Press Play with Madeleine Brand

The Biden administration has introduced new plans meant to lower payments for federal student loan borrowers. Here’s how it works.

“Deadlocked: How America Shaped the Supreme Court” looks at the decades leading up to the creation of the most conservative court in recent history.

A century ago this week, the Mt. Wilson Observatory hosted one of science’s greatest discoveries. Today, volunteers fight to keep it afloat.

Ford brought back the Bronco in 2021, and now the SUV could be the future of the federal government’s efforts to fight wildfires.

Evan Kleiman offers a Moroccan salad that combines beets and tomatoes, adapted from Naomi Duguid and Jeffrey Alford’s cookbook, Flatbreads and Flavors.

How long will food prices continue to surge? They’ve been going up due to pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions and the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

More people are turning to food banks due to higher costs of groceries and gas. They’re also weighing what to prioritize first — food or bills. 

Nearly half of the top 25 most polluted cities in the U.S. are in California, according to The American Lung Association. What’s causing the bad air quality? 

Critics review the latest film releases: “The Northman,” “Petite Maman,” “Saturday Fiction,” and “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.”

April 23 is Record Store Day — a celebration of local music shops and vinyl records. Compared to digital, vinyl sounds more permanent, says KCRW DJ Travis Holcombe.

Voters in California, Vermont, and Michigan enshrined the right to an abortion in their state constitutions. Kentucky residents said no to amending their constitution to deny abortion protections.

Many of LA’s midterm races are still too close to call. That includes the mayoral face-off between Rep. Karen Bass and Rick Caruso. Results won’t be known for days.

Historically, most Latinos voted for Democrats, and they still do. But in recent years, Republicans started cutting into those margins. Which party are they more likely to support going forward?

Thousands of people of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated during World War II. A new exhibit in Little Tokyo lists each name in a 1000-page book.

Some of LA’s famous recreation spots were used as detainment sites during World War II. That includes a now-shuttered golf course in Tujunga.

Donald Trump is running for president for the third time. His Tuesday announcement is widely seen as an attempt to shield himself from criminal and civil investigations.

After the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, the government fell to the Taliban. “Retrograde” documents Afghan forces’ last battles against the Taliban.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom delivered graphic testimony this week in Harvey Weinstein’s trial. She detailed an alleged 2005 sexual assault.

If you’re going to bake a pie this Thanksgiving, try making the dough with cookies, nuts, or coconut.

The FDA and CDC are expected to soon green-light the use of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine for kids ages 5 to 11. California says it’ll be ready with more than 1 million doses when that happens.

“The part that the parents really need to realize is that your child might be one of the lucky ones who are asymptomatic,” says Dr. Katherine Williamson from Children’s Hospital of OC. “But as a pediatrician, I've seen so many kids who have had serious disease, and there are many children who have died from the COVID virus. It is time to protect them. And I tell parents — it's just not worth the risk.”

Meanwhile, President Biden left for Europe today to attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow next week. But his climate agenda is on the line as Senate Democrats scramble to agree on a major social spending package.

DC Comics recently revealed a plot twist for its new Superman comic books: He’s bisexual. Many fans have said a leading queer character is a welcome and long-overdue addition. But columnist John Paul Brammer says it’s strange that Superman was straight in the first place.