Caracal Daily | July 29

Caracal Daily | July 29

Caracal Daily is geopolitical business news + intelligence for comms pros.

Geopolitics is disrupting every business and industry. Caracal is here to help.

Always Be Communicating.

Happy Monday.

Here’s today’s Caracal Daily:

*** Globalization + Geopolitics ***

Israel strikes deep in Lebanon after rocket attack, stoking fear of wider war: WP reports Israel had promised revenge for a rocket strike from Lebanon that killed in 12 in the Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams. Hezbollah denied responsibility.

Fears of escalation after rocket from Lebanon hits soccer field: NYT reports diplomats were scrambling to prevent a surge in fighting, officials said, after Israel retaliated for the rocket fire that killed at least 12 children and teenagers in an Israeli-controlled town.

Thursday: China Army Day, marking the founding of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in 1927.

US reveals security concerns around TikTok and ByteDance: Department of Justice alleges sensitive American user data was stored in China. FT

Blinken and a top Chinese official in talks on US-China tensions: NYT reports the US secretary of state pressed China’s top foreign policy official on Beijing’s support for Russia’s efforts to rebuild its military industries during the Ukraine war.

Blinken warns China’s top diplomat that Harris cares about rules-based order: WP reports Saturday’s meeting came amid a dramatic shift in Washington following President Biden’s decision to end his reelection campaign. 

Today: Prime Minister Fumio Kishida hosts a foreign ministers’ meeting of the Quad, Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, in Tokyo.

US launches military command in Tokyo to counter China: WSJ reports American forces in Japan to be overseen from a headquarters there as Washington tries to strengthen allies in Asia.

US and Japan announce steps to strengthen their military ties: NYT reports the two governments said the moves were a response to growing aggression by China, whose rapid military buildup has many leaders worried.

Ukraine steps up engagement with China: Le Monde reports the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba was received in Guangzhou on Wednesday. The prospect of a Trump presidency forcing Kyiv to accept peace at any price has prompted Kyiv to look for support.

As the Biden presidency nears its end, Ukraine makes moves to ensure future US support: Ukraine reaches out to both Harris and Trump, either of whom could end up in office. CBC

Bloomberg: YouTube throttled in Russia in latest attack on social media

+ Download speeds to be slowed by 70% by the end of next week

+ YouTube one of last US social media sites available in 
Russia

Dozens of Russian mercenaries killed in attack in Mali: WSJ reports the ambush by Tuareg rebels last week appeared to be one of the deadliest assaults on Russian personnel in Africa since Moscow first sent Wagner guns-for-hire there in 2017.

The secret life of Agent Gryaznov, the Russian spy suspected of trying to 'destabilize' the Paris Olympics: Thanks to numerous documents and exclusive sources, Le Monde was able to retrace the career of Kirill Gryaznov, ex-reality TV star turned FSB spy, who boasted of offering the French an opening ceremony 'like no other.' Le Monde

The reset: How Britain can restore its global reputation
Diplomatic overtures and treaty revisions are not enough, argues Philippe Sands — the country needs a fundamental rethink of its role in the world. FT

Tory MP Mel Stride will stand in the Tory leadership race, joining James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat, and Robert Jenrick.

Badenoch to run for Tory leadership, but Braverman may be a non-starter: As surviving big-name Conservatives prepare to contest the leadership, the infighting and blue-on-blue attacks have begun. The Times

Pentagon warns of potential Russian action in the Arctic — including jamming GPS satellites: US military concerned about growing Arctic co-operation between China and Russia. CBC

Why is autocracy thriving? Anne Applebaum says: It’s the economy, stupid. In “Autocracy, Inc.,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian takes account of the financial institutions and trade deals that have helped spread tyranny across the world. NYT

***  US Politics + Elections ***

‘Pure adrenaline’: Campaign reporters energized by remade 2024 race: For political journalists, it started off as one of the sleepier election cycles in decades. Now they’re “chomping at the bit.” WP

Kamala Harris raises $200 million in less than a week: WP reports the outpouring of cash and Democratic enthusiasm for Harris has reshaped the presidential race since Biden dropped out.

Harris is said to be planning to announce her VP pick by August 7.

Vance mischance: According to Punchbowl News, nearly 80 percent of Republican staffers and lobbyists interviewed at last week’s convention disapproved of him as the VP pick.

From rising star to potential liability: How JD Vance’s fortunes have turned: Ohio senator’s ratings are at a record low and his hardline views on issues might prove to hurt more than help.
Robert Tait

Decoding JD Vance’s brand of nationalism Farah Stockman

The US House is organizing a Trump assassination attempt task force: The GOP will have 7 seats and the DEMs 6 seats.  A final report will be released by December 13.

Crypto fanatics flock to Trump, hoping to ‘make bitcoin great again’: WP reports once a crypto skeptic, Trump spoke Saturday to bitcoin supporters whose backing — and campaign checks — he has come to covet.

Trump, appealing to Bitcoin fans, vows US will be ‘crypto capital of the planet’: NYT reports Donald Trump, speaking at a Bitcoin conference, told cryptocurrency holders that he would end the “persecution” of their industry.

Trump vows to sack SEC boss and end ‘persecution’ of crypto industry: FT reports candidate tells bitcoin enthusiasts he would ensure rules were written by people “who love” cryptocurrencies if elected.

Kamala Harris campaign seeks ‘reset’ with crypto companies: FT reports the vice-president’s team aims to improve relations after industry criticism of the Biden administration.

Senate tees up kids online safety bill for vote this week: Congress last addressed online platforms' collection of data on children in 1998. Roll Call

Anthropic came out against SB 1047 in its current form.

New Jersey’s $500 million bid to become an AI epicenter: The Garden State has enacted a hefty new tax credit specifically for AI businesses. But tax incentives—particularly for data centers—don’t always create a lot of jobs. Wired

The $100 billion bet that a postindustrial US city can reinvent itself as a high-tech hub: Can a massive infusion of money for making computer chips transform the economy of Syracuse and show us how to rebuild the nation’s industrial base? MIT Tech Review

Park Fire in northern California spreads to over 350,000 acres: NYT reports the fire, the largest active blaze in the United States, was 12 percent contained on Sunday morning. It was expected to burn for several more weeks.

*** Disruption + Innovation ***

Reuters: Amazon racing to develop AI chips cheaper, faster than Nvidia's, executives say

Musk’s X faces questions from watchdog over AI data grab: FT reports the social media company’s move to automatically allow user data to train chatbot could breach European privacy rules.

AI companies promised to self-regulate one year ago. What’s changed? The White House’s voluntary AI commitments have brought better red-teaming practices and watermarks, but no meaningful transparency or accountability. Melissa Heikkilä

On Friday, the Biden administration unveiled new AI measures: As part of these new actions, Apple agreed to voluntary AI commitments, aligning with the executive order on AI previously issued by the administration.

Biden-⁠Harris administration announces new AI actions and receives additional major voluntary commitment on AI White House Fact Sheet

White House announces new AI actions as Apple signs on to voluntary commitments: The White House on Friday announced new artificial intelligence actions as Apple signed on to voluntary commitments in line with the administration's previous AI executive order. UPI

Bloomberg: Apple to adopt voluntary AI safeguards established by Biden

+ Guardrails aim to protect consumers, influence AI development

+ Apple moving to integrate OpenAI’s ChatGPT into iPhone

Bloomberg: Apple Intelligence to miss initial launch of upcoming iOS 18 overhaul

+ Developers will get to test AI features as soon as this week

+ Apple is betting on enhancements to help sell iPhone 16 line

Artificial intelligence breakthroughs create new ‘brain’ for advanced robots: Google, OpenAI, and Tesla race start-ups to develop AI robotic systems in effort to transform healthcare and manufacturing. FT

The AI job interviewer will see you now: AI interview services say they’re eliminating bias — but not everyone agrees. ROW

AI may save us, or may construct viruses to kill us Nicholas Kristof

Not everything Big Tech touches turns to gold: Apple’s little-watched streaming service and Google’s unpopular smartphones show Big Tech doesn’t always heed your desires. Shira Ovide

LVMH strikes Olympics gold: With bottles of Moët and Louis Vuitton trunks never far from sight, the Parisian conglomerate’s brands have already made their mark on the Games. FT

The luxury industry is falling from its elevated heights: Labels from Gucci to Burberry are struggling as aspirational shoppers pull back from extravagance. John Gapper

*** Culture ***

This was the best Opening Ceremony Paris could give us? The city seemed exhausted, not exuberant. Spencer Kornhaber

*** Sport ***

AI’s Olympic moment says a lot about the technology’s potential—and its perils Fortune

Dream Team dreaming: How great can this US men’s basketball team still be? The Athletic


Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc 

Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal