Gavin Williamson, Steve Bannon, Bobbi Brown, Quentin Tarantino, Formula E

Caracal Global Daily
May 2, 2019
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross

Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia 

Caracal Global Daily  = News + Analysis at the Intersection of Globalization + Disruption + Politics

TOP FIVE

✔️ May sacks UK defense secretary over Huawei leak

✔️ Pop-up outdoor roller skating rinks are coming

✔️ Steve Bannon’s alt-right academy — and one village’s fight to stop it

✔️ Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" will run at Cannes 

✔️ How Formula E built a fan base from scratch

ROSS RANT

Living in a direct marketing world powered by the WWW

Today we have a micro-media and personalized broadcast communications environment which serves the needs of the end user.

When it comes to the WWW and the direct marketing communications environment, being multi-dimensional beats being single-dimensional. 

Surprise beats consistency. 

Emotion beats fact.

Funny beats dour.

Useful beats sales. 

Beautiful beats boring. 

Inspirational beats directional.

The best communicators understand this communications environment instinctively.

-Marc

GLOBALIZATION

Venezuela’s opposition held talks with government on ousting Maduro: WSJ reports, the opposition held secret talks with members of President Nicolás Maduro’s inner circle in recent months in an ill-fated bid to get Mr. Maduro to leave office.

The Times: US warns Moscow against propping up Maduro regime

Reuters: Maduro hangs on as Venezuelan protests peter out

US commitment to regime change in Venezuela tested: FT reports, the administration weighs its next move after Juan Guaidó’s bid to oust Nicolás Maduro stalls.

Venezuela opposition’s plan to oust Maduro crumbles, leaving US to mull next steps: WP reports,the Trump administration has sent mixed messages about what role, if any, the U.S. military might play in resolving the crisis.

US Navy plans to extends its reach in the Arctic: WSJ reports, the Navy and Marine Corps are deepening their commitments to Arctic security and to operations in Alaska.

FT: May sacks UK defence secretary over Huawei leak

PM implicates Gavin Williamson in 5G disclosure but former ally denies responsibility.

Williamson will be replaced by Penny Mordaunt, who served as international development secretary. She is the UK’s first female defense secretary.

Williamson hits back at May over his sacking: FT reports, the former UK defense secretary says PM conducted ‘kangaroo court’ after Huawei leak.

For me, the removal of Gavin Williamson is the ultimate case study capturing the intersection of globalization, distribution, and politics. These forces are creating new operational rules which are checked by old government rules.

Why Boris Johnson looms large over the Brexit endgame: The prospect of the former foreign secretary becoming prime minister permeates all debates on what comes next. https://on.ft.com/2GVWulB

FT: US labour leader warns of ‘inferior’ China trade deal

AFL-CIO’s Trumka fears agreement will lack restraints on Beijing’s industrial subsidies.

Former CIA operative admits to spying for China: FT reports, a case officer pleads guilty after helping to decimate US espionage network.

Ex-CIA officer pleads guilty to espionage conspiracy with China: DW reports, a former CIA officer who is a US citizen from Hong Kong has been charged with conspiring with China to commit espionage. Jerry Chun Shing Lee allegedly received money in exchange for information, including agents' names.

“It’s the first time that we will have a great power competitor that is not Caucasian." -- Team Trump on China.

China's furtive underwater nukes test the Pentagon: Reuters reports, until recently, China lacked a reliable nuclear second-strike capability. Its ballistic missile submarines, which can deliver a nuclear weapon, are changing that. Now, the United States is pursuing these subs in a cat-and-mouse contest.

Nikkei: Trump spoils Xi's Belt and Road Forum, without even attending

Beijing's infrastructure initiative becomes symbol of US-China power struggle.

The Trump administration refused to send a delegation to the Beijing gathering, and well-known American business figures stayed away. Even the media center seemed short on American reporters.

China concluded that it would be difficult to secure interests in the Pacific and chose instead to look west to expand its own economic sphere. Strengthening relations with Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Africa was, in a way, avoiding a head-on clash with the US.

DISRUPTION

LAT: Pop-up outdoor roller skating rinks are coming to LA this summer

“The thing with roller skating is that people don’t even realize how much they’ve worked out going around the rink that many times,” said Ann Potenza, producer and founder of the Pop Sk8 events.
 
@ballmatthew: Almost every canceled show from the dawn of TV was canceled by data.

POLITICS

Barr won’t attend House hearing, following fierce session in Senate: NYT reports, Attorney General William P. Barr faced blistering criticism from Democrats about his characterizations of the Mueller report. The conflict escalated when Mr. Barr said he would not attend a House hearing. Democrats may now subpoena him, setting up a showdown.

Barr recasts McGahn’s account of Trump’s efforts to push out Mueller: WP reports, William P. Barr’s view of the episode with the former White House counsel provided the most revealing look yet at his rationale for determining there was not sufficient evidence to charge President Trump with trying to thwart the probe.

Tiger Woods is scheduled to visit the White House next week to meet with Trump.

Reuters: Biden's rise in 2020 race catches Trump's eye, unnerves his allies

Bloomberg: Biden campaign juggernaut forces other Democrats to recalibrate

WP: Biden says China is ‘not competition for us,’ prompting pushback from Republicans

“This will not age well,” Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) tweeted in response to Biden’s remark at an Iowa campaign stop.

I agree with Biden.

When I see China I see a nation copying the West:

Tall buildings
Clothing
Internet
Transportation systems
Hardware design
Sport leagues
"China Dream"

Where's the innovation?

I agree with Biden.

What's the one Chinese innovation that has changed your life? 
What's your favorite Chinese brand?
What Chinese university does your child aspire to attend?
What's your favorite Chinese company?
What's your favorite Chinese idea?

What's the US scared of?

Nikkei: Foxconn's Terry Gou assures Trump that Wisconsin plant is on track

At rare White House meeting, tech tycoon says facility will open in May 2020.

Bloomberg: Foxconn struggles to put Wisconsin first

Progress is slow on promises to create jobs and support business in the state.

Steve Bannon’s alt-right academy — and one village’s fight to stop it: How an Italian monastery became part of a plan for a populist Europe. https://on.ft.com/2H49ar1

COMMERCE

Volkswagen said profit dropped nearly 10% in the first quarter, hit by slowing growth in China.

Amazon dismissed the idea of running a fully automated warehouse in the near future, citing the superior cognitive ability of humans and the limitations of current technology.

CULTURE

LAT: Family in China paid $6.5 million to college admissions fixer for a spot at Stanford, sources say

Family paid $6.5 million to get their daughter into Stanford: WSJ reports. a family from China that paid a college counselor $6.5 million for help securing a spot at a top college did so to land their daughter at Stanford University, and connected to the counselor via Morgan Stanley.

LAT: BTS and Halsey lead new pop generation at Billboard Music Awards

Quentin Tarantino's much-anticipated new film "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" will run in competition at this month's Cannes film festival, organizers said Thursday.

Makeup queen Bobbi Brown on selling a business, starting another https://bloom.bg/2GR87ua

Her new wellness line, Evolution_18, moves beyond skin deep to tackle inner beauty.

SPORT

@FOXSports will be producing a live show on Twitter every matchday called ‘FIFA Women’s World Cup Now' from Paris. 

How Formula E built a fan base from scratch: The all-electric motorsport tapped into e-gaming and social media to attract young supporters. https://on.ft.com/2GRNdv7

Now in its fifth series, the ABB FIA Formula E championship has succeeded in mobilizing an audience and public profile that has delighted sponsors and backers, not least in connecting with a younger, urban audience.

“We have a full team of community managers at the track commenting on almost everything that is happening before and during the race on social media, capturing content that is interesting in real time.” 

Champions League - Final Four (2nd Match):

Tottenham v Ajax - 8 May @ 3:00 pm ET (Ajax +1)
Barcelona v Liverpool: 7 May @ 3:00 pm ET (Barca +3)