Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Santa Barbara Oil Spill, Silicon Valley Teens, Inside the World of FBI Informants
Cleaning up the Santa Barbara oil spill could take months. Spotify is expanding beyond music, while teenagers are taking over Silicon Valley. Finally, what happens when the FBI is done with its informants?
By Madeleine Brand • • 51m ListenIt could take months to clean up the oil spill that has blanketed Santa Barbara’s coastline and threatened wildlife. We get an update and find out how a 1969 spill along the same coast helped spark the environmental movement. Boing Boing’s Xeni Jardin explains the significance of Spotify’s move beyond music. And we meet one of Silicon Valley’s new hi-tech workers: a teenager. Also, the FBI relies on more than 15 thousand informants, but what happens when the agency doesn’t need them anymore?
Banner Image: Oil spill cleanup efforts on Santa Barbara’s coastline. Photo Credit: Saul Gonzalez
In this episode
5 storiesCleanup Efforts are Underway in the Santa Barbara Oil Spill
More than 100 thousand gallons of oil may have spilled in this week’s pipeline rupture in Santa Barbara. Even though the pipeline runs on land, more than 20 thousand gallons of oil flowed into the ocean.
Read the story9 minReminder of a 1969 Catastrophe In This Week’s Oil Spill
Back in 1969 a pipeline along the Santa Barbara seafloor exploded, releasing millions of gallons of oil into the ocean. Thousands of birds, fish, and marine animals were killed. At the time it was the worst disaster of the kind and was the catalyst for the modern environmental movement, including the first Earth Day a year later.
Read the story8 minWeb Roundup with Xeni Jardin: Spotify Gets Bigger, DIY Computers
The streaming music service Spotify is expanding to take a bigger bite out of the entertainment apple. The company is adding podcasts, videos, and so-called smart features like music that adapts to the listener’s running pace. It’s looking to compete with new products from Apple and others, but will it work?
Read the story8 minThe Hi-Tech Teens of Silicon Valley
In the world of Silicon Valley, the talent is getting younger and younger. College dropouts have joined the ranks of tech companies for years, but now high school dropouts are calling the valley home. These are kids who were skipping school anyway to attend hack-a-thons; and kids who’ve already made apps on top ten most-downloaded lists.
Read the story13 minWhat Happens to FBI Informants When They Aren’t Needed Anymore?
Stopping terrorism has become one of the most important missions for law enforcement these days. To help that effort, law enforcement agencies depend on informants who are trusted by the would-be perpetrator. The FBI, alone, relies on more than 15 thousand informants.
Read the story10 min
