Ukraine’s stalemate with Russia, Italian food + UNESCO, Black Crows, AI, France's fast-food restaurants, plus 1,000 more actionable insights.
ITK Daily is geopolitical business intelligence for communications pros.
Happy Monday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily.
To be ITK, know this:
*** Globalization + Statecraft ***
How Ukraine’s two million mines led to a lethal stalemate with Russia: Russia has turned Ukraine into the largest minefield in history, making fighting, farming or going for a walk almost impossible in some areas. Christina Lamb meets the people trying to clear a path. The Times
Ukraine aid’s best-kept secret: Most of the money stays in the USA Marc A. Thiessen
‘They forgot to be afraid’ - Thoughts on Israeli intelligence: James B. Meigs
The next big Mideast showdown: Netanyahu vs. Biden: Typically, Benjamin Netanyahu has taken Joe Biden’s political generosity for granted since the Hamas attack on October 7. The time is approaching when the US president will have to confront the Israeli prime minister over increasingly incompatible visions for a postwar Gaza. Haaretz
AP: Ships face Houthi-claimed attack in Red Sea as officials say a US warship also fires in self-defense
FT: US warship and commercial vessels attacked in Red Sea, says Pentagon
Bloomberg: Philippines says 135 Chinese ships are ‘swarming’ disputed reef
Chinese borrowers default in record numbers as economic crisis deepens: FT reports more than 8mn people are blacklisted by authorities after missed payments on mortgages and business loans.
China’s economy faces a sour end to the year: WSJ reports weakening manufacturing and services activity show stimulus efforts falling short.
Korea's soft power: K-food aims for the taste buds: Korean cuisine − spicy, colorful and not too hard to reproduce at home − is pouring onto our plates. Popularized by TV series and K-pop, the cuisine is winning over young French adults, who are finding it in restaurants and grocery stores all over town. Le Monde
Italian food could soon become a UNESCO World Heritage Site: The Italian government will have to wait until December 2025 to find out if their nomination will be approved. TimeOut
+ The Italian government has officially nominated the nation’s cuisine to be on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
FT: German tourist killed in knife attack near Paris’s Eiffel Tower
Tourist stabbed to death near Eiffel Tower in suspected terrorist attack: WSJ reports the suspect, identified as a Frenchman in his mid-20s, was arrested shortly after the slaying, authorities said.
Paris attack: How the terrorist's confusing profile fooled those monitoring him: Already convicted of terrorism in 2018, Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab kept telling investigators and those close to him that he had 'de-radicalized.' His psychiatric problems and the monitoring he had received since his prison release are at the heart of the interrogations. He stopped taking his medication in March 2022. Le Monde
The climate summit embraces AI, with reservations: NYT reports that using artificial intelligence to fight emissions has made a splash at COP28, but there’s a catch: The energy it requires could worsen matters.
How to launder $50 million in Dubai: Watch the third episode of Narco Business: Bertrand Monnet, a business professor, spent two years filming every stage of the Sinaloa cartel's business model in Mexico for Le Monde. In this third episode, the narcos and their financial advisors meet in Dubai to launder millions of dollars. Le Monde
Expat City Ranking 2023 InterNations
*** Politics + Elections ***
Why Biden touts jobs when Americans care about prices: The President has shied away from talking about inflation because the strong labor market tells a better story. WSJ
WSJ: Goods deflation is back. It could speed inflation’s return to 2%.
+ Prices of durables have been falling for five straight months.
US CEOs start to contemplate Trump, round 2: Executives should think long and hard about what it would mean if the former president is re-elected. Rana Foroohar
Nikki Haley tries to be all things to all Republicans as she takes on Trump: FT reports that the former South Carolina governor has momentum but a steep climb ahead if she is to be her party’s presidential nominee.
DeSantis says he will win Iowa: Politico reports: “I think it’s going to help propel us to the nomination,” DeSantis said.
Gavin Newsom's unwavering support for Biden is a way to secure his political ambitions: Le Monde reports on November 30, the 56-year-old Democratic governor from California faced off against his Florida counterpart, Republican Ron DeSantis, in a televised debate that had no stakes but still formed a part of the 2024 White House race.
House GOP moves toward formalizing Biden impeachment probe: WSJ reports Republicans could vote as soon as this week to add legal heft to an investigation already under way into the business dealings of the president’s family.
*** Disruption + Innovation ***
Black Crows — the making of a cult ski brand: Camille Jaccoux on turning a playful start-up into a success story on the slopes. FT
Americans are boringly predictable in smartphones. Here’s why. Samsung and Apple dominate the United States. Lots of other countries have more competition. WP
How Big Tech companies really think about AI John Herrman
I’ve worked with Generative AI for nearly a year. Here’s what I’ve learned. Spending this year with my robot colleagues has changed the way I work. But it took some trial and error getting there. Alexandra Samuel
CNBC: Meta’s AI chief doesn’t think AI super intelligence is coming anytime soon, and is skeptical on quantum computing
+ Facebook parent Meta held a media event this week in San Francisco highlighting the 10-year anniversary of its Fundamental AI Research team.
+ Society is more likely to get “cat-level” or “dog-level” AI years before human-level AI, Meta chief scientist Yann LeCun said.
+ Unlike Google, Microsoft, and other tech giants, Meta is not making a big bet on quantum computing.
Ego, fear, and money: How the AI fuse was lit: The people who were most afraid of the risks of artificial intelligence decided they should be the ones to build it. Then distrust fueled a spiraling competition. NYT
Electric vehicles are hitting a road block: Car dealers: Some customers say auto dealers have steered them away from buying electric cars and trucks. WP
Alaska Air reaches deal to acquire Hawaiian Airlines: WSJ reports Alaska Air will pay roughly $1 billion in cash to buy a rival in the Pacific region. The airlines will retain their separate brands.
*** Culture ***
The desks where geniuses scrawled command a high premium: Secret drawers, scratches or scraps of paper can all help raise the price of desks owned by notable figures from Terence Conran to Joan Didion. FT
The White Lotus season 3 will be “longer, bigger, crazier” than the last Vogue
What France's fast-food restaurants say about the country: The increasing presence of fast-food restaurants in some streets and towns illustrates the urban changes, income inequality, and business creation opportunities in working-class neighborhoods. Le Monde
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
Caracal produces ITK Daily.
Geopolitics is disrupting every business and industry.
Caracal is here to help.
Clients are senior executives responsible for geopolitics, corporate affairs, public affairs, stakeholder engagement, and communications who rely on Caracal for help navigating today's interconnected business environment with intelligence, strategy, engagement, and education.
Always Be Communicating.
More @ caracal.global
