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Intelligence for the New World Economy
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The World at a Glance
Updated 5:35pm EST
1
European leaders rallied to defend Greenland after Donald Trump said he was “very serious” about his intent to seize the autonomous Danish territory.
2The capture of Nicolás Maduro prompted a restrained response from Moscow, which lost a key Latin American ally.
3Prominent Venezuelan voices cautioned against Donald Trump’s campaign to swiftly restore oil investment in the country without prioritizing democratic reforms.
4Iran faces growing domestic dissent, along with threats from US President Donald Trump, though analysts said he is unlikely to deploy his Venezuela playbook against Tehran.
5Saudi Arabia is opening its stock market to all foreign investors, part of the kingdom’s efforts to draw more capital and reduce its dependence on oil.
6The US health regulator will no longer recommend children be vaccinated for diseases including flu, hepatitis, and meningococcal disease.
Congress starts to take Trump’s interest in Greenland more seriously
Lawmakers may have dismissed the president’s talk of US control of the Danish territory before. After Venezuela, that’s changing.
Jonathan Ernst/ReutersGeorge Conway runs for Congress on impeaching Trump
The former Republican lawyer is launching a Democratic bid for New York’s 12th congressional district.
Andrew Harnik/Getty ImagesHouse Republicans huddle with Trump on 2026 policy goals
Lawmakers will also hear from committee chairs on their plans for the year as they scope out their conference’s 2026 legislative agenda.
Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersElliott Investment Management’s Citgo gamble
An Elliott affiliate in November won a messy bidding war for Citgo, which had been owned by Venezuela’s state oil company.
Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo/ReutersAD
Gulf sovereign funds ramp up US bets
Investments into the US more than doubled as Gulf funds piled into US tech and the American economy.
Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersWalz’s retirement opens path for Klobuchar in Minnesota
The senior senator from Minnesota is seriously considering a bid for governor of her home state.
Annabelle Gordon/ReutersGetting Venezuela’s oil will be harder than the White House thinks
Trump’s challenge to oil majors will test his influence on top CEOs.
Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters
Politics
Jonathan Ernst/ReutersEvelyn Hockstein/Reuters Annabelle Gordon/Reuters
In Venezuela, Rubio the ‘careful’ meets Trump the aggressive
The secretary of state is playing translator for the tough-talking president. Some Republicans are paying more attention to the former than the latter.
Jonathan Ernst/ReutersHouse Republicans huddle with Trump on 2026 policy goals
Lawmakers will also hear from committee chairs on their plans for the year as they scope out their conference’s 2026 legislative agenda.
Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersWalz’s retirement opens path for Klobuchar in Minnesota
The senior senator from Minnesota is seriously considering a bid for governor of her home state.
Annabelle Gordon/ReutersGeorge Conway runs for Congress on impeaching Trump
The former Republican lawyer is launching a Democratic bid for New York’s 12th congressional district.
Congress starts to take Trump’s interest in Greenland more seriously
Lawmakers may have dismissed the president’s talk of US control of the Danish territory before. After Venezuela, that’s changing.
Six questions for Washington in 2026
Here’s what Semafor reporters will be watching for in the Trump presidency’s second year.
Americans predict economic difficulty in 2026, poll finds
However, most believe the stock market will rise.
Congress returns to familiar health care stalemate
The House could vote as soon as this week on a three-year extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies.
As clock ticks, Democrats keep up spending fight with Trump
Colorado’s two Democratic senators are still objecting to moving forward on the “minibus” of spending bills.
News organizations held off on reporting Venezuela raid
The American news organizations held their stories over concerns about endangering US troops.
How Trump kept Republicans behind his Maduro campaign
The Venezuelan leader’s capture is the latest test of the US president’s support within the party.
Business
Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo/Reuters
Where are all the stock-market bears?
Wall Street analysts are all predicting more gains in 2026, despite the unsettled and uncertain situation in the world.
Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo/ReutersVenezuelan bonds get a boost after US raid
Venezuelan government bonds surged 30% on Monday, with investors betting the US’ strong hand will clear the way for a grand-bargain restructuring.
Nvidia speeds up chip release as AI competition intensifies
CEO Jensen Huang previewed the company’s next generation of chips, and announced it would offer its chips and software to self-driving carmakers.
2026 set to be a bumper year for M&A, IPOs
Three major US tech giants — AI firms Anthropic and OpenAI, as well as Elon Musk’s SpaceX — are all gearing up for IPOs.
Semafor Business’ 2026 Bingo Card
A list of our predictions for 2026, let’s see how many we get right.
Technology
Steve Marcus/Reuters
Albert Gea/File Photo/Reuters
Nvidia speeds up chip release as AI competition intensifies
CEO Jensen Huang previewed the company’s next generation of chips, and announced it would offer its chips and software to self-driving carmakers.
Steve Marcus/ReutersChina’s BYD becomes world’s largest EV company
The milestone comes as good news for the firm as brutal domestic competition threatens to overshadow its expansion efforts.
Albert Gea/File Photo/ReutersSemafor Tech’s predictions for 2026
Quantum will get presidential backing and anti-AI candidates won’t win.
Meta to buy startup Manus, the latest deal in an AI M&A surge
Meta’s purchase is significant for being among the biggest deals in which a US company has bought into the Chinese AI ecosystem.
Accountancy exams go in-person as AI cheating soars
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants said that cheats were “outpacing” safeguards.
Nvidia buys AI chip startup Groq for $20 billion
The semiconductor giant will hire all of Groq’s top staff and license the firm’s AI technology.
Energy
Tuane Fernandes/Reuters
Yves Herman/File PhotoLeonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo/Reuters
Trump’s bid for energy dominance at odds with dividends
Trump’s push to remake the US as a petrostate risks backfiring for its energy security, its economy, and the specific interests of oil company shareholders.
Tuane Fernandes/ReutersEU carbon border tariff takes effect
The new tax forces companies exporting pollution-heavy goods into the EU to pay for their products’ emissions.
Yves Herman/File PhotoElliott Investment Management’s Citgo gamble
An Elliott affiliate in November won a messy bidding war for Citgo, which had been owned by Venezuela’s state oil company.
Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo/ReutersGulf
Trump holds a sample of oil that he was gifted in Abu Dhabi. Amr Alfiky/Reuters.
How the US oil empire could squeeze the Gulf
If US President Donald Trump’s plan to control oil production in the Western Hemisphere comes to pass, Washington would oversee more crude than OPEC+.
Trump holds a sample of oil that he was gifted in Abu Dhabi. Amr Alfiky/Reuters.Gulf sovereign funds ramp up US bets
Investments into the US more than doubled as Gulf funds piled into US tech and the American economy.
Venezuela, Shale’s plateau, and the US’ old oil reflex
If the US operation in Venezuela tells us anything, it’s that Washington is thinking past the shale boom and back to a more traditional playbook.
The Gulf won’t mourn Maduro
The US capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has almost no impact on the region — at least not directly, and certainly not for now.
Bahrain tries to fix fiscal budget woes amid mounting debt
The government plans to slash administrative costs, impose a tax on local companies’ profits, and charge a levy on undeveloped land.
Africa
Aerial view of the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan. Luc Gnago/File Photo/Reuters.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. Adriano Machado/File Photo/Reuters.
Battle looms for African football broadcast rights
Changes to the Africa Cup of Nations cycle, and a new football tournament, look set to spark a new scramble for media rights
Aerial view of the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan. Luc Gnago/File Photo/Reuters.Nigeria radically overhauls tax system to boost revenues
The changes mark a fresh push to diversify one of the continent’s largest economies away from its historic dependence on oil exports.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu. Adriano Machado/File Photo/Reuters.African Union expresses ‘grave concern’ over US raid of Venezuela
The US intervention raised fears over the measures Washington may take in disputes with the continent’s biggest economies.
US commits $2B to new UN-led humanitarian fund for crisis-hit countries
Nine of the 17 eligible nations are in Africa.
Botswana seeks Russian investment as diamond revenues slump
Russia has in recent years sought to strengthen its political ties with African countries and gain access to the continent’s vital minerals.
Zambia accepts mining taxes in yuan
The Zambian authorities are the first in Africa to confirm they are accepting mining-tax payments in renminbi, Bloomberg reported.
Security
Stringer/Reuters
Stringer/Reuters
Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters
China-Japan feud escalates after Beijing unveils export curbs
The raft of export restrictions included goods with potential military applications.
Stringer/ReutersZelenskyy reshuffles government in face of alleged corruption
Among the departures was the head of the security service, who is credited with some of Ukraine’s most successful operations against Russia.
Stringer/ReutersTrump’s Greenland threats loom over Ukraine talks in Paris
Officials hope that “keeping Greenland to one side,” as Politico put it, will allow for progress on Ukraine peace talks.
Sarah Meyssonnier/ReutersMedia
Screenshot/YouTube/CBS Evening News
New anchor Dokoupil sets the tone for ‘CBS Evening News’
In his opening monologue, Tony Dokoupil lamented that his colleagues in the news business had leaned too much into the perspectives of subject matter experts.
Screenshot/YouTube/CBS Evening NewsKevin O’Leary on playing the villain and turning attention into power
Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary joins Mixed Signals to talk about his buzzy turn as a ruthless tycoon in Marty Supreme — and how it felt playing a fictionalized version of himself.
Audiobook growth contrasts with print
Overall, sales of audio versions of books grew 1% in the year through October after rising more than 20% in 2024.
What media leaders got wrong in 2025
Reflections from media leaders around the world.
What actually mattered in 2025, with Janice Min and Emily Sundberg
The Ankler’s Min and FeedMe’s founder Sundberg join Mixed Signals for a candid roundtable lookback at a disorienting year in media.
CEO Signal
Courtesy of WPP/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of Target/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of Lyft/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
‘AI is going to automate the ordinary’: Cindy Rose’s plan for ad giant WPP
The admaker has fallen behind its peers, but the Microsoft veteran sees opportunity in disruption.
Courtesy of WPP/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor‘We’ve got work to do’: The new CEO aiming at an elevated Target
Michael Fiddelke says a clearer focus and simpler messaging can return the retailer to growth.
Courtesy of Target/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforHow Lyft’s David Risher seized his ‘wet cement’ moment
The CEO of the No. 2 in US ridesharing says there’s more to growth than catching ‘the other guys.’
Courtesy of Lyft/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD