📉 DoorDash introduces relief payments for drivers as the Iran-US war drives up gas prices

The company announced on Monday the rollout of a temporary program aimed at easing the financial burden on Dashers who rely on their vehicles for deliveries. DoorDash’s relief program, which runs through April 26, offers weekly payments to eligible drivers.

Dashers who drive at least 125 miles per week can receive payments starting at $5, translating to estimated savings of $1 to $1.50 per gallon. The support could be especially meaningful for drivers in suburban and rural areas who travel longer distances. Additionally, drivers who utilize DoorDash’s Crimson debit card will benefit from an extra 10% cash back on gas purchases, offering them potential savings of up to $1.90 per gallon.

@QSIMedia

🚫 FCC bans wireless router imports, citing security concerns

The Federal Communications Commission ordered a ban on the import of new models of foreign-produced consumer wireless routers due to national security concerns. The ban could impact companies such as TP-Link Systems Inc., Netgear Inc., and others that build their products overseas, regardless of the nationality of the developer.

The move does not impact consumers' ability to continue using previously purchased routers, and retailers will be allowed to keep selling already-imported routers. In making its decision, the FCC cited a National Security Determination provided on March 20.

“Recently, malicious state and non-state sponsored cyber attackers have increasingly leveraged the vulnerabilities in small and home office routers produced abroad to carry out direct attacks against American civilians in their homes,” — the notice said.

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🤖 Apple to start AI comeback bid on June 8 with annual WWDC conference

Apple Inc. announced plans to hold its annual Worldwide Developers Conference from June 8 to June 12, when the company is poised to unveil a make-or-break collection of AI features. As part of the WWDC26, Apple will announce the iOS 27. It is also revamping its Siri voice assistant to provide a more chatbot-like interface. The company is preparing an under-the-hood cleanup of its operating systems, which in some cases have become bloated and buggy.

“WWDC26 will spotlight incredible updates for Apple platforms, including AI advancements and exciting new software and developer tools,” — the company said in a statement.

Apple typically follows up on WWDC with launches of new hardware in the fall, including iPhone introductions in September and new types of Macs or other products in October. Later this year, the company plans to debut a foldable iPhone, the iPhone 18 Pro line and an upgraded MacBook Pro with a touch screen.

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🇺🇸 Trump sets up ‘Pax Silica’ fund to reduce global dependencies

The Trump administration said on Monday that it intended to create a consortium to invest over $1 trillion into energy projects, minerals and semiconductors in an effort to create a new source for critical goods controlled by the U.S.

“The fund will serve as a catalyst, a credible call to action for partners around the world to put serious capital behind shared strategic objectives,” — Mr. Helberg said.

The voluntary consortium will include countries like Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Sweden, in addition to the U.S., which will contribute $250 million toward the investment, Jacob Helberg, the under secretary of state for economic affairs, said. The investment is intended to grow out of the “Pax Silica” initiative, an economic security program aimed at building out a secure global supply chain for semiconductors.

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🇪🇺🇦🇺Europe, Australia agree to trade deal to boost ties

The European Union and Australia agreed to a free-trade deal, wrapping up almost a decade of talks, which will reduce costs for Australian consumers and open new markets for Australian producers. The conclusion of negotiations for the agreement was announced Tuesday in Canberra by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Ursula von der Leyen.

The agreement eliminates tariffs on key Australian exports including wine, seafood and horticulture, and sets quotas for Australian beef, sheep and goat meat, and raw sugar cane to be imported tariff free. The two sides also signed a Security and Defence Partnership to facilitate better cooperation on crisis management and security challenges, and reached a framework to cooperate more on critical raw materials. 🤝

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🌖 NASA to spend $20 billion on moon base, cancel orbiting lunar station

NASA is cancelling plans to deploy a space station in lunar orbit and ​will instead use its components to construct a $20 billion ‌base on the moon's surface over the next 7 years, its new chief Jared Isaacman said on Tuesday. Lunar ⁠Gateway was designed to serve as both a research platform and a transfer station that astronauts would ​use to board the moon landers before descending ​to the ⁠lunar surface.

"It should not really surprise anyone that we ​are pausing Gateway in its current form and focusing on infrastructure that supports sustained operations on the lunar surface," — Isaacman told delegates at the event.

The changes imposed by Isaacman on the flagship U.S. moon program in recent weeks are reshaping billions of dollars worth of contracts ⁠under ​the Artemis effort. That is sending companies ​scrambling to accommodate the extra urgency as China makes progress toward its own 2030 moon ​landing.

@QSIMedia

🔥 NYSE partners with securitize to develop 24/7 tokenized securities platform

The New York Stock Exchange, part of Intercontinental Exchange announced a collaboration on Tuesday with digital asset ​company Securitize to help create tokenized versions of ‌traditional financial securities.

Securitize will serve as the first digital transfer agent eligible to create blockchain-based securities for issuers of corporate and ​exchange-traded funds on an upcoming NYSE-affiliated Digital Trading ​Platform. The addition of Securitize formalizes a core piece of that infrastructure, linking the exchange’s ambitions with an established player in digital asset issuance.

Securitize specializes in tokenizing real-world assets, converting traditional financial instruments into blockchain-native representations that can be traded more efficiently. The firm has worked with institutions including BlackRock, which earlier launched a tokenized fund through Securitize’s platform. Securitize actively cooperates with top crypto projects: Uniswap (UNI), Wormhole (W), Ethena (ENA), Ripple (XRP), BNB Chain (BNB), Solana (SOL) and others.

Securitize is building an infrastructure through which tokenized assets flow directly into crypto and DeFi. Now the NYSE is being added to this.

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💊 Scientists discover promising treatment for deadly hepatitis E virus

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is the leading cause of acute viral hepatitis and kills about 70,000 people each year. Even with that global impact, there is still no vaccine and no virus-specific treatment.

Researchers have now identified bemnifosbuvir, a drug already in clinical trials for hepatitis C, as a possible way to stop hepatitis E from multiplying. Because the drug is already being tested in people for another viral infection, it could offer a faster path toward a treatment option than starting from scratch.

An international team from Bochum and Heidelberg, Germany, and Beijing, China, identified the compound by screening a library of nucleotide/nucleoside analogues, a class of molecules designed to resemble the building blocks used in genetic material. The virus no longer replicated, while the treated cells remained healthy. The results were published in the journal Gut.

Follow-up studies in animals confirmed that the compound reduced both viral activity and liver inflammation. If the ongoing clinical trials of bemnifosbuvir against hepatitis C are successful, the drug could soon also be available for off-label use against hepatitis E.

@QSIMedia

🌍 Russia puts first Internet satellites into orbit as SpaceX rival

Russia’s Bureau 1440 space company launched 16 broadband Internet satellites, marking an early operational step in a low-Earth orbit network. The launch is part of Russia’s broader Rassvet project, which it plans to scale up sharply over the next several years to build a sovereign satellite Internet network.

“The launch of the first satellites in the target constellation marks the transition from experiments to the creation of a communications service. Ahead lie dozens of launches and hundreds of satellites,” — the company said.

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🚫 Ford to recall over 254,000 SUVs in the US due to software issues

Ford Motor is ‌recalling 254,640 SUVs in the U.S. over software issues that may result in ​the loss of rearview ​camera image and some advanced ⁠driver assistance (ADAS) features. The recall includes ​Lincoln Navigator, Lincoln Nautilus, ​Lincoln Aviator and Ford Explorer SUVs, ‌according ⁠to the ​U.S. National Highway Traffic ​Safety Administration (NHTSA).

An unexpected reset of an image processing software may cause ​loss ​of ⁠ADAS features like pre-collision assist, lane-keeping ​assist, and blind-spot monitoring. NHTSA ​said the ⁠software will be updated by a dealer or by ⁠the ​company through an over-the-air (OTA) ​update.

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🤖 Arm is releasing the first in-house chip in its 35-year history

Storied semiconductor and software company Arm Holdings is starting to make its own chips after nearly 36 years of licensing its designs to companies like Nvidia and Apple. Arm Holdings announced a new AI ​data center chip which it said will add billions of dollars of revenue and represent ‌a significant shift in the company's strategy.

The new chip, called the AGI CPU, will address data-crunching needed for a specific type of AI that is able to act on behalf of users with minimal oversight, instead of responding to queries as part of a chatbot. AGI CPU, will have as many as 136 cores and draw 300 watts of electricity, with Meta Platforms Inc. as its first major customer.

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⚡️🇺🇸 Trump officials ready E15 waiver for summer gasoline sales

The Trump administration is preparing to expand the opportunity for sales of higher-ethanol E15 gasoline this summer by waiving the fuel from US volatility requirements. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) would issue emergency fuel waivers temporarily exempting E15 gasoline from volatility restrictions that block warm-weather sales of the fuel in areas where smog is a problem. The move is seen as a way to deliver a win to corn farmers, biofuel producers, and rural voters, and to help ease energy costs for consumers.

E15, which is made with 15% corn-based ethanol, generally runs cheaper per gallon than conventional E10 gasoline — though it’s also less energy dense. Since the heat of summer increases the evaporation of all liquids, including gasoline, the US imposes more stringent limits between June 1 and Sept. 15 on Reid vapor pressure, the propensity for gasoline to evaporate and lead to smog. Under the Clean Air Act, the EPA can waive those requirements to address shortages.

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🔥 Ripple joins monetary authority of Singapore’s BLOOM initiative and partners with unloq to advance programmable settlement infrastructure in trade finance

Ripple announced its participation in BLOOM, an initiative by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). BLOOM - Borderless, Liquid, Open, Online, Multi-currency - is designed to extend settlement capabilities in tokenized bank liabilities and regulated stablecoins.

Partnering with leading supply chain finance technology provider, Unloq, Ripple will pilot a use case aimed at transforming cross-border trade settlements. The project aims to showcase a viable model for Singapore’s future development of innovative and interoperable settlement infrastructure.

The joint initiative features Unloq’s SC+ trade finance infrastructure, which integrates trade obligations, settlement conditions, and financing workflows into a unified execution layer. The solution leverage Ripple’s institutional-grade infrastructure, the XRP Ledger (XRPL), and Ripple USD (RLUSD) - a trusted, enterprise-grade stablecoin, designed for enterprise use cases.

Payments are released only when predefined commercial conditions are met, such as shipment verification. This structure enhances risk transparency and supports improved access to financing for SMEs.

#Stellar

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🇵🇭 Philippine pension fund offers $8,300 solar loans to cut energy bills

Philippine state-owned pension fund Government Service Insurance System is offering loans of up to 500,000 pesos ($8,300) for members to buy and install solar power for their homes amid surging fossil fuel prices. The GSIS said the loans are a major step in making renewable energy more accessible in the Southeast Asian nation. The Philippines aims to boost the share of renewables in its energy mix to more than a third by the end of the decade from about a quarter now and to 50% by 2040.

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🔥 CFTC forms new innovation task force to shape crypto, artificial intelligence and prediction markets

CFTC Chair Michael Selig unveiled the Innovation Task Force, which he said will focus on advancing rules for new products and technologies. The new task force will work with other federal agencies, including the SEC and its crypto task force.

“By establishing a clear regulatory framework for innovators building on the new frontier of finance, we can foster responsible innovation at home and ensure American market participants are not left on the sidelines,” — Selig said.

The Innovation Task Force, in partnership with the Innovation Advisory Committee, will work with the Commission to develop a clear regulatory framework for innovators focused on:
▪️crypto assets and blockchain technologies;
▪️AI and autonomous systems;
▪️and prediction markets and event contracts.

@QSIMedia

🤖 Lucid Bots raises $20M to keep up with demand for its window-washing drones

While many companies are trying to build humanoids or tout demos of their robots dancing and doing flips, Lucid Bots’ drones are out in the field making traditionally unsexy and dangerous work, like cleaning windows, safer and more efficient.

“The sad truth is most are still selling a lot of hype and headlines, and we sell performance on the job site that shows up in our customers, profits, and losses,” — Andrew Ashur, the founder and CEO of Lucid Bots, told. “We’re not just in the lab and simulators. We’ve got dirt under our fingernails, and we’re out on job sites getting work done.”

Charlotte, North Carolina-based Lucid Bots is a full-stack robotics company that sells its Sherpa drones and Lavo robot to cleaning companies to help them on their job sites. The company designed and manufactures its own robots in the U.S. and just raised a $20 million Series B round co-led by Cubit Capital and Idea Fund Partners. This brings its total funding to $34 million.

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🔥 Invesco joins tokenization race as it takes over Superstate’s $900 million onchain fund

Invesco, a U.S.-based asset manager overseeing $2.2 trillion in assets, will take over management of Superstate’s tokenized U.S. Treasury fund in a move that brings a large traditional asset manager deeper into blockchain-based finance.

The USTB fund holds short-term U.S. government securities and represents more than $900 million in assets. After the transition, expected in the second quarter of 2026, the fund will be renamed to Invesco Short Duration US Government Securities Fund while its token structure and Superstate's plumbing.

Invesco has been strategically building the capabilities required to support institutional-grade digital asset products. The move marks Invesco's formal entrance in the fast-growing, $12 billion tokenized U.S. Treasuries market, joining rival global asset managers such as BlackRock (BLK), Franklin Templeton and Fidelity Investments.

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🚫 Kentucky farm family rejects $26 million offer for 600 acres of land from unnamed AI data center suitor

A northern Kentucky woman says she declined a $26 million offer for a partial sale of her farmland that has been in her family for generations to build a data center. Ida Huddleston and her family own about 1,200 acres of farmland outside Maysville, Kentucky.

"The big offer is meaningless. As long as I’m on this land — as long as it’s feeding me — as long as it’s taking care of me — there’s nothing that can destroy me if I’ve got this land," — Huddleston's daughter, Delsia Bare, said.

In April, an unnamed Fortune 100 AI company reached out to them to purchase approximately half of the land. Land in Mason County is valued at about $6,000 per acre and the offer of $26 million is ten times this amount.

"They call us old stupid farmers, you know, but we’re not. My grandfather and great-grandfather and a whole bunch of family have all lived here for years, paid taxes on it, fed a nation off of it," — Huddleston told. "Even raised wheat through the Depression and kept bread lines up in the U.S. of America when people didn’t have anything else."

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🇺🇸 ‘First American-made humanoid’ robot arrives with Melania Trump at White House AI summit

A humanoid robot joined Melania Trump at a White House AI summit focused on education, safety, and tech policy. The robot walked alongside the first lady through a corridor before greeting attendees in multiple languages inside the East Room.

It later moved back down the hallway as Trump remarked it was the first “American-made humanoid guest in the White House.” The appearance underscored the broader theme of the summit, drawing representatives from 45 countries, which centers on the role of emerging technologies in shaping education and child development.

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🔥 The Entry Point Is Already Live — Few Noticed

@QSITrainingBot is a new learning format within QSI that complements the existing materials and the collaborative work of the community. It helps create a clearer sequence — to go through key stages, see the connections, and move forward with confidence. It’s the next step that makes the entry simpler.

📱 Watch the video on YouTube

#Stellar

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🇺🇸 Trump names Nvidia, Meta CEOs to science and tech council

The Trump administration has named Silicon Valley leaders including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Oracle executive chairman Larry Ellison, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Andreessen Horowitz co-founder Marc Andreessen, Google co-founder ​Sergey Brin and AMD CEO Lisa Su to the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).

Trump has made securing U.S. leadership ​in AI a central priority of his second term, framing the technology as ​a defining arena of strategic competition with China. The council, which is expected to play a key role in shaping ​Washington's response to intensifying global competition in AI, could ultimately include up to 24 members, ‌the ⁠White House said. Additional members will be appointed to the council in the near future.

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