Jerusalem, China, ‘The Silence Breakers’, Ford, SoulCycle, International Olympic Committee

Caracal Business Insider | Daily
December 6, 2017
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross

Caracal Business Insider: Politics + Policy + Profits

Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia

GEOECONOMICS

Embassy Jerusalem: Trump is poised to reverse decades of policy by declaring Jerusalem Israel’s capital, and moving the US embassy there.

FT: Trump plans to recognise Jerusalem as Israeli capital

Politico: State Department warns of violence ahead of Trump Jerusalem decision

NYT: Emmanuel Macron warns Trump over plan to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital

West Jerusalem is the seat of Israel’s government, but the Palestinians view East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.

The new Gulf war: How Yemen became the most wretched place on earth https://goo.gl/yNYaSF

Brexit Britain's troubled quest to 'Asianize' the Commonwealth: London is struggling to find partners, even in India, where it has focused diplomatic efforts.
Nikkei - Humphrey Hawksley

AFP: Corsican nationalists call for 'real autonomy' but suspend bid for independence

Bitcoin extended its eye-popping rally breaking above $12,000.

US-China Business Council 2017 member survey: Top 10 challenges for American companies in China
 
1.    Competition with Chinese companies
2.    Licenses and approvals
3.    Investment barriers
4.    Uneven enforcement
5.    IPR enforcement
6.    Cybersecurity
7.    Cost increases
8.    US-China relations
9.    Data flow barriers
10.  Capital controls

You can read the full survey here: https://goo.gl/gYK2qg

China’s blurry cyber laws give US tech companies no security: WSJ reports, US-China Business Council survey shows widespread worries about lack of detail on new cyber rules six months since they came into force.

The trade group said 82% of respondents “are concerned about the impact of China’s cyber and data regulations.”

Apple’s Tim Cook: No point yelling at China: WSJ reports, the tech exec defends pulling 674 apps at Beijing’s request, says change can't happen from the sideline.

China pledges 'significant' market opening for foreign investors: Reuters reports, China will “significantly” widen market access for foreign investors, state radio on Wednesday quoted vice premier Wang Yang as saying, following a recent move to raise foreign ownership limits in local financial firms.

China mounts a fresh defense of globalization at an economic forum: Bloomberg reports, China “unequivocally rejects protectionism” and will seek to safeguard the global trading system, a top Communist Party official told visiting executives at an economic development forum. “History shows that no one will benefit from a protectionist approach,” Vice Premier Wang Yang told the Fortune Global Forum in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Wednesday.

Communist China's third era: 2012 to 2035?: Nikkei reports, Xi hangs 'do not disturb' sign as he dreams of belts, roads, and a strong military. https://goo.gl/xaywa4

@TIME: See why Chinese President Xi Jinping was named as a runner-up for TIME's Person of the Year 2017 #TIMEPOY http://ti.me/2ATWJ0i

US trade gap soars as imports from China hit record high: Politico reports, the US trade deficit jumped 8.6 percent in October as imports from China and other suppliers hit a record high ahead of the holiday shopping season, a Commerce Department report released Tuesday showed. The monthly trade gap totaled $48.7 billion, the highest level for a full month since Trump took office on Jan. 20.

News flash - Americans like to buy commodity products that assembled in Asia.

Reuters: B-1B bomber joins US-South Korea drills as tensions escalate

AMERICAN POLITICS

Donald Trump Jr. is scheduled to testify today before the House Intelligence Committee behind closed doors.

NYT: Trump’s backing of Moore points to a GOP issue: Chaos

LAT: In Alabama, Bannon decries GOP leaders as Roy Moore battles rival amid molestation allegations

GOP fractures on Roy Moore’s bid for Alabama Senate seat: WSJ reports, Trump’s endorsement brings new support and funding for a candidate who is accused of sexual misconduct, but other Republicans withhold backing.

‘The Silence Breakers’ are Time’s Person of the Year: NYT reports, first it was a story. Then a moment. Now, two months after women began to come forward in droves to accuse powerful men of sexual harassment and assault, it is a movement. Time magazine has named “the silence breakers” its person of the year for 2017, referring to those women, and the global conversation they have started.

Friday: Trump campaign rally in Pensacola, Florida

LAT: Santa Ana winds roar through Southern California, whipping fires on destructive path

LAT: Ventura County under siege: 'It was like watching Rome burn'

BREAKING: Fast-moving wildfire burns in Bel-Air; 405 Freeway closed near Getty Center

Shutdown coming? Bloomberg reports, a Republican party faction in the US House is raising warnings about federal spending that have left leaders scrambling to avoid a shutdown when government funding runs out Friday.

ENTERPRISE

Google launches Android Oreo (Go Edition), a lightweight version of the OS designed for hardware with less than 1GB of RAM.

Google blocks YouTube on Amazon devices: FT reports, the move is the latest spat in a rare public battle between the two tech groups.

Boom Supersonic raises $10 million of a strategic investment from Japan Airlines. Boom is developing a passenger aircraft capable of Mach 2.2 flight, promising journeys of 3 hours 15 minutes between New York and London - or essentially the time it takes Amtrak's Acela train to move from DC to NYC.

SoulCycle announced it will be stocking exclusive products from fragrance brand Le Labo, best known for its fashion-insider-favorite, Santal 33.

UPS, overwhelmed by online orders, warns of delivery delays: WSJ reports, delivery networks are still trying to cope with the busiest shopping periods despite big investments in operations and capacity.

Disney is said to be nearing a deal to buy significant parts of 21st Century Fox.

Ford set for China tie-up with Alibaba to test online, direct auto sales: Reuters reports, Ford Motor Co is expected to sign as early as Thursday a deal with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd which may allow the U.S. automaker to test selling cars to consumers in China through Alibaba's online retail arm Tmall, as well as via a new “auto vending machine” store concept, according to a Ford source familiar with the matter.

TRENDS

Can this 107-year-old steelmaker be brought back to life? A Brooklyn-born turnaround artist bets he can revive Canada’s Stelco in a market dominated by global behemoths and cheap Asian producers. https://goo.gl/HZ78u7

SoulCycle is betting high fashion will get you spinning: The fancy workout chain has joined up with urban chic purveyor Public School, bringing a whole new level of swank to sweat. https://goo.gl/EzGCDM
 
CULTURE

The Atlantic: Top 25 news photos of 2017 https://goo.gl/MjojnP

Depeche Mode is having one of the most remarkable tours in modern music and its most-successful concert run ever. The band sold 1.27 million tickets through the first nine months of 2017, more than Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber or Bruno Mars.

NYT's best movies of 2017 https://goo.gl/yA1E5h

NYT's best cookbooks of 2017 https://goo.gl/PYrzp1

Bangkok street food eatery earns Michelin star: AFP reports, Jay Fai, named after the 72-year-old proprietor who took over from her father, is located in old Bangkok and features an open-air kitchen known for churning out crab omelets and curries.

A tour of David Rockefeller’s Rolodex: Contacts for the world’s rich and powerful: WSJ reports, Rockefeller kept a 5-foot high custom-built Rolodex with the names, phone numbers, and addresses of about 100,000 people he met over a half-century. It was top secret until now. https://goo.gl/YFYgVs

COTD: Who will be the next Tory leader?

HT ConservativeHome

SPORT

How the NBA is planning to cash in on legalized sports betting: ESPN reports, should the Supreme Court expand legalized sports gambling to New Jersey (and beyond), the NBA is prepared to move quickly and take advantage of a potentially massive revenue stream. https://goo.gl/gKWZvx

Nyet: The International Olympic Committee will ban Russia from the 2018 Winter Olympics

Russia barred from 2018 Winter Olympics due to doping: WSJ reports, some Russian athletes will be able to compete at the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics but by invitation only.

Shanghai Shenhua face tough Asian Champions League: AFP reports, Chinese FA Cup winners Shanghai Shenhua face a tough test in the 2018 Asian Champions League after being drawn Wednesday against top Japanese club Kashima Antlers and Australian A-League leaders Sydney FC.