The World at a Glance
Updated 12:45pm EDT
1
Trump heads to the Pope’s funeral in Rome as his first overseas trip, likely to be fraught with diplomatic tensions.
2A car bomb killed a Russian general in Moscow, as US special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in the city for peace talks.
3China vowed to ‘resolutely support’ its tariff-hit businesses, as analysts say it may be winning the waiting game with Washington.
4Kenya boosted trade ties with China and the EU, after US tariffs threatened to dent a key export market.
5US judges blocked three of Trump’s executive orders, setting up further clashes between the White House and the judiciary.
6Chinese scientists shared rare lunar rocks with US researchers, eschewing politics in favor of cooperation.
Bennet questions Schumer’s Senate leadership
Democrats should usher in a new generation of leaders and be prepared to make “uncomfortable decisions,” Sen. Michael Bennet told Semafor.
SemaforSemafor World Economy Summit: Views from policymakers and CEOs on AI
Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman and Uber boss Dara Khosrowshahi are among those discussing the power of artificial intelligence to transform businesses at the Semafor World Economy Summit.
Illinois Republican Rep. LaHood considering Senate run in 2026
The House Republican is weighing whether to make a bid for the seat held for decades by Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who’s retiring next year.
Kris Tripplaar/SemaforUSAFacts CEO urges Education Dept. to preserve data unit
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer sent a letter last week to Education Sec. Linda McMahon, pleading to not cut funding to an internal department that does ‘critical work’ gathering and publishing statistics that help rank schools.
Kris Tripplaar/SemaforAD
CoreWeave CEO: Wall Street doesn’t fully understand the business
Wall Street is “missing the thematic power” of compute at “gargantuan scale,” CoreWeave’s Michael Intrator said at Semafor’s World Economy Summit.
SemaforMississippi needs federal disaster relief, says Gov. Tate Reeves
The federal government recently declined to provide disaster relief to Arkansas following severe storms in the region.
SemaforRailing against ‘woke AI’ hurts American success, Reid Hoffman says
The prominent venture capitalist criticized White House AI czar David Sacks’ “foolish” mentality over “woke AI.”
Semafor
politics
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Semafor
Shannon Finney/Getty Images for Semafor
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
US wants to launch a nuclear ‘renaissance,’ Energy Sec. Chris Wright says
The Trump administration is hoping to spur development of nuclear power to keep up with surging demand for electricity.
Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for SemaforSebastian Gorka on Trump’s new war on terror
“We will not be using the counterterrorism enterprise against those who politically disagree with us,” Gorka told Semafor’s Shelby Talcott.
Shannon Finney/Getty Images for SemaforTuberville tells senators he’s running for governor
The Alabama Republican will be the second sitting member of the chamber to launch a home-state run.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty ImagesGallego open to working with Trump on housing
He wants more details on a plan to build housing on federal land.
Dems start aligning around El Salvador boycott
It’s a new strategy for pushing back against the country, where the White House has deported migrants.
More Democratic incumbents face rising younger challengers
In the post-Biden era, it’s all about age as elderly m face emboldened opponents.
Schatz starts seeking support to become next Senate Democratic No. 2
The Hawaii Democrat is seen as the favorite to succeed current whip Dick Durbin, who announced his retirement on Wednesday.
Democrats press Hegseth on Signal chats, firings
In a letter to Hegseth, Democrats wrote that recent controversies indicate a “lack of judgment [that] is dangerous and has already put American lives at risk.”
Choppy waters for GOP’s Medicaid cuts
Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., floated shrinking the federal government’s 90% share of Medicaid expansion for states that opted to expand it.
House Democrats head to El Salvador on Maryland man’s behalf
The trip comes after a visit from Sen. Chris Van Hollen last week.
While fighting Trump deportations, Democrats still avoid ‘abolish ICE’
A powerful progressive slogan in 2018 has all but vanished from the party’s messaging, even as it takes on the president’s aggressive migration agenda.
business
Semafor World Economy Summit: Views from policymakers and CEOs on AI
Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman and Uber boss Dara Khosrowshahi are among those discussing the power of artificial intelligence to transform businesses at the Semafor World Economy Summit.
White House health adviser says weight loss drugs are being ‘pushed’ on American children
At the Semafor World Economy Summit, Calley Means slammed the health industry for focusing on weight loss drugs to combat childhood obesity.
USAFacts CEO urges Education Dept. to preserve data unit
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer sent a letter last week to Education Sec. Linda McMahon, pleading to not cut funding to an internal department that does ‘critical work’ gathering and publishing statistics that help rank schools.
DOGE is learning ‘very fast,’ says Booz Allen Hamilton CEO
The cost-cutting agency’s efforts have already raised public interest in how the government works, says Booz Allen’s CEO.
Illinois Republican Rep. LaHood considering Senate run in 2026
The House Republican is weighing whether to make a bid for the seat held for decades by Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin, who’s retiring next year.
technology
Axel Schmidt/Reuters
Nathan Howard/File Photo/Reuters
Law experts, former employees push to stop OpenAI’s nonprofit structure change
“If the problem is [that] investors don’t like that the mission comes first, that’s too bad,” said one former OpenAI employee.
Axel Schmidt/ReutersElon Musk says he will reduce his time at the White House
The Tesla CEO said his time working with the Department of Government Efficiency will drop starting next month.
Nathan Howard/File Photo/ReutersGoogle operates illegal monopoly in online ad business, judge rules
The decision marks the second time in a year that the tech giant has been found to have acted illegally to maintain its dominance.
‘Fuzzy logic’ encryption offers a path to safer, easier authentication
The legendary technologist known as “Darpa Dan” joined Badge, which is developing biometric authentication software accessible from anywhere, without storing user data.
Tech carveout adds to global uncertainty over Trump tariffs
The new exemption signaled a possible softening of the president’s aggressive trade agenda, but the reprieve may be brief.
Analysis: Trump’s tariffs won’t tank the tech industry, but AI plans seem in limbo
The Trump administration’s biggest impact on the tech industry is in government-funded research and development, which will determine whether the US stays ahead.
net zero
Rodrigo Garrido/Reuters
Semafor
David McNew/Reuters
Tariffs won’t solve the US copper problem, BHP CEO says
Mike Henry, CEO of BHP, downplayed the possibility of another stab at acquiring rival miner Anglo American.
Rodrigo Garrido/ReutersFormer Colombian president: Petro’s oil policies are ‘absolutely insane’
Iván Duque, the former president of Colombia, criticized some of his predecessor’s climate policy stances at Semafor’s World Economy Summit.
SemaforOil investors are buying the dip
US President Donald Trump’s energy strategy is hurting Big Oil today, but a recovery is likely.
David McNew/Reutersgulf
Leah Millis/Reuters
Trade war dims Gulf growth prospects, IMF says
Gulf countries, except Qatar, are all expected to grow more slowly than previously forecast, the International Monetary Fund predicts.
Leah Millis/ReutersQatar to build first new Venice Biennale pavilion in 30 years
Qatar Museums tapped Paris-based, Lebanon-born architect Lina Ghotmeh to design its pavilion, only the third to be built in the past 50 years.
Swiss banker: Gulf heirs don’t want to run the family business
UBS wealth adviser predicts M&A activity as heirs prepare to take on family fortunes.
New Jersey governor plans economic mission to the Gulf
Governor Phil Murphy will visit Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE to discuss investment and partnerships in AI, manufacturing, and education.
Analysis: Why Saudi football is worthy of its Netflix series
With ultras, VAR drama, and murmurings against club owners, Saudi football has become a cultural draw beyond the allure of aging superstars.
africa
Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters
Joshua Roberts/File Photo/Reuters
Will the next pope be African?
Three African cardinals are among the potential contenders to become the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Guglielmo Mangiapane/ReutersUS State Department retains Africa bureau
Embassies and consulates on the continent could still be under threat, according to a leaked memo.
Joshua Roberts/File Photo/ReutersCôte d’Ivoire’s main opposition leader disqualified from polls
Tidjane Thiam described the court’s decision as an ‘act of electoral vandalism.’
How Trump’s trade war could bolster the Africa-China relationship
Kenyan President William Ruto heads to Beijing this week, the first African leader to be hosted by Xi Jinping since Washington unleashed its unprecedented global tariffs.
World Bank’s investment arm targets rise in African equity investments
The head of the IFC told Semafor the aim is to enable companies to grow without the “burden” of debt repayments.
Analysis: How to reform Africa’s top development bank
A month ahead of AfDB elections for a new president, an analyst writes about how he would sharpen the institution’s focus.
media
Mixed Signals: Ezra Klein on Trump, Sanity, and Podcasting
The New York Times columnist discusses what he’s learned about the media and podcasting through this latest tour, how the “abundance” framework might apply to media, and if Trump will go after the press next.
Shari Redstone kept tabs on ‘60 Minutes’ segments on Trump
Tensions between CBS and parent company Paramount culminated in the resignation of a longtime producer this week.
How Nexstar dodged a Trump lawsuit
There’s good reason for the TV giant, which owns DC news site The Hill, to want to stay out of the president’s line of fire.
Bezos hunts for new Post opinion chief
The Washington Post has been without a top opinion editor for several months.
Bloomberg issues travel warning to staff
Outside legal counsel for the company told employees to bring more documents than usual to demonstrate their ties to the United States.
security
Kris Tripplaar/Semafor
Christian Klindt Soelbeck/Ritzau Scanpix/via Reuters
Flickr Creative Commons Photo/NNSA
Trump will likely ‘walk away’ from both Russia and Ukraine if he can’t get a peace deal: Ian Bremmer
If Trump fails to convince Moscow to agree to a ceasefire, he will likely walk away from both Ukraine and Russia, Bremmer said at Semafor’s World Economy Summit.
Kris Tripplaar/SemaforUS scales back Greenland visit after criticism
US President Donald Trump’s expansionist overtures are creating a ‘permissive space’ for other world leaders bent on territorial acquisition, analysts argued.
Christian Klindt Soelbeck/Ritzau Scanpix/via ReutersDOGE reviews nuclear contractors
A review of National Nuclear Security Administration contractors has sparked concern within the agency that it could lose manpower at a critical time.
Flickr Creative Commons Photo/NNSAAD