Global Conflicts, 9 to 5, Ontario Votes

Global Conflicts, 9 to 5, Ontario Votes

Marc Ross Weekly
June 10, 2018
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross

Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia

Marc Ross Weekly  = Commentary + Analysis at the Intersection of Global Politics + Policy + Profits

Subscribe here: https://goo.gl/bSQKwA

THREE QUESTIONS

1) Does UK PM Theresa May rescind Trump's invite to the UK?

2) Does Trump send Pence to attend NATO summit?

3) Do Midwest governors rebuke Trump's behavior in Canada?

GLOBALIZATION

Global conflict continues to rise, index shows

Deutsche Welle, reports the world has become less peaceful over the last ten years, mostly due to conflicts in the Middle East and Africa. An international index paints a dark picture, although with some brighter spots. 

Europe was the most peaceful region in the world in 2017, while the Middle East and North Africa were the least quiet, the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), said in its 12th annual report published in London on Wednesday.

"There is an ongoing deterioration in global peace," Steve Killelea, head of the Australia-based IEP, told DW. "It's gradual and it's been going on for the last decade."

The conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa and the spillover effects into other areas have been the primary drivers in the decline of global peace, Killelea said.

The IEP's Global Peace Index (GPI) found that in 92 nations peacefulness fell in 2017, with improvements in only 71 countries. Killelea told DW this negative trend has continued for the fourth year in a row.

According to the GPI, the Middle East and North Africa region is the least peaceful region in the world. At the bottom of the 163-state ranking are Syria, with Afghanistan, South Sudan, Iraq and Somalia not far ahead.

DISRUPTION

The gig is 9 to 5 and is the employment is formal

On Thursday the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) found less than 4 percent of workers--5.9 million persons--held contingent jobs.

Contingent jobs are as those assignments which are temporary in nature.

In addition to contingent workers, the BLS survey also identified workers who have various alternative work arrangements or what many of us refer to as gigs. 

In May 2017 the BLS data found there were 10.6 million independent contractors (less than 7 percent of total employment), 2.6 million on-call workers (1.7 percent of total employment), 1.4 million temporary help agency workers (0.9 percent of total employment), and 933,000 workers provided by contract firms (0.6 percent of total employment).

So roughly 10 percent of American workers in 2017 were employed in some form of what the government calls “alternative work arrangements." 

This broad category includes Lyft drivers, freelance designers, and people employed through temporary-help agencies — essentially anyone whose primary source of work comes outside a traditional employment relationship. 

As reported by the New York Times, this far from a boom in gig work and goes against conventional wisdom when to comes to employment.

“I think everybody’s narrative got blown up,” said Michael R. Strain, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute.

The largest category of alternative workers, independent contractors, are disproportionately in their mid-40s or older and familiar in sectors like construction that have not been disrupted by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. They earn about as much, on average, as standard employees, and are relatively happy with their arrangements: Nearly eight in 10 say they prefer being an independent contractor to being an employee.

Outside of plumbers, roofers, and general contractors, most Americans work  9 to 5 in a formal work environment.

AMERICAN POLITICS

Think populism is slowing down? Check out how Ontario voted

Populism establishes a beachhead in Canada's most prosperous and most important province of Ontario.

To understand what will happen with American politics and upcoming elections, I find exploring elections in other Western democracies to be an essential tool.

Last Thursday night, Doug Ford was elected as the next Premier of Ontario. A new expansion of populism now confronts Canada. Think Trump lands in Ontario.

CBC's Chris Hall wrote, "Doug Ford — the bombastic, blustering and populist former Toronto city councilor — is going to be the next premier of Canada's most populous province. His victory, convincing as it was, came with an exclamation mark. He put an end to 15 straight years of Liberal rule."

Toronto Star columnist Edward Keenan echoed the same scripting "Ford era promises a rocky road ahead for all of us."

He went onto say "the next four years under Premier Doug Ford: constant reasons to wonder about the malice vs. incompetence debate, with a loud portion of Ford’s supporters hoping and cheering for the former option. And many of the rest of us hoping instead for the latter, because perhaps if a problem is caused by incompetence, there is some hope it will be fixed, as those who caused it realize their mistake or grow more competent and capable."

@Richard_Florida tweeted: Ontario went from being a pro-urban province/ state like California or New York to joining the ranks of anti-urban Red states ... 

I don't see the expansion of populism around Great Lakes stopping any time. Until CEOs of multinational corporations, Governors, and Mayors show leadership and engage voters in the Midwest on the value of globalization, this will be the result at the ballot box.

Endless outrage by the coastal elites will do little to change election outcomes.

Cross the Hudson and be in Cleveland.

Cross the Potomac and be in Detroit.

This is the three-part question facing US voters in 2018 and 2020: Do we protect the jobs of the past or invest in the jobs of the future? Do we subsidize the grey hairs or invest in today's 8th graders? Do we want to be part of a global world or not?

Voters today want protection, subsidies, and unilateralism.

Plan accordingly.

G7 Summit, War of 1812, Brexiteers, Midterms, Walkable, Stanley Cup

G7 Summit, War of 1812, Brexiteers, Midterms, Walkable, Stanley Cup

Marc Ross Daily
June 7, 2018
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross

Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia

Marc Ross Daily  = Business News at the Intersection of Global Politics + Policy + Profits

Subscribe here: https://goo.gl/bSQKwA

TOP FIVE

✔️  Trump set to push US trade agenda at tense G7 meeting

✔️  RIP, post-World War II global order

✔️ Theresa May in compromise with ministers on Ireland border

✔️ More Americans screened over mystery health issues in China

✔️ Google braced for EU penalty over abuse of dominance

GEOECONOMICS

Trump tariffs stir up angst ahead of G7 summit: Politico reports, frustrations among the closest US allies are breaking into the open, with officials doubting any consensus from the meeting.

WSJ: Trump set to push US trade agenda at tense G7 meeting

Reuters: Trump sticks with hard line on trade as showdown looms at G7

Bloomberg: France warns Trump it won’t sign a G7 statement

Trump plans confrontational approach with world leaders at economic summit: WP reports, Trump plans to confront other world leaders at a summit in Quebec on Friday over what he believes is a global economic system tilted against the United States, several people briefed on the plan said, escalating tensions with U.S. allies who have expressed outrage at his pivot toward protectionism.

LAT: ‘Respected again’? Trump's claim for America strikes many allies and diplomats as ‘preposterous’

"In the main, it's a preposterous claim to say the US is better regarded in the world when we haven't had for many decades this many crises with our allies," said Nicholas Burns, a career diplomat under several presidents — serving as ambassador to NATO and Greece and as undersecretary of State — and now a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

RIP, post-World War II global order: The Marshall Plan’s anniversary is time to reflect on what we’re losing.
Bloomberg - Mark Gongloff

LAT: North Korea summit is a signature moment for Trump and his challenge to the foreign policy establishment

Nikkei: US trade deficit rises with Japan but falls with China

Theresa May in compromise with ministers on Ireland border: AP reports, Britain’s Theresa May forged a compromise with senior members of her government Thursday amid opposition to her proposal for avoiding a hard border in Northern Ireland after the U.K. leaves the European Union. May held a series of meetings with top promoters of Brexit in her Cabinet amid reports that Brexit Secretary David Davis had considered resignation because he feared May’s plan could force Britain to follow EU trade rules indefinitely.

How Brexiteers lost control of Brexit: Appearances aside, Theresa May has her Cabinet right where she wants them. https://politi.co/2sKKLzh

"May and her team believe they have found a fudge that the majority of her Cabinet can stomach — partly because some pro-Leave Tories didn’t realize what was happening."

Telegraph: Theresa May offers olive branch to David Davis amid rebellion over 'Hotel California' Brexit plan

"David Davis has withdrawn his threat to quit after he reached agreement this morning with Theresa May over the Brexit "backstop" plan for Northern Ireland."

Weep for Brexit: the British dash for independence has failed
Telegraph - Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

"There will be no return to full sovereign and democratic self-rule in March 2019, or after the transition, or as far as the political eye can see. Britain will be bound and hemmed until the latent contradictions of such a colonial settlement cause a volcanic national uprising, as they surely must."

Nostalgia and politics are a dangerous mix: A new report reveals how our belief that the past was better than the present infects the way we think about the future.
The Times - David Aaronovitch

Today: Russian President Vladimir Putin holds his annual call-in broadcast show with citizens.

AP: Putin heads to China to bolster ties as US pressure grow

OTD: In 1929 the Vatican City became a sovereign state

FT: US investigates suspected ‘sonic attack’ in China

More Americans screened over mystery health issues in China: AP reports, a US medical team was screening more Americans who work in a southern Chinese city as the State Department confirmed evacuating a number of government workers who experienced unexplained health issues like those that have hurt US personnel in Cuba and China. The evacuations of the workers in Guangzhou followed medical testing that revealed they might have been affected. One case in Guangzhou had been disclosed last month. The China incidents affect one of the most important of the seven US diplomatic outposts in the country. The Guangzhou consulate opened months after the establishment of diplomatic relations between Beijing and Washington in 1979 and moved to its new purpose-built facility in 2013. It serves four southern provinces with a combined population of more than 204 million and processes more than 1 million visa applications of all types annually. It is also the only US diplomatic installation in China authorized to process immigrant visas and handle adoptions.

@marcorubio: When all is said & done the attacks in #China will prove to be broader than initially suspected & potentially related to the attacks in #Cuba

Bloomberg: China's Belt and Road could boost global trade by 12%, ING says

“Trade between Asia and Europe, not including trade between EU countries, accounts for 28 percent of world trade, so making those trade flows easier has a large potential impact”

China’s bringing tech back, with new listing rules hammered out: WSJ reports, China formalized a plan for its technology giants to trade on the nation’s stock market, opening its doors for the imminent listing of smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp. and the homecoming of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. 

CNBC: US hits China's ZTE with $1 billion penalty in deal to end crippling sanctions, Commerce Secretary Ross says

What is Senator Rubio thinking this morning?

China eyes role as world’s power supplier: FT reports, Chinese companies have announced investments of $102bn in building or acquiring power transmission infrastructure across 83 projects in Latin America, Africa, Europe and beyond over the past five years, according to RWR. Adding in loans from Chinese institutions for overseas power grid investments brings the total to $123bn. “China’s state-owned power companies are pursuing an aggressive overseas expansion strategy, investing in the construction and operation of energy networks in some countries and as equity investors in others,” says Xu Yi-chong, a politics professor at Griffith University, Australia and author of Sinews of Power, a book about State Grid. “[But] China’s push for interconnectivity does not have to mean that Chinese companies own or operate the grid.”

Western cities want to slow flood of Chinese home buying. Nothing works. WSJ reports, governments from Vancouver to Sydney to Toronto are using taxes and other restrictions to tackle real-estate bubbles.

Taiwan holds large-scale military drills amid China tensions: Reuters reports, Taiwan simulated repelling an invading force on Thursday and used civilian-operated drones for the first time as part of annual military drills on the self-ruled island amid escalating tensions with China.

Canada: PM Trudeau greeted President Macron by welcoming him for his first visit to Canada as French president Wednesday afternoon.

CBC: Trump, Trudeau had a testy phone exchange over steel tariffs

"Trudeau reportedly asked Trump how tariffs could be imposed on Canada on "national security" grounds. Trump reportedly responded: "Didn't you guys burn down the White House?"" 

AMERICAN POLITICS

WSJ: Democrats’ interest in midterms running ahead of Republicans’

NYT: Primary results give Democrats hope for a House takeover

WP: Democrats getboost in fight for control of House, but may fall short of a blue wave

All three of these headlines is accurate.

@peterbakernyt: For the first time since record-keeping began in 2000, the number of available jobs in America exceeds the number of job seekers.

This Ohio factory thought it could bring US jobs back from China. Then Trump got involved. WP reports, Bill Adler was invited last year to bid on a contract to make commercial sausage stuffers for a company that wanted to replace its Chinese supplier. The customer had just one nonnegotiable demand: Match China’s price. Adler, owner of metal-parts maker Stripmatic Products, thought he could. But even as he readied his proposal, talk of President Trump’s steel tariffs sent the price of Stripmatic’s main raw material soaring. In April, with prices up nearly 50 percent from October and the first wave of tariffs in place, Adler’s bid failed. His costs were too high. Today, instead of taking business from China, Adler worries about hanging onto the work he has. He hopes that the president’s tariffs are just a negotiating tactic. “It’s got to be short-term, or I’ve got to find another way to make a living,” Adler said, only half joking. “It’s going to be an ugly scenario if it doesn’t end quickly.”

Republicans in tight House races feel heat from Mexican tariffs: Reuters reports, Mexican tariffs are roiling US congressional campaigns in states where US exporters could take a hit and President Donald Trump's Republicans face tough races in November congressional elections.

Reuters: US Congress has few options to stop Trump from saving China's ZTE

"Sanctions laws that affect ZTE allow any president to waive them if he feels it is necessary for national security reasons. The U.S. Constitution also gives presidents broad control of foreign policy matters."

Trump’s trade war isn’t about economics. It’s about politics.
WP -  Robert J. Samuelson

"Trump has embarked on a giant marketing campaign to convince us that foreigners — their exports — are to blame for our economic problems. It’s a seductive appeal to nationalism whose main defect is that it’s mostly untrue."

Campaign 101 = Good politics rarely makes good economics

WP - Max Boot: The real China threat isn’t even on Trump’s radar

"While Trump is ramping up his trade dispute with China, he is not focused on China’s illegal annexation in the South China Sea — an act of territorial aggression every bit as outrageous as the Russian invasion of Ukraine."

HBD: Mike Pence, US Vice President, is 59 yo.

The Hill: Trade groups in turmoil in the Trump era

"Industry associations change dramatically with the times" 

ENTERPRISE

FT: Google braced for EU penalty over abuse of dominance

Vestager to escalate battle with tech group by ruling Android device maker terms illegal.

Instagram "is preparing to launch a new feature that will include long-form video" of up to an hour.

Project to allow WeChat to serve as ID in China’s Greater Bay Area: Caixin reports, data stored in QR code to allow residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong to cross each other’s borders without paper documents.

WSJ: Facebook confirms data-saring deals with Chinese tech firms

OTD: In 1965 Sony introduced the first home videotape recorder.

Amazon's TV deal with Jordan Peele among the highest-profile to date for streaming service.

Short-termism is harming the economy
WSJ - Jamie Dimon and Warren Buffett OpEd
https://on.wsj.com/2kTPBXu

"Public companies should reduce or eliminate the practice of estimating quarterly earnings."

TRENDS

50 reasons why everyone should want more walkable streets: From making you live longer to making cities more resilient: If you want a reason to make your city more walkable, it’s in here. http://bit.ly/2sL7E5W

Big Mac me: By 2020, every McDonald's will use self-order electronic kiosks

Call me: More than half of US households — 53.9% — rely entirely on cellphones

CULTURE

The best and worst airlines and airports of 2018 according to the sixth annual study by AirHelp https://bloom.bg/2xWKvTA

The 10 best airlines of 2018

1. Qatar Airways
2. Lufthansa
3. Etihad Airways
4. Singapore Airlines
5. South African Airways
6. Austrian Airlines
7. Aegean Airlines
8. Qantas
9. Air Malta
10. Virgin Atlantic

The 10 best airports of 2018

1. Hamad International Airport, Doha (DOH)
2. Athens International Airport, Athens (ATH)
3. Tokyo Haneda International Airport, Tokyo (HND)
4. Cologne Bonn Airport, Cologne, Germany (CGN)
5. Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore (SIN)
6. Nagoya Chubu Centrair Airport, Nagoya, Japan (NGO)
7. Viracopos International Airport, Campinas, Brazil (VCP)
8. Amman Queen Alia Airport, Amman, Jordan (AMM)
9. Guararapes-Gilberto Freyre International Airport, Recife, Brazil (REC)
10. Quito International Airport, Quito, Ecuador (UIO)

The midlife tuneup: Whether you are in your 30s, 40s, 50s or beyond, the Well midlife tuneup will put you on a healthier path to improving your body, mind, and relationships. https://nyti.ms/2Hq6FNH

Kate Spade dealt with depression and anxiety, her husband says, but her death ‘was a complete shock’: WP reports, Andy Spade said his wife was actively seeking help and working closely with doctors to treat her disease at the time of her death.

SPORT

NBA Finals: Kevin Durant carried Golden State to a 110-102 victory over Cleveland and a 3-0 series lead.

Stanley Cup: Game 5 tonight at 8:00 pm ET. Caps lead the Golden Knights 3 games to 1.

EPL: Amazon bought a package of live broadcasting rights for English Premier League soccer. Amazon will show two full rounds of matches per season, comprising 20 games, for three years starting in 2019. The games will be available on Amazon Prime Video at no extra cost to users.

G20, G7, D-Day, Millennials, Drone-brella, YouTube, Björn Borg

G20, G7, D-Day, Millennials, Drone-brella, YouTube, Björn Borg

Marc Ross Daily
June 6, 2018
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross

Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia

Marc Ross Daily  = Business News at the Intersection of Global Politics + Policy + Profits

Subscribe here: https://goo.gl/bSQKwA

TOP FIVE

✔️ In G20, 41% of GDP controlled by populists vs 4% in 2007

✔️ Can any G7 leaders corral Trump?

✔️ Today: 74th anniversary of D-Day

✔️ Companies to pour $2.5 trillion into buybacks and dividends this year

✔️ Why startups keep choosing human names

ROSS RANT

ZTE built to spy and bribe - the focus of commercial dispute in Texas

According to court documents filed in the Texas, ZTE, the Chinese telecommunications company bidding for major contracts in Australia, and at the center of Donald Trump’s trade war with Beijing, was established partly as a front for military intelligence and has been linked to corruption in 18 countries.

The new claims form part of an ongoing commercial litigation alleging that ZTE bribed Liberian officials, to unseat a US company which had won the right to upgrade the West African country’s telecommunications networks.

Contained in the Summary of Claims are allegations ZTE was formed partly with the aim of spying for Beijing.

“China's Ministry of Aerospace founded ZTE as a front to send officers abroad under non-diplomatic covers such as scientists, businessmen, and executives for the purpose of collecting intelligence,” the documents filed in the 191st District Court of Dallas reveal.

The corporate governance and origins of China's telecom companies expose them up to nasty headlines, investigations, commercial disputes, and secrets. 

China's biggest business need to decide - are they a Chinese company or global company - they can't be both.

US-China technology and data war - political fear or business reality? 

The dominance of US semiconductor technology in Chinese phones makes for great angst in Beijing. It reveals Americans firms are generations ahead in semiconductor and other technologies - we are talking 20 to 30 years. In assembly factories across China, the critical parts that go into phones, tablets, routers, vehicles, even airplanes, are often imports from advanced economies like the United States.

The Chinese government has ambitious plans to end this dependence.

“Techno-nationalism has a long and stellar history in China,” said Damien Ma, fellow and associate director of Paulson Institute think tank in Chicago. “During Mao’s time, they always wanted to have some semblance of technological self-sufficiency. And I don’t think that in itself is surprising or odd. Many countries want it.”

Many Trump administration officials call these Chinese plans “frightening” and a direct national security threat and a sound reason to impose tariffs on Chinese products. Some American academics and politicians fear China will soon enjoy global domination of many high-tech sectors at the expense of many Western industrial economies.

Does this matter?

Will it happen?

Do you think America's biggest and best businesses are sitting still and not moving forward?

Also, do you think China can execute?

Business plans and business talk mean little if you can't execute, ship, and scale.

GEOECONOMICS

Bloomberg: In G20, 41% of GDP controlled by populists vs 4% in 2007

Trade war fears largely exaggerated, says expert https://s.nikkei.com/2sLbWKh

Professor Richard Baldwin of the Graduate Institute in Geneva has argued that some parts of Asia face a greater challenge than other regions as the world enters its third phase of globalization. 

Can any G7 leaders corral Trump? https://bloom.bg/2Hq0ol2

Save the date: The UK government has set June 12 as the date the EU withdrawal bill comes back to the House of Commons for one marathon session. The Commons will try to overturn all 15 amendments inserted by the House of Lords. It will be a showdown between different factions of Tory lawmakers as they vote on measures aimed at keeping the UK in the on single market and customs union.

The Times: Labour bids for ‘softest’ Brexit deal in new shift

UK: Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in Britain to meet Theresa May.

Bloomberg: Mexican peso falls to lowest in a year as NAFTA seen delayed

Mexico says it is fighting back as US tariffs hit: NYT reports, Mexico said it would impose tariffs on cheese, whiskey and other American goods in response to steel and aluminum levies. The move further strains relations as the US, Canada, and Mexico try to rewrite their free trade agreement.

Putin invites Kim to Russia in September: Nikkei reports, Russia's government has invited Kim Jong Un to make an official visit this September in what appears to be a move by President Vladimir Putin to ensure that Moscow is not overshadowed by the North Korean leader's upcoming summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. 

Putin moves to capitalize on Europe’s fury with Trump: NYT reports, Russia’s goals of shedding European sanctions and regaining respectability suddenly seem in reach as the U.S. treats its allies as trade rivals.

Italy splits with allies and demands end to Russia sanctions: The Times reports, Italy’s new populist government has broken ranks with its allies in western Europe by calling for an end to sanctions on Russia. Giuseppe Conte, the prime minister, used his debut speech to parliament to call for a fresh approach to relations with President Putin.

FT: White House presses US airlines to resist Beijing over Taiwan

LeBron is a player... in US-China trade thanks to NBA deals: Bloomberg reports, while LeBron James and Stephen Curry are battling on the basketball court in the NBA finals, they’re also on the frontcourt of the US-China trade tussle. That’s because American licensing activities in China have been increasing, and deals by the National Basketball Association and other sports, entertainment and software groups have helped fuel a trade surplus -- in services, at least -- between the US and China.

Today: Japanese PM Shinzo Abe meets with Trump at the White House

AMERICAN POLITICS

Congress unlikely to meet deadline for 2018 NAFTA renegotiation, lawmaker says: The US won’t have time to renegotiate NAFTA with Canada and Mexico this year, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn has said, Bloomberg reports. Cornyn said it looked like they “are kicking it over to 2019” because Congress won’t have time to vote on a deal before the legislative session ends. 

WP - Editorial:  It’s time for Congress to take back trade: The executive branch threatens vital economic and political relationships, requiring a legislative check. Article I, Section 8 clearly assigns the legislative branch the power to “lay and collect . . . duties,” and “to regulate commerce with foreign nations.” It’s time for Capitol Hill to take it back.

WSJ: California Democrats on track to advance in key races for House control

LAT: It's Newsom vs. Cox in November as Villaraigosa tumbles in governor's race

FT: Schultz gives up coffee to test presidential waters

Bloomberg: Schultz has Trump-topping wealth to fund a run for the White House

Washington state AG Bob Ferguson is suing Alphabet Inc.'s Google and Facebook for allegedly failing to provide adequate information about who is purchasing election advertisements on their platforms.

ENTERPRISE

Companies to pour $2.5 trillion into buybacks and dividends this year: Cash-rich companies will invest $2.5 trillion this year in share buybacks, dividends and mergers and acquisitions activity, CNBC reports.

Bloomberg: Apple announces slew of new anti-addiction iPhone controls

- Time limits will switch some apps off, based on user settings

- Parents will now be able to limit kids usage of certain apps

GM aims to launch 10 new-energy vehicle models in China between 2016 and 2020. From 2021 through 2023, GM will double the number of new-energy vehicles available in the domestic market.

Tesla revealed it is working with China to build electric cars and battery packs in Shanghai - its second "gigafactory." 

Facebook gave data access to Chinese firm flagged by US intelligence: NYT reports, Facebook has data-sharing partnerships with at least four Chinese electronics companies, including a manufacturing giant that has a close relationship with China’s government, the social media company said on Tuesday. The agreements, which date to at least 2010, gave private access to some user data to Huawei, a telecommunications equipment company that has been flagged by American intelligence officials as a national security threat, as well as to Lenovo, Oppo and TCL.

TRENDS

Why millennials are world’s most powerful consumers https://on.ft.com/2sOJs2C

Why startups keep choosing human names: Marcus, Oscar, Casper—it seems as if every new company is named after someone’s roommate, or even their cat. There’s a reason for that. https://bloom.bg/2Hqphgl

“A short first name changes everything—as it’s unexpected, less concerned with sounding corporate and serious and is inherently more human,” said Steve Manning, the founder of a Sausalito, California-based naming agency that, of course, goes by one name: Igor. 

AFP: Japan 'drone-brella' promises hands-free sun cover

CULTURE

Today: 74th anniversary of D-Day

RIP: Kate Spade dies in apparent suicide

LAT: Warner Bros.' 'Ocean's 8' is expected to unseat 'Solo' at the box office this weekend

OTD: In 1962 the Beatles first met their future producer George Martin at an Abbey Road audition.

SPORT

Own goal: The inside story of how the USMNT missed the 2018 World Cup: The Ringer reports, in October, the United States failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in more than 30 years. A loss to Trinidad and Tobago sealed their fate, but according to players, coaches, commentators, and executives across American soccer, the disaster doesn’t come down to just one unfortunate result. No, it was the culmination of nearly a decade of mismanagement that broke the team’s spirit and condemned them to failure. http://bit.ly/2sIff59

TLDR: Culture. Culture. Culture.

NBA Finals: Game 3 tonight @ 9:00 pm ET

HBD: Björn Borg, tennis player, five-time Wimbledon champion, 62

To celebrate - make time to watch Borg vs McEnroe https://imdb.to/2HnTVqE