The World at a Glance
Updated 6:21pm EDT
1
Caroline Ellison was sentenced to two years in jail over collapsed crypto exchange FTX, which swindled customers and investors out of $10 billion.
2US consumer confidence saw its biggest drop since 2021 amid concerns about a slowing jobs market and high costs of living.
3President Biden urged the world not to ‘grow weary’ in his final UN speech, as conflicts in Lebanon, Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine loom large.
4Reflecting a stark trend towards automation, a record four million robots are now working in factories around the world.
5US states that overturned a two-decade ban on sports gambling saw a rise in bankruptcies, reduced household savings, and exacerbated domestic violence, according to research.
6Israel launched further strikes on Hezbollah sites, prompting thousands to flee southern Lebanon amid rising fears of an all-out Middle East war.
Global Hot List: Sri Lanka’s Marxist leader, a Bolsonaro heir rises, and Uganda’s divine swing vote
The latest updates from Semafor global elections expert Brad Glasser.
Al Lucca/SemaforUS ‘needs to get comfortable’ with exporting AI chips: Microsoft’s Brad Smith
The world needs to collaborate more and build a better financial framework to maximize the benefits of artificial intelligence, the Microsoft President said.
SemaforSemafor’s The Next 3 Billion 2024: Live updates
Semafor’s The Next 3 Billion brought global leaders together to discuss how to unlock one of the biggest social and economic opportunities of our time: connecting the unconnected.
SemaforTrump hack continued into last week
A new document shows the extent of an alleged Iranian hack on the Trump campaign.
Megan Varner/File Photo/ReutersAD
Global protectionism may be holding back digital trade in Africa, WTO chief says
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala talked about barriers to digital trade and the global impact of other countries’ central bank rate cuts in an interview with Semafor’s Alexis Akwagyiram.
SemaforHarris boosts Democrats’ lead among Asian American voters
The fast-growing voting bloc could prove key in swing states with razor thin margins.
Kevin Lamarque/ReuetrsAfrica needs $3.4 trillion in infrastructure for digital era: Standard Bank CEO
Sim Tshabalala gave the estimated cost of essential infrastructure at Semafor’s “The Next 3 Billion” event in New York.
Semafor
politics
Ryan Garza/USA TODAY NETWORK via Reuters
Craig Hudson/ReutersMegan Varner/File Photo/Reuters
‘A f— you endorsement’: How Trump won over a key Muslim mayor in Michigan
The former president personally courted the mayor of Hamtramck, with help from Tiffany Trump’s father-in-law.
Ryan Garza/USA TODAY NETWORK via ReutersHarris’ vow to end filibuster for abortion rights faces challenge in her own party
Montanan Jon Tester wants a “talking” filibuster — not a full elimination. His reelection fight could tip the scales between a Democratic and GOP Senate.
Craig Hudson/ReutersTrump hack continued into last week
A new document shows the extent of an alleged Iranian hack on the Trump campaign.
Megan Varner/File Photo/ReutersRepublicans’ latest worry: Their imploding N.C. candidate could drag down Trump
North Carolina gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson’s reported posting of graphic comments on an online message board are stoking fears of bigger GOP blowback.
JD Vance is taking a different approach to the debates than Donald Trump
The Republican vice presidential nominee is employing a more traditional debate training process, including mock sparring with Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer.
US averts funding shutdown as spending deal reached
If approved this week, the deal will position Congress for a new spending battle just before the holidays.
‘Back to basics’: Democrat Rob Lubin looks to turn back Long Island’s red tide
The House majority runs through the New York City suburbs, where the GOP’s made major gains.
Interpol head warns fentanyl scourge could hit Europe
Jürgen Stock said that Europe faces a rising threat from fentanyl and other synthetic drugs.
Republicans plan to push a potential Harris cabinet to the right
If the vice president prevails in November and the GOP takes the Senate, the ingredients are there for a historically painful set of confirmation battles.
The late GOP push to deny Kamala Harris a Nebraska electoral vote
A Trump-backed pressure campaign looks to legally erase a likely Harris pickup.
Nevada Democrat backs no taxes on tips — with a caveat
Both Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump embraced the idea in a bid to woo voters in the swing state, albeit with some differences.
business
Cheney Orr/Reuters
Caroline Ellison sentenced to two years in prison over FTX collapse
Judge Lewis Kaplan lauded Ellison for her testimony against Sam Bankman-Fried.
Cheney Orr/ReutersWall Street jockeys for jobs as election nears
A centrist group of financiers largely cut out of past administrations eyes positions ahead of Nov. 5. One wants to run the CIA.
US consumer confidence falls the most in three years
The report mirrors the US Federal Reserve’s concerns about a slowing labor market that prompted its 0.5 percentage point rate cut last week.
In ‘Money Trap,’ an ex-SoftBank executive revisits the madness
Alok Sama tells the story of SoftBank’s $100 billion money machine, which foresaw the rise of AI but misfired on WeWork, robot pizzas, and “Uber for dogs.”
Fed’s big rate cut ‘screams of interference’ in election, Trump adviser says
Reaction from Trump world shows the fight is now over who gets credit for what looks like a soft economic landing: “Why couldn’t this wait until the day after the election?”
technologySemafor 
Albert Gea/Reuters
US ‘needs to get comfortable’ with exporting AI chips: Microsoft’s Brad Smith
The world needs to collaborate more and build a better financial framework to maximize the benefits of artificial intelligence, the Microsoft President said.
SemaforTelegram will provide user data to authorities if requested in major policy change
The major shift in Telegram’s service policy comes as the app’s CEO Pavel Durov faces charges in France for refusing to cooperate with law enforcement.
Albert Gea/ReutersNo people, no problem: AI chatbots predict elections better than humans
Startup Aaru uses census data and other information to replicate voters and glean real-time information about political preferences.
Brazil threatens X with $900k daily fine for circumventing ban
The network briefly bypassed a block in Brazil following a Supreme Court order before going offline again.
CERN to expel hundreds of Russian scientists
The researchers will lose their access to CERN, which operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world, by December.
AI startup aimed at demystifying the world of public policy secures new funding
Statt’s service distills the vast amount of online regulatory and policy data to quickly churn out summaries that usually takes days.
net zero
Tim Wimborne/File Photo/Reuters
Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
Bob Strong/Reuters
2024 could be the beginning of a global decline in emissions
The global economy is greening fast, with 14 of the world’s biggest banks expanding backing for nuclear energy projects.
Tim Wimborne/File Photo/Reuters‘Burning Man for the climate geeks’: Business, world leaders gather for NYC Climate Week
Now in its 25th year, the event may offer a preview of the United Nations’ upcoming COP29 conference, which takes place in November in Azerbaijan.
Shannon Stapleton/ReutersWestern democracies aren’t immune from climate violence
Rising temperatures are straining defense budgets and putting troops’ lives at risk.
Bob Strong/Reutersgulf
Courtesy of Pure Harvest Smart Farms
UAE’s Pure Harvest seeks over $100 million for expansion
Pure Harvest Smart Farms, a UAE-based agriculture tech firm, plans to raise at least $100 million as it expands into Singapore, Morocco, and Kuwait.
Courtesy of Pure Harvest Smart FarmsFossil fuel companies pour billions into sports, with Saudi Aramco leading the charge
The kingdom’s state-owned oil company Aramco has put more than a billion dollars into sports as the country seeks to improve its image internationally.
The myths that are building the Saudi nation
The new Saudi national identity goes beyond custody of Holy Mosques to one built on Arab unity and stable government.
UAE to focus on business and tech in US state visit
The UAE’s presidential adviser said the country is seeking a US partnership on economy and tech as oil enters its twilight years.
Senators in both parties open to treaty vote on US-Saudi defense pact
If the next administration can clinch a deal with Riyadh, it will likely take a lot: an end to the Israel-Hamas war, momentum toward a Palestinian state — and 67 Senate votes.
africaSemafor 
Semafor
Global protectionism may be holding back digital trade in Africa, WTO chief says
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala talked about barriers to digital trade and the global impact of other countries’ central bank rate cuts in an interview with Semafor’s Alexis Akwagyiram.
SemaforGlobal South risks becoming victim to ‘AI divide’: Google exec
Google SVP James Manyika spoke to Semafor’s Reed Albergotti at The Next 3 Billion event in New York.
SemaforAfrica needs $3.4 trillion in infrastructure for digital era: Standard Bank CEO
Sim Tshabalala gave the estimated cost of essential infrastructure at Semafor’s “The Next 3 Billion” event in New York.
Elon Musk’s Starlink shakes up competition in Africa
Starlink’s satellite internet rollout across Africa is sparking complaints of unfair competition from telecoms companies and internet service providers.
The Next 3 Billion
Unlocking the biggest social and economic opportunity of our time.
African scientists are worried about a different demographic explosion
African countries face a sharp increase in dementia cases due to longer life expectancies and healthcare systems that are inadequately resourced, scientists have warned.
media
Al Lucca/Semafor
How Tim Miller and The Bulwark became 2024’s unlikely YouTube stars
The Never Trump outlet The Bulwark is becoming one of the breakout media successes of the 2024 election.
Al Lucca/SemaforMixed Signals: A safe space for CEOs (and politicians?) with All-In’s Jason Calacanis
What’s behind big tech’s breakup with traditional media?
New York Times’ tech staff threatens strike during Election Day crunch
The threat has rattled the paper’s management, including some leaders in the newsroom.
Mixed Signals: It’s a man eat dog world, with food critic Pete Wells
On the menu: the health hazards of criticism, how celebrity chefs and TikTokers altered the power of his seat, and more.
Low-profile New York publisher bids for Telegraph
Dovid Efune and a group of North American financiers are among a handful of bidders for the Tories’ favorite newspaper.
security
Funeral of a Hezbollah member. Aziz Taher/Reuters
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via Reuters
Houthi Media Office/Handout via Reuters
Iran’s Guards ban personal devices after Hezbollah pager explosions
The pager attacks are part of a broader shift in both conflict zones and domestic policing toward individualized attacks targeting devices.
Funeral of a Hezbollah member. Aziz Taher/ReutersUkraine’s Zelenksyy to visit Pennsylvania ammunition factory
In the US for the United Nations’ General Assembly, the Ukrainian leader hopes to convince his allies to relax limitations on the use of Western weapons.
Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Handout via ReutersHouthi missile strikes reach central Israel
The attack was apparently designed to put pressure on Israel to end the war in Gaza.
Houthi Media Office/Handout via ReutersAD