ITK Daily | April 18
Iran, Joe Biden, Black-and-White Logos, Sundance, Jontay Porter, plus 1,000 more actionable insights.
ITK Daily is geopolitical business news + intelligence for comms pros.
Always Be Communicating.
Happy Thursday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily:
*** Globalization + Geopolitics ***
Iran braces for retaliatory Israeli attack: WSJ reports US and European nations are pressing Israel to moderate any response to Iran’s weekend assault, hoping to cool tensions.
FT: Israeli public split on how to respond to Iran strike
Netanyahu says Israel will ‘make our own decisions’ on Iran after UK, German pleas: Politico reports Israeli prime minister thanks British and German ‘friends’ for support – but country ‘will make our decisions ourselves.’
Between Iran and Israel, Jordan plays a difficult game: A close ally of the US, the kingdom has acknowledged that its air force helped shoot down drones launched by Iran against Israel on April 13. But it denies having intervened in support of Israel, whose military offensive in Gaza it has strongly criticized since October 2023. Le Monde
Secret Russian foreign policy document urges action to weaken the US: WP reports Russia’s Foreign Ministry has been drawing up plans to try to weaken its Western adversaries, including the United States, and leverage the Ukraine war to forge a global order free from what it sees as American dominance, according to a secret Foreign Ministry document.
Russia's military death toll in Ukraine has now passed the 50,000 mark, the BBC can confirm.
Nearly 2,000 Russian troops are leaving the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh enclave as Moscow redirects its resources to the war in Ukraine.
Moment of Truth on Ukraine and Israel: Both countries urgently need US aid to defend themselves against brazen adversaries that seek their annihilation. Joe Biden - WSJ Oped
Will America let Ukraine collapse? Speaker Mike Johnson is stepping up. Failure would haunt US security—and the GOP. WSJ - Editorial
https://www.wsj.com/articles/will-america-let-ukraine-collapse-81fc72e8
This defiant Ukrainian general has no smile — and surprising remarks on Trump David Ignatius
North Korea deploys Chinese surveillance technology to workplaces: The Times reports the installation of cameras in schools and offices and facial recognition software will further restrict freedom in repressive state, Stimson Centre report says.
Chinese diplomats are quietly meeting with Hill staffers about TikTok: Politico reports after a bill that would force the sale of the company passed the House, diplomats from the Chinese Embassy met with Hill offices to push talking points defending the app.
Bloomberg: TikTok faces Washington reckoning as divest-or-ban vote nears
+ Johnson to include measure in aid package for Ukraine, Israel
+ Biden has said he would sign bill forcing ByteDance to divest
What a TikTok ban would mean for the US defense of an open internet: Global digital rights advocates are watching to see if Congress acts, worried that other countries could follow suit with app bans of their own. NYT
Lawmakers have a fix for Taiwan’s weapons backlog: Build them on the island: Politico reports members from both parties are making a new push to end a years-long problem between Washington and Taipei.
Analysis: Why Xi and Biden chose the same day to send a message on Taiwan: The wording of a 45-year-old US law gives China an opening in the Taiwan Strait. Nikkei
Nikkei: Japan foreign tourists top 3m in March, fueling record spending boom
Apple to 'look at' Indonesia manufacturing, Tim Cook tells Jokowi: Nikkei reports meeting in Jakarta follows CEO's visit to Vietnam.
Massive Indonesia eruption sends plumes nearly 70,000 feet high: WP reports the eruption of Mount Ruang may even have injected aerosols into the stratosphere.
Ten Years to Save the West by Liz Truss review — as readable as a crisp packet: The former PM’s 300-page self-justification of her disastrous premiership is whingey, wooden, and baffling. The Times
20,000 rally in Georgia as MPs advance controversial 'foreign influence' law: AFP reports some 20,000 protesters rallied in Georgia on Wednesday after lawmakers advanced a controversial "foreign influence" law that opponents say will undermine Tbilisi's longstanding European aspirations.
Dubai battles flood waters as historic storm causes chaos: FT reports airport, metro, and road traffic disruption continue in financial centre even as skies clear.
What is cloud seeding and did it cause Dubai flooding? BBC
Record rainfall in Dubai? Blame climate change, not cloud seeding: Global warming is causing heavier downpours around the world. Lara Williams
Bloomberg: Ecuador President Noboa shuts down nation on electricity crisis
+ Unusual drought slams Ecuador’s hydroelectric energy supply
+ Two-day ‘holiday’ precedes referendum scheduled for April 21
Carbon tax faces growing opposition in Canada: Le Monde reports the April 1 increase in the carbon tax instituted by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2019 has rekindled anger among its critics.
WP: Biden administration to reimpose oil and gas sanctions on Venezuela
US deficit poses ‘significant risks’ to global economy, warns IMF: FT reports the fund also cites concerns over fiscal ‘imbalances’ in UK, China, and Italy.
*** US Politics + Elections ***
FT: Donald Trump falls $75mn behind Joe Biden in money race as donor base shrinks
In a swing through Pennsylvania, Biden pivots to populism: WP reports addressing steelworkers Wednesday, President Biden identified with families of modest means and sought to create a contrast with former president Donald Trump.
Bloomberg: Biden calls China ‘xenophobic,’ ramping up 2024 campaign rhetoric
+ US president lists China’s woes in speech to steel workers
+ Remarks among the toughest yet from Biden on China’s economy
Biden calls for tripling tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum: Le Monde reports the move, following a US agency's announcement that it would probe China's trade practices, reflects both Biden's international trade policy and his efforts to court voters in a key state in November’s election.
Bloomberg: White House renews internal talks on invoking climate emergency
+ Youth activists push Biden for move ahead of November election
+ Emergency proclamation could be used to halt exports, drilling
+ The Biden administration is expected to block a mining company’s application to build a 211-mile road through Alaskan wilderness to reach an estimated $7.5 billion copper deposit.
WP: Hogan and GOP cast his Senate candidacy as ‘a voice of common sense’
Peter Mandelson’s advisory firm valued at £30mn in deal with ex-Obama aide: The Messina Group is taking a 20% stake in Global Counsel. FT
*** Disruption + Innovation ***
Boston Dynamics’ new humanoid moves like no robot you’ve ever seen: ARS reports all-electric, 360-degree joints give the new Atlas plenty of inhuman movements.
Boston Dynamics’ new robot looks like the Pixar lamp and moves like a dancer: FC reports despite its humanoid appearance, the new Atlas moves in ways no human can.
Feds appoint “AI doomer” to run US AI safety institute: Former OpenAI researcher once predicted a 50 percent chance of AI killing all of us. ARS
Former OpenAI board member calls for audits of top AI companies: Bloomberg reports Helen Toner says leading AI companies should be required to share information with the public about the capabilities and risks of the technology they’re building.
TUC calls for law to protect UK workers when employers use AI: Union body’s proposals include human involvement when technology makes ‘high-risk’ decisions like hiring and firing. FT
Mistral, the French artificial intelligence start-up backed by Microsoft, is said to be in talks to raise more capital at a $5 billion valuation.
Google will provide AI to the military for disaster response: WP reports the National Guard will soon use the tech giant’s image-recognition AI to scan images of disaster zones and help prioritize its response.
OpenAI’s model all but matches doctors in assessing eye problems: Research harnesses power of generative artificial intelligence in latest sign of its potential use in medicine. FT
Jamie Dimon has a new vision for money in an AI world: In this episode of The Circuit with Emily Chang, the JPMorgan CEO says the tech will infiltrate all aspects of banking, but it can’t be a stock picker. Bloomberg
The AI chatbot that could transform business school accreditation: Deans, professors, and administrators attending the world’s largest business education conference are test-driving an AI-powered tool that’s promising big changes. Bloomberg
Can AI really change our material world? Compounds produced by the technology challenge our idea of novelty. Anjana Ahuja
Booming AI demand threatens global electricity supply: Tech chiefs warn that power-hungry data centers are a bottleneck in developing artificial intelligence. FT
Reuters: AMD introduces AI chips for business laptops and desktops
Stanford or a crypto startup? Bull-market gains lure top students: Bitcoin’s comeback is prompting hopefuls to ditch their studies and start companies in an industry that only just left a devastating downturn. Bloomberg
Amazon HQ2 was supposed to add jobs last year. It shed them instead. WP reports the tech giant’s deal with Virginia had it hiring more than 2,500 employees at its new Arlington headquarters in 2023. But it lost hundreds of workers there last year.
+ Nearly 75,000 tech employees have lost their jobs so far this year.
What’s with all the black-and-white logos for apps? The apps have gone goth — but by trying to stand out they end up blending together. WP
Bloomberg: Spotify says 25% of US, UK, Australia subscribers try audiobooks
+ Spotify listeners skew younger, with 57% age 18 to 34
+ Certain subscribers receive 15 hours of listening per month
The $1.6 billion quest to build America’s tallest skyscraper in…Oklahoma: Move over New York. A developer plans a 1,907-foot tower overlooking sprawl and farmland. There are skeptics—‘I just burst out laughing.’ WSJ
*** Culture ***
Americans toss as much as $68 million worth of change each year, according to Reworld.
Bloomberg: Decaf is the hottest thing in coffee right now
Studio Ghibli to receive honorary Palme d'Or at Cannes: AFP reports legendary Japanese animators Studio Ghibli will receive an honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May, organizers announced Wednesday.
A new home for Sundance? Festival organizers say it’s possible. NYT reports a 13-year contract with Park City, Utah, is set to expire in 2026, and the film festival is beginning a review process to see if it should move.
On the ground at the Venice Biennale: Scenes from the pre-opening at the pivotal art event. NYT
*** Sport ***
NBA player banned for life for betting on games: WSJ reports Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter won’t be eligible for reinstatement after a league investigation found he broke the cardinal rule of pro athletes by betting on his own sport.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
ITK Daily | April 18
