Caracal Daily | September 24

Caracal Daily | September 24

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 Tuesday.

Here’s today’s Caracal Daily:

*** Globalization + Geopolitics ***

Trump looms over Climate Week as UN returns: Politico reports discussions about the US election are expected to shape the environmental mega-gathering.

CNN: Foreign leaders jostle for meetings with Trump and Harris, even as Biden ramps up his diplomacy

The stakes behind Ukraine's surprise attack inside Russian territory CBS News

Ukrainian President Zelensky begins US visit with ammunition factory to thank workers: Le Monde reports Zelensky will speak at the UN General Assembly annual gathering in New York on Tuesday and Wednesday and then travel to Washington for talks on Thursday with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Times Tribune : Ukrainian leader thanks workers at Scranton ammo factory

+  Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday thanked the employees at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant who produce 155mm artillery shells for his country's military.

China calls for more support for its Ukraine peace plan created with Brazil: AP reports China called on Tuesday for more countries to endorse its peace plan for Ukraine, after a round of diplomacy with Indonesia, Brazil and South Africa to support its plan. Envoy Li Hui called the three countries representative of the Global South and “important forces in promoting world peace” who share similar positions with China.

‘Genuine desire’: Putin backs China peace plan to end Ukraine war: Al Jazeera reports an isolated Putin is to meet Xi to rally support for war, but cautious China is wary of punitive measures from the West.

China unveils new measures to aid ailing economy: WSJ reports but economists say the moves are unlikely to be enough to repair a broken housing market or pull the economy out of a deflationary rut.

China’s central bank unleashed an unprecedented blitz of policy support for the economy, as authorities made their boldest swing so far to hit this year’s annual growth target of about 5%, after a flurry of Wall Street banks downgraded their forecasts.

Top economist in China vanishes after private WeChat comments: WSJ reports a government adviser was detained and removed from his posts after he allegedly criticized the Chinese leader’s management of the economy.

China is striking deals to cement its role as Asia’s trade hub: Beijing’s leaders are working with regional neighbors on the country’s western, northern, and southern borders to develop new rail and sea links. NYT

At the world’s largest shipyard, US courts an ally to face up to China: WSJ reports South Korea offers shipbuilding capacity, know-how and talent that rivals China, but American ships by law must be built in the US.

Japan warns Russia over violating airspace, fires flares for first time: WSJ reports Japanese jet fighters fired warning flares at a Russian military reconnaissance plane that violated Japan’s airspace, the first time Tokyo has taken such an aggressive stance against incursions of its airspace.

Reuters: Iran's Guards ban communications devices after strike on Hezbollah

The vast Hezbollah arsenal awaiting Israel in Lebanon: WSJ reports if a full-scale war comes to Lebanon, Israel will be fighting on Hezbollah’s turf and its advantages in technology and intelligence won’t be as decisive.

WSJ: Israeli strikes on Hezbollah targets kill nearly 500

Biden works against the clock as violence escalates in the Middle East: NYT reports President Biden is beginning to acknowledge that he is simply running out of time to help forge a cease-fire and hostage deal with Hamas, his aides say. And the risk of a wider war has never looked greater.

Sadness and dread as the next Lebanon war looms: The law of unintended consequences has always played a role in conflicts in the Middle East.  David Ignatius

Pentagon to send more US troops to Middle East as tensions rise: WP reports Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, declined to say exactly how many troops were deploying, citing operational security.

Meta’s Nick Clegg tears into Rishi Sunak’s AI doomerism: The Meta exec and former deputy PM said Britain had “wasted a huge amount of time” focusing on the gloomy risks of artificial intelligence. Politico

Tech giants push to dilute Europe's AI Act: Reuters reports the world's biggest technology companies have embarked on a final push to persuade the European Union to take a light-touch approach to regulating artificial intelligence as they seek to fend off the risk of billions of dollars in fines.

Italy’s UniCredit trades blows with Berlin over Commerzbank: WSJ reports Germany’s chancellor decried “unfriendly attacks” on banks after UniCredit moved to raise its stake in the lender.

Satellite footage suggests Russia ICBM launch test was a disaster: WP reports the apparent launch failure raised questions about Russia’s military capabilities and put in a dent in the Kremlin’s nuclear saber-rattling.

López Obrador changed Mexico — but not in the ways he promised: The president’s support for the working poor was wildly popular. But he left much of his predecessors’ policies in place, and corruption, violence and impunity remain rampant. WP

G+M: Trudeau to be guest on ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ during New York visit

The US Commerce Department is planning to reveal proposed rules that would ban Chinese- and Russian-made hardware and software for connected vehicles as soon as Monday, said people familiar with the matter. The Biden Administration’s primary concern is preventing China or Russia from hacking vehicles or tracking cars by intercepting communication with software systems that their domestic companies have created.

Russia, Iran use AI to boost anti-US influence campaigns, officials say: American intelligence officials say Moscow’s efforts, aimed mostly at undermining Harris, are the most aggressive. WP

America’s crisis of deterrence: How to adapt an old theory to new realities. Carter Malkasian

What was the Biden Doctrine? Leadership without hegemony. Jessica T. Mathews

Biden’s foreign policy goals slip as clock ticks: Biden’s top foreign policy priority right now is a Gaza cease-fire deal. That’s not looking likely. Politico

Today: Biden will deliver remarks at the United Nations General Assembly. 

Wednesday: Biden will participate in a meeting with Tô Lâm, president of Vietnam and general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. 

Thursday: Biden will hold a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The US lost the battery race to China. Can it make a comeback? Peter Coy

US pitches ban on Chinese tech in driverless and connected vehicles: WP reports officials also flag Russia, cite risk of spying and sabotage.

Electronic warfare spooks airlines, pilots, and air-safety officials: Hundreds of daily flights around the world are running into GPS spoofing, a hazard that poses new risks for pilots and passengers. WSJ

***  US Politics + Elections ***

Trump shows signs of strength in Sun Belt battlegrounds, polls find: New polls from The New York Times and Siena College showed Donald J. Trump ahead in Arizona and leading in tight races in Georgia and North Carolina. NYT

+ Trump 50%, Harris 45% in Arizona … Trump 49%, Harris 45% in Georgia … Trump 49%, Harris 47% in North Carolina.

WI-POTUS: A new Wisconsin Watch/MassINC poll in Wisconsin finds Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump, 53% to 46%.

+ Three former chairs of the Maine Republican Party “enthusiastically” endorsed Kamala Harris for president in the Bangor Daily News.

Mapping 8 paths to victory for Harris and Trump in the 2024 election: Five likely scenarios based on the candidates’ current standing in the polls and three less likely scenarios, including a tie in the electoral college. WP

AJC: Georgia is key to the Southern strategies of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump

Vice President Kamala Harris vowed to help grow investment in artificial intelligence and crypto if elected, pitching her economic agenda to donors in New York City on Sunday as one that would bolster innovation and focus regulations on protecting consumers and investors.

Why every campaign needs a Tim Walz: Finding someone who can reassure important voter blocs is a key part of any successful election bid. Stephen Bush

Trump and his campaign enter turbulent phase in final weeks: Whatever control and self-restraint helped launch Trump’s third presidential campaign have largely disappeared. WP

Trump issues fresh trade threats, targeting Deere: WSJ reports the Republican presidential nominee called for a 200% tariff on goods made in Mexico that were previously made in the US.

Bloomberg: Trump dangles so many tax breaks even some advisers are confused

+ GOP nominee’s tax pledged are direct appeals to voting blocs

+ Former president’s tax wish list has ballooned to $11 trillion

Vance preps for VP debate with help from his wife, advisers and a Minnesota stand-in for Walz: Rep. Tom Emmer and Usha Vance are among those helping the Ohio senator prepare for the vice presidential debate, a source involved with the process told NBC News.

JD Vance has turned to a Minnesota Republican to help him prepare for the debate: NYT reports Donald J. Trump’s running mate invited Representative Tom Emmer to stand in for his fellow Minnesotan, Gov. Tim Walz, ahead of the vice-presidential debate next month.

CNN: Melania Trump was paid for a rare appearance at a political event. It’s not clear who cut the unusual six-figure check

US election merchandise sellers hit by flood of cheap Chinese competition: US manufacturers say wrongly-labelled online goods are eroding their election-year hopes. FT

TX-SEN: A new Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation poll in Texas finds Ted Cruz (R) just ahead of Colin Allred (D) in the US Senate race, 48% to 45%.

In critical Ohio Senate race, crypto cash looks to tip the scales: The industry has spent over $38 million on ads touting Bernie Moreno, the GOP candidate, as it looks to send new allies to Washington in 2024. WP

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) is making moves to be the next leader of the Senate Democratic campaign arm following the November elections, Axios has learned.

FTC head Lina Khan fighting Big Tech, Big Pharma, and Big Groceries as trustbuster 60 Minutes

Google emails show unease over advertising dominance: At antitrust trial, Justice Department argues internal company communications support its claims of illegal monopolization. WSJ

Lobbying for unfettered innovation is bad for democracy: Lawmakers should resist the efforts of Big Tech to protect its own interests. Marietje Schaake

US inquiry into NYC mayor’s foreign ties said to include 6 countries: NYT reports federal prosecutors investigating Mayor Eric Adams and his campaign’s ties to Turkey issued subpoenas in July for records related to 5 other countries.

WUNC: Nearly all of Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson's campaign staff quits after CNN report

Mark Robinson’s porn site scandal greeted with shrugs by some Trump backers: WP reports the revelations surrounding the NC gubernatorial candidate mark a test of voters’ tolerance for disturbing allegations in the Trump era.

LAT: Newsom signs California bill to limit ‘addictive’ social media feeds for kids

California sues Exxon, alleges plastics deception: WSJ reports the state’s attorney general accused the oil company of misleading consumers about the recyclability of plastic products. It’s seeking civil penalties.

How Tim Miller and The Bulwark became 2024’s unlikely YouTube stars Semafor

Duel of the TikTok boys: MAGA’s John McEntee vs. comic Walter Masterson: They argue, while eating, without ever meeting. John and Walter needle each other — and need each other. WP

*** Disruption + Innovation ***

World’s biggest banks pledge support for nuclear power: FT reports financial institutions including BofA, Morgan Stanley and Goldman back COP28 goal of tripling capacity by 2050.

For now, there’s only one good way to power AI: Chatbots are saving America’s nuclear industry. Matteo Wong

LinkedIn is training AI on you — unless you opt out with this setting: The professional network now by default grants itself permission to use anything you post to train its artificial intelligence. WP

Speaking Saturday at the UN Summit of the Future, Google CEO Sundar Pichai described AI as “the most transformative technology yet” and announced a new fund for AI education and training around the world.

Jony Ive confirms he’s working on a new device with OpenAI: The Verge reports the confirmation comes in a major New York Times profile about what Ive’s been up to since leaving Apple.

After Apple, Jony Ive is building an empire of his own: Five years after leaving Apple, the iPhone designer is forging a new life in San Francisco, one imaginative building at a time. NYT

Lionsgate, studio behind ‘John Wick,’ signs deal with AI startup Runway: Hollywood studio will give the tech company access to its library of movies and shows in exchange for a custom-built AI model. WSJ

An outsider critiqued Meta’s smart glasses. Now she’s in charge of them: Li-Chen Miller is helping lead the social network’s push toward Zuckerberg’s augmented reality ambitions. Bloomberg

Huawei laptop reveals China’s progress towards tech self-sufficiency: A look inside the bestselling Qingyun L540 shows how the campaign to use locally made components is progressing. FT

Microsoft CEO to cyber team: Don’t tell me how great everything is: Nadella is holding weekly meetings to assess efforts to shore up software resilience after a series of embarrassing hacks. Bloomberg

How to keep Uber and Lyft rides affordable and make drivers happy: In the absence of federal legislation for app-based drivers, US cities and states have turned into gig-economy battlegrounds. Is there a better way? Bloomberg

BMW's sales in China took a 42% dip in August, with only 34,800 units sold compared to last year.

AP: Motel 6 sold to Indian hotel operator Oyo for $525 million

*** Culture ***

A day inside Delta’s new ultra-exclusive lounge: Our travel columnist plunked down $1,300 for a business class plane ticket to try out the Delta One Lounge at JFK. WSJ

Rick Astley: ‘I’m not oblivious to how amazing all this is’: He’s the ‘one-hit wonder’ who made so much money he could retire at 27. Now, thanks to a freak moment in internet history, Rick Astley has found a whole new generation of fans who are never gonna give him up. He tells Hadley Freeman about Smiths covers and surviving a violent childhood. The Times

*** Sport ***

Coach Prime doesn’t have the best college football team. He does have the best college football player. Colorado two-way sensation and Heisman hopeful Travis Hunter saves an overtime victory. Boulder is rocking for its Buffaloes once again. Jason Gay


Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc 

Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal