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Intelligence for the New World Economy
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The World at a Glance
Updated 8:50am EST
1
US gas prices spiked ahead of a major snowstorm due to hit the East Coast Friday.
2Anthropic has updated its AI Claude’s “constitution,” which specifically states that the chatbot cannot “kill or disempower” humanity.
3Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez has consolidated power following the US’ removal of Nicolás Maduro.
4Russia, Ukraine, and the US will hold talks in Abu Dhabi today, their first trilateral meeting since Russia’s invasion.
5Analysts and economists downplayed the possibility of foreign investors exiting US assets, noting they have few other options.
6Latin American exports boomed last year despite US tariffs, with many nations turning to China as their biggest goods market.
Nasdaq’s Adena Friedman on funding the AI ‘marathon’
The exchange CEO says adopting AI in enterprises requires “a massive change management exercise.”
Courtesy of Nasdaq/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAn entrepreneur’s 13 hours in Davos jail: ‘The food was phenomenal’
Sebastian Heyneman’s stint as a suspected terrorist was brief but memorable.
Sebastian Heyneman and his device.How to AI-proof your office
Design firms are experimenting with how to redesign physical spaces to adapt to evolving work habits.
Jason O’Rear, courtesy of GenslerChina pulls back on funding African projects
Beijing’s total lending in 2024 amounted to $2.1 billion, down by more than 90% from its 2016 peak, a new report showed.
Buses ready for export from China to Africa in 2018. Wang Jianmin/VCG via Getty Images.AD
Exclusive / China, US sign off on TikTok US spinoff
The deal caps a yearslong battle between the social media app and the two superpowers.
Maxim Shemetov/ReutersHow West Africa’s medieval Gold Road shows a path for free trade
Three great West African empires laid the foundation of some of the earliest global trade routes in history.
A market in Bamako, Mali. Mehmet Kaman/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.US House passes short-term AGOA extension
AGOA has provided eligible countries with preferential access to US markets since its passage in 2000.
Monicah Mwangi/Reuters
Politics
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Nathan Howard/Reuters 
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Debatable: Trump’s Golden Dome
The missile shield proposal — and its price tag — has policymakers at odds.
Jonathan Ernst/ReutersSticky US inflation makes Fed rate cut unlikely
The Commerce Department reported Thursday that inflation ticked up to 2.8% in November.
Nathan Howard/Reuters DHS funding bill might pass despite Democratic opposition
The bill passed the House with just seven Democratic votes on Thursday.
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters The four Senate seats Republicans are eyeing for 2026
One of them still remains a reach for the GOP.
Conservative group drops millions on ads for Collins in Maine
The Republican senator has recently drawn President Donald Trump’s ire.
Trump controls Venezuela oil funds
It’s another way in which he wields leverage over the country.
‘Just a blip’: Republicans want Canada to ignore Trump
As Prime Minister Mark Carney and the US president exchange rhetorical volleys, the rest of the party is sending a calmer message.
US senators face mounting primary threats
Three senators face major primary challenges this year.
Trump administration blocks funding for public broadcasting, rail projects
The Gateway Tunnel project is among those affected.
Supreme Court weighs Trump’s effort to bend the Fed
Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is expected to attend the arguments.
Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza faces scrutiny
Topping the list of concerns from allies is the proposal for nations to pay $1 billion for a permanent board spot.
BusinessCourtesy of Nasdaq/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Nasdaq’s Adena Friedman on funding the AI ‘marathon’
The exchange CEO says adopting AI in enterprises requires “a massive change management exercise.”
Courtesy of Nasdaq/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforBank of America’s Brian Moynihan: ‘The pipelines are full’
“It’s clear you can get a deal done now,” says the long-tenured banker.
How Wall Street gave up on influencing Donald Trump
The masters of the universe are now passive participants.
US states crack down on prediction markets
A Massachusetts judge this week ordered Kalshi to cease operations in the state, and the company is facing similar litigation in Nevada.
How Larry Fink (and Donald Trump) saved Davos
The BlackRock CEO stepped in at a precarious moment for the World Economic Forum.
Technology
Themis Bioscience/Martin Wacht/Handout via Reuters
Yuichiro Chino/Getty
Institutions are missing AI’s real potential for drug discovery
More regulatory reform is needed to speed up the progress and reduce costs of applying AI to biosciences.
Themis Bioscience/Martin Wacht/Handout via ReutersResearchers use AI to reverse engineer molecules
Researchers at NYU and the University of Florida claim its neural network proposes molecular structures at 10 times the speed of existing methods.
Yuichiro Chino/GettySouth Korea poised to trump EU in AI safety laws
Seoul has enacted its own national AI laws targeting trust and safety, the second major government after the EU to impose sweeping measures.
How to AI-proof your office
Design firms are experimenting with how to redesign physical spaces to adapt to evolving work habits.
Anthropic vows to protect humanity with AI ‘constitution’
Anthropic updated Claude’s rules, spelling out the chatbot’s “ethical character” and, crucially, requiring it not to “kill or disempower” humanity.
China, US sign off on TikTok US spinoff
The deal caps a yearslong battle between the social media app and the two superpowers.
Energy
A snow storm in 2021. Tom Brenner/Reuters.
Thomas Mukoya/Reuters
Gas prices spike ahead of major US storm
Much of the East Coast and Midwest will see snow and sleet, with travel likely to be disrupted.
A snow storm in 2021. Tom Brenner/Reuters.World Bank, Rockefeller to spend millions on African solar transition
The continent’s panel imports almost tripled in the two years to June 2025, a report found.
Thomas Mukoya/ReutersWhy the smart money is betting against Davos
On clean energy, investors at Davos are betting against the most powerful person here.
Gulf
Amr Alfiky/Reuters
Dubai subsidizes homes for first-time buyers
The initiative is open to residents of all nationalities, offering them priority access to new projects from a slate of developers.
Amr Alfiky/ReutersEmirates builds out infrastructure for Dubai hiring spree
The airline is planning a “cabin crew village,” a multibillion-dirham development designed to house up to 12,000 staff.
AI dominates Gulf deals in Davos
Dubai-based Damac Properties, whose chairman is a Trump ally, secured land and power capacity in the US worth $12 billion.
Lucid to cut back on Chinese supply chain
The Saudi-backed EV maker will source more components from inside the kingdom.
G42 pitches digital embassy plan to foreign governments
A data embassy would store information beyond a country’s physical borders but under its laws.
AfricaA market in Bamako, Mali. Mehmet Kaman/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images. 
Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
How West Africa’s medieval Gold Road shows a path for free trade
Three great West African empires laid the foundation of some of the earliest global trade routes in history.
A market in Bamako, Mali. Mehmet Kaman/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.South Africa’s Nedbank seeks majority stake in Kenya’s NCBA
The deal to buy 66% of NCBA would see South Africa’s fourth-largest lender gain access to NCBA’s 60 million customers.
Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesEthiopian Airlines orders nine new Boeing Dreamliners
The airline is expanding its fleet because of rising demand for long-haul travel, Boeing and Ethiopian Airlines said.
Afreximbank terminates relationship with ratings agency Fitch
The bank said the agency’s credit ratings did not reflect an understanding of the lender’s mandate.
US House passes short-term AGOA extension
AGOA has provided eligible countries with preferential access to US markets since its passage in 2000.
World Bank, Rockefeller to spend millions on African solar transition
The continent’s panel imports almost tripled in the two years to June 2025, a report found.
Security
Issei Kato/File Photo/Reuters
Majid Asgaripour/WANA via Reuters
Stringer/Reuters
Chinese tourism to Japan plummets following Taiwan spat
Beijing urged its citizens not to travel to Japan after its prime minister said her country may support Taiwan militarily.
Issei Kato/File Photo/ReutersThreat of US strike on Iran appears to wane
Officials reportedly advised US President Donald Trump that an attack would be unlikely to topple the government.
Majid Asgaripour/WANA via ReutersDefense stocks surge on rising calls for militarization
Donald Trump’s calls for a more than 50% increase to his country’s military budget have lifted the valuations of domestic arms firms.
Stringer/ReutersMedia
Freakonomics’ Stephen Dubner on why long-form podcasting isn’t dead yet
Stephen Dubner has spent 20 years proving that things aren’t what they seem—and now he’s not so sure that’s always true.
Streaming giants push filmmakers to adapt to ‘double screening’
Viewers are increasingly watching films and TV while also looking at their smartphones.
Die Welt editor departed amid internal inquiry
The editor of Germany’s Die Welt had been the subject of internal scrutiny in recent days by the newspaper’s parent company.
Undersecretary Sarah Rogers on free speech, Europe’s tech crackdown, and the internet she misses
The State Department’s undersecretary for public diplomacy joins Mixed Signals for a wide-ranging conversation about free speech, tech regulation, and why she’s been rattling the patience of some European governments.
Politico announces layoffs, new product
The publication will cut about 3% of its 750-strong global staff.
CEO SignalCourtesy of Nasdaq/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor 
Courtesy of Suntory/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Nasdaq’s Adena Friedman on funding the AI ‘marathon’
The exchange CEO says adopting AI in enterprises requires “a massive change management exercise.”
Courtesy of Nasdaq/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforBank of America’s Brian Moynihan: ‘The pipelines are full’
“It’s clear you can get a deal done now,” says the long-tenured banker.
Greg Hughes on how Suntory plans to revive global spirits sales
The CEO behind Jim Beam and Hibiki says bold goals and learning from failure build long-term growth.
Courtesy of Suntory/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD