Vinod Khosla on OpenAI, national security and AI’s climate impact
Clean energy needs new strategies to survive climate change
The World at a Glance
Updated 1:21pm EDT
1
Germany, beset by short-term and structural challenges, reversed its growth forecast for 2024.
2Millions in Florida were told to evacuate as a ‘matter of life or death’ ahead of the expected arrival of Category 5 storm Hurricane Milton.
3Google faces a potential breakup after being found to operate a monopoly over search, amid a broader US antitrust fight.
4Netanyahu said successors to Hezbollah’s assassinated leader were killed by Israeli strikes, as the Lebanese group backed ceasefire calls.
5The Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to three computer scientists for work on protein structures said to open up ‘vast possibilities’ in benefits to humankind.
6China’s economic slowdown is impacting European luxury brands, as purchases by Chinese consumers amount to a third of their global sales.
Zelenskyy launches European diplomacy blitz to promote Ukraine ‘victory plan’
Kyiv is aiming to convince its Western allies to loosen restrictions on weapons, ramp up military support, and invite Ukraine into NATO.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service via ReutersFed’s 2% inflation target is ‘sacrosanct’ — and here
Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee on Jerome Powell (a “first-ballot Hall of Famer”) and why declaring victory on a soft landing is misleading
Brendan McDermid/ReutersKamala Harris struggles to balance ‘change’ and loyalty to Joe Biden
Some allies winced after she initially declined to name a difference with Biden on “The View.”
Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersAbu Dhabi stakes claim on ‘capital of capital’ as world’s richest city
With $1.7 trillion in assets managed by sovereign wealth funds, the Emirati capital has overtaken Oslo.
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Trump sending Putin Covid tests while president reignites concern over relationship
The Kremlin confirmed the claim made in a new book by journalist Bob Woodward, which also stated Trump has spoken with Putin repeatedly since 2021.
Kevin Lamarque/ReutersChemistry Nobel Prize goes to AI pioneers
Three computer scientists shared the award for their research into determining the structure of proteins.
Tom Little/ReutersGlobal Hot List: Brazilian local elections provide a far-right foothold
The latest updates from Semafor global elections expert Brad Glasser.
Al Lucca/Semafor
politics
REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinEvelyn Hockstein/Reuters 
David Weigel
The politics of Kamala Harris’ Glock
The Democratic ticket has actively played up their gun ownership.
REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinKamala Harris struggles to balance ‘change’ and loyalty to Joe Biden
Some allies winced after she initially declined to name a difference with Biden on “The View.”
Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersAnti-trans ads didn’t work in 2022. Republicans think this time will be different.
Across the country, the party is going all-in on LGBTQ-related attacks.
David WeigelWhy Republicans feel … good about Harris’ showing in New York
The vice president is trailing Joe Biden’s 2020 numbers in the state. That could prove a drag in House races that Democrats hope to win this fall.
Politics seeps into Hurricane Milton response
The administration’s response to the storm may impact the outcome of the November election, strategists said.
Republicans are still haunted by Obamacare. Can Democrats capitalize?
‘It’s a huge political loser’ for Trump’s party, as one Democratic senator put it.
What analyses of Trump and Harris’ economic plans agree on
Both candidates’ policies would add to the US national debt, but differ widely in by how much.
Trump’s return to site of assassination attempt underscores a transformed election
The weekend rally in Pennsylvania seemed aimed to recapture the campaign’s momentum immediately following the July shooting.
Inside Obama’s bid to help save Senate Democrats’ majority
The former president cut ads and is embarking on a nationwide tour as his party looks to capitalize on his purple state popularity.
Kamala Harris chases the disaffected Republican vote
Liz Cheney and former Nikki Haley backers are encouraged by her outreach. Some on the left are worried.
What US foreign policy could look like under Harris
Analysts think the Democratic presidential candidate will likely shelve her boss’ democracy-vs-autocracy framing if she wins next month’s election.
business
Courtesy of Mubadala
Blackstone, Gulf sovereign fund eye private-fund stakes
The business of Wall Street firms buying pieces of each other is booming.
Courtesy of MubadalaEU taps Emanuele Tarantino as new chief competition economist
The Italian academic is tasked with guiding the bloc as it tries to balance reining in Big Tech with innovation.
Dockworkers strike poses political dilemma just before election
In the New York City area alone, nearly 100,000 containers are now waiting to be unloaded, with 35 more container ships on their way.
Ex-Amex CEO Ken Chenault is a top candidate for jobs in a Harris administration
The Democratic donor, who was one of the only Black CEOs of a major company, could be up for Treasury secretary if Harris wins.
US central bank chief hints at how rest of 2024 could play out
The Federal Reserve’s committee in charge of interest rate cuts meets next in November.
technology
Khosla Ventures
Steve Marcus/File Photo/Reuters
Vinod Khosla on OpenAI, national security and AI’s climate impact
Khosla says the next wave of technology, driven by generative AI, may have the biggest impact on humanity yet.
Khosla VenturesUS weighs breaking up Google, a move that could transform tech
The Justice Department may ask a federal court to force the tech giant to divest parts of its business, such as its Chrome browser and Android operating system.
Steve Marcus/File Photo/ReutersAI pioneers win Nobel Prize in Physics
Scientists John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton were lauded for creating tools that underpin today’s machine learning.
Google ordered to open up Android app store in latest legal blow
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, faces numerous legal challenges in the US that, together, threaten its core business.
Talking through AI and the future of music with will.i.am
How will.i.am has immersed himself in AI and left his humanity intact.
DJs are debating whether AI can replace them
Software companies that make DJing platforms are increasingly adding AI capabilities to their tech, allowing DJs to automate some tasks. The reception within Berlin’s iconic club scene is mixed.
net zero
Marco Bello/Reuters
Bruno Kelly/Reuters
Muyu Xu/Reuters
Clean energy needs new strategies to survive climate change
Hurricane Helene exposed how vulnerable the clean energy system is to extreme weather.
Marco Bello/ReutersBrazil plans to dredge the Amazon River. Scientists say the consequences may be devastating.
Experts believe dredging could unearth buried mercury deposits, which would harm the Amazon’s fragile ecosystem.
Bruno Kelly/ReutersSolar boom in China turns electricity prices negative
China is building twice as much wind and solar as the rest of the world combined.
Muyu Xu/ReutersgulfCreative Commons
Abu Dhabi stakes claim on ‘capital of capital’ as world’s richest city
With $1.7 trillion in assets managed by sovereign wealth funds, the Emirati capital has overtaken Oslo.
Creative CommonsIsrael launches major strikes on Beirut ahead of Oct. 7 anniversary
The balance of power in the Middle East has been indelibly altered in the year since Hamas attacked Israel.
Construction resumes on world’s tallest skyscraper after nearly seven-year hiatus
Dubai’s long-cherished superlative will soon be snatched by Saudi Arabia.
Saudi HQ rules force firms to scramble for loopholes
Riyadh’s requirement to set up regional headquarters in the kingdom are puzzling executives.
Gulf strives to put a lid on boiling Middle East tensions
Saudi Arabia is continuing to push for Saudi-Israel normalization, even as its foreign minister met with Iran’s president Wednesday.
africa
Reuters/Monicah Mwangi
Ethiopia's outgoing president, Sahle-Work Zewde. Tiksa Negeri/Reuters
The fate of Kenya’s impeached deputy president hangs in the balance
The future of Kenya’s deputy president, Rigathi Gachagua, hangs in the balance after Kenya’s senate confirmed on Wednesday that it will investigate an impeachment trial against him.
Reuters/Monicah MwangiEthiopian lawmakers choose new president
Sahle-Work Zewde, a former diplomat who became Ethiopia’s first female in 2018, has been replaced by the foreign minister, Taye Atskeselassie.
Ethiopia's outgoing president, Sahle-Work Zewde. Tiksa Negeri/ReutersWhy Tanzania is doubling down on elephant hunting
Tanzanian authorities want to issue more hunting permits despite international pressure for the country to ban elephant trophy hunting in areas near its border with Kenya.
From Afrobeats to public policy: The reinvention of Banky W
The star of Nollywood blockbuster The Wedding Party talks about switching to public policy and politics to make real change on the continent.
WHO approves first mpox diagnostic test
The agency declared the disease a global health emergency in August after a new deadly strain began spreading in Africa.
The drone business is going mainstream across Africa
The rise in drone adoption in Nigeria reflects a broader trend of wider use in different sectors across Africa to bypass poor road and rail networks.
media
Blockworks
Crypto media darling Blockworks launches consulting business
Blockworks Advisory will offer tailored advice and guidance services for customers looking to expand into the industry.
BlockworksThe New York Times is testing a new puzzle called Zorse
Games have been a particularly bright spot for the outlet as it attempts to reach an ambitious goal of 15 million paid subscribers by 2027.
Substack wants to do more than just newsletters
The newsletter platform is trying to position itself as something more: a way to pay creators of all kinds.
Mixed Signals: How AI cures writer’s block
And when will the chatbots replace us? A conversation with playwright Ayad Akhtar.
InfoWars’ victims and enemies consider buying it
The auctioning off of Alex Jones’ conspiracy theory-laden network has sparked some serious behind-the-scenes interest.
security
Artillery fired by the Israeli Army into Lebanon from northern Israel. Jim Urquhart/Reuters
Iranians celebrate in the streets of Tehran after the IRGC attacked Israel. Majid Asgaripour/Reuters
Yves Herman/Reuters
Israel vows revenge on Iran as diplomacy falters
After pledging a “significant retaliation” on Tehran, Israeli officials banned the UN secretary general from entering the country.
Artillery fired by the Israeli Army into Lebanon from northern Israel. Jim Urquhart/ReutersCountries call for restraint and de-escalation after Israel’s incursion into Lebanon
Many world leaders called for a de-escalation in the conflict as fears of wider Middle East war with Iran mount.
Iranians celebrate in the streets of Tehran after the IRGC attacked Israel. Majid Asgaripour/ReutersMark Rutte becomes NATO chief as alliance faces critical tests
The former Dutch prime minister takes the helm of the Western defense alliance weeks before the US presidential election, which could be pivotal to its future.
Yves Herman/ReutersAD