Press Play with Madeleine Brand
A Juicy Silicon Valley Legal Fight, “Virunga,” and the Plight of the Monarchs
A high-profile court case alleging gender discrimination at a powerful venture capital firm heads towards trial this week. What are the issues at stake, and could the lawsuit have larger ramifications in the tech industry? Then, a look at how the app Snapchat is trying to branch out.
By Madeleine Brand • • 52m ListenWe start today with two Silicon Valley-related stories: First, Reddit Interim CEO Ellen Pao is suing a powerful venture capital firm she used to work for, alleging gender discrimination. Then, a look at how the app Snapchat is trying to branch out. Next, in our regular car segment, is Apple going to become a car maker? Continuing our weeklong series of interviews with the filmmakers behind this year’s Oscar-nominated documentaries, Madeleine speaks to Orlando von Einsiedel, who wrote and directed Virunga. And finally, monarch butterflies are in trouble. We hear about a government plan to restore them.
Banner Image: A silverback gorilla at the Bukima Patrol Post tented camp in Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
In this episode
5 storiesSilicon Valley Closely Watches Gender Discrimination Lawsuit
A high-profile court case alleging gender discrimination in the tech industry is heading towards trial this week. Reddit Interim CEO Ellen Pao is suing a powerful venture capital firm where she used to be a partner, claiming she was sexually harassed.
Read the story11 minSnapchat Branches Out
Turning to a different Silicon Valley story, Snapchat is seeking another round of funding from venture capital firms. The company is reportedly valued at $19 billion: a lot of money for an app that’s ephemeral, literally. Snapchat lets you share pictures and short videos that disappear once they’re watched.
Read the story7 minApple Cars and Tesla Woes
The line between cars and computers gets thinner every day. We now have dashboards loaded with five-inch screens, digital maps, and MP3 players. And now, Apple may want to erase that line once and for all.
Read the story9 min"Virunga"
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a been a troubled nation for most of its modern history. Once a Belgian colony, the country’s now been at war with itself for two decades. But it’s not just the people of the region who’ve been caught in the crossfire. Congo’s Virunga National Park is one of the most biologically diverse places on Earth.
Read the story13 minThe Plight of the Monarch
With its orange-and black stained-glass wings, the monarch is the best-known butterfly in America. There used to be a billion of them, but these days only about 30 million remain.
Read the story7 min
