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Intelligence for the New World Economy
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The World at a Glance
Updated 6:35pm EDT
1
US President Donald Trump sought to salvage US-Iran negotiations after Tehran suggested it was suspending talks over Israel’s campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
2AI startup Anthropic filed to go public, setting up a blockbuster market debut alongside other tech heavyweights.
3Florida became the first US state to sue OpenAI, alleging that the ChatGPT maker ignored safety concerns.
4Western pharmaceutical firms’ deals with Chinese biotech companies are raising alarm bells among some lawmakers and investors in the West.
5Mexico’s president delivered a harsh rebuke of US “interference” in domestic politics, as Washington looks to assert dominance over the Western Hemisphere.
6Norway is reconsidering EU membership, the country’s foreign minister told the Financial Times, citing the shift to a “crazy world.”
Emanuel dings Democrats for missing corruption messaging ‘gem’
The party’s former House campaigns chief told Semafor he wants to see that message more actively paired with affordability.
Mike Blake/Reuters DOJ statement on Trump fund not enough to unstick funding bill
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., predicted a “robust discussion” at Tuesday’s party meeting about the bill and the fund itself.
Ken Cedeno/Reuters Union Pacific executives privately deny talks with Trump over 15% stake
The US president has publicly floated the idea of the government taking an ownership stake.
Brendan McDermid/ReutersDemocrats stick with Platner while bracing for more dirt
The party is showing no signs of abandoning its scandal-plagued Maine Senate nominee.
Amanda Sabga/ReutersTrump insists Iran peace talks are continuing
US President Donald Trump sought to salvage US-Iran negotiations after Tehran suggested it was suspending talks over Israel’s campaign in Lebanon.
Amir Cohen/ReutersJustice Department tables Trump fund and unsticks immigration bill
Senate Democrats are still planning to clobber the immigration bill with amendments related to the “anti-weaponization” fund.
Leah Millis/ReutersGulf funds step up dealmaking despite Iran war
Gulf capital flowed into US deals, though PIF’s $6 billion investment in Chinese game developer Moonton Technology meant that emerging market investments outpaced developed market deals.
Courtesy of MubadalaAD
Politics
Sam Mircovich/Reuters Mike Blake/Reuters 
Manuel Orbegozo and Carlos Barria/Reuters
Few Americans feel ‘financially fulfilled’, poll finds
And about one-third of American adults say they are financially stressed.
Sam Mircovich/Reuters Emanuel dings Democrats for missing corruption messaging ‘gem’
The party’s former House campaigns chief told Semafor he wants to see that message more actively paired with affordability.
Mike Blake/Reuters Busy primary day sweeps the nation
What to watch for as voters head to the polls in California, Iowa, and New Jersey.
Manuel Orbegozo and Carlos Barria/Reuters DOJ statement on Trump fund not enough to unstick funding bill
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., predicted a “robust discussion” at Tuesday’s party meeting about the bill and the fund itself.
Democrats stick with Platner while bracing for more dirt
The party is showing no signs of abandoning its scandal-plagued Maine Senate nominee.
Trump insists Iran peace talks are continuing
US President Donald Trump sought to salvage US-Iran negotiations after Tehran suggested it was suspending talks over Israel’s campaign in Lebanon.
Lawmakers push new foreign disclosure rules in defense contracting
The bipartisan bill would direct all prospective defense contractors and subcontractors to disclose information on their beneficial owners.
Justice Department tables Trump fund and unsticks immigration bill
Senate Democrats are still planning to clobber the immigration bill with amendments related to the “anti-weaponization” fund.
Democratic primaries get an even bigger AIPAC problem
The group’s toxicity within the party is now so acute that it’s tied to both the war in Iran and the backlash against “dark money.”
Trump faces mounting pressure as Republicans revolt
The US president is also 20 points underwater in polls — far more unpopular than Joe Biden at this point in his term.
Why groups are spending big in Montana’s Democratic Senate primary
Both Republicans and Democrats are backing candidates who have no shot at winning in November.
BusinessBrendan McDermid/Reuters
Union Pacific executives privately deny talks with Trump over 15% stake
The US president has publicly floated the idea of the government taking an ownership stake.
Brendan McDermid/ReutersHow Cisco’s Chuck Robbins gets his team to ‘disagree and commit’
The longstanding CEO says a bad decision that you reverse is better than a delay.
Companies evaluate aggressive AI spending as costs pile up
Pitched partly as an avenue for businesses to save money, AI has sent IT costs soaring.
Child’s play for Japanese adults
The popularity of the toys, known as gacha gacha, comes as Japan’s population rapidly ages — the number of children has hit a fresh low.
Where are the customers’ hedges?
The future of commerce can’t possibly be a prediction market for whether someone will deliver me four kiwis.
Technology
Manuel Orbegozo/Reuters
Bhawika Chhabra/Reuters
Florida sues OpenAI over safety concerns
Florida became the first US state to sue OpenAI, alleging that the ChatGPT maker ignored safety concerns.
Manuel Orbegozo/ReutersAnthropic files to go public as AI startups race to hit markets
Anthropic confidentially filed to go public, setting up a blockbuster market debut alongside other tech heavyweights.
Bhawika Chhabra/ReutersLuma AI launching robotics lab anyone can use
Luma AI is starting a robotics lab that will allow anyone to train robots on its software, expanding beyond the startup’s video generation models.
Nvidia unveils new ‘superchip’ for AI-driven home computing
The chips are designed to allow AI agents to become the primary way users interact with their computers, rather than a mouse and keyboard.
Militaries mull the use of AI in war
UK defense officials are considering lifting requirements that humans should always choose targets, while other NATO countries may relax ethical concerns.
UAE ups pre-IPO stake in Anthropic
Sovereign wealth fund MGX backed the AI startup’s $65 billion fundraise, further strengthening its position in the Claude developer.
Energy
Luke MacGregor/Reuters
China Daily via Reuters
Stringer/Reuters
BP’s ousted chair to challenge accusations
Albert Manifold was abruptly removed from his position atop the oil major’s board this week.
Luke MacGregor/ReutersGlobal clean-energy trade reaches record high
New data suggest Donald Trump’s tariffs on the energy transitions sector did little to stifle clean energy trade.
China Daily via ReutersOil prices rise on fresh round of Iran-US airstrikes
But insurance rates for tankers passing the strait — the most important indicator of whether the waterway is “reopening” — haven’t budged.
Stringer/ReutersGulf
JohnnyGreig/Getty
UAE drafts first Arabic-language law
It is a significant move for a country where Emiratis make up less than 12% of the population, and where Arabic has ceded ground in daily life.
JohnnyGreig/GettyUAE ups pre-IPO stake in Anthropic
Sovereign wealth fund MGX backed the AI startup’s $65 billion fundraise, further strengthening its position in the Claude developer.
Gulf funds step up dealmaking despite Iran war
Gulf capital flowed into US deals, though PIF’s $6 billion investment in Chinese game developer Moonton Technology meant that emerging market investments outpaced developed market deals.
Saudi Arabia pledges $1.5B aid package for Syria
The package is a major boost to Damascus, which is working to consolidate power and restart the economy after more than a decade of war.
Former Qatari energy minister Abdullah Al Attiyah dies
Abdullah bin Hamad Al Attiyah was the architect of Qatar’s LNG industry, transforming the country into one of the world’s wealthiest nations.
China
Aly Song/Reuters
Edgar Su/File Photo/Reuters
Go Nakamura/Reuters
China’s biotech boom alarms Western lawmakers, investors
US firms’ licensing deals have prompted concerns that they could grow over-reliant on Chinese biotech companies.
Aly Song/ReutersTaiwan opposition leader to visit DC
The visit comes at a time when Washington’s commitment to the self-governing island has been cast in doubt.
Edgar Su/File Photo/ReutersChinese manufacturing slows as Iran war strains economy
Beijing has been relatively shielded from the worst effects of the conflict so far.
Go Nakamura/ReutersAfrica
Michel Lunanga/Getty Images
Aimee Rose McGhee/Dave Benett/Getty Images
DR Congo’s Ebola outbreak is a multifaceted crisis
The disease could have spread undetected among informal workers, who often cross the country’s porous border.
Michel Lunanga/Getty Images‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ gets London stage debut
The musical is an adaptation of a memoir about a young Malawian boy who builds his own windmill to generate electricity during a period of famine.
Aimee Rose McGhee/Dave Benett/Getty ImagesDRC adds lithium to higher-tax strategic minerals list
Niobium, tantalum, tungsten, and uranium were also added to the list of minerals in the higher 10% tax bracket.
South African households grapple with water shortages
The water crisis is likely to hand the country’s main opposition parties leverage ahead of local elections later this year.
South Africa agrees $2.3B power lifeline
The intervention aimed at helping ferrochrome producers is an attempt by Pretoria to stabilize a smelting sector roiled by soaring electricity costs.
Abiy expected to retain power in Ethiopia election
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has pursued economic liberalization during his two terms in power.
Security
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Støre and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February. Alina Smutko/Reuters
Quetzalli Nicte-Ha/Reuters
Israeli Military/Handout via Reuters
Norway, citing ‘crazy world’, reconsiders EU membership
Norway is reconsidering joining the EU, the country’s foreign minister told the Financial Times.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Støre and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in February. Alina Smutko/ReutersSheinbaum decries US ‘interference’ in Mexico’s politics
Mexico’s president delivered her harshest rebuke yet of US “interference,” following Washington’s indictment of 10 Mexican officials for alleged cartel ties.
Quetzalli Nicte-Ha/ReutersIsrael seizes Crusader castle in Lebanon
Israeli forces seized a 12th-century Crusader castle in southern Lebanon, as Israel intensifies its farthest incursion into the country in 26 years, despite a nominal ceasefire.
Israeli Military/Handout via ReutersMedia
Katie Jones/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images
New York Public Radio’s new boss reorganizes the network
In her first four months on the job, Christy Tanner has swiftly eliminated many of NYPR’s seniormost figures.
Katie Jones/Variety/Penske Media via Getty ImagesBret Baier on golfing with Trump, his 2028 predictions, and making the case for civility
Fox News’ Special Report host Bret Baier joins Mixed Signals to talk about what it’s like to sit at the center of American political media.
The ‘completely new’ ‘60 Minutes’
Nick Bilton’s hire signals that Paramount CEO David Ellison and editor-in-chief Bari Weiss’ overhaul of CBS News will be radical and total.
Paramount appears to sway DOJ staff on Warner Bros. takeover
US antitrust regulators appear to approve Paramount’s $110 billion studio deal after a two-hour meeting at the Justice Department Tuesday, people familiar with the matter said.
Thousands of journalists’ data exposed to dark web
More than half of the exposures contained personal information such as names, phone numbers, dates of birth, and addresses, per a new study from Proton.
CEO Signal
Courtesy of Cisco/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of Match Group/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of Becton Dickinson/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
How Cisco’s Chuck Robbins gets his team to ‘disagree and commit’
The longstanding CEO says a bad decision that you reverse is better than a delay.
Courtesy of Cisco/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforWhy an anxious AI romantic now drives Match Group’s dating apps
CEO Spencer Rascoff uses digital “personas” to help the Tinder owner understand its users.
Courtesy of Match Group/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforHow syringe-maker BD is infusing AI into its medical devices
CEO Tom Polen is turning his 65,000 employees into lean manufacturing “problem-finders.”
Courtesy of Becton Dickinson/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD