Producer, 'Press Play'
Amy Ta has worked in public media since 2010, having produced NPR's Tell Me More with Michel Martin, Weekend Edition and NPR Music. She also photographed several special events and guests at NPR. Before coming to KCRW, she worked on the independent podcast Tiny Spark: Investigating the Business of Doing Good.
Why is it so hard to publish stories critical of powerful men? One of the main reasons the Harvey Weinstein stories didn’t get out sooner was that the Hollywood press couldn’t -- or wouldn’t -- publish them. KCRW’s Kim Masters has a story about another big executive: Amazon’s Roy Price.
Can Kevin de Leon unseat Sen. Dianne Feinstein? California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon announced his challenge to Senator Dianne Feinstein. He is capitalizing on a fury in the state against the president, and painting Feinstein as too accommodating of Trump.
NorCal fires: Melted motorcycles, raining embers The Northern Californian wildfires are some of the worst in the state’s history. They’ve killed more than 30 people and many are still missing. More than 160 acres have been scorched. Winds are spreading the flames, and air quality in the Bay Area is as bad as Beijing’s.
Depeche Mode's Martin Gore on 'Spirit,' and getting more political Depeche Mode’s songs have addressed corporate greed, inequality, and intolerance for nearly four decades. Their new album may be the most political yet. They’re performing at the Hollywood Bowl. We speak with singer-songwriter Martin Gore.
Women filmmakers on Hollywood, harassment and sexism About two dozen women have accused now-ousted studio executive Harvey Weinstein of rape or sexual harassment. Soul searching has begun around Hollywood. How could this go on for so long? Would it have helped if there were more women in positions of power in film and TV?
Will Harvey Weinstein be prosecuted? Harvey Weinstein has been accused of rape. The New Yorker dropped another bombshell story today that has women on the record saying he sexually assaulted them.
Dianne Feinstein's impact on California and the Democratic Party Dianne Feinstein, the oldest serving U.S. Senator, wants another six years. She is “all in,” according to a tweet from her campaign. Polls show Californians are split as to whether she should seek a fifth full term.
An incomplete profile of Las Vegas shooter Stephen Paddock The man who shot and killed 58 people in Las Vegas on Sunday was a big time gambler, winning and losing tens of thousands of dollars at a sitting, and earning VIP status. He had reserved hotel rooms near other music festivals, including Lollapalooza in Chicago.
Vegas ER doctor: Every organ that could have been hit was hit More than 500 people were injured during the Las Vegas shooting on Sunday. Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center received 200 patients within the first hour. We hear from the attending ER physician on duty that night.
New documentary chases Laird Hamilton, big wave chaser A new film film spotlights big wave surfer Laird Hamilton’s tumultuous upbringing in Hawaii, his love of the ocean, and his “fear defect.” What drives him to chase monster waves all over the world?
Hugh Hefner: Civil rights pioneer or misogynist? Hugh Hefner is lauded as a man who helped further the cause of sexual liberation and for his early support of civil rights. But he's also criticized for his objectification of women. So what is his legacy?
George Saunders: Lincoln in the Bardo (Part I) Lincoln in the Bardo dramatizes a grieving President Lincoln as he visits the grave of his beloved son Willie, who died at age eleven. In the novel, the buried dead believe they're not dead -- "they're sick and refer to their coffins as "sick boxes."
Why did Jared Kushner want a back channel with Russians? News broke Friday that President Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor, Jared Kushner, tried setting up a back channel between the Trump transition team and the Russian government. What are the consequences for Kushner, President Trump, and the investigation into Russian meddling?
Trump says goodbye Paris Accord: What does it mean for U.S. and the planet? President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the U.S. will withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, the landmark international agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Trump was to renegotiate a new deal, but will that happen?
Accusations of lying fly between James Comey and White House During his testimony Thursday, former FBI Director James Comey accused President Trump and other White House officials of lying when they said the FBI was in disarray and its staff had lost confidence in him. President Trump’s lawyer said Comey was wrong -- that the president never asked for his loyalty, and never asked him to back off the investigation into former NSA director Michael Flynn.