ITK Daily | December 20
Marine Le Pen, Colorado Supreme Court, Bitcoin, Paris-Berlin night train, New York Yankees, plus 1,000 more actionable insights.
ITK Daily is geopolitical business intelligence for communications pros.
Happy Wednesday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily.
To be ITK, know this:
*** Globalization + Statecraft ***
The US Navy confronts a new Suez crisis: Economist reports Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping threaten global trade.
Shipping firms remain on edge despite US efforts to secure Red Sea: WSJ reports regional politics and well-armed Houthi adversaries in Yemen are among the challenges facing the US-led naval force sent to protect commercial traffic through the Red Sea.
Bloomberg: Red Sea chaos has shippers bracing for weeks without key trade route
US draws up plans to strike Houthi rebels after Red Sea attacks: The Times reports Britain joins US-led task force as militants threaten global oil crisis and demand full ceasefire in Gaza
Security Council searching for Gaza resolution that US won’t veto: WP reports the Biden administration has vetoed previous resolutions, arguing that a cease-fire ending Israel’s offensive in Gaza would effectively be a victory for Hamas, leaving its military capabilities in place and its top leaders alive.
Tony Blair to hold talks with Netanyahu over Israel-Gaza conflict: The Times reports that the former PM could have role as intermediary as support for Israel wavers
Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi wins another stage-managed election in Egypt: Economist reports but his voters are angry about a faltering economy and the war next door in Gaza.
Zelensky, after tough year on battlefield, insists Ukraine will prevail: NYT reports Ukraine’s counteroffensive sputtered, but President Volodymyr Zelensky argued that Russia, too, “failed to achieve any results” on the ground.
AFP: Ukraine's President Zelensky says 'no one knows' when war will end
The Times: We need 500,000 more soldiers, say Ukraine generals
Running short on Ukraine air defenses, US looks to Japan: WP reports Japan, concerned that Russia’s invasion could embolden China to take similar action against Taiwan, has been a supporter of Ukraine.
AP: Turkey links Sweden’s NATO bid to US approving F-16 jet sales and Canada lifting arms embargo
Bloomberg: Australia, New Zealand leaders discuss deepening defense ties
NHK: China calls on Philippines to improve bilateral ties through dialogue
Why the US-China relationship isn’t as predictable as it sometimes seems: As evidence of how quickly the mood can change, compare this year’s events with those from 2001. WSJ
Bloomberg: Death toll climbs in China’s worst earthquake in nearly a decade
Nikkei: India's ascent to continue as China slows: Wall Street 2024 forecast
TST: Year of the Dragon brings new hope for Singapore economy, but outlook remains clouded
France immigration bill boosts authorities’ power to deport foreigners: WSJ reports the legislation cements Macron’s rightward tilt, and risks stoking division within his centrist party.
Marine Le Pen triumphs over Macron on France immigration bill: The Times reports rightwinger claims ‘ideological victory’ — and puts president on ministerial resignation watch.
The head of the hard-right Alternative for Germany is riding high: Economist reports Alice Weidel’s laments for the decline of Germany strike a chord among voters
The UN Security Council agreed to gradually withdraw peacekeeping forces from the Democratic Republic of Congo, after the country’s government demanded that the UN end its decades-long mission there.
52%: The proportion of Chileans that say that democracy is the best form of government.
*** ITK Live ***
ITK WAS | School + Salon Dinner
Executive education and global economic training to start the new year at the ITK WAS | School + Salon Dinner.
Downtown Washington, DC
January 11, 2024
Starting at 1:30 pm ET
This event will explore the interconnected global business environment, focusing on business issues at the intersection of globalization, disruption, and politics.
ITK WAS will feature three 45-minute lectures and a salon dinner.
Limited to 12 sports, participants will gain improved geopolitical intelligence, communications confidence, and increased situational awareness.
For details and tickets, click here.
*** Politics + Elections ***
WP: Senate to leave for holidays without border deal
Colorado Supreme Court kicks Trump off the state's 2024 primary ballot for violating the US Constitution: NBC News reports the ruling marks the first time a 14th Amendment challenge to Trump's candidacy has been successful.
Trump disqualified from Colorado’s 2024 primary ballot by state Supreme Court: WP reports the decision is certain to be appealed to the US Supreme Court, but it will be up to the justices to decide whether to take the case
Colorado Supreme Court says Trump is ineligible to run again: Politico reports it ruled that Trump engaged in an insurrection by stoking the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021.
+ The Cook Political Report moved Michigan and Nevada from Leans Democratic in the presidential election to Toss-up.
CNBC: Crypto super PAC network goes into 2024 with more than $75 million as it aims to influence election
+ Three allied political action committees funded by leaders of the cryptocurrency industry will be starting 2024 with a combined $78 million as they aim to be key influencers during the pivotal election cycle.
+ The massive amount of cash that the PACs are prepared to use in support of likely pro-crypto candidates running for seats in both the House and Senate shows how the cryptocurrency industry is still trying to influence elections.
+ The industry lost one of its top givers, former crypto king Sam Bankman-Fried, after he was arrested and later convicted of seven criminal counts.
Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy will resign from Congress effective December 31, Politico reports. House Republicans will start 2024 with just 220 members of their conference.
*** Disruption + Innovation ***
Comcast breach compromises 36 million accounts: WSJ reports hackers took advantage of a vulnerability in Citrix cloud-computing software and accessed names and Social Security details, among others.
Creators, porn stars turn to AI doppelgangers to keep fans engaged: WP reports built in the adult-content creators’ image, the selfie-generating chatbots let viewers boss them around at all hours — for a price.
Ahead of a big election year in 2024, Google will limit the types of election-related queries its AI-powered products, Bard and Search Generative Experience, can answer.
Why Bitcoin is up by almost 150% this year: Introducing the cockroach theory of crypto. Economist
*** Culture ***
‘Ferrari’: No one’s behind the wheel of this vehicle WP
On board the Paris-Berlin night train: Is the European sleeper reawakening? The return of the nighttime service after a nine-year hiatus is part of a global drive to revive sleeper trains to reduce the environmental impact of travel. Le Monde
*** Sport ***
AFP: Paris hotels angry over plans to triple tourist tax for 2024 Olympics
Is a longstanding Yankees ban on beards and long hair costing the team players? Some think so. NYT
How college football is clobbering housing markets across the country: Short-term rentals are taking over college towns, fueled by wealthy fans and investors who turn homes into hotels for a few weeks out of the year. NYT
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
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