All posts tagged: Americans

Trump Calls for Military to Accelerate Use of AI While Protecting Americans

Trump Calls for Military to Accelerate Use of AI While Protecting Americans

Published by Sam Flores

The memo comes at a time of growing anxiety over AI in American society, from replacing people’s jobs to helping to identify targets on the battlefield. The Trump administration has been pushing to unleash the power of AI for the U.S. military, while some military leaders and companies that contract with the Pentagon have been noting caution and calling for guardrails. Trump’s memo addressed much of his Cabinet, including the secretaries of defense and homeland security as well as the attorney general and director of national intelligence. Trump is requiring an updated directive on autonomous weapon systems to account for AI’s rapidly evolving capabilities. It directs the Department of Defense “to ensure the deliberate adoption of AI systems that respect the chain of command and operational authorities.” The current directive, issued in 2023 under the Biden administration, states that such weapons systems will be designed “to allow commanders and operators to exercise appropriate levels of human judgment over the use of force,” according to the Congressional Research Service. Trump’s memo also restricts the use of …

Commentary: The biggest losers from Trump’s tariffs? Americans

Commentary: The biggest losers from Trump’s tariffs? Americans

Published by Sam Flores

The federal government took in roughly US$175 billion from tariffs instituted under the International Emergency Economic Policy Powers Act before the Supreme court ruled in February that the statute doesn’t allow the executive branch to unilaterally impose tariffs. The money collected is now being refunded. Undeterred, the White House imposed temporary tariffs under a different statute while it explores other avenues to keep the levies in place – unless Congress finally demands a say in how trade policy is conducted, as is its right. As Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney suggested at the Economic Club of New York last week, only by working closer with his allies – rather than treating them as foes – will Trump succeed in “making America great again”. “Examples of where that’s true are legion, where we should work together and compete with the world together,” Carney said. The debate around what companies would do about tariffs has largely centered on two options: Either companies would pass on the tariffs in the form of higher prices, or they would “eat” the tariffs, essentially absorbing …

Survey: Few Americans and Canadians Say They Are ‘Financially Fulfilled’ | National News

Survey: Few Americans and Canadians Say They Are ‘Financially Fulfilled’ | National News

Published by Sam Flores

Key Takeaways Fewer than one in five Americans and Canadians report being “financially fulfilled.” Nearly one third of Americans and more than 40% of Canadians say they are experiencing financial stress.  Those reporting stress would like more money to pay bills and reduce their debt. Only a small percentage of Americans and Canadians describe themselves as financially fulfilled and having enough money to support the lifestyle they desire. For Americans that number is 16%, and for Canadians it is even lower at 12%, according to the first Edward Jones and Gallup Money and Meaning survey on financial fulfillment released early Tuesday morning. At the same time, 32% of U.S. adults and 41% of Canadian adults experience consistent financial stress, where they struggle to meet their obligations and need to make trade-offs between financial and life goals, while feeling a lack of control over their finances. The largest share in each country describe themselves as “financially conflicted,” making progress toward their goals yet experiencing ongoing financial strain. The survey took place from late March to early …

Why Trump Is Suddenly Asking Americans to Look Away

Why Trump Is Suddenly Asking Americans to Look Away

Published by Daniella Wilson

This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. For once in his life, Donald Trump wishes he was getting less attention. “Iran really wants to make a deal, and it will be a good one for the U.S.A. and those that are with us,” the president posted this morning at 1:02. “But don’t the Dumocrats, and various seemingly unpatriotic Republicans, understand that it is MUCH tougher for me to properly do my job and negotiate, when political hacks keep negatively ‘chirping,’ at levels never seen before, over and over again, that I should move faster, or move slower, or go to war, or not go to war, or whatever.” The first part of the post is wrong. Weeks of stalled negotiations indicate that the Iranian regime is in no rush to reach an agreement—and this morning, Tehran said it was pulling out of talks and would completely …

Robot caregiver helps aging Americans stay in their homes

Robot caregiver helps aging Americans stay in their homes

Published by Sam Flores

After outliving Booker T. Bones, their second service dog, Brenda and Brian Marquis still needed help with some of the more difficult parts of daily life. They found Robbie, a robot that rolls out of a hallway into their living room several times a day. “Do you want to exercise now? Please answer yes or no,” the caregiver robot asks 59-year-old Brian Marquis, who has been living with a traumatic brain injury since a 2012 car crash. “Yes,” he responds. Then he stands up as the robot’s googly-eyed digital screen “face” morphs into an exercise video that guides him through an afternoon workout. The decades-long quest to build home robots that are both helpful and lifelike — spurred on by fictional machines like the Jetsons’ humanoid maid Rosie —- is still mostly a pipe dream. That’s despite growing appeal as the oldest baby boomers are turning 80 this year and the United States faces a deepening shortage of home care aides, driven by low wages, high turnover and demanding workloads. But the machine helping the …

Do Americans really know how much the world hates us?

Do Americans really know how much the world hates us?

Published by Sam Flores

A few days ago, I put one of my college-age children on a plane to Berlin, on the way to a month-long theater intensive. It was a wistful and exciting moment, a rite of passage for many privileged middle-class parents around this time of year. It felt like the kind of experience that’s supposed to remind you, amid the relentless passage of time and the chaotic info-jumble of contemporary life, to try to be fully present wherever you are. (I wouldn’t say that’s my very best skill.) I mention the obvious class privilege behind that moment not to cover myself in sackcloth and ashes, but on the way to a different observation. During our slow drive through heavy traffic to JFK, we talked about the ironies of international travel at this dire historical moment, when the U.S. has come visibly unstuck and the world’s long-running romance with America is well and truly over. I’ll be joining both my kids in Europe later this summer, and we half-jokingly suggested, while breathing the foul air of a …

Intercepted Iranian Missile Injures 5 Americans At Kuwaiti Air Base; Tehran Identifies Two Key MOU Sticking Points

Intercepted Iranian Missile Injures 5 Americans At Kuwaiti Air Base; Tehran Identifies Two Key MOU Sticking Points

Published by Jenni Sidey

Summary Iran is pushing forward legislation formalizing control/management of Hormuz Strait shipping, which flies in the face of Trump warnings & conditions. An Iranian Fateh-110 short-range ballistic missile targeted Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem Air Base, a key operational hub for the U.S. Air Force. BBG says missile intercepted, but falling debris struck part of the base, injuring five Americans. Two more American drones reported destroyed or damaged in the Kuwait base attack (DropSite/BBG). Iran says two big MOU agreement issues remain & are not finalized: Unfreezing of Assets & Sanctions, Nuclear File US-Iran nuclear deal by July 31?Yes 55% · No 45%View full market & trade on Polymarket *  *  * Iran Moves to ‘Legalize/Formalize’ Management Of Hormuz Strait A Saturday message and warning from Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters via Al Jazeera: “The management of the Strait of Hormuz is exercised with full authority by the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran.” It added that “all ships, commercial vessels and tankers are only required to travel through the designated routes and obtain permission …