Axis of Disorder, New World-Trade Order, Burn After Reading, Uber, Detroit Pistons

Caracal Business Insider | Daily
November 10, 2017
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross

Caracal Business Insider: Politics + Policy + Profits

"You've got to win the politics to set the policy to ensure the profits." - Marc A. Ross, founder of Caracal Global.

Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia

GEOECONOMICS

Trump, Xi, Putin, and the axis of disorder
Brookings - Thomas Wright

In Donald Trump, America has a rogue president who has a 30-year track record of opposing key elements of the global order, writes Thomas Wright. Vladimir Putin wants to overthrow the order because he believes it poses a direct threat to his regime. Xi Jinping’s China benefits from the open global economy but he would dearly like to replace the United States as the preeminent power in East Asia.

Trump declares new world-trade order: WSJ reports, Trump delivered a full-throated assertion of economic nationalism, telling a Pacific Rim summit that the U.S. wouldn’t enter into multilateral trade agreements that “tie our hands.” 

Trump demands end to Asia’s ‘chronic trade abuses’: FT reports, US president calls for reciprocity and fairness from leaders of ‘Indo-Pacific’ region.

“We are not going to let the United States be taken advantage of anymore.” 

Canada's PM Justin Trudeau sabotages Trans-Pacific Partnership, shocking leaders: SMH reports, Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has sabotaged a pact to salvage a multibillion-dollar, 11-nation Pacific Rim trade deal at the last minute, surprising leaders of the other nations, including Australia's Malcolm Turnbull. Trudeau failed to show up at a meeting late on Friday that was set to officially revive the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement that had been negotiated on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the Vietnamese coastal city of Danang.

Countering Trump, China's Xi touts cooperation in Asia-Pacific: Reuters reports, Asia-Pacific nations must "uphold multilateralism", Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Friday, countering U.S. President Donald Trump's message at a summit that the United States would stay out of trade deals that surrender its sovereignty.

China to relax curbs on foreign stakes in finance: FT reports, official says foreign and domestic investors to be treated ‘equally’ when buying stakes.

China to give foreigners greater access to the financial sector: WSJ reports, China took a major step in opening up its financial sector, announcing a relaxation of restrictions on foreign ownership in the securities and banking sectors just hours after Trump concluded his visit to Beijing.

Wow. This is a big deal. Obviously more details will be helpful to grasp impact and meaning, but you cannot deny this as a positive development.

Also, massive indication Beijing needs money and has to take cash from outsiders to support its debt fulled rise.

@matt_datha: Downing Street confirms that Theresa May has invited European business leaders to No10 on Monday for a special Brexit summit.

@anthonyjwells: New post: YouGov/Times – CON 40, LAB 43, LDEM 6 http://bit.ly/2Ayv4yb 

'Davos of Africa' aims to spur growth by empowering women: AFP reports, the MEDays Forum – held annually in Tangier – is a meeting of political, economic and social leaders from mainly Mediterranean, African and Arab regions that bills itself as the "Davos of Africa".

The Times: ‘Kremlin dirty tricks’ turn Kenya against UK

"Russia is suspected of spreading disinformation in Kenya by suggesting that the UK has been interfering in the African country’s elections."

AFP: Kremlin-backed RT will register as 'foreign agent' inUS, go to court

Moscow plans ‘restrictions’ on US media working in Russia: WP reports, the move comes after U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that English-language RT satellite news channel is an instrument of the Russian government that pushes anti-American propaganda. RT denies the claim.

AMERICAN POLITICS

Poll: Best movie to represent staff working for Trump administration?

- Burn After Reading
- Goodfellas
- Smokey and the Bandit
- Shawshank Redemption

Flynn probed over alleged plan to send back Turkish cleric: WSJ reports, Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating an alleged plan involving former White House National Security Adviser Mike Flynn to forcibly remove a controversial cleric living in the U.S. and deliver him to Turkey in return for millions of dollars.

GOP faces wrenching call: Running with or away from Trump: Politico reports, the election outcome Tuesday exacerbated tensions within the party over how candidates should position themselves vis-à-vis the president.

WSJ: Senate GOP tax bill delays Trump’s prized corporate cut

Futures down on worries about tax-cut bill delays: Reuters reports, US stock index futures were trading lower on Friday on concerns that a delay in corporate tax cut till 2019 may stall the stock market rally that was powered in part by Donald Trump's election win.

LAT: Honolulu tourists looking at cellphones while crossing the street risk getting a ticket

SEND YOUR WORST EMPLOYEE TO UTAH

Well, maybe not your worst employee.

But how about your most promising? Or your most visionary? Or your most driven?

A few days in Utah mountains with creative, compelling, and curious entrepreneurs and thought-leaders will do them some good.

Secure their spot @ www.thebrigadoon.com
 

ENTERPRISE

Foxy WI: Wisconsin's economic development agency has approved a $3 billion incentives package for Foxconn if it invests $10 billion to build a massive liquid-crystal display plant in the state.

Not today UAW: Workers at an Ohio factory rejected unionization in a litmus test for labor relations at Chinese-owned companies.

Uber suffered a setback in a British court when an appeals tribunal reaffirmed a decision that the company must give its drivers employee rights like paid vacations.

NYT: Uber drivers aren’t independent contractors, UK tribunal rules

Bloomberg: Las Vegas massacre may add more than $1 billion to insurer costs

LinkedIn faces setback in China as it runs afoul of new rules: NYT reports, this week the jobs-and-professional-networking service blocked individuals from advertising jobs on its site in China, after it ran afoul of new government regulations requiring it to verify their real identities, according to a person familiar with the situation. LinkedIn said in a statement that companies can still post job listings, but it did not know when it would again allow individuals to do the same.

Reuters: Bitcoin slides by over $1000 in less than 48 hours

TRENDS

The founder is dead: The cultish obsession with having the original founders of a startup run the company in perpetuity may finally have had its day. 
Wired

Think-and-click: Typing, swiping, and clicking are the norm in 2017. A startup called Neurable wants to replace all of that with simply ... thinking. 
MIT TR

SOTD

The National - 'Day I Die' https://goo.gl/gkYT5y

How am I just discovering The National?!? I wish I had some friends in Cincinnati that could keep me in the loop?!? 

SPORT

World Cup Qualifying:

Saturday

Côte d'Ivoire vs Morocco
Zambia vs Cameroon
Denmark vs Ireland Republic

Sunday

Ghana vs Egypt
Switzerland vs Northern Ireland
Greece vs Croatia

NBA Power Rankings:

1. Golden State Warriors
2. Boston Celtics
3. Houston Rockets
4. Memphis Grizzlies
5. Detroit Pistons

NHL Power Rankings:

1. St. Louis Blues
2. Tampa Bay Lightning
3. Los Angeles Kings
4. Pittsburgh Penguins
5. San Jose Sharks
25. Detroit Red Wings