Semafor

Exclusive: Lawmakers push new foreign disclosure rules in defense contracting

🟡 Exclusive: A bipartisan pair, Sens. Chuck Grassley and Elizabeth Warren, wants to make it easier to spot foreign influence in Pentagon contracts.

Trump insists Iran peace talks are continuing

President Donald Trump insists Iran peace talks are continuing. Trump initially declared he “couldn’t care less” if negotiations ended, but within hours, he said that after he made several calls to...

Trump said he wanted the US government to take an ownership stake in a combined Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern, which announced a $85 billion railroad merger last year and is currently facing a protracted regulatory review.

Exclusive: Union Pacific executives privately deny talks with Trump over 15% stake

🟡 Exclusive: Executives at Union Pacific privately told investors that the company hadn’t talked to President Donald Trump about taking a 15% stake in the company, despite Trump’s claims otherwise...

DRC adds lithium to higher-tax strategic minerals list

DR Congo added lithium to a list of strategic minerals that are subject to increased royalties, the country’s latest bid to boost revenues from its natural resources. www.semafor.com/article/06/0...

South African households grapple with water shortages

More than half of all households in South Africa face systematic water shortages. www.semafor.com/article/06/0...

South Africa agrees $2.3B power lifeline

South Africa approves an estimated $2.3 billion five-year power tariff-package for its largest ferrochrome producers. www.semafor.com/article/06/0...

Anthropic files to go public as AI startups race to hit markets

Anthropic files to go public, setting up a blockbuster market debut. The company's most recent funding round valued it at $965 billion. www.semafor.com/article/06/0...

David Weigel writes: The toxicity of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in Democratic primaries has officially grown beyond the war in Gaza. Just ask the two candidates challenging Rep. Steny Hoyer’s preferred successor.

Democratic primaries get an even bigger AIPAC problem

Democratic primaries get an even bigger AIPAC problem www.semafor.com/article/06/0...

Luma AI launching robotics lab anyone can use

Luma AI is starting a robotics lab that will allow anyone to train robots on its software. www.semafor.com/article/06/0...

Abiy expected to retain power in Ethiopia election

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is likely to retain his post after elections. www.semafor.com/article/06/0...

African officials seek homegrown response to Ebola outbreak

African officials seek homegrown response to Ebola outbreak www.semafor.com/article/06/0...

To add to Trump’s woes, he is 20 points underwater in polls — far more unpopular than Joe Biden at this point in his term — and a judge struck down his move to put his own name on the Kennedy Center, saying Congress must be consulted.

Trump faces mounting pressure as Republicans revolt

Trump is facing mounting pressure as Republicans revolt: GOP senators are rebelling against a $1.8 billion Trump-backed “slush fund” to compensate people allegedly victimized by the government, inc...

Amazon deforestation hits lowest level since 2019

Still, “the rate of destruction remains breathtaking,” DW reported, as around five trees are felled every second. In response, Brasília has sought to accelerate its preservation efforts, announcing...

Deforestation of the Amazon last year fell to its lowest level since 2019. www.semafor.com/article/06/0...

Iranian cyber operations have been supercharged by US AI models such as ChatGPT. The US is also pushing to unleash fully autonomous AI-guided weapons Read more: www.semafor.com/article/06/0...

NATO countries are debating relaxing such ethical constraints, and AI-guided drones are increasingly able to choose their own targets in Ukraine when Russian jamming prevents direct human control.

Militaries mull the use of AI in war

Militaries are weighing autonomous weapons even as experts urged caution. www.semafor.com/article/06/0...