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Republicans grow more frustrated with Justice Department’s Fed probe

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told Semafor that lawmakers won’t advance Trump’s pick for chair “until 292 days expires or the investigation does.”

Sens. John Kennedy, R-La., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C.

Paul to oppose Mullin’s confirmation — but won’t block him

The two Republican senators sparred during Mullin’s hearing to become Homeland Security secretary

Markwayne Mullin during his confirmation hearing

Why AIPAC shouldn’t get too excited about its Illinois primary strategy

While AIPAC spent money to defend pro-Israel candidates and fend off the most anti-Israel candidates, Israel’s critics often helped out by fighting amongst themselves.

Evanston, IL Mayor Daniel Biss stands outside of the Broadview ICE processing facility, after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered increased federal law enforcement presence to assist in crime prevention, in Broadview, Illinois, US.

Big-spending Democratic PACs see mixed results in Illinois

Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton won the nomination for Senate, while progressive critics of Israel, AI, and crypto won nominations for two Chicago-area House seats.

Palantir CTO says US has ‘lost deterrence’

Shyam Sankar also argued that it’s in the “national interest” for AI companies to work with the Pentagon.

Republicans descend into a familiar mode: Risky House-Senate infighting

The agenda items imperiled by the cross-Capitol squabble include national security and affordability priorities.

White House details status of immigration enforcement talks

Still, Democrats say a deal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security is far off.

Counterintelligence official’s resignation reflects MAGA rift over Iran

Joe Kent publicly left the Trump administration over a war he couldn’t back “in good conscience.”

Trump to postpone Xi summit over Iran war

The US and Chinese leaders were due to hold the first of four potential meetings this year on March 31.

Klobuchar seeks to stiffen antitrust review process in wake of Live Nation scrutiny

The senator plans to introduce legislation on Tuesday that would broaden the judiciary’s abilities to approve — or reject — antitrust settlements.

Ireland seeks slice of AI boom

Irish companies “have a very strong confidence in the US market and the growth opportunity that’s in the US,” the CEO of Ireland’s government trade agency told Semafor.

US Fed expected to hold rates despite inflation fears

Policymakers must balance a soft labor market with intensifying concern that rising global energy costs will drive consumer-price growth.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

China eyes Hong Kong IPO curbs

The pressure could dent Hong Kong’s IPO market, which had only recently gained momentum.

US diesel prices top $5 a gallon

US President Donald Trump faces increasing pressure to resolve the conflict.

A military-industrial-financial complex is rising in America

Wall Street and Silicon Valley are adding a third leg to the intertwining of government and the defense industry that Eisenhower warned about.

Tech CEOs need to leave their ‘God complex’ behind, says a16z partner David Ulevitch

In the latest episode of Semafor’s ‘Compound Interest’, Ulevitch says if tech wants to work with government, it has to trust it

Wanted: Experts in human emotion

The rise of sophisticated AI has created a sub-industry of specialist data providers who impart specialist information to help train large language models.

Actors on stage after a performance of Phantom of the Opera in 2021.

Autonomous labs seek to solve information ‘overload’

Humans are struggling to keep up with the tens of thousands of new scientific research papers submitted each year, and one startup says we should quit while we’re behind.

A lab employee holds a vial of frozen chicken cells in the seed lab at the UPSIDE Foods plant, where lab-grown meat is cultivated, in Emeryville, California

We’re all living inside Jensen Huang’s ‘triangle’

In this industry, “if you aren’t running, you’re being eaten,” Huang said.

Humans — not AI — are to blame for deadly Iran school strike, sources say

The US missile attack is fueling global debate over AI and the military.

Palantir CTO says US has ‘lost deterrence’

Shyam Sankar also argued that it’s in the “national interest” for AI companies to work with the Pentagon.

Nvidia restarts H200 chip manufacturing for China

CEO Jensen Huang said the company has taken purchase orders from Chinese companies.

Nations seek alternative oil transport routes

Experts say the crisis could reshape energy markets in the long-term.

Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz.

US diesel prices top $5 a gallon

US President Donald Trump faces increasing pressure to resolve the conflict.

Gasoline prices are displayed at an Exxon gas station behind American flag in Edgewater, New Jersey

Surging oil prices could benefit Trump in Beijing meeting

China remains deeply exposed to a protracted oil price spike despite having heavily invested in oil and gas storage.

Chinese and US flags.

Abraham Accords will expand through defense cooperation

Spurred on by conflict with Iran, Israel and some Gulf countries are building a defense-tech corridor that could reshape the Middle East.

People walk by a billboard sponsored by the Coalition for Regional Security calling for the expansion of the Abraham Accords, in Israel’s Ramat Gan

Kuwait detains 16 people accused of Hezbollah ties

The interior ministry made a splash by publicly displaying the suspects’ guns, bullets, and other seized contraband.

UAE seeks to shore up reputation as tax haven

The UAE’s Federal Tax Authority is considering relaxing rules so that expats can spend more time abroad without losing their tax status.

Iran war escalates with Larijani killing

Tehran vows revenge, and shows it can inflict sustained pain.

Saudi Arabia ramps up anti-corruption drive

Efforts to root out corruption under Mohammed bin Salman, once written off as a power grab, have picked up.

Africa weighs Trump’s ‘commercial diplomacy’ versus sovereignty

Zambia is closely reviewing a multibillion-dollar deal that could grant the US access to key minerals in exchange for support and citizens’ health data.

A health worker in Zambia.

Tinubu boosted by bank recapitalization, oil prices

Nigerian officials hope the upbeat message burnishes the president’s credentials as a reformer.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.

Guinea mulls bauxite export quotas to mitigate price slump

The West African country, the world’s top bauxite producer, has been hit by rising shipping costs too.

Africa’s rising spending on Chinese surveillance tech

More than $2 billion has been spent on facial recognition and car-tracking technologies in 11 African countries.

Chinese firm strikes $4.2B Ethiopia gas deal

The firm will supply natural gas to a planned fertilizer plant in Ethiopia.

Football federation overturns Senegal’s AFCON victory

The federation cited rules that punish a team that abandons an ongoing football match for more than 10 minutes.

Israel kills powerful Iran security chief

Ali Larijani ran Iran’s national security council and was seen as the country’s de facto leader after the former ayatollah was assassinated.

Ali Larijani

Iran’s asymmetric warfare challenges US

The US is confronting its limitations in dealing with Iran’s asymmetric warfare, analysts argued.

A US jet takes off from an aircraft carrier during “Operation Epic Fury”

Europe races to develop new security strategy

The European Commission is consulting with EU member states to produce a sweeping new security strategy document, tentatively set to publish by June.

Bulgarian, U.S. and Italian soldiers stand in front of armoured vehicles and tanks during “Defensive Shield - 2023” military exercises at Novo Selo military grounds, Bulgaria, May 29, 2023.

Newsom calls FCC chairman’s threats ‘sick’

The California governor argued people from all political perspectives should be concerned about federal regulators weighing in on news content.

Gavin Newsom

Why (and how) everyone is cold-calling the president

Plus, what happened when Semafor’s Max Tani gave him a ring.

Oscars mask a Hollywood in crisis

As Hollywood celebrates the Oscars on Sunday, the glitz masks a deeper crisis for the entertainment industry: rising production costs.

AI is the latest gatekeeper between brands and buyers

Companies are now writing ad copy for bots, not people, and those bots are telling consumers what products to buy.

Hasan Piker on streaming all day, his relationship with Zohran Mamdani, and the lefty media machine

Since 2018, Hasan Piker has gone from streaming alone in his bedroom to becoming one of North America’s most influential leftist creators.

How Kyle Clark got BETA’s air taxis ready for takeoff

The electric aircraft company’s CEO has a ‘burn-the-boats’ approach to decision-making.

Upwork’s CEO on the AI agents that try to hire human workers

Hayden Brown sees the pairing of technology and human “orchestrators” redefining workforces.

Hayden Brown

Why Vlad Tenev thinks you’ll want Robinhood’s ‘James Bond’ credit card

A platinum-plated physical product advances the broker’s bid to become a financial “super app.”

Vlad Tenev

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