Happy Saturday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily.
To be ITK, know this:
Insight | Snowbird took one-star reviews and made them into a rallying cry.
"Too advanced. One star."
"Disappointed. One star."
"There are no easy runs. One star."
Snowbird embraced these one-star reviews into a rallying cry.
Full post here.
Trust is the key to geopolitical strength: Geopolitical trust is intrinsic to the making and breaking of states on the international scene. Brendan Simms
+ Brendan Simms is a professor in the history of European international relations at the University of Cambridge and Director of the Centre for Geopolitics.
Tanks, timing and training. Ukraine’s new battlefield challenges: Western battle tanks could be a game changer, but only if there is proper training and if they arrive soon. Politico
Will tanks set up Ukraine for a spring offensive? FT
Western tanks give Ukraine a fighting chance: The agreement between the US and Germany is a critical step toward helping Ukraine regain lost ground. Bloomberg - Editorial
+ We’re nine months into Sweden and Finland’s NATO bid.
Russia seeks gains in Ukraine before Western tanks turn up: WSJ reports Moscow's forces pressed an eastern offensive, trying to seize an advantage in the months before tanks pledged by Kyiv’s allies begin to arrive on the battlefield.
Russia’s bloody sledgehammer: Biden can do far more to counter the Wagner Group mercenaries terrorizing Ukraine. Justyna Gudzowska
Harris headed to Munich conference before Ukraine war’s 1-year mark: Politico reports Harris will reprise her role championing the US-led West’s defense of Ukraine against Russian aggression.
Babiš plays on fears of war with Russia in long-shot Czech presidency bid: Trailing in the polls, the former prime minister is seeking to win a runoff against his ex-NATO general rival by peddling a populist message. Politico
The French want to remain the French: The Associated Press offends French sensibilities and retreats from a piece of descriptive advice. NYT
+ “The French” is now an offensive turn of phrase, says the AP Stylebook.
Not even THE AP Style Book can escape geopolitics!
US news agency AP again clarifies tweet advising that writing 'the French' is 'dehumanizing': The Associated Press stylebook on Thursday advised against the use of 'general and often dehumanizing ‘the’ labels such as the poor, the mentally ill, the French, the disabled.' Le Monde
AFP: France recalls ambassador from Burkina Faso after agreeing to withdraw troops
+ Both Mali and Burkina Faso fell out with Paris after a military coup brought a junta to power and the French presence became increasingly unpopular among the public.
France's shrinking footprint in Africa: With anti-France feelings running high in many of its former colonies in West Africa, Paris is being forced to retreat ever further from the increasingly unstable region and re-think its presence, experts say. AFP
Emmanuel Macron tries to regain control of the climate agenda: The French president held a national planning council focused on climate, an area in which he has never managed to find the right tone. Le Monde
Rishi Sunak walks Brexit tightrope as protocol deal nears: The UK prime minister’s controversial drive to scrap hundreds of EU laws may not be enough to keep Tory Brexiteers onside. Politico
Norway finds 'substantial' mineral resources on its seabed Reuters
Saudi Arabia’s Hollywood dealmaking ambitions grow despite backlash: The kingdom is amassing stakes in the entertainment sector, and power brokers are calculating that they can weather any negative PR. THR
Hollywood can't escape geopolitics.
Who wants an Israeli civil war? Millions feel targeted, collectively, and personally, as Israel’s judicial pillars teeter and its political nerves fray. Amotz Asa-El
India expects more clashes with Chinese troops in Himalayas: Reuters reports a security assessment by Indian police in the Himalayan region of Ladakh says there could be more clashes between Indian and Chinese troops along their contested frontier there as Beijing ramps up military infrastructure in the region.
India puts up a fight against China in the Arctic Arne O. Holm
Reuters: China's Xi says ties with Australia moving in "right direction," state media reports
Korea JoongAng Daily: Yoon Suk Yeol to meet NATO chief, US defense secretary next week
Nuclear tensions on the Korean peninsula are accelerating dramatically: As the global security environment becomes more challenging, the need to adapt alliances increases as well. Ivo Daalder
+ Ivo Daalder was a former US ambassador to NATO and currently is the president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Bloomberg: Biden nears win as Japan, Dutch back China chip controls
+ Tokyo and The Hague to restrict sales of advanced machinery to China.
+ Negotiations are to be concluded as soon as Friday in Washington.
Marshall Islands, feeling neglected by the US, enjoys new leverage WP
+ The Marshall Islands is set to receive $700 million in new support from the US over the next four years.
+ In 1982, the Marshall Islands signed a Compact of Free Association (COFA) with the US, which granted the Marshall Islands financial assistance and access to many US domestic programs in exchange for exclusive US military access and defense responsibilities.
+ The Marshall Islands hosts the US Army Kwajalein Atoll Reagan Missile Test Site, a key installation in the US missile defense network. Kwajalein also hosts one of four dedicated ground antennas that assist in operating the GPS navigation system.
+ @Itwitius: Fiji has suspended a security deal with China allowing China to train Fijian police. New PM partially campaigned on not being too tied to China or the West. Training will continue with NZ and Australian police. Constant competition between Aus/USA and China in region.
Peru president asks Congress to advance elections to 2023: AFP reports Peru's embattled President Dina Boluarte on Friday urged Congress to advance elections slated for April 2024 to December 2023 as protests against her leadership that have left dozens dead continue.
US to launch talks on partnership with 11 Western Hemisphere nations WP
Why do officials filch classified documents? Maybe they want a memento of their time in power. That doesn’t make the matter less serious. Peggy Noonan
Yes, Mr. President, there is some there there: Biden’s team should have been more transparent about his classified documents. But the strategy could still work for him in the end. David Axelrod
Exiting White House, Klain says work for Biden defined his life WP
WP: Ronna McDaniel quells revolt to win reelection as chair of fractured RNC
@natalie_allison: Ronna McDaniel has been re-elected chairwoman of the RNC, receiving 111 of 167 votes. Harmeet Dhillon 51. Lindell 4.
FT: Trump hits 2024 campaign trail as potential White House rivals dither
Trump seeks to shift his idling White House campaign back into gear Reuters
Trump unveils new education policy loaded with culture war proposals: Politico reports the proposal reflects the degree to which Republicans want the next election to be waged around classrooms as much as boardrooms.
Trump’s return to Facebook, Instagram raises hopes of fundraising windfall: WP reports Meta’s decision to reinstate the former president clears the way to effectively reopen the financial partnership that proved crucial to his 2016 and 2020 campaigns.
California Senate race sets up clash of titans: NBC News reports California is finally getting a wide-open election that lives up to its progressive reputation as a field of liberal candidates prepares for battle.
+ Candidates have been advised they’ll need to raise at least $20 million to $40 million... with the winning candidate may end up spending north of $100 million — a vast sum for a contest that will most likely have no bearing on Senate control, because California is almost certain to send a Democrat to Washington.
‘Does this city fit who we are as a party?’ Mayors Jockey for 2024 DNC: Atlanta, Chicago, and New York are finalists, and local Democrats are eager to bend President Biden’s ear to host what would be his formal nomination event. NYT
The flu-ification of COVID policy is almost complete: The government is pushing harder than ever to make “yearly COVID shots” a thing. The Atlantic
Bloomberg: TikTok ban to get House panel vote next month, McCaul says
+ If approved, the legislation would move to the US House floor debate.
+ Comments add pressure on Biden to force a sale of the app.
Did the music business just kill the vinyl revival? New data tells an ominous story. Ted Gioia
Elon Musk’s epic quest for LOLs is only hurting Tesla: Amid falling demand and sudden price cuts, the CEO seems determined to take a blowtorch to his company’s brand. Bloomberg
"What if I told you that you could drive off today with no money down?"
Soon.
+ Traders have spent $700 billion on options tied to Tesla over the past 13 months.
+ Tesla now accounts for roughly 7% of all options trading on an average day, based on Cboe and OCC data.
GM plans to add a new Chinese-built model, the Buick Envista compact SUV, to its US lineup later this year.
What happened to decoupling?
CATL plans to have six production lines running by the end of the year at a new plant in Germany.
LG said it expects 25-30% revenue growth this year, driven mainly by increasing EV demand in North America.
Toyota needs to shed 'carmaker' mantle for next chapter of growth: The automaker must stay ahead of change in the age of the internet and EVs. Nikkei
Will we blame self-driving cars? A new study finds that people are likely to hold autonomous vehicles liable for accidents even when they’re not at fault. WSJ
Most criminal cryptocurrency funnels through just 5 exchanges: The crypto money-laundering market is tighter than at any time in the past decade, and the few big players are moving a “shocking” amount of currency. Wired
+ "Oh, yeah? I would never read a book. I don’t want to say no book is ever worth reading, but I actually do believe something pretty close to that. … If you wrote a book, you f---ed up, and it should have been a six-paragraph blog post." -- Sam Bankman-Fried
FT: Goldman’s David Solomon takes near-30% pay cut to $25mn
Bloomberg: Vegas visitors sue the Strip's biggest hotels over room prices
The algorithm is gonna you...
+ A lawsuit contends the biggest hotels on the Las Vegas strip, like the Bellagio, Caesars Palace, and the Wynn, are colluding to overcharge visitors for rooms through an algorithm designed to maximize their profits.
Wild.
At Google, Meta, and other tech companies, the layoffs are streaming live on TikTok: The Information reports fired employees are posting through the tech recession as they turn to TikTok to vent, commiserate and network for their next job.
I spent a week using only TikTok for search: Younger users are sidestepping Google in favor of the social app's search engine, so I tried it too. You will absolutely believe what happened next. Lauren Goode
ChatGPT’s need for computing power keeps it tethered to Microsoft: The enormous processing capacity needed to run modern AI systems is shaping their technical development and business model. Bloomberg
The Webb Space Telescope is telling humanity the history of everything George Will
Chevron rides high oil prices to $35.5 billion annual profit: WSJ reports the oil company banked historic profit last year as the pandemic receded. The war in Ukraine pushed oil prices to multiyear highs, but quarterly results fell short of analysts’ expectations.
‘No miracles needed’: Prof Mark Jacobson on how wind, sun, and water can power the world Guardian
A billionaire’s luxury development fuels fight over Texas hill country: As Austin’s economic boom spurs development, environmentalists are working to protect the rugged landscape from projects like Steve Winn’s Mirasol Springs resort. Bloomberg
As the Colorado River shrinks, Washington prepares to spread the pain: The seven states that rely on the river for water are not expected to reach a deal on cuts. It appears the Biden administration will have to impose reductions. NYT
The great repression. George Tannenbaum
I can’t shut up about the M&M’s drama Mia Mercado
As seen at Sundance: The talk of the ski town at this year’s film festival. Vulture
In Paris, left-wing bookstore wants to 'shake up' right-wing neighborhood: Serial entrepreneur Ramdane Touhami opened a politically-engaged bookstore in the very chic 7th arrondissement. Le Monde
Is motivation overrated? Learn to discern which behavior-change advice is right for you. Michelle Segar
The QB battle that unlocked Patrick Mahomes ESPN
The Bengals’ big-game vibes were forged by the College Football Playoff WP
Alps ski resorts brace for a future with less snow: With snow scarce, some resorts promote biking trails and adventure parks, while others try to move their ski runs to higher elevations. Many have closed. WSJ
2024 Copa America to be held in the United States: AFP reports South America's top national team competition, the Copa America, will be held in the United States in 2024 and feature 10 teams from South America's CONMEBOL and six teams from the CONCACAF region.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
Caracal produces ITK Daily.
Caracal is a geopolitical business communications firm specializing in global business issues at the intersection of globalization, disruption, and politics.
Caracal believes that to be a world-class geopolitical business communicator, you need global street smarts coupled with holistic, high-frequency, and high-low communications.
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