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"We function very well in chaos"
Sep 13, 2018

"We function very well in chaos"

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President Donald Trump rejected the government’s assessment of the death toll from Hurricane Maria this morning. "3,000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico,” he tweeted, accusing Democrats of inflating the number. Those statements are not grounded in fact. What is a fact is that the island was devastated, and thousands did die because of a lack of electricity, shelter, food and water. With that in mind, we talked with chef José Andrés today about his experience feeding thousands of Puerto Ricans in the storm's wake. But first: Between wildfires and the approach of Hurricane Florence, many Americans are expected to rebuild damaged homes. But demand for building materials, alongside tariffs on wood and steel, could drive costs up. We'll look at what happens when trade wars and disaster recovery collide. Plus, can the Apple Watch disrupt Life Alert?

Segments From this episode

FOMO in China is a $7 billion industry

Sep 13, 2018
A government-backed study says the country's internet users are worried about missing out on online knowledge and are willing to pay for educational podcasts.
For the sake of his daughter Yao Yao, Chen Jun said he’s always on the lookout to upgrade his skills and improve his financial prospects by buying things like educational podcasts.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

How a chef helped serve 3.6 million meals in Puerto Rico

Sep 13, 2018
“Every time we made contact with a community, we kept going back, and we kept going back, every day without missing a beat,” José Andrés says.
With schools closed or only open for a short time, children across the island were a priority.
Photo courtesy of World Central Kitchen

Tariffs on imported materials could push up post-disaster costs

Sep 13, 2018
Hurricane Florence, currently tearing along the Southeast coast of the U.S. could bring wind gusts of 80 mph. The governor of North Carolina said that “tens of thousands of structures are expected to be flooded.” The post-storm costs could be high as communities buy up the drywall, lumber, and steel to rebuild. The price of […]
Waves created by Hurricane Florence are seen along Cherry Grove Fishing Pier on September 14, 2018 in North Myrtle Beach, United States. 
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

After Janus, a battle for union members' wallets

Sep 13, 2018
Public-sector unions can't collect fees from nonunion members anymore. Now anti-union groups are campaigning to get union members to quit.
Members of the Service Employees International Union hold a rally in support of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees at the Richard J. Daley Center on Feb. 26 in Chicago.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

President Donald Trump rejected the government’s assessment of the death toll from Hurricane Maria this morning. “3,000 people did not die in the two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico,” he tweeted, accusing Democrats of inflating the number. Those statements are not grounded in fact. What is a fact is that the island was devastated, and thousands did die because of a lack of electricity, shelter, food and water. With that in mind, we talked with chef José Andrés today about his experience feeding thousands of Puerto Ricans in the storm’s wake. But first: Between wildfires and the approach of Hurricane Florence, many Americans are expected to rebuild damaged homes. But demand for building materials, alongside tariffs on wood and steel, could drive costs up. We’ll look at what happens when trade wars and disaster recovery collide. Plus, can the Apple Watch disrupt Life Alert?

Music from the episode

Tangerine Beach Fossils
The Journey Tom Misch
Watch it Grow The Everywheres
Lake Zurich Gorillaz