David Lidsky's Blog, page 205

How this sex-forward gay cruising site finally launched an Apple-approved iOS app

Sniffies, which previously offered only a web app, spent more than a year working to moderate its NSFW offering for the app store.

As an app designed to facilitate gay hookups, popular site Sniffies has had a limitation since it launched in 2018—it was accessible only via web browser. Until now. On Monday, the map-based cruising site debuted its Apple-approved iOS app. 

Once declared ‘permanent,’ Washington, D.C.’s Black Lives Matter Plaza will soon be painted over

D.C.’s mayor says the lettering will be replaced with art celebrating America’s 250th birthday.

At the height of the summer of 2020’s “racial reckoning,” bright yellow paint filled the streets just north of the White House. Overnight, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser had ordered a giant street mural: Black Lives Matter,” in 35-foot capital letters.

‘Dark woke’ is the internet’s answer to Trump-style politics

For now, it’s more gallows humor than any kind of serious organizing force.

In the wake of Donald Trump’s reelection as U.S. president, a growing chorus of voices is calling on liberals to toughen up and tone down the moral high ground. If the left wants to claw back power, they argue, it’s time to play dirty. Enter: dark woke.

Design for every body: The evolution of accessible design

How designers can reimagine the way we all live.

As society becomes increasingly aware of people’s diverse needs, accessible design has become the hot topic. Years ago at Michael Graves Design, our president Donald Strum, our chief design officer Rob Van Varick, and I were reviewing student portfolios. All the designs were about sustainability. Today, we see a lot of focus on accessibility. We love it. This makes sense, because gaining empathy for your products’ future users is at the core of product design. The design community is ready for accessibility. Our challenge today is proving that it makes great business sense.

Utah just passed the country’s first age-verification bill for app stores. But the fight isn’t over

The App Store Accountability Act is headed to the governor’s desk, but a legal battle over the controversial bill seems all but certain.

On Wednesday, Utah became the first state in the country to pass legislation mandating that app stores verify users’ ages and get parental consent for certain activity on minors’ accounts. 

Trump’s Gen Z approval rating has risen despite the White House chaos, says a new poll

Trump continues to grow support from the younger cohort, gaining 11 points with the 18-to-29-year-old age group since his inauguration.

In recent weeks, as President Trump has made huge cuts to federal programs, let go of thousands of federal workers under the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and given U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) more authority, we’ve seen tons of criticism of the president’s executive orders. Even some who voted for Trump, but have lost their jobs as a result of Trump’s firings, have admitted they now regret their decision and have turned on the president.

It took unruly town halls for GOP lawmakers to embrace remote work

Republican politicians who have pushed for return-to-office are suddenly embracing Zoom to avoid angry constituents.

Over the past few weeks, Republican lawmakers around the country holding town halls have faced angry questioning and booing from their constituents who are upset with mass federal layoffs, among other controversial moves by the Trump administration. Now, after a series of (televised) tense confrontations, Congressional Republicans have been advised to hold their historically in-person town halls online.

89% of corporate workers are facing mental health challenges

A new report from Lyra Health finds that even as employees face mounting mental health challenges at work, only 29% believe their company offers enough support.

Mental health resources have become a crucial corporate benefit among employers who are looking to recruit the best talent, with more and more companies now offering access to therapy and wellness apps. Even so, many workers report feeling like they don’t have the support they are seeking—particularly as they encounter rising levels of stress in and out of the workplace.

L.A. County sues Southern California Edison over Eaton Fire

The complaint alleges that witnesses and evidence indicate the fire started directly under Edison transmission lines in Eaton Canyon.

Los Angeles County said Wednesday that it’s suing Southern California Edison, alleging the utility’s equipment sparked January’s Eaton Fire, which destroyed more than 9,400 structures and killed 17 people in the Altadena area.

Trump’s plan for reciprocal food tariffs is a disastrously bad idea, and we’re all going to pay for it

Tit-for-tat trade policies may seem appealing, but they’ll lead to higher prices on everything from coffee and tea to bananas, with very little upside.

For obvious reasons, most of the attention that’s been paid to President Donald Trump’s various tariff schemes has focused on the across-the-board tariffs he’s imposed on our biggest trading partners, Canada, Mexico, and China.