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Happy Monday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily.
To be ITK, know this:
One word: Plastics
In a recent speech, CIA Director William Burns said the world is going through a "plastic moment" unseen since the end of the Cold War.
A "plastic moment" is when the entire cross-section has reached its yield stress.
This moment is the maximum bending moment that the section can resist. When reached, a plastic hinge forms, and any load beyond this point will result in infinite plastic deformation.
Full post here.
Biden heads to Southeast Asia this week, but his itinerary is ‘exactly backward’ Kelly A. Grieco + Jennifer Kavanagh
How real is India’s economic boom? A digital payment revolution leads the world, but critics warn the hype hides a jobs crisis. The Times
In China’s shadow, US rushes back to neglected Indian Ocean island WP
How Xi returned China to one-man rule NYT
Xi wakes daily and asks himself: "How do I keep the Party going?"
Australia revamps hydrogen push to reshape economy: Government intends to offer subsidies to transform industrial towns such as Wollongong. FT
Ukraine — Victory is closer than you think: Ukraine’s counteroffensive is making substantial progress. Russia’s generals will know this, even if the West doesn’t. Jan Kallberg
The delusions that put Putin on the path to war: In two piercing accounts, Sergei Medvedev and Jade McGlynn expose the manipulation of history used to justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. FT
Coups and instability in the Sahel threaten the West too The Times - Editorial
Not all coups in Africa are the same: The international community needs to recognize that both military takeovers and civilian misrule are wrong. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu
Are Africans in the ‘coup belt’ just prisoners of geography? Gabon is yet another victim of an unstable region where elites enrich themselves while the poor suffer. Tim Marshall
One year after the Queen’s death, the royals are in a rut: Public support can’t be taken for granted, writes the royal historian Ed Owens. The King urgently needs to modernize the Firm — this is how he should do it. The Times
Summer’s over for Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, but they’re still all at sea: Both main parties are on a war footing as they prepare for the next election. The Times
What went wrong with Brexit by Peter Foster review — no Remainer rant: Businesses screwed, useless politicians . . . even Nigel Farage thinks our break from the EU has failed. But how can we fix it? Dominic Sandbrook
Theresa May: Boris, Brexit, and me: Four years and three prime ministers since she left Downing Street, Theresa May has written a book and loosened up (a bit). She tells Caroline Wheeler why she’ll never stop biting back from the back benches — and why Donald Trump wouldn’t let go of her hand. The Times
Africa the next ‘growth engine’ for Prudential, says new chief: FTSE 100 insurer maps out expansion plans after walking away from US and European markets. FT
China’s battery plant rush raises fears of global squeeze: State subsidies follow steel and solar panel playbook in reinforcing race for market share. FT
New phone sparks worry China has found a way around US tech limits: Huawei, which has been under US sanctions for years, released the phone pointedly during Gina Raimondo’s visit to Beijing. WP
Inside Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover — by his confidant: What was going on inside the mogul’s mind as he launched his shock $44 billion acquisition? Walter Isaacson, his biographer and confidant, reveals all. The Times
Julian Dunkerton: What’s going wrong at Superdry and how I’ll fix it: The fashion retailer’s chief returned to the fold in 2019 and insists he can still turn around its fortunes. The Times
The transfer of wealth from boomers to ‘zennials’ will reshape the global economy: Financier Ken Costa argues the millennials and Gen-Z generations are unsuited to managing capital because of their left-wing views. FT
Bosses mean it this time: Return to the office or get a new job! As office occupancy rates stagnate, employers are giving up on perks and turning to threats. WP
Why we need to address the Peruvian skeletons in the Smithsonian’s closet Christopher Heaney
‘They’re not going to stop’: First soccer and golf – will cricket be next for the Saudis? Lucy Cormack
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
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