Happy Tuesday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily.
To be ITK, know this:
China’s zero-COVID anger is erupting Cindy Yu
‘Zero COVID’ has pummeled China into a crisis. Xi must react. WP - Editorial
Xi Jinping’s ‘myth of infallibility’ tested as zero-COVID protests rattle China: The communist party boss must decide whether to relax his signature policy or crush demonstrations. FT
White House says 'everyone has the right to peacefully protest' after China COVID demonstrations intensify: NBC News reports people rallying against China's policy to contain COVID outbreaks clashed with security personnel in major cities over the weekend.
+ Some US lawmakers were more strident. But the overall response reflected wariness about how Beijing will act.
Bloomberg: World Cup fans without masks pose dilemma for Chinese TV amid protests
+ CCTV appears to be reducing footage of maskless crowds
+ COVID restrictions sparked protests in several Chinese cities
Three ways Xi could respond to the loudest wave of protests since 1989 Eryk Bagshaw
China will launch the Shenzhou-15 spacecraft to its space station on November 29, the China Manned Space Agency said on Monday, the final mission in the country's plan to complete the crewed orbital outpost.
China poses increasing threat in military space race, top US general says: Reuters reports Nina Armagno, director of staff of the US Space Force, said Beijing had made significant progress in developing military space technology, including in areas such as satellite communications and re-useable spacecraft, which allow countries to rapidly scale up their space programs.
Bloomberg: UK’s Sunak rejects ‘simplistic’ Cold War rhetoric on China
+ Rishi Sunak makes first major foreign policy speech in London
+ Sunak says the UK in ‘sharpening competition’ with China
Sunak vows to engage with China but consigns ‘golden era’ to the history books: UK prime minister says Beijing ‘poses a systemic challenge to our values and interests’ — but he’s criticized for softening his stance. Politico
NATO’s looming fault line: China: The military alliance is crawling as it attempts to detail a China plan — illustrating the debates expected to torment NATO for years. Politico
Japan set to increase defense budget to 2% of GDP in 2027: Nikkei reports PM Kishida tells cabinet ministers to broaden the scope of spending framework.
Britain sends troops to join Japanese war games: The Times reports around 80 gunners from the Royal Artillery have traveled to the mountains north of Tokyo to train with soldiers from the Japanese Ground Self Defence Force. It is the first time in four years that British troops have been involved in Exercise Vigilant Isles, a biennial wargaming drill, which was canceled two years ago because of the pandemic.
Taiwan elections: could KMT star Wayne Chiang be a presidential contender? The 43-year-old great-grandson of late leader Chiang Kai-shek won Taipei’s mayoral race, sweeping aside veteran opponents. SCMP
European Union officials are demanding that Washington give EU products the same favorable treatment for EV subsidies under the Inflation Reduction Act as Canada and Mexico get.
The Russian spy couple caught in the 'burbs: In Sweden, 'The Americans' plays out in real life: The couple arrived in Sweden at the end of the 1990s and are suspected of having passed on information about military technology. Le Monde
The Pentagon is considering a Boeing proposal to supply Ukraine with cheap, small precision bombs fitted onto abundantly available rockets, allowing Kyiv to strike far behind Russian lines as the West struggles to meet the demand for more arms.
NATO alliance works to reinforce its eastern flank: Meeting in Bucharest this week, NATO foreign ministers are set to discuss more aid for Ukraine, plans to deter Russia on the military alliance's eastern flank, and a number of practical issues. Bernd Riegert reports. DW
War in Ukraine: Strategic ambiguity finds renewed significance in 21st-century nuclear deterrence: Theorized by Sun Tzu as early as the sixth century BC, vagueness about the nature of a response to a military attack remains a basic rule in the deterrence playbook. Le Monde
Turkish forces nearly ready for a Syria ground operation - officials: Reuters reports Turkey's army needs just a few days to be ready for a ground incursion into northern Syria, and such a decision may come at a cabinet meeting on Monday, Turkish officials said, as Turkish forces bombarded a Kurdish militia across the border.
Israel, US to hold air drill simulating striking Iran nuclear program: The Jerusalem Post reports the drill, one of the largest Israel Air Force drills in years, will include long-range flights such as those that Israeli pilots might need to make in order to reach Iran.
Can Sunak get a grip on his party? Katy Balls
Pelosi in the House: An HBO original documentary that will offer a candid, behind-the-scenes chronicle of the life and career of the first female Speaker of the House, told through the lens of her daughter, filmmaker Alexandra Pelosi. The documentary will premiere on December 13 on HBO.
Democrats kept the Senate this year, but 2024 may be harder: AP reports the party enters the next cycle defending 23 seats, including two held by independents who caucus with Democrats. That’s compared with just 10 seats that Republicans hope to keep in their column.
Biden helped Democrats avert a ’22 disaster. What about ’24? A stronger-than-expected midterm showing has quieted the party’s public hand-wringing about a re-election campaign for President Biden. But it hasn’t put those worries to rest. NYT
Mike Lindell for RNC Chair.
Sure, why not?
🤡🤡🤡
Iowa Republicans threaten to move caucuses if Democrats change schedule: Party chair says ‘I’ll move this thing to Halloween if that’s what it takes’ amid suggestion Democrats may go to Michigan first. Guardian
Gaslighting: Merriam-Webster’s 2022 word of the year.
Who's next? Chinese EVs drive Stellantis' Jeep off the road: Reuters reports the first joint venture failure by a foreign brand in the EV era. The Oct. 31 bankruptcy filing marks a turning point in that Chinese carmakers are beginning to surpass the long-dominant international brands in giving consumers what they want.
+ "Chinese companies actually have an early mover advantage because they embraced electrification faster than the foreign companies were willing to."
+ While fully-electric cars make up an average of 5% of models foreign carmakers sell in China, they account for 30% of Chinese carmakers' models, according to LMC data.
+ "Stellantis is a canary in the coal mine. Forever, the foreign brands were the favored sons in China. No longer."
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares is wagering that India, not China, can be a base for producing low-cost EVs to sell in Europe and other markets.
Hyundai is considering two new battery plants in the United States with battery partner LG Energy Solution.
CNBC: Crypto firm BlockFi files for bankruptcy as FTX fallout spreads
+ In the filing, the company indicated that it had more than 100,000 creditors, with liabilities and assets ranging from $1 billion to $10 billion.
Bloomberg: Crypto’s brutal slump has finally caught up with Bitcoin ATMs
+ Dollar amounts received by BTMs fell 28% since the start of 2021
+ Despite the slowdown, some industry executives remain bullish
Sony Group will supply Apple with its latest state-of-the-art image sensor, Nikkei has learned, with the component expected to feature in the next series of iPhones that go on sale next year.
Canyon Bicycles targets motorists with ‘SUV’ and cargo bikes: FT reports the European brand seeks growth through sturdier models suited to shopping and other city dwellers’ needs.
+ One of Europe’s biggest bicycle makers wants to convert motorists with cargo bikes and what it calls the cycling equivalent of an SUV as it aims to double sales of city bikes by 2025, its chief executive said.
The 20 richest neighborhoods across Canada Global News
Whoops, I deleted my life: A sense of panic set in when I realized I’d erased the entirety of my inbox. Thomas Chatterton Williams
Why social media makes people unhappy—and simple ways to fix it: Research suggests platform designs make us lose track of time spent on them and can heighten conflicts, and then we feel upset with ourselves. Daisy Yuhas
Tyler Perry just signed a four-movie deal with Amazon Studios.
U2 has stayed together since 1976. It hasn’t always been easy. As the band approaches a staggering 50 years together and accepts the Kennedy Center Honors, the foursome has remained intact and, more compellingly, an active, creative unit. WP
+ The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has selected U2 as one of the 45th Honorees for lifetime artistic achievements.
+ In December 1980, U2 made its first trip across the Atlantic to America. Their first show was at The Ritz in New York City, and their second was The Bayou in DC.
Scottish FA bans heading before and after games: The Times reports professional footballers in Scotland have been banned from heading in training the day before and the day after games as part of new guidance issued by the Scottish Football Association (SFA).
Qatari owners of Paris Saint-Germain target valuation of over €4bn: FT reports the figure discussed in talks with potential investors over stake sale would set a new benchmark for a football club.
The excitement around e-sports is growing. But where are the profits? Traditional sports owners who invested in competitive video gaming say the money isn’t flowing in as quickly as they had expected. NYT
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
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