Caracal Daily | June 11
Macron, Nikki Haley, Tim Cook, Tim Peake, Premier League, plus 1,000 more actionable insights.
Caracal Daily is geopolitical business news + intelligence for comms pros.
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Happy Tuesday.
Here’s today’s Caracal Daily:
*** Globalization + Geopolitics ***
NYT: UN Security Council passes US-backed cease-fire resolution
Blinken in Middle East pushes Gaza ceasefire deal: BBC reports US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has visited Cairo and Jerusalem as he attempts to build regional support for a draft Gaza peace deal recently unveiled by President Joe Biden.
Biden admin has discussed potentially negotiating unilateral deal with Hamas to free US hostages: NBC News reports such talks, if they begin, wouldn't include Israel; instead, they would be conducted through Qatari interlocutors.
Ukraine's Zelensky arrives in Germany for talks with Scholz ahead of reconstruction summit: AFP reports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday night announced his arrival in Germany for talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz and to participate in a conference on Ukrainian reconstruction.
France’s mainstream parties—the centre-left Socialists and the Greens, as well as the centre-right Les Republicains—rejected an offer from Emmanuel Macron, France’s president, to create an alliance against the far-right, ahead of a snap legislative election.
Why Macron decided to call snap elections: A small group of close confidants quietly worked on this high-risk scenario. Allies of former president Nicolas Sarkozy pushed President Macron to take the plunge. Sunday's catastrophic score in the European elections precipitated the decision. Le Monde
Emmanuel Macron wants a snap election to get him out of a deep hole: But he’s taking a big risk. Economist
Ramifications of France's snap elections: 'Political time has been suspended': After the far right claimed a large victory in the European elections and President Emmanuel Macron decided to dissolve the Assemblée Nationale, Nicolas Chapuis, one of Le Monde's deputy editors, answered readers' questions on the political consequences. Le Monde
The 28-year-old star of France’s resurgent far right: Jordan Bardella, a protégé of the opposition’s Marine Le Pen, is helping attract younger voters to her anti-immigration party. WSJ
By playing with fire, Macron could end up burning himself and dragging the country into the blaze: By announcing the dissolution of the Assemblée Nationale following the Rassemblement National's landslide victory, the French president is seeking to divert attention and avoid infighting within his own camp. A foolishly risky operation. Solenn de Royer
Macron will struggle to stem France’s ethnocentric tide: His humiliation in EU elections might not be the last. Lee Hockstader
Trump and the European Populist Right: The continent’s elites worry about America’s election, but the problem has hit closer to home. Gerard Baker
EU election results: Giorgia Meloni consolidates her position both in Italy and in Europe: Le Monde reports the Italian prime minister, who led her far-right party's list, won 28.9% of the vote, exceeding her score from the 2022 legislative elections. She intends to pursue dialogue with the French far-right party, Rassemblement National.
In search of the white British voter: The most important ethnic group in British politics is the one nobody talks about. Economist
Rishi Sunak focuses on safe Tory seats in defensive campaign: The Times reports the prime minister has sent his top team to visit constituencies with substantial Conservative majorities.
Why Scottish Tories face existential crisis as Douglas Ross quits: Party north of the border could split from England’s Conservatives if they lurch to the right after the election. The Times
The UK is at risk of losing Europe’s tech crown: Companies need the next prime minister to act as their champion on the global stage. Brent Hoberman
China's 3-pronged maritime threat rattles Japan, Philippines, and Taiwan: Beijing 'gray zone' aggression focused on islands in strategic 'First island chain.' Nikkei
China is distorting its stockmarket by trying to prop it up: State purchases of shares are bad enough, but other measures are far more destructive. Economist
From China to Singapore, Asia's AI policy 'gaps' pose headaches for business: Governments shy from common rules, creating uncertainty for business. Nikkei
Canada’s Parliament rocked by allegations of treason: Foreign interference probe exposes links to “witting” lawmakers in Ottawa. Politico
Wednesday: Biden will depart the White House en route to Brindisi, Italy, for the G7 summit.
Thursday: The annual G7 summit begins in Fasano, Italy.
*** US Politics + Elections ***
Most Biden supporters motivated by opposing Trump: A new CBS News/YouGov poll finds that 54% of Joe Biden’s supporters are primarily motivated to cast their vote for the president in order to prevent a return of Donald Trump to the White House.
In Wisconsin, Biden tries to hold on to White voters without degrees: White non-college voters are Trump’s base, but Biden seems to be hanging on to them in this Midwestern swing state. WP
The Hill: Momentum grows behind Democratic boycott of Netanyahu speech
‘Up for grabs’: The Nikki Haley voters who could decide the US election: The former presidential candidate says she will vote for Trump — but her supporters aren’t so sure. FT
Republicans pitch tax cuts for corporations, the wealthy in 2025: WP reports Trump has asked wealthy donors for donations, promising large tax breaks in return if he retakes the White House.
Trump to meet with Republican senators: Trump and the senators will meet Thursday in Washington to discuss an agenda for 2025 if they win in the fall, according to plans first shared with NBC News.
Teamsters president asks for speaking slot at both parties’ conventions: NYT reports having Sean O’Brien at the Republican National Convention would be politically useful to former President Donald J. Trump, even absent an endorsement. The union has yet to back a candidate.
AI legislation: According to MultiState, there are 643 bills in 45 states (plus another 113 congressional bills) related to AI this year, 54 of which have been enacted into law.
The most American city: Searching for the nation’s future in Phoenix, Arizona. George Packer
WSJ: Port of Baltimore fully restored after Key Bridge collapse
*** Disruption + Innovation ***
Apple jumps into AI fray with Apple Intelligence: The iPhone maker, which has been slow to embrace artificial intelligence, will weave it into the technology that runs on billions of devices. NYT
Apple partners with OpenAI as it rolls out new artificial intelligence system: FT reports the iPhone maker touts suite of ‘Apple Intelligence’ features as it aims to catch up with Big Tech rivals.
Apple introduces ‘Apple Intelligence,’ new OpenAI partnership as AI takes center stage: Under pressure to deliver new features, Apple showed off an AI system that can assist users in myriad ways, emphasizing privacy at WWDC event. WSJ
Apple jumps into the AI arms race with OpenAI deal: The iPhone maker has mostly stayed on the sidelines as the tech industry goes wild for AI. Not anymore. WP
Tim Cook controls the iPhone, So he’s the new AI kingmaker: Apple’s deal with OpenAI acknowledges the company is behind on artificial intelligence, but make no mistake, it’s temporary outsourcing. David Lee
Apple Intelligence: A guide to Apple’s AI-in-everything strategy: A bunch of AI features are coming to iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and MacOS Sequoia in the fall. Meaningful upgrade or marketing glitz? Joanna Stern
The biggest announcements from Apple’s most important event of the year—and quite possibly ever Fortune
Bloomberg: Musk to ban Apple devices if OpenAI is integrated into OS
+ Apple announced partnership with OpenAI earlier Monday
+ Billionaire says the move would be a ‘security violation’
Musk to ban Apple devices from his companies over OpenAI deal: The Times reports the partnership will bring OpenAI’s ChatGPT technology to Apple devices, in a bid to make its apps increasingly personalised and useful for customers.
OpenAI hires former Nextdoor boss as CFO, taps new product chief: Bloomberg reports the artificial intelligence startup hired two execs with experience managing large social media platforms.
Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug wins backing of US advisory panel: FT reports independent experts conclude unanimously that the experimental treatment is effective.
As banking moves online, branch design takes cues from Starbucks: Bank of America, Citibank, and JPMorgan Chase are all reshaping physical banks to draw in customers for advisory services instead of deposits and withdrawals. Bloomberg
Lessons in capitalism from Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s: How to build businesses that last. Economist
*** Culture ***
‘The only limit is our imagination’: Tim Peake on what living in space taught him about life on Earth: Nine years after his first trip to outer space, Tim Peake is ready to blast off once again. He talks about preparing for the first all-British space mission – and setting his sights on Mars. Deborah Linton
*** Sport ***
The richest league on Earth is tearing itself apart: Civil war has broken out in the Premier League, headlined by Manchester City’s direct challenge to the founding agreement that propelled English soccer to global domination. WSJ
Fans call for Gregg Berhalter's job after Colombia routs United States in friendly SI
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
Caracal Daily | June 11
