How Silicon Valley Lost Its Way | The Tyee

How Silicon Valley Lost Its Way | The Tyee

Cole Nowicki YesterdayThe Tyee

Cole Nowicki is a Vancouver-based writer and the author of Laser Quit Smoking Massage and Right, Down + Circle.Our journalism is supported by readers like you. Click here to support The Tyee.

Gilded Rage: Elon Musk and the Radicalization of Silicon Valley
Jacob Silverman
Bloomsbury Publishing (2025)


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A coterie of tech industry leaders gathered around a long dining table in the White House on the evening of Sept. 4, each draped in dark suits, smiles pulled back wide. There was Mark Zuckerberg of Meta, Tim Cook of Apple, Sundar Pichai of Alphabet and Google, Satya Nadella of Microsoft and Sam Altman of OpenAI, to name a few. These were the tech industry’s elite, some of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world.

At the centre of the group, with Zuckerberg to his right and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to the left of his wife, Melania, was U.S. president Donald Trump, the man they had all come to dote on. He sat under a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, artificially bronzed in a room full of gaudy gold fixtures.

It was a scene that would have seemed farcical if it weren’t for the already farcical nature of our present-day reality. Several of the men at the table, such as Cook, had recently been browbeat by the Trump administration with regulatory threats.

That night, Cook thanked the president profusely for his “leadership” and promised to invest $600 billion in domestic manufacturing.

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Zuckerberg, who Trump once warned would “spend the rest of his life in prison,” was caught on a hot mic at the dinner telling the president that the “at least $600 billion” he claimed Meta would invest in the U.S. through 2028 was a figure seemingly made up on the fly.

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t ready,” Zuckerberg told Trump in an unscripted moment. “I wasn’t sure what number you wanted to go with!”

The obsequious public fawning was jarring. It wasn’t long ago that some of these tech leaders had vigorously denounced the president.

Following the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, which Trump had fomented, was impeached for and would later retcon as patriotism, Zuckerberg told a March 2021 House committee, “I believe that the former president should be responsible for his words and that the people who broke the law should be responsible for their actions.” He called it a “disgraceful moment in our history.”

Shortly after the Capitol riots in January 2021, Cook told CBS This Morning, “I think no one is above the law… that’s the great thing about our country, we’re a rule of law country. I think everyone that had a part in it needs to be held accountable. I don’t think we should let it go.”

Pichai called the events of Jan. 6 “the antithesis of democracy” in a memo to Google employees. In 2018, Nadella said the first Trump administration’s policy of separating immigrant families and children at the Mexico border was “abhorrent,” “cruel and abusive.”

In the lead-up to the 2016 election, OpenAI’s Altman called Trump “unfit to be president” and “a threat to national security.”

Yet there they all were at the White House last month, gassing up an ascendant autocrat. As these titans of Silicon Valley kissed the ring, one familiar face was missing.

Businessman, former Trump advisor, and frequently the richest person in the world, Elon Musk had spent nearly $300 million and leveraged his vast influence to help secure Trump’s second presidential victory, receiving in kind the opportunity to gut the administrative state with his Department of Government Efficiency project before falling out with the president in June of this year.

The scene at the September dinner, including Musk’s absence, was an intuitive, if dystopian, coda to American journalist and author Jacob Silverman’s latest book, out this month through Bloomsbury Publishing.

Gilded Rage: Elon Musk and the Radicalization of Silicon Valley looks to take stock and make sense of the teetering moment in which we find ourselves.

A nod to Townships radio and Ted Silver

A nod to Townships radio and Ted Silver feed favicon Sherbrooke Record · 16 hours ago by Matthew Mccully · News By William Crooks Local Journalism Initiative The Piggery Theatre was filled Saturday evening with voices and memories from across five decades of local broadcasting as friends, colleagues, and community members gathered for a tribute to English-language radio in the Eastern Townships. The main focus of the evening was the recognition of Ted Silver, who was honoured for his long career and impact on the region’s airwaves. One absence was noted early on: David Teasdale, who helped launch CJMQ and was scheduled to speak about the station’s present and future, was unable to attend due to illness. The evening began with cocktails and dinner before guests moved into the auditorium for a two-hour program hosted by CJMQ’s Daniel Coulombe. He opened with a reminder of radio’s enduring role: “Radio is the theatre of the mind. The images don’t come automatically to your eyes. You have to make the images up in your head.” Remembering Silver’s influence Speakers emphasized Silver’s role in shaping the sound and spirit of CKTS and later CJMQ. Coulombe recalled how Silver would hold “air check” sessions, reviewing announcers’ taped broadcasts: “With Ted, it was a totally different affair, where you knew that having to deal with a teddy bear, you would ultimately always be okay.” Former Alexander Galt coordinator Bob Halsall was introduced for his long service to student life, and former Lennoxville mayor and MP David Price shared his memories of CKTS as a teenager. Price described calling in to request songs on Friday nights: “Yes, you called in to put in a request, but you had a pretty good idea that you were probably going to end up meeting a whole lot of new people.” Bob Halsall, David Price and event host Daniel Coulombe share stories on stage during the tribute to Townships English radio at The Piggery Theatre A career in context Silver’s contribution to local broadcasting had been profiled previously in The Record. In 2011, he was described as having “passion for radio, his encyclopedic knowledge of music, and his ability to nurture young talent.” That feature traced how he came to the Townships after working in other markets and became a central figure at CKTS before later supporting CJMQ. Celebrating 50 years of English-language radio The tribute was organized around four chapters in Townships radio history: the pre-1975 CKTS era, the launch of CKTS Music Radio in 1975, the growth of the station in the 1980s, and the founding of CJMQ in the 1990s. Each section featured stories from those who had been behind the microphone or in the control room. Coulombe tied the themes together by stressing that radio is more about people than technology: “While you can take people out of radio, there is no way you can take the radio out of people.” The Piggery event underscored that point, with former announcers and community contributors attending to share stories and reconnect with listeners. The reserved front rows were for dinner guests, but by the time the program began the theatre held dozens of others. Silver’s legacy Those who spoke returned again and again to Silver’s influence as both broadcaster and mentor. From his early years helping establish CKTS Music Radio to his later role supporting CJMQ, he was consistently portrayed as a supportive leader who valued both the craft and the community around it. His career, as remembered Saturday night, reflected the idea that English-language radio in the Townships was never just about music — it was about connection. Subscribe to read this story and more L’article A nod to Townships radio and Ted Silver est apparu en premier sur Sherbrooke Record.

Vendée Globe record-breaker Charlie Dalin won gruelling race after cancer diagnosis - Yachting World

Vendée Globe record-breaker Charlie Dalin won gruelling race after cancer diagnosis - Yachting World

Vendée Globe record-breaker Charlie Dalin won gruelling race after cancer diagnosis

Helen Fretter
October 8, 2025
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Charlie Dalin reveals in his autobiography that he was diagnosed with cancer in 2023, and won the gruelling 2024/25 Vendée Globe while continuing treatment for the illness.

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French ocean racer Charlie Dalin has revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer in 2023, and completed – and won – the gruelling 2024/25 Vendée Globe while continuing treatment for the illness.

Dalin, skipper of the IMOCA Macif Santé Prévoyance had withdrawn from the 2023 Transat Jacques Vabre transatlantic race for unspecified medical issues. He confirmed in his autobiography La Force du Destin (‘The Force of Destiny’), released tomorrow, that he was in fact diagnosed with a gastrointestinal stromal tumour that autumn.

Despite this, Dalin went on to qualify for the Vendée Globe, completing the Transat CIC and return New York Vendée-Les Sables Race in the summer of 2024.


An emotional Dalin crosses the line to win the 2024 Vendée Globe. Photo: Jean-Louis Carli / Alea

Dalin then delivered one of the most impressive winning performances in the solo non-stop around the world Vendée Globe race’s history, pushing his IMOCA to blistering speeds and maintaining a ferociously relentless work rate throughout – famously riding a low pressure system in the South Indian Ocean to pull ahead of his close rival Yoann Richomme on Paprec Arkéa.

He finished the race in 64 days, 19 hours, 22 minutes, and 49 seconds, demolishing the previous course record by 10 days.
Charlie Dalin cancer diagnosis

Dalin reports that he first noticed symptoms in late 2023 during a training sail, and received his diagnosis after emergency scans.

The skipper, who sails for MerConcept, did not publicly announce that he was going through cancer treatment, though he and his team adapted his training due to the weight loss and fatigue he suffered.

Dalin was first to finish in the previous 2020/21 Vendée Globe, but fellow competitor Yannick Bestaven was awarded the race win following receiving time in redress for his part in the search and rescue of Kevin Escoffier, whose boat PRB broke up off South Africa.

Before the 2024 race Dalin had spoken about how he came to terms with the unique emotional rollercoaster of crossing his first ever Vendée Globe in first place, but knowing his victory wouldn’t last.


Dalin’s 2024 Vendée Globe

With a purpose built Verdier-designed IMOCA and – outwardly at least – apparently perfect preparation until the 2023 Transat Jacques Vabre, Dalin was a hot favourite for the 2024 Vendée Globe.

But privately, his participation was in doubt until the last minute, when a scan in November 2024 confirmed that his tumour had not grown and he was able to join the record-sized fleet on the start line in Les Sables d’Olonne. During the race he managed the illness with daily medication, and prioritised rest when possible.


“I stuck to my strategy, sleeping an average of six and half hours per 24 hours, which is more than on my first Vendée,” he told French news agency AFP, in one of several interviews ahead of Thursday’s publication of his book.

“I had stomach pains, but I just told myself: you don’t have time to worry about that. The pains went away as quickly as they had come,” he added. “By the time I got back to shore, I had almost forgotten about them.”


Macif was custom-built and designed for Dalin. Photo: Ronan Gladu/Disobey/Macif

Speaking about his race post-diagnosis, Dalin revealed that he felt very relaxed during his second Vendée.

“On November 10, 2024, the day of the Vendée Globe start, I was incredibly relaxed. We often hear that taking part in the Vendée is already a victory. In my case, that was exactly it! Because a year earlier, I didn’t even know if I would survive,” he told French sailing magazine Voiles et Voiliers.

“In fact, during a chat during the trip up the Atlantic, when I was neck and neck with Yoann (Richomme), I said: ‘In the end, it’s just a game.’

“Many people thought it was a bluff, thinking it didn’t correspond to my usual state of mind. But no, I was really relaxed, happy to be on my boat, battling for the final victory.”
Incredible story

Dalin had considered going public with his diagnosis during the media frenzy after winning the Vendée Globe, but when offered a book deal decided that would be the better way to tell his story.

“Frankly, if a screenwriter had imagined a script around the Vendée, he would never have dared to write the story of a sailor with cancer, who returns to the race of his dreams and wins it after crossing the line first, but finishes second in his first participation…

He would have been told that it was too much, that it didn’t make sense. And yet, that’s exactly what happened,” Dalin told Voiles et Voiliers.


Dalin (left) 2nd second placed Richomme in Les Sables d’Olonne after the pair’s fierce duel during the Vendée Globe. Photo: Jean-Marie Liot
Dalin’s recovery

Shortly after the finish in February this year, Charlie Dalin underwent surgery and is now focusing on his recovery. “I had a tumour 15 centimetres long on my intestine. They removed it in February, but it came back elsewhere in April,” he explained to French newspaper L’Equipe.














British skipper Sam Goodchild is racing Macif in next month’s Transat Café L’or (formerly the Transat Jacques Vabre), with new IMOCA co-skipper Loïs Berrehar. The Macif team will be making a further announcement about their sailing squad later this month.

All of us at Yachting World sincerely wish Charlie and his family the very best for the future. Charlie and his team generously gave me the opportunity to sail aboard his incredible Macif in September 2024, and it was an absolute privilege to witness him at the helm. We hope to see him back there very soon.

Bishop's scold - local police say no big deal

 

Bishop’s scolds students after off-campus homecoming party

Sherbrooke Record · 5 days ago

by Matthew Mccully · Education

Plans full investigation, possible consequences

By Matthew McCully

If the homecoming hangover wasn’t bad enough, the student body at Bishop’s University had another headache to deal with on Sunday Sept. 28, when an email sent out to students from the university’s administration referred to “an illegal gathering on Reed Street”, saying the school is launching a full investigation and that “Students identified as participating in this incident will be subject to sanctions under the Student Code of Conduct, up to and including suspension or expulsion.”

The email, shared with The Record by multiple sources, called the behaviour of attendees at the Reed Street party unacceptable and said, in addition to a full investigation, that the university “will implement both immediate and long-term measures to prevent such incidents in the future.”
The email concludes encouraging students with information relevant to the investigation to reach out, adding all communications will be treated confidentially.

It was signed by Principal and vice-chancellor Sébastien Lebel-Grenier.

 

Fair warning?

There was another email sent out to students the Friday (Sept. 26) before the party, bearing the signature of Danai Bélanger, Vice-principal student affairs and equity, diversity and inclusion, saying BU was aware of the Reed Street gathering being planned and encouraging students to “Stick to events hosted and supported by Bishop’s or events where resources and safety nets are in place.”

“We’ve been made aware of an event on Reed Street being promoted on social media accounts. This is not a Bishop’s-sanctioned event,” the email opens, explaining gatherings of that type don’t have security or harm reduction resources, that things can escalate quickly putting people at risk, and can lead to serious safety issues.

Students are then advised that usual supports found on campus would not be available, and attending is an individual choice, “but please know that unsafe or unlawful behaviour can still result in fines, police action, or Student Code of Conduct consequences.”
The Record reached out to BU for an interview with the administration for details about the investigation and the measures being implemented on campus. The Record was also curious about the qualification of the Reed Street event as illegal, and the jurisdiction the institution was assuming over a party that took place off school grounds.

BU Communications Manager Sonia Patenaude, replying by email, said no interviews were possible at the moment, and provided the following statement, seen here in full:

“Bishop’s University strongly condemns the dangerous and unacceptable behaviour that occurred during the unsanctioned and illegal gathering on Reed Street during Homecoming weekend. This conduct does not reflect the values of our institution or the spirit of our community.
We are taking this matter very seriously. A full investigation is underway, and immediate measures are being implemented to ensure the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and neighbours.

We remain committed to fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all members of the Bishop’s and wider community.”

 

Student Code of Conduct

The Bishop’s University Student Code of Conduct is published on the university’s website.
Section 4 of the code refers to the scope. According to the online document, the code applies to students while on university premises, and off campus in the following situations:
– When they are acting as a delegate or designated representative of Bishop’s University or as a member of a Student Organization;
-When they are participating in a University event, program, or activity (including, but not limited to, exchange programs, co-op, career and experiential education activities);
-When the Student’s conduct may adversely affect, disrupt or interfere with another person’s reasonable participation in University programs and activities or the University’s work and learning environment, which may include online conduct; and/or,
-When participating in virtual or online spaces including, but not limited to, online learning environments.
In its two missives and the statement that followed, the university did not explain in what way it perceived students to be in breach of the code.

 

Police call party nothing special

The Record reached out to the Sherbrooke Police Service (SPS) for details about the party in question, which took place on Reed Street Saturday, Sept. 27.

According to SPS media rep, Martin Carrier, compared to previous years, the party was nothing special.
Carrier said things got rolling on Connolly Street and by 10:30 p.m. there were around 200-300 partiers. Carrier said the crowd eventually migrated to Reed Street and carried on until around 2 a.m. when the gathering dwindled to around 100 people, and by 2:30 it was completely over.
At peak party time, Carrier said between 400-500 people were at the gathering, which was monitored for the duration of the event by several officers (plusiers dizaines, he said).

Carrier added that the SPS, local community and the City know a big party is expected every homecoming and plan accordingly.
A single noise complaint was filed Saturday night related to the Connolly Street gathering, and there were no arrests made or fines given.

 

Fire department deals with pyros

The City of Sherbrooke’s communications department confirmed Monday that the fire department was called to Reed Street by the SPS on Saturday before midnight. An intervention was required to extinguish a fire on the street, and while putting it out, a number of revellers tried to start a second one, but it was snuffed out before damage was done.

The City added that no injuries were reported during the incident, and reiterated that the fire department was fully aware the party would be taking place and was on standby.

 

Facebook investigators suggest foul play

The Town of Lennoxville and Area Facebook page had a post asking, “What happened on Reed Street last night?”
A thread of roughly 20 comments followed, ranging from “students misbehaving” to some pretty detailed allegations of breaking and entering, destruction of property and incriminating videos circulating.

The comments piqued the curiosity of Lennoxville Borough President Claude Charron, who said he is planning an investigation of his own.
While he did not attend the party, did not personally hear any complaints from community members, and had not asked for or received a report from the police or BU, Charron said he was determined “to find out how these things happen.”

Charron said the Town and Gown Committee, comprised of Lennoxville community members, police, and BU representatives to ensure harmonious co-habitation between locals and the student population, still exists, but admitted he arrived late to the last meeting and couldn’t confirm whether the party in question was on the agenda.

Councillor Jennifer Garfat, also on the committee, did not reply to a request for comment before press time.

Global Renewables to Double by 2030 as U.S. Slumps, China and India Step Up

Global Renewables to Double by 2030 as U.S. Slumps, China and India Step Up


Global Renewables to Double by 2030 as U.S. Slumps, China and India Step Up
October 7, 2025
Reading time: 3 minutes

Full Story: The Energy Mix
Mitchell Beer









Alexander Mills/Unsplash



While global renewable electricity installations will grow at a slightly slower pace than modellers previously expected between 2025 and 2030, total capacity is still on track to double by decade’s end, with solar leading the way, the International Energy Agency says.

Countries will add 4,600 gigawatts (that’s 4,600 billion watts) of new renewable generation capacity over the next five years, “roughly the equivalent of adding China, the European Union, and Japan’s power generation capacity combined to the global energy mix,” the IEA concludes in its Renewables 2025 forecast released this morning. Solar photovoltaics account for nearly 80% of the increase, and renewable power is expected to grow faster than it did over the last five years in more than 80% of the world’s countries.

Global wind capacity will nearly double to more than 2,000 GW, with China and the European Union leading new deployments, and the IEA expects hydropower to account for 3% of new renewable power through 2030.

All told, renewable energy capacity worldwide will grow 2.6- to 2.8-fold from 2022 levels by 2030, falling short of the tripling that countries promised at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai. “This target can still be brought within reach if countries adopt enhanced policies to bridge gaps in both ambition and implementation,” the report states.

In an analysis published just hours ahead of the IEA release, researchers at the Ember energy think tank said solar and wind outpaced the growth in global electricity demand in the first half of this year, overtaking coal as a source of power supply for the first time.

“We are seeing the first signs of a crucial turning point,” Ember Senior Electricity Analyst Małgorzata Wiatros-Motyka said in a release. “Solar and wind are now growing fast enough to meet the world’s growing appetite for electricity. This marks the beginning of a shift where clean power is keeping pace with demand growth.”

The IEA expects renewables deployment to be 5% slower this year than it projected in October 2024, a shift it attributes to policy changes in the United States and China. “The forecast for the United States is revised down by almost 50%,” the report states, after the Trump administration phased out federal renewable energy tax credits ahead of schedule, imposed severe import restrictions on renewables industries, suspended new offshore wind leasing, and curtailed wind and solar leasing on federal lands.

“China’s shift from fixed tariffs to [renewable energy procurement] auctions is impacting project economics and lowering growth expectations,” the IEA adds. “Nonetheless, China continues to account for nearly 60% of global renewable capacity growth and is on track to reach its recently-announced 2035 wind and solar target five years ahead of schedule, extending its track record of early delivery.”

India, the EU, and most emerging and developing economies have all accelerated their renewable adoption since the IEA’s last data release a year ago. India is in good shape to meet its 2030 target and become the world’s second-biggest renewable energy market, achieving a 2.5-fold increase in capacity in just five years. Deployment is accelerating in Southeast Asia and Europe, while the forecast for the Middle East and North Africa is up 25%, led mainly by solar development Saudi Arabia.

The IEA points to some storm clouds for the renewable energy sector. Growth in wind power development is hampered by supply chain issues, rising costs, and permitting delays, and major solar and wind manufacturers are still losing money despite “surging” installations world-wide. An excess of solar modules has driven prices down by more than 60% in China since 2023, while wind manufacturers outside China reported cumulative losses of US$1.2 billion last year.

But despite those headwinds, the IEA said one-fifth of the large renewable developers it surveyed had increased their deployment targets over the last year, while three-quarters kept to their previously-stated goals. At a time of uncertain government policies, corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) have been an important point of stability, delivering 30% of the expansion the IEA anticipates through 2030.

100 sick cruise passengers

  

Prime number: ~100 sick cruise passengers

Jean-Francois Monier/Getty Images

The poop deck was overflowing on a Royal Caribbean cruise from San Diego to Miami last month, as 94 guests and four crew members (about 5% of the ship’s manifest) came down with norovirus during the two-week voyage. The flare-up was one of 19 norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships so far this year—already one more than last year and five more than in 2023, per the New York Times. Norovirus is highly contagious, making cruise ships—where thousands of passengers in tight quarters can get to know their fellow travelers intimately on the conga line—particularly vulnerable to its spread.—AE

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