View/ How Trump sees Iran as an ‘America First’ priority
NAACP plans to sue Musk’s AI company over Memphis facility pollution
The World at a Glance
Updated 4:09pm EDT
1
France’s president said Paris would propose a negotiated settlement between Israel and Iran, as Washington weighs joining Israel’s strikes.
2The US Federal Reserve held interest rates steady Wednesday, with Chair Jerome Powell citing the ‘uncertain’ environment.
3The US Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s ban on gender care for trans minors, ruling it did not violate equal protection principles.
4India and Canada agreed to reset diplomatic ties at the G7 summit, ending a two-year rift over the assassination of a Canadian Sikh activist.
5Nippon Steel closed its $14 billion takeover of US Steel in a deal that grants the Trump administration an unusual degree of control over the company.
6Iran’s leader said his nation will ‘never surrender,’ as Washington appeared increasingly receptive to joining Israel’s attacks on Iran.
Iran’s supreme leader says nation ‘will never surrender’
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s defiant remarks came a day after the White House called for Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender.’
Majid Asgaripour/ReutersRepublicans hope for negotiated megabill deal early next week
Senators are furiously lobbying Republican leadership and Finance Chair Mike Crapo to get a deal together quickly.
Nathan Howard/ReutersRussia sanctions on pause as Iran conflict heats up
The penalties are taking a back seat to another foreign policy crisis — and Republicans’ massive tax package.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout/ReutersGulf’s jitters as Trump weighs Iran strike
The UAE president spoke with Iran’s president to express solidarity, while the Emirati foreign minister urged the UN to broker a ceasefire.
Majid Asgaripour/WANA/ReutersAD
Democrats defend another candidate handcuffed for ICE protest
Democrats are calling Brad Lander’s arrest in New York City “tyranny.” Republicans are mocking it as self-promotion.
Brendan McDermid/ReutersNavy dissented from US push to move assets to Middle East
The Navy’s complaint reflected long-running worries that the service is overstretched.
Ronen Zvulun/ReutersTrump weighs joining Israel in striking Iran
The US president was elected on a platform of withdrawing Washington from entanglements in foreign wars.
Majid Asgaripour/WANA/Reuters
politics
Doug Mills/Reuters
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
Kevin Mohatt/Reuters
Trump gets divergent guidance from a party that’s split over Iran
“Us taking out the nuclear capability, I don’t think it’s the endgame,” one Republican senator told Semafor.
Doug Mills/Reuters‘Unconditional surrender’: How Trump turned hawk and Republicans fell in line
MAGA loyalists trying to deter the president from bombing Iran this week are finding themselves at a disadvantage.
Kevin Lamarque/ReutersUS Supreme Court upholds Tennessee ban on gender care for trans minors
In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the state’s ban, one of dozens enacted at the state-level across the US, did not violate equal protection principles.
Kevin Mohatt/ReutersRepublicans hope for negotiated megabill deal early next week
Senators are furiously lobbying Republican leadership and Finance Chair Mike Crapo to get a deal together quickly.
Navy dissented from US push to move assets to Middle East
The Navy’s complaint reflected long-running worries that the service is overstretched.
Bid to protect lawmakers’ data gains momentum
The measure is getting a second look after two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses were shot in their homes.
Democrats defend another candidate handcuffed for ICE protest
Democrats are calling Brad Lander’s arrest in New York City “tyranny.” Republicans are mocking it as self-promotion.
Russia sanctions on pause as Iran conflict heats up
The penalties are taking a back seat to another foreign policy crisis — and Republicans’ massive tax package.
Trump: ‘Our patience is wearing thin’ on Iran
The president ‘may decide he needs to take further action to end Iranian enrichment,’ US Vice President JD Vance wrote on social media Tuesday.
Europe’s biggest threat isn’t from Putin or Trump
The continent’s biggest risk is itself — and its leaders don’t even realize it.
Senate Republicans emerge divided from megabill briefing
Republicans left a briefing Monday on the latest version of their party’s tax-and-spending bill casting doubt on their ability to meet the self-imposed deadline of July 4.
business
Kevin Mohatt/Reuters
Fed holds US interest rates steady, cites ‘uncertain’ environment
US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the words ‘uncertain’ and ‘uncertainty’ more than 15 times while explaining the central bank’s decision.
Kevin Mohatt/ReutersUS Federal Reserve holds interest rates steady
Inflation expectations are being stoked by the fallout from Washington’s trade war and a burgeoning conflict in the Middle East.
US retail sales slumped in May as consumers pull back
The new figures come as the US Federal Reserve kicked off its May rate meeting Tuesday.
Air India plane crashes killing all passengers but one
Local officials said there were likely no survivors among the passengers and crew on board the Boeing-made plane.
Can AI bail the US out of its debt hole?
There are five options to help get the nation out of debt, but AI appears the most likely.
technology
Brandon Dill for The Washington Post via Getty
Benoit Tessier/File Photo/Reuters
NAACP plans to sue Musk’s AI company over Memphis facility pollution
The civil rights group said air pollution related to at least 35 combustion turbines at the facility — operating without proper permits — negatively impacts nearby Black communities.
Brandon Dill for The Washington Post via GettyAMD unveils big AI ambitions and glimpse into chip industry’s future
Moore’s Law has been replaced by an all-out effort for efficiency in the world’s largest supercomputers.
Benoit Tessier/File Photo/ReutersWhatsApp to host ads for first time
Social media platforms have increasingly turned to ads to boost revenue in a turbulent economy.
US should prepare for possibility of losing AI race to China, experts say
US firms currently have the upper hand, but breakthroughs by Chinese companies like DeepSeek and Huawei suggest the gap is narrowing fast.
South Korean Stargate-like project could bolster US security alliance, tech exec says
Yanolja Cloud CEO Jeff Kim detailed a roadmap for how he expects the new government may approach the sector.
OpenAI is Dorothy: How ‘The Wizard of Oz’ helps explain the dizzying AI landscape
In the tornado of product releases, missteps, and policy measures, Semafor breaks down the major AI characters with the help of the iconic 1939 movie.
net zero
Wikimedia Creative Commons/CEphoto/Uwe Aranas/CC BY-SA 3.0
Yoruk Isik/Reuters
Chapelcross nuclear power station in 2007. Wikimedia Creative Commons Photo/Lynne Kirton/ CC BY-SA 2.0
Wall Street still loves fossil fuels
There’s a silver lining for climate activists in the latest data on banks’ financing for oil and gas.
Wikimedia Creative Commons/CEphoto/Uwe Aranas/CC BY-SA 3.0EU expected to ban new Russian gas contracts
The European Commission’s plan to end the bloc’s dependence on Russian energy was first published last month.
Yoruk Isik/ReutersUK goes all-in on nuclear after years of debate
The government moved to back a major new plant with $15 billion in funding, and said Rolls-Royce would make the country’s first small modular reactors.
Chapelcross nuclear power station in 2007. Wikimedia Creative Commons Photo/Lynne Kirton/ CC BY-SA 2.0gulf
Kevin Mohatt/Reuters
How Trump sees Iran as an ‘America First’ priority
The president is supporting Israel while preserving flexibility to achieve a shared objective: preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
Kevin Mohatt/ReutersSaudi’s Khobar named world’s most-improved town
The seaside town jumped 13 places to 135th in Economist Intelligence’s annual survey, as a result of better health care and education.
Gulf’s jitters as Trump weighs Iran strike
The UAE president spoke with Iran’s president to express solidarity, while the Emirati foreign minister urged the UN to broker a ceasefire.
US Rep. Brad Schneider: Gulf welcomes weak Iran
A weakened Iran is good for the Gulf and could expedite normalization of ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel, Schneider told Semafor.
Dubai carves a niche with wealth managers
The DIFC is being fueled by the city’s growing population of millionaires.
africa
Jason Jones Travel Photography/Getty Images
Ken Cedeno/Reuters
Sub-Saharan Africa’s FDI flows drying up: Report
The region received around 5% of global cumulative FDI flows since 2005, due to “rising trade and investment barriers,” the report said.
Jason Jones Travel Photography/Getty ImagesTrump reportedly considering new Africa travel restrictions
The administration is reportedly considering extending its travel restrictions to 25 more African countries, including Nigeria and Angola.
Ken Cedeno/ReutersActivists sue East African governments over torture claims
Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire are taking East African authorities to court.
Israel-Iran fallout sparks concerns for Africa’s oil buyers
Oil prices have surged following Israel’s strikes on Iranian targets and retaliatory attacks by Tehran.
US universities will need African students as Trump ban unfolds
To weather the retreat of international students, US universities must build innovative pipelines to the African continent.
African remittance startup LemFi buys UK card issuer
The Nigeria-born company is tapping into the growing need for financial services among the continent’s overseas workforce.
media
Harry Murphy/Web Summit Qatar via Sportsfile/Flickr/CC BY 2.0
Candle Media’s Kevin Mayer is pivoting to meet the streaming moment
When Candle Media launched, it was counting on ever-increasing growth for streaming services; now it’s adjusting its business model to lower demand.
Harry Murphy/Web Summit Qatar via Sportsfile/Flickr/CC BY 2.0Yahoo is going big at Cannes Lions for its 30th anniversary
Chief Revenue Officer Rob Wilk talks to Max Tani about why advertising near news content is good business, and how business uncertainty is affecting ad budgets.
Trump’s shadow on the Riviera
Marketing is another major front in Donald Trump’s media war.
View from Beijing: The new soft power
For China, portraying a welcoming, modern, and culturally rich image on social media is an effort to balance the global discourse.
Mixed Signals: Professional optimist Cleo Abram on tech’s bright future
Cleo Abram left Vox and started her YouTube show, Huge If True, three years ago. Since then, the channel has grown to nearly 6 million subscribers and she’s become one of the most important tech journalists in the world.
security
Anatolii Stepanov/Reuters
Suzanne Plunkett/Pool/Reuters
The US embassy in Baghdad. Ahmed Saad/Reuters
Russia launches deadliest attack on Kyiv so far this year
Russia has taken advantage of Ukraine’s air defense shortages to launch increasingly deadly aerial assaults.
Anatolii Stepanov/ReutersUK announces new Russia sanctions at divided G7
The move reflects the growing split among Kyiv’s European allies and the US over how to approach the Ukraine war.
Suzanne Plunkett/Pool/ReutersUS orders evacuations for personnel across the Middle East
The decision came as Israel is reported to be readying an operation in Iran.
The US embassy in Baghdad. Ahmed Saad/ReutersAD