The highest US tariffs since the 1930s are redrawing the international trade map: America’s trading partners are rushing to seal new trade deals to blunt the hit from Trump’s protectionism. Bloomberg
Bloomberg: Trump, Xi spark another standoff with world economy at risk
+ Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s latest tit-for-tat showdown reached a standoff, with both countries claiming the ball was now in the other’s court.
+ China’s Foreign Ministry said Beijing would take its cues from Washington’s next steps, and that China will firmly take necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests if the US continues on its wrong course.
+ The US and China are set to hold staff-level meetings, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent believes the Trump-Xi meeting will still be on, with the question now being which side blinks first.
Trump and Xi still plan to meet this month, Bessent says: FT reports US and Chinese officials will also hold talks this week about escalation in trade tensions.
China snubs US beef in trade war win for Australia's farmers: Nikkei reports combination of increasing exports and higher global prices bolster local sector.
Consequences be damned. China loves its own economic model: Foreign concerns about a deluge of Chinese goods fall on deaf ears in Beijing. Economist
A wargame to take Taiwan, from China’s perspective Jeffrey Michaels + Michael John Williams
AUKUS anxiety: Unmet expectations could fracture the US-Australian alliance. James Curran
Trump touts ‘dawn of new Middle East,’ though much remains uncertain: WP reports President Donald Trump attended a summit on Gaza’s future in Egypt and declared the war in Gaza as “over.” However, uncertainty looms about the peace plan’s next phase.
Fighting flares in Gaza as Donald Trump says “The war is over”: Clashes between Hamas and armed gangs threaten his peace plan. Economist
Questions remain on Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan: DW reports the details of the peace plan that has brought about a Gaza ceasefire are vague — deliberately so, negotiators say. Many questions still remain and the answers have the potential to bring peace, or a return to fighting.
WSJ: Fresh from Mideast victory, Trump sets sights on Ukraine peace
Trump: Now let’s end the Ukraine war: Telegraph reports buoyed by declaration of peace in the Middle East, president turns attention to Russia conflict with Tomahawk missile threat.
Trump to meet Zelenskyy in Washington on Friday: FT reports US president has floated selling long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine in bid to end Russia’s invasion.
Behind Russia’s battlefield drone surge in Ukraine? Chinese factories. Chinese sales of fiber-optic cable and lithium-ion batteries to Russian drone makers surged over the summer, underscoring Beijing’s “no limits” ties with Moscow. WP
As Russian aggression turns West, Poland says it’s ready: Warsaw has doubled the size of its military since 2014 and boosted military spending to nearly 5% of GDP. WSJ
Espionage, sabotage, and ghost tanks in the Baltic Sea: Hundreds of tankers, whose owners are hidden behind shell companies, have enabled Russia to sell 60% of its oil. Moscow has been accused of using these ships to damage undersea cables and launch drones. Le Monde
Why Russia may be running out of time in Ukraine Benjamin Hart
German intelligence leaders sound the alarm about Russia, Hamas in public briefing: DW reports the leaders of Germany's two main intelligence services made their annual public statements to the Bundestag on Monday, saying the threats posed by Russia and by the Palestinian militant group Hamas should not be underestimated.
Norway suspects espionage in Nobel Peace Prize winner breach: Bloomberg reports Norwegian officials see cyber espionage as the most likely cause of unusual betting surge on this year’s Nobel Peace Prize recipient ahead of the announcement. The Nobel Institute on Friday began investigating reports that bets at the Polymarket platform spiked hours before it was unveiled that Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for fighting for democracy.
As Pakistan battles Afghan Taliban, fears of major war rise: DW reports that both Pakistani forces and the Taliban in Afghanistan are reeling after deadly clashes. Observers warn that border violence could escalate into a full-blown conflict.
Madagascar’s president goes into hiding: NYT reports the move followed weeks of intense and deadly protests against the government of President Andry Rajoelina, who said he would defy growing calls to resign.
The new war on drugs: Bringing tactics from the war on terror to America’s backyard. Economist
Silver futures rose 6.8% Monday to settle at $50.13 a troy ounce, topping the longstanding record of $48.70, set in January 1980 during one of the 20th century’s biggest commodity-trading scandals.
Bloomberg: Average US car prices top a record $50,000 on EV sales surge
Two industries were supposed to drive America’s future. One is booming, the other slumping. The outcome of these trends has huge implications for workers, wealth, and the future of America’s economy. WP
The Hill: Johnson: ‘We’re barreling toward one of the longest shutdowns in American history’
Congress is losing its grip on the power to spend Americans’ money: WP reports Congress is supposed to control spending, but increasingly, the White House is dictating how America’s money is used.
Peace in Trump’s time — except here Maureen Dowd
The Hill: Rove: Trump National Guard deployments ‘going to end up being a loser’
Trump’s intervention in Washington prompts calls for its 18-term House delegate to step down: AP reports even longtime allies say Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton, the district’s nonvoting delegate in the House, has not risen to the challenge of pushing back against the Trump administration’s intervention into her city. They cite her age, 88, and her diminished demeanor.
AP: North Carolina GOP announce plans to vote on new House map amid nationwide redistricting battle
The populist playbook: Democratic US Senate candidate seeks to replicate Mamdani’s success: Abdul El-Sayed’s bid for Michigan senator centers on bold leftwing populism similar to the NYC mayoral candidate. Guardian
Mamdani seeks to charm New York’s most powerful capitalists: Key power brokers attacked Zohran Mamdani and raised millions for his leading opponent in the Democratic primary. Now, many are talking to him behind the scenes. NYT
LA-SEN: Former Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) dashed the dreams of Democrats who hoped he would jump into next year’s US Senate race, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.
Major media outlets rebuff new Pentagon press policy: WSJ reports the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Journal, and CNN are among outlets that have said they won’t sign a new Defense Department policy.
Prominent news outlets reject Pentagon’s press policy before deadline: WP reports the Washington Post and other major news outlets have refused to sign the Defense Department’s restrictive new media policy, citing First Amendment concerns.
“You could cut the tension with a knife”: Bari Weiss gets to work at CBS: As the Free Press cofounder takes the helm at CBS News, all eyes are on its preeminent newsmagazine—inside and outside the building. Vanity Fair
The Paramount and Warner Bros. assets that would make a media behemoth: A Sprawling array of streaming, cable, and film properties could position a combined company to better compete with media and tech giants. WSJ
Trump allies sold sponsorships to what appeared to be a Treasury event. It wasn’t. Treasury says it didn’t approve marketing pitch for private Oct. 21 event about AI that is to be headlined by Scott Bessent. WSJ
Super PAC aims to drown out AI critics in midterms, with $100M and counting: Leading the Future is pushing to make Congress more AI-friendly. WP
‘The Democrats still may not understand what they're dealing with’: A Silicon Valley chronicler on the increasingly radical politics of Elon Musk, David Sacks, and Mark Zuckerberg. Politico
LAT: Gov. Newsom signs AI safety bill aimed at protecting children from chatbots
+ Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Monday requiring AI chatbot operators to prevent suicide content, notify minors they’re chatting with machines, and block explicit material.
+ The law mandates that chatbots remind minors every three hours to take breaks and refer users to crisis hotlines, despite tech industry concerns about innovation.
+ A more stringent companion chatbot bill supported by Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and child safety groups await Newsom’s signature or veto by Monday.
California enacts first US law requiring AI chatbot safety measures: AFP reports California governor Gavin Newsom on Monday signed into law a first-of-its-kind law regulating artificial intelligence chatbots, defying a push from the White House to leave such technology unchecked.
Regulating military use of AI is in everyone’s interest: Blanket prohibitions won’t work — but all states should agree on best practices for ethical and legal compliance. Michael C. Horowitz
CNBC: OpenAI’s dominance is unlike anything Silicon Valley has ever seen
+ While every tech cycle features a dominant company or two, OpenAI is a different kind of beast.
+ The company is forging massive partnerships with the likes of Nvidia, Broadcom, Oracle, and AMD to build out infrastructure while continuing to roll out viral consumer services.
+ “It’s the fastest-moving time in startup creation and disruption in my 17 years of investing,” said Ethan Kurzweil, managing partner at venture firm Chemistry.
Ari Emanuel bets AI will boost leisure time with three-day working week: FT reports Hollywood agent raises almost $3bn from investors including Apollo and QIA for venture spanning tennis to car auctions.
Can AI replace junior workers? The effect is still hard to spot in official data. But a study of 300,000 companies suggests where hiring is weakening. Economist
AI is juicing the economy. Is it making American workers more productive? Investment in AI ignites a fire under US economy, but technology hasn’t yet fulfilled promise of making humans work more efficiently. WSJ
OpenAI, Broadcom forge multibillion-dollar chip-development deal: WSJ reports the companies plan to deploy 10 gigawatts of custom AI chips over the next four years.
OpenAI extends chip spending spree with multibillion-dollar Broadcom deal: FT reports the deal could cost up to $500bn on top of start-up’s $1tn pledge for semiconductors and data centres.
Measuring risk in the AI financing boom: A shift towards debt raises the potential fallout from the data centre spending spree. FT-Editorial
Larry Ellison to invest extra £890m in Oxford institute: The Times reports Oracle tycoon commits to extension of the campus at Oxford Science Park and aides say the economic benefit of the project could ultimately be worth billions.
Factory towns revive as defense tech makers arrive: Drawn by local talent, cheap labor, and state cash incentives, start-ups building the weapons of the future are revitalizing manufacturing in once-vibrant industrial towns. NYT
JPMorgan to invest $10 billion in US companies critical to national security: Bank pledges to take stakes in companies such as mineral producers, artificial-intelligence firms, and others. WSJ
JPMorgan backs ‘America First’ push with up to $10bn investment: Chief executive Jamie Dimon says US too dependent on ‘unreliable’ sources of materials ‘essential’ to national security. FT
Western executives who visit China are coming back terrified: Robotics has catapulted Beijing into a dominant position in many industries. Telegraph
How mega batteries are unlocking an energy revolution FT
Detroit’s new skyscraper signals the city’s back, baby: Twelve years in the making, the $1.4 billion Hudson’s project by SHoP Architects is billionaire Dan Gilbert’s bet on a brighter future. FC
How Bike Share went from death’s door to one of Toronto’s fastest-growing ways to travel: How self-cleaning toilets, the pandemic, and bike lanes made Toronto Bike Share a staple of the city — and how Doug Ford’s battle against bike lanes will shape its future. Toronto Star
Variety: Apple TV+ rebrands to Apple TV, ditching the plus sign for ‘vibrant new identity’
FC: There will be 500,000 seasonal hires this holiday season. Half of them will work for Amazon
Nobel economics prize awarded to trio for work on innovation-driven growth: Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt deepened understanding of pickup in economic growth over the past two centuries. WSJ
Nobel economics prize recognizes creative destruction in innovation, growth: The prize was split between economists at Northwestern University, Brown University, and Collège de France. WP
Nobel economist warns of AI dangers: A winner of this year’s Nobel prize in economics warned Monday that artificial intelligence offers "amazing possibilities" but should be regulated because of its job-destroying potential. AFP
How life became an endless, terrible competition: Meritocracy prizes achievement above all else, making everyone—even the rich—miserable. Maybe there’s a way out. Daniel Markovits
Chloé Zhao on why Hollywood is ‘not very good at preserving the language of ambiguity’ and how neurodivergence is her ‘superpower’ in filmmaking Variety
Taylor Swift’s new album smashes sales records in first week: FT reports success of ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ unprecedented in era of declining music purchases.
Ancelotti ready to make World Cup history with Brazil: AFP reports no country has ever won the World Cup with a foreign-born coach, but Carlo Ancelotti said Monday that there was "always a first time" as he eyes glory with Brazil. The Italian became Brazil's first overseas coach in six decades when he took over in Ma,y and he helped the five-times champions punch their ticket for next summer's World Cup.
Canada’s blueprint for capitalizing on the men’s World Cup: A ‘one-stop shop’ for soccer Athletic
Historic World Cup qualification for Cape Verde islanders: AFP reports Cape Verde beat Eswatini 3-0 on Monday to secure a spot at the 2026 World Cup, booking their place in football's global showpiece for the very first time.
Senator cautions Big Ten presidents about private capital as conference moves closer to deal: Athletic reports as Big Ten schools moved closer to a decision on whether to accept a more than $2 billion investment deal, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) sent a letter to the league’s university presidents Friday, stressing concerns and urging caution about getting involved with private capital.
How Indiana—Indiana!—became America’s college football and NFL paradise: The Colts stay hot as the unbeaten Hoosiers blast Oregon on the road and soar to a historic No. 3. An improving Notre Dame lurks. Jason Gay
AFP: NFL Titans fire Callahan as coach after 1-5 start
The NBA’s return to China is no slam dunk: The NBA's re-entry into China is complicated by the country's politically fraught landscape, including the trade war between Washington and Beijing, and the risk of becoming a "political football" on sensitive subjects. Juliana Liu
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
A11. | October 14
