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Intelligence for the New World Economy
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The World at a Glance
Updated 7:45am EDT
1
Oman is reportedly in talks with Iran about paying for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
2Donald Trump said he would deploy 5,000 troops to Poland, reversing a prior decision amid a period of rocky transatlantic ties.
3The US said Cuba had accepted $100 million in aid, a decision that may temporarily alleviate the crisis there.
4Donald Trump faced further rebellion among Republican legislators over his proposed $1.8 billion ‘Anti-Weaponization fund.’
5China banned imports of some Nvidia chips, as it seeks to boost domestic production as part of its AI race with the US.
6Major US retailers suggested shoppers are reining in spending as the Iran war raises prices on essential goods.
Ebola outbreak prompts scrutiny of Trump cuts
Congressional Democrats and health experts say slashing USAID hampered the virus response
Jonathan Ernst/ReutersDNC autopsy prompts more questions
The Democratic National Committee’s incomplete 2024 “autopsy” report contains no mention of the war in Gaza.
Kylie Cooper/Reuters Republicans’ view of economy darkens, poll finds
Only 16% of all US adults describe current economic conditions as excellent or good, the lowest in three years.
Leah Millis/ReutersMusk, Zuckerberg derail Trump AI order
The executive order would have created some oversight for powerful new AI models.
Brian Snyder/Reuters SpaceX IPO filing lays out Musk’s interplanetary manifesto
The document also revealed how much the world’s largest public offering is underpinned by a founder firmly in control.
Gabriel V. Cardenas/ReutersIsrael’s Iran stance changes MidEast calculus
Washington’s Middle East partners are increasingly seeing Israel as a destabilizing force, analysts said, a perception that is shifting regional power dynamics.
Ammar Awad/ReutersOil price jump after Iran says it will not submit to US
While the oil market has shown remarkable resilience in the face of the largest energy shock in history, it may be approaching a breaking point.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Iran’s Presidential website/WANA.
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Politics
Evan Vucci/ReutersJonathan Ernst/Reuters
Trump faces further Republican rebellion
The latest displeasure comes over an “Anti-Weaponization Fund,” wth Trump’s standing among GOP legislators is at its lowest point of his second term.
Debatable: Taiwan arms sales
Members of Congress broadly support defensive weapon sales to Taiwan, but there’s friction over how far US support for the self-governing island should go.
Evan Vucci/ReutersEbola outbreak prompts scrutiny of Trump cuts
Congressional Democrats and health experts say slashing USAID hampered the virus response
Jonathan Ernst/ReutersDNC autopsy prompts more questions
The Democratic National Committee’s incomplete 2024 “autopsy” report contains no mention of the war in Gaza.
Republicans’ view of economy darkens, poll finds
Only 16% of all US adults describe current economic conditions as excellent or good, the lowest in three years.
Trump postpones signing AI and cybersecurity order
Trump suggested he had concerns it could shrink the country’s AI lead over China.
How Trump lost Senate Republicans
The president’s sway with them is lower than at any point in his second term — even as his influence in party primaries peaks.
State paid leave laws build national pressure
“Paid family and medical leave has to be at the heart of a new majority’s agenda come January,” said Rep. Sarah McBride, D-Del.
Democrat objections help sink women’s Smithsonian bill
A years-long, bipartisan effort in Congress to build a women’s history Smithsonian museum fizzled with no support from Democrats.
Democrats move to restore military paper’s independence
The new legislation from Senate Democrats aims to insulate Stars and Stripes from the Trump administration’s efforts to assert control.
Republican senators back Bolivia’s Paz
President Rodrigo Paz, who has restored US-Bolivia relations, was elected last year on a promise to enact economic “shock therapy.”
Business
Courtesy of Match Group/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Why 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 using AI to stay sharp
CEO Tom Polen is turning his 65,000 employees into lean manufacturing “problem-finders.”
Retail signals portend trouble for US consumers
Major US retailers suggested shoppers are reining in spending as the Iran war raises prices on essential goods.
We need a new AI vocabulary
CEOs’ vocabulary about the technology is at turns rosy and robotic, maddeningly passive, and tin-eared.
SpaceX IPO filing lays out Musk’s interplanetary manifesto
The document also revealed how much the world’s largest public offering is underpinned by a founder firmly in control.
Technology
Brian Snyder/Reuters
China bans import of some Nvidia chips
The decision dealt a blow to the American tech firm, which had long lobbied the White House to ease export restrictions on China-bound chips.
Musk, Zuckerberg derail Trump AI order
The executive order would have created some oversight for powerful new AI models.
Brian Snyder/Reuters Trump postpones signing AI and cybersecurity order
Trump suggested he had concerns it could shrink the country’s AI lead over China.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX eyes record $80B IPO
SpaceX reported rapidly increasing revenue — $18.67 billion in 2025 — most of it generated by its satellite broadband arm Starlink.
DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis on what Google AI products say about ‘singularity’
In an interview with Semafor, Hassabis opines on the steady march of AI capability.
Meta begins layoffs amid rising AI angst
Meta began laying off thousands of workers, with plans to axe 10% of its staff to offset AI costs.
Energy
Jim Young/File Photo/Reuters
Rafael Martins/Reuters
China Daily via Reuters
Republicans split on ethanol share in national fuel mix
High US gasoline prices are increasing pressure on the Senate to pass legislation increasing the share of ethanol into the fuel mix, but not all agree.
Jim Young/File Photo/ReutersEVs, hybrids to hit 30% of car sales in 2026: IEA
EV sales are soaring on the back of the Iran war and ever-falling battery prices.
Rafael Martins/ReutersWestern nations let Russia in from the cold
The US and UK softened sanctions on Russian oil amid the Iran war’s energy crunch.
China Daily via ReutersGulf
Courtesy of NEOM.
Saudi’s NEOM halts work on The Line until after 2030
Budget deficits and feasibility questions were forcing a rethink even before the Iran war.
Courtesy of NEOM.War dents Saudi’s efforts to diversify economy
The Iran war is undermining Saudi Arabia’s efforts to diversify away from oil, while boosting the kingdom’s oil revenues.
Israel’s Iran stance changes MidEast calculus
Washington’s Middle East partners are increasingly seeing Israel as a destabilizing force, analysts said, a perception that is shifting regional power dynamics.
Qatar Investment Authority, Spanish tech investor lauch $349M fund
The joint fund will back Spanish companies involved in the green transition and digital transformation.
Iran war shrinks Qatar Airways capacity, profits
The state-owned carrier posted a $1.9 billion profit for the year to the end of March, with revenue and passenger traffic hit by repeated airspace closures.
China
Florence Lo/File Photo/Reuters
Alexander Manzyuk/Reuters
China looks for signs of optimism in its housing market
Economists debated whether there’s light at the end of the tunnel for China’s multiyear property slump.
Florence Lo/File Photo/ReutersPutin leaves China without pipeline deal
Russia’s Vladimir Putin left Beijing without an agreement on a long-stalled gas pipeline he urgently sought.
Putin to discuss long-delayed pipeline with Xi
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing this week could clear a logjam for the construction of a long-delayed oil pipeline to China.
Alexander Manzyuk/ReutersAfrica
Adriano Machado/Reuters
Temilade Adelaja/Reuters
Nigeria’s president uses young technocrats to control economy
Nigeria’s septuagenarian president has appointed a new generation of policymakers but critics claim ethnic bias.
Adriano Machado/ReutersSolar minigrids in Nigeria could offer major jobs boost, report finds
Off-grid solar electricity is among the solutions the World Bank is backing to halve the continent’s energy gap.
Temilade Adelaja/ReutersSouth African grocer Pick n Pay raises nearly $300M
Pick n Pay sold a 12.5% stake in Boxer, which has seen its valuation surge since its IPO in 2024.
Kenya cuts fuel prices after deadly protests
Nairobi has been rocked by demonstrations, with four people killed and dozens injured.
Ebola hits central Africa, prompting race for vaccine
There are no treatments for the current Ebola strain, which has already killed 131 people.
Two prominent Republican Africa staffers leave Capitol Hill
Their exits leave an incoming Africa official with one less bridge to Capitol Hill at a fraught moment for US-Africa relations.
SecurityAlexander Manzyuk/Reuters 
Evan Vucci/Reuters
Putin to discuss long-delayed pipeline with Xi
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing this week could clear a logjam for the construction of a long-delayed oil pipeline to China.
Alexander Manzyuk/ReutersPutin launches nuclear drills in projection of power
The show of force comes as Moscow suffers continued losses on the battlefield in its war against Ukraine.
Trump suspends planned Iran strikes
The US president said he was holding off attacks on Iran at the behest of Middle East allies.
Evan Vucci/ReutersMedia
Veronica McNabb/US Army National Guard
Democrats move to restore military paper’s independence
The new legislation from Senate Democrats aims to insulate Stars and Stripes from the Trump administration’s efforts to assert control.
Veronica McNabb/US Army National GuardNew arts magazine Totei to focus on the ‘creative process’
The online magazine will publish content weekly, including profiles of artists and musicians, photo essays, reported features, and interviews.
Fortune chairman joined Trump interview
Editor-in-chief Alyson Shontell conducted the interview with the president.
Paramount seeks to calm California’s creatives — and a litigious attorney general
Paramount is racing to reassure Hollywood that its takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, with its HBO streaming service, isn’t aimed at killing movie theaters.
CBS’ Tony Dokoupil to broadcast from Taiwan after failing to get China visa in time
It was a stumble in the network’s efforts to play a leading role in this week’s dominant global story.
CEO SignalCourtesy of Match Group/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor 
Courtesy of Becton Dickinson/Joey Pfeifer/Semafor
Why 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 using AI to stay sharp
CEO Tom Polen is turning his 65,000 employees into lean manufacturing “problem-finders.”
Courtesy of Becton Dickinson/Joey Pfeifer/SemaforWhy Allstate’s Tom Wilson thinks CEOs should create more jobs with AI
The insurance industry veteran says executives have an obligation to do hard things.
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