David Lidsky's Blog, page 199

Compounded Wegovy and Zepbound may disappear under new FDA rules

The end of compounded versions of weight-loss drugs is near, leaving patients scrambling for alternatives.

Some “copycat” versions of popular weight-loss drugs will soon be restricted in the U.S. The change comes as a federal judge declined an injunction that would’ve allowed compounding pharmacies to keep making more affordable versions. 

NOAA to lay off another 1,000 jobs, threatening weather forecasts and disaster response

The new cuts come after earlier rounds of Trump administration firings and encouraged retirements at NOAA, plus the elimination of nearly all new employees last month.

The Trump administration is starting another round of job cuts — this one with more than 1,000 — at the nation’s weather, ocean and fisheries agency, four people familiar with the matter tell The Associated Press.

Stacy Palmer unpacks the nonprofit sector’s existential test

In a chaotic rollback of public funding, nonprofits are scrambling for survival—and facing new threats to their missions, security, and future.

President Donald Trump’s dramatic cuts to U.S. government grants are destabilizing every corner of the nonprofit sector, leaving organizations scrambling to adapt. Stacy Palmer, CEO of The Chronicle of Philanthropy, explores how organizations can adjust to the unpredictable philosophy of the new administration, the cuts’ relationship to Trump’s war on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and why this moment could further fracture the ties that bind Americans together. 

Why real estate must embrace the platform economy

Cities thrive on connections, not just buildings.

For ages, real estate has been defined by the tangible: buildings, land, square feet. Nowadays, however, the world’s most valuable businesses make their money from what is intangible—brands, networks, knowledge, and experiences.

Don’t wait for the state

How stepping in and offering a hand-up can drive more impactful change in a community

I’ve always been vocal about the need to fight inequality in our own backyards. As a resident of New York’s Capital Region, I built my marketing business here. And in 2020, I founded Business for Good Foundation, a nonprofit philanthropy organization focused on closing the growing wealth gap and providing a hand up to underserved entrepreneurs. The inequality is blatantly real.

How Trump can make the U.S. a global industrial leader

Clean energy can be an American superpower if we ramp up current EV production and refine critical minerals.

As the new term of the Trump administration gets settled, the United States’ economy sits at a crossroads. With hundreds of billions invested in the energy transition by the previous administration, aimed towards long-term economic and energy security, the stage is set for the United States to take the next step in maintaining its status as the world leader in sustainable technology.

Trump says he will label vandalism against Tesla dealerships as domestic terrorism

Activists have been staging ‘Tesla Takedown’ protests over Elon Musk’s role in sweeping cuts to the federal workforce.

Recent violence against Tesla dealerships will be labeled domestic terrorism, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday as he selected a new Tesla car to show support for the electric carmaker’s chief, his ally Elon Musk. 

We’re not in a recession yet—but analysts warn tariffs could push us into one

‘The risks of a U.S. recession starting in the coming year are uncomfortably high and rising,’ writes Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s.

Monday’s sell-off on Wall Street sent consumers into a panic as talk of a recession continued to heat up. Most S&P 500 stocks are now in correction territory, and the trade war with Canada, Mexico, and China continues to heat up. Tuesday’s trading, meanwhile, was something of a roller-coaster, with stocks yo-yoing and finally settling at another loss. 

‘Millions of children could lose free school meals’: USDA cancels $1 billion in funds for student lunches and food banks

The latest cuts from DOGE target programs meant to provide kids in need with healthy food from local farmers and ranchers.

More bad news out of the federal government this week, and its only Tuesday: The Trump administration and its chaotic Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are now turning their sights on kids’ school lunches, the latest casualty in the administration’s war on the federal government’s budget.

Dubbing is terrible. Can AI fix it?

Our capacity to dub entertainment is growing rapidly with artificial intelligence. Quality is another question.

Just five years ago, when the movie Parasite won a Golden Globe for best foreign language film, Bong Joon Ho, its South Korean director, said in his acceptance speech that American audiences needed to get over their issue with the “one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles.” His point was that there’s a whole world of great cinema beyond English-language films, and we shouldn’t let subtitles be a deal-breaker. That compares to audio dubbing, the technique that places English dialogue over the moving lips of an actor speaking in another language.