Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    Press Play with Madeleine Brand

    The Minimum Wage Magic Number

    If you make minimum wage, you probably will not be buying a Tesla anytime soon, but you’ll be making at least a little more in California and New York. Legislatures in both states passed a $15 minimum wage yesterday. Seattle and Los Angeles have approved similar citywide laws.

    • rss
    • apple-podcasts
    • spotify
    • Share
    By Madeleine Brand • Apr 1, 2016 • 1 min read

    If you make minimum wage, you probably will not be buying a Tesla anytime soon, but you’ll be making at least a little more in California and New York. Legislatures in both states passed a $15 minimum wage yesterday. Seattle and Los Angeles have approved similar citywide laws. There’s pending legislation in about a dozen other places across the country, and there’s a call to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 dollars an hour. How did that become the minimum wage magic number?

    The full episode

    2 of 5
    Will the Tesla Model 3 Really Change the World?
    1. 0:30Tesla's Car for the Masses (Sort Of)
    2. 8:27The Minimum Wage Magic NumberYou’re reading this
    3. 17:21The Art of Cassils
    4. 30:52Friday Film: Religious Films, Music Biopics and More
    5. 43:01The Problems With Pay for Play
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Madeleine Brand

      Host, 'Press Play'

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Matt Holzman

      Producer, 'The Document'

    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Anna Scott

      Former KCRW Housing and Homelessness Reporter

    • KCRW placeholder

      Jolie Myers

      Managing Producer, 'Press Play'

    • KCRW placeholder

      David Cooper

      Economic Policy Institute

      News

    The full episode

    2 of 5
    Will the Tesla Model 3 Really Change the World?
    1. 0:30Tesla's Car for the Masses (Sort Of)
    2. 8:27The Minimum Wage Magic NumberYou’re reading this
    3. 17:21The Art of Cassils
    4. 30:52Friday Film: Religious Films, Music Biopics and More
    5. 43:01The Problems With Pay for Play
    Back to Press Play with Madeleine Brand