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Business
L3Harris CEO ousted for relationship with subordinate
Chris Kubasik was previously fired from Lockheed Martin after a similar probe more than a decade ago.
OpenAI funds new think tank projects
Recipients include US-based organizations across the political spectrum, as well as organizations in Europe, Brazil, Singapore, and South Korea.
OpenAI funds new think tank projects
Recipients include US-based organizations across the political spectrum, as well as organizations in Europe, Brazil, Singapore, and South Korea.
View / Can Democrats afford to take on Big Tech?
View / There’s a new status quo in Hormuz
The World at a Glance
Updated 6:54pm EDT
1
President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman, following Washington’s concerns over a Hormuz deal that could bypass the US.
2China faced deepening economic headwinds in July, state data showed, as consumer spending and investment slumped further.
3US consumption is showing some signs of strain, as the US-Iran conflict spurs cost-of-living concerns for Americans.
4Nvidia reached a deal to provide up to $105 billion to backstop a new OpenAI data center, as Big Tech ramps up its AI spending.
5German companies slashed US investments to a three-year low, limiting exposure to Washington’s uncertain trade policies.
6The Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo has become the deadliest in the country’s history, spreading five times faster than previous ones.
Trump’s Oman threat follows concerns over Hormuz
The president threatened “bomb the sh*t out of” Oman if it gets in the way of a deal with Iran.
Nvidia to provide up to $105 billion backstop for OpenAI data center
Nvidia reached a deal on Monday to provide up to $105 billion to backstop a new OpenAI data center in Ohio, as Big Tech ramped up its debt-fueled AI splurge.
Ebola outbreak in DR Congo becomes deadliest in country’s history
The current outbreak is spreading five times faster than previous ones.
Progressive Democrats eye Israel policy shift in 2027
Capitol Hill progressives are homing in on the “Block the Bombs Act.”
Hormuz reopening remains distant as US-Iran truce expires
Iran’s foreign minister said his country had “not yet made a decision” over restarting negotiations with the US.
US scales back South Korea drills, citing lackluster support on Iran
The US recently asked transatlantic allies whether they had “been publicly supportive” of American foreign policy, Bloomberg reported.
Reed Hastings on life after Netflix and the coming ‘creative destruction’
The streaming pioneer says we’re underestimating how AI will change competition.
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Politics
US consumption shows signs of strain
Consumer sentiment fell in August for the first time in months, data showed, as the intensifying US-Iran conflict stoked cost-of-living concerns for Americans.
Lucy Nicholson/Reuters
Trump’s Oman threat follows concerns over Hormuz
The president threatened “bomb the sh*t out of” Oman if it gets in the way of a deal with Iran.
Kylie Cooper/Reuters
Israel’s Lebanon attacks and threats over Gaza undercut US claims of peace progress
Israel carried out its deadliest attacks on Lebanon in weeks and a top Israeli minister called for an intensified assault on Gaza.
Stringer/Reuters
OpenAI funds new think tank projects
Recipients include US-based organizations across the political spectrum, as well as organizations in Europe, Brazil, Singapore, and South Korea.
Can Democrats afford to take on Big Tech? Or to leave it alone?
Some in Washington make the case for laying off the hyperscalers.
Progressive Democrats eye Israel policy shift in 2027
Capitol Hill progressives are homing in on the “Block the Bombs Act.”
Amodei addresses AI backlash
In rare social media remarks, Amodei acknowledged AI firms “haven’t yet delivered on our big promises to benefit the world.”
White House prepares to host crypto and prediction market execs
Attendees will include executives from Coinbase, a16z, Ripple, and Chainlink, plus Kalshi and Paradigm, as well as trade association Digital Chamber, according to people familiar with the plans.
Talarico touts endorsement from man who accused Paxton of stealing his pen
Joe Joplin left his $1,000 pen in a dish near a courthouse metal detector, after which a security camera captured Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton picking it up and walking away.
Democrats eye Republican-held Florida district
Democrats are hoping a potential blue wave will make a Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s district competitive.
Pirro’s special grand jury raises eyebrows among Trump allies
Some officials see the special grand jury move as an obvious ploy to “save her job at all costs,” as one administration official put it.
Business
Nvidia to provide up to $105 billion backstop for OpenAI data center
Nvidia reached a deal on Monday to provide up to $105 billion to backstop a new OpenAI data center in Ohio, as Big Tech ramped up its debt-fueled AI splurge.
Manami Yamada/Reuters
German companies slash US investments
Firms slashed investments to a three-year low to limit exposure to Washington’s uncertain trade policies.
US consumption shows signs of strain
Consumer sentiment fell in August for the first time in months, data showed, as the intensifying US-Iran conflict stoked cost-of-living concerns for Americans.
L3Harris CEO ousted for relationship with subordinate
Chris Kubasik was previously fired from Lockheed Martin after a similar probe more than a decade ago.
Phillips 66, Marathon held now-scuttled merger talks
The talks underscore the exuberance in today’s dealmaking environment.
Technology
Nvidia to provide up to $105 billion backstop for OpenAI data center
Nvidia reached a deal on Monday to provide up to $105 billion to backstop a new OpenAI data center in Ohio, as Big Tech ramped up its debt-fueled AI splurge.
Manami Yamada/Reuters
New Chinese model adds to AI competition
Chinese AI startup Zhipu said its new GLM-5.3 model outperformed Anthropic’s Mythos 5 in a key cybersecurity benchmark, marking the latest Chinese open-weight model to claim parity with the Western AI frontier.
Laurie Chen/Reuters
Amodei addresses AI backlash
In rare social media remarks, Amodei acknowledged AI firms “haven’t yet delivered on our big promises to benefit the world.”
China’s AI ecosystem gears up to challenge US
ByteDance is reportedly developing an AI model rivaling Anthropic’s most advanced Mythos system, and DeepSeek is touting its efforts to build a Claude Code challenger.
Flock tightens guardrails aimed at stopping cops from abusing its license plate cameras
CEO Garrett Langley pushed back against a “misconception that we are some evil entity that has these diabolical plans.”
AI trade surges on firms’ cloud earnings
The race to develop ever more sophisticated AI models shows no sign of slowing.
Energy
Global conflicts and climate change drive up shipping costs
The wars in the Gulf and Ukraine have essentially shut off some of the world’s key passageways for global commodities.
Caroline Brehman/Reuters
Houthis claim strikes on Saudi refinery
The strikes could impact the kingdom’s efforts to maintain shipping volumes amid ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Khaled Abdullah/Reuters
US clean energy investment surges 22% in second quarter
The results, published by the Clean Investment Monitor, were largely driven by residential battery storage installations.
Mike Blake/Reuters
Gulf
Qatar enters regional EV race with first production facility
The factory is part of a deal between the local JTA International Investment Holding and British startup Watt Electric Vehicle Company.
Courtesy of Watt Electric Vehicle Company
Coinbase to establish ‘tokenization hub’ in Abu Dhabi
The hub boosts the UAE’s ambitions to become a global center for digital assets.
ADNOC boosts oil output despite Iran war
ADNOC has emerged as one of the Gulf’s most flexible energy exporters, thanks to geography, defense capabilities, and a willingness to take risks.
US to relieve USS Abraham Lincoln, leaving Pacific without carrier
US President Donald Trump dismissed reports of poor living conditions on the USS Abraham Lincoln as the military prepared to replace it.
US and Hamas hold rare direct talks
US envoy Jared Kushner met with Hamas’ leader in Egypt on Sunday to push for the group’s disarmament as Washington attempts to salvage stalled negotiations.
China
China’s economic headwinds deepen
China’s consumer spending and investment slumped further in July.
Go Nakamura/Reuters
China furthers goals in Asia amid US focus on the Middle East
Washington withdrew an aircraft carrier from the Pacific and has criticized South Korea.
Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters
New Chinese model adds to AI competition
Chinese AI startup Zhipu said its new GLM-5.3 model outperformed Anthropic’s Mythos 5 in a key cybersecurity benchmark, marking the latest Chinese open-weight model to claim parity with the Western AI frontier.
Laurie Chen/Reuters
Africa
Ebola outbreak in DR Congo becomes deadliest in country’s history
The current outbreak is spreading five times faster than previous ones.
Gradel Muyisa Mumbere/Reuters
Fresh scandal hits South Africa’s Democratic Alliance
South Africa’s central bank is investigating a fintech firm co-founded and chaired by the DA’s head of finance.
Senegal raises fuel prices to keep subsidy costs in check
The government has spent nearly all of its full-year allocation for fuel subsidies already.
Zambia’s president pulls ahead in reelection bid
The lead puts Hichilema on course to secure a second term at the helm of Africa’s second-biggest copper producer.
Ghana’s Genser Energy plans expansion after raising over $500M
The company plans to fund ongoing natural gas-based power projects and pursue new opportunities in West Africa.
Solar demand prompts calls for local manufacturing
China’s supply chain dominance means local manufacturing ambitions could take years to materialize, say energy analysts.
Security
Israel’s Lebanon attacks and threats over Gaza undercut US claims of peace progress
Israel carried out its deadliest attacks on Lebanon in weeks and a top Israeli minister called for an intensified assault on Gaza.
Stringer/Reuters
China furthers goals in Asia amid US focus on the Middle East
Washington withdrew an aircraft carrier from the Pacific and has criticized South Korea.
Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters
Hormuz reopening remains distant as US-Iran truce expires
Iran’s foreign minister said his country had “not yet made a decision” over restarting negotiations with the US.
Yalda Moaiery/Handout via Reuters
Media
‘The Daily Show’ faces uncertain future under Paramount
Jon Stewart’s deal is up at the end of the year, and while there is strong interest from Paramount to renew, the two sides have yet to ink an extension.
Cheriss May/Reuters
Daily Mail brings on exec as it plans video expansion
The US outpost of the UK tabloid told Semafor that it had hired Mike Rothman as the company’s new general manager.
CNN president pitches giving network an editorial board to shield it from Paramount
The editorial board is intended to assuage concerns about any future meddling by Paramount in the news network’s journalism.
Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl on AI, streaming power, and why music royalties are the safest asset on Wall Street
The Warner Music Group CEO joins Mixed Signals to explain what a record label actually does in a world where anyone can upload a song to Spotify.
Spotify’s new ‘skip’ button could end the podcast business as we know it
The Swedish streaming giant cast the move as streamlining a feature that already exists, the Spotify app’s 15-second skip button.
CEO Signal
‘It’s an unbundling’: ADP’s Maria Black on how AI is changing the workforce
The payroll processor sees technology disrupting low-value tasks but making human judgment more valuable.
Courtesy of ADP/Graph Massara/Semafor
Reed Hastings on life after Netflix and the coming ‘creative destruction’
The streaming pioneer says we’re underestimating how AI will change competition.
Why Max Levchin wants Affirm to act like your smarter older sister
The fintech founder sees AI threatening traditional lenders by alerting consumers to their hidden fees.
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