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Intelligence for the New World Economy
- D.C.
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- Lagos
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- Beijing
- SG
CEO Signal
How Bruce Van Saun united Citizens against America’s biggest banks
The superregional lender’s CEO has made a virtue of its place in “the middle of the river.”
Trump ducks Supreme Court with new tariffs
The levies replace tariffs that expired on Friday.
Trump ducks Supreme Court with new tariffs
The levies replace tariffs that expired on Friday.
Semafor Recommends
A history of continental postmodernist philosophy, Emily Eakin’s The Frenchmen is “gossipy and personal and completely fascinating.”
Dan Simmons’ Ilium, a sci-fi retelling of the Odyssey, uses “copious amounts of wit to keep the action grounded.”
A Montrealer’s memoir of two decades in bin collection, Trash! is “full of unexpected if sometimes pungent surprises.”
Taipei People, by Pai Hsien-yung, is “among the most exquisite stories of all of modern Chinese literature.”
The final installment of Colson Whitehead’s Harlem-set crime trilogy, Cool Machine is “a heavyweight New York novel.”
Internal videos show how Polymarket trained creators on fake bets
A training presentation reveals how the company made a ‘fakecharts’ platform for influencers.
Warren steps up her campaign surrogate travel
Senate Democrats have three contested primaries left on the calendar — and Warren is involved in all of them.
Why Coherent’s CEO believes in giving people room to fail
Jim Anderson says the $60 billion photonics group had to take more risk to meet surging data center demand.
View / It’s time to learn to live with open-source AI
Today’s open-source models from China don’t appear capable of doing much damage yet, but it’s best to prepare.
The German founders bringing a Silicon Valley ethos to America’s Greyhound buses
Flix’s André Schwämmlein and Daniel Krauss say Europeans can’t blame their governments for a shortage of startups with global reach.
Economists predict minor disruption from Trump’s new tariffs
Washington’s tariff announcements have tended to be “more dramatic than their eventual implementation,” an analyst noted.
US lawmakers propose AI ‘kill switch’ bill
The bipartisan legislation would require companies to maintain the ability to shut down their models at short notice.
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Politics
Democrats recommend South Carolina to host first 2028 primary
The Democratic National Committee’s rules and bylaws committee recommended keeping the state at the front of their primary calendar.
Brendan McDermid/Reuters
Warren steps up her campaign surrogate travel
Senate Democrats have three contested primaries left on the calendar — and Warren is involved in all of them.
Annabelle Gordon/Reuters
Elder care costs threaten wealth transfer
Economists predicted up to $84 trillion in assets could change hands over 20 years as boomers die and pass on their wealth.
Karen Pulfer Focht/Reuters
Mayors in Mexico targeted in drug-related violence
Another mayor was fatally shot this week, becoming the 14th city leader killed nationwide since President Claudia Sheinbaum took office in 2024.
US lawmakers propose AI ‘kill switch’ bill
The bipartisan legislation would require companies to maintain the ability to shut down their models at short notice.
Polymarket parent company got Paycheck Protection Program loan
The previously unreported $39,727 loan was approved in June 2020.
Manchin launches council to elect independents
“We’re trying to build a true independent network,” the former senator told Semafor.
Loomer becomes Ukraine’s MAGA ally
The far-right activist’s rapid turn against Russia has come as a pleasant surprise to Europe and Ukraine’s backers.
DSCC shuns Democratic candidate in Montana
Alani Bankhead, the Democratic nominee in Montana’s Senate race, bashed the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee this week for its “absolute lack of support.”
House pivots to the midterms as members depart for recess
Republicans hope that gerrymandering and a backlash to the progressive left will help tip the midterms in their favor despite headwinds.
Debatable: Restrictions on defense stock buybacks
A proposal catching momentum in Congress is drawing pushback from industry groups.
Business
US bond yields face pressure
The quantity of US government debt is already sky-high — $31 trillion, compared to $4.5 trillion in 2007 — equivalent to more than 100% of GDP.
Daniel Heuer/Reuters
How Bruce Van Saun united Citizens against America’s biggest banks
The superregional lender’s CEO has made a virtue of its place in “the middle of the river.”
The German founders bringing a Silicon Valley ethos to America’s Greyhound buses
Flix’s André Schwämmlein and Daniel Krauss say Europeans can’t blame their governments for a shortage of startups with global reach.
Why Coherent’s CEO believes in giving people room to fail
Jim Anderson says the $60 billion photonics group had to take more risk to meet surging data center demand.
US moves to regulate hidden car handles
US regulators on Thursday said they plan to develop rules to address the safety risks linked to the hidden electric car door handles popularized by Tesla.
Technology
AI fuels a social media marketing scam
In what appears to be a new dropshipping scam flooding Instagram and TikTok, accounts are posting AI-generated videos depicting teens getting bullied for trying to sell Christian apparel alongside links to buy the goods.
Instagram
OpenAI’s Brockman says distillation is a technical problem
Brockman said OpenAI has systems in place to prevent distillation.
Brockman at CES 2026. Steve Marcus/Reuters.
It’s time to learn to live with open-source AI
Today’s open-source models from China don’t appear capable of doing much damage yet, but it’s best to prepare.
Internal videos show how Polymarket trained creators on fake bets
A training presentation reveals how the company made a ‘fakecharts’ platform for influencers.
US lawmakers propose AI ‘kill switch’ bill
The bipartisan legislation would require companies to maintain the ability to shut down their models at short notice.
US moves to regulate hidden car handles
US regulators on Thursday said they plan to develop rules to address the safety risks linked to the hidden electric car door handles popularized by Tesla.
Energy
Oil spikes, stocks fall on Iran and AI fears
Oil hit $100 a barrel and Magnificent 7 stocks shed nearly $800 billion in market value on Thursday, as pessimism over steep AI spending and the Iran war dragged down global markets.
Brendan McDermid/Reuters
Energy is the exposed flank in Europe’s rearmament
Europe needs to start treating energy like the defense investment it really is.
Tom Nicholson/Reuters
Ukraine appears to change tactics in Russia attacks
Kyiv is letting up on its strikes on Russian oil refineries — easing Moscow’s fuel crunch and pushing gas prices back down — and is instead hitting ships.
Social Media via Reuters
Gulf
Iran war costs squeeze Gulf’s protein boom
Gulf consumers have long embraced the global protein craze, but the conflict is squeezing the margins of food companies seeking to profit from the trend.
People shopping for dairy products in Saudi in 2020. Ahmed Yosri/Reuters.
Investors pick their Gulf bank winners
Emirates NBD and First Abu Dhabi Bank are both since January, outpacing every major index in the Gulf, while Qatar National Bank is down more than 10%.
Trump pegs Saudi nuclear deal to Israel talks
The US president’s stipulation threatens to stymie the newly signed agreement, which allows Saudi Arabia to build nuclear power plants with US technology.
DP World plans two ports in booming Fujairah
Fujairah, which sits to the east of the Strait of Hormuz, has become an increasingly critical bypass route as ships look for ways to skirt the waterway.
Saudi strengthens sports operations as it gears up for 2034 World Cup
The kingdom unveiled a new company that it says will manage the operations of the burgeoning network of arenas it’s building.
China
Chinese whizzes win global math prize
Chinese nationals were awarded the prestigious Fields Medal for the first time, in the latest sign of the country’s growing academic prowess.
Simons Foundation
US tech firms debate curbs on Chinese AI
For some execs, the rise of open-source AI from China marks a “dystopian hellscape,” while others are complimenting the “excellent” models.
Manami Yamada/Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
US says China’s Moonshot stole from Anthropic
The US accused the Chinese AI startup of exploiting American tech to create its Kimi K3 model, threatening sanctions in response to what Washington described as “industrial-scale” theft of intellectual property.
Moonshot AI founder Yang Zhilin. Tingshu Wang/Reuters
Africa
S. Africa court pauses Ramaphosa impeachment probe
The order pauses what threatened to be a damaging political spectacle over the theft of $580,000 in cash from Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala private game farm.
Adriano Machado/Reuters
South Africa holds interest rates despite inflation
The decision triggered a market sell-off, sending the rand down more than 2% while benchmark bond yields rose.
Siphiwe Sibeko/Reuters
Ghana’s illegal gold mining poses security risk
A new analysis warned that the black market sector risked opening the country up to terrorist activity.
US steps up Eritrea, Somalia talks over Red Sea access
A widening campaign of attacks on shipping in the Red Sea is forcing Washington to pay renewed attention to the African side of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Africa looks to bonds to support wider mining benefits
Countries across Africa are hoping to capture a greater share of value-added profits, especially from extractive industries.
Chinese firms invest $900 million into new Angolan port
Luanda is seeking to develop its free trade zone, part of its efforts to diversify its oil-dominant economy.
Security
Ukraine appears to change tactics in Russia attacks
Kyiv is letting up on its strikes on Russian oil refineries — easing Moscow’s fuel crunch and pushing gas prices back down — and is instead hitting ships.
Social Media via Reuters
Zelenskyy sacks Ukraine military chief
The move followed widespread protests triggered by the removal of the country’s popular, young defense minister.
Thomas Peter/Reuters
UK cabinet picks point to defense priorities
New UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham named the country’s ex-defense secretary as his finance minister, a surprise move that signals a focus on military spending.
Ed Miliband. Jack Taylor/Reuters
Media
Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on loneliness and why he’s more worried about your phone than your body
Former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy joins Mixed Signals to make the case that America’s loneliness crisis is a public health emergency.
Steve Hilton on the Murdochs, David Ellison, and conservative media’s California
Steve Hilton has lived many lives: a key strategist to former British Prime Minister David Cameron, a populist Fox News host, and — after renouncing his UK citizenship — the Republican nominee in California’s gubernatorial race.
Katie Nolan on the sports gambling takeover, covering politics, and the slow return of the boys’ club
Sports media host and “Casuals” podcast creator Katie Nolan joined Mixed Signals live at Cannes to talk about navigating two decades of upheaval in sports media.
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman on LLMs, fighting the bots, and why it’s good that you can’t get famous on Reddit
Reddit co-founder and CEO Steve Huffman joins Mixed Signals during the platform’s 21st birthday to talk about what it means to be the internet’s anti-social media hub.
Alex Cooper on flipping ‘Call Her Daddy’ into a media business and entering the creative agency space
Call Her Daddy host and Unwell co-founder Alex Cooper joins Mixed Signals live at Cannes Lions to talk about what it takes to turn a hit podcast into a real media business.
CEO Signal
How Bruce Van Saun united Citizens against America’s biggest banks
The superregional lender’s CEO has made a virtue of its place in “the middle of the river.”
Courtesy of Citizens Financial Group/Jake Angelo/Semafor
The German founders bringing a Silicon Valley ethos to America’s Greyhound buses
Flix’s André Schwämmlein and Daniel Krauss say Europeans can’t blame their governments for a shortage of startups with global reach.
Courtesy of Flix/Graph Massara/Semafor
Why Coherent’s CEO believes in giving people room to fail
Jim Anderson says the $60 billion photonics group had to take more risk to meet surging data center demand.
Courtesy of Coherent/Jake Angelo/Semafor
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