Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Peter Thiel's ambitions, and tradeoffs of the gig economy
Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel went against his industry by supporting Donald Trump. Now he’s part of the president-elect’s transition team. Also, temporary work without benefits accounted for all net job growth from 2005 to 2015, and most of those jobs went to middle-aged workers.
By Madeleine Brand • • 52m ListenSilicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel went against his industry by supporting Donald Trump. Now he’s part of the president-elect’s transition team.
Temporary work without benefits accounted for all net job growth from 2005 to 2015, and most of those jobs went to the middle aged.
Russia’s never had a fully functioning democracy, but parts of the country strikingly resemble the U.S… once you get out of cities.
Susan Burnstine has suffered from debilitating night terrors since she was four. Photography became her way to interpret and cope with those dreams.
Silver Lake has a popular new all-ages hangout: Gelson’s. The supermarket recently opened its own bar, and it’s part of a growing supermarket trend.
Banner Image: Peter Theil, credit: Dan Taylor.
In this episode
5 storiesWith Donald Trump's ear, what is Peter Thiel's endgame?
Billionaire entrepreneur Peter Thiel is poised to become the most politically prominent face of Silicon Valley. The PayPal cofounder bucked the liberal ideology of the nation’s tech capital by supporting Donald Trump. Now he’s part of the president-elect’s transition team.
Read the story10 minIndependent contractors signal the future of work
Some years ago, 55-year-old Steve Chermock closed his furniture business due to injuries. He recently signed up to drive for Uber and Lyft, but there are no benefits like health insurance or worker’s comp. Temporary work without benefits accounted for all net job growth from 2005 to 2015, and most of those jobs went to the middle aged.
Read the story7 minWhat do rural Russia and rural America have in common?
Vladimir Putin is wildly popular in Russia’s economically depressed cities like Chelyabinsk. In the country’s heartland, the city was an industrial center until the fall of communism. Globalization gobbled up the factory jobs and spit out a city without a future -- echoes of our own Rust Belt in America.
Read the story9 minPhotographer turns her nightmares into art
Susan Burnstine has suffered from debilitating night terrors since she was four. Photography became her way to interpret and cope with those dreams. Burnstine’s images, which are shot with cameras she makes by hand, are likewise haunting. Her latest book, “Absence of Being,” features black-and-white landscapes that are distorted and blurred.
Read the story14 minGrocery stores are the new corner bars
Silver Lake has a popular new all-ages hangout: Gelson’s. The supermarket recently opened its own bar, right between the checkout lines and the bakery. It’s part of a growing supermarket trend.
Read the story8 min
