David Lidsky's Blog, page 117

Turn data into dollars

How brands can thrive even when marketing budgets are cut

We have officially arrived in the era where e-commerce brands that prioritize smart, value-aligned engagement over mass media spend are owning the here and now—as well as the future. With traditional advertising under pressure to deliver a more definitive ROI, looming tariffs driving up the cost of everything, and consumer confidence lower than it’s been since peak pandemic, we all need to make every dollar count. In addition, the CFO is more interested in marketing ROI than ever, and wants to see measurable results.

Among the top paid CEOs of 2024, 18 saw their salaries more than double

According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal on CEO pay, a few executives saw salaries jump as much as 900% last year.

The year 2024 was a good one for the people who ran some of the country’s biggest companies. CEO pay set another record last year, according to a new study in The Wall Street Journal, with half of the chief executives who made the newspaper’s list of the highest paid CEOs earning $17.1 million or more, up more than 8% from $15.8 million the year prior.

‘LLMs are ego-reinforcing glazing-machines’: This subreddit is banning users for AI-induced delusions

As chatbot use grows, some users report loved ones developing AI-driven psychosis.

The moderators behind a pro-artificial intelligence subreddit say they have been banning users who appear to be experiencing chatbot-fueled delusions.

Trump administration orders Pennsylvania power plant to run through the summer

Constellation Energy had planned to shut down some of the Eddystone power plant’s units.

The U.S. Department of Energy has ordered another power plant, this time an oil and gas plant in Pennsylvania, to keep its turbines running through the hottest summer months as a precaution against electricity shortfalls in the 13-state mid-Atlantic grid.

Newark Airport finishes runway project early. Flight limits to lift soon

Crews worked day and night to complete the $121 million construction project 13 days ahead of schedule and ease some problems at the New Jersey airport.

A construction project on one of Newark Liberty International Airport‘s three main runways wrapped up nearly two weeks early, so the Federal Aviation Administration expects to be able to ease flight limits next week despite the ongoing shortage of air traffic controllers.

Trump says he’ll fix the debt, but even his allies aren’t convinced

The administration is betting on the hope that economic growth can do the trick—a belief that few outside of Trump’s orbit think is viable.

President Donald Trump faces the challenge of convincing Republican senators, global investors, voters, and even Elon Musk that he won’t bury the federal government in debt with his multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package.

Netflix is about to dominate every holiday with ‘Stranger Things’

Netflix is breaking up the final season into batches releasing on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve—and not everyone’s happy about it.

The fifth and final season of Netflix’s Stranger Things is dropping on Netflix just in time for Thanksgiving. And Christmas. And also New Year’s Eve.

Aurora borealis forecast: Northern lights may be visible in 13 states tonight. Here’s the best time to see them

Sky-watchers, you’re in luck—the colorful display may make another showing in June, above Alaska and the upper Midwest to the Northeast.

If you missed the northern lights, or aurora borealis, over the past weekend, you’re in luck—you may have a second chance tonight, Monday, June 2, when they may be visible for a second night in a row in some U.S. states across the country.

To survive Trump’s tariffs, small businesses need a Marshall Plan

As tariffs upend global supply chains, small companies face a unique threat.

As President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and the global trade war began to dominate headlines, early attention focused on the impact on consumers, investors, and major companies like Apple and Ford. Since then, the spotlight has also turned to Main Street, where small and midsize businesses—including manufacturers and industrial suppliers—are increasingly feeling the strain.

Texas is headed for a drought—but lawmakers won’t do the one thing necessary to save its water supply

Texas property owners can use nearly as much water under their land as they want. That’s unlikely to change even as the state approaches a crisis.

LUBBOCK — Every winter, after the sea of cotton has been harvested in the South Plains and the ground looks barren, technicians with the High Plains Underground Water Conservation District check the water levels in nearly 75,000 wells across 16 counties.