Xatolos

AI Summary:

1. Renaming and Restructuring: The Trump administration plans to rename the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as the US International Humanitarian Assistance (IHA) and place it under the Secretary of State.

2. Use of Blockchain: A memo suggests leveraging blockchain technology in USAID's procurement process, aiming to enhance security, transparency, and traceability in aid distribution.

3. Criticisms of Blockchain Use:

   • Experts argue blockchain often doesn't offer significant advantages over existing tools for humanitarian work.
   • Concerns exist about added burdens and costs for small NGOs using new systems.

4. Examples of Blockchain in Humanitarian Efforts:

   • Past projects, such as UNHCR's pilot for cash assistance in stablecoins, showed some success.
   • Critics note limited large-scale use in the sector and question its necessity.

5. Budget and Operational Changes: The proposal emphasizes tying funding to outcomes and results, prompting debates about its feasibility and fairness in dynamic environments like disaster zones.

6. Broader Context: The plan follows prior workforce cuts and criticisms of inefficiency within USAID, drawing mixed reactions from staff and experts.

• Apple's progress with Siri and artificial intelligence has been slow, and features promised in June remain delayed.
• At a Siri team meeting, senior director Robby Walker acknowledged the frustration within the team, describing the delays as "ugly."
• Features like Siri understanding personal context and taking action based on a user’s screen are still not ready and may not make it into iOS 19.
• Challenges include quality issues that caused these features to malfunction up to a third of the time and conflicts with Apple's marketing division over showcasing incomplete features.
• Apple has withdrawn related advertisements and added disclaimers on its website, citing extended development times.
• Senior executives, including Craig Federighi and John Giannandrea, are reportedly taking personal accountability for the delays.
• Walker emphasized that the team’s work is impressive and that the delayed features will be released once they meet Apple’s standards.

President Donald Trump said Friday that he was “being a little bit sarcastic” when he repeatedly claimed as a candidate that he would have the Russia-Ukraine war solved within 24 hours — and even before he even took office.

Trump was asked about the vow he repeatedly made on the campaign trail during an interview for the “Full Measure” television program as his administration is still trying to broker a solution 54 days into his second term.

“Well, I was being a little bit sarcastic when I said that,” Trump said in a clip released ahead of the episode airing Sunday. “What I really mean is I’d like to get it settled and, I’ll, I think, I think I’ll be successful.”