Category: Semafor

Gulf states, already among the world’s biggest spenders on defense, have been rearming rapidly since March as they seek to deter future attacks. This week, the US approved a $2 billion Saudi order for weapons guidance systems, launchers, warheads, and other equipment, as well as a $484 million package of ...

The News The Trump administration is replacing the gutted American foreign aid apparatus with, in part, a push to export more US propane. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright made a digital appearance last week at an International Energy Agency summit focused on replacing African households’ use of charcoal and other ...

The News The sudden death of Lindsey Graham last weekend robbed foreign aid advocates of one of their most effective GOP champions in Washington, according to lawmakers and advocates who worked with the South Carolina Republican. As chair of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee overseeing State Department funding, Graham blocked steep ...

what’s at stake There’s broad, bipartisan momentum in Congress behind ending the twice-a-year change of clocks in much of the US. The problem is, lawmakers can’t quite agree on the right solution. The House this week passed a bill to make daylight saving time permanent in a 308-117 vote, with ...

The News Nigeria could face a complete freeze on US economic and security assistance under a bill approved by the US House of Representatives, despite Abuja’s recent progress in strengthening ties with the Trump administration. The vote comes days after Frank Garcia, the US assistant secretary of state for African ...

Much of the country is waking up to terrible air quality from wildfires — including Washington, DC — and Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, wants to see Canada punished for the “atrocity,” according to details first shared with Semafor. The Ohio senator is dropping a new bill that would require President ...

The News US President Donald Trump used a primetime address on Thursday to allege sweeping vulnerabilities in the US election system, without providing any evidence of voter tallies being changed or election results being materially impacted. Speaking from the East Room of the White House, Trump discussed recently declassified intelligence ...

The News President Donald Trump’s warnings on Thursday night of massive risks to election security, which were backed by no new proof of threats to the November midterms, are designed to ramp up pressure on Republicans to back his voter ID bill. But there’s no sign that Trump’s squeeze play ...

The UK is exploring measures that would require employers to publish salary information for all job adverts, part of a global trend toward wage transparency. Proponents argue that explicitly revealing pay ranges will improve fairness and help people navigate the jobs market. Most OECD countries and 18 US states now ...

The US launched yet another wave of strikes against Iran on Thursday, as the conflict threatened to spiral into new territory. Tehran told the Houthis in Yemen to shut down a key oil route through the Red Sea if the US targets Iranian power infrastructure, Reuters reported. Houthi leaders also ...