Happy Thursday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily.
To be ITK, know this:
Podcast notes | Marc Ross on communications strategy
A few weeks back, I joined the Human Risk Podcast hosted by Christian Hunt.
The Human Risk Podcast focuses on "the risk of people doing things they shouldn't or not doing things they should" and examines how behavioral science can help us mitigate it.
In this discussion with Christian, we focused on communications strategy.
We discussed which politicians on the campaign trail are good at communicating and those who need help.
We explored how people who aren't natural-born communicators can communicate their message to differences between political and corporate communications.
And finally, how communications have shaped the war in Ukraine to the expertise of a communications strategist to keep things out of the news.
You can access the pod and deep dive notes here.
WP: Three objects shot down over US, Canada may be ‘benign’
White House discussing whether to have Biden address unidentified objects: NBC reports Biden’s public comments have been sparse as the US works to recover the wreckage of the Chinese spy balloon and three unidentified objects shot down this month.
Duh.
I've been thinking this same thing for days now.
I think Biden needs to address America from the Oval Office and explain all these unidentified object intercepts.
Analysis: Futuristic Chinese military unit most likely behind balloon campaign: PLA's Strategic Support Force blends space, cyber and electronic warfare. Nikkei
+ Created in 2015, as part of a major PLA reorganization, the secretive Strategic Support Force (SSF) is a theater command-level organization established to centralize the PLA's strategic space, cyberspace, electronic, information, communications and psychological warfare missions and capabilities, according to a Pentagon report to the US Congress.
+ The South China Sea spreads south of Hainan Island, where the PLA is gradually establishing an important military presence. The country's navy, air force and rocket force have presences on the island supporting an aircraft carrier, naval ships, submarines, aircraft and rockets.
+ The SSF is shrouded in mystery, but one glimpse of the scope of its mission was offered in a 2016 article in the Global Times.
+ The Global Times article said the SSF comprises three units with different functions: the cyberwarfare unit, which defends against hacking attacks; the space warfare unit, which has jurisdiction over spy satellites and China's own BeiDou Navigation Satellite System; and the electronic warfare unit, which disrupts enemy radar systems and communications
+ Balloons have plenty of warfare history. During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Army launched numerous balloons with incendiary bombs attached toward the US mainland, causing some fires there. They came to be commonly known as "balloon bombs" after the war.
Amid tensions with US, China’s top diplomat travels to a wary Europe: WSJ reports the tour is set to highlight growing nervousness about relations with China and Beijing’s partnership with Moscow.
China's top diplomat meets with Macron to kick off Europe tour: Le Monde reports Wan Yi will also make stops in Italy, Hungary, Russia, and Germany, where he will attend the Munich Security Conference.
North Korea and China reopen key trucking corridor after 2-year halt: Nikkei reports shortage-hit Pyongyang slowly lowers barriers to biggest trade partner.
Ukraine aid support softens in the US: AP-NORC Poll: Forty-eight percent say they favor the US providing weapons to Ukraine, with 29% opposed and 22% saying they’re neither in favor nor opposed. In May 2022, less than three months into the war, 60% of US adults said they were in favor of sending Ukraine weapons.
Russia has deployed 97% of army in Ukraine, UK says: WSJ reports Ukrainian officials have warned of a renewed Russian onslaught to coincide with the first anniversary of Moscow’s invasion next week.
The Times: Russia ‘loses 2,000 troops for every 100 yards won’
Gung-ho Poland is becoming a military leader in Europe: The Franco-German axis is tired and NATO is looking eastwards. The Times
A year of war in Ukraine has left Europe’s armouries dry: Reality of sustaining Kyiv’s army through a long, bloody conflict is dawning on the west. Henry Foy
Theater or Zelenskyy? How Macron keeps failing to lead European response to Ukraine war: The French president has squandered a chance to lead Europe’s response to the war in Ukraine, argue some diplomats. Politico
Italy’s hard-right leader vexes Europe by playing nice, mostly: NYT reports some still fear an authoritarian turn, but Giorgia Meloni has surprised many by showing a pragmatic streak since coming to power. Now Europe is not sure what to do.
AP: Berlusconi acquitted in trial tied to ‘bunga bunga’ parties
Scotland’s Nicola Sturgeon quits: Politico reports the first minister cites toll of job and need for clear Scottish independence strategy as she announces shock exit.
The Times: I know in my heart it’s time to step down, says Sturgeon
+ Sturgeon will leave office as the longest-serving and first female first minister since the creation of the Scottish parliament but will stand down without realizing her key political mission — independence for Scotland.
Why is Nicola Sturgeon resigning? In the history of the SNP she is, and always will be, a giant. In the lives of ordinary Scots, once she goes, there will be few signs she was ever there. Stephen Daisley
+ The unfortunate coda to all this is that, despite her time in government, Sturgeon leaves no substantial legacy behind. In the history of the SNP she is, and always will be, a giant. In the lives of ordinary Scots, once she goes, there will be few signs she was ever there.
The Times: Tories hail Nicola Sturgeon’s exit as huge blow to Scottish independence
Nicola Sturgeon was the Tories’ best foil. Now she’s gone. The surprise resignation of Scotland’s First Minister raises questions about the future of the SNP as well as Rishi Sunak’s The Conservative Party. Therese Raphael
+ If her absence raises questions about the future direction of the SNP, it likely spells bad news for Rishi Sunak’s governing Conservative Party at the next election.
+ The Scottish Conservatives have been on life support ever since their own capable leader Ruth Davidson resigned over disagreement with Boris Johnson’s Brexit policy and to spend time with her child.
+ The Labour Party, rather than the Conservatives, would be the likely beneficiary of any electoral weakening of the SNP, though hopes of 24 seats at the next election to help put Keir Starmer in Downing Street is still a big ask for a party that was all but wiped out after dominating Scottish politics from the mid-1960s until 2010.
+ With so much to play for, expect Scotland to get a great deal more attention in Westminster.
+ Labour hopes the resignation of the first minister will fuel election victory
Nicola Sturgeon's departure from UK politics helps Keir Starmer and the Labour Party in the next general election.
Nicola Sturgeon had run out of ideas on Scottish independence: Departing first minister lacked any answer to intransigence from Westminster. Robert Shrimsley
+ Nicola Sturgeon ran out of road. It is as simple as that. Scotland’s first minister, a supreme communicator with a strong claim to being the most effective political leader in Britain, concluded the only way was down.
+ The bigger and more important point is that her departure signifies an independence movement that also cannot see the next step forward.
+ She rebuilt the separatist campaign after the 2014 defeat and created an image of a modern, confident, liberal Scotland capable of standing on its own. That she did not get all the way there does not mean she did not advance the journey.
+ This is a good day for unionists.
+ Nonetheless, those who want to preserve the UK would be foolish to rest easy and assume the fight is now won just because a talented general has left the field.
Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation is part of Britain’s great moderation: The Economist reports pragmatism is taking hold north and south of the border.
Who will replace Nicola Sturgeon as SNP leader? The runners and riders: The Times reports Kate Forbes leads John Swinney and Humza Yousaf in the race to be first minister.
Kate Forbes: The SNP star tipped to replace Nicola Sturgeon: The finance secretary is on maternity leave, but as Sturgeon stands down, is she preparing to come back with a leadership bid? The Times
It’s time to move on from the CBC: The public broadcaster has outlived its usefulness. Sean Speer
UK rehearsing economic fallout scenarios if China invades Taiwan: Whitehall officials planning strategy to tackle disruption to global supply chains in the aftermath of an attack. Guardian
Spain raises minimum wage by 8%: Le Monde reports this new increase brings the minimum wage to €1,080 gross per month over 14 months. But government support for inflation is limited.
Subarctic Sweden is at the forefront of a $100 billion green tech boom: An e-battery factory and new cultural center have put Skelleftea at the heart of an eco-urban renaissance. Bloomberg
WSJ: The World Bank President David Malpass to step down early
From George to Barack: A look at secret Bush memos to the Obama team: Newly declassified memos offer a window into how the world appeared as the Bush administration was winding down. NYT
+ As enlightening as the memos are, however, they also underscore that major challenges on the international stage are rarely solved for good, but instead are bequeathed from one administration to another, even in evolved form. So too are the successes and failures.
Study shows ‘striking’ number who believe news misinforms: AP reports half of Americans in a recent survey indicated they believe national news organizations intend to mislead, misinform or persuade the public to adopt a particular point of view through their reporting.
Anita Dunn and Bob Bauer: The couple at the center of Biden’s inner circle: The pair, which has one of the most extensive networks in Democratic politics, has shaped the White House’s response to the president’s handling of classified documents. NYT
Austan Goolsbee under consideration to serve as Fed’s vice chair: WSJ reports President Biden has to replace Lael Brainard after naming her to serve as White House economic-policy director.
‘It’s a war.’: Iowa Democrats prepare to fight for their caucus — and their relevance as rural voters. Politico
+ Scott Brennan, a member of the Democratic National Committee and former chair of the Iowa state party, said that between the Mountain and Central time zones, the DNC had “turned a vast swath of the nation into flyover country.”
Nikki Haley’s ‘great day’: WSJ-Editorial opines that she brings personal charisma to the presidential race but no clear rationale for her candidacy.
Yesterday was the best day of Nikki Haley's 2024 presidential campaign.
Nikki Haley’s blurry presidential ambition Robin Givhan
+ Her campaign video is a study in contradictions and tensions. It’s a gleaming short story of someone who believes in a melting pot rather than a mosaic. Someone who believes that history has been written in stone rather than on parchment.
+ She is an ambitious blur.
+ She’s not interested in the fact that most Black Americans do not have an immigrant story; they have an enslavement story. Some of them have no story at all because it was never recorded. They’re not trying to rewrite history, but to get it down on paper for the very first time.
They’re trying to topple Trump. But they barely utter his name. NYT reports the former president’s Republican rivals appear highly reluctant to criticize him, and Nikki Haley didn’t even mention him as she jumped into the race this week.
Republicans aren’t just thinking about Trump and DeSantis: In some presidential elections, the party heavily favors one candidate early on. Not this time. Jonathan Bernstein
+ It’s possible that Trump’s 2016 nomination has generated a heavy dose of “anything is possible” thinking among Republican politicians. But there sure are a lot of Republicans who think they know something about how open the nomination is. I wouldn’t be quick to dismiss that.
Justice strongest candidate against Manchin, GOP poll says: Politico reports the two-term WV governor hasn't officially entered the race yet, but a Republican poll shows he's the only one that would beat the incumbent Democrat.
Shifting gears in auto manufacturing BCG
+ The differences in composition between BEVs and ICEVs will ultimately determine production requirements. These differences can be separated into two categories: powertrain and power electronics.
+ Primarily because of their more complex powertrains, ICEVs include many more components than electric cars.
+ An ICE powertrain may have more than 1,000 components, while a BEV powertrain generally has only a few hundred (not counting each individual battery cell separately).
+ Nevertheless, the content per vehicle of BEVs is actually about 30% higher than that of ICEVs, primarily because of the cost of batteries.
+ This is a significant change for an industry that has spent more than 100 years developing and improving engine manufacturing and vehicle assembly to the highest degrees of efficiency.
+ Automakers often assemble battery packs in-house by piecing together battery modules. However, the cells that go into the battery modules are typically produced by specialized suppliers, often from the consumer electronics industry and headquartered in Asia.
+ The common wisdom that BEVs are less labor intensive in assembly stages than traditional vehicles is inaccurate.
+ The shift to BEV production will require new investments in manufacturing and, hence, is an opportunity to also integrate the latest factory of the future principles, including increased use of automation and artificial intelligence. For example, when retrofitting its Zwickau, Germany, plant for BEV production, Volkswagen increased the automation on its assembly line from 17% to 28%.
Tesla to open some US superchargers to all EVs.
Bloomberg: Three-in-four Londoners would quit instead of giving up WFH
The chatbots are coming for Google: ChatGPT and a handful of startups founded by Google alumni are aiming to reimagine search for the AI age. Bloomberg
+ Google raked in $54.48 billion in advertising revenue in the most recent quarter, representing 78.9% of its gross sales. Search ads were the biggest driver by far.
+ Google continues to polish LaMDA and other large language models internally, and its dominant position gives it some luxury to be patient. But there is at least one powerful argument for a sooner introduction: the data gleaned along the way.
+ “One should never underestimate Google,” says Oren Etzioni, an adviser and board member at the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence. “But the challenge they have is GPT is learning as it goes.”
Bloomberg: Palantir Technologies’ CEO says European nations need to ‘get serious’ about tech development
The death of the smart shopper: Internet retail was supposed to supercharge the informed consumer. What happened? Amanda Mull
+ What, exactly, it means to be an informed consumer in practical terms is somewhat nebulous, even though the notion is regularly invoked when buying jeans, used cars, surgical procedures, and basically everything else you can think of.
+ Purchases are fundamentally asymmetrical interactions. Sellers will almost always know more than you do, and they are free to hide most of it.
+ When buying a home, taking a car in for repairs, choosing a doctor, or deciding whether you actually need a separate eye cream or it’s all just moisturizer in a smaller tub, you will generally end up playing whack-a-mole with your own ignorance.
+ “The ordinary man, who ventures forth to market with only his senses as his chapmen finds himself face to face with the great collectivism of salesmanship, with its seried ranks to batter down resistance and render impotent his will,” he wrote. “As an individual he cannot be sure the article he was induced to purchase satisfies a need he really feels.” And that was in 1931.
Gambling revenues hit record $60 billion in 2022: WSJ reports commercial casinos and online betting apps reaped more than $60 billion from gambling last year, an increase of about 14%, according to an industry trade group.
What the Ohio train derailment says about the dark side of plastics: The Norfolk Southern Corporation crash highlights the environmental and health dangers of the world’s growing reliance on plastics, which two of the train’s hazardous-material cargo are used to make. Bloomberg
Mars: Traces of waves discovered on edge of lake that disappeared billions of years ago: In its ascent of Mount Sharp, NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Curiosity rover came across surfaces wrinkled by water movement. Le Monde
RIP: Raquel Welch
“You’re so vain”: An oral history of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, and more look back on 20 years of love ferns and that yellow dress. Vanity Fair
Chicago Bears complete Arlington Park purchase.
Billionaire Jahm Najafi set to launch $3.75bn bid for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club: FT reports fans of the football team have been increasingly frustrated by the lack of trophies.
Manchester City and the bruising battle to avoid losing it all: The Premier League has accused its serial champion of using misleading accounting, secret deals, and legal obstruction to sidestep financial rules. The club is digging in for its biggest fight yet. NYT
+ The stakes are hard to overstate. Under the rules of the Premier League, City, if it is found guilty, faces a range of punishments up to and including expulsion from the league. It is little wonder, then, that a club that has spent years waging clandestine legal wars to defend its interests, and its name, would now be digging in for its most serious fight yet, one that threatens to bring all that it has built crashing down.
+ A top City lawyer wrote that Khaldoon al Mubarak, the team’s chairman, had said “he would rather spend 30 million on the 50 best lawyers in the world to sue them for the next 10 years” than agree to any financial penalty.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
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