US employment took an unexpected nosedive in July, with new Labor Department data today showing the economy lost 23,000 jobs instead of picking up 83,000 jobs, as economists had predicted. Government job losses drove the negative trend, but private-sector hiring was weak, adding 30,000 jobs, mostly in healthcare and education. ...
Category: Semafor
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Senate finalizes deal on Russia sanctionsSenate finalizes deal on Russia sanctions
The Senate is back in session today after senators made progress on a voting deal to go on August recess — but didn’t fully clinch it. That means a rare Friday session, when the Senate will finish its saga on Russia sanctions after wrestling with the issue for more than ...
Schumer sees Senate map expanding deeper into red territorySchumer sees Senate map expanding deeper into red territory
The News Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s Democrats are on the offensive in six states currently held by Republicans. He’s eyeing more. The New Yorker told Semafor that he’s paying close attention to Kansas Democrats after pastor Adam Hamilton won the Democratic nomination to face Republican Sen. Roger Marshall. Schumer ...
Miller’s opponent takes a Sanders-esque view of scandalMiller’s opponent takes a Sanders-esque view of scandal
The News There’s a reason why the Democratic challenger to Rep. Max Miller isn’t talking much about the domestic abuse allegations against the Ohio Republican. Brian Poindexter told Semafor that he believes voters want him focused on the cost of living, not his opponent. Poindexter, an ironworker, told Semafor that ...
South Africa’s cross-border crypto ban proposal sparks backlashSouth Africa’s cross-border crypto ban proposal sparks backlash
The News South Africa proposed a ban on corporate cross-border stablecoin transactions, setting up a clash with a generation of tech entrepreneurs who say the restrictions will hurt trade, push volumes into unregulated channels, and isolate the country from global capital pools. The draft rules, released jointly by the South ...
Tennessee Republican booted in primary upsetTennessee Republican booted in primary upset
Tennessee voters ousted Rep. Andy Ogles in Thursday’s primary, despite his endorsement by President Donald Trump. Ogles, elected in 2022, had struggled to raise money after a campaign finance fraud investigation and inflammatory social media posts about Islam and LGBT people. Ogles is the second House Republican to lose renomination ...
African football backs FIFA’s InfantinoAfrican football backs FIFA’s Infantino
The News FIFA President Gianni Infantino is leaning on Africa’s 54-member voting bloc to survive the fallout from his failed $20 billion World Cup commercial rights plan, with staunch ally Morocco leading the charge. The Confederation of African Football (CAF), led by South African billionaire Patrick Motsepe, said on Thursday ...
Senate negotiations intensify on recess dealSenate negotiations intensify on recess deal
After Republican senators lunched with Vice President JD Vance, the contours of a deal to finish the Senate’s summer business started becoming clearer. “There’s some movement in the right direction,” Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., told Semafor. Republican leaders are close to finishing the government spending bill, which may involve giving ...
iPhones boost India’s electronics ambitioniPhones boost India’s electronics ambition
The success of Apple’s production facilities in Chennai, including the company’s first major iPhone factory in India, is boosting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambition of transforming the country into an electronics powerhouse. Washington’s intensifying efforts to wall off its tech industry from Chinese software and components are also helping make ...
ByteDance forbids distillation of rival AI modelsByteDance forbids distillation of rival AI models
Chinese tech giant ByteDance’s founder reportedly forbade AI researchers from distilling rival models, as scrutiny of the practice causes friction between Washington and Beijing. The policy reportedly dates to 2023, predating the period when “avoiding US retaliation” became a potential commercial priority, the Pekingnology newsletter wrote. Notably, ByteDance is not ...