Happy Friday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily.
To be ITK, know this:
AP: France’s Macron skirts parliament to force through unpopular retirement age reform
WP: Macron raises French retirement age without vote, prompting backlash
Macron’s defiant show of force in parliament exposes a weakened president: Politico reports old-school politicking is coming back to bite the man who blew up traditional politics in France.
Macron, risking backlash, pushes through law raising retirement age: NYT reports lacking parliamentary support, the French president used a special measure to circumvent a vote, a step likely to further enrage opponents.
French pension reform: Angry protesters assemble in Paris after government bypasses vote: Le Monde reports French President Emmanuel Macron shunned parliament on Thursday and opted to push through a highly unpopular bill that would raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 by triggering Article 49.3, a special clause in the French Constitution.
Has Emmanuel Macron doomed France’s government by pushing through his reforms? Even if it wins a vote of no-confidence, his pension plan is deeply unpopular. Economist
Three's a crowd for Germany's Scholz, who faces coalition contradictions: Torn between his party's position and those of the Greens and the Liberals (FDP), the Social Democrat chancellor is struggling to set a clear course for his policy. Le Monde
Germany set to shrink its XXL parliament: The Bundestag is bursting at the seams. The governing coalition has a proposal to make it smaller, but the opposition says that it is unconstitutional. DW
Bloomberg: Italy revives bridge-to-Sicily plan that eluded ancient Romans
+ Span linking the island and Italy’s south last faded a decade ago.
+ Salvini is championing a project revived by the Meloni government.
UK joins EU, Canada and US in government device TikTok ban: FT reports British minister says it is prudent and proportionate to restrict the use of Chinese-owned social media app.
The US attacks Chinese balloons and electronics, but its archenemy is still TikTok: Washington has given American teenagers' favorite app an ultimatum: either its Chinese owner, ByteDance, relinquishes control or it is banned from the United States. Philippe Escande
US threatens ban if TikTok’s Chinese owners don’t sell stakes: WSJ reports TikTok says forced sale won’t resolve national-security issues; CEO set to appear before Congress next week.
Finding a buyer for TikTok may not be so easy: The Biden administration is pushing TikTok’s Chinese owners to sell the app or face a possible ban. But there are many complications to finding a suitor. NYT
Inside TikTok’s fight to avoid a US ban: Ahead of next week’s showdown in DC over ongoing national security concerns, the Chinese-owned social media app is considering all its options—from going along with a forced sale to taking the offensive. Bloomberg
Biden’s TikTok plan faces the same challenges that doomed Trump’s ban: The administration’s push to force a sale of TikTok will meet a slew of constitutional and legal hurdles that toppled Trump’s failed executive order in 2020. WP
The Ukraine war is Antony Blinken’s defining moment: Biden’s top diplomat has kept Washington’s allies together, but navigating an end game is proving elusive. WP
America must plan for a stalemate in Ukraine Eric Levitz
How Putin’s war destroyed a golden age of Russian culture: Inside the pain, purges, and persecution that have decimated the country’s once-flourishing theatre scene. FT
‘Hunting rifles’ — really? China ships assault weapons and body armor to Russia: Customs data obtained by Politico reveals direct shipments of Chinese assault rifles, as well as drone shipments and body armor, routed via Turkey and the UAE.
Xi tightens control with party overhaul of China government: Communist party commissions to oversee civilian-military technology and financial regulation. FT
China strengthens Communist Party oversight of financial sector: Caixin reports the latest regulatory overhaul includes the creation of two powerful party commissions as China wrestles with managing risks in a massive sector.
AP: Japan, South Korea renew ties at Tokyo summit
Japan, South Korea rebuild defense ties, with US backing: Yoon tells Kishida that Seoul will normalize intelligence-sharing pact. Nikkei
Ron DeSantis has a Florida problem: The governor and presidential hopeful has a “huge advantage” in his home state that could ultimately hurt his electability. Politico
Much of the 2024 GOP field focuses on dark, apocalyptic themes: Many of the declared and potential Republican hopefuls feature rhetoric focused on existential dangers and demonizing Democrats. WP
How to stop 2024 from looking like 2016: Here’s a schedule for lagging presidential candidates to drop out of the race. Karl Rove
Trump and DeSantis could both lose David Brooks
Republicans are delusional if they think Biden will be easy to beat: The power of incumbency and a Trumpified GOP give Biden the advantage in 2024. Rich Lowry
The new prime time for TV news: Afternoons: The biggest draw on Fox News is no longer Tucker Carlson or Sean Hannity; it’s “The Five.” And daytime shows on CNN and MSNBC are outranking evening programming. NYT
Eleven banks deposit $30 billion in First Republic Bank: WSJ reports regulators say the move by JPMorgan and others demonstrate the system’s resilience.
Microsoft and Google unveil AI tools for businesses: NYT reports new artificial intelligence technology is roiling Silicon Valley. For now, the most obvious ways to use it are in software like Microsoft’s suite of products.
The nightmare of AI-powered Gmail has arrived John Herrman
China’s AI chatbots clam up when asked about Xi Jinping’s leadership: WSJ report: ‘The question couldn’t pass a safety review’; American politics are off limits, too.
AI is about to transform childhood. Are we ready? In the future, middle-class kids will learn from, play with, and grow attached to their own personalized AI chatbots. Tyler Cowen
Foxconn finds EVs are harder to build than iPhones: The contractor’s dreams of building electric cars are running into the reality of recalls and fledgling partners in Lordstown. Bloomberg
Cereal before bed? Food makers push ‘sleep’ snacks at night. Marketing late-night meals as sleep enhancers is a way for the industry to boost sales by creating a so-called fourth meal that follows dinner. WP
Vietnam's coffee culture survives 10 years of Starbucks: The popularity of local cafes makes the country hard for global brands to crack. Nikkei
‘Liquid windows’ could be the answer to more sustainable buildings: Researchers from the University of Toronto built a prototype window that lets you control the intensity, color, and dispersion of sunlight using nothing but water and a pumping system. FC
‘Marie Antoinette’ review: Boudoirs and Bloodlines on PBS: A series thick with palace intrigue follows the young empress’s life in France, where her marriage to Louis-Auguste faces complications sexual, political, and personal. WSJ
Skis, songs, and shots at a supremely Norwegian sports festival: Holmenkollen celebrates cross-country skiing and other winter sports in a nation that reveres them. Even the competitors admit the fun is infectious. NYT
AFP: Jordan in talks to sell majority stake in NBA Hornets: report
FIFA triples women’s World Cup prize money for 2023: WSJ reports President Gianni Infantino said equal prize money with the men could arrive by 2027—but chastised broadcasters for offering far less to air the women’s tournament.
Bloomberg: Messi, World Cup champs draw over 1 million fans to ticket site
+ Messi’s winning team to play a friendly against Panama on March 23.
+ 1.3 million fans rush ticket site as scalpers tried to profit.
In the city where Diego Maradona is god, Napoli are writing a new fairytale at last: With Napoli on the brink of a first scudetto in 33 years, Owen Slot finds a team who are channeling the spirit of their most famous player. The Times
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
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