David Lidsky's Blog, page 102

Backlash against Mike Lee’s tasteless tweets reminds us that online cruelty has a real-world impact

We’ve heard many dire warnings over the years about where online culture was heading. Do deeply distasteful posts about an assassination from a sitting senator prove we’ve finally arrived?

It’s amazing how far a firebrand politician has to step over the line of decency in 2025 to prove that such a line even exists anymore.

Reid Hoffman on Musk vs. Trump and the real AI threat to jobs

The LinkedIn cofounder unpacks the rising global instability, the political fallout between Elon Musk and Donald Trump, and why panic over an AI-induced ‘white-collar bloodbath’ misses the bigger picture.

Amid global conflict, domestic unrest, and AI’s surging impact in all corners of business, it’s getting harder than ever to decipher noise from substance. To help navigate this challenge, LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman shares valuable insights about Trump’s public spat with Elon Musk, the crisis in the Middle East, and whether AI is realistically poised to spark a “white-collar bloodbath.”

American carriers fail to rank among world’s best airlines for 2025

Qatar Airways takes home its ninth top title at the World Airline Awards, as U.S. airlines fail to break into the top 20.

Just in time for the start of this summer’s busy travel season,  has named Qatar Airways the world’s best airline at its 2025 World Airline Awards at the Paris Air Show on Tuesday.

WhatsApp’s new ad feature sparks backlash—and a golden opportunity for Signal

As concerns over surveillance and data harvesting mount, the secure messaging wars are heating up.

Meta’s decision to introduce advertisements into WhatsApp has reignited competition in the secure messaging space, giving rival app Signal a fresh opening to make a pitch for users.

Eli Lilly is making it cheaper and easier to buy high doses of blockbuster weight-loss drug Zepbound

Patients with obesity can now get Zepbound’s strongest doses for a flat rate through Lilly’s self-pay pharmacy.

Eli Lilly announced on Monday it will soon make the two highest doses of its popular weight-loss drug Zepbound available for self-paying customers on its website.

At Home closing? Bankruptcy puts dozens of stores at risk of shutting down

The Dallas-based chain plans to keep most stores open while shedding debt under Chapter 11.

At Home, the big-box home decor and furnishings brand, is the most recent in a series of home goods stores, including Big Lots and True Value, to file for bankruptcy in recent months. Today, the company announced that it is seeking Chapter 11 protection after tariff-related costs, inflation, and reduced foot traffic have taken a bite out of sales.

Kering bets on Renault boss Luca de Meo to revive Gucci

The Gucci owner is banking on an automotive turnaround specialist to fix its luxury brands.

Francois-Henri Pinault, the billionaire heir who has headed up the French fashion house Kering Group for the past 20 years, has picked the CEO of automaker Renault to be his successor. The stock market’s reaction? That’s gucci.

Meta is bringing ads to WhatsApp. Privacy experts are sounding the alarm

The company says personal messages will remain private, but critics warn the data used for ad targeting could still put user privacy at risk.

Eleven years after purchasing WhatsApp, Meta is going full throttle with its plans to monetize the communication platform. And while officials at the social media giant say that users’ privacy will still be protected, some experts are urging caution.

Salmonella outbreak: CDC warns consumers not to eat pistachio cream linked to infections of 4 people

The agency issued a food safety alert on Monday after people reportedly became ill in New Jersey and Minnesota. The product has been recalled.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), public health and regulatory officials, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating an outbreak of Salmonella Oranienburg infections in two states linked to Emek branded pistachio cream.

Pentagon Pizza Index: The theory that surging pizza orders signal global crises

A spike in Pentagon-area pizza deliveries is gaining attention as a surprising predictor of major geopolitical events and military activity.

A different kind of pie chart is being used to predict global crises.