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View / COP is ‘drowning in stupid homework’
View / An unpublished profile raises questions about Epstein — and journalism
The World at a Glance
Updated 10:26am EST
1
An outage at cybersecurity firm Cloudflare brought down large parts of the internet, again showing the web’s vulnerability to single points of failure.
2A multi-day stock selloff has stripped almost $100 billion from Nvidia’s market capitalization, as investors fear a tech bubble.
3Saudi’s crown prince meets with Donald Trump today, with a deal for US F-35 fighter jets among those set to be signed.
4Polish authorities called the explosion of a train headed to Ukraine an act of ‘sabotage,’ implying Russian involvement.
5Donald Trump said he was considering expanding strikes in Latin America to include land targets in Colombia and Mexico.
6Chinese plane manufacturer COMAC debuted its C919 airliner at the Dubai Airshow, a sign of the firm’s global ambitions.
How South Africa gets a G20 win
South Africa’s G20 leadership has raised the profile for rethinking how to ensure debt sustainability for low-income countries.
Leah Millis/ReutersUS investor in Saudi soccer looks to women’s teams
A tech investor is adopting AI and “Moneyball” tactics to compete against Saudi wealth fund-backed soccer clubs.
Courtesy of SPASaudi crown prince visits US with defense, AI on agenda
MBS arrives in Washington this week seeking to cement his country’s deepening alliance with the US.
Saudi Press Agency/Handout via ReutersSaudi paints itself as indispensable US ally for a new era
Riyadh is recasting itself as a partner that can help Washington win in AI, energy, and Middle East security.
Brian Snyder/ReutersAD
Trump endorses House vote on release of Epstein files
House Republicans, many of whom would have supported the proposal anyway, have been at a boiling point over the vote.
Elizabeth Frantz/ReutersAfrican fintech players seek new growth paths
African fintech revenues could reach $47 billion in 2028, a near five-fold increase from 2023, according to McKinsey
Olympia de Maismont/AFP via Getty ImagesThe old MSNBC relaunches into a new media world
The network, now called MS NOW, is in the midst of its biggest gamble since it launched in 1996.
Liz Hoffman/Semafor
Politics
Nathan Howard/Reuters
Arin Yoon/Reuters
Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
US House expected to pass bill forcing Epstein files’ release
President Donald Trump said Monday he would sign the legislation if the Senate passes it.
Nathan Howard/ReutersAlmost half of Americans fear they can’t afford health care: Poll
One in five Americans said they or someone in their household couldn’t afford a prescription in the last three months.
Arin Yoon/ReutersTrump key to any health care negotiations in Senate
There’s no sign yet of a real bipartisan negotiation on expiring subsidies.
Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersWhat to watch for as Trump welcomes Saudi crown prince
The visit, which will include a trip to the US Capitol, is being closely watched at home and in the Gulf.
Poll: As Trump loses ground with Latinos, Democrats still lag
President Donald Trump has lost most of his 2024 gains with Latino voters, a new poll found.
MAGA breakup: Trump splits with ‘traitor’ Greene
The schism between the president and the Georgia conservative has grown for weeks.
Trump endorses House vote on release of Epstein files
House Republicans, many of whom would have supported the proposal anyway, have been at a boiling point over the vote.
The curious life and lonely death of an American in Kabul
Jeff Rigsby moved back to Afghanistan after the US withdrawal with a self-imposed mission to save lives and inform millions.
Saudi crown prince’s US visit could reshape MidEast security
Saudi’s de facto ruler Mohammed bin Salman and President Donald Trump are planning the future of the US-Saudi relationship for decades to come.
Record-breaking US govt shutdown will cast long shadow
Key economic data, including employment and inflation numbers for October, will likely never be released.
White House plows ahead with South American trade deals
The deals offer a new talking point for President Donald Trump and his top advisers, who are fielding more questions about the economy.
Business
Amr Alfiky/Reuters
Chinese airplane-maker indicates global ambitions
China’s civil aircraft manufacturer COMAC’s presence is a sign that China is targeting competition with Western giants like Boeing and Airbus.
Amr Alfiky/ReutersChina’s luxury buyers turn to homegrown brands
The domestic boom is a blow to heritage US and European luxury giants, which have come to rely on the country’s huge market.
Yale study shows CEOs picked from within drive higher returns
Researchers say the performance gap should tell boards not to assume that an outside ‘savior’ will be better.
Argentina gets $900M as US pulls same amount from IMF
The movement of funds last month, according to reports, is separate from the US Treasury purchasing pesos during Argentina’s run-up to Javier Milei’s election win.
Markets show little reaction as US government shutdown concludes
The S&P 500 traded down about 1% as the longest government shutdown in US history ended.
Technology
Yves Herman/Reuters
Steve Marcus/File Photo/Reuters
Cloudflare outage takes down large parts of the internet
Cloudflare’s collapse hit X and AI chatbots Claude and ChatGPT, among dozens of other websites.
Yves Herman/ReutersGlobal markets retreat on fears of tech bubble
The rout, partly fueled by investors’ worries of a US equities bubble, led to the Dow Jones Industrial Average’s worst three-day stretch in months.
Steve Marcus/File Photo/ReutersSpotting cybercrime is working for Anthropic’s marketing
The company said it had successfully struck down attempts by a perceived Chinese state-sponsored group that succeeded in hacking a “small number” of global targets.
Google refuses to breakup in a plan meant to resolve EU sanctions
Google doubled down in its response to the European Commission’s landmark September decision that found its adtech business breached antitrust rules.
Today’s AI buildout is just a supercharged Cloud 2.0
The reckless AI buildout that we’re hearing about is much more like the old cloud business, but fast-growing, massive, and transformative.
Russian robot’s viral tumble shows messy reality of humanoids
The fall of the highly anticipated humanoid robot overshadowed a still impressive achievement in the early days of the technology.
Energy
Brian Snyder/File Photo Preview/Reuters
Adriano Machado/Reuters
Stoyan Nenov/File Photo/Reuters
US pushes through new series of oil and gas deals
Saudi Aramco is expected to sign two deals to import US liquefied natural gas.
Brian Snyder/File Photo Preview/ReutersRich nations not contributing ‘fair share’ of climate funding, report finds
The ODI think tank calculated each nation’s fair share based on historical responsibility for cumulative emissions, GDP, and population.
Adriano Machado/ReutersUS sanctions on Russia’s Lukoil impede methane cuts
US sanctions saw Lukoil suspended from a coalition of oil majors working together to reduce their methane emissions.
Stoyan Nenov/File Photo/ReutersGulfCourtesy of SPA
US investor in Saudi soccer looks to women’s teams
A tech investor is adopting AI and “Moneyball” tactics to compete against Saudi wealth fund-backed soccer clubs.
Courtesy of SPAUS to sell fighter jets to Saudi as MBS meets Trump
The deal is just one of those expected to emerge from US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Oval Office meeting.
What to watch for as Trump welcomes Saudi crown prince
The visit, which will include a trip to the US Capitol, is being closely watched at home and in the Gulf.
Emirates places $38B Boeing order in bet on long-haul travel
The Dubai carrier also said it will begin providing Starlink service this month and equip its entire 232-plane fleet over the next two years.
Qatar builds Gulf’s largest museum-grade art storage facility
The Doha facility will manage preservation, security, and logistics as interest in art in the region rises.
AfricaLeah Millis/Reuters 
Alexandre Meneghini/Reuters
How South Africa gets a G20 win
South Africa’s G20 leadership has raised the profile for rethinking how to ensure debt sustainability for low-income countries.
Leah Millis/ReutersNew $400M loan for power ship company supplying African nations
The Turkish company supplies electricity to nearly a dozen African countries through power plants on floating barges.
Alexandre Meneghini/ReutersGhana to abolish VAT on minerals processing
The move is part of broader taxation changes to make the economy “more business friendly” and create jobs, its finance minister said.
Senegal says it’s ‘committed’ to IMF talks despite push against debt restructuring
The announcement came after comments by the prime minister ruling out a debt restructuring, which sent bonds plummeting last week.
S&P Global boost for South Africa, Nigeria
South Africa secured its first credit rating upgrade since 2005, moving up one level to BB.
The fallacy that unites Trump’s strategists and pan-Africanist champions
Africa has less of the world’s share of critical minerals than many seem to think.
Security
KPRM/Handout via Reuters
U.S. Navy/Petty Officer 3rd Class Gladjimi Balisage/Handout via Reuters
Ann Wang/Reuters
Poland calls train explosion ‘sabotage,’ implying Russian involvement
The incident was the latest in a series of episodes across Europe for which authorities have suggested Moscow was responsible.
KPRM/Handout via ReutersTrump threatens more strikes across Latin America
The US president said yesterday he would be “proud” to extend attacks to include land targets in Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela.
U.S. Navy/Petty Officer 3rd Class Gladjimi Balisage/Handout via ReutersUS approves weapons sale to Taiwan, risking Beijing’s ire
The move risks once again sparking tensions with Beijing, after the US and China reached a détente in their trade war.
Ann Wang/ReutersMedia
Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Vox to partner with Patreon for new paywalled shows
Vox said it hopes to supplement its shows with live newsroom conversations and community features such as chats.
Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesThe old MSNBC relaunches into a new media world
The network, now called MS NOW, is in the midst of its biggest gamble since it launched in 1996.
An unpublished profile raises questions about Epstein — and journalism
Buried deep in the House Oversight Committee’s recent release of emails from Jeffrey Epstein’s inbox is an 8,684-word profile by the reporter Michael Wolff.
Comcast, Paramount, Netflix near bids for Warner Bros. Discovery
A frenetic pursuit for the last big chunk of media assets is entering its next stage.
BBC director general quits over Trump reporting
He resigned over a report suggesting the broadcaster had misleadingly edited a speech by US President Donald Trump.
CEO Signal
Sean Anthony Eddy/Getty
Merck/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Yale study shows CEOs picked from within drive higher returns
Researchers say the performance gap should tell boards not to assume that an outside ‘savior’ will be better.
Sean Anthony Eddy/GettyBelén Garijo’s prescription for Germany’s Merck
The former doctor says long-term success stems from making hard decisions when the going is good.
Merck/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforHow Ariane Gorin sees AI writing Expedia’s third chapter
The former Microsoft executive says agents will not replace her travel site — if it can get its own technology right.
Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAD