Europe is going on a huge military spending spree: But with America now an unreliable ally, will it be enough to counter Russia? Economist
DW: Poland, Germany prepare to sign defense collaboration agreement in 2026
Bloomberg: Ukraine ramps up strikes on Russian oil and targets tankers
NYT: Zelensky stresses sovereignty as US pursues peace talks with Russia
Ukraine fears being ignored in US plan to end Russia’s war: Politico reports the US was keen to finalize Ukraine’s position on territorial issues and security guarantees in ongoing talks in Florida.
Zelensky seeks support in Paris as Trump pushes plan: Le Monde reports the Ukrainian president traveled to Paris on Monday to shore up European support in a meeting with Emmanuel Macron. Zelensky said he was also expecting a call with the US president without giving a timeline.
Kremlin says Putin to meet US envoy Witkoff Tuesday afternoon: Kyiv Post reports the pair will meet after American and Ukrainian officials held negotiations on a US plan that Washington wants to be a basis to end fighting between Moscow and Kyiv.
‘Very optimistic’ Trump sends son-in-law to negotiate with Putin: Jared Kushner will join Steve Witkoff to relay Ukraine’s counteroffer to the Russian leader in Moscow, effectively sidelining the secretary of state Marco Rubio. The Times
EU tells Trump: You can’t pardon Putin for war crimes in Ukraine: Any move to “wipe the slate clean” for Russia in a peace deal would be “a historic mistake of huge proportions,” the EU justice commissioner tells Politico.
Russia claims to have captured Pokrovsk: DW reports Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russian forces captured the key city in eastern Donetsk. Meanwhile, President Zelenskyy and France's Macron spoke with US envoy Steve Witkoff ahead of talks with Putin.
Sudan offers Russia its first naval base in Africa: WSJ reports a Red Sea port would give Moscow a vital edge in the strategic waters.
South African radio host accused of recruiting for Russia: DW reports that a radio presenter appeared in court, accused of recruiting men to fight for Russia in Ukraine. Former President Jacob Zuma's daughter is facing similar allegations in a separate matter.
Bloomberg: Putin allows visa-free entry for Chinese citizens into Russia
How China is using AI to extend censorship and surveillance: China is expanding the use of AI throughout its criminal justice system and developing tools to deepen its monitoring of ethnic minorities, a new report finds. WP
The future of China’s “electro-state”: China has built the machinery of an innovative, low-carbon industrial economy capable of leading the global net-zero transition and the unfolding AI revolution. But whether this model will be sustainable depends on China's ability to overcome several major challenges. Ludovic Subran
China poses 'real national security threats' to UK, Starmer warns: Sky News reports the prime minister also describes China as a "nation of immense scale, ambition and ingenuity" and a "defining force in technology, trade and global governance."
Starmer: ‘Dereliction of duty’ not to engage with China: Politico reports in a speech on Monday night, Starmer condemned the previous Conservative governments’ colder approach to Beijing.
Starmer urges UK business to boost trade with China despite security threats: FT reports PM aims to give companies ‘the confidence, clarity and support’ to make deals with Beijing.
Who could shield Taiwan from China? A new answer is emerging. The island is making leaps in military spending and acting with greater focus than ever before. Ely Ratner
Bloomberg: US moves to deepen minerals supply chain in AI race with China
+ The US will seek agreements with eight allied nations to strengthen supply chains for computer chips and critical minerals needed for AI technology.
+ The initiative will begin with a meeting at the White House on Dec. 12 between the US and counterparts from Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Netherlands, the UK, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Australia.
+ The US wants to cut dependence on China and have a stable relationship with China, but also be ready to compete and ensure US companies can build transformative technologies without coercive dependencies.
Flood death toll rises rapidly across south-east Asia to more than 1000: FT reports large parts of Indonesia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka reeling after being hit by rare cluster of storms.
To avoid tariffs, UK agrees to Trump’s demand to pay more for drugs: NYT reports President Trump has complained that wealthy countries like Britain pay too little for drugs, leading America to bear much of the burden of the costs of medicines.
UK and US reveal zero-tariff deal on pharmaceuticals: Le Monde reports the accord, announced on Monday by officials from the Trump and Starmer administrations, aims to 'address long-standing imbalances in US-UK pharmaceutical trade.'
Trump’s tariffs are hitting India hard: Donald Trump’s punishing tariffs have laid bare the fragility of India’s export model, which depends on a handful of markets and a narrow band of relatively low-value-added products. Only by embracing a new model – which emphasizes diversification, regional cooperation, and value addition – can India build long-term resilience. Shashi Tharoor
Why the Gulf monarchs shower Trump with gifts: Until now, no president had yielded to royal temptations from abroad. Franklin Foer
Trump, Xi, Putin, and the strongman race: The Chinese leader is ending the year in a better position than his American and Russian counterparts. Gideon Rachman
Trump's interference and contradictions across Latin America: The US president has brought to Latin America the same virulence and threats he routinely directs at his political opponents at home. There, too, he has multiplied contradictions that make his policy direction increasingly difficult to decipher. Le Monde-Editorial
Trump becomes the wild card in razor-thin Honduras election: NYT reports President Trump warned that if his favored candidate didn’t win, the United States would “not be throwing good money after bad” at the country.
Honduras election heads for photo finish with top two rivals tied: FT reports Nasralla whittles down Trump-backed Asfura’s lead to just 515 votes as both claim they will win.
Honduras election: 'Technical tie' between two candidates: DW reports US President Donald Trump has threatened to cut aid to Honduras if Nasry Asfura, of the right-wing National Party, is unsuccessful in the presidential election.
Trafficking humans is the drug-gangs’ grimmest business: Mass migration and sex tourism are causing a new wave of exploitation across Latin America. Economist
White House denies ‘war crime’ after giving Maduro ultimatum to resign: The Times reports the presidents spoke on the phone last week as the US continued to put pressure on Venezuela and execute lethal strikes on ‘drug boats.’
White House says second strike on alleged drug boat was legal: WSJ reports it said the admiral who ordered the strike, which is reported to have killed survivors of the initial attack, was acting under the defense secretary’s authority.
The Hill: White House confirms Hegseth authorized second strike on drug boat
WP: Trump says Hegseth denied issuing order to kill boat crew
Was Pete Hegseth’s boat strike order a war crime? Nia Prater
Lawmakers spoke privately to Trump’s top general after boat strike revelations: WP reports the call between Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine and leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees occurred as both panels opened inquiries into the Sept. 2 attack.
Lawmakers suggest follow-up boat strike could be a war crime: NYT reports top Republicans have joined Democrats in demanding answers about the escalating military campaign the Trump administration says is aimed at targeting drug traffickers.
‘At what point does this cross a line into international criminality?’ Politico reports an expert on international law weighs in on the legality and global implications of the Trump administration’s drug boat killings.
+ Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) said on CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that if a second strike on shipwrecked survivors happened, “that would be an illegal act.”
Reuters: Trump’s campaign of retribution: At least 470 targets and counting
How a deep red Tennessee House district turned into a political battleground: Tuesday marks the special election for Tennessee's 7th Congressional District. ABC News
Slumping Trump says ‘whole world is watching’ Tennessee special election: WSJ reports polls show Democrat Aftyn Behn close behind Republican Matt Van Epps in race for House seat in solid-red district.
Johnson and Trump try to avoid an upset House loss in Tennessee: NYT reports Speaker Mike Johnson put the president on speakerphone during a Monday stop in the state, underscoring the unusual amount of national attention on a House special election.
GOP faces a familiar dilemma: What to do about Obamacare? WP reports subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year. Senate Republicans have promised a vote on extending them before then.
Top Mace adviser leaves her campaign, citing loyalty to Trump: Politico reports Austin McCubbin, a longtime GOP operative, announced his resignation in a pointed post on X on Monday.
Steve Cohen wins approval for casino near Mets stadium: NYT reports the baseball-team owner and billionaire investor gains one of three licenses granted to operate casinos in New York City.
A surprise when your package arrives: You have to pay the tariff: NYT reports the end of a tariff exemption on goods worth $800 or less has left some US shoppers with an extra shipping bill that must be paid before delivery.
Bloomberg: Costco joins companies suing for refunds if Trump’s tariffs fall
America’s tariffs jolted the global economy. Its AI spending is helping save it. Global trade and growth forecasts go up for now, but tariffs will bite soon. WSJ
New York won’t reign forever. Bring on Y’all Street. As Dallas gets a Nasdaq exchange, Texas looks more like America’s financial center. Matthew Lynn
WSJ: Bitcoin prices decline in sharpest slide since March
Bloomberg: Crypto downturn wipes out almost $1 billion in levered bets
Top gun traders: Stock bets and crypto culture take over the military: Camaraderie, competition, and a strong bull market help troops accrue new wealth; ‘I was trying to punch my ticket.’ WSJ
Drone boot camp: Army exercises test soldiers, tech, and plans for future: The training showed integrating new systems such as drones is not easy. Commanders are betting the often-frustrating lessons will pay off on the battlefield. Bloomberg
Can the US trust AI with national security? Nowhere are the stakes higher for making sure the systems stay aligned with their creators’ purposes. Judd Rosenblatt + Cameron Berg
The state of AI: When will we reach economic singularity? Perhaps AI’s lack of impact on productivity is the normal lag of any new technology. Richard Waters + David Rotman
Lessons from the frontiers of AI adoption: Why coders and call-centre agents are especially vulnerable to the technology. Economist
Top consultancies freeze starting salaries as AI threatens ‘pyramid’ model: Productivity gains from technology are spurring debate about reliance on large numbers of junior advisers. FT
Accenture dubs its 800,000 staff ‘reinventors’ as it adapts to AI: FT reports the move follows in footsteps of Disney’s ‘imagineers’ and Amazon’s ‘ninja coders.’
1 in 6 German workers worried about job losses due to AI: DW reports 16% share of German employees are worried that their jobs may be at risk because of artificial intelligence (AI), according to a labor market survey carried out by career platform Xing.
Investors expect AI use to soar. That’s not happening: Recent surveys point to flatlining business adoption. Economist
College students flock to a new major: AI: At MIT, a new program called “artificial intelligence and decision-making” is now the second-most-popular undergraduate major. NYT
OpenAI takes stake in Thrive Holdings in latest circular deal: FT reports deal means start-up will take share in group set up by Josh Kushner’s Thrive Capital.
Apple artificial intelligence head John Giannandrea is stepping down from the role, capping a tumultuous tenure that included a fumbled entry into generative AI.
Nvidia and Fanuc team on 'physical AI' push for industrial robots: Partners aim for factory robots that can perform tasks from human voice commands. Nikkei
Three Mile Island’s nuclear revival pits those who fled against job seekers: A generational rift hangs over the reboot of the plant to power Microsoft data centers. For some, it is a step backward; for others, it is the key to economic revival. WP
Disney seeks energy trader as big firms try to curb power costs Bloomberg
Travis Kavulla explains why electric bills shot up: It's not just datacenters. Bloomberg
Will Volkswagen’s radical revamp be enough? A year after revealing plans for capacity cuts and job losses in Germany, some think more retrenchment is needed. FT
Shopify breaks down on busy Cyber Monday: WSJ reports the outage at the e-commerce host interrupted transactions for merchants who use Shopify’s technology to sell products online.
Office-to-residential conversions are booming and New York is the epicenter: A tour of Manhattan buildings you can now call home, and a peek inside the architectural hacks that make transformations possible. WSJ
Ozempic is changing how we spend money and time, plus what we eat: As people’s bodies change because of GLP-1s, so does their spending across industries including fashion, restaurants, gyms and travel. WP
Michelin honored the cheesesteak. Not all Philadelphians cheered. The gastronomic guide has singled out three restaurants that serve the sandwich, setting off a loud local debate about tradition and innovation. NYT
How Pepsi trounced Coca-Cola in the Middle East: Its dominance is entwined with the region’s turbulent politics. Economist
A weird way to watch TV is bringing people a surprising amount of joy: Clips of classic shows and popular movies are filling algorithmic feeds, giving viewers a way to relive the joy without the time commitment. WP
What the Ralph Lauren Christmas trend reveals about our cultural moment: Plaid! Velvet! Bows! Dickens! A rejection of minimalism! This holiday microtrend has it all. WP
Oxford names 'rage bait' as Word of the Year 2025: DW reports the term "rage bait" has been chosen as Oxford's Word of the Year for 2025, reflecting the rise of outrage-driven online content. It beat contenders "aura farming" and "biohack" in a public vote.
Three drivers, 58 laps, one champion: F1 is headed to a final-race showdown: Formula One’s world championship is going down to the wire, with McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen set to square off in a three-way title fight. WSJ
McLaren have passed line of stupidity — it’s time to prioritise Norris: Commitment to ‘papaya rules’ is admirable, but in sport where marginal gains are everything, for team to allow Max Verstappen a sniff at title is ridiculous. Owen Slot
How Nick Saban and ESPN tried to help Lane Kiffin coach two teams at once: Kiffin wanted to stay at Mississippi through the College Football Playoff even after taking the job at LSU. That only made sense on television. Steven Godfrey
Lane Kiffin to LSU sets maddening precedent amid all-time hypocrisy in college football Stewart Mandel
Detroit News: Pat Fitzgerald signs contract to be next Michigan State football coach
+ @ScottHughesCBB: SOURCE: Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo plans to retire at the conclusion of the 2025-26 college basketball season.
2026 FIFA World Cup draw: Everything you need to know about Friday’s soccer extravaganza: Co-hosts Canada, the US, and Mexico anxiously await the selection of 12 groups of four and where they’ll play starting in June. Toronto Star
Wrexham lands £18m in taxpayer funding despite Ryan Reynolds’ income: The Times reports the Championship team, part-owned by the Hollywood star, was awarded the non-repayable grants to refurbish its stadium and the surrounding area.
Turkey’s refs are caught up in a huge sports gambling scandal: The country’s football may be as corrupt as its politics. Economist
Jamaican bobsleigh team captures historic gold medal at Whistler competition: CBC reports nearly 40 years after the Jamaica bobsleigh team's first Winter Olympics inspired the film Cool Runnings, it made history again last weekend by capturing its first ever gold medal at an international bobsleigh competition. The team, composed of Shane Pitter, Andrae Dacres, Junior Harris and Tyquendo Tracey, beat out Canada to win gold at the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation’s North American Cup in Whistler, BC, on Sunday.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
Caracal Daily | December 2
