ITK Daily | April 17
Black Sea, Jurors, Cybertruck, Amsterdam, Blake Griffin, 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 ***
CNN: Israel weighs response to Iran attack
BBC: Iranians on edge as leaders say 'Tel Aviv is our battleground'
Israel assured its Arab neighbours that it will not threaten their security in its response to the barrage of drones and missiles that Iran launched towards its territory on Saturday, according to local media.
+ Attacks by the Israeli military have killed two Hezbollah commanders in Lebanon, the IDF confirmed.
The US Navy has spent nearly $1 billion on munitions to thwart “over 130 direct attacks” on US military and merchant ships in the Middle East over the past six months, the US Navy Secretary said Tuesday.
The shadow of war darkens on the global economy: Short-term performance has been surprisingly good but policymakers are walking on eggshells. Martin Wolf
AP: US Pentagon chief speaks with Chinese counterpart for first time since November 2022
Bloomberg: US and China lock horns again on industrial overcapacity claims
+ US officials reiterate concerns in meetings in Washington
+ Chinese embassy says that rise in exports due to market demand
FT: US Speaker Mike Johnson says House will vote on Ukraine and Israel aid this week
White House gives cautious nod to Ukraine, Israel bills: AFP reports the White House said Tuesday that separate aid bills set for a vote in the US House this week appear to meet the long-delayed military needs of Ukraine and Israel.
US and UK ban on Russian metals sends prices soaring: The Times reports new sanctions imposed for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine put a stop to new trade in aluminium, copper, and nickel.
The talks that could have ended the war in Ukraine: A hidden history of diplomacy that came up short—but holds lessons for future negotiations. Samuel Charap and Sergey Radchenko
Why is Russia's Black Sea fleet so vulnerable? Despite hardly being able to count on its maritime assets, the Ukrainian army has nevertheless managed to keep the Russian Black Sea fleet at bay, a third of which Kyiv claims has been out of action or permanently damaged. Le Monde
Le Monde: Russia but not Putin invited to D-Day anniversary in France
+ 2024 marks the 80th anniversary of the historic D-Day Landings in Normandy.
France is ‘overwhelmed with propaganda,’ minister says: Politico reports Paris called out several pro-Russian disinformation campaigns in the run-up to June’s EU election.
France recalls their ambassador to Azerbaijan: Le Monde reports Paris has accused Baku of 'damaging' ties between the two countries, which have long been plagued by tensions focused on the Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Gabriel Attal's first 100 days as prime minister, amid turbulent times in France: Appointed to 'regenerate' a stagnant presidential term, the prime minister has intended to focus the European election campaign on his priorities: young people and restoring authority. But polling has predicted a dismal election for his government. Le Monde
Deepfakes, distrust and disinformation: Welcome to the AI election: From phony robocalls to lifelike forged photos, the trendy tech is evolving at breakneck pace — as billions head to the polls. Politico
New UK law targets AI sex deepfakes: The UK government announced a new law targeting the creation of AI-generated sexually explicit deepfake images. Under new law, those who create the images would face a fine and possible jail time.
Where are all the British robots? Firms’ small size is the biggest barrier to automation. Economist
UK lawmakers pass ‘smoke-free generation’ bill, one of world’s strictest: WP reports the law would prevent people born in 2009 and later from ever buying a cigarette — and has stoked a rebellion in Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party.
Scholz in China: The dangers of going it alone: In pleading for 'open and fair' competition during his China trip, the German Chancellor seems to be unaware that Beijing is only concerned with power politics. Europeans run the risk of becoming weakened if they do not work together. Le Monde - Editorial
India is holding a mammoth election with nearly a billion voters: The general election is the largest democratic exercise ever - almost one in eight people in the world can vote. BBC
Gandhi v Modi: crunch time for Congress as India prepares to vote: The Economist joins the most prominent opposition politician on the campaign trail. Economist
Modi hopes Elon Musk’s India visit will supercharge election prospects: With unemployment a key issue for voters the prospect of a Tesla plant could give the prime minister an edge at the polls. The Times
Japan's 2024 US playbook starts with subnational diplomacy: Kishida sees state governors as crucial to multilayered ties of alliance. Nikkei
Microsoft to invest $1.5bn in Abu Dhabi AI group G42: FT reports the agreement is latest move by US tech company to extend its reach into fast-growing sector.
+ Details of the transaction reflect a collaboration between the Biden administration and Microsoft to box Beijing out of tech influence in the Gulf, as the US and China compete for AI superiority.
+ The investment is a collaboration between business and Washington. It arose out of a dialogue between US officials and tech executives last year over how to encourage business transactions that deepened American interests in important regions and technologies.
Microsoft invests in Arabic AI firm as US tries to limit China’s sway: Microsoft negotiated the deal to invest in Abu Dhabi-based G42 with the US and UAE governments. WP
FT: Venezuela to cut ties with Ecuador over embassy raid
WP: Global economy is growing but may be headed for trouble, IMF says
*** US Politics + Elections ***
WP: Momentum builds to oust House speaker as two Republicans say they would vote to remove him
+ 7 jurors sworn in for Donald Trump's hush money trial
Politico: Biden’s campaign spending quadrupled in March
US voters warm to Joe Biden on economy but remain concerned over inflation: FT-Michigan Ross poll finds president’s gains could be derailed by stubborn fears over high prices.
FT: Jay Powell says inflation fight will take ‘longer than expected’
A congressman wanted to understand AI. So he went back to a college classroom to learn AP
Romney, lawmakers pen letter proposing federal framework for AI oversight: ABC 4 reports Republican Sen. Mitt Romney and three other US Senate colleagues submitted a bipartisan letter to congressional leadership this week on their ideas on how to mitigate the national security risks of artificial intelligence. Romney, along with US Senators Jerry Moran (R-KS), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Angus S. King, Jr. (D-ME), are asking Congress to consider four potential ways to oversee AI in the US. You can read the letter here.
Messy intel fight comes to Senate with Friday deadline: Politico reports Chuck Schumer said Tuesday he will move to set up a vote on the expiring Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act for later this week.
Why the US government’s overreliance on Microsoft is a big problem: Microsoft continues to get a free pass after series of cybersecurity failures. ARS
Battle lines drawn as US states take on big tech with online child safety bills: Nine states are hashing out bills to protect minors online. Tech companies are fighting the laws with everything they’ve got. Guardian
*** Disruption + Innovation ***
$3.2trn: The market capitalization of Microsoft, the world’s most valuable company.
Andreessen Horowitz raises $7.2bn and sets sights on AI start-ups: FT reports Silicon Valley venture capital group hauls in one of the largest funds since downturn in tech sector.
OpenAI triples Japanese language processing speed: Nikkei reports the US company offers direct challenge to Japan players hoping to cultivate market.
Bloomberg: DeepMind CEO says Google will spend more than $100 billion on AI
33: The number of times Amazon CEO Andy Jassy mentioned AI in his annual letter to shareholders.
Reuters: Baidu says AI chatbot 'Ernie Bot' has attracted 200 million users
Speed of AI development stretches risk assessments to breaking point: Artificial intelligence’s complexity exposes flaws in traditional methods used to evaluate safety and accuracy. FT
Based on a Dept. of Commerce survey of 1.2mm US businesses, only 6.6% of firms, representing 12% of employees, plan to use AI by Fall 2024.
Cities use AI to help ambulances and firetrucks arrive faster: Bloomberg reports the new technology promises to improve emergency services in cities across the US.
‘Eat the future, pay with your face’: My dystopian trip to an AI burger joint: If the experience of robot-served fast-food dining is any indication, the future of sex robots is going to be very unpleasant. Guardian
Reuters: X reverses course, tells Brazil court it will comply with rulings
+ @elonmusk: Unfortunately, a small fee for new user write access is the only way to curb the relentless onslaught of bots. Current AI (and troll farms) can pass “are you a bot” with ease.
Starbucks is designing quieter stores to make sure it gets your order right, illustrating how acoustics have become a bigger focus of workplace design.
Red Lobster is mulling a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing as it looks to restructure its debt, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
Wind farms added a record 117 gigawatts (GW) of capacity last year, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. That marked a 50% increase from 2022.
LVMH’s growth weighed down by softening China luxury demand: FT reports first-quarter revenues grew 2% at flagship fashion and leather goods unit, against an 18% jump a year ago.
Superdry to quit stock market and seek rent reductions: The Times reports Julian Dunkerton, the retailer’s chief executive, hopes landlords will agree to deals that are “more compatible with what everyone else is paying.”
WP: Tesla delays Cybertruck deliveries, leaving buyers confused
Cancer could soon be detected by blood tests, even before symptoms: WP repprts new tests measure “signals” in the blood to help detect cancer. Experts say more study is needed to determine if they save lives.
*** Culture ***
Geolocation data from cell phones shows that less than 5% of Americans attend weekly religious services, versus 22% who report they do.
USC bars pro-Palestinian valedictorian speech, citing safety: Bloomberg reports officials at the University of Southern California say their decision to cancel a planned commencement speech by the Class of 2024 valedictorian was motivated by concerns over safety and not because of complaints that the student’s pro-Palestinian social media posts were antisemitic.
Get drunk, not high at Oktoberfest, Bavaria says: DW reports authorities in Germany's Bavaria say they want to restrict the use of cannabis at festivals and beer gardens. Germany legalized recreational marijuana earlier this month, a move opposed by the Bavaria-based CSU.
Amsterdam mayor wants to regulate cocaine: AFP reports hard drugs like cocaine and ecstasy should be regulated, according to the mayor of Amsterdam, who believes this is the only way to defeat narco-trafficking and its "disastrous" effect on her city.
Biopic series of French first lady in the works: AFP reports Brigitte Macron's "fairytale journey" from schoolteacher to first lady is to be recounted in a French TV series, the producers said Tuesday.
Will the French Olympic team be best dressed at the opening ceremony? Carine Roitfeld teamed up with Berluti to sprinkle some fashion fairy dust on the designs. Here’s the verdict. NYT
*** Sport ***
Eintracht Frankfurt is exploring another potential tie-up with a US soccer team as it seeks to increase its access to a growing market for the sport, people with knowledge of the matter said. The German football club has been holding talks on a possible partnership with a new United Soccer League team being formed in Milwaukee, according to the people.
Paris Saint-Germain produced a stunning comeback to beat Barcelona 4-1 away in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday and seal a place in the last four with a 6-4 aggregate victory.
99: The number of days to the Paris 2024 Olympics.
AFP: Blake Griffin confirms retirement from basketball
AFP: McIlroy dismisses LIV report, pledges future to PGA Tour
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
ITK Daily | April 17
