David Lidsky's Blog, page 290

Old hockey cards and a Rembrandt-ish painting: Some attic treasures are auctioned for millions

Art auctions can be fickle.

Kaja Veilleux has been hunting New England attic treasures for more than 50 years. He once found a copy of the Declaration of Independence sitting on a pile of trash, and he made headlines this year when he stumbled upon a million-dollar portrait gathering dust in an old farmhouse in Maine that may have been painted by the Dutch master Rembrandt.

This free app automatically tracks all of your incoming packages

A simple way to stay on top of shipping status? Yes, please! Meet AfterShip.

Ah, tracking numbers. They’re a real lifesaver—especially this time of year!—but keeping track of all those tracking numbers can sometimes feel like a full-time job.

If Congress won’t regulate AI, Scott Wiener believes California must

The state senator’s AI legislation may be dead. But his fight for safer AI isn’t.

Last summer, Scott Wiener found himself in an uncomfortable position for any California Democrat: openly quarreling with Nancy Pelosi and garnering support from Elon Musk. 

Trump’s plans to reform the government will depend on administrative law

Administrative law provides the legal standards used by the courts to determine whether new or revised policies are valid.

There’s a lot of speculation about what Donald Trump’s second term in the White House will bring. But there’s one thread that’s likely to tie together many of the changes and conflicts: the subject I teach—called “administrative law.”

Starbucks is the new Venmo for Gen Alpha

Teens are settling up with cold brews and cake pops after school, according to a report from Cafeteria, an app that pays young people for their brand insights.

We know teens love their Strawberry Acai Refreshers, their Caramel Frappuccinos, and their cake pops from Starbucks. But the coffee chain is so deeply integrated into the lives of teens that they don’t just use it to fuel their mornings and as a meetup spot: They also use it as currency.

Supreme Court will hear case against California’s tough vehicle emissions standards

The justices agreed to hear an appeal filed by fuel producers who object to a waiver granted to California in 2022 by the Environmental Protection Agency during Joe Biden’s presidency.

The Supreme Court on Friday said it would take up a business-backed appeal that could make it easier to challenge federal regulations, acting in a dispute related to California’s nation-leading standards for vehicle emissions.

How you can prepare your TikTok account for the upcoming ban

Given privacy concerns around the app, it’s not a bad idea to disable location access and set up two-factor authentication.

If you’re one of the 170 million TikTok users in the U.S., it’s time to start making sure your account is properly secured and updated ahead of the impending January ban.

In wake of CEO’s murder, UnitedHealth Group’s public plea falls flat

Andrew Witty’s ‘NYT’ op-ed hoped to open a dialogue, but the response revealed entrenched skepticism, painful patient experiences, and doubts about corporate motives.

This week, after the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, our social media feeds, along with articles on countless news outlets, have been filled with opinions about the state of healthcare in the U.S. On Friday, an unlikely individual, Andrew Witty, CEO of UnitedHealth Group, parent company of United Healthcare, joined the conversation by way of a New York Times op-ed.

Geminids meteor shower peaks tonight: where and when to see shooting stars light up the December skies

Catch the spectacular show around midnight, when the Geminids will leave shimmering trails of vivid yellow, purple, and green in the night sky.

There is a lot going on today. It’s Friday the 13th, Taylor Swift’s birthday, and a great time to look up, especially in the hours leading up to and around midnight when a spectacular Geminids meteor shower will light up the sky. (That’s not to be confused with the mysterious drones flying over New Jersey.)

Broadcom enters the trillion-dollar club on AI strength

The semiconductor giant’s Q4 results underwhelm analysts on total revenue, but skyrocketing AI sales spur a stock rally that places Broadcom among America’s tech elite.

Shares in the semiconductor giant Broadcom (Nasdaq: AVGO) are urging in early market trading this morning after the company announced its Q4 2024 earnings, in which it revealed that its AI revenue skyrocketed 220%. At the time of this writing, AVGO shares are up over 20%, and with their rise, Broadcom is now the latest tech giant to surpass a trillion-dollar market cap. Here’s what you need to know.