David Lidsky's Blog, page 40

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is at the center of a massive ticket scandal

The FTC alleges brokers illegally scooped up Eras Tour tickets and resold them for millions in profit.

We’re on the other side of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour now, but the landmark 149-show world tour’s rollout was plagued by bots, resellers, and spiking ticket prices that left many unhappy fans empty-handed. Now, we know a little more about how all of that went down.

Black beauty businesses are stuggling under Trump’s tariffs

The wealth gap puts Black entrepreneurs, especially those in low-margin businesses, into precarious financial positions as tariffs eat into their bottom lines.

Earlier this summer, Dajiah Blackshear-Calloway, 34, started to notice that her regular clients weren’t visiting her hair salon as often as they used to.

When is Apple’s iPhone 17 launch event? Date, time, what to expect

Apple’s biggest event of the year is just weeks away. Here’s what we know about the expected September launch of the iPhone 17—and maybe a surprise or two.

The biggest tech event of the year is likely just several weeks away. In early September, Apple is expected to hold its annual event, where the company will preview its lineup of the upcoming iPhone 17 series. For people itching to buy a new iPhone, this event can’t arrive soon enough.

The Grand Canyon’s Dragon Bravo wildfire sheds light on water infrastructure

Water infrastructure is not merely collateral damage during wildfires—it is now a central concern.

As wildfire crews battled the Dragon Bravo Fire on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim in July 2025, the air turned toxic.

Here’s what nobody tells you about building an innovative culture—not everyone will thrive in it. (And that’s okay.)

Some people fit in in some roles, others don’t. The trick, for companies and employees, is finding the right fit.

Years ago, we had a manager named Ania running one of our publishing operations. She was well-liked, diligent, and responsible. Still, we felt the business needed a more creative spark, so we brought in a rising executive to take her place. Ania transitioned out gracefully and left the company on good terms.

Why AI can’t beat primal intelligence

Thinking in terms of story, for example, enables us to act smarter than computers in volatility and uncertainty.

Angus Fletcher is a professor of story science at Ohio State’s Project Narrative. His research has been endorsed by renowned psychologists, neuroscientists, and doctors, as well as having received support from major institutions such as the National Science Foundation. In 2023, he was awarded the Commendation Medal by the U.S. Army for his work.

How to layoff proof your job

So far this year, companies have eliminated 800,000 jobs. Here are some tips for protecting yours.

When times are good and the economy is expanding, companies grow in a variety of ways. They build in some redundancy so that key functions survive even if an employee leaves. They add capacity hoping to grow the size of the core business. They consider new projects or products that might enable the company to enter new markets. All of this is reflected in a growth in the number of employees at the firm.

Hurricane Erin forecast to create dangerous surf, winds along East Coast

Evacuations were ordered on islands along North Carolina’s Outer Banks even though the storm is unlikely to make direct landfall.

Hurricane Erin began pelting part of the Caribbean with rain and wind Monday before it’s expected to churn up dangerous surf and rip currents along the U.S. East Coast this week.

Newsmax agrees to pay $67 million in defamation case over false 2020 election claims

Internal correspondence from Newsmax officials shows they knew the claims were baseless.

The conservative network Newsmax will pay $67 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of defaming a voting equipment company by spreading lies about President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss, according to documents filed Monday.

States rethink setting speed limits based on how fast drivers travel

The concept assumes that a road’s safest speed is the one most vehicles go—neither too high nor too low.

Rose Hammond pushed authorities for years to lower the 55 mph speed limit on a two-lane road that passes her assisted living community, a church, two schools, and a busy park that hosts numerous youth sports leagues.