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Why AI job losses will take longer than you think
View / The Democratic tax fight that’s really over copying Republicans
The World at a Glance
Updated 6:25pm EDT
1
The IEA agreed to release oil reserves to cushion a global supply disruption, but it did little to calm energy markets.
2India is facing a shortage of liquified petroleum gas due to the Iran conflict, as the energy crisis looms over South Asia.
3US inflation steadied in February, though economists’ attention swiftly turned to the potential for price hikes stemming from the Iran war.
4Iranian officials said the new supreme leader was ‘lightly injured’ but safe, after his absence fueled speculation that he was wounded in US and Israeli strikes.
5AI anxiety is slowly creeping into China’s stock market, as investors retreat into ‘HALO’ stocks with limited AI exposure.
6Porsche’s new CEO said the German sportscar maker would cut more jobs and focus on profits over sales amid a 93% decline in operating profit.
Resistance grows to Senate’s build-to-rent proposal
Now it’s got issues with Democrats, too.
Annabelle Gordon/ReutersWhitmer stands by working with Trump
As Democrats jockey to become chief Trump antagonist, the Michigan governor shows no sign of leaving her pragmatic lane.
Screenshot/Semafor/YouTubeWhite House seeks to tweak deportation rhetoric
Republicans tacitly acknowledge that the administration’s hardline rhetoric on mass deportation risks alienating voters.
Ryan Murphy/Reuters Republicans approach the midterms with a doomed play for unity
The party hoped to focus its campaign on the benefits of last year’s party-line megabill. For now, it’s stuck over a sequel.
Jonathan Ernst/ReutersWhite House signals safe passage for housing bill
The Senate is on track to pass President Donald Trump’s proposed ban on institutional investors in housing as part of a larger package of measures.
Kylie Cooper/Reuters US and Saudi firms team up for Africa minerals deals
Cove Capital and Saudi family conglomerate aim to raise multi billion dollar fund to acquire African mining operations.
Nqobile Dludla/ReutersRepublican spending rises in Kentucky Senate race
A group supporting Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., is dropping more money to attack businessman Nate Morris in the Republican Senate primary.
Screenshot/Keep America Great PAC/YouTube
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PoliticsAnnabelle Gordon/Reuters 
Annabelle Gordon/ReutersScreenshot/Semafor/YouTube
Resistance grows to Senate’s build-to-rent proposal
Now it’s got issues with Democrats, too.
Annabelle Gordon/ReutersBipartisan bill targets senior-scammers
A group of senators introduced a bill on Wednesday that aims to protect seniors from financial scams.
Annabelle Gordon/ReutersWhitmer stands by working with Trump
As Democrats jockey to become chief Trump antagonist, the Michigan governor shows no sign of leaving her pragmatic lane.
Screenshot/Semafor/YouTubeRepublicans approach the midterms with a doomed play for unity
The party hoped to focus its campaign on the benefits of last year’s party-line megabill. For now, it’s stuck over a sequel.
The anti-AIPAC PAC talks about its 2026 strategy
Semafor spoke with American Priorities about where it’s going next.
The Democratic tax fight that’s really over copying Republicans
As populism gains steam among Democrats, exempting large numbers of people from taxes strikes many on the left as “slopulism.”
US Vice President Vance criticized for silence on Iran war
The silence of the US vice president — a staunch anti-interventionist voice — has prompted frustration among allies.
More employees using AI, survey finds
In the fourth quarter of last year, 43% of public-sector employees said they used AI at least a few times annually, according to Gallup polling.
White House signals safe passage for housing bill
The Senate is on track to pass President Donald Trump’s proposed ban on institutional investors in housing as part of a larger package of measures.
Republican spending rises in Kentucky Senate race
A group supporting Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., is dropping more money to attack businessman Nate Morris in the Republican Senate primary.
White House seeks to tweak deportation rhetoric
Republicans tacitly acknowledge that the administration’s hardline rhetoric on mass deportation risks alienating voters.
Business
Stringer/Reuters
Porsche plots cuts, profitability drive amid steep downturn
Porsche had a dour 2025, reporting a staggering 93% decline in operating profit.
Stringer/ReutersUS inflation report ‘obsolete’ amid war
US inflation steadied in February, though economists’ attention has swiftly turned to the potential for price hikes stemming from the Middle East conflict.
IEA’s plan to release oil reserves fails to calm markets
The International Energy Agency agreed on Wednesday to release 400 million barrels of oil to cushion a supply disruption triggered by the war in Iran.
Pentagon headhunting Goldman, JPMorgan bankers for ‘Economic Defense Unit’
The job promises “access to top-level government officials and privileged information flow — whatever you need, you can get.”
MidEast conflict could hurt Chinese business
Analysts say China may benefit geopolitically from a prolonged Iran war, but it could start to feel the pain economically.
Technology
Aly Song/Reuters
STR/NurPhoto/Getty
‘HALO’ trade comes for China
Chinese tech stocks have fallen in recent weeks in part due to caution over the AI boom.
Aly Song/ReutersWhy AI job losses will take longer than you think
Economists and AI experts can look back to the invention of the telephone for an example of how rapid technological change can impact the labor market.
STR/NurPhoto/GettyBig Tech moves to keep up with scams
Tech companies announced new security and scam-prevention tools, in their ongoing efforts to clean up the AI slop and security risks they helped create.
AI is the latest gatekeeper between brands and buyers
Companies are now writing ad copy for bots, not people, and those bots are telling consumers what products to buy.
AI agents take off in China
Local governments have rolled out policy measures to support OpenClaw development, even as authorities issue security warnings over the agents.
World marks 150 years since first-ever phone call
That the phone call has survived myriad technological upheavals shows “how profoundly it changed society,” the CTO of AT&T told Semafor.
Energy
Amit Dave/Reuters
Johanna Geron/File Photo/Reuters
Barbara Lewis/File Photo/Reuters
Energy crisis disrupts South Asia
The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused shortages in India of liquefied petroleum gas.
Amit Dave/ReutersIran war boosts global nuclear energy revival
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has argued that moving away from nuclear power was a “strategic mistake.”
Johanna Geron/File Photo/ReutersMining, metals sector account for 11% of global emissions, report finds
The International Council on Mining and Metals’s new data highlights the sector’s role as both a major emitter and a linchpin of the clean energy transition.
Barbara Lewis/File Photo/ReutersGulf
Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters
Iran’s new supreme leader is ‘lightly injured’
Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen since he was selected last week to succeed his father, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via ReutersNo quick fixes for Hormuz as Iran mines key shipping route
The prospects for a resumption of Gulf oil exports look distant, absent a major diplomatic or military breakthrough.
Trucks have become the Gulf’s logistics stopgap
With the Strait of Hormuz shut, logistics operators in the Gulf are coming up with alternatives to keep trade moving, primarily trucking routes.
US and Saudi firms team up for Africa minerals deals
Cove Capital and Saudi family conglomerate aim to raise multi billion dollar fund to acquire African mining operations.
Past oil shocks may teach us the wrong lesson about the Iran war
The Arab oil embargo of the 1970s was a nightmare scenario. But even falling short of that could be painful for the US and global economy.
Africa
John Sibley/Reuters
Jospin Mwisha/AFP via Getty Images
South Africa’s economic growth undershoots expectations
The growth figures underscored the challenges facing the government in tackling a long list of urgent tasks amid geopolitical shocks.
John Sibley/ReutersChinese mining company blamed for DR Congo health crisis
Residents living near a mine contracted respiratory illnesses following continued exposure to sulfur dioxide gas, a US non-profit found.
Jospin Mwisha/AFP via Getty ImagesGhana introduces new gold royalty system despite opposition
Africa’s top gold producer, like governments across the continent, is trying to capture more value from surging commodity prices.
Middle East airspace closures hurt African airlines
Ethiopian Airlines, the continent’s largest carrier, said it incurred a $137 million loss in a single week.
South Africa’s Ramaphosa bolsters Brazil ties
South Africa’s president courted business leaders in Brazil amid upheaval sparked by US tariffs and the Iran war.
The Iran war risks upending Africa’s Sahel
The junta-led nations around the Sahel — Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger — are particularly vulnerable to the impact of a global energy crisis.
Security
Indonesian troops. Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/Reuters
The aftermath of a strike on Tehran. Iranian Red Crescent Society/Handout via Reuters.
US Patriot missile defense systems at a base in South Korea. Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters.
Asia boosts defense spending amid concerns over China, US
The Asia-Pacific region was second only to Europe in arms imports between 2021 and 2025, according to new research.
Indonesian troops. Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana/ReutersUS destroys Iranian mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran had reportedly begun laying mines in the crucial maritime trade route.
The aftermath of a strike on Tehran. Iranian Red Crescent Society/Handout via Reuters.Ukraine advises US, Gulf on downing Iranian drones
The Patriot missiles used to shoot down Iranian strikes are akin to “using a bazooka to kill a fly,” The New York Times wrote.
US Patriot missile defense systems at a base in South Korea. Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters.Media
Courtesy of OpenAI
AI is the latest gatekeeper between brands and buyers
Companies are now writing ad copy for bots, not people, and those bots are telling consumers what products to buy.
Courtesy of OpenAIHasan Piker on streaming all day, his relationship with Zohran Mamdani, and the lefty media machine
Since 2018, Hasan Piker has gone from streaming alone in his bedroom to becoming one of North America’s most influential leftist creators.
Bulwark CEO wants to help Democrats ‘Eat’ MAGA
The founder of the Bulwark wants to help chart a path back to power for the Democratic party.
Politico founder plots new Washington newspaper war
A damaged Washington Post could face a big new challenger.
Left-of-center groups plead with AGs to stop WBD-Paramount deal
“With President Trump having weaponized independent agencies and antitrust enforcers to do his political bidding, it is essential that states fill the void and aggressively protect consumers,” the groups wrote.
CEO Signal
Courtesy of Autodesk/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Courtesy of Aflac/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor 
Autodesk’s model for building an AI ‘moat’
CEO Andrew Anagnost says software companies need three defensive qualities.
Courtesy of Autodesk/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforAflac’s Dan Amos on succession after 36 years as CEO
The long-tenured leader has a time and a person in mind — and some advice on what the job takes.
Courtesy of Aflac/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor US Soccer’s goal for the 2026 World Cup
CEO JT Batson says the tournament is forcing brands to see the value of the sport’s fans.
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