David Lidsky's Blog, page 351

A new Disney theme park pass let’s you skip the lines at a hefty price. Here’s how to buy it and a breakdown of how much it costs

Disney’s premium line-skipping pass costs up to $449 a day, plus tax, and that’s in addition to the cost of a ticket.

As if taking your kids to Disney theme parks wasn’t already expensive enough, the Walt Disney Company has found a new way to upsell desperate parents who are willing to pay big bucks to skip the long lines at its theme parks in California and Florida.

Political experience matters in elections, but outsiders have some advantages

In 2024, the experience factor is complicated.

Ever since he was chosen as Donald Trump’s running mate back in July, U.S. Senator JD Vance, a Republican from Ohio, has come under a level of scrutiny typical for a vice presidential candidate, including for some of his eyebrow-raising public statements made in the past or during the campaign.

Amazon’s nuclear energy deals will enable the construction of new small modular reactors. Here’s what to know

The e-commerce giant has become the latest Big Tech company to lean into nuclear power as artificial intelligence tools demand more energy.

Today, Amazon’s subsidiary in-cloud computing, Amazon Web Services (AWS), announced the signing of three new agreements to support the development of nuclear energy projects. The deals will enable, among other things, the construction of various new small modular reactors, or SMRs, Amazon said on Wednesday.

‘We work at Salesforce, of course we’re going to enjoy the free snacks’: Employees are becoming influencers for their own companies

Workers are stepping into the spotlight to be the face of their employer’s social media accounts.

Even your FYP (For You Page) isn’t safe from the corporate grind. The influencer-industrial complex is so pervasive, employees are now becoming influencers for their own companies. From “outfit of the day” to “day in the life” videos, employees across industries are stepping into the spotlight to be the face of their employer’s social media accounts. 

ASML stock price plunges after accidental earnings release, taking Nvidia and other AI chipmakers with it

The Dutch chipmaker’s third-quarter results missed estimates and were published a day earlier than expected due to a technical error.

Chip stocks are tumbling. But why?

Spotify is adding new markets to its music video test

Users who discover a song and then watch the accompanying video on Spotify are 34% more likely on average to listen to the song again the following week.

Spotify is expanding its beta test of adding music videos to the platform by several dozen regions, though it still is unavailable in the U.S.

Housing data reveals how swing states could flip red or blue in the 2024 election

The great migration could shift political alignment of several key states for Trump and Harris, according to a new report from Realtor.com.

The height of the pandemic years saw millions of Americans moving across the country. And those population shifts in the housing market could have a dramatic impact on the political leanings of several states, which might sway the results of the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

Why Washington State’s landmark climate law may be repealed soon

The law aims to slash carbon emissions to almost half of 1990 levels by the year 2030.

A groundbreaking law that forces companies in Washington State to reduce their carbon emissions while raising billions of dollars for climate programs could be repealed by voters this fall, less than two years after it took effect.

Delta is redesigning its aircraft cabins for a ‘premium’ feel

New memory foam seats, sleek colors, and mood-setting lighting: Delta is retooling for luxury airline appeal.

For months, Delta has been ramping up its play to become a more luxurious, premium-first airline. Today, the company announced it will be redesigning its aircraft interiors “from nose to tail” to match that mission.

Indigenous groups in Brazil weren’t consulted in major carbon credits deal

The deal foresees the purchase of up to 12 million tons of carbon credits generated by reducing deforestation in Para between 2023 and 2026.

Indigenous organizations in the Brazilian state of Para said they were not consulted by the government before it signed a deal with multinational companies to sell carbon offset credits to support conservation of the Amazon rainforest in the state.