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ITK Daily is geopolitical business intelligence.
Happy Wednesday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily.
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Bloomberg: CIA builds its own Artificial Intelligence tool in rivalry with China
US to propose military AI norms at UN next month: Washington seeks talks with Beijing on rulemaking amid renewed diplomacy. Nikkei
French data protection chief: 'We believe in the growth of French and European AI operators': The president of the National Commission for Information Technology and Civil Liberties talks to Le Monde about the implementation of GDPR in France and the question of AI. Le Monde
How China can avoid the Japan trap: Income needs to accrue to those who will spend it — but this will require redistribution on a significant scale. Martin Wolf
NHK: Japan, China, South Korea aim to hold first summit since 2019 as soon as possible
Bloomberg: Japan coalition party leader seeks visit to China this year to mend ties
China is flooding Taiwan with disinformation: With elections looming, China wants Taiwanese voters to think America is their greatest threat. Economist
Tensions with China cross a new line in the South China Sea: NYT reports the Philippines is pushing back against China’s territorial claims. But Chinese forces have been unrelenting in using direct confrontation, raising worries about an escalation.
Today: The United States Institute of Peace hosts: Examining regional security in the Pacific Islands
Indonesia launches carbon exchange to speed emission cuts: Nikkei reports stock market-managed effort comes as nation aims to meet reduction targets.
Biden envoy troubled by reports of ‘violence against civilians’ in Nagorno-Karabakh: Politico reports USAID administrator Samantha Power also pledged $11.5 million in support as the crisis swells.
Russia plans to increase its military budget by 70% in 2024: Le Monde reports the classified government spending, which also covers the exceptional compensations paid out to the families of dead soldiers, could also double.
UK Election: Labour’s poll lead fell to 16 percentage points above the Conservatives, a drop attributed to Rishi Sunak’s decision to delay the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars to 2035.
Keir Starmer battles dire state of UK in bid to emulate Blair Bloomberg
UK-SK: South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol will visit the UK in November after accepting a state invitation from King Charles.
Today: The Wilson Center's Polar Institute hosts: The rules-based order in Antarctica and global challenges
AP: Canada’s House speaker resigns over inviting a man who fought for a Nazi unit to Parliament
Biden joins autoworkers on picket line in Michigan: NYT reports President Biden’s appearance was an extraordinary gesture of support to a labor union by a sitting president. Former President Donald J. Trump plans his own visit on Wednesday.
The Times: Biden and Trump head to Michigan to battle for blue-collar votes
NH GOP: A new CBS News/YouGov poll in New Hampshire finds Donald Trump leading the GOP presidential field with 50%, followed by Ron DeSantis at 13%, Nikki Haley at 11%, Vivek Ramaswamy at 8%, Chris Christie at 8%, Tim Scott at 5%, Mike Pence at 2%, Doug Burgum at 2% and Asa Hutchinson at 1%.
IA GOP: A new CBS News/YouGov poll in Iowa finds Donald Trump leading the GOP presidential field with 51%, followed by Ron DeSantis at 21%, Nikki Haley at 8%, Tim Scott at 6%, Mike Pence at 5%, Vivek Ramaswamy at 5%, Asa Hutchinson at 1%, and Chris Christie at 1%.
Can the second GOP debate amount to more than a race for second place? The most important audience might be Republican donors who are waiting to put their money behind a candidate who can take on Donald Trump. NYT
A quarter of Americans can’t decide who to vote for. What do we know about them? Here are the 26% of ‘persuadable’ voters and what issues might swing their decision. WSJ
+ @AP: BREAKING: Sen. Cory Booker calls on fellow New Jersey Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez to resign, the latest in a growing chorus of senators who want him to step down.
Levi Strauss heir to challenge Mayor London Breed of San Francisco: NYT reports Daniel Lurie, 46, said he would run for mayor next year, at a time when many voters in the city are in a sour mood.
US, 17 states sue Amazon alleging monopolistic practices led to higher prices: WP reports in a sweeping lawsuit, the Federal Trade Commission alleges the e-commerce giant abused its powers to raise prices for shoppers and levy high fees against businesses that sell on its platform.
Today: The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft hosts: Bankers and bombs: How venture capital and private equity are feeding the military industrial complex
Axios: Punchbowl News expands website, eyes $20M in revenue
Streaming news threw Kasie Hunt some curves. Now she’s straightening them out Variety
Today: NASA astronaut Frank Rubio leaves the International Space Station and returns to Earth after a record-breaking 371-day mission, the longest single spaceflight for an American astronaut.
Can the US make solar panels? This company thinks so. First Solar kept producing them in Ohio after most of the industry moved to China. President Biden wants many more domestic manufacturers. NYT
French scientists are 'Calling for the implementation of a Manhattan Project for environmental transition: A group, including Nobel Prize-winning physicist Alain Aspect and biologist Eric Karsenti, argue for the creation of a research center linked to the industry sector, similar to the American investment to develop the first atomic bomb. Le Monde
Foreign brands including Tesla to face scrutiny as part of EU probe into China car subsidies: FT reports Valdis Dombrovskis claims ‘sufficient prima facie evidence’ to examine foreign electric-vehicle makers’ operations.
Alibaba to spin off Cainiao logistics unit with Hong Kong IPO: Nikkei reports Chinese e-commerce group reportedly seeks to raise at least $1bn in listing.
OpenAI seeks new valuation of up to $90 billion in share sale: WSJ reports the potential sale would value the startup at roughly triple where it was set earlier this year.
CNBC: Microsoft is hiring a nuclear energy expert to help power its AI and cloud data centers
+ Microsoft is looking to hire a “principal program manager for nuclear technology.”
+ Specifically, Microsoft is looking to hire someone to lead the company’s technical assessment for integrating small modular nuclear reactors and microreactors “to power the datacenters that the Microsoft Cloud and AI reside on,” per the job posting.
+ The company is looking to generate energy with nuclear fission, which is when an atom splits and releases energy as a result of that splitting.
What I found in a database Meta uses to train generative AI: Nobel-winning authors, Dungeons and Dragons, Christian literature, and erotica all serve as datapoints for the machine. Alex Reisner
The Times: Meta pays £149m to end lease of London office without moving in
How a four-day workweek actually works, from the companies pulling it off: Fewer meetings, busier days and other ways companies have found to fit a week’s work into 32 hours. WSJ
Bob Iger and Brian Roberts lock horns over ‘kingmaker’s asset’ Hulu: Disney and Comcast prepare for battle over the price of full ownership of the streaming service. FT
Hollywood writers' strike is officially over; Actors vote for walkout against video game makers: Le Monde reports acting in video games can include a variety of roles, from voice performances to motion capture work and stunts. Video game actors went on strike in 2016 in a work stoppage that lasted nearly a year.
Bloomberg: WGA boards approve studio deal, sending contract to member vote
McKinsey agrees to pay $230 million to settle more opioid suits: Bloomberg reports the lawsuits blamed the company for its role advising opioid manufacturers.
How Mick Jagger has kept the Rolling Stones in business for six decades: As the Rolling Stones put out their first all-original album in 18 years, the band’s iconic frontman talks about staying together, using Instagram and what he has in common with Taylor Swift. WSJ
Frank Lloyd Wright home in Milwaukee lists for first time in almost 70 years: WSJ reports designed by the famed architect, the house is hitting the market for $1.5 million.
How Aston Martin went from Bond to Formula One: The British car maker’s racy new sports car — the DB12 — is a clever reinvention for the brand. The Times
Guardian: Jessica Hawkins becomes first female F1 test driver in five years
+ 28-year-old drives 26 laps of Hungaroring for Aston Martin
+ ‘Getting to drive the AMR21 has been a dream come true for me’
UEFA reinstates Russian youth teams: Le Monde reports European football's governing body maintained its ban on senior teams.
AFP: FIFA to move 100 jobs from Zurich to Miami
AFP: No Trump courses on preliminary 2024 LIV Golf schedule: report
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
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