ITK Daily | March 4
Kamala Harris, Nikki Haley, Marella Agnelli, Iris Apfel, Caitlin Clark, plus 1,000 more actionable insights.
ITK Daily is geopolitical business news + intelligence for comms pros.
Always Be Communicating.
Happy Monday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily:
*** Globalization + Geopolitics ***
Global CO2 emissions hit record high in 2023, IEA says: WSJ reports declines in Europe and the US were offset by increases in China and India.
FT: OPEC+ members extend production cuts in bid to boost oil price
Today: 150th day of Hamas-Israel conflict in Gaza
WP: Harris calls for Hamas to accept deal for ‘immediate cease-fire’
Bloomberg: Democrats step up calls for Biden to rein in Israel’s Warw
+ Killing of Palestinian civilians needs to stop, Durbin says
+ Israel may offer six-week cease-fire if Hamas frees hostages
The urgent need to end the catastrophe in Gaza: The US risks being seen as complicit in the humanitarian disaster in the strip. FT - Editorial
French foreign minister: 'The humanitarian situation in Gaza is creating indefensible and unjustifiable situations for which the Israelis are accountable': Le Monde reports Stéphane Séjourné, France's new head of diplomacy, believes that 'France must be on the right side of history' regarding the war in Ukraine, and is calling for a 'lasting' ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.
The Times: Famine stalks ruins of Gaza amid faltering ceasefire talks
Sunday: Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins.
An inside look at how Biden’s team rebuilt foreign policy after Trump: In ‘The Internationalists,’ journalist Alexander Ward talks to the staffers who tried to balance global concerns with domestic ones. WP
Russians keep Tturning up dead all over the world: WSJ reports that a Russian helicopter pilot who defected to Ukraine is the latest obvious assassination, but a range of businessmen, bureaucrats and political figures have also suffered suspicious deaths since the invasion.
Ukrainian soldiers in the Donbas rush to fortify their defensive lines ahead of the Russian army: Le Monde reports a few kilometers from the front, Ukrainian military engineers are racing against time to thwart the Russian advance into the Donetsk region, digging trenches and setting up rows of 'dragon's teeth' or 'Czech hedgehogs' to block the approaching enemy tanks.
Germany probes Russian leak of call where officers discuss Ukraine aid: WP reports the 38-minute recording captured Germany’s air force chief and three other officers deliberating the theoretical supply of long-range Taurus missiles to Kyiv. It’s a move German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been reluctant to make, despite pressure from allies, citing fears it would risk Berlin’s direct involvement in the war.
Space superpower Russia falls down to earth: Orders for satellite launches plummet 90% as India and China fill the void. Nikkei
Thursday: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the northern Kashmir region, his first trip to the valley since the abrogation of its special status in August 2019.
'The Economist' discontinues its Chinese-language edition: Le Monde reports the British business magazine is to close its Chinese app nine years after launching it, for economic and political reasons.
Today: China's top political consultative body, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, convenes in Beijing, kicking off the weeklong annual legislative season known as the "Two Sessions."
The world is in for another China shock: China is flooding foreign markets with cheap goods again. This time it isn’t buying much in return. WSJ
Bloomberg: China to unveil GDP target, avoid ‘bazooka’ stimulus at meeting
+ Premier Li Qiang will deliver government work report at NPC
+ Investors will scrutinize policy priorites as economy falters
Australia expecting a royal visit despite King’s cancer diagnosis: The Times reports Anthony Albanese, the Australian prime minister, said that preparations were beginning for a visit pencilled in for this year.
Today: Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will host leaders from Southeast Asia in Melbourne for a three-day special summit.
Friday: 10th anniversary of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines MH370.
Bloomberg: Hunt announces UK manufacturing funding in budget growth push
+ Chancellor reveals £360 million joint package with industry
+ Hunt said Sunday his budget would aim for ‘long-term’ growth
US seeks to revive idled shipyards with help of Japan, South Korea: Nikkei reports the US Navy secretary visits Hyundai, Hanwha and Mitsubishi to invite investment.
Today: South Korea and the US will commence the annual Freedom Shield military exercises as part of efforts to guard against the threat posed by North Korea.
Nikkei: More young Japanese choosing flexibility over full-time jobs
FT: Le Pen launches European election campaign with swipe at ‘authoritarian’ EU
The French far right's nebulous plan to unravel the EU: Le Monde reports though Jordan Bardella, the Rassemblement National party's president, has denied aiming for a 'hidden Frexit,' he has promoted a sort of buffet-style EU, with states being free to pick and choose whether to participate – or not – in all forms of EU 'cooperation.'
Venezuelan dissident found dead in Chile as Nicolás Maduro tests US resolve: FT reports possible overseas assassination of former soldier by regime would represent new level of repression.
Can Javier Milei rely on social media to shake up Argentina? The new president wants to use his popularity to force through a plan for radical austerity. But he risks political isolation. FT
*** US Politics + Elections ***
Majority of Biden’s 2020 voters now say he’s too old to be effective, poll says: A New York Times/Siena College poll revealed how much President Biden’s own supporters worried about his age, intensifying a threat to his re-election bid.
AP: Nikki Haley says she no longer feels bound by the GOP pledge requiring her to support the eventual nominee
What I learned when I read 887 pages of plans for Trump’s second term Carlos Lozada
Tuesday: Super Tuesday for the presidential primary elections.
Thursday: President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in Washington.
How Trump’s trial calendar is shaping up ahead of 2024 election: Voters may not know the outcome of all four criminal cases when they cast their ballots in November. FT
Waymo robotaxis can hit California highways after state approval: WP reports more Californians will contend with robotaxis on their roadways following Friday’s decision by state regulators.
DeSantis vetoes Florida bill banning social media for most kids: WP reports Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) vetoed what would have been one of the nation’s most restrictive bans against children using social media on Friday, drawing a line in the debate over kids’ online safety over concerns the bill did not allow parents to supervise teens’ activity.
+ The bill is the latest Republican-led state measure aimed at tackling bipartisan concerns that platforms are worsening youth mental health and well-being.
*** Disruption + Innovation ***
Step aside, ESG. BlackRock is doing ‘transition investing’ now. WSJ reports the world’s biggest asset manager has abandoned the acronym while pumping billions of dollars into clean energy.
Rich countries are becoming addicted to cheap labor: WSJ reports businesses are relying more on migrant workers as labor shortages persist, but economists warn of long-term dangers.
Lunar gold rush: The fight for the dark side of the moon: Astrobiologists, radio astronomers, private space firms and Nasa all want a slice. But who will get there first? The Times
The 20-year inheritance feud dividing the Fiat dynasty: Gianni Agnelli’s daughter Margherita signed a document in 2004 that has spurred lawsuits and set her against her three eldest children. FT
The problem with self-checkout tills Rory Sutherland
The invisible $1.52 trillion problem: Clunky old software: Old code piles up and raises the risk of hacks and other breaches, even on new devices. Our compounding ‘technical debt.’ Christopher Mims
AI frenzy complicates efforts to keep power-hungry data sites green: Artificial intelligence’s booming growth is radically reshaping an already red-hot data center market, raising questions about whether these sites can be operated sustainably. NYT
Elon Musk sues OpenAI, Sam Altman, saying they abandoned founding mission: OpenAI tells employees the lawsuit reflects Musk’s regrets about not being involved in company’s success. WSJ
+ It also sets up a potential courtroom debate over a topic that has roiled policymakers and businesses for much of the past year: How scared should we all be about advances in AI—and how soon?
Elon Musk sues OpenAI and Sam Altman for breach of contract: Suit alleges start-up’s deal with Microsoft broke agreement to build ‘artificial general intelligence’ for humanity. FT
Elon Musk sues OpenAI and Sam Altman for violating the company’s principles: Musk said the prominent AI start-up had put profits and commercial interests ahead of seeking to benefit humanity. NYT
Elon Musk sues OpenAI accusing it of putting profit before humanity: Lawsuit says chief executive Sam Altman’s deal with Microsoft has broken organisation’s mission. Guardian
Elon Musk asks court to decide if GPT-4 has human-level intelligence: As part of a lawsuit against OpenAI, billionaire Elon Musk has asked a court to determine whether GPT-4 is an artificial general intelligence, capable of human-level tasks. New Scientist
Musk vs. moguls: Billionaire rivalries erupt in fight for AI's future Axios
Elon Musk is right about OpenAI’s hypocrisy: Too many AI startups have seen their noble goals imperiled by Big Tech’s gravitational pull. Parmy Olson
The paradox at the heart of Elon Musk’s OpenAI lawsuit: Mr. Musk says in his complaint that the company’s technology is now so good that it must be made freely available to the public — and held back from Microsoft. NYT
Elon Musk’s legal case against OpenAI is hilariously bad: The richest man in the world has an increasingly abstract idea of what contracts are. The Verge
Google’s AI disaster heaps pressure on Alphabet heir Sundar Pichai: Tide of doubt is rising over whether Pichai is the man to steer the company through a technological shift. The Times
Bloomberg: Nvidia becomes Tesla’s successor as market flips from EV to AI
+ Chipmaker’s strong results are justifying wild rally, for now
+ In a euphoria ‘logic takes a backseat,’ 50 Park’s Sarhan says
Are smartphones doomed to disappear? The golden age of smartphones may be coming to an end. In a saturated market, sales are plummeting, mainly due to a lack of major innovations over the past 15 years. In addition, a new generation of connected devices is overshadowing them. Le Monde
Apple’s car was doomed by its lofty ambitions to outdo Tesla Bloomberg
‘Simply good’ Chinese electric cars power ahead of inferior US rivals: Better performance and affordability are driving the market Beijing’s way, according to battery materials maker Umicore. FT
*** Culture ***
AP: Iris Apfel, fashion icon known for her eye-catching style, dies at 102
Is my Banksy real? Owners struggle to get artworks authenticated: A surge in fake artwork means owners are going without the authentication certificates that give their genuine pieces value. The Times
Sunday: 96th Academy Awards (the Oscars) ceremony in Hollywood.
*** Sport ***
WP: Caitlin Clark passes Pete Maravich to become all-time NCAA Division I scoring leader
WP: LeBron James becomes first NBA player to score 40,000 points
Olympic Commission wants to put the US government in charge of youth sports: A commission created in the wake of sports abuse scandals released a report Friday that gives Congress a lengthy to-do list. WSJ
Friday: 13th African Games begin across three cities, Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast.
Alone on the ocean, with 400,000 friends: As Cole Brauer speeds to the finish of a solo race around the world, she is using Instagram to blow up sailing’s elitist image. NYT
Paris Olympics 2024: Testing on algorithmic video surveillance of the Games begins: Le Monde reports that authorized by a law for the Olympic Games, so-called 'augmented' video surveillance will be tested for the first time at two Depeche Mode concerts in Paris on Sunday, March 3, and Tuesday, March 5.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
ITK Daily | March 4
