YouTube CEO on content moderation: ‘Where the world was five years ago is very different’ than today
Massie tests Trump’s appetite for a primary fight
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You Must Take Part in Revolution a graphic novel by Badiucao and Melissa Chan, is set in a high-tech near future where the US and China are at war.
A novel about everyday life in a small town in Norway, T. Singer by literary giant Dag Solstad, who died last week, is “mad, sad and funny.”
Icelandic artist Hekla’s record Turnar is “roiling and uneasy… as mysterious as the human condition,” Pitchfork wrote.
There is Violence and There is Righteous Violence and There is Death Or, The Born-Again Crow could be the “sleeper hit of the season.”
Elegant sleeper trains are making a comeback, The New York Times reported, including the opulent The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.
‘No Chinese war plans:’ US defense secretary on Elon Musk’s Pentagon meeting
Administration officials denied multiple reports that the tech billionaire was set to receive a briefing on top-secret war plans with China.
Idrees Ali/ReutersMiliband calls on CEOs to fill gap left by cuts to government aid budgets
The CEO of the International Rescue Committee is arguing that there’s a moral and strategic case for businesses getting more involved in foreign aid.
World Economic Forum/Sandra Blaser/Flickr/Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0London’s Heathrow Airport shut down after fire, causing travel chaos
The world’s second-busiest international airport will likely face significant disruption over the coming days.
Courtesy of London Fire Brigade/Handout via Reuters.Trump’s order to shut education department rooted in longstanding conservative movement
Conservatives have long railed against publicly funded education.
Carlos Barria/ReutersTrump signs order closing US Department of EducationAD
Top Freddie Mac executives fired in FHFA overhaul
It’s the latest development in Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte’s overhaul of the mortgage giant and its sister Fannie Mae.
Annabelle Gordon/ReutersAbu Dhabi partners in $25B US AI fund
The deal, signed during UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed’s visit to Washington, is another sign of the Emirates’ relentless push for investment in AI.
Emirates News AgencyNew York’s longest-running play offers AI-powered live translations to attract new audiences
Attendees can select from 60 languages to hear the play in their preferred language.
Courtesy of the production
politicsAnnabelle Gordon/Reuters 
Nathan Howard/File Photo/Reuters
Nathan Howard/Reuters
Top Freddie Mac executives fired in FHFA overhaul
It’s the latest development in Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Pulte’s overhaul of the mortgage giant and its sister Fannie Mae.
Annabelle Gordon/ReutersTrump signs order aimed at shutting down Education Department
Conservatives have long accused the Education Department of pushing progressive agendas in school curricula.
Nathan Howard/File Photo/ReutersMassie tests Trump’s appetite for a primary fight
There’s a more serious effort brewing to topple the eccentric yet popular Kentucky Republican. It still might fail.
Nathan Howard/ReutersZelenskyy says he did not discuss US recognition of Crimea as Russian with Trump
Ukraine’s president faced questions about the White House’s discussions over possibly recognizing Crimea as Russian territory, which Semafor reported earlier this week.
Britt pitches fellow Republicans on new child care agenda
Her idea, shared first with Semafor, would add a working class-friendly component to their tax cut proposal.
Powerhouse law firm makes overture to Trump
Paul Weiss’ chairman visited Washington to discuss a deal after White House revoked its lawyers’ security clearance.
Rubio takes control in talks with Venezuela over US deportations
The secretary of state is ramping up his involvement amid internal frustration over flights Ric Grenell said had resumed.
Walz on governing under Trump: ‘I am not going to enable him’
The Minnesota governor makes a stop on “the most unsatisfying I-told-you-so tour in the history of politics.”
Schumer was ‘wrong,’ Illinois governor says, but stop the Democratic ‘warfare’
JB Pritzker spoke to Semafor about the party’s Senate leader, and its No. 2.
Republicans are already gaming out Vance’s 2028 odds
The VP is the early favorite, but there’s plenty of time left on the clock.
Trump settles on a theory for voiding Biden’s final days in office
The president declared Monday that his predecessor had not seen some of the documents that have his name on them.
businessWorld Economic Forum/Sandra Blaser/Flickr/Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0
Miliband calls on CEOs to fill gap left by cuts to government aid budgets
The CEO of the International Rescue Committee is arguing that there’s a moral and strategic case for businesses getting more involved in foreign aid.
World Economic Forum/Sandra Blaser/Flickr/Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.0Private jet companies cruise through US air travel slowdown
The premium end of the market may remain more resilient, at least in the short term.
Microsoft chose not to exercise $12 billion Coreweave option
The AI economy is being subsidized by public shareholders of Microsoft and Meta until real companies start paying real money to buy software and services.
Sequoia backs Musk in Delaware battle, warning of superstar-CEO flight risk
The venture firm submitted an amicus brief arguing that its business model, betting on top talent and visionary CEOs, was threatened by the Tornetta decision which overturned Elon Musk’s pay package.
Google’s $32 billion Wiz deal is a natsec gamble
The megadeal, effectively a tuck-in for Google, reflects a nascent M&A strategy that hinges on companies selling themselves to DC national security champions.
technologyCourtesy of the production 
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New York’s longest-running play offers AI-powered live translations to attract new audiences
Attendees can select from 60 languages to hear the play in their preferred language.
Courtesy of the productionNvidia looks to grow its AI empire
The tech industry is crazy about Nvidia and its leather-clad CEO Jensen Huang. Wall Street, less so.
Brittany Hosea-Small/ReutersNew Intel CEO takes the helm at a make-or-break moment
Lip-Bu Tan is reportedly considering major changes to the company’s AI and manufacturing approach.
CoreWeave serves as bellwether for AI in soft IPO market
The cloud computing firm intends to test the public markets, potentially setting the tone for other AI firms amid market volatility.
The tiny chips behind Amazon’s big AI investment
Anthropic prepares to put the company’s Project Rainier, potentially the world’s most powerful computer, to the test.
Tech leaders pivot away from H-1B visa program after populist revolt
Some tech leaders support reforming the program that has garnered skilled talent, putting them at odds with GOP members who prefer to eliminate it.
net zero
Rebecca Cook/Reuters
CFoto/Sipa USA via Reuters
Amit Dave/Reuters
Repealing the Inflation Reduction Act could wipe $160 billion off US GDP
Republican-controlled states stand out as some of the biggest losers, according to projections by the think tank Energy Innovation.
Rebecca Cook/ReutersChina’s foreign infrastructure push is greener than ever
Renewables beat fossil fuels in China’s overseas power projects last year.
CFoto/Sipa USA via ReutersClimate change could slash global GDP by a third by century’s end
The cost of investing in climate mitigation, although hefty, pales in comparison to the price of inaction.
Amit Dave/Reutersgulf
ADNOC headquarters. Christopher Pike/Reuters
Abu Dhabi’s AI-for-energy firm eyes global expansion
AIQ plans to sell AI tools that improve drilling efficiency to other oil producing countries.
ADNOC headquarters. Christopher Pike/ReutersAppetite for costly drone shows is growing in the UAE
An average show in the region costs about $112,250, much more expensive than an old-fashioned fireworks display, and has 401 drones.
Abu Dhabi partners in $25B US AI fund
The deal, signed during UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed’s visit to Washington, is another sign of the Emirates’ relentless push for investment in AI.
US, UAE deepen AI partnership
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed’s visit to Washington this week signaled that the UAE’s growing focus on AI is taking diplomatic priority over fraught geopolitical issues.
Qatar’s PM speaks on the nursing homes nobody will use
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani sat down with Tucker Carlson as the American host brings more high-profile guests from the Gulf to his podcast.
africa
Stringer/Reuters
Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters
Namibia inaugurates first female president
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah joins Tanzania’s Samia Suluhu Hassan to become the continent’s second currently serving female president.
Stringer/ReutersNigeria says it remains open to crypto despite $80B Binance lawsuit
The country’s information minister told Semafor crypto companies that respect local rules are welcome but concerns remain over illegality.
Dado Ruvic/Illustration/ReutersPipeline damage in crisis state highlights Nigeria’s oil sector challenge
President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers state, in the country’s Niger Delta region.
UK seeks ‘leadership role’ in climate finance as US withdraws from commitments
The new head of British International Investment, the UK’s development finance body, wants to ramp up funding for sustainable energy projects in Africa.
ANC veteran is frontrunner for South Africa’s US ambassador role
Andries Carl Nel, a deputy minister for 15 years, is the leading contender after the expulsion of Pretoria’s top Washington diplomat.
Private equity investment in African infrastructure fell in 2023
The continent faces critical gaps in infrastructure, with an annual $100 billion financing hole for such projects, according to data from the Global Private Capital Association.
media
YouTube CEO on content moderation: ‘Where the world was five years ago is very different’ than today
“What was happening in the world in March of 2020 is very different than what’s happening in the world in March of 2025,” YouTube CEO Neal Mohan said on the Mixed Signals from Semafor Media podcast.
Mixed Signals: Secrets of YouTube with CEO Neal Mohan
YouTube’s dominance and what it means for podcasts, TV, and the future of media.
When BuzzFeed thought the internet was bigger than Beyoncé
“Well, the internet’s bigger than Beyoncé. Who needs Beyoncé?”
Top Audacy exec departs
It’s the latest in a series of high-level departures for the audio giant.
How Breitbart became legacy MAGA media
The signature news outlet of Donald Trump’s first term is navigating a new world of influencers.
security
Flickr Creative Commons Photo/NNSA
Stringer/File Photo/Reuters
Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
DOGE 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/NNSAUK clamps down on Russian espionage, as Moscow ramps up pressure on Europe
Russia is increasingly reliant on private intelligence operatives and criminals to carry out espionage missions, UK security experts said.
Stringer/File Photo/ReutersIran expands stockpile of near-weapons grade uranium by 50%
Tehran’s growing uranium stockpile is of “serious concern,” the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog warned.
Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via ReutersAD