Silicon Valley

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Op-Ed: There's a Downside to 'High Agency' Living

Sophie Haigney questions our celebration of risk-taking in 'a gambler's time'

(Newser) - The buzzy label you're supposed to aspire to right now isn't "driven" or "ambitious"—it's "high agency." In an op-ed for the New York Times , Sophie Haigney traces how a once-obscure philosophical term about the human capacity for action has become a tech-world badge of honor, and now a broader...

Allbirds, Once Valued at $4B, Sells for Just $39M

Once-hyped eco sneaker brand to offload assets to American Exchange Group

(Newser) - The onetime darling of tech workers' feet was just purchased for a song. Allbirds, which IPOed in 2021 and hit a valuation of around $4 billion after its first day of trading, on Monday said it has agreed to sell its remaining assets for $39 million, reports Marketwatch . The buyer...

Cops Are Behind City's Free Doorbell Cameras

Residents of Milpitas, California, encouraged to share footage with police to deter crime

(Newser) - A San Jose suburb's new crime-fighting initiative starts at the front door. The city of Milpitas, dubbed the "Crossroads of Silicon Valley," has approved $60,000 to hand out free video doorbells to residents, one per household, on a first-come, first-served basis—part of an effort officials say is...

Mom Convicted on 58 Felony Counts in Teen Party Case

Charges against 'Party Mom' Shannon O'Connor included child endangerment, sexual battery

(Newser) - A California mother whose home became the center of a series of alcohol-fueled teen gatherings is now facing decades behind bars. A jury in Santa Clara County has convicted 51-year-old Shannon O'Connor, widely labeled the "Party Mom," on 58 of 63 felony and misdemeanor counts, including child...

There's a New Face in California Governor's Race

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan says other Democrats are too preoccupied with Trump

(Newser) - San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan is jumping into California's already packed governor's race, arguing that his own party has been too absorbed with President Trump and not focused enough on problems at home.
  • The moderate Democrat and former tech entrepreneur is positioning himself as a blunt critic of
...

Newsom Pledges to Block Billionaire Wealth-Tax Initiative

California governor warns levy could drive wealthy residents, revenue out of state

(Newser) - California's governor is drawing a hard line against a new tax on billionaires, even though it may land on the ballot without him. Gavin Newsom said he has been quietly working to block a proposed one-time 5% tax on residents with more than $1 billion in assets, vowing to...

OpenAI Showers Workers With Record $1.5M Stock Packages

Awards are said to make up nearly half of company's 2025 revenue

(Newser) - OpenAI isn't just racing ahead in AI—it's rewriting the playbook on Silicon Valley pay. Internal financial data seen by investors indicates the company is handing out an average of $1.5 million in stock-based compensation per employee, for a workforce of about 4,000, according to a...

Report: Thiel Calls AI Critics 'Legionnaires of the Antichrist'
Peter Thiel Has Thoughts
on the Antichrist
in case you missed it
Oct 12, 2025 3:25 PM CDT

Peter Thiel Has Thoughts on the Antichrist

'It's someone like Greta,' he said, according to recording obtained by the Washington Post

(Newser) - In a recent series of private lectures in San Francisco, billionaire Peter Thiel took a distinctly theological turn, linking his opposition to tech regulation with warnings of the Antichrist and the potential downfall of the United States, according to recordings reviewed by the Washington Post . Thiel described activists like...

In Silicon Valley, Office Workers Are Ditching Their Shoes

Startups, other firms bet that shoeless offices will bring comfort, more creativity

(Newser) - Shoes are becoming optional at an increasing number of workplaces. In a bid to boost morale and creativity, startups and tech firms—particularly in Silicon Valley—are telling employees it's fine to slip off their shoes at the door, reports Quartz . San Francisco AI outfit Cursor, language app...

In Silicon Valley, 9 Households Own Staggering Piece of the Pie

About 15% of the wealth as the disparity of wealth in Silicon Valley is getting much, much worse

(Newser) - In Silicon Valley, the ultra-rich get richer while many residents struggle just to survive. The Guardian reports that economic inequality in the California region that's home to the likes of Apple, Google, and Meta has reached staggering new levels. According to San Jose State University's 2025 "Silicon...

Silicon Valley Startups Go All In on China's 996 Grind

AI firms push workers to embrace 72-hour weeks

(Newser) - A grueling work schedule that sparked controversy in China has found a new home: Silicon Valley. Known as "996," the regime calls for working 9am to 9pm, six days a week—an eyebrow-raising 72 hours. Once criticized in China for fueling burnout and even linked to worker...

US Army Swears in Tech Execs as Lieutenant Colonels

Execs from Meta, OpenAI, Palantir to serve in Army Reserve as advisers

(Newser) - Four Silicon Valley senior executives were sworn in last week as lieutenant colonels by the US Army. The military announced in a press release that Shyam Sankar, Palantir CTO; Andrew Bosworth, Meta CTO; Kevin Weil, OpenAI's chief product officer; and Bob McGrew, OpenAI's former chief research officer, will...

Silicon Valley's Anti-'Woke' Drive Isn't an 'Anomaly'

Guardian columnist Becca Lewis writes that hints of 'technofascism' stretch back decades

(Newser) - Anyone who's just now picking up on a real right-wing vibe from today's Silicon Valley set probably hasn't been paying too close attention to the tech bros over the past few decades—because hints of "technofascism" have been popping up in that demographic for years. So...

Tech Writer Kara Swisher Blasts the 'Boy-Kings'
Tech Writer Kara Swisher
Blasts the 'Boy-Kings'
the rundown
Feb 26, 2024 9:30 AM CST

Tech Writer Kara Swisher Blasts the 'Boy-Kings'

Her memoir 'Burn Book' is out this week

(Newser) - Veteran tech journalist Kara Swisher is out with a highly anticipated memoir about her life and the internet revolution she covered from its earliest days. Burn Book is released Tuesday, but early coverage provides a taste:
  • Excerpt: You can read one via Intelligencer here . Included is a moment when she
...

For Years, He Secretly Bought Land. Now, His Plans Emerge

Jan Sramek's billionaire-backed 'California Forever' firm wants to build a city in Solano County

(Newser) - After years of secretly snapping up farmland for a new city northeast of San Francisco, the CEO of a company backed by Silicon Valley billionaires pitched voters Wednesday on his vision for a walkable, affordable community that would appeal to their California pride. Jan Sramek, a former Goldman Sachs trader...

A Twist in Figma's Rise: Adobe Deal Is Called Off

The companies said they doubted they could secure regulatory approval of the deal

(Newser) - "If this deal fell apart tomorrow, I'd feel just fine," said Figma co-founder Dylan Field when Adobe's planned $20 billion acquisition of the company was announced in September. No word on whether that's how he's feeling after the companies called off the deal Monday,...

Suit: Tech CEO Led Me Into 'Dark Abyss of Sexual Horror'

Christian Lanng, ex-chief of Tradeshift, has denied the rape, torture, harassment allegations

(Newser) - The former executive assistant for a fired tech CEO has now filed a lawsuit against him alleging he made her sign a "slave contract," then harassed, tortured, and sexually assaulted her. Per the Mercury News , the complaint against Christian Lanng, who was fired from business software company Tradeshift...

Report: Peter Thiel Was FBI Informant

He focused on foreign influence in Silicon Valley, according to political activist Charles Johnson

(Newser) - Tech billionaire Peter Thiel has bankrolled Republican politicians who've publicly attacked the FBI, from former President Donald Trump to Sen. JD Vance. It's somewhat surprising then that a new report from Insider alleges he has served as an FBI informant. Alt-right political activist Charles Johnson claims he helped...

Spy Chiefs in 5 Nations Sound Warning on China

Five Eyes intelligence chiefs say Chinese spies are operating at an 'epic scale'

(Newser) - Spy movies have taught us to suspect figures lurking around military bases and federal buildings, yet the focus of Chinese spying in the US looks quite different, according to the heads of spy agencies in the Five Eyes coalition—US, Canada, Britain, Australia, and New Zealand—who gathered for an...

Yellen: No, We Won't Bail Out Silicon Valley Bank
Yellen: No, We Won't
Bail Out Silicon Valley Bank
the rundown
Mar 12, 2023 10:45 AM CDT

Yellen: No, We Won't Bail Out Silicon Valley Bank

'Whole generation' of tech startups face potential collapse

(Newser) - The fallout from the Friday failure of Silicon Valley Bank —the 16th-largest bank in the nation—continues to spread far and wide in the financial world. A look at coverage:
  • Uninsured: The FDIC insures deposits up to $250,000, but many tech startups and other businesses had far more
...

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