Happy Thursday.
To be ITK, know this:
Read this: The place with the most lithium is blowing the electric-car revolution WSJ
+ A California-sized piece of South America is stifling the production of the metal at a time when battery makers desperately need it
+ "Latin America specializes in killing golden geese and one of the quickest ways to do so is through resource nationalism"
Kenya is a leader in the renewable energy sector, with 75% of its electricity sourced from solar, geothermal, wind, and hydropower.
Meanwhile, in the Himalayas...
US, India prepare for mountaintop drills near China border: Nikkei report as Beijing ups pressure on Taiwan, Washington sends a signal on potential 2nd front.
China encroaches on Indian territory in long-running Himalayan border conflict: Le Monde reports Two years after the border incidents between the two rival armies in the mountains of the Ladakh range, Beijing has strengthened its position by taking parts of Indian territory.
Read this: Why Taiwan matters Daron Acemoglu + James A. Robinson
+ "Taiwan matters because it represents an alternative political path for China – one that has long sustained freedom and prosperity in the West"
Interesting...Taiwanese national security officials want to force Apple supplier Foxconn to unwind an $800mn investment in Chinese chip company Tsinghua Unigroup, as Taipei seeks to align itself more closely with the US.
+ Taipei is concerned that the deal could lead to Foxconn bankrolling an acceleration in Beijing’s tech ambitions
Meanwhile, in London…
Politico: Liz Truss summons Chinese ambassador over ‘escalation’ in Taiwan
+ UK foreign secretary has long styled herself as a China hawk.
Sky News: Nicola Sturgeon says Liz Truss asked her how to get into Vogue magazine
+ The Scottish first minister said Ms Truss "looked a little bit as if she'd swallowed a wasp" after she told her she had been in Vogue twice.
Newsweek: An informer told the FBI what docs Trump was hiding, and where
Hoo boy...There’s a government informant inside Trump’s inner circle.
@NBCNews: JUST IN: Full AG Garland statement:
- Dept. of Justice moves to unseal Mar-a-Lago search warrant
- Says he "personally approved" the search warrant
- Garland: "Will not stand by" as FBI agents are "unfairly attacked"
Read this: ‘I wanted my children to grow up here’: how Airbnb is ruining local communities in north Wales Guardian
+ "My circumstances have changed, and I need to give you six months’ notice. I can get four times as much money on Airbnb, and I’d like you to leave, ideally by March, so I can start the new season."
Apple ramps up its in-house podcasting efforts with studio deal: Bloomberg reports it signed a deal with Futuro Studios and is seeking other arrangements to fund shows.
United paid a $10 million deposit for 100 electric flying taxis being developed by Archer Aviation.
#ESG:
+ More than 90% of S&P 500 companies now publish ESG reports in some form, as do approximately 70% of the Russell 1000
+ In this year’s first quarter, total assets for funds that say they are focused on sustainability and ESG reached $2.78 trillion
Read this: The end of manual transmission Ian Bogost
+ "Stick shifts are dying. When they go, something bigger than driving will be lost."
+ In 2000, more than 15 percent of new and used cars sold by the auto retailer CarMax came with stick shifts; by 2020, that figure had dropped to 2.4 percent
Watch this: Well-suited: How the pandemic reshaped men's attire DW
A dressing gown as the ultimate WFH ensemble. I like it.
Read this: Has the Edinburgh Fringe lost its edge? Liam Pape
+ As the festival kicks off for its 75th year, "It feels like the letting agents, journalists, PR companies, venues, and TV industry have doubled down on all the ugliest parts of the ever more corporate “Fringe.”
Read this: Chess and geopolitics in the supercomputer era Kenneth Rogoff
+ "I predict that Ding will be the next world champion... If he loses, it will tell us... that Chinese supercomputing is perhaps not as advanced as we think."
African Super League: The soccer maiden tournament is set to begin in August 2023, and will conclude—with the Super Bowl-like final—in May 2024.
+ Michael Jordan’s game-worn jersey from Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals is expected to fetch a winning bid between $3 million and $5 million
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