David Lidsky's Blog, page 103

Louvre museum shuts down due to staff strike over mass tourism

It’s rare for the Louvre to close its doors.

The Louvre, the world’s most-visited museum and a global symbol of art, beauty and endurance, has withstood war, terror, and pandemic—but on Monday, it was brought to a halt by its own staff, who say the institution is crumbling under the weight of mass tourism.

New Trump Mobile brand offers 5G plan and MAGA-themed gold phone

The phone debuted today alongside Trump Mobile, a cellular service company that will be run by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump.

For years, President Trump has had a famous affinity for his personal cell phone. He’s been known to rely on the device to contact world leaders, arrange business deals, and answer calls from a flurry of daily unknown numbers —often in spite of potential security threats. Early this month, The Atlantic called him “the ultimate Phone Guy” in an article detailing his aides’ concerns around his phone use. Now, The Trump Organization appears to be spinning Trump’s “Phone Guy” reputation into yet another business venture: a mobile service and smartphone brand called Trump Mobile.

G7 leaders push for unity as Trump criticizes Russia’s removal

European officials said they hoped to use the G7 meeting and next week’s NATO summit to convince Trump to toughen his stance on Putin.

Leaders from the Group of Seven nations began annual talks on Monday with wars escalating in Ukraine and the Middle East, as U.S. President Donald Trump said removing Russia from the former Group of Eight was a mistake.

Trump Mobile is here. Experts are baffled

The Trump Organization is launching a $499 smartphone and branded wireless service. Analysts say the plan raises more questions than answers—and doubt it will find a real market.

You can stay at Trump hotels, play golf at Trump courses, and could, for a short time in 2007, buy Trump steaks. But MAGA-maniacs now have a new tchotchke they can buy to support the 47th U.S. president: a $499 cellphone sold by the Trump Organization, the family business run by the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr. The device will run on a specialist Trump Mobile network.

Block’s CFO explains Gen Z’s surprising approach to money management

Amrita Ahuja shares how the fintech giant is leveraging AI and real-time data to empower underserved customers, reshape financial access, and respond to market volatility with product velocity.

One stock recently impacted by a whirlwind of volatility is Block—the fintech powerhouse behind Square, Cash App, Tidal Music, and more. The company’s COO and CFO, Amrita Ahuja, shares how her team is using new AI tools to find opportunity amid disruption and reach customers left behind by traditional financial systems. Ahuja also shares lessons from the video game industry and discusses Gen Z’s surprising approach to money management.  

Why it’s perfectly normal (and good, even) to question what you do for a living

Think of your uncertainty as an opportunity, not a crisis.

When my daughter was 2 years old, she declared she was going to be a doctor. At first, I chalked it up to toddler enthusiasm, but as the years passed, her certainty never wavered. At 7, she is still as sure as ever. Watching her confidence in her future is both heartwarming and, if I’m honest, a little bewildering, because I never had that kind of clarity. While some people seem to know their path from the start, I didn’t fully understand what I wanted to do with my life until I was almost 40.

32 housing markets where tight inventory still favors sellers

Among the nation’s 200 largest metro area housing markets, 32 markets at the end of May 2025 still had at least 50% less active inventory than in May 2019.

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter.

Gen Z wants in-office sex to be a totally acceptable thing

38% of Gen Zers want private spaces at work to hook up because: work–life balance.

Gen Z, the youngest generation of workers, cares deeply about work–life balance. And, according to new research, that balance includes hookups that happen during working hours. 

How to use AI to write your résumé

Resume writing consultants share their dos and don’ts for using AI

Love or hate AI, it’s reshaping how we apply to jobs. While nearly a third of job candidates think AI is hurting their job search, according to recent research from Career Group Companies, the same report found 62% of candidates using AI to write a résumé, cover letter, or writing sample for a job application—up from 32% just six months ago.

Computer simulations reveal the first wheel was invented nearly 6,000 years ago

Like the evolution of species, the wheel emerged gradually from an accumulation of small improvements.

Imagine you’re a copper miner in southeastern Europe in the year 3900 BCE. Day after day you haul copper ore through the mine’s sweltering tunnels.