ITK Daily | March 20
No Limits, Ben & Jerry's, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Clemson, plus 1,000 more actionable insights.
ITK Daily is geopolitical business news + intelligence for comms pros.
Always Be Communicating.
Happy Wednesday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily:
*** Globalization + Geopolitics ***
Benny Gantz, Benjamin Netanyahu's hesitant rival: Le Monde reports since he joined the government after October 7, many see this centrist retired general as an alternative to lead Israel.
FT: Netanyahu insists ground troops will enter Rafah despite US opposition
Biden needs to increase the pressure on Netanyahu Gideon Rachman
China meets Hamas for first time since war with Israel began: The Times reports Beijing’s engagement with the Palestinian side could also be a sign it is stepping away from the Israeli and Western position.
+ @spectatorindex: Bloomberg reports that China-based Evergrande's $78 billion revenue overstatement is 'one of the biggest financial fraud cases in history'
Hong Kong passes tough new security law: FT reports critics say legislation will further erode civil liberties in the Chinese territory.
Nikkei: Hong Kong passes Article 23 security law with sweeping powers
+ Bill rushed through legislature despite concerns raised by foreign envoys, others
Hong Kong adopts contentious law giving government more power to quash dissent: AFP reports Hong Kong legislators unanimously passed a new national security law on Tuesday, introducing penalties such as life imprisonment for crimes related to treason and insurrection, and up to 20 years in jail for the theft of state secrets.
Bloomberg: China launches satellite critical for mission to Moon’s far side
+ Relay satellite will enable probe to communicate with Earth
+ Moon missions are part of busy year for China’s space program
Nikkei: China forges defense ties with India neighbors Maldives, Sri Lanka
Global South is moving toward the center of Chinese foreign policy: Beijing's priorities for 2024 reflect goal of standing up to US pressure. Yu Jie
Taiwan acknowledges presence of US troops on outlying islands: WSJ reports Taiwan’s defense minister has hinted that US troops have been training the Taiwanese military on islands that would be on the front lines of a conflict with its neighbor.
The US Indo-Pacific Command has submitted a whopping $11 billion budget wish list to Congress, headlined by a push to build up a missile defense web on the island of Guam.
Putin to visit China in May: Reuters reports Russian President Vladimir Putin will travel to China in May for talks with Xi Jinping, in what could be the Kremlin chief's first overseas trip of his new presidential term, according to five sources familiar with the matter.
Ukraine’s impossible choice: Conceding territory or lives: WSJ reports with its military worn down and U.S. aid stalled, Ukraine’s leaders are confronting how to hold off a larger and better-equipped Russian army.
Ukrainian opposition is increasingly critical of the Zelensky administration: Le Monde reports a number of MPs are denouncing abusive control on their travel abroad, subject to prior authorization, and are accusing the authorities of trying to stifle their voice.
As UK Royals struggle to calm rumors, agency flags older edited photo: Getty Images said a photo taken by Catherine, Princess of Wales, of Queen Elizabeth II had been “digitally enhanced,” adding to scrutiny over royal communications with the public. NYT
Kate Middleton is alive. But the royal conspiracy theories won’t die. How a media blackout backfired for Britain’s royal family. WSJ
AP: The UK will host a summit of European leaders at Winston Churchill’s birthplace on July 18
French lawmakers to probe Polynesia nuclear tests: AFP reports French lawmakers are expected to launch a probe into the impact of the country's nuclear weapons tests in French Polynesia over three decades.
Macron launches 'unprecedented operation' to stop drug trafficking in Marseille: AFP reports French President Emmanuel Macron Tuesday launched a weeks-long operation against drug trafficking in Marseille, saying gangland battles that last year left dozens dead had made life impossible for many residents.
Putin extends Africa reach with Niger ready to boot out US forces: The Times reports the military junta ended a decade-long agreement with America as US officials raised concerns about the country’s growing ties with Russia and Iran.
Saudi Arabia plans $40 billion push into artificial intelligence: The Middle Eastern country is creating a gigantic fund to invest in AI technology, potentially becoming the largest player in the hot market. NYT
AP: Brazil’s Bolsonaro is indicted for 1st time over alleged falsification of his vaccination status
FT: Rare protests break out in Cuba amid electricity and food shortages
Cubans' anger at the regime grows as they suffer from shortages: Le Monde reports the island's inhabitants have been dealing with long power cuts and have been forced to wait for days or endure unending queues to have a chance to obtain basic goods.
Communist Cuba is on the brink of collapse: The Caribbean island is going through its harshest economic crisis in three decades. The world should prepare for an eventual and sorely needed regime change. Juan Pablo Spinetto
Bloomberg: US warns of cyberattacks against water systems throughout nation
+ Letter cites threats from hackers linked to Iran, China
+ EPA is lead federal agency to ensure water sector’s resilience
*** US Politics + Elections ***
AP: Trump is making the Jan. 6 attack a cornerstone of his bid for the White House
Supreme Court allows Texas to enforce immigration law: NBC News reports the Biden administration sued to block the law, saying it tramples on the federal government’s exclusive authority to oversee immigration issues.
This battleground election state is booming. Biden is not getting the credit FT
Potential 2024 candidates keep saying no, but No Labels is pressing forward anyway: NBC News reports more than a dozen prominent potential presidential candidates have said no after approaches from the group, which is behind its stated ballot access goal.
Congress should think bigger than TikTok ban, tech critics say: Facebook, X, Instagram and other platforms need stricter data regulation, according to privacy advocates. Bloomberg
The contrasting tales of TikTok and Nippon Steel: Pace of US deglobalisation is accelerating, with sometimes dubious motives. FT - Editorial
AP: As electric vehicle sales slow, US relaxes plans for stricter auto emissions standards for a while
The Hill: Porter regrets saying California Senate primary race was ‘rigged’
Governments across the US are handing residents cash—no strings attached: WSJ reports dozens of guaranteed-income programs have popped up in cities and counties, and Republicans are trying to block them.
*** Disruption + Innovation ***
Bloomberg: Microsoft hires DeepMind co-founder Suleyman to run consumer AI
+ Suleyman and his team will join from OpenAI rival Inflection AI
Microsoft hires artificial intelligence leader for consumer-products push: WSJ reports Mustafa Suleyman helped lead Google’s DeepMind, a pioneering artificial intelligence lab.
+ @mustafasuleyman: I’m excited to announce that today I’m joining @Microsoft as CEO of Microsoft AI. I’ll be leading all consumer AI products and research, including Copilot, Bing and Edge. My friend and longtime collaborator Karén Simonyan will be Chief Scientist, and several of our amazing teammates have chosen to join us.
Bloomberg: Inflection AI plans pivot after most employees go to Microsoft
+ Reid Hoffman will be last remaining co-founder at the startup
+ Inflection investors said to be on track to make money
Nvidia plans to price newest AI chips to appeal to wide group of users: WSJ reports CEO Jensen Huang says the company is positioned to capture a large share of new spending on data centers.
He predicted the ’08 crash. Now he’s betting AI will turbocharge the US economy: CNN reports Jan Hatzius, the Goldman Sachs chief economist, made a name for himself by making the opposite call in 2008, warning that toxic mortgages would ignite a recession. Now, Hatzius is offering a mostly optimistic forecast about another controversial theme in society today: artificial intelligence and what it means for the US economy.
AI may not change your job, but it will transform government Stephen Bush
Apple keeps losing patent cases. Its solution: Rewrite the rules. After losing two complaints before the US International Trade Commission, Apple has stepped up its lobbying to change the agency’s practices. NYT
Realtors reckon with a seismic shift in how they get paid: WSJ reports a legal settlement has upended the model for buying and selling homes for the past three decades and prompted more than a million agents to re-examine their careers.
Ben & Jerry’s owner loses its taste for ice cream: WSJ reports Unilever plans to spin off its ice-cream business and could consider a sale, with 7,500 jobs potentially being affected.
Annual energy conference shows oil isn't going away any time soon: Le Monde reports industry giants gathered in Houston emphasized that global demand was at an all-time high, far from the talk of the end of oil.
FT: Bill Gates’ TerraPower plans to build first US next-generation nuclear plant
AFP: Renault CEO urges 'Marshall Plan' for Europe electric vehicles
Bloomberg: Wall Street bonuses slump to 2019 low after dealmaking drought
FT: Gucci owner Kering issues rare luxury sector profit warning
Who is Rodolphe Saadé, the billionaire who purchased France's leading news channel? Soaring sea freight prices and a favorable tax regime gave the owner of the world's third-largest shipping company, CMA CGM, the means to build a media group at lightning speed. Le Monde
*** Culture ***
Forget Aaron Taylor-Johnson — Bond’s big win would be Christopher Nolan: The Times reports the Kickass star is rumoured to have been offered the role, but the Oppenheimer director’s time-travelling ambition is what the franchise needs.
*** Sport ***
AFP: Russian, Belarusian athletes not part of Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Google's new AI for corner kick tactics gets Liverpool approval: AFP reports Liverpool football analysts have given their seal of approval to a new artificial intelligence tool from Google that suggests the best tactics for corner kicks, researchers said Tuesday.
Downhill from here: French authorities halt tourism-focused development at ski resorts: AFP: Russian, Belarusian athletes not part of Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Google's new AI for corner kick tactics gets Liverpool approval: AFP reports Liverpool football analysts have given their seal of approval to a new artificial intelligence tool from Google that suggests the best tactics for corner kicks, researchers said Tuesday.
Downhill from here: French authorities halt tourism-focused development at ski resorts: AFP reports regional administrative courts have suspended projects to build hotels or extend ski areas.
AP: Clemson joins Florida State, becomes second school to sue ACC as it seeks to exit conference
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
ITK Daily | March 20
