Press Play With Madeleine Brand

President-elect Trump has nominated former Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz to lead the Department of Justice, the most notable in a string of controversial Cabinet picks. Republicans now control the White House, Senate, and the House of Representatives. Two grassroots Democrats offer their advice on how to move forward. Critics review the latest film releases: “Red One,” “The World According to Allee Willis,” “All We Imagine as Light,” and “Hot Frosty.” Thanksgiving is right around the corner. If you’re not sure about your culinary skills, or are just too exhausted, we’ve got your Turkey Day options.

A 1.3 mile stretch of Crenshaw Boulevard is supposed to be a future hub of Black arts and culture in LA. Residents are torn over what it’ll do to the neighborhood’s legacy and future.  On Tuesday, President-elect Trump made good on a campaign promise to appoint Elon Musk head of what’ll be known as the Department of Government Efficiency — or “DOGE.”  California’s 2024 election results show a political shift to the right. Support for President-elect Trump has risen since 2020, and voters have approved tough-on-crime measures Artist Doug Aitken’s new project “Lightscape” is a collaboration with the LA Philharmonic and LA Master Chorale that weaves music and film to create an ethereal and visual soundscape.

Trans rights advocates are bracing for potential challenges as President-elect Donald Trump hints at policies that could threaten the community’s rights.  Today, about one-third of office space in downtown LA sits empty. It’s a far cry from the once-booming real estate market in the city’s urban core. Why? Martha Stewart shares her journey from self-made billionaire to prison inmate to unlikely friend of Snoop Dogg in a revealing new documentary.  Ron Finley grew up in South LA surrounded by a severe lack of nature. It pushed him to transform sections of his neighborhood into lush, edible gardens. Now, he’s bringing his DIY gardening practice to the Hammer Museum in Westwood. 

California was at the forefront of challenging policy decisions of the first Trump administration in court and is preparing to do so again, particularly around the environment and reproductive rights.  Anti-semitic attacks against Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam have shed light on the surprising history of the city’s most accomplished team, Ajax. Fans use hallmarks of Jewish culture to celebrate the team even though most fans aren’t Jewish themselves.  LA-based author Rachel Kushner’s latest novel “Creation Lake” has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize. The novel explores the relationship between the leader of a radical leftist commune in France and the American spy sent to infiltrate it.  The Lijadu Sisters helped define the Afrobeat sound of 1970s Nigeria when the scene was largely dominated by men. Now record label Numero Group is remastering and re-releasing the sisters’ five albums.

A majority of women voters cast ballots for Kamala Harris. But Harris did worse among women voters than Joe Biden did in 2020. Why? The war in Ukraine, the future of NATO, and what across-the-board tariffs could mean for Europe’s economy all loom large in a second Trump administration.  Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he may end wars as a gesture towards Trump, according to NPR. But doing so is complicated for both men. Critics review the latest film releases: “Heretic,” “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” “Christmas Eve in Miller's Point,” and “Small Things Like These.”

President-elect Donald Trump appears to be on track to win all seven battleground states and is ahead in the popular vote. The GOP has also won the Senate, and could keep control of the House.  The Supreme Court’s ruling that past and future presidents are immune from prosecution for official acts could give President-elect Trump wide latitude to wield power. In California, high-profile ballot initiatives passed, like re-criminalizing some theft and drug offenses, and enshrining marriage equality in the state constitution.  LA County voters ousted progressive District Attorney George Gascón and approved Measure A. Kevin de León is likely to lose his City Council seat.   

Will Americans know, or have a good sense at least, of who our next president will be by the end of election night?  Polls show a majority of voters are concerned about violence following the election. Officials are monitoring threats and working to safeguard the vote.  Abraham Lincoln’s close friendships with four men may have been sexual relationships too, according to a new documentary called “Lover of Men. Ratings for Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel have plummeted in the last decade. Kids aren’t watching TV the way they used to, or even the shows they used to.

A new poll shows Harris surprisingly winning Iowa, another shows swing states leaning toward Trump but within the margin of error. KCRW talks about the state of the presidential race. This presidential election is the most litigated in history, breaking a record set by the 2020 contest. The RNC has filed 130 lawsuits, and recent court decisions involve who can vote and how votes are counted.  KCRW celebrates Quincy Jones' legacy by revisiting a 2018 interview with the cultural icon and his daughter — about a documentary highlighting his extraordinary life. The latest season of the KCRW podcast takes listeners to the Sunset Strip of the 1960s and 1970s. There, center stage and bathed in limelight, are the groupies.  

The LA Dodgers are World Series champs! The Boys in Blue rallied from a five-run fifth inning deficit Wednesday night to beat the New York Yankees. Donald Trump says he’ll deport millions of undocumented immigrants if he’s elected for a second term. Immigration lawyers across the country are ready to fight.  Alice Neel’s paintings of the queer community and their allies are on display at the David Zwirner gallery. She captured people’s true essence and never followed the herd.   Critics review the latest film releases: “Here,” “A Real Pain,” “Blitz,” and “Emilia Perez.”

Both presidential candidates have promised big economic plans — with hefty price tags. Donald Trump has vowed tax cuts and across-the-board tariffs. Kamala Harris has also pledged tax cuts, a cracking down of price gouging, and the construction of new homes. Third-party candidates could significantly impact the 2024 election, potentially swaying votes in key swing states and challenging major party dynamics. Sean Baker, director of the new film "Anora," talks about how having a bigger budget and professional actors changed his filmmaking process.  Orecchiette, the pasta shaped like an ear, plus cime di rapa, known as rapini or broccoli raab in the U.S., makes for a quintessential Pugliese dish when brought together in the pot.

Many of former President Trump’s Cabinet members and executive branch staffers from his first administration have publicly disavowed him. Who would serve in his White House if he wins again? Pro-cryptocurrency donors have made almost half of all the corporate contributions to political action committees this election, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on both sides of the aisle. A decade after the events of “Black Klansman,” undercover police detective Ron Stallworth relocated to Utah to infiltrate the same Bloods and Crips who waged gang warfare in LA and now expanded into the rich, mostly white Mormon church. New York curators have uncovered a waltz by Frederick Chopin. The short and turbulent composition captures the Polish composer’s sorrow while in exile.  

After ugly comments about Latinos at a Trump rally over the weekend, the spotlight is on that demographic’s changing voting patterns and role in key swing states. House Democrats are suing the Federal Election Commission over campaign ads by Republicans they say are exploiting a legal loophole. And the City of Santa Ana will decide if noncitizens can vote in local elections. Governor Gavin Newsom wants to bring film and TV production back to California by expanding the state’s tax credit program. Could it reverse Hollywood’s fortune?   The album “Quiet in a World Full of Noise” is an orchestral blend of intimate piano ballads and raw songwriting. Many tracks emerged out of personal loss and pain.

LA Times editorial page editor Mariel Garza resigned Wednesday after the paper’s owner Patrick Soon-Shiong ordered the Times not to endorse a presidential candidate. Two Sudanese brothers are accused of targeting Israel’s warning system during the Hamas attack last October 7. They also attacked Cedars-Sinai hospital, an indictment says. Oscar-winner Morgan Neville goes behind the scenes of directing a LEGO movie that chronicles Pharrell’s musical journey from discovery to stardom.  Critics review the latest film releases: “Venom: The Last Dance,” “Conclave,” “New Wave,” and “No One Asked You.” 

Donald Trump’s longest-serving chief of staff, John Kelly, recently spoke to news media about concerns that the former president would govern as a dictator if re-elected.  James Carville was part of the campaign to get Bill Clinton elected in 1992 — and an early critic of Joe Biden’s choice to run for a second term. He talks about the high stakes in the Nov. election.  Longtime Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela died on Tuesday at age 63.  “Fernandomania” in 1981 left an indelible mark on LA and its Mexican American community. Evan Kleiman offers a recipe for flavoring your whole chicken with rosemary-infused maple syrup and combining it with a melted butter baste. It’s inspired by Colu Henry and Samin Nosrat. 

The medical diagnosis used to convict a Texas death row inmate has drawn growing skepticism. At least 30 others similarly convicted have been exonerated. California’s Proposition 6 would end forced labor in prisons. Currently incarcerated people can be required to work, sometimes for pennies per hour or nothing at all, and face punishment if they refuse. Millions of square feet of online shopping warehouses are popping up in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Residents are fighting new developments. A developmentally disabled woman wants to marry her partner, but they'll lose their medical benefits and social security if they wed. Now they're fighting to change federal law.

The Dodgers are back in the World Series after a wild win over the Mets. Now they’re set to face the Yankees in a matchup that’s pure baseball magic. Days after Yahya Sinwar’s death, Secretary of State Antony Blinken travels to the Middle East to bring calm to the region. But prospects for peace don’t look good. Elon Musk is offering swing state voters $1 million to sign his petition. But some election law experts worry that Musk is trying to buy votes for Donald Trump. “New Wave” is a documentary about Vietnamese refugees leaning into Eurodisco as they built new lives in SoCal after the fall of Saigon. It also speaks to generational trauma and grief. 

Congressman Adam Schiff was Donald Trump’s chief antagonist during 2017-2021. He responds to Trump’s latest attacks on him, and reacts in real time to the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Critics review the latest film releases: “Smile 2,” “Anora,” “Woman of the Hour,” and “Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party.” KCRW's new host talks about the pop culture latest, including the likelihood of Charli XCX stretching "brat summer" into fall, and the "car crash" appeal of Francis Ford Coppola's "Megalopolis."   Donnie and Joe Emerson recorded “Dreamin’ Wild” as teenagers in 1979. It took decades to become a hit. Now Donnie and his wife are on their first West Coast tour. 

Voter suppression tactics now include strict voter ID laws, reduced early voting times, and limits on mail-in ballots. VA and AL are facing lawsuits related to purging voter rolls.  Lilly Ledbetter, who passed away last Saturday, was instrumental in pushing for equal pay between the sexes. So why has the gap remained roughly the same over two decades? The new book “Den of Spies” chronicles the Reagan campaign’s efforts to delay the release of U.S. hostages in Iran to hurt President Jimmy Carter’s re-election chances. 

Kamala Harris is doing worse among Black voters than Joe Biden did in 2020 — Black men are driving that decline, according to a new poll. Today Harris is unveiling an economic plan aimed at Black men.  The Department of Justice sued Virginia and Alabama, claiming the states violated federal law by removing voters from their rolls too close to an election.  “Traveling: On the Path of Joni Mitchell” chronicles the singer’s experiences of loss and sacrifice — and the songs marking turning points in her life. 

After back-to-back major hurricanes hit the Southeast U.S. in two weeks, can FEMA and other federal agencies handle the response? KCRW looks at how Hurricanes Helene and Milton have affected the political fortunes of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, and what the latest polls and focus groups are saying about the presidential candidates.  Critics review the latest film releases: “Piece by Piece,” “The Apprentice,” “We Live in Time,” and “The Last of the Sea Women.” Linguine with clam sauce is a classic dish. Use a transparent sauce of clam juices, white wine, garlic, red chile, and lemon.