Rams

• Singaporese retailers stappen af van traditionele loyalty-systemen op basis van punten en gaan over op real-time loyaliteitsmodellen die onmiddellijke beloningen en gepersonaliseerde klantbetrokkenheid bieden. • De transitie weerspiegelt veranderende consumentenvoorkeuren voor directe behoeftebevrediging en datagestuurde personalisatie, waarbij retailers AI en mobiele technologie inzetten om real-time interacties te verbeteren. • Brancheanalisten beschouwen deze verschuiving als cruciaal voor de concurrentiepositie van de detailhandel in Zuidoost-Azië, waar de adoptiegraad van digitale diensten onder consumenten blijft versnellen.

• A comprehensive mapping identifies every major startup credit program available in 2026, targeting AI and cybersecurity innovators. • Analysis shows most founders are leaving around $500K on the table by overlooking these non-dilutive funding sources. • The resource aids US-based scaling startups in accessing credits essential for growth amid competitive venture landscapes.

• The Taliban government announced restrictions on international health NGOs operating in Afghanistan on Monday, citing concerns over 'political interference' and threatening revocation of licenses for non-compliant organizations. • Medical organizations warned that the restrictions would devastate maternal and pediatric health services, particularly in rural areas where international agencies provide 70 percent of healthcare capacity. • The U.S. State Department condemned the move as undermining humanitarian efforts and expressed concern for vulnerable populations, with officials exploring alternative delivery mechanisms for critical medical assistance.

• The Los Angeles Rams selected University of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson with the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. • Simpson represents the Rams' strategic investment at the quarterback position during the draft's opening round. • The selection reflects the Rams' ongoing efforts to address their roster needs through the draft.

• Booz Allen Hamilton invested in NODA AI's Series A, selecting it as sole orchestrator for a Department of War autonomy initiative. • The investment aligns with DoW's $55 billion funding plan for autonomous systems including orchestration tech. • NODA joins Booz Allen's $300 million portfolio of startups advancing mission-ready autonomy for defense.

Plans for such a transport system have been discussed for many years and not all locals believe that service will comeIt is 1993 and a young James Lewis is going to do work experience in Leeds city council’s highways department. His team, Leeds United FC, have only just relinquished the title of defending English champions. And the council is marching on with big ideas: putting the abandoned 1980s Metroline tram plan behind them, and forgetting the unloved 1991 concept of a Leeds Advanced Transit skytrain. The Supertram is the coming thing.“I remember these drawers and drawers, full of big paper plans,” says Lewis, 33 years on. Lewis is now leader of the city council, and it is all done online. Much of the city centre has been transformed, rebuilt and pedestrianised. Leeds United have never threatened to be champions again. But as Lewis stands outside Elland Road stadium, explaining how to cross the adjacent motorway, one thing has not changed. What Leeds really wants is to build a tram. Continue reading...

• President Trump rescinded Biden-era executive orders, directing federal agencies to terminate all DEI and environmental justice roles, offices, and equity-focused programs. • Funds are prohibited for promoting gender ideology, mandating 'sex' as male or female in documents like passports, eliminating 'X' gender options. • OMB and OPM are coordinating hiring changes, ending chief diversity officer positions and reinstating bans on racial bias training.

• Lawmakers reviewed 27 bills on March 18, 2026, in the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee to update VA health care, accountability, education, and workforce programs, many unchanged for 30 years. • Proposals include 12 Republican-led and 15 Democrat-led bills expanding dental coverage, VA mental health for incarcerated veterans with PTSD, and aligning drug formularies with industry standards. • Chairman Bost stressed reauthorization as a tool to fix underperforming programs; bills also update leasing, contracts, and protect 30% veteran VA staff from layoffs via Rep. Tim Kennedy's act.

An armed driver rammed his vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, one of the largest US synagogues with over 140 preschool children inside, on Thursday; officials link the attack to the driver's family members killed in recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon. One person was killed and two injured in the incident. The FBI is probing it as a potential terror act amid rising threats. Law enforcement nationwide is on high alert following this and other attacks.

An armed driver rammed his vehicle into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan—one of the largest US synagogues—where over 140 preschool children were present, killing one person and injuring two others. Officials link the attacker's family members killed days earlier in an Israeli strike on their Lebanon home. The FBI probes the incident amid a wave of threats, with US law enforcement preparing for more attacks. This follows heightened alerts after the Old Dominion shooting and Iran-related escalations.