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Parnell emerging as top contender for Army secretary
The Pentagon’s current chief spokesman is an ally of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, though GOP Rep. Brian Mast is also getting a look.
Parnell emerging as top contender for Army secretary
The Pentagon’s current chief spokesman is an ally of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, though GOP Rep. Brian Mast is also getting a look.
View / Democrats make the midterms about one big pitch: Lower costs
View / The Fed’s forecasts keep missing, so it may stop making them
The World at a Glance
Updated 6:49pm EDT
1
Uber announced its largest corporate layoffs since the pandemic, as the ride-sharing firm faces competition from robotaxis.
2The US-hosted G20 meeting, derailed by disagreements, wrapped up after failing to ease investors’ concerns over a global bond market sell-off.
3China has approved a slew of brain-computer interface devices this year, in a bid to compete with Elon Musk’s Neuralink.
4Asian governments are facing growing public backlash over their rapid data center buildout.
5Textual sleuths are waging a crusade against the AI-generated writing proliferating on the web with a new favorite software tool.
6Iran attacked US military bases in the Middle East in retaliation for US strikes that Tehran said killed at least 18 people, roiling global markets.
Gulf’s biggest port Jebel Ali waits for the war to end
Six months into the Iran war, Dubai’s port operator is spending $100 million a month to keep its flagship facility ready for a recovery.
Trump’s Venezuela deal draws scrutiny of obscure Pentagon office
It was “never the intention” to take US government stakes in private companies, one former Office of Strategic Capital official said.
Uber to cut 10% of corporate roles in bid to get ‘faster’
The ride-sharing firm is contending with competition from robotaxis.
US-Africa trade pact extended
The development represents an interim win for African governments worried about trade relations with the US under the Trump administration.
Americans see sprawling government corruption, poll finds
Almost nine in 10 Americans say that government corruption is widespread.
Democrats face a tough call: Cut a college sports deal with Trump, or hold out?
The party’s coalition is fractured on a politically marketable bill weeks ahead of the midterms as its senators approach a tricky vote.
House Republicans may stick around — but not for AI work
Republicans are now saying they need to stay in town to get their remaining legislative work done, like the annual defense policy bill.
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Politics
G20 wraps without consensus amid bond market sell-off
The US-hosted G20 meeting, beset by trade and diplomatic squabbles, wrapped up after failing to ease investors’ concerns over a global bond market sell-off.
Jonathan Drake/Reuters
Parnell emerging as top contender for Army secretary
The Pentagon’s current chief spokesman is an ally of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, though GOP Rep. Brian Mast is also getting a look.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Democrats make the midterms about one big pitch: Lower costs
Democrats are not crafting the kind of bold-faced messaging that excites pundits this year. That may be the point.
Annabelle Gordon/Reuters
China engages in Egypt charm offensive
Relations between Beijing and Cairo have improved as China takes a more assertive role in the Middle East.
Americans see sprawling government corruption, poll finds
Almost nine in 10 Americans say that government corruption is widespread.
US-Africa trade pact extended
The development represents an interim win for African governments worried about trade relations with the US under the Trump administration.
Democrats face a tough call: Cut a college sports deal with Trump, or hold out?
The party’s coalition is fractured on a politically marketable bill weeks ahead of the midterms as its senators approach a tricky vote.
House Republicans may stick around — but not for AI work
Republicans are now saying they need to stay in town to get their remaining legislative work done, like the annual defense policy bill.
Driscoll’s departure leaves another hole at Pentagon
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faces mounting scrutiny as the US becomes further entrenched in the Iran war.
Trump’s Venezuela deal draws scrutiny of obscure Pentagon office
It was “never the intention” to take US government stakes in private companies, one former Office of Strategic Capital official said.
Markey leads incumbent sweep in Massachusetts
No challenger to the all-Democratic Massachusetts delegation won on Tuesday.
Business
Uber to cut 10% of corporate roles in bid to get ‘faster’
The ride-sharing firm is contending with competition from robotaxis.
Yves Herman/Reuters
G20 wraps without consensus amid bond market sell-off
The US-hosted G20 meeting, beset by trade and diplomatic squabbles, wrapped up after failing to ease investors’ concerns over a global bond market sell-off.
US bond yields continue to climb
Most experts have attributed the increase to worries about debt levels and inflation.
Beijing warns automakers against overseas price wars
China’s regulators warned the country’s automakers not to launch aggressive pricing strategies in overseas markets.
Asian currencies boosted by AI exports: Goldman Sachs
Currencies from South Korea, Taiwan, and Malaysia have outperformed those in countries less exposed to Silicon Valley’s spending.
Technology
Asian data center boom faces backlash
Asian governments’ urge to cash in on the AI boom is clashing with constituents’ environmental and health concerns.
Hasnoor Hussain/Reuters
Textual sleuths fight AI slop with Pangram
Pangram has recently been credited with helping implode a lucrative book deal and unmasking AI use at The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
Pangram
China ramps up brain computer interface push
China has approved a slew of brain-computer interface devices this year, in a bid to compete with Elon Musk’s Neuralink.
Startup launches AI physics lab to maximize data center efficiency
Physical Superintelligence launched out of stealth on Tuesday with $58 million in funding.
AI deployment in businesses outpaces trust, study finds
Nearly 90% of respondents to a SAS survey said AI agents play some decision-making role in their organizations, but only 66% said they trust AI.
OpenAI’s Hugging Face hack reveals questions about AI predictability
Ancient civilizations are most known for one thing: conquering. And that’s the worry. If OpenAI’s agents are Romans, humanity represents the barbarians.
Energy
Oil jumps after Iran strikes on US bases in the Middle East
Oil jumped by more than 5% to $95 a barrel, while Asian stocks slid over worries the latest attacks point to protracted hostilities.
Majid Asgaripour/WANA/Reuters
US launches new strikes on Iran
The new attacks interrupted a weekslong lull in the six-month conflict and sent oil prices to $95 a barrel.
Stringer/Reuters
Colombia’s new president wants to revive oil and gas sector
President Abelardo de la Espriella pledged to revoke a ban on new exploration licenses for oil and gas projects implemented under his predecessor.
Luisa Gonzalez/Reuters
Gulf
Chinese tech companies plant deeper roots in Saudi Arabia
Companies including ByteDance and Tencent announced investment in the kingdom during Riyadh’s annual LEAP tech conference.
Hamad I Mohammed/Reuters
UAE real estate developer Arada agrees to build $7B district in Damascus
The deal is the latest example of Gulf capital being funneled into Syria’s reconstruction, aligned with a broader US effort to keep the country out of Iran’s orbit.
Gulf’s biggest port Jebel Ali waits for the war to end
Six months into the Iran war, Dubai’s port operator is spending $100 million a month to keep its flagship facility ready for a recovery.
Adam Neumann opens DIFC office for real estate venture
Flow, the residential real estate venture from WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann, is opening an office in DIFC.
UAE AI firm pitches video compression for Saudi security
Abu Dhabi-based Neurovia AI says its software can shrink video files by up to 95% while maintaining near-original clarity.
China
China ramps up brain computer interface push
China has approved a slew of brain-computer interface devices this year, in a bid to compete with Elon Musk’s Neuralink.
Florence Lo/Reuters
China engages in Egypt charm offensive
Relations between Beijing and Cairo have improved as China takes a more assertive role in the Middle East.
Khaled Desouki/Pool/Reuters
Beijing warns automakers against overseas price wars
China’s regulators warned the country’s automakers not to launch aggressive pricing strategies in overseas markets.
Tingshu Wang/Reuters
Africa
Sasol pollution linked to premature deaths, study suggests
Emissions from Sasol’s flagship Secunda plant are linked to about 1,000 premature deaths annually, a study by a Finland-based nonprofit suggests.
Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters
El Niño threatens West Africa’s cocoa producers
The weather phenomenon has been known to intensify the yearly Harmattan winds, which dry out topsoil and cause pods to fall.
Luc Gnago/Reuters
IMF agrees $2.2B Senegal loan package
The move is a key step in tackling an economic crisis in the west African country sparked by the discovery of previously unreported debt.
Nigerian opposition vows to restore fuel subsidy
Nigeria’s opposition African Democratic Congress said it will anchor its presidential election campaign on a promise to reinstate a multibillion-dollar fuel subsidy program.
Nigeria’s economy grows at fastest pace in five years
President Bola Tinubu has overseen a turnaround of Africa’s third-largest economy.
US-Africa trade pact extended
The development represents an interim win for African governments worried about trade relations with the US under the Trump administration.
Security
Oil jumps after Iran strikes on US bases in the Middle East
Oil jumped by more than 5% to $95 a barrel, while Asian stocks slid over worries the latest attacks point to protracted hostilities.
Majid Asgaripour/WANA/Reuters
Berlin blames Russia for attempted drone attack
Three explosive-laden drones were found around a Leipzig airport last month.
Axel Schmidt/File Photo/Reuters
Ukraine’s drone expertise is in demand
Italy is bringing on Ukraine’s ousted defense minister and drone impresario to advise on strategy.
Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
Media
A prison memoir of the Egyptian revolution
Abdelrahman ElGendy recounts his six years as a political prisoner in the wake of Egypt’s January 25 revolution.
Paid actors, AI writing: How a new kind of video business cashed in on America’s divided politics
‘Ghost creators’ are reaching millions of viewers with nearly identical, sensationalized videos that take aim at Democrats.
New Leon Black book picks fight with the Times
Bill Cohan’s new biography is aimed, in part, at rebutting The New York Times’ coverage of Black and his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
How mechanization and AI have transformed the workforce
In her new book, Financial Times reporter Sarah O’Connor investigates the risks and consequences of automation.
‘Creatures of expedience’
Jacob Weisberg’s portraits of elite accommodation are “fascinating” and “instructive,” veteran journalist and media commentator Tina Brown wrote.
CEO Signal
‘We go big’: Jon Gray on how Blackstone places its AI bets
The $1.3 trillion firm is staying bullish but investing “through the lens that this may change.”
The Canadian founder telling CEOs to rethink AI resilience
Cohere’s Aidan Gomez says companies are waking up to the need for tech sovereignty.
‘I’m staring into the abyss’: How Toto Wolff drives Mercedes’ F1 team
The motorsports CEO says his ‘tough love’ style ensures the most compelling arguments prevail.
Courtesy of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team/Graph Massara/Semafor
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