David Lidsky's Blog, page 258

Energy utilities get nearly $23 billion from Biden administration to fix energy infrastructure

The program guarantees loans to projects that retool or replace energy infrastructure that has stopped operating or that enables reductions in emissions blamed for global warming.

The U.S. Energy Department’s loan office on Thursday announced $22.92 billion in conditional financing for several energy utilities across a dozen states.

How our food system needs to change for a healthier future

Our food system is failing us, but there is hope.

Throughout my career, I’ve worked and served in many of the poorest countries of the world, places that lacked running water, access to fresh foods, refrigeration, air conditioning, sewer systems, and many other necessities we so often take for granted. Walking along hot dusty streets in those neighborhoods, where so much was missing, I was struck by one detail that was almost universally present—a small kiosk selling sugary sodas, cookies, potato chips, and other poor-quality foods.   

3 fintech predictions that will shape 2025

How artificial intelligence and blockchain technology are changing the future of finance

In a year defined by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, you might think that all this incredible innovation has made its way into the hands of the people who need it most. But you’d be wrong.

Substack is trying to court displaced TikTok creators

Substack is offering a $25,000 prize to the ‘creative genius’ who can make a TikTok video that sparks a trend.

“We’re going to rescue the smart people from TikTok!” Substack CEO Chris Best wrote in a Note posted Monday.  

It’s time for Apple to press pause on its AI news summaries

Apple Intelligence keeps wildly mischaracterizing the news alerts it tries to summarize. The company should suspend the feature until it works better.

Apple should shut off its AI summaries of news alerts until it can prevent them from spreading fake news. Anecdotes of iPhone users seeing weirdly phrased summaries of texts and other content are common. But getting news headlines wrong is another matter. Washington Post tech columnist Geoffrey Fowler is the latest to call out the problem. 

Why are we still talking about toilets? Because we must.

Safe and accessible sanitation is an equality issue, but also a health one that affects us all.

In a world where every passing moment brings leaps in digital innovation, creating opportunities to improve life for billions, and promising a world that’s interconnected, I find a small joy in kickstarting a casual conversation with, “Oh, I work in toilets.”

5 ways to close the gap for Black women in STEM

Ensuring opportunities and equity for underrepresented groups in STEM helps solve the talent crisis.

By Tarika Barrett and Meredith Harper

Why future-focused brands win in a short-term world

Califia Farms is proving that having a long-term vision is the best way to do well in the present.

Conventional wisdom says that long-term thinking prioritizes decisions that secure the future, whereas leaders with a short-term focus prioritize today over tomorrow. I’d argue that conventional wisdom needs to be turned on its head.  

Homeowners should ask these questions about insurance for natural disasters

As floods, storms, wildfires, and other catastrophes become increasingly common, the availability and affordability of property insurance has become a high-profile political issue.

The wildfires that have devastated large parts of Los Angeles County have drawn fresh attention to the struggles many Americans face insuring their homes.

Sephora is giving its 700 stores a major makeover. Here’s why

The beauty retailer’s brick-and-mortar strategy is ambitious—even as many retailers are dying.

Sephora’s stores are getting a redesign, Sephora CEO Artemis Patrick announced.