Caracal Daily | May 6
China + Russia, Trump, Warren Buffett, Madonna, Mikaela Shiffrin, plus 1,000 more actionable insights.
Caracal Daily is geopolitical business news + intelligence for comms pros.
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Happy Monday.
Here’s today’s Caracal Daily:
*** Globalization + Geopolitics ***
US spies see China, Russia militaries working closer on Taiwan: Bloomberg reports: “We see China and Russia, for the first time, exercising together in relation to Taiwan and recognizing that this is a place where China definitely wants Russia to be working with them, and we see no reason why they wouldn’t,” Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said Thursday in testimony to Congress.
China’s biggest carrier starts sea trial in show of power: Bloomberg reports the Fujian, which is China’s third aircraft carrier, tested waters Wednesday, according to the state broadcaster CCTV.
Bloomberg: Xi arrives in Paris to begin Europe tour as trade tensions rise
Today: Xi Jinping is making his first tour of Europe in about five years with stops in France, Serbia, and Hungary.
+ Xi's visit to Belgrade will coincide with the anniversary of the 1999 bombing of China's embassy there by NATO forces.
+ European swing also coincides with Putin’s inauguration.
Xi visits Europe, seeking strategic opportunity: The Chinese leader has carefully chosen three countries — France, Serbia and Hungary — that to varying degrees embrace Beijing’s push for a new global order. NYT
Bonhomie and hardball: Xi Jinping visits Europe to avert trade war: Chinese president’s first trip to region since 2019 comes amid rising tensions. FT
China's Xi visits Europe: A divide-and-charm offensive? Xi Jinping is visiting the European Union for the first time in five years. In France, the Chinese leader will face more pressure to influence Moscow. But a friendlier welcome awaits in Serbia and Hungary. DW
China has a controversial plan for brain-computer interfaces: China's brain-computer interface technology is catching up to the US. But it envisions a very different use case: cognitive enhancement. Wired
Can Elon Musk’s Tesla keep straddling the US and China? The EV maker has agreed a deal over driving technology with a leading Chinese internet company just as Washington is on edge about data security. FT
Israel has ordered the closure of Al Jazeera in the country.
Israel wants to go into rafah. It could go badly. WSJ reports the military objectives are important, but risks to civilians and to Israel’s international standing will be hard to escape.
Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, held an enormous roadshow in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh as voting continued in the country’s general election.
How to understand Modi’s India: Is India enjoying a golden age or in democratic decline? And what will the prime minister do next? As the nation goes to the polls, four books attempt to unravel its many complexities. FT
Why is the far right on the rise in Germany — all over again? The AfD is on track to be Germany’s second-biggest party at next month’s European elections. Have the horrors of the past been forgotten? The Times
Poland condemns Russian cyberattacks, says has been targeted too: Reuters reports Poland condemned alleged cyberattacks by a Russian group named called APT28 on Germany and Czech Republic saying it had also been targeted.
Ukraine unveils AI-generated foreign ministry spokesperson: Victoria Shi is modeled on Rosalie Nombre, a singer and former contestant on Ukraine’s version of the reality show The Bachelor. Guardian
Ukraine marks its third Easter at war under fire from Russian drones: Le Monde reports the shadow of Russia's invasion of Ukraine hung over the country as Volodymyr Zelensky marked the holiday, telling Ukrainians that God was their 'ally.'
Confident of victory over Ukraine, Russia exhibits Western war trophies: WP reports the exhibition comes just ahead of a May 9 Victory Day celebration that is very different from last year’s, when Russia was facing battlefield setbacks.
How Pope Francis opened the Vatican to transgender sex workers: The outreach, reflecting the most radical stage of his papacy, has prompted backlash while also altering the lives of the nearly 100 people he has met. WP
England's Conservatives crushed by Labour in local elections: Ahead of parliamentary elections due to take place before the end of 2024, the Tories lost almost 500 seats across England and Wales in a crushing defeat marking the return of Labour's popularity. Le Monde
Today: It has been one year since King Charles III was crowned at Westminster Abbey, and it is the 30th anniversary of the Channel Tunnel’s formal opening.
How British firms are muscling in on the new space race: Start-ups from Bromley to Rotherham are joining industry giants and boosting a sector that employs 50,000 people, launching satellites and clearing debris. The Times
Panama: Polls open in presidential election: DW reports eight candidates are running to take over the presidency, with the frontrunner only recently given the legal go-ahead.
Meet the woman ready to be Mexico’s first presidenta: Can a former scientist lead her country away from machismo and gang violence? The Times
Canadian police arrest 3 men in Sikh separatist killing: DW reports ten months after the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canadian police have arrested their main suspects: three Indian nationals living in Edmonton, Alberta. Authorities are also investigating connections to the Indian government.
AI’s future is being forged by the US and the UAE: The deal between Microsoft and G42 is just one step in the race to realize the technology’s potential — and limit its harm. Yousef Al Otaiba
+ Yousef Al Otaiba is the ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the US.
An AI-controlled fighter jet took the Air Force leader for a historic ride. What that means for war: Artificial intelligence marks one of the biggest advances in military aviation since the introduction of stealth in the early 1990s. “We have to have it,” Secretary Frank Kendall says. Politico
*** US Politics + Elections ***
Pro-Palestinian protesters are backed by a surprising source: Biden’s biggest donors: Politico reports some of the most outspoken groups against Biden and Israel get funding from foundations attached to some of the biggest names in Democratic circles.
Baby Boomer professors join protests, risking arrest, violence: WSJ reports faculty are taking to the front lines at universities, often in support of students’ right to protest.
The most feared and least known political operative in America: Susie Wiles helped dismantle Ron DeSantis and salvaged Donald Trump’s campaign. Is she a MAGA hero or an enemy of democracy? Politico
Politico: Trump campaign says it raised more than $76m in April
Gallows humor and talk of escape: Trump’s possible return rattles capital: At Washington dinner parties, dark jokes abound about where to go into exile if the former president reclaims the White House. NYT
How far Trump would go Time
Chief counsel at RNC pushed out after two months on the job: NYT reports Charlie Spies, a veteran election-law lawyer, had been under attack since soon after he joined the Republican National Committee in March.
The many reinventions of a legendary Washington influence peddler: Jim Courtovich has survived lobbying reform, the suicide of a prized client, and the disruption of Donald Trump. Politico
Reclassifying marijuana could unlock billions in tax savings for cannabis companies: WSJ reports the proposed change could lift income-tax burden that wipes out most licensed marijuana retailers’ earnings.
*** Disruption + Innovation ***
Warren Buffett warns the AI genie is ‘out of the bottle’: The legendary investor predicted that AI scams will be the biggest ‘growth industry of all time’, as Berkshire Hathaway revealed its stake in Apple had fallen. The Times
Warren Buffett fears AI has ‘enormous potential for harm’: The Berkshire Hathaway CEO compares artificial intelligence to the development of nuclear weaponry, even as the company begins to use it in some businesses. WSJ
Reuters: Stanford AI leader Fei-Fei Li building 'spatial intelligence' startup
ElevenLabs is building an army of voice clones: A tiny start-up has made some of the most convincing AI voices. Are its creators ready for the chaos they’re unleashing? The Atlantic
Bloomberg: Elon Musk’s X to summarize news events using Grok AI
Nick Bostrom made the world fear AI. Now he asks: What if it fixes everything? Philosopher Nick Bostrom popularized the idea superintelligent AI could erase humanity. His new book imagines a world in which algorithms have solved every problem. Wired
Facebook parent company Meta plans $800M data center in Montgomery: WSFA reports Alabama will be the only state in the union with two Meta data centers when the facility is completed.
Bloomberg: Apple’s new iPad Pro turns device into true laptop replacement
James Cameron and Ari Emanuel back Skydance bid for Paramount: FT reports the endorsements come as exclusive talks end without deal and Sony and Apollo push rival $26bn offer.
The electric car crash will rival the dotcom bubble: The problem for ministers is that most consumers just won’t buy EVs. Dominic Lawson
PR monster Teneo shows the perils of buying and selling talent Oliver Shah
*** Culture ***
Madonna puts on biggest-ever concert for free on Brazil's Copacabana beach: Le Monde reports an estimated 1.5 million people attended the last show of The Celebration Tour on Saturday, which kicked off in October 2023 in London.
Just a long list of stuff that Brian Cox hates: The legendary actor and Succession star Brian Cox has publicly hated on many people, things, and ideas. Here is a list of all of them. GQ
The sci-fi writer who invented conspiracy theory: It all goes back to one man in the 1950s: a military-intelligence expert in psychological warfare. The Atlantic
Fashion finds firm footing in Marseille: With a museum, a festival, schools, and young designers, a wind of fashion has been blowing through Marseille for the past 10 years. Le Monde
*** Sport ***
Mikaela Shiffrin contemplates a skiing season of pain, injury, and love: For the star skier and her partner, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, this winter was marked by crashes, slashes and a ring. WP
AFP: PSG will come back and reach Champions League final, says Mbappe
Today: The 70th anniversary of Roger Bannister breaking the four-minute mile.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
Caracal Daily | May 6
