Happy Monday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily.
To be ITK, know this:
AP: Minister: Germany won’t block Poland giving Ukraine tanks
AFP: Germany ready to let Poland send Leopard tanks to Ukraine: foreign minister
Germany faces backlash over reluctance to send tanks to Ukraine: Kyiv voices frustration at ‘global indecision’ as allies say Leopard 2s needed now to stop Russian assault. Guardian
What Western armor gives Ukraine in the next round of the war: A new iron fist should confer an advantage over Russia, but the stakes are rising. Economist
AFP: Russia taken 180,000 dead or wounded in Ukraine: Norwegian army
+ Russia is sending drug addicts to war to meet its mobilization quota, the Jerusalem Post reports.
How Russian fake news paints 'the Germans': If you believe Russian state media, then Germans back President Putin and mock Chancellor Scholz. But where do these stories claim to get their information from? DW
Boris Johnson hogs spotlight with Ukraine visit: Politico reports the ex-UK prime minister is loved in Ukraine for his support of the country, but the move is likely to irritate the Conservative government back home.
We’re getting our marbles back this year, says Greece The Times
AFP: Turkey to hold general election on May 14, one month earlier than planned
Sweden’s rare earths discovery won’t end EU’s China reliance — yet: Europe needs to ramp up its refining and production capacity first, experts warn. Politico
AFP: Burkina Faso asked France troops to quit, diplomatic note confirms
Macron wants Burkina Faso 'clarifications' on reports of call for French withdrawal: Le Monde reports Burkinabe media have reported that the government was giving France one month to pull out its troops stationed in the country, but no official communication has been made.
Macron and Scholz mend strained France-Germany friendship: Olaf Scholz called on France and Germany to be Europe's 'driving force' while Emmanuel Macron said the two countries could be the continent's 'pioneers.' Le Monde
Germany to join Mediterranean hydrogen pipeline project: DW reports the hydrogen pipeline will bring "green" gas from the Iberian Peninsula to the rest of Europe. France, Portugal, and Spain previously agreed to build the pipeline, which should be operational by 2030.
Germany eyes 'China lite' future that is less dependent: France explores collaboration with Quad; Italy's new leader vows to review Belt and Road. Nikkei
Bloomberg: Slovakia heads toward September election as parties reach accord
+ Two left-leaning opposition parties lead opinion polls.
+ Lawmakers must amend the constitution first to trigger an early vote.
Aging planet: The new demographic timebomb: India is about to overtake China as the most populous country, but as birthrates fall, we face life in a greyer world. Are we ready for the physical, political, and financial challenges ahead? Guardian
India’s population will soon overtake China’s—if it hasn’t already. The boom should benefit India’s economy—but experts warn it could be a liability. Fortune
Democracies shouldn’t gloat about China’s stumbles: The country still boasts a technocratic elite capable of recovering from even calamitous policy errors. How many of its neighbors can say the same? Pankaj Mishra
Chinese tourists are back and so is Beijing's tourism diplomacy: Visitor flows and spending is being used again to reward friends and punish foes. Mingming Cheng
As deepfakes flourish, countries struggle with response: Few governments have approved regulations, often because of free-speech concerns. New mandates from China could change the tone of the debate on digital forgeries. NYT
FT: Brazil and Argentina to start preparations for a common currency
Mexico needs private investors in renewables, says capital mayor: Claudia Sheinbaum aims to boost clean energy as she eyes presidency. Nikkei
Canada reaches $2.8bn settlement with Indigenous peoples: DW reports the Canadian government will pay over $2 billion into a not-for-profit trust that will fund projects for Indigenous education, culture, and language.
Jeff Zients to be Biden’s next chief of staff WP
Jeff Zients to be Biden’s next chief of staff: He has maintained close ties to departing chief of staff Ron Klain and other senior Biden aides dating back to the Obama years. Politico
Trump team struggles to consolidate support ahead of SC event: Two prominent South Carolinians are considering a run, complicating the picture for the former president. WP
Most Americans think both Biden and Trump inappropriately handled classified documents: A plurality sees Trump’s actions as more serious, an ABC News/Ipsos poll shows.
‘There is no plan. There’s nothing’: Florida Democrats in despair over future: More than two months after humbling midterm losses in a longtime battleground, Democrats are in a state of disorder and pessimistic about 2024. WP
Mitch Daniels tests Senate run in Indiana, drawing fire from Trump world: WP reports the former governor hasn’t decided whether to run, but opponents, including the former president’s son, are already bashing him.
Private jet companies look to expand Las Vegas presence with casino customers NI
Can Big Tech make livestreams safe? FT
TikTok accused of spying on the US and corrupting youth: In a mix of paranoia and puritanism, the Chinese app faces a cabal from US officials. Le Monde
As TikTok faces data-harvesting claims, spy agency warns Canadians to protect themselves: The Communications Security Establishment (CSE) Canadian Centre for Cyber Security says it’s updating its social media guidance. CBC
Don’t ban TikTok. Make it safer for the country. WP - Editorial
TikTok's algorithm rewrites cultural practices: Today's culture hitmaker is no longer a publisher, label, journalist, or even influencer – it is an algorithm used by everyone, mastered by none. Le Monde
ChatGPT: 'The risk of mass manipulation will intensify the PR battle between Big Tech companies': The chatbot will do more than simply disrupt the internet economy by threatening the advertising model of the digital giants. Vincent Lorphelin
ChatGPT passed a Wharton MBA exam, and it’s still in its infancy. One professor sounds the alarm. Fortune
Netflix’s new Co-CEOs answer all your questions: Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters on advertising, competition, and what happens when they disagree. Lucas Shaw
What the tech and media layoffs are really telling us about the economy: About 130,000 people have been dismissed from their jobs at large tech and media companies in the past 12 months. Why? Derek Thompson
It's been 230 years since British pirates robbed the US of the metric system: How did the world's largest economy get stuck with retro measurement? Ian Thomson
French (yes, French) executives are the world’s worst workaholics: French business leaders’ surprising binge-working ways are due to concerns over an economic slowdown and a reluctance to work remotely, a survey found. Bloomberg
Rick Rubin's stripped down approach to making music 60 Minutes
What it was like to attend Beyoncé’s explosive concert in Dubai: The artist, and the setting of the brand new Atlantis the Royal resort, were thrilling. The audience, not so much. Bloomberg
Takeaways from Sundance’s secret Brett Kavanaugh documentary: Director Doug Liman announced his new documentary at the festival. Then new tips began pouring in. WP
Bloomberg: Man City the richest club in Europe for second year running
+ The Premier League champion’s revenue, boosted by a sharp increase in commercial income, was 13% up on the previous year at €731 million ($794 million), according to Deloitte’s annual Money League.
+ Premier League makes up more than half the top-earning clubs.
+ Liverpool overtakes Man Utd after run in Champions League.
Gary Bettman not interested in ‘debate’ with Ron DeSantis over discrimination claim NHL
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
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