David Lidsky's Blog, page 316

These new taxes could help fight climate change

The COP29 climate talks in Azerbaijan aim to agree on an annual finance target of $1 trillion or more a year to help poorer countries respond to global warming.

The COP29 climate talks in Azerbaijan aim to agree on an annual finance target of $1 trillion or more a year to help poorer countries respond to global warming. Some see new taxes as one way to get there.

Why the crypto community loves Howard Lutnick, Trump’s pick for Commerce secretary

If confirmed, Lutnick will be in regular talks with CEOs in the business community—and could be an influential evangelist for crypto acceptance.

Donald Trump’s selection on Tuesday of Howard Lutnick as Commerce secretary brought cheers from the cryptocurrency sector. 

Walmart says Trump’s proposed tariffs could increase prices

Tariffs could raise prices on clothing, toys, furniture, appliances, footwear, and travel goods, particularly items where China is a major supplier, per the National Retail Federation.

Corporate executives were taking a wait-and-see approach to President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to impose heavy tariffs on imports when he takes office in January, but many have raised concerns about the effect such levies will have on inflation.

Biden requests to rebuild Baltimore Key Bridge as part of $100 billion disaster relief funding

Members of Maryland’s congressional delegation have been working to secure 100% federal funding to cover the nearly $2 billion in estimated reconstruction costs for the bridge.

President Joe Biden‘s pending request for nearly $100 billion in emergency disaster aid includes money to rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which, in March, collapsed under the impact of a massive container ship that lost power and veered off course.

Nvidia’s rivals are focusing on building AI inference chips. Here’s what to know

Startups as well as traditional rivals are pitching more inference-friendly chips as Nvidia focuses on meeting the huge demand from bigger tech companies for its higher-end hardware.

Building the current crop of artificial intelligence chatbots has relied on specialized computer chips pioneered by Nvidia, which dominates market and made itself the poster child of the AI boom.

Elon Musk’s DOGE agency may launch a mobile app to file your taxes

Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is reportedly considering creating a new tax app—sending stocks of Intuit and H&R Block falling.

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) doesn’t have a staff yet and won’t technically exist for another two months, but the two are already reportedly looking at substantial changes to the government’s status quo. Among those, according to a report in the Washington Post, is the creation of a mobile app that would let Americans file their taxes (for free) on the go.

Former lead Yeezy designer Steven Smith joins Crocs as head of creative innovation

Beyond spearheading Yeezy through its influential golden days, Smith is also responsible for iconic silhouettes such as the New Balance 550, Reebok Instapump Fury, and Fila Grant Hill.

Crocs just hired Steven Smith as the mastermind behind its next clogs. 

Walmart stock jumps on earnings as upper-middle class shoppers flock to its budget groceries

The retail giant’s rosy earnings report is a good sign for investors heading into the busy holiday season.

Shares in Walmart (WMT) jumped more than 3% to a new high on Tuesday after the retail giant beat third-quarter earnings estimates and raised its full-year guidance, crediting upper-middle-income customers for 75% of the company’s gains.

Jaguar’s controversial rebrand is bringing the car into the EV era

The automaker ditched its iconic jaguar symbol for a logo that has left some people scratching their heads.

Jaguar, the 90-year-old sports car brand operated under parent company Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), has plans to “completely reset” its image to become an ultra-luxury, fully electric-vehicle brand. To make the change, the brand is scrapping its iconic jaguar logo.

Tropicana orange juice fans revolt against smaller bottles as shrinkflation spreads

Consumers aren’t happy about the container’s new look that gives less.

Tropicana orange juice fans aren’t happy about the brand’s latest redesign, which replaced the plastic bottle’s carafe-like look with a smaller, traditional-looking container, shrinking the portion size by 6 ounces. However, customers say that while the size has gone down, the prices haven’t.