Caracal Daily | November 7

Caracal Daily | November 7

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 Thursday.

Here’s today’s Caracal Daily:

*** Ross Rant ***

The battle lines of Election 2024 - Bro Culture versus Girl Code

The cultural divide in American politics took an intriguing turn, with influential media personalities signaling where they stand. 

Joe Rogan, the voice of podcast nation and a symbol of what some call "bro culture," threw his support behind Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Oprah Winfrey, a longtime champion of women's empowerment and an iconic media figure, voiced her backing for Kamala Harris.

These endorsements reflected something deeper than traditional political alignments.

They represented two distinct cultural currents flowing through American society: the rise of masculinity-focused media and political messaging on one side, and the growing influence of women's perspectives and leadership on the other.

I framed this cultural dynamic as a "Bro Culture versus Girl Code" narrative.

What's clear from the 2024 election result is campaigning at the national level isn't just about policy positions – it's about competing visions of American identity and values playing out in our social media feeds and picnic table conversations.

The American political world, as you know it, is no more.

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc

*** Globalization + Geopolitics ***

Biden team prepares to rush last-minute aid to Ukraine: Politico reports the White House wants to rush more weapons to Ukraine, but the next president could halt the shipments.

North Korean troops in Europe marks turning point: What we need is the political commitment to stay the course for the long haul. Mark Rutte

Ukrainian soldiers learning Korean as they face Kim Jong-un’s troops: Russia has brought in 11,000 untested North Korean troops to join its soldiers on the front line in a move that Kyiv has described as a serious test of resolve. The Times

In Trump victory, Netanyahu sees himself as ‘the great winner’: WP reports across Israel, a country battered by its longest-ever war and roiled by internal crises, many breathed a sigh of relief after Trump’s sweeping triumph.

Bloomberg: Australian ambassador to US Rudd deletes posts critical of Trump

+ Ex-PM Rudd was previously highly critical of president-elect

+ Rudd said he deleted social media posts to avoid confusion

Trump win heralds higher tariffs for Asian businesses: Nikkei reports from China to Japan, the Philippines to India, nations prepare for more volatility.

Asia braces for steep China tariffs in second Trump term: FT reports the former president has outlined plans to revive trade war with Beijing and questioned backing for Taiwan.

Why Trump tariffs pose a bigger threat to China’s economy this time Reuters

What Trump 2.0 means for tech at home and abroad: US-China tech rivalry to continue and crypto racks up big gains. Nikkei

In some areas of military strength, China has surpassed America: The modernization of the PLA is proceeding at an extraordinary pace. Economist

China to execute spy who gave away state secrets: The Ministry of State Security has taken the rare step of announcing the sentencing of the man named only as Zhang. The Times

China has detained senior AstraZeneca executive: WSJ reports the drugmaker says China chief Leon Wang was cooperating with a probe.

AstraZeneca says its China president is being held in custody: The Times reports the company believes the arrest is separate to the sentencing of about 100 former employees for alleged insurance fraud.

AstraZeneca’s top China executive detained by authorities: FT reports the pharmaceutical group confirms four other current and ex-executives investigated, in addition to Leon Wang.

The new investment superpower outflanking China and the US in Africa: The United Arab Emirates has poured billions of dollars into mines, ports, and other projects. WSJ

Big Oil’s dirty legacy in Nigeria: Who will clean up the environmental mess when Shell and others pull out of the Niger Delta? FT

German governing coalition collapses, adding upheaval in uncertain moment: WP reports Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired his finance minister and announced a confidence vote that is widely expected to fail and pave the way to early elections in the spring.

Germany’s ruling coalition collapses after finance minister sacked: The Times reports Olaf Scholz, the chancellor, dismissed Christian Lindner after weeks of clashes over the future of the country’s economy.

Germany’s coalition collapses, leaving the government teetering: NYT reports after months of disputes, Chancellor Olaf Scholz ousted one of his governing partners, adding to the challenges for Europe amid Donald Trump’s election.

German coalition government collapses as Scholz sacks his finance minister: FT reports the departure of Christian Lindner marks the end of the country’s unpopular three-party administration.

Irish PM Harris plans to hold general election on November 29: FT reports the 38-year-old coalition government leader hopes to capitalise on bumper corporate tax receipts.

What a Trump presidency means for Starmer: Victory for Trump will have significant consequences for trade, the economy, defense, climate change, and more. The Times

Sir Keir Starmer ‘impressed’ by US ambassador and extends her term: The Times reports Dame Karen Pierce successfully navigated Donald Trump’s final year in power in 2020.

UK will legislate against AI risks in next year, pledges Kyle: Science secretary says voluntary accord with developers of fast-evolving technology is ‘working.’ FT

UK government launches new AI safety platform for businesses: Science and tech secretary Peter Kyle wants country to be global leader in testing safety of new technology. FT

US backs Argentina’s fight against asset seizures in $16bn court case: FT reports the letter says that allowing claimants to take over Buenos Aires’s stake in energy company YPF would implicate ‘important foreign policy interests.’

Triple trouble awaits Mexico if Donald Trump wins: He detests its trade surplus, drug gangs, and migrant flows. Economist

Trump’s Pentagon overhaul: 8 policy changes he’s expected to make: Expect the next commander in chief to quickly undo Biden-era policies. Politico

Trump win complicates Biden’s lame-duck foreign policy: From Ukraine to Gaza, Donald Trump’s unilateral and unpredictable tendencies could embolden both allies and enemies. WP

Biden team debates how to ‘Trump-proof’ foreign policy: The expectation is that the president-elect won’t hesitate to reverse any last-minute Biden moves. Politico

Allies fret over Trump presidency as authoritarian axis challenges US-led order: Western capitals brace for White House shifts on trade and security as cooperation among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea deepens. WSJ

Trump’s new world order: A stunning victory that will radically alter America’s role. FT - Editorial

Welcome to Trump’s world: His sweeping victory will shake up everything. Economist

Trump’s new world order is messier than ever: The reelection of team MAGA mints a fresh crop of winners and losers — both globally and closer to home. Jessica Karl

***  US Politics + Elections ***

AP: 'We’re going to fix everything': Donald Trump elected to second term as US president in striking political comeback

+ "America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate," Trump said at a victory speech in Florida.

WP: Trump, allies prepare to take power

NYT: In Trump’s win, GOP sees signs of a new coalition

Trump has humiliated his foes: We are in for a new chapter of Trump’s career, and a new chapter in the American presidency. John Harris

How Donald Trump found his footing and fought his way back to the White House: The inside story of the former president’s messy, offensive, and remarkable defeat of Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, and his political foes. WP

Once again, America needs to deal with Donald Trump: The former president has defied the odds one last time. America will simply need to get on with it. Michael R. Bloomberg

ABC News: Biden congratulates Trump in phone call, invites him to meeting at White House

WSJ: Dow gains 1,508 points on Trump win

Harris concedes but says ‘fight that fueled this campaign’ endures: WP reports the vice president addressed the nation from her alma mater, Howard University, in her first public appearance since Donald Trump won the presidential race.

Le Monde: Harris delivers uplifting concession speech following defeat to Trump: 'Don't ever give up'

FT: Harris concedes to Trump but urges supporters to ‘never give up’

Harris says she concedes the election, but not her fight: Her commitment to a peaceful transfer of power was more than President-elect Trump ever offered to President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris after they defeated him in 2020. NYT

Why Kamala Harris lost the election: Harris refused to make a clean break from the last four years. Politico

What Trump understood, and Harris did not: The former and future president got one big thing right. David A. Graham

The reason Kamala Harris lost Ross Clark

+ "For the record – I was completely wrong about Kamala Harris. It is heartbreaking that Trump is now the President." -- Rory Stewart’s mea culpa after his prediction that Harris would win the election by a large margin.

What next for Kamala Harris, the high-flyer who fell at the last hurdle? After a 35-year career of shrewd political moves, the US vice president has called Donald Trump to concede defeat in the 2024 election. The Times

The scramble is on to fill out Trump’s cabinet: President-elect’s transition team sorts through spreadsheets as allies float names. WSJ

President-elect’s team already eyeing contenders for top appointments: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Vivek Ramaswamy are among those being considered for cabinet positions, according to people familiar with the deliberations. WP

Who will run Donald Trump’s new administration? The new US president is expected to prize loyalty in his picks for key posts. FT

Elon Musk’s gamble on Donald Trump pays off: Billionaire chief of Tesla and X looks set to take up influential adviser role in White House. FT

WSJ: Republicans poised to keep control of House after winning Senate

+ Sweep of Congress would put GOP in strong position to enact Trump’s agenda

An emboldened GOP Senate majority is ready to empower Trump: With a decisive margin in the Senate, Republicans, who have shown their willingness to accommodate President-elect Donald J. Trump, will have the numbers to overcome divisions over his personnel and policy agenda. NYT

OH-SEN: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine will have a Senate appointment to make.

Robots are taking over low-skilled jobs — and changing votes: Automation is reducing job mobility for low-skilled workers, which can influence political preferences, according to research from Wharton’s Pinar Yildirim. K@W

What Big Tech CEOs want from a second Trump presidency: Leaders of Silicon Valley’s giants hope for a more permissive attitude on deals, antitrust, and AI in the next administration. FT

AI advocates see Trump re-election as industry boost but urge caution on policy Emerge

+ A priority of the next administration will be protecting the US’s position as an international AI leader, an issue Trump has promised.

+ The Center for AI Policy, a research organization that works to “mitigate catastrophic risks from AI,” warned the new administration against moving too fast.

“While there is certainly room to improve on the Biden AI executive order, a careless or hasty repeal could negatively affect the consistency and rigor of safety testing across the AI industry,” the group said in a statement emailed to Decrypt.

NYT: Bitcoin surges to record as crypto investors cheer Trump win

CNBC: Bitcoiners celebrate as $40 million campaign brings down Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown

+ Republican Bernie Moreno, a blockchain entrepreneur, won the Ohio Senate race, knocking off Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown

+ "This is what happens when you mess with the crypto army." -- Crypto twin Cameron Winklevoss celebrates the victory of blockchain entrepreneur Bernie Moreno, new Senator-elect for Ohio, in a post on X.

Crypto politics: Liberals’ and Conservatives’ confidence in cryptocurrencies: New research from Wharton marketing experts is helping to clarify what factors drive confidence in cryptocurrencies, despite the price swings, bank failures, and PR challenges. K@W

TI: TikTok sees Trump victory as app’s best hope

+ @JeffBezos: Big congratulations to our 45th and now 47th President on an extraordinary political comeback and decisive victory. No nation has bigger opportunities. Wishing  @realDonaldTrump all success in leading and uniting the America we all love.

Trump’s victory is a major win for Elon Musk and big-money politics: The candidate largely let the billionaire run his $175 million ground game — a gamble that future candidates could look to emulate. NYT

Trump’s victory is a major win for Elon Musk and big-money politics: NYT reports the candidate largely let the billionaire run his $175 million ground game — a gamble that future candidates could look to emulate.

WP: Musk announces plans to push GOP candidates in 2026 midterms and beyond

On Prime Video, Brian Williams hosted an election night fever dream: The former NBC News anchor’s deeply strange (and ambitious) livestream captured the surrealism of the night. WP

*** Disruption + Innovation ***

Recent breakthroughs in AI promise to improve employee productivity: Gallup finds that employees who use AI are using it most for idea generation (41%), information consolidation (39%), and task automation (39%). Employees who use AI also report that they find it helpful for their work. Nearly half of employees (45%) say that their productivity and efficiency in their role have improved because of AI.

A battle is raging over the definition of open-source AI: Companies that bet on the right one could win big. Economist

Big Tech goes bananas on AI spending: BI reports the AI frenzy shows no signs of slowing among the tech giants: Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft are expected to invest about $300 billion in the tech next year, according to Morgan Stanley. The bank said the spending spree is driven by generative AI and large-language model opportunities.

If Your tattoo was designed by AI, does it have a soul? Ink enthusiasts are divided over whether using artificial intelligence to design body art is fair game or taboo; ‘It’s like doing sports on steroids.’ WSJ

Mozilla is cutting 30% of staff. 

New Starbucks CEO scouted cafes before taking over: What he’s tackling first: WSJ reports Brian Niccol is focusing on cafe operations and company affairs as he seeks quick change.

*** Culture ***

Montanans are ready for “Yellowstone” to end: The hit series brought Montana to the masses—and the masses to Montana. Economist

At business schools, more women are getting MBAs: Bloomberg reports the number of female students enrolled has increased 13% over the last four years.

*** Sport ***

Bob Costas thought he lost a step. He was still as good as it gets. The sports broadcasting legend is retiring from baseball play-by-play duties. John Feinstein

When running 250 miles is the easy part: A man with autism, his devoted mother, and a seemingly endless race. A story of resilience and love. NYT

Bloomberg: Raygun, Australian Olympic breakdancer, to retire after ‘upsetting’ experience


Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc 

Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal