David Lidsky's Blog, page 355

Aurora borealis watch: Northern lights may be visible again tonight. Here’s where and when to see them

If you missed last night’s display, don’t worry: You may get another chance to see the spectacular show Friday evening.

If you missed last night’s spectacular northern lights, fear not. There could be another chance to view the aurora borealis on Friday night.

Who gets to own ‘America’ online?

On social media, the American flag has become a Trump calling card. Digital patriotism is now wrapped up in politics.

The handle @America is a valuable account name on any social media network—and in many cases, it’s also become a right-wing calling card.

Anne Hathaway just apologized for an old ‘awful’ interview. She shouldn’t have had to

An interviewer has been making viral TikToks from old clips of uncomfortable moments with celebrities, but for what aim?

Entertainment reporters tend to quickly learn a lot of harsh truths when they start interviewing celebrities for a living. For instance, when a glamorous movie star says, “That’s a great question,” it’s often meant less as a compliment on the reporter’s inquisitive mind than as a way to vamp for time while thinking of a tactful evasion.

‘I’ve never been more excited about anything’: Why Marc Benioff is all in on AI

The Salesforce CEO talks all things artificial intelligence on the latest episode of the ‘Rapid Response’ podcast.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says that Microsoft has done the AI industry a “tremendous disservice” by overhyping the capabilities of products like Copilot. Benioff argues that Agentforce, Salesforce’s new fleet of AI tools, is “what AI was meant to be.” Benioff has never been more excited in his career, confident that Agentforce will deliver a transformation on par with the cloud, mobile, social revolutions of the past. 

Hurricanes Helene and Milton demonstrate why employers need to have natural disaster plans

Climate disasters have a significant impact on the lives and jobs of workers. A Cornell professor shares why employers need to be prepared for extreme weather events.

Shortly after the devastation of Hurricane Helene—which killed hundreds of people across the Southeast—Florida residents are now reeling from the impact of yet another deadly storm. Millions are still without power after Hurricane Milton made landfall this week, and at least 16 people have died with many more still missing.

Fisher-Price issues massive recall of infant swings following five fatalities

The company is recalling more than 2 million infant swings after reports of suffocation deaths.

Fisher-Price is recalling more than 2 million infant swings due to safety concerns. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued the recall on the company’s Snuga Swings this week due to a risk of suffocation when infants use the swings. 

7-Eleven will close more than 400 stores as the list of struggling retailers grows

The move comes as the convenience store’s parent company tries to stave off a takeover bid from the owner of competing chain Circle K.

7-Eleven is closing 444 of its “underperforming” convenience-store locations across North America, as a result of decreased traffic and slower sales, including cigarette purchases.

Why Elon Musk’s Cybercab promises leave plenty of room for doubt

The Cybercab’s design leaves us with questions. Tesla’s track record presents even more.

Tesla introduced the long-awaited Cybercab Robotaxi at its flashy We, Robot event on October 10—which was aptly set in Hollywood, California.

How Latin American holidays shifted away from colonial legacies

In some places, renaming the holiday has drawn attention to Indigenous rights and culture.

This is the season of patriotism in Latin America as many countries commemorate their independence from colonial powers. From July to September, public plazas in countries from Mexico to Honduras and Chile fill with crowds dressed and painted in national colors, parades feature participants costumed as independence heroes, fireworks fill the skies, and schoolchildren reenact historical battles.

Zillow’s new climate risk insights may spur the next big shift in the housing market

Extreme weather is a growing concern for homebuyers, and Zillow’s new tool brings transparency to the risks involved.

With hurricanes dominating the headlines in recent weeks, and for good reason, homeowners and potential buyers are likely thinking more carefully about the threats that extreme weather and climate change pose to their homes.