Palantir is one of the world’s most valuable companies, analyzing data for businesses, but also for U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies. The Philosopher in the Valley, a new book by Michael Steinberger, is a portrait of the company’s CEO, Alex Karp. In today’s episode, Steinberger speaks with NPR’s Steve Inskeep about Palantir’s operations at the nexus of technology and national security, Karp’s liberal arts background, and the CEO’s unusual lifestyle.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
European allies rally to support Denmark following renewed calls by the US that it must control Greenland. It comes as talks are held in Paris on security guarantees for Ukraine. Donald Trump has said that the US "needed" Greenland - a semi-autonomous region of fellow Nato member Denmark - for security reasons. Also: Swiss officials say ski bar not checked for five years before deadly fire that killed 40 mainly young people. Security forces patrol Venezuelan streets as opposition calls for release of political prisoners. Conservationists in Kenya pay tribute to beloved "super tusker" elephant, Craig. And we take a look at new global indoor fitness craze.
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Plus: Ford reports higher fourth-quarter sales. And a Pentagon deal leads Lockheed Martin to more than triple its PAC-3 missile production. Alex Ossola hosts.
An artificial-intelligence tool assisted in the making of this episode by creating summaries that were based on Wall Street Journal reporting and reviewed and adapted by an editor.
It’s been a year since the Eaton and Palisades fires swept through Southern California, taking 31 lives and destroying over 16,000 structures — including the homes of “Marketplace Morning Report” host David Brancaccio and his neighbors in Altadena. On the show today, David joins Kimberly to talk about the road to rebuilding the community and the complicated, costly task of rebuilding with fire resistant materials.
Dustin Kunkel is a father of two, works in the solar panel business, and is a neighbor of "Marketplace Morning Report" host David Brancaccio. Kunkel lost his Altadena home in the Eaton Fire and, since then, spoke to 30 contractors before finding someone to rebuild the house. We hear what the process — and pricing — has been like. Also, the realities of this economy continue to diverge for lower- and higher-income households.
African governments are weighing in after Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro was arrested and flown to New York following a US operation in Caracas. Ghana and South Africa have criticised the move, while the African Union says it is watching events with great concern. We also hear how ordinary people in Accra, Ghana, view the unfolding crisis.
Plus, we then turn to AFCON in Morocco, where excitement on the pitch contrasts with frustration off it. Many fans say high flight costs and poor travel connectivity are making it difficult to follow their teams in person.
Presenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers: Blessing Aderogba, Ayuba Iliya, Keikantse Shumba,
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Technical Producer: Terry Chege
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
Plus: Dell Technologies plans to expand its personal computer portfolio to include a wider range of price points. And Uber, Lucid and Nuro begin on-road testing for their planned robotaxi service. Julie Chang hosts.
The Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, has said the removal from power of President Nicolas Maduro by US special forces is a huge step for freedom despite being sidelined by Trump. We hear from inside the country amid a crackdown in Caracas.
Also on the programme, European leaders meet in Paris to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine, and a battle to save a historic monument to one of the great Antarctic explorers, Ernest Shackleton.
(Photo: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado looks on, outside the Grand Hotel after she was in the audience at the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway, 12 December, 2025. Credit: NTB/Ole Berg-Rusten/Reuters)
We note that the airwaves yesterday were filled with desperate efforts to distract from the Venezuela story by focusing instead on Greenland or the Epstein files. What's happening here? Could it be that this is the way the media are trying to protect their friends in politics? Give a listen.
The US's bombing of Caracas reiterates three key foundations of American foreign policy: the Constitution is dead, democracy is irrelevant, and the "rule of law" doesn't matter.