfires amid a historic heat wave, including the Line Fire, which has burned more than 26,000 acres. How are firefighters coping? A UC Davis scientist is trying to bioengineer cow microbes so they produce less methane. Changing how the animals process their diet — through gene editing — could help delay global warming. With the launch of its new, artificial intelligence-powered iPhone 16, Apple is hoping to boost smartphone sales, which have been sluggish lately.  With the rising popularity of medical content on streamers like HBO and Netflix, New York’s Northwell Health has launched its own film and TV production studio.  Actor James Earl Jones died Monday at age 93. He’s best known as the voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa. But his best work, and maybe least well-known, came on stage.