Producer, 'Press Play'
PROFILE
Sarah Sweeney
Producer
FROM Sarah Sweeney
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The connection between Brexit and The Jungle Book Actor Andy Serkis recently spoofed British Prime Minister Theresa May -- as one of his most famous characters, Gollum from “The Lord of the Rings.” He shares his thoughts on Brexit, and its parallels to his new movie “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle.” He plays Baloo, and also directs the film.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The not-so-glamorous lives of immigrants who trim weed Thousands of young migrants descend on Northern California’s Emerald Triangle every year to trim marijuana plants. They come for an adventure, but the work is difficult, isolated, and sometimes dangerous.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
How to look at your neighborhood with fresh eyes Artist Nib Geebles noticed a lot of things in his Highland Park neighborhood when he decided to commute on foot. He then drew those easy-to-miss landmarks, and they’re part of his 2019 calendar called “Unknown Landmarks (and Lost Icons).”
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The United States is far behind Russia when it comes to military dominance in the Arctic The ice melting in the Arctic has reached a record low this year. That means that there are parts of the Arctic Ocean that are now accessible to navigation for the first time. That also means a lot of untapped resources are surfacing like fossil fuels, diamonds and metals, and the U.S. is far behind Russia and China in the race to exploit those resources.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Stock market freaks out after Chinese tech executive is arrested We find out why Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou is being held in Canada at the request of the U.S., and how that fits it with the US-China trade dispute. And the stock market has been taking a dive, so that does point toward a recession?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Investigation into Les Moonves uncovers more cases of alleged sexual misconduct The board of CBS hired two law firms to investigate the sexual misconduct allegations against former CEO Les Moonves. The draft report was leaked. It says Moonves repeatedly lied to investigators, and destroyed evidence to save his reputation and severance.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Who are the ‘yellow vest’ protesters in France, and what do they want? France’s so-called ‘yellow vest’ protests have been going on for weeks. Demonstrators are upset over a fuel tax, the minimum wage, and national leadership. Over the weekend, more than 400 people were arrested.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Living with narcolepsy, and tips for fighting insomnia Henry Nicholls has had narcolepsy for half his life. He says the condition is like being sleep deprived and overslept at the same time, and there is no cure. He talks about that and other sleep disorders, and gives tips on how to retrain your brain to sleep better.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Rep. Jackie Speier on how the Jonestown mass shooting changed her life It’s been 40 years since the Jonestown massacre, and the killing of California Congressman Leo Ryan. One of those wounded was Ryan’s aide, Jackie Speier. She survived, and is now a Congresswoman in Ryan’s old seat.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Why aren’t Americans buying compact cars? One of the stars of this year’s LA Auto Show is Jeep’s all-new pickup truck, the Gladiator. Truck and SUV sales have been doing well, accounting for two-thirds of the U.S. market last year. Sedans and compact cars are expected to drop below 30 percent of the market this year.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
A.I. makes it tough distinguish real from fake videos A research group at the University of Washington recently created a video of President Obama saying words that someone else actually said. But the video looked real. Artificial Intelligence and a new field called “image synthesis” are making it easier to manipulate videos.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
LA Chef Shirley Chung’s modern American take on traditional Chinese cuisine Shirley Chung has been making dumplings since she was 6 years old in her native Beijing. She immigrated to the U.S. when she was 17, and soon after worked for celebrity chefs Jose Andres and Thomas Keller. Now she likes to make mochi donuts, cheeseburger potstickers and vegan dumplings with spicy tofu aioli. She has a new cookbook and a restaurant in Culver City.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Can President Trump close the US-Mexico border? A group of migrants rushed the wall between Tijuana and San Diego on Sunday. The Border Patrol responded with tear gas. Forty-two people who managed to make it across were arrested on the U.S side. The border was closed for more than five hours at San Ysidro. We look at what happened, and discuss the legal questions around it.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
James Baldwin’s picture book shows realities of urban black childhood The day after Thanksgiving, we replay some of Press Play’s best interviews of the year, including one with the niece of civil rights activist James Baldwin. If Thanksgiving has you yearning for a year-long nap, that’s what the protagonist tries to do in Ottessa Moshfegh’s novel. And Joel Sartore is on a mission to photograph all endangered animals.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
How an LA resident connected to her Persian roots through food On this Thanksgiving, we rebroadcast some of Press Play’s favorite segments of the year. We hear from Naz Deravian about her cookbook of Persian recipes and the memories they evoked. If you’re flying, we give tips on staying healthy while onboard. Also, do vitamin IV drips work, and why have restaurants gotten rid of salt shakers?
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Native American chef on crafting an alternative Thanksgiving Chef Sean Sherman, a member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe, explains how we got the false story of “Indians and pilgrims.” For his Thanksgiving, he uses regional ingredients that are all around him, and cuts out European ingredients, including dairy and processed sugar.
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