Bitcoin

G7, Hell, Singapore, Bitcoin, 3 World Trade Center, Ocean’s 8, Springboks

Marc Ross Daily June.png

G7, Hell, Singapore, Bitcoin, 3 World Trade Center, Ocean’s 8, Springboks

Marc Ross Daily
June 11, 2018
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross

Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia

Marc Ross Daily  = Business News at the Intersection of Global Politics + Policy + Profits

Subscribe here
https://goo.gl/bSQKwA

TOP FIVE

✔️ "Most people when they visit Canada have more fun"

✔️ Trump brings chaos to G7

✔️ Singapore summit officially begins at 9:00 pm ET

✔️ Exhausted aides eye the exits

✔️ Bitcoin took a tumble of over 7%

ROSS IN THE NEWS

"Most people when they visit Canada have more fun"

On Friday evening, I spoke with CGTN's Susan Roberts on about the interactions and implications of the G7 Summit. I covered Trump, Putin, Singapore, Canada, and Cirque du Soleil.

You can watch the clip here: https://youtu.be/k7ZkepbPwjU

GEOECONOMICS

I don't think Trudeau should burn in eternal hell fire, what do you think?

Toronto Star: ‘Special place in hell’: Trump aides hurl insults at Trudeau in unprecedented US attack on Canadian leader

CBC: Trump's tweets undo weekend of G7 diplomacy — and puzzle Canadian officials

Politico: White House ratchets up
trade war with 'special place in hell' slug at Trudeau

WP: Trump accuses Canadian leader of being ‘dishonest’ and ‘weak’


LAT: Trump brings chaos to G7 with trade threats and praise for Russia – and then backs out of joint agreement

FT: Angry Trump torpedoes G7’s hard-won trade harmony

Bloomberg: Trump shocks leaders with Trudeau insult to upend G7 summit

WP: European leaders are indignant and defiant over Trump’s G7 statement. But they’re not surprised.


Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the fallout was “sobering and a bit depressing.”

DW - Editorial: Donald Trump, withdrawer-in-chief, strikes again, turns G7 into G6: Just when it seemed that the G7 leaders had eked out a joint communique and avoided an open rift, Donald Trump, in a stunning Twitter turnaround, retracted his endorsement. It's probably better that way.

On his way to Singapore, Trump said he was “on a mission of peace.” 

The Singapore Summit officially begins at 9:00 pm ET, which is 9:00 am Tuesday Singapore time.

Since Trump's meeting with Kim Jong-un begins at 9:00 pm, so by 9:01 pm will know what to expect for the future of the planet....

@steveholland1: White House: “The discussions between the United States and North Korea are ongoing and have moved more quickly than expected.” Trump to leave Singapore Tues night after press avail

WP: In Trump, some fear the end of the world order

NYT: Trump upends global trade order built by
US

"Behind Mr. Trump’s outrage is his belief that the United States is at a disadvantage when it comes to global trade and is on the losing end of tariffs imposed by other nations. But to many of the country’s trading partners, the president’s criticisms ring hollow given that the United States places its own tariffs on everything from trucks and peanuts to sugar and stilettos."

Economist: America and the world - Donald Trump’s demolition theory of foreign policy won’t work

"Even if the president strikes a deal with North Korea, his approach will harm America and the world"

AP: Xi extols free trade at Asia meet as G7 ends in disarray

WSJ: Chinese, Russian presidents lead US criticism at
regional summit

ZTE’s near-collapse may be China’s Sputnik moment
: NYT reports, once derided as a technology backwater and copycat, China is justifiably proud of its technology boom. Its people zip around the country on high-speed trains. They can buy, and pay for, just about anything with their smartphones. For Chinese traveling abroad, the rest of the world can seem slow and antiquated. Now, that progress has been cast into doubt, and even some of the smartest people in the technology world are asking how they got it so wrong.

Bloomberg - Brendan Kelly OpEd: China’s richer than it thinks: Almost any foreign official, businessman or journalist visiting Beijing has heard the mantra that China can’t be expected to open up its markets or meet more stringent international standards because it’s still a developing economy. Maybe that argument was valid 20 years ago. Now it’s increasingly tenuous. More importantly, it’s damaging to China and the world. Policies designed for a developing nation are now holding it back.  

Today: Peterson Institute event on US-China economic relationship

FT - Editorial: Theresa May’s soft approach to facing down a hard Brexit

Staunch Leavers are losing arguments as their threats prove empty

May seeks united Tory front as Commons votes test Brexit strategy: FT reports, attempts to overthrow peers’ amendments to withdrawal bill will be hard-fought.

Tangled in Brexit, the Tories are failing their business supporters: Leaving the EU has tied the party to positions that fail to promote prosperity.
FT - Patience Wheatcroft

DW: France bans cellphone use in public schools

Italian commitmen
t: The euro is up after the new Italian finance minister, Giovanni Tria, said the country would remain committed to it. 

WSJ: Putin asks Austrian leader to set up summit with Trump

Brigadoon Annapolis | Salon Dinner + Lectures = Sep. 20-21, 2018

"Lectures for this event will take place on the deck of the Liberte schooner during our morning sail. Digital humanism design and triple bottom line investing will be the focus of the discussions." 

More info here: http://bit.ly/2rN7kCS


AMERICAN POLITICS

Inside the chaos of Donald Trump’s trade wars: FT reports, officials describe a White House in disarray with fierce infighting, no process for decisions and a president without a strategy. The Trump administration is now fighting trade battles on several different fronts with both friends and rivals, leaving governments scrambling to decipher what is negotiating bluster and what is actual policy. https://on.ft.com/2t4KzeH

"There is little, if any, policy process to guide the US side. Most of all, there is a president determined to keep his campaign promise to get tough on trade but with little consensus on how to proceed."

‘Drama, action, emotional power’: As exhausted aides eye the exits, Trump is re-energized: NYT reports, a West Wing where burned-out aides are eyeing the exits, as the mood in the White House is one of numbness and resignation that the president is growing only more emboldened to act on instinct alone. Trump, a former reality television star, may soon be working with a thinned-out cast in the middle of Season 2, well before the midterm elections. Several high-profile aides, including John F. Kelly, the president’s chief of staff, and Joe Hagin, a deputy of Mr. Kelly’s, are said to be thinking about how much longer they can stay. Last week, Mr. Kelly told visiting senators that the White House was “a miserable place to work,” according to a person with direct knowledge of the comment.

Meet the guys who tape Trump's papers back together: Politico reports, the president's unofficial 'filing system' involves tearing up documents into pieces, even when they're supposed to be preserved. https://politi.co/2y1IaHa

WSJ - Editorial: Congress vs. Trump on tariffs: Democrats gave Presidents too much trade power. The GOP should take it back. Mr. Trump might rage on Twitter, but Congress needs to send him a message that his protectionism isn’t cost-free. Otherwise he might believe he can get away with blowing up NAFTA, imposing a 25% tariff on imported cars, or shutting down trade with China.

WSJ: The art of the foreign-policy deal: An insider’s guide to Trump’s tactics: An examination of key foreign-policy moments from the president’s first 16 months reveals the traits he brings to bear in international dealings. https://on.wsj.com/2y3X67I

Yes, Democrats will be running in every California House race this fall. Here’s why this is big news. https://wapo.st/2sMTHo1

The first 2020 race is underway: Scrambling for New York donors: NYT reports, the American presidential races requiring an ever-dizzying amount of money, an early, behind-the-scenes 2020 contest is already taking place: the New York money primary.“When a candidate calls me to talk about ‘strategy and issues,’ you grab hold of your wallet for dear life,” said Robert Zimmerman, a prominent New York donor and a member of the Democratic National Committee who has been in touch with multiple prospective candidates. https://nyti.ms/2sWVyXi

Trump is trading on the protectionist mood: When even centrists are circling the wagons, we know we have entered a different world.
FT - Rana Foroohar

ENTERPRISE

Bitcoin took a tumble of over 7% yesterday after a South Korean cryptocurrency exchange called Coinrail said it had been the victim of an online heist.

Goodbye to net neutrality: The Obama-era regulations that barred broadband providers from slowing or blocking some types of Internet traffic expire today. 

Amazon was urged to improve conditions for factory workers in China who make Echo speakers and Kindle e-readers.

Scoot-scoot: Uber and Lyft officially applied for e-scooter permits in San Francisco.

Beauty contest to host new Amazon base reveals ugly truths: Competition for ‘HQ2’ shows how hard it is to ensure city development benefits the poor.
FT - Edward Luce

TRENDS

FT: A tale of two systems: urban development in China and India https://on.ft.com/2l2NUat

Ideology, centralization, and corruption set different paces of progress

CULTURE

WTC: Building at 3 World Trade Center will open this week, soaring 1,079 feet as the fifth-tallest building in New York City.

At the Tony Awards, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” and “The Band’s Visit” dominated.  Also, Robert De Niro shouted "F*** Trump! It's no longer 'down with Trump.' It's f*** Trump!"

Ocean’s 8” opened at No. 1 at the box office. 

Kanye West’s latest album, “Ye,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

SPORT

Springboks’ first black captain converts a scarred nation: FT reports, South Africa unites behind rugby player who has overcome a relic of apartheid. https://on.ft.com/2l00Aii

Justify became the 13th horse to win the Triple Crown

The 2018 World Cup starts Thursday, June 14 @ 11:00 am ET with an opening match between the host Russia playing Saudi Arabia.

FIFA team rankings:

1. Germany
2. Brazil
3. Belgium
4. Portugal
5. Argentina
6. Switzerland
7. France
8. Poland
9. Chile
10. Spain


Messi and Ronaldo primed for final World Cup hurrah as England get real: Guardian reports, restrained hopes around Gareth Southgate’s side are a good thing in a tournament that represents the last chance for two greats to join Maradona and Pelé in the World Cup pantheon.

The top 10 players to watch at World Cup 2018https://wapo.st/2Jh8CxK

FT: World Cup: applying economic theory to predict the winner https://on.ft.com/2y0Abdw

"France will beat Spain in the final, with Brazil in third place . . . maybe" 

Caracal Insider Daily | February 5, 2018

Caracal Insider Daily Jan2018 (1).png

YouTube, Amazon Alexa, Bitcoin, Sorghum, Brutal Cold

Caracal Insider Daily
February 5, 2018
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross

Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia

Caracal Insider = Global Business News at the Intersection of Politics + Policy + Profits

Subscribe here
https://goo.gl/bSQKwA

TOP FIVE

✔️ Dow futures shed 300 points

✔️ YouTube to label state-funded broadcasters

✔️ China launches probe over US sorghum imports

✔️ Bitcoin falls to fresh 2-1/2 month low

✔️ Brutal cold raises concerns over Olympics opening ceremony
 

GEOECONOMICS

CNBC BREAKING: Dow futures shed 300 points as stocks resume Friday's ugly sell-off

YouTube to label state-funded broadcasters in drive against misinformation: WSJ reports, Google unit to provide more context around propaganda, conspiracy theories.

A new kind of nuclear arms race grips the US and Russia: NYT reports, after years of reduction-based treaties, the Pentagon envisions bringing nuclear weapons back in play to counter a push by Russia to modernize its forces.

China in talks over military base in remote Afghanistan: AFP reports, worried about militants sneaking into a restive Chinese region from war-torn Afghanistan, Beijing is in talks with Kabul over the construction of a military base, Afghan officials say, as it seeks to shore up its fragile neighbor. 

LAT: Tillerson embraces US alliances with Latin America before he visits the region

China launches probe over US sorghum imports: WSJ reports, China’s Commerce Ministry said it initiated an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigation after preliminarily finding that heavy volumes and low prices of American exports sorghum, bolstered by U.S. subsidies, hurt Chinese growers.

Nikkei - Ian Bremmer: US-China trade duel heading for trouble: Both governments will keep squeezing, each believing the other is more vulnerable. https://goo.gl/7yTekf

Bloomberg: What happens when China eclipses the US in Asia: A Q&A with Hugh White, a former top Australian official who feels Beijing has already filled the US leadership void. https://goo.gl/2jwmjo

US-China Business Council tells China its IT policies constrain US companies: IUST reports, China’s information technology policies are making it increasingly difficult for U.S. companies to fully and efficiently operate there, the US-China Business Council claims in new recommendations sent to China. China’s recent policies, following its Cybersecurity Law that went into effect last June, impact investment, data flows and security and create barriers and obstacles for U.S. companies operating there, the USCBC says.

China puts the final nail in the cryptocurrency coffin: SCMP reports, China is to block all websites related to cryptocurrency trading and initial coin offerings (ICOs) – including foreign platforms – in a bid to finally quash the market completely. https://goo.gl/SttC3m

Bitcoin falls to fresh 2-1/2 month low: Reuters reports, Bitcoin, the world's best-known cryptocurrency, fell 7 percent on Monday to a fresh 2-1/2-month low of $7,599 on back of growing worries about a regulatory clampdown and bans on the purchase of the digital coins.

Nikkei: 'India is the new China,' say construction equipment makers

AFP: Indonesia economy picks up with 5.1% growth in 2017


AP: UK's May under pressure as Conservatives at war over Brexit

"Since becoming prime minister in 2016, May has walked a fine line between two feuding factions in her party: those who want a clean break, even if it means trade barriers with Europe, and those who want to keep Britain's economy closely aligned to the 28-nation EU."

Secret plan to end Tory turmoil on trade talks: The Times reports, ministers are preparing a Brexit compromise aimed at ending the increasingly acrimonious row in the Conservative Party over whether Britain stays in the EU’s customs union. The 11-strong Brexit “war cabinet” will meet on Wednesday and Thursday to try to break the 19-month deadlock.

Canada moves to the forefront of NAFTA talks: Automotive News reports, coming out of the Montreal round of talks — which observers and participants interpreted as a positive step toward an agreement — it's Canada that has emerged as the central focus of Washington's negotiating efforts, and frustrations. Indeed, in his closing statement in Montreal, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer barely even mentioned Mexico. Instead, he sharply rebuked the northern neighbor on several matters and drew attention to an $87 billion goods deficit with Canada in 2016, including energy.

AMERICAN POLITICS

Budget: Congress is expected this week to pass another stopgap spending bill to avoid a government shutdown.

12 depressing previews of America’s next war: Foreign Policy reports, the excellent new book by Lawrence Freedman, The Future of War: A History, demonstrates that military futurists, like political pundits, have a terrible track record of predicting the future in their field of expertise. Freedman notably warns to avoid those who proclaim, “the ease and speed with which victory can be achieved while underestimating the resourcefulness of adversaries.”  https://goo.gl/kQXYPD

California Democrats unveil their battle strategy for election season: ‘Go left’: WP reports, in the self-labeled “state of resistance,” the political debate is being pushed further left without any sign of a Republican renaissance to serve as a check on spending and social policy ambitions. That means Democratic candidates will be staking out the most liberal stance on issues such as single-payer health care.

LAT: California bakes as winter temperatures set new records across the state

ENTERPRISE

Amazon will "double down" on voice assistant Alexa.

AFP: Amazon strikes French deal to end tax dispute

Amazon edges NFL in Ad Meter even closer than Super Bowl LII: USA Today AdMeter reports, in an extraordinarily tight contest, Amazon’s commercial for Alexa edged the NFL’s Dirty Dancing-themed spot to win this year’s USA TODAY Ad Meter. “Alexa Loses Her Voice” topped the annual competition with an average rating of 7.1836 and “Touchdown Celebrations to Come” finished at 7.1777.

Watch the top 5 highest-rated Super Bowl LII adshttps://goo.gl/L92WWN

Nissan to spend $9.5 billion in push to be top-3 China brand: FT reports, an investment strategy to focus on electrified vehicles and local models.

Handelsblatt: China’s Geely buys shares in Mercedes-maker Daimler: The world’s largest luxury carmaker is getting a new, potentially strategic shareholder: Chinese peer Geely is building up a stake. It could be part of a bigger plan to turn the Asian firm into a global car giant.

Bloomberg: Alibaba buys stake in Wanda Film in $1.2 billion share sale

WSJ: Broadcom to raise offer for Qualcomm to about $120 billion


Apple Music is on the verge of overtaking Spotify in U.S. paid subscribers.

Body Shop owner Natura targets global growth: FT reports, South American cosmetics group will unveil a new corporate entity called Natura &Co that will control businesses.

Reuters: Singtel to spend up to $413 million to nudge up stake in India's Bharti Telecom

TRENDS

Visual Capitalist: 35 Chinese cities with economies as big as countries: There are literally dozens of Chinese cities that most people in Western countries have never heard of – yet they each hold millions of people and have an economic output comparable to nations. Here’s a list of 35 of them, the size of their local economy, and a comparably sized national economy. https://goo.gl/qAUgPk

Book review: Dismal statistics: Is gross domestic product—the preferred measure of growth for most economists—still useful for gauging the health of economies? Diane Coyle reviews ‘The Growth Delusion’ by David Pilling.

CULTURE

Stewart Resnick is the biggest farmer in the United States:A fact he has tried to keep hidden while he has shaped what we eat, transformed California’s landscape, and ruled entire towns. California Sunday Magazine

"400,000 acre-feet. That’s the annual amount of water Stewart Resnick, the biggest farmer in California, uses to water 15 million trees he has in the San Joaquin Valley. For comparison, the city of Los Angeles consumes 587,000 acre-feet annually."

Kathy Griffin: Can a comic in exile come back?https://goo.gl/LGkMsJ

SPORT

AFP: Brrr! Brutal cold raises concerns over Olympics opening ceremony

The Pyeongchang Games are shaping up to be one of the coldest Olympics ever. 

Caracal Insider Daily | January 16, 2018

Caracal Insider Daily Jan2018 (1).png

Bitcoin, Trade Clash, Huawei, Starbucks, Lego, Social Media News

Caracal Insider Daily
January 16, 2018
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross

Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia

Caracal Insider = Global Business News at the Intersection of Politics + Policy + Profits

Subscribe here
https://goo.gl/bSQKwA

TOP FIVE

✔️ Bitcoin plunges 20%

✔️ Lawmakers urge AT&T to cut ties with Huawei

✔️ US and China prepare for trade clash

✔️ A new Starbucks opens in China every 15 hours

✔️ Half of Americans want to regulate social media news
 

GEOECONOMICS

Bitcoin plunges 20%: The price of bitcoin plunged by as much as 20% amid concerns about tighter regulation falling below $12,000 for the first time since early December.

France wants tougher rules on bitcoin to avoid criminal use: AP reports, France’s finance minister says he wants new regulation targeted at virtual currencies, to stop them from being used for tax evasion, financing terrorism, and other crime.

WSJ: Oil briefly reaches $70 as buoyant global economy bolsters demand

Battle stations: US and China prepare for trade clash of the titans: A trade war between the U.S. and China would be more bruising and protracted than the battles that raged in the 1980s over Japanese exports and would risk taking down the entire global trading architecture.
WSJ - Andrew Browne

"The last time Washington mobilized for a trade war, Ronald Reagan was president and Japan the adversary."

China disrupts internet access for global groups: FT reports, companies fear being forced on to expensive platform surveilled by Beijing. 

Lawmakers urge AT&T to cut ties with Huawei: Reuters reports, US lawmakers are urging AT&T, to cut all commercial ties to Chinese phone maker Huawei Technologies and oppose plans by telecom operator China Mobile to enter the American market because of national security concerns. The lawmakers are also advising US companies that if they have ties to Huawei or China Mobile - like partnering on 5G or selling handsets - it could hamper their ability to do business with the US government.

China fake data mask economic rebound: FT reports, GDP numbers unlikely to show the scale of recovery because of previous moves to hide slowdown.

Bloomberg: Xi Jinping’s debt clampdown has left a trail of dead projects

"As consumption sustains growth, once-prized programs lie idle"

China admits to having agents in Canada as former judge harassed in Toronto: Globe and Mail reports, for more than 15 years, the Chinese government has provoked anger in Canada, Australia, the United States and elsewhere for sneaking security agents abroad

Days after Hawaii alert gaffe, Japan issues a false alarm about a missile launch: Reuters reports, Japanese public broadcaster NHK issued a false alarm about a North Korean missile launch on Tuesday, just days after a similar gaffe caused panic in Hawaii, but it managed to correct the error within minutes.

WP: North Korea calls Trump a ‘lunatic’ and a ‘loser’ in response to nuclear button tweet

NK nukes - no: Foreign ministers from around 20 nations will gather for a meeting in Vancouver today, co-hosted by the U.S. and Canada, to discuss how to curb North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. But China, seen as a key player in any long-term solution, will be absent. 

Donald Tusk calls for a second Brexit referendum: The Time reports, Donald Tusk has called on Britain to reverse the decision to leave the European Union with a second referendum or a House of Commons vote on the final Brexit deal. The president of the European Council made his appeal as pressure grows on MPs to press for a second referendum or to reject a withdrawal agreement.

The Times: Le Pen plans to rename and rebrand National Front

Italy falls for nostalgia: Don't blame only the politicians. Italian voters are also fed up with "reform."
Bloomberg - Ferdinando Giugliano

"Nostalgia, welcome back to Rome."

America last? EU says Trump is losing on trade: Reuters reports, the European Union’s trade tsar has no idea what Donald Trump will tell his audience at the World Economic Forum in Davos next week, but she is clear what the EU’s message to the U.S. president will be. America is shooting itself in the foot by withdrawing from global leadership on trade, Cecilia Malmstrom, the 49-year-old Swede who has served as Europe’s trade commissioner for the past three years, told Reuters.

AMERICAN POLITICS

WP: Chances of shutdown grow as GOP turns to short-term spending deal for government

Bloomberg: GOP leaders struggle to avert shutdown after immigration blow-up

The US government runs out of money at midnight on Friday.

Today: Trump meets with President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan.

Slate: The cannabis industry is well-armed to fight Jeff Sessions https://goo.gl/RJnpYP

The Pentagon is planning to develop two new sea-based nuclear weapons to respond to Russia and China’s growing military capabilities.

Flu bug USA: The entire continental US is experiencing widespread flu right now, the first time in the 13 years of the current tracking system that this has happened.

ENTERPRISE

Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said Monday he has no plans to sell its Jeep business or split up the company.

CNBC: Ford plans $11 billion investment, 40 electrified vehicles by 2022

Autonomous technology and automobiles: US Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao told a Detroit auto show forum that the Trump administration is planning to unveil revised self-driving car guidelines this summer.

AFP: Qantas changes website to recognize Chinese territories

Adidas wants to increase its US market share to around 15%-20%.

Alibaba's AI outguns humans in a reading test: Bloomberg reports, Alibaba put its deep neural network model through its paces last week, asking the AI to provide exact answers to more than 100,000 questions comprising a quiz that’s considered one of the world’s most authoritative machine-reading gauges. The model developed by Alibaba’s Institute of Data Science of Technologies scored 82.44, edging past the 82.304 that rival humans achieved.

Lego is partnering with Tencent to jointly develop online games and potentially a social network aimed at children in China. 

Xiaomi has picked Citic Securities, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley as joint sponsors for its proposed IPO, which will most likely be in Hong Kong.

A new Starbucks opens in China every 15 hours.

Chinese carmaker may use Fiat Chrysler for a foothold in the United States: NYT reports, GAC Motor said it planned to bring an SUV to the United States in 2019. It may use Fiat Chrysler dealerships hungry for new models.

TRENDS

Half of Americans want to regulate social media news: Report shows the public is concerned about fake stories and political polarisation.
FT

CULTURE

WSJ: Is that a Frank Lloyd Wright? Prove it: A home designed by a famous architect can command a premium, but in today’s competitive housing market, more buyers are turning to scholars to make sure claims are legitimate. https://goo.gl/F1YWuV

SPORT

Olympic gymnast Biles Alleges sexual abuse by team doctor: WSJ reports, gymnast Simone Biles, the star of the 2016 Olympic Games and the face of her sport in the United States, said she was among the elite gymnasts sexually abused by the longtime US team physician Larry Nassar.

AFP: Cool Runnings' revisited as Jamaican women qualify in bobsled

NFL Las Vegas odds:

Jacksonville v New England -9
Minnesota -3.5 v Philadelphia