Happy Thursday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily.
To be ITK, know this:
31 days: 2023.
CNN: Jiang Zemin, former leader who paved the way for China’s rise, dies at 96
Jiang Zemin, leader who guided China into global market, dies at 96: NYT reports Jiang, a wily and garrulous politician, presided over a decade of meteoric economic growth in the post-Tiananmen era.
Jiang Zemin, leader who presided over China’s economic rise, dies at 96: Communist Party elder’s death comes as Chinese leadership contends with nationwide unrest over zero-Covid policies. WSJ
China’s underestimated leader: The Legacy of Jiang Zemin. David Shambaugh
Toad King vs. Pooh Bear: Jiang Zemin’s death spells trouble for Chinese ruler Xi Jinping: The risk is that a new generation of malcontents will latch on to Jiang as a symbol of opposition to Xi’s more repressive rule. Politico
In China, former president Jiang’s death comes at an unsettled time: Despite few signs of a schism among top leaders, the government faces protests over its covid policies and control of people's lives. WP
Bloomberg: US tech battle with China Is supported by allies and foreign firms, Raimondo says
+ Commerce Secretary gave a speech at MIT on competitiveness
+ US should continue selling “benign” tech to China: Raimondo
Remarks by US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo on the US competitiveness and the China challenge Department of Commerce
China’s rebellious youth has forgotten Tiananmen: Politico reports the new generation are victims of forced collective amnesia — with little sense of how hard the state is willing to crush dissent.
EU chief Charles Michel heads to China amid Covid protests crackdown: RFI reports Michel, who chairs summits of EU leaders, arrived in the Chinese capital on Wednesday and with meet with Xi, Premier Li Keqiang, and the chair of the standing committee of the National People's Congress, Wu Bangguo, on Thursday.
NATO debates measures to confront ‘challenge’ from China: Western alliance members must increase protection of strategic industries and technologies, says US. FT
Canada struggles with curbing foreign influence: ‘Often we cannot do anything’ Global News
After the US midterms, Washington questions its strategy in Ukraine: Joe Biden, who will meet Emmanuel Macron on Thursday at the White House as part of a state visit, is asking Congress for a $37.7bn new aid package for Kyiv. Le Monde
Germany, Norway seek NATO role in undersea infrastructure: DW reports the leaders of Germany and Norway have said they will propose that NATO plays a role in protecting undersea infrastructures like gas pipelines or fiber optic cables. This follows the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines.
What’s behind the UK’s economic mess? The war, British politics and the ‘Brexit impact’: The country is lagging behind its rich-world peers — and a growing chorus of experts blame its divorce from the EU. Grid
BBC: French baguette gets UNESCO heritage status
Macron visits the United States as a 'non-aligned ally': During his second official visit to the US, the French president intends to address the issue of the impact of the war in Ukraine, which is fuelling tensions between Paris and Washington. Le Monde
AFP: Macron calls French-US alliance 'stronger than anything'
At NASA, France's Macron and US vow strong space cooperation: AFP reports Paris and Washington pledged Wednesday to reinforce their cooperation in space, particularly on exploration and climate, during a visit by France's Emmanuel Macron to NASA headquarters alongside US Vice President Kamala Harris.
Two female leaders had a historic meeting. They got asked about their age. WP
+ New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin hit back after a male reporter suggested they were meeting only because they were a similar age — a question that quickly drew accusations of “casual sexism” in the media against younger, female world leaders.
As Haiti unravels, US officials push to send in an armed foreign force: Fearing a mass exodus, some Biden officials are pressing for a multinational force, but they don’t want to send US troops and haven’t been able to persuade other countries to take the lead. NYT
Saudi Arabia plans to build one of the world’s largest airports in the capital Riyadh, capable of eventually handling 185 million passengers a year, as part of a push to invest $1 trillion to turn the country into a tourism hot spot.
Hakeem Jeffries was unanimously elected leader of the House Democrats and will be 1st Black person to lead a major party in Congress.
Biden’s and Trump’s performances on the 2022 trail sow doubts about 2024: Members of both parties are notably lukewarm about their presidential frontrunners. Politico
The GOP’s path to dumping Trump will be torturous Henry Olsen
Just wait until you get to know Ron DeSantis: People who haven’t met him think he’s a hot commodity. People who have met him aren’t so sure. Mark Leibovich
Ron DeSantis is writing a new book ahead of a potential 2024 run, “The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival” which will be published on Feb. 28.
Bloomberg: Apple’s Cook goes to Washington to meet with top GOP lawmakers
+ Meetings come as conservatives side with Twitter against Apple
+ Company seeking ties with party soon to have House majority
Ottawa ‘not looking for a fight’ over Alberta sovereignty bill, Trudeau says: Global News reports PM Justin Trudeau says Ottawa is “not looking for a fight” with Alberta over the provincial government’s proposed sovereignty bill, but added that he will not “take anything off the table.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith seeks more sovereignty from Canada in new bill: Reuters reports the government of Canada's main oil-producing province, Alberta, introduced proposed legislation on Tuesday to resist federal laws it deems harmful to Alberta, fulfilling a controversial promise from new Premier Danielle Smith.
+ If passed, the bill, known as the Alberta Sovereignty Within a United Canada Act, would give the province a legislative framework to defend its jurisdiction in areas such as natural resources, gun control, and health and education.
The AI myth Western lawmakers get wrong Melissa Heikkilä
+ @howardlindzon: If you have a job title called 'Chief Futurist' you are lucky to be employed. If you have money with a firm that has a person with that title..get out.
Why going into work five days a week is a thing of the past CNN
The distributed computing manifesto Werner Vogels
Sam Bankman-Fried vs. The Match King Ben Carlson
CNBC: Broke and down to one credit card: Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried claims he committed no fraud
FT: Sam Bankman-Fried says he ‘never tried to commit fraud’ at FTX
Has Alexa become “a wasted opportunity” for Amazon? Fred Jacobs
Machines of loving understanding Pete Warden
Private-sector Japanese mission takes off for the Moon: The Ispace company is sending up its Hakuto lunar lander aboard an American rocket. Le Monde
A new photo book pays tribute to the life of London’s pubs: Published by Hoxton Mini Press, The London Pub brings together historic black and white photographs, documenting the city’s watering holes and the people who have frequented them. Creative Review
Christine McVie, Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter, dies aged 79: BBC reports the British singer-songwriter was behind hits including Little Lies, Everywhere, Don't Stop, Say You Love Me, and Songbird.
As World Cup heats up, U-M professor settles soccer vs. football debate WEMU
This is where most of the world’s soccer balls come from: Sialkot, a city in northeast Pakistan, produces about 70% of the world’s supply—including Adidas’s Al Rihla, the official ball of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Bloomberg
Why Big Business can’t get enough of the World Cup, scandal and all: The World Cup in Qatar, which started this week, has been plagued by controversy — and yet companies and countries are tripping over themselves to be part of the show. DealBook
Can Logan Sargeant be Formula 1’s first post-Netflix American star? The newly announced Williams driver will be the first American to compete in the series since 2015. GQ
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
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