Plus, President Trump signs the bill to release the Epstein files. And a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage says that vaccines might cause autism, after previously making the case that they do not. Kate Bullivant hosts.
A.M. Edition for Nov. 20. Nvidia's highly-anticipated earnings report did not disappoint with soaring profits soothing investor jitters over the AI boom. Seema Shah from Principal Asset Management explores what this all means for markets going forward. Plus, the White House drafts a peace plan for ending the war in Ukraine, featuring major concessions from Kyiv. And with bids for Warner Bros. Discovery due today, WSJ entertainment reporter Joe Flint looks at the potential buyers and who’s the likely frontrunner. Caitlin McCabe hosts.
Today, we have a special guest on the podcast, Kate Lowry,CEO coach, author and comedian. She is a long time startup founder, spent time in VC, is leading a values driven coaching and advising firm called Scaleheart, and recently, just published a book. The title of the book is Unbreakable: How to Thrive Under Fear-Based Leaders, and is a tactical guide to help smart, caring people get unstuck to they thrive under fear based leadership.
In our conversation today, Kate is going to enlighten us on what fear based leadership is, how to use the predictability of fear based leaders to your advantage, and why its having (another) moment in the tech ecosystem today.
Questions:
Tell me about your startup journey as a serial founder.
You've been around the block in the tech industry. From your vantage point in startups, big tech, and VC, why is this new leadership style hitting now?
How does this type of culture show up in startups, versus larger companies like Meta?
How does it manifest in investing?
Why is fear-based leadership antithetical to innovation?
If it's so bad for innovation, why do people keep choosing it anyway?
What makes leaders like this so predictable?
How can people use that predictability to their advantage?
How has the type of issues you work on with your CEOs changed as this leadership style comes into vogue?
What are the most common ways that you help founders in your coaching practice?
What are three ways CEOs can make sure fear-based leadership doesn't take root in their corner of the tech ecosystem?
Billionaire hedge fund founder Tom Steyer announced Wednesday that he is running for governor of California. In a video posted to social media, Steyer vowed to challenge corporate influence and tackle the state’s affordability crisis. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is moving quickly to break up the Education Department. Officials rolled out a new plan Tuesday to shift key responsibilities, including an 18 billion dollar anti-poverty program, to other federal agencies. The move follows through on Trump’s campaign promise to eliminate the department entirely. Read more at LATimes.com.
Grokipedia, the AI-powered encyclopedia launched by Elon Musk's xAI last month, promises to be an ideological alternative to Wikipedia. But the tool doesn't just have a different political flavor, argues Ryan McGrady, senior fellow at the Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
He recently wrote, for Tech Policy Press, that Grokipedia takes a more top-down approach to knowledge, one that harks back to less democratized eras.
San Francisco is known for its distinct neighborhoods, each with its own shopping street, full of local businesses. Listener Sarah Soule grew up in the city and remembers hearing that San Francisco didn't allow big box stores or chains to open within city limits. But recently she's seen more chains and wonders if that was true. We trace the history of San Francisco's regulation of chain stores and the effect it has had on the city.
This story was reported by Scott Shafer. Bay Curious is made by Katrina Schwartz, Olivia Allen-Price, Gabriela Glueck and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Ethan Toven-Lindsey and everyone on Team KQED.
Stop us if you’ve heard this one: A hedgehog, a river otter and an iguana walk into a local exotic animal hospital …
Whether intentional or otherwise, exotic pets like sharks, macaws and pythons have made Illinois their home. But finding medical care for these animals isn’t as simple as visiting the neighborhood vet.
Last episode, we explored some of the out-of-place animals that’ve been found in Chicago, including a peacock, an alligator and a 20-pound vervet monkey. Today, we’re asking, what happens when they get sick?
Take a trip with us to the Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital in Skokie to meet Gomez Addams the tegu lizard and a few of his friends. Plus, hear some wild stories from the people who care for them.
Former FBI director James Comey’s prosecution hits a major snag after prosecutors admit the grand jury never reviewed his full indictment, raising questions about whether the case can even proceed. Thousands of already released Epstein documents shed new light on the powerful figures who stayed close to Jeffrey Epstein even after his conviction. And Nvidia’s staggering earnings and $5 trillion valuation fuel both optimism and warnings about whether the AI boom is entering bubble territory.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Anna Yukhananov, Megan Pratz, Julia Redpath, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Stacey Abbott. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
After years of soaring optimism and colossal investment, Wall Street has begun to seriously question whether the frenzy for A.I. is justified.
Cade Metz, who covers technology for The New York Times, explains why Silicon Valley companies believe so fervently in A.I. and why they’re willing to take enormous risks to deliver on its promise.
Guest: Cade Metz, a technology reporter for The New York Times.
President Trump signs the Epstein measure he once opposed, while the Justice Department struggles to explain why it’s pursuing new Epstein-related investigations. A US Attorney admits the indictment used to charge James Comey was never actually read by a grand jury. And Nvidia shrugs off concerns of an “A.I. Bubble.”