David Lidsky's Blog, page 329

SMCI stock price falls more than 20% as Super Micro Computer faces Nasdaq delisting

The AI server maker’s bad day follows another double-digit stock plunge last week after its accounting firm Ernst & Young resigned.

More bad news for Super Micro Computer, Inc. (Nasdaq: SMCI): Shares sank more than 20% on Wednesday after the AI server maker missed earnings estimates, adding to its mounting problems. It also said it’s unsure when it will file annual results for the latest fiscal year.

This red and blue bar chart tells a deeper story about the 2024 election

A simple graphic that shows who actually voted for Donald Trump.

Exit polls are by no means a perfectly accurate measure of which candidate voters opted for on Election Day. But they can be indicative of what happened, and why. Take this national exit poll of the 2024 presidential race conducted by NBC and a consortium of news organizations. It’s a good example of how clear, simple graphics can tell a deeper story of an election at a glance.

How Trump’s win looms over the European summit

Trump has threatened everything from a trade war with Europe to a withdrawal of NATO commitments and a fundamental shift of support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

Dozens of European leaders will be assessing a new global outlook on Thursday, during a one-day summit bound to center on the concerns of many and the jubilation of a few in the wake of the election of Donald Trump as the next U.S. president that could have far-reaching consequences for the continent.

Starbucks holiday drinks arrive as CEO plans to scale back standard menu

Festive flavors are safe, but year-round menus may be in for a post-holiday overhaul.

The holidays are still a bit away, but at Starbucks, you can get into the spirit starting tomorrow, November 7. That’s when the coffee chain rolls out its festive holiday menu. The lineup includes one new refresher, some holiday drinks that have been around for decades, and some sweet and savory grub. 

Since CEO Brian Niccol took over in September, there already have been a slew of welcome changes at Starbucks, such as no added fees on nondairy-milk drinks and the return of the condiment bar and handwritten (in Sharpie) names on cups—a more personal throwback to the brand’s earlier days. Baristas have been pushing for changes, too.

Florida’s abortion-rights ballot initiative fails to pass the supermajority threshold

Voters in the Sunshine State have narrowly rejected a proposal that would have enshrined abortion rights in the state’s constitution, a first since the fall of ‘Roe.’

A ballot measure in Florida to enshrine abortion rights has failed to secure the necessary votes, according to the Associated Press. As results for the 2024 election roll in, votes late Tuesday indicate that the state’s six-week abortion ban that took effect in May—one of the country’s most restrictive abortion bans—will remain in place.

Who are the poll workers and how many are there? New data offers insights into a vital Election Day function

Pew Research Center recently published a rundown of poll worker demographics. Here are some of the key insights.

Election Day rests on the backs of poll workers. But what goes into the making of a poll worker?

How Election Day impacts Trump’s deep state agenda and almost a century of government

Trump has said he would tap the billionare Elon Musk as the hatchet man to lead his proposed government commission on ‘efficiency’ in government.

If elected, Donald Trump has vowed to demolish what he calls the “deep state” – a conspiratorial term for the American federal bureaucracy. A second Trump administration, running mate JD Vance has said, should fire thousands of civil servants and replace them with MAGA loyalists.

DJT stock goes on a wild roller coaster ride as investors await election results

Shares in Trump Media’s DJT stock fluctuated wildly as investors placed bets on whether Donald Trump would win the 2024 presidential election.

Results of the 2024 election will begin coming in this evening, though it’s unlikely we’ll know whether Donald Trump or Kamala Harris won on Election Night. But shares of Donald Trump’s Truth Social parent company Trump Media (Nasdaq: DJT) yo-yoed Tuesday as investors awaited the results of the 2024 presidential election.

Tropical Storm Rafael intensifies in the Carribean as Cuba braces for another hurricane

Rafael was expected to continue to pass by Jamaica through Tuesday afternoon, be near or over the Cayman Islands on Tuesday night, and make landfall in Cuba on Wednesday.

Tropical Storm Rafael was chugging past western Jamaica on Tuesday and was expected to strengthen into a hurricane as it headed toward Cuba.

‘I Voted’ stickers are an Election Day favorite. Here’s how they’ve evolved

Not all of the new stickers are designed by children.

Whether scenic or slightly sinister—angry werewolf, anyone?—the designs on the front of “I Voted” stickers are attracting a lot of attention this year. But have you ever considered the back of your Election Day souvenir?