Public backlash is growing in Russia in response to Moscow’s efforts to tighten control over the internet. The government in recent months has imposed restrictions including blocking or throttling popular apps like Telegram, WhatsApp, and YouTube. More ordinary Russians are starting to speak out, in a rare chorus of dissent. ...
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AI investment props up US GDP growthAI investment props up US GDP growth
US GDP rose 2% in the first three months of 2026, new data showed Thursday, driven by AI investment. The expansion fell short of Wall Street’s expectations as consumers pulled back slightly on spending — a key inflation gauge rose to its highest point in nearly three years in March. ...
Chinese manufacturing activity expands for second monthChinese manufacturing activity expands for second month
China’s manufacturing sector is holding up despite the Iran war, even as the country’s broader economy showed vulnerabilities. Factory activity expanded in April for a second straight month, driven by persistent demand for exports — a trend that suggests higher oil prices haven’t blunted industrial momentum. But cracks are emerging ...
Investors grapple with Big Tech’s AI spending spreeInvestors grapple with Big Tech’s AI spending spree
US stocks on Thursday wrapped up their best month since 2020, as investors shrugged off disruptions from the Iran war and picked winners and losers in Big Tech. A day after quarterly earnings reports pointed to a surge in AI investments among the world’s largest tech firms, Meta and Microsoft’s ...
Sixty nations agree to landmark climate accordSixty nations agree to landmark climate accord
Nearly 60 nations this week moved toward phasing out oil, gas, and coal, in a climate summit that aimed to accelerate a global shift toward renewables. The countries agreed to set “roadmaps” for weaning off fossil fuels. “This may be the first multilateral meeting that I find not frustrating,” the ...
Semafor launches Silicon Valley & The WorldSemafor launches Silicon Valley & The World
The News San Francisco, CA – As Silicon Valley’s decisions increasingly shape the priorities of governments, markets, and societies worldwide, Semafor will convene the leaders building artificial intelligence and other breakthrough technologies with the leaders responsible for shaping strategies, policies, and institutions around them. Semafor’s inaugural annualconvening will be the ...
Why the Sahel crisis matters to EuropeWhy the Sahel crisis matters to Europe
Ulf’s view Mali’s Moscow-backed military government is fighting for its survival after a coordinated jihadist and Tuareg assault killed the defense minister and forced Russian mercenaries to retreat from the north. It raises fears that instability could trigger a new wave of migration to Europe and accelerate a security collapse ...
PsiQuantum adds Intel’s Lip-Bu Tan to boardPsiQuantum adds Intel’s Lip-Bu Tan to board
Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has been tapped for another job. The executive is joining the board of directors for $7 billion quantum computing company PsiQuantum, the company exclusively told Semafor. It follows several investments in such businesses through the venture capital firm Tan chairs, A&E Investments. A&E participated in PsiQuantum’s ...
FCC’s Disney probe divides RepublicansFCC’s Disney probe divides Republicans
The FCC’s moves toward yanking Disney’s ABC broadcasting licenses are dividing conservatives. The agency’s review, scooped Tuesday by Semafor, is loosely tied to Disney’s corporate diversity efforts. But the timing — coming after Trump called, again, for Jimmy Kimmel to be fired over a monologue — is sparking accusations of ...
Supreme Court sparks a bipartisan redistricting rushSupreme Court sparks a bipartisan redistricting rush
The News The Supreme Court’s weakening of the Voting Rights Act, barely 24 hours old, has kicked off a new redistricting rush, with Republicans and Democrats endorsing plans to wipe out their rivals in the states they control. Some of the changes now getting discussed could come this summer. Others ...