Caracal Global Daily
Caracal Global Daily is a human-curated global intelligence briefing that connects geopolitical developments, economic trends, and strategic business insights.
February 10, 2026
Detroit, MI
*** Ross Rant ***
Why Fortune 1,000 companies need a communications doctrine now
You wouldn't navigate tariff wars without a supply chain strategy or manage rising interest rates without a capital allocation framework. Yet many Fortune 1,000 companies approach geopolitical communications reactively, responding to headlines rather than operating from a coherent doctrine. That's a mistake with real consequences.
A communications doctrine is your north star.
It's a foundational framework that guides everything you say, how you say it, and when you say it. It transforms your communications from scattered responses into a unified strategy aligned with business objectives. In today's fractured geopolitical environment—where US-China tensions reshape supply chains, the breakdown of the Transatlantic relationship, tariffs that are creating cascading costs, and stakeholder expectations that shift overnight—having a doctrine isn't optional. It's an operational necessity.
Consider what's happening now.
Businesses face an endless cycle of tit-for-tat tariffs that demand coordination across government affairs, investor relations, and media strategy. Supply chains are being rebuilt around geopolitical risk, not just cost optimization. Interest rates remain elevated, constraining capital while stakeholders demand clearer communication about these headwinds. Without a unified communications doctrine, you're exposing yourself to exactly what happened with New Coke: brilliant execution of the wrong strategy.
A proper doctrine requires hard work. It demands intelligence gathering across geopolitical developments that affect your business. It requires analyzing past communications victories and failures to inform future tactics. It requires short- and long-term forecasting of how political shifts, regulatory changes, and global tensions will reshape your operating environment. Most critically, it requires discipline.
Your doctrine will be more "no" than "yes."
Your doctrine should push back against the instinct to respond to every crisis. It will eliminate scattered messaging across regions and stakeholders. It will battle the institutional tendency to default to traditional corporate-speak when markets demand clarity about geopolitical risk. This means involving stakeholders, be it boards, executives, government relations teams, investor relations, and communications, in doctrine development. Alignment is harder than reaction, but infinitely more valuable.
The stakes are measurable. Companies with coherent geopolitical communications doctrines navigate tariff cycles more effectively. They secure stakeholder support in times of need. They maintain credibility when discussing the impact of interest rates and capital deployment. They don't look blindsided by predictable geopolitical shifts because their doctrine has prepared them to anticipate and navigate them.
For senior executives navigating tariffs, supply chains, and geopolitical complexity, Caracal Global specializes in the exact challenge you're facing. As a geopolitical business communications firm with experience in US-China relations and political campaigns, Caracal Global helps Fortune 1,000 leaders develop intelligence-driven communications strategies at the intersection of globalization, disruption, and politics.
Building doctrine takes time. Caracal Global can help.
The payoff is straightforward: companies with established communications doctrines achieve their geopolitical business objectives. Those without one? They chase reactions, miss opportunities, and damage stakeholder relationships when communications feel inconsistent or unprepared.
The question isn't whether to invest in a communications doctrine. It's whether you can afford not to.
-Marc
*** Globalization + Statecraft ***
Israel assumes broad new powers in the West Bank: WSJ reports a new measure approved by the security cabinet makes it easier for Israelis to buy land in territory that would be at the heart of any Palestinian state.
AP: Israel says Netanyahu will meet with Trump on Wednesday about Iran talks
Bloomberg: Iran hardens crackdown on political dissidents after US talks
Is Macron's attack on video games targeting the wrong enemy? President Emmanuel Macron, who believes that violent video games condition young people, has started a commission to 'scientifically measure their effect' on children. Yet hundreds of studies on the topic have established no link between violence and playing video games. Le Monde
Keir Starmer’s inconvenient truth: Labour must stop believing things because they are politically helpful and engage with the world as it really is. Stephen Bush
Bloomberg: Starmer catches a break as UK cabinet gives show of support
Starmer lives to fight another day after cabinet rally: The Times reports PM insists he won’t walk away and ministers send a wave of supportive messages after Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, called for him to resign.
Labour’s Scottish leader tells Starmer to quit: Politico reports Anas Sarwar was once a close ally of the embattled PM. His intervention Monday was followed by a show of support from Starmer’s allies.
Starmer is in danger of becoming first leader to fall in Epstein scandal: WSJ reports fallout has hit an already unpopular British leader.
Why Sir Keir Starmer remains on the brink: It is not just about Peter Mandelson. Economist
Prince and Princess of Wales ‘deeply concerned’ as Epstein files roil UK: WP reports the latest tranche of Epstein files put added scrutiny on some of Britain’s elite, including Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Peter Mandelson, the former US ambassador.
Investment giant KKR ditches Mandelson lobbying firm: KKR, a shareholder in companies such as Travelopia and Flora Food Group, has cut ties with Global Counsel following new revelations about Lord Mandelson’s relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, Sky News learns.
Bloomberg: UK tightens security after review reveals scale of budget breach
Ukraine is leaning into its Christianity as it presses its case in Washington, saying common bonds of faith mean the two nations should strengthen their ties.
Ukraine seeks a war plan beyond killing as many Russian soldiers as possible: WSJ reports Russia’s grinding, slow-motion advance weakening Kyiv’s hand at the negotiating table.
Russia’s sabotage campaign is becoming bolder: Hacks against Polish energy plants suggest the FSB is involved. Economist
Europe’s big week of crisis diplomacy: The very future of the continent will be up for debate in a packed few days of top-level talks. Politico
Trump is a global ‘wrecking ball,’ European security experts say: The organizers of the Munich Security Conference, Europe’s main defense-related forum, said in a report that President Trump is helping destroy the postwar international order. NYT
‘It feels like a betrayal.’ Germany’s painful estrangement from the US: The unravelling of transatlantic ties has shocked a country that had an emotional attachment to the relationship. FT
Hong Kong court sentences Jimmy Lai to 20 years: NYT reports the media tycoon, a Chinese-born British citizen, had been a persistent critic of Beijing. The sentence is the harshest penalty so far under a national security law.
Trump-Xi summit set for first week of April: Politico reports the summit could be the first of four meetings this year between the two leaders.
Bloomberg: China Urges Banks to Curb Exposure to US Treasuries
China once stole foreign ideas. Now it wants to protect its own: The country’s courts are inundated with intellectual-property cases. Economist
Will Japan’s first female PM court controversy after landslide win? Sanae Takaichi secured 316 seats for her Liberal Democratic Party in largest parliamentary majority since the Second World War. The Times
Japan's Sanae Takaichi emboldened by landslide victory in snap elections: Le Monde reports the ultra-nationalist's Liberal Democratic Party secured an overwhelming majority in Sunday's elections. The new balance of power is expected to allow the prime minister, backed during her campaign by US President Donald Trump, to accelerate the implementation of her hard-line agenda.
How Japan’s prime minister will use her massive new mandate: A remarkable election victory that will reshape Japanese politics for years to come. Economist
Investors give an exuberant welcome to Takaichi’s big win in Japan: NYT reports stocks climbed on Monday as investors cheered a result seen as a mandate for the prime minister’s high-spending economic agenda.
Trump's support for Japan's Takaichi masks fury over investment delays: Nikkei reports US leader suspects foot-dragging, but Tokyo wants to be first to announce major project.
Sanae Takaichi targets changes to Japan’s constitution after landslide election win: Prime minister says she feels ‘heavy responsibility’ to strengthen country. FT
Takaichi’s victory holds a foreign-policy lesson for the US Chris Estep
Bangladesh struck a trade deal with America, setting a 19% tariff on most exports.
Singapore clocks 5% GDP growth in 2025 as AI challenge rises: Nikkei reports manufacturing drives expansion as city-state grapples with tech disruptions.
Chinese companies overtake US in Singapore investment: Businesses have been using city-state to avoid geopolitical scrutiny and expand abroad. FT
Eritrea responded to Ethiopia after it said that Eritrea was occupying parts of Ethiopia and supporting armed groups in the country, calling the accusations “patently false and fabricated.”
One of Dubai’s most powerful executives discussed sex, business with Epstein: Emails show Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem corresponded with the disgraced financier for more than a decade after Epstein was first jailed in 2008 for procuring a minor for prostitution. Bloomberg
Bloomberg: Brazil moves to ban teen access to online gambling, porn content
+ Brazil's government is preparing rules to ban youth access to gambling, pornography and similar content online by requiring age-verification measures.
+ The rules would apply to app stores, platforms and websites that include advertising for certain content, and would require them to verify the ages of users.
+ The decree is part of a new law set to take effect in March that seeks to protect Brazilian minors by restricting youth access to content that is illegal or considered harmful.
Bloomberg: Cuba isn't getting oil imports from anyone for the first time in a decade
+ Mexico's decision to halt oil shipments to Cuba has delivered a fresh blow to the fuel-starved country, with the island logging its first month without oil imports in a decade.
+ Oil imports to the island reached zero in January for the first time since 2015, according to data from shipping reports and Kpler Ltd, due to a US naval blockade and threat to impose tariffs.
+ Cuba is facing shortages of everything, from cooking gas, to water and electricity, with multi-hour lines at gas stations and at least two large beach resorts shutting down due to gasoline shortages.
Air Canada Cancels Flights as Cuba Runs Out of Jet Fuel: NYT reports the Trump administration’s crackdown on oil shipments to Cuba is beginning to wreak havoc on the Caribbean island’s travel industry.
Air Canada suspends flights to Cuba amid fuel shortage: G+M reports airline says it will fly home the 3,000 customers on the island, but has ceased all southbound service.
Cuba runs out of jet fuel as Donald Trump squeezes oil supplies: FT reports Air Canada is first major airline to suspend flights to the island over inability to refuel planes.
G+M: German minister says auto industry in talks to expand footprint in Canada
Bloomberg: Trump threatens to block Detroit-Canada bridge in new row
+ “I will not allow this bridge to open until the United States is fully compensated for everything we have given them, and also, importantly, Canada treats the United States with the Fairness and Respect that we deserve,” Trump said on social media Monday. “We will start negotiations, IMMEDIATELY. With all that we have given them, we should own, perhaps, at least one half of this asset,” he added.
US plans Big Tech carve-out from next wave of chip tariffs: Exemptions would be based on chipmaker TSMC’s US investment commitments, officials say. FT
US seizes tanker in Indian Ocean after monthlong chase from Caribbean: WSJ reports sanctioned ship was eighth vessel apprehended by US in connection with quasi-blockade of Venezuela’s oil industry.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright to brief senators on Venezuela energy issues: Politico reports members of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee will receive a classified briefing on Tuesday.
Trump turns to US military leaders for diplomatic efforts on Iran and Ukraine: AP reports Trump has taken the unusual step of tapping military leaders for high-level diplomacy, sending the top US commander in the Middle East to talks over Iran’s nuclear program and positioning the Army secretary as a key negotiator on ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
US embassy in London denies visas to executives over minor offences: FT reports immigration lawyers say top-level corporate figures and tech leaders among those barred from visiting America.
How US special forces are training in an Arctic warfare bootcamp: WSJ’s Sune Engel Rasmussen is the first civilian to take part in this grueling training with a unit of American Green Berets. WSJ
The changing physics of the Arctic are the real defence threat: Critical operational zones are becoming more unpredictable. Florian Krampe
+ The writer is the director of the climate change and risk programme at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Newly unbound, Trump weighs more nuclear arms and underground tests: NYT reports it remains to be seen whether the three big nuclear powers are headed into a new arms race, or whether President Trump is trying to spur negotiations on a new accord now that a last Cold War treaty has expired.
*** US Politics + Elections ***
NY Mag: Ghislaine Maxwell: I’ll talk for a pardon
Politico: Ghislaine Maxwell pleads the Fifth in House Oversight Epstein investigation
Politico: Howard Lutnick faces bipartisan calls to resign over latest Epstein revelations
US lawmakers call on Howard Lutnick to step down over ties to Epstein: FT reports Democrats and Republicans say commerce secretary has not been honest about his ties with the late sex offender.
Jeffrey Epstein paid Les Wexner $100mn after retail billionaire accused him of theft: FT reports private settlement sought to avoid ‘unnecessary public attention’, prosecutors’ report said.
AP: Masks emerge as symbol of Trump’s ICE crackdown and a flashpoint in Congress
Judge strikes down California’s ban on masks for federal agents: NYT reports the state can require federal agents to display identification, the judge said. The Trump administration had asked the court to block both laws, which were designed to help identify federal agents.
Immigration raids in South Texas are starting to hit the economy: Trade groups are raising alarms about aggressive immigration enforcement hurting businesses in the region. WP
Legality of Trump’s $400M in private funding for White House ballroom at issue: WP reports a federal judge weighing whether the project may proceed has focused on whether the administration can use private donations to bypass congressional approval.
Gateway funding doesn’t have to be immediately restored, judge says: NYT reports a federal judge had ordered the funding for a $16 billion tunnel project restored last week, but on Monday granted a temporary stay after the federal government appealed her decision.
Trump set off a surge of AI in the federal government. See what happened. The White House is accelerating AI adoption across government, embedding the technology in policing, health care, defense, and science. WP
A post-Trump restoration is still possible: His presidency may eventually be seen as an aberration rather than a permanent shift. Gideon Rachman
DOJ seeks to undo Bannon’s conviction for defying Jan. 6 subpoena: WP reports Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for DC, said a judge should dismiss Stephen K. Bannon indictment over defying a Jan. 6 subpoena “in the interests of justice.”
Trump’s ‘stop the steal’ lawyer probing 2020 election fraud has access to sensitive US intel: Politico reports top US intelligence agencies are cooperating with Kurt Olsen, who worked with Trump to undermine the results of the 2020 election.
Trump leaves Republicans guessing on midterms plans as outlook darkens: WP reports the president is said to be eager to increase his involvement, but on some days sounds detached and noncommittal.
Texas Senate race could be a match for the ages Ed Kilgore
New York City Republicans risk losing lone GOP voice in Congress: Bloomberg reports Staten Island’s status as a Republican stronghold in a city dominated by Democrats is under threat amid a Congressional redistricting fight.
Jerrold Nadler has picked a successor. Will that matter to voters? WP reports the retiring congressman hopes his endorsement will carry Assemblyman Micah Lasher past a crowded primary field, including a Kennedy.
‘Vance is handcuffed’: The tech fight bedeviling 2028 Republicans: Republicans’ evolving stances on AI are offering a preview of the post-Trump debates within the party. Politico
‘Devastated and exhausted’: Washington Post looks to life after Will Lewis: The newspaper’s staff welcome chief executive’s departure but fear what may come next after drastic job cuts. FT
Listening to Joe Rogan: How a gift for shooting the shit turned into an online empire—and a political force. David Remnick
THR: Amazon MGM goes on offense as ‘Melania’ gets sacked at Super Bowl box office
*** Distribution + Innovation ***
America must follow China in treating data as an asset: US accounting principles fail to recognise its enormous economic value. Mike Kuiken
Meta, YouTube design apps to addict kids, jury hears as landmark trial begins: Reuters reports Meta Platforms and YouTube deliberately designed products they knew would addict children, a lawyer for a woman suing the two companies told jurors in California on Monday at a trial that will test whether Big Tech platforms can be held liable for their app design.
Meta and YouTube created ‘digital casinos,’ lawyers argue in landmark trial: NYT reports opening statements began in a trial claiming social media companies design addictive products that cause personal injury.
Meet the one woman Anthropic trusts to teach AI morals: The tech company has tasked Amanda Askell with giving its chatbot, Claude, a sense of right and wrong. WSJ
Insurance broker stocks sink as AI app sparks disruption fears: Bloomberg reports US insurance broker stocks were pummeled Monday as the launch of an artificial intelligence tool from privately held online insurance shopping platform Insurify sparked fears about the industry facing disruption.
Alphabet lines up 100-year sterling bond sale: FT reports deal comes as Google parent steps up AI borrowing rush with $20bn sale of dollar bonds.
Bloomberg: Alphabet embarks on global bond spree to fund record spending
+ Alphabet Inc. raised $20 billion in its biggest ever US dollar bond sale, more than the $15 billion initially expected, after racking up one of the biggest order books of all time.
+ The company is planning debut deals in Switzerland and the UK, including a rare sale of 100-year bonds, to finance its artificial intelligence ambitions.
+ Alphabet's big borrowing spree comes as tech companies are ramping up spending to meet their ambitious artificial intelligence plans, with capital expenditures for the four biggest US tech companies forecast to reach about $650 billion in 2026.
$660bn: The collective sum Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft have pledged to spend on AI in the coming year.
How to hedge a bubble, AI edition: Protecting your portfolio from a crash looks harder than ever. Economist
Bloomberg: AI helps scam centers evade crackdown in Asia, dupe more victims
+ Criminals in Southeast Asia are using inexpensive AI tools to target bigger pools of potential victims at high speed, making their cons more sophisticated.
+ AI allows scammers to change course quickly, shifting to newer targets and from fresh locations, and helps with voice cloning and creating realistic images for profiles.
+ The use of AI is likely to reshape the phenomenon of scam centers, making them more willing to run the risk of being caught, and allowing operators to scale up at low cost.
Bloomberg: Microsoft hit with second downgrade as Melius warns on AI risks
AI blitzes the big game: DealBook reports ads pitching artificial intelligence companies dominated the Super Bowl broadcast. Their huge cost probably didn’t ease investor worries about spending.
+ Almost a quarter of this year’s Super Bowl ads — 15 of the 66 spots, which sold for an average of $8 million for 30-second slots — featured AI, according to iSpot, a TV advertising analytics company.
Bloomberg: China’s Pony AI, Toyota start ramp-up of self-driving car model
BYD faces a tough market in Japan as rivals win bigger EV subsidies: Nikkei reports Chinese automaker looks to plug-in hybrids to win over long-distance drivers.
Why General Motors is making a ‘risky’ bet on an unproven battery technology: Driving down costs is top priority for head of electric cars at Detroit carmaker. FT
Elon Musk’s relentless AI pursuit has him on the hunt for capital: Spiraling costs have prompted talk of a Tesla and SpaceX merger as the billionaire looks to use his empire to fund his ambitions. Bloomberg
Reuters: SpaceX prioritizes lunar 'self-growing city' over Mars project, Musk says
From fishing nets to furniture: Turning ocean plastic into usable products: A brother-and-sister team in Spain started a sustainable business model recycling old and damaged nets into stadium seating and decorations. NYT
“Flying” electric boats could remake urban transport: The convergence of three technologies has made possible the reinvention of the hydrofoil. Economist
‘They want their pound of flesh’: bank bosses push strict return-to-office mandates: FT reports culture, pay, and expensive offices among reasons for ending remote work.
The 10 best Super Bowl ads of 2026: AdWeek picks the standout commercials of Super Bowl 60. AdWeek
The Super Bowl ads, ranked: Here is our critic’s survey of this year’s Super Bowl commercials, from best to worst to AI. NYT
Indonesian beauty retailer Sociolla eyes 500 stores and ASEAN expansion: Nikkei reports CEO attributes rapid rise to offline-online strategy and winning over brands.
De Beers likely to be sold to consortium, Anglo chief says: FT reports Duncan Wanblad says buyer will probably include both government and private entities.
Three cups of tea or coffee ‘lowers risk of dementia by almost a fifth’: The Times reports a large study from Harvard University suggests that caffeine has a protective effect on the brain with three cuppas a day the optimum amount.
*** Culture ***
Bad Bunny uses ioy to put out political firestorm at Super Bowl halftime: WSJ reports: ‘We’re still here,’ Puerto Rican superstar says in Spanish while spiking a football.
Wuthering Heights review — Margot Robbie is a Brontë Barbie: Emerald Fennell’s film fails to reflect the complexity of the greatest gothic novel in English literature — and the less said about Jacob Elordi the better. The Times
Bloomberg: NYC private school tuition breaks $70,000 milestone for fall
+ The top private schools in New York City plan to charge more than $70,000 this year for tuition, exceeding that of many elite colleges, as they pass on the costs of soaring expenses, including teacher salaries.
+ Schools explain the increases by pointing to rising expenditures and the escalating costs of living in New York,k which requires higher salaries to retain top teachers and staff.
+ Tuition can include learning supplies, meals, and extracurricular programs like field trips, and some schools provide financial aid to students, with amounts varying by school.
*** Sport ***
Lindsey Vonn reveals she suffered a fractured shin bone in Olympic crash: WSJ reports the 41-year-old star, who was racing on a partially rebuilt knee and a torn ACL, said she would require multiple surgeries to repair the leg.
Trump calls US skier a ‘loser’ as politics ripples through Olympic Games: WSJ reports Hunter Hess said he had ‘mixed emotions’ about representing the US right now.
Olympic drones are creating a buzz, but what do athletes think? There are 10 traditional drones being used and more than two dozen first-person-view drones designed to deliver immersive, athlete-level perspectives. WP
2026 Olympics: 'In Russia, even an amateur athlete can become an agent of influence': The Milan-Cortina Olympic Games mark a new stage in the reintegration of Russian athletes into international competitions. The momentum has been fueled by Moscow's efforts to use sports as an instrument of power, explains researcher Lukas Aubin in an interview with Le Monde.
Bloomberg: Gambling stocks sag as prediction markets steal Super Bowl bets
Kalshi and Polymarket rewrite the Super Bowl playbook for pro gamblers: The sudden rise of prediction markets has sophisticated bettors scrambling to adjust their strategies. Bloomberg
The unthinkable trade that remade the Seahawks into Super Bowl champions: Russell Wilson led Seattle to its first championship 12 years ago. But dealing him away helped build the foundation for the franchise to win its second. WSJ
Want to lose weight? Here’s why exercise probably won’t help. As a physician, I want people to know that exercise confers many benefits for our bodies. Weight loss is not one of them. Jordan D. Metzl
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
Caracal Global Daily | February 10
