Caracal Global Daily
May 7, 2026
Lewes, DE
Here's what a Chief Geopolitical Officer should be monitoring today.
*** 5 issues Caracal Global is watching today ***
1. Iran-US one-page memo edges toward war's end? Trump still has to be sold. Mediators have circulated a short-term framework: an Iranian moratorium on enrichment, US sanctions relief plus release of frozen funds, and normalized Hormuz transit. Most provisions are contingent on a final deal. Trump's own negotiating team, per Wired, is now trying to sell a framework to their president that he previously rejected. The deal framework appears to exist. The political will to close it does not. Boardrooms should plan for both a Q3 ceasefire and a Q4 relapse.
2. The fuel and diesel shock is now a macro risk: California gasoline runs 36% above the national average. US fuel exports hit record highs as Asia and Europe scramble. Major US airlines spent $5 billion on jet fuel in March alone, up 56% from the previous month. Diesel is feeding into inflation in groceries, housing, and freight. This is the variable that decides the midterms. Watch the political calculus shift from "tough on Iran" to "tough on prices" inside thirty days.
3. The Trump administration as activist investor: The Commerce Department holds 10% of Intel for $8.9 billion. The administration discussed taking a 90% stake in Spirit Airlines before the carrier folded last weekend, resulting in 17,000 job losses. Treasury is debating internally whether to permit equities within Section 530A "Trump accounts." Direct stakes now exist in at least ten US companies. The federal government is now a permanent variable in your cap table, your pricing decisions, and your industrial policy footprint. Build it into scenario planning.
4. The UK votes today in elections that could finish PM Starmer: YouGov has Reform UK at 25%, Labour second, one point ahead of the Conservatives. Five thousand councilors and six mayors are on ballots across England. Scotland and Wales hold semi-autonomous legislative votes amid Reform-led anti-migrant mobilization in Scotland and an anti-Semitism crisis within the Greens. A Reform UK breakthrough today reorders Westminster politics, transatlantic alignment, and the City's regulatory expectations. Treat these local 2026 elections as the start of sustained British political volatility.
5. China is winning the Iran war without firing a shot: With the Trump-Xi summit seven days away, Beijing has gained strategic leverage by staying out of the Iran conflict. Plus, the botched Pentagon blacklist of Alibaba and Baidu has exposed internal disarray within the Trump administration on China policy. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent visits Tokyo on May 11 before joining Trump in Beijing on May 14-15. The summit will be held in a spirit of cooperation, but the real issues remain unresolved. From trade conflicts and semiconductor disputes to Beijing's quiet ascension. Tech and industrial CEOs should not interpret summit optics as resolution.
*** Ross Rant ***
Team Trump is picking the winners and the losers
Last week, Spirit Airlines suspended operations, resulting in 17,000 job losses. Led by a swaggering art-of-the-deal ethos, the Trump administration had floated the idea of taking a 90% stake in the carrier. Instead, the White House let it collapse.
In August 2025, the Commerce Department paid $8.9 billion for a 10% stake in Intel.
The pattern is the story.
This White House has now taken direct equity stakes in at least ten US companies. Treasury is internally discussing whether to add equities to the Section 530A "Trump accounts" being marketed at Milken this week. The president himself proposed capping credit card interest rates last month, lining up alongside ultra-liberal and corporate-warrior Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) against the banks.
There has never been a US administration this active in the cap tables of private American business. Not under Franklin D. Roosevelt. Not during the auto bailouts. Not in the financial crash of 2008. The closest historical parallel is the Reconstruction Finance Corporation of the 1930s, and even that operated through structured loans rather than equity.
The cap table is now political
The mechanics matter less than the psychology. CEOs are operating in an environment where the federal government may walk into the boardroom as either savior or vulture.
Honda just abandoned its CAD$15 billion ($11 billion) Ontario EV plant, the second major Canadian EV cancellation since Prime Minister Mark Carney built his nation's industrial strategy around it. That Japanese auto capital is not redeploying to Ohio or Tennessee. It is sitting on the sidelines, waiting for clarity that may never come.
This is what the data is telling us. Investment paralysis is becoming the rational response.
Now layer the Iran war on top
The Strait of Hormuz remains contested.
Trump just paused US Navy escorts of neutral-flag ships, two days after announcing the program. Iran has hit at least 228 structures across US military assets in the region, per satellite imagery the Washington Post verified yesterday. US fuel exports are at record highs as Asia and Europe scramble for them. California gasoline is 36% above the national average. Diesel is feeding into inflation in food, housing, and freight. Major US airlines spent $5 billion on jet fuel in March alone, up 56% from the previous month.
Steve Cahillane, CEO of Kraft Heinz, told the Wall Street Journal yesterday that American consumers are running out of money at month's end. That is not a rhetorical flourish. It is a consumer goods CEO calibrating Q3 guidance.
What this means for the boardroom
This is the operating environment that Caracal Global maps for clients every day. What follows is not background noise. It is signal traffic your board needs translated into strategy.
First, the assumption that the federal government is a stable, predictable actor in your strategic environment is no longer operative. Supply chains, capital structure, pricing power, and labor markets are all subject to executive intervention with little or no warning. Your scenario planning needs to include the federal government as an active variable, not a backdrop.
Second, the war in Iran is not a regional conflict. It is a global commodity shock layered on an already fragmented trade architecture. If you have not modeled diesel sustained at current premium levels, jet fuel at 60% elevated benchmarks, or a Hormuz closure event lasting 30+ days, you are flying blind. The airlines and refiners are signaling. The food companies are signaling. The signal is not subtle.
Third, the political backdrop is hardening, not softening. Trump's Indiana primary sweep this week proved his grip on the GOP base remains intact even as approval erodes nationally. The map wars unleashed by the Supreme Court's gutting of the Voting Rights Act are reshaping House districts in Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, and South Carolina. The midterms will be fought on diesel prices and cap-table interventions. Polls and politicos believe the Democrats will take the House and have more impact in the Senate, but who knows? Six months to Election Day 2026 is an eternity in democracy.
Fourth, the rest of the world is moving without America. China stayed out of the Iran fight and gained leverage. Indonesia is signing defense deals with Australia and Japan in rapid succession. Japan just conducted its first overseas offensive missile test since World War II. Germany is exhausted. Britain may break apart by the end of the decade, and will certainly have a new PM by the end of summer.
Each of these is a separate signal.
Together, they describe a global order in which the belief in American steadiness and American common sense has evaporated, and the world is seeking new leadership.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc.
You can always reach me @ marc@caracal.global.
*** Globalization + Statecraft ***
Iran has hit far more US military assets than reported, satellite images show: Imagery published by Iranian state-affiliated media and verified by The Post shows damage to at least 228 structures or pieces of equipment at US military sites. WP
Iran’s missiles seek to drive a wedge between Gulf states: It is singling out the UAE for pain. Economist
Tehran and US offer conflicting messages on state of negotiations: NYT reports President Trump said his administration had had “very good talks” with Tehran in the last 24 hours. An Iranian official said an American plan to end the war was under review.
Trump announces a pause on US escorts of ships in Strait of Hormuz: Politico reports the reversal came just two days after the president said the US would guide vessels from neutral countries out of the strait.
Iran, US move closer on proposal to restart talks: WSJ reports mediators push a short-term memo to guide monthlong talks amid disputes over enrichment and sanctions relief.
Axios: US and Iran closing in on one-page memo to end war, officials say
+ Among other provisions, the deal would involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the US agreeing to lift its sanctions and release billions in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides lifting restrictions around transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
+ Many of the terms laid out in the memo would be contingent on a final agreement being reached, leaving the possibility of renewed war or an extended limbo in which the hot war has stopped, but nothing is truly resolved.
WSJ: Trump says Iran has agreed to not have nuclear weapons
Trump’s team wants him to accept an Iran deal he’s already rejected: Wired reports that, as chaotic negotiations over the end of the Iran war continue, US negotiators think they have the framework for a deal in place. Now they just have to sell the president on it.
French architects of Iran nuclear deal watch Trump unravel their work: Le Monde reports that French diplomats who helped negotiate the 2015 Vienna agreement, aimed at preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons, now watch bitterly as decisions by the Trump administration unravel their work.
The deal with the Iranian regime: Tehran would love to keep it vague, then drag out the implementation. WSJ-Editorial
Diesel price spike raises stakes for Trump, GOP ahead of midterms: Politico reports the surge in diesel costs is set to ripple through the US economy, raising prices on everything from groceries to housing and adding new political risk for Republicans.
Is California at risk of a gasoline shortage amid the Iran war? Experts explain: ABC News reports that prices in California stand 36% higher than the national average, per AAA.
Bloomberg: US considers tapping oil under military bases to refill reserve
US fuel exports hit record in boon for oil companies and threat to Trump: FT reports Hormuz closure prompts surge in buying from Asia and Europe.
Japan to buy another 20m barrels of UAE oil to bypass Hormuz blockade: Nikkei reports port on Gulf of Oman provides alternative, but Iran strike shows stability still needed.
Australia has approved a natural gas project off the coast of Victoria state, as the major exporter of the fuel seeks to offset anticipated domestic shortfalls in the more populated southeast.
Jet-fuel prices are spiking and Trump’s advisers are worried: Administration officials have spoken to the airline industry, which has voiced concerns about the rising costs. WSJ
Holidays to Spain and Portugal at risk as thousands more flights to be canceled: iPaper reports experts have warned Britain is likely to be one of the countries hardest hit by jet fuel shortages.
+ Major US airlines spent just over $5 billion on jet fuel in March, up 56% and $1.8 billion over February costs, the US Transportation Department said.
+ Dubai’s hotel occupancy projected to plunge to about 10%
‘Godspeed my friend’: Inside the final hours of Spirit Airlines CNBC
+ More than 17,000 direct and indirect employees lost their jobs.
Kraft Heinz CEO pushes value: ‘Consumers are literally running out of money’: WSJ reports Steve Cahillane says consumers’ wallets are strained by month’s end; food maker looks to hold down prices while navigating Iran war fallout.
Middle Eastern food imports: Frozen chicken imports to the Middle East have been redirected across a wider range of entry points due to restricted access through the Strait of Hormuz. The region relies heavily on imported frozen chicken, with annual volumes exceeding 2 million metric tons.
Southeast Asian leaders, whose countries are among those hardest hit by the economic fallout from the Iran war, gathered for a summit amid growing frustration with the US.
ST: Attack on French cargo ship highlights continued risks in Strait of Hormuz
Over 20,000 sailors are stranded by the Iran war. This is who they call. Meet the union rep acting as a lifeline for sailors trapped at sea since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. WSJ
Asia’s stranded seafarers suffer as the Iran war drags on: In a more dangerous world, unsung mariners are under increasing threat. Economist
North Korea drops reunification goal from constitution: DW reports North Korea has rewritten its constitution to erase any goal of reunification with the South. The move locks in Pyongyang leader Kim Jong Un's shift toward treating Seoul as a permanent adversary.
Australia, US, then Japan: What’s behind Indonesia’s flurry of defense deals? ST
SCMP: China condemns Japan’s first overseas ‘offensive missile’ test since WWII
Does China’s YJ-20 hypersonic sea-based missile give Beijing an edge over US carriers? SCMP
ST: China vows to play bigger role in restoring peace in the Middle East during talks with Iran
How the Iran war is shifting power toward China: As the US’s credibility and military capacity are tested abroad, China has gained leverage by staying out of the fight and learning from it. New Yorker
Will warming Arctic trigger further chill in US-China relations or bring them closer? SCMP
Pentagon’s botched blacklist highlights a frail Trump-Xi truce: A mishandled blacklisting of tech giants Alibaba and Baidu offers a rare window into an administration often at odds with itself over how to approach Beijing. Bloomberg
Trump-Xi summit hides simmering trade tensions under the surface, industry experts say: Despite declarations of cooperation, friendship, and respect from both sides, major trade conflict is brewing between the two superpowers. SCMP
+ US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will visit Japan for three days starting Monday to meet with top officials, including Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, discussing topics including curbing speculative yen-selling, Japan-U.S. diplomatic sources told Nikkei.
+ The visit will precede a trip by Bessent and US President Donald Trump on May 14 and 15 to Beijing, where they will meet with Xi Jinping.
China corporate earnings down for 3rd straight year: Nikkei reports 1 in 4 listed companies bleed red ink in 2025 amid weak domestic demand.
China called on the US to end its Cuba embargo, calling new restrictions “illegal” in a major escalation of Beijing’s criticism of Washington’s foreign policy ahead of a planned meeting between the superpowers’ leaders.
Trial begins for man accused of operating secret Chinese police station in New York: WSJ reports prosecutors allege the defendant, a US citizen, cooperated with Beijing to harass dissidents.
SCMP: US trial opens over alleged Chinese ‘secret police station’ in New York
Mozambique is considering converting the $1.4 billion it owes to China into yuan-denominated loans, underscoring Beijing’s growing clout in Africa.
EN: Commissioner vows to end poverty in 25 years as EU unveils first major strategy
The incredible shrinking German chancellor: Friedrich Merz wanted to lead Europe. First, he has to lead his country. Politico
German Chancellor Merz hits a new low one year after taking office: Le Monde reports that at the helm of a coalition plagued by disagreements and criticized for his verbal gaffes, the German head of government is the most unpopular chancellor since the founding of the Federal Republic.
Friedrich Merz can’t go on like this: His one-year-old government looks exhausted, and voters are tiring rapidly. Economist
Today: UK local elections are scheduled for 5,066 English councilors across 2,969 wards and divisions on 136 English local authorities and six directly elected mayors in England.
YouGov: Voting intention, 4-5 May 2026: Ref 25%, Lab 18%, Con 17%, Grn 15%, LD 14%
BT: Keir Starmer faces judgment day as millions head to polling stations
Local elections could hasten exit of embattled British Prime Minister Starmer: AP reports British voters will cast ballots Thursday in elections that could hasten the end of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's troubled term and confirm that an increasingly fractured United Kingdom has entered an era of messy multiparty politics. Starmer's center-left Labour Party is expected to take a battering in elections for local authorities across England and for semi-autonomous legislatures in Scotland and Wales.
EB: Hard-right Reform UK party eyes huge new gains in local elections on Thursday
Zack Polanski’s stock plummets as antisemitism row engulfs Green Party: The Times reports over 30 local election candidates are accused of making anti-Jewish comments on social media; almost a dozen candidates have been suspended and two arrested.
Scottish elections: Reform UK capitalizes on anti-migrant protests in Falkirk: Le Monde reports that, as regional elections take place on Thursday, May 7, in Scotland and Wales, far-right activists have managed to rally broad support around slogans hostile to asylum seekers in a region previously known for being welcoming.
How close is the United Kingdom to breaking up? The May 7 elections could see nationalist gains in Scotland and Wales, while Sinn Fein already leads in Northern Ireland. Is the UK's unity at risk? DW
Reuters: Meloni says she would not back US troop withdrawal from Italy
Rubio’s Rome challenge: Managing an ally, appealing to a pope: Politico reports with Giorgia Meloni, Washington has leverage. With the Vatican, it has little more than diplomacy.
Pope: ‘If someone criticizes me for proclaiming the Gospel, let him do so truthfully’: Vatican News reports that, as he departs from Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV reaffirms that the Church has consistently spoken out against nuclear weapons, adding that anyone who wishes to criticize him should do so based on truth.
EN: ’Ukraine will respond in kind’, Zelenskyy says after Russia breaks Kyiv’s ceasefire
Ukraine declares it is not bound by Russia’s Victory Day truce: Politico reports that earlier this week, Russia and Ukraine proclaimed rival ceasefires and promised retaliation for any violations.
Russia warns foreign diplomats they should leave Kyiv ahead of possible strikes: Le Monde reports Moscow says it will launch retaliatory strikes on Ukraine's capital if its Victory Day commemorations are disrupted.
Vladimir Putin is losing his grip on Russia: His every move to preserve power accelerates the country's decay, writes a former senior Russian government official. Economist
Javier Milei is in serious trouble: Argentina’s president claims he is the true victim of a struggling economy. Economist
The ultimate ‘it’ spot in Caracas? A Marriott that’s seen better days. The JW Marriott in Venezuela’s capital is suddenly awash in US diplomats, spies, and fortune seekers, showcasing changes in the country. NYT
Airbus wins $19bn order in Canada’s biggest ever aircraft deal: AirAsia orders 150 A220-300 airliners in big boost for Canadian manufacturing. FT
Inside the global effort to figure out where hantavirus will strike next: Health authorities, airlines and the operator of the MV Hondius cruise ship are mobilizing to contain the spread of a pathogen that has killed three. WSJ
How worried should you be about hantavirus? An outbreak on a cruise ship has authorities concerned. Economist
Many unknowns surround an 'unprecedented and worrying' hantavirus outbreak; WHO seeks to reassure the public on pandemic risk: Le Monde reports the Andes strain, which can be transmitted between humans via droplets of saliva, was identified on Wednesday through sequencing in three patients who had traveled aboard the MV Hondius, a cruise ship that was due to dock in the Canary Islands in the coming days. Here is an overview of the main questions raised by this outbreak.
New coronavirus found in Thailand may be able to infect people: study: A team led by a University of Tokyo virologist has found the virus in bats.Nikkei
*** US Politics + Elections ***
How the Trump administration became an activist investor: The president’s push to take government stakes in private companies has business leaders scrambling. WSJ
+ President Trump’s administration has adopted an unorthodox approach to business, announcing direct investment stakes in at least 10 companies.
+ The Commerce Department took a 10% equity stake in Intel for $8.9 billion, and the administration discussed a 90% stake in Spirit Airlines before the company folded.
+ Trump also proposed capping credit-card interest rates, siding with Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
White House mulls tighter controls on advanced AI: Politico reports the Trump administration is discussing a raft of new executive actions on frontier AI models, including a vetting regime to examine national security risks.
Treasury weighs adding stock to Trump accounts: DealBook reports that White House and Treasury Department officials have held internal discussions about expanding what can be held in the accounts, formally known as Section 530A accounts.
+ Based on chatter this year at the Milken Institute Global Conference, many of the wealthiest Americans and companies are planning to give.
Lutnick admits to having prolonged ties to Epstein in closed-door interview: Politico reports the Commerce Secretary sat for a transcribed interview with the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee as part of the panel’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
Purported Epstein suicide note is released: NYT reports a federal judge released the note on Wednesday, which Jeffrey Epstein’s former cellmate said he found in a graphic novel. The New York Times has not authenticated that Epstein wrote it.
ABC News: Trump defends $400M price tag for White House ballroom construction project
Republican lawmakers said no to Trump. MAGA fury followed in primaries. WP reports at least five GOP incumbents in Indiana’s Senate who resisted redistricting fell to challengers backed by the president.
Trump’s Indiana victory shows his enduring grip on core Republican supporters: NYT reports low approval ratings? MAGA divisions? The president was able to turn out party loyalists in an Indiana primary to help him oust Republican state lawmakers who had crossed him.
“Midwest Nice” is no match for presidential petty: In Indiana, Donald Trump takes his revenge. Economist
Trump’s hollow Indiana victory: He’s still king of the GOP, but it may soon be a smaller kingdom. WSJ-Editorial
The map wars reshaping America — and Trump’s power: Gerrymandering, or the partisan redistricting of House seats, could decide the midterm elections and the rest of the president’s term. Here is how it works. The Times
New House districts: After a Supreme Court ruling last week that gutted the Voting Rights Act, Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee are all considering new maps.
Republicans unveil map carving up Tennessee’s majority-black House district: NYT reports the General Assembly is expected to quickly approve the map, which slices up Memphis, a majority-Black city that makes up most of the state’s lone Democratic district.
How the fight over Israel is playing out inside MAGA: The war in Iran has added to a tectonic shift in public opinion — a bipartisan swing away from Israel. Some on the far-right are fighting to keep President Trump’s movement aligned with the Jewish state. WSJ
Stabenow picks a side in Michigan's Democratic primary for US Senate: Detroit News reports former US Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) is backing Haley Stevens in the Democratic primary for Michigan's open US Senate seat, saying that she believes the four-term congresswoman is the candidate who can beat Republican Mike Rogers and hold the seat for Democrats.
Iran war looms over Vance as he visits Iowa: NYT reports the vice president, a skeptic of the war, made his first visit of the cycle to the state that will kick off the 2028 nominating process.
‘The Kamala Harris problem’: Vance’s 2028 hopes hinge on Trump, Iowa Republicans say: Politico reports the vice president’s first trip to the early caucus state saw him defending the White House’s response to a sputtering economy with an eye towards his own presidential ambitions.
Can AI make Spencer Pratt mayor? Travis Aaroe
AP: FBI searches Virginia Senate leader’s office as part of corruption probe
Bloomberg: Ted Turner, CNN founder and 24-Hour TV news pioneer, dies at 87
The New York Times passes 13 million subscribers: NYT reports the company’s adjusted operating profit hit $117.9 million in the quarter, up 27.2 percent from a year earlier, on revenue of $712.2 million.
Justin Wolfers, a University of Michigan professor and a regular on cable TV, announced that he has founded Platypus Economics, an independent media start-up that aims to reach a mainstream audience on YouTube, Substack, and other platforms. Wolfers is teaming up with Initial Digital, the digital media division of the Initial Group, an entertainment company backed by the investment firm TPG.
James Murdoch’s school of hard Vox: The least objectionable of Rupert’s sons is closing on a deal to buy much of Vox Media in order to complement his current holdings—Art Basel and Tribeca Enterprises—as well as his ambition to build a global TED-meets-Burning Man events brand. Is this the first step toward real cultural influence, or simply his own Penske-esque captive investment? Puck
*** Distribution + Innovation ***
AI is forcing CEOs to make a stark choice: Lay off workers or make them do more: WSJ reports company bosses are splitting into two camps over what the technology’s best, immediate benefits are. Neither calls for more hiring anytime soon.
Larry Fink predicts birth of futures market for computing power: Bloomberg reports: "A new asset class will be buying futures of compute,” Fink said during a panel discussion Tuesday at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, adding that the US lacks enough of that capacity, as well as chips and memory. “We just don’t have enough compute power right now.”
DeepSeek is reportedly in talks to raise money at a $45 billion valuation.
TikTok gets nod from Thailand for $26bn data center plan: Nikkei reports the country looks to become a digital technology hub for Southeast Asia.
Bloomberg: Anthropic is making its Claude chatbot more appealing to consumers
Anthropic reportedly agreed to pay Google $200 billion over five years for cloud computing and chips.
SpaceX agreed to give Anthropic access to its Colossus 1 data center in Tennessee amid growing demand for the artificial-intelligence firm’s services. The deal will provide Anthropic with an additional 300 megawatts of computing capacity, allowing it to raise usage limits for its Claude model.
Elon Musk wanted Tesla to take over OpenAI, romantic partner testifies in court: WSJ reports former OpenAI board member Shivon Zilis, who has four children with Musk, discussed their relationship and her view of the warring billionaires’ investing conflicts.
What if Elon wins the OpenAI trial? As the messy ’Musk v. Altman’ trial enters week two, the AI industry has yet to grapple with the improbable but earth-shattering consequences if the jury actually sides with Elon. With an IPO off the table, would OpenAI’s financial house of cards fall apart? Puck
Samsung Electronics soared 13 percent in South Korea on Wednesday, pushing its market capitalization past $1 trillion.
Crypto exchange Bullish strikes $4.2 billion deal for transfer agent in tokenization push: WSJ Equiniti is one of the world’s biggest transfer agents, offering shareholder services to companies including Berkshire Hathaway and Moody’s.
New Disney CEO gives vision for company as revenue rises: WSJ reports that, in a letter to shareholders, Josh D’Amaro explains a plan to use technology.
ST: Sony, GIC nears up to $5 billion deal for Bieber, Neil Young music catalogue: Sources
Honda abandons plans for $15-billion EV plant in Ontario, Japanese news source says: Toronto Star reports Honda did not confirm nor deny the report, but the news is a second major blow to hopes for Canada’s EV industry since the PM made it the centerpiece of his government’s automotive strategy in February.
Timothée Chalamet is officially on Team Adidas: In a flashy new trailer, the actor teams up with soccer all-stars to champion the brand ahead of the World Cup. It couldn't arrive at a worse time for Nike. Bloomberg
*** Caracal Global ***
Caracal Global provides fractional Chief Geopolitical Officer services for Fortune 1000 companies and private equity portfolio companies — Intelligence + Strategy + Communications, without the overhead of a full-time hire.
Our clients are senior executives, board members, and CEOs responsible for geopolitics, corporate affairs, public affairs, stakeholder engagement, and communications.
If the Iran escalation, the Hormuz crisis, or the China stability narrative is now on your board's agenda and you don't have a geopolitical officer in the room, that's the conversation we should be having.
Four tiers of service: Advisory | Representative | Senator | Presidential.
More @ caracal.global.
*** Culture ***
Does The Odyssey confirm that Christopher Nolan is camp? Alexander Larman
*** Sport ***
Detroit is getting a PWHL team, beginning play at Little Caesars Arena in the 2026-27 season. Detroit will be the ninth team in the women’s hockey league.
Le Monde: PSG knock out Bayern to lock Champions League final with Arsenal
Hotels have a big World Cup problem: Bookings are running far below projections. NPR reports that with only six weeks to go before the start of the World Cup, hotels in most of the cities hosting the tournament are facing a major problem: bookings are running far below expectations.
+ The American Hotel and Lodging Association said the disappointing bookings stem from fewer than expected international travelers and large cancellations by FIFA — the organizer of the World Cup — leaving hotels with an unexpectedly large number of empty rooms.
F1 could get loud again from 2030: Why the sport is discussing changing engines again Athletic
‘I’d wake up in the night and bet $7,000 on Korean baseball’: The life of Tim McCormack, an addict who got caught up in the Jontay Porter scandal. NY Mag
Is insider sports betting a federal crime? For the first time ever, the government has filed fraud charges over insider trading on a prediction market. Could athletes, coaches, and trainers be next? Puck
College basketball: Michigan and UConn are finalizing an agreement to have a neutral site match at TD Garden in Boston on November 6th.
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Founder + Chief Geopolitical Officer @ Caracal Global
Caracal Global Daily | May 7
