Press Play With Madeleine Brand

The Santa Monica City Council recently voted to explore compensating the descendants of a Black man named Silas White for his plot of land on Ocean Ave. New analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that Medicare spending on weight loss drugs like Ozempic rose to $5.7 billion in 2022 — up from $57 million in 2018. LA City Council officials have announced plans to eliminate traffic lanes, widen sidewalks, and add bike and bus lanes to the storied Hollywood Boulevard. An excerpt from KCRW’s Life Examined talks about building community despite our isolated lifestyles. Plus, hear practical tips for forging meaningful connections. When vegetables begin to flower, they’re reaching the end of their life cycles. But you can still eat the plants, which have an added sweetness or bitterness.

Judy Baca’s collaborative effort to create “The Great Wall of LA” is the subject of a new LA Times short documentary. The mural is being extended to another half mile.  Four men accused in Friday's terrorist attack at a Russian concert hall appeared in court bruised and bandaged — an example of Putin’s regime using violence to exert political control. The LA Innocence Project is pushing for new evidence and DNA testing in Scott Peterson’s quest for a retrial. Peterson was convicted of murdering his wife and their unborn son two decades ago.  Beyoncé topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with a single from “Cowboy Carter,” but the album has drawn backlash over who’s qualified to make country music.

A new AI company called Suno wants everyone to be able to produce their own pro-level songs. What does that mean for artists? The U.N. Security Council called for a ceasefire in Gaza, with the U.S. abstaining from the vote. Will it make a difference in the conflict? The Supreme Court will hear arguments challenging the major abortion drug mifepristone, which is used in more than half of all abortions in the U.S.  Alynda Segarra latest’s album, “The Past is Still Alive,” honors people, places, and moments from their travels. The songs also talk about substance addiction.

Regarding Her, a nonprofit accelerating the growth of women entrepreneurs and leaders in food and beverage, is sponsoring a spattering of events this March.  California voters narrowly passed Prop 1, Newsom’s signature mental health initiative. It’s poised to overhaul treatment for drug addiction and homelessness. What happens next? A risk calculator caught actress Olivia Munn’s aggressive breast cancer a year early, while regular screenings missed it. Should other women use the tool too? Pine Mountain Club, about an hour north of LA, has suffered hundreds of break-ins and thousands of dollars of bear-related damage over the past decade. Critics review the latest film releases: “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “Shirley,” “The American Society of Magical Negroes,” and “Carol Doda Topless at the Condor.”

In “Problemista,” a Salvadoran immigrant longs to become a toy designer when he arrives in New York. The challenges of getting a U.S. work visa threaten his dreams. In Texas, Senate Bill 4 would allow local police to arrest people suspected of entering the country illegally. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit blocked it ahead of oral arguments.  After the ousters of anti-LGBTQ school board members in Orange County and a watering down of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law, are the culture wars calming down?  Armed gangs are roaming Haiti’s streets, attacking government buildings and shutting down the main airport in Port-au-Prince. The prime minister says he'll resign.  Shohei Ohtani got two hits in his Dodger regular-season debut against the Padres. Plus, the NCAA women's basketball tournament is drawing more attention than the men’s competition.