Cryptocurrencies, Spy Network, Bannon, Olympics, Sammy Hagar, KFC Canada

Caracal Insider Daily
January 17, 2018
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross

Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia

Caracal Insider = Global Business News at the Intersection of Politics + Policy + Profits

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TOP FIVE

✔️ Cryptocurrencies are crashing

✔️ Ex-CIA officer suspected of helping China is arrested

✔️ How China infiltrated US classrooms

✔️ Bannon is subpoenaed

✔️ How the Olympics turned China on to skiing
 

GEOECONOMICS

Bloomberg: Cryptocurrencies are crashing

North Korea behind thecyberattack on cryptocurrency investors: WSJ reports, the hacking offensive’s malware is similar to that used in Pyongyang’s attack on Sony Pictures and its WannaCry ransomware assault, according to researchers.

Bloomberg: China escalates crackdown on cryptocurrency trading

Ex-CIA officer suspected of helping China is arrested: NYT reports, the former officer is suspected of compromising the spy agency’s informants in China, many of whom were killed in a systematic dismantling of the agency’s network there, officials said.

"The collapse of the spy network was one of the American government’s worst intelligence failures in recent years."

"Officials said the number of informants lost in China rivaled losses in the Soviet Union and Russia during the betrayals of both Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen"

SCMP: Chinese state enterprises post record level of profits in 2017

China is working on a new index to put a different spin on trade gap with US: SCMP reports, researchers from Beijing university developing ‘global value chain index’ claim skilled laborers in the US could actually benefit from Chinese exports.

Vanity metrics are just that.

Trump tells Xi US trade deficit with China 'not sustainable': AFP reports, in telephone talks, Trump "expressed disappointment that the United States' trade deficit with China has continued to grow," the White House said in a statement.

Big business is scrambling to conform with China’s worldview: Bloomberg reports, multinational businesses keen for a slice of the world’s fastest-growing consumer market are finding they have to increasingly conform to China’s worldview if they want to stay in Beijing’s good graces. Companies from Marriott International Inc. to Qantas Airways Ltd. are scrambling to fall in line with China’s stance on the treatment of territorial disputes, or risk missing the biggest market opportunity some of them have ever known. 

"Intolerance for slights shows China’s geopolitical clout"

Politico: How China infiltrated US classrooms: Even as they face criticism, Chinese government-run educational institutes have continued their forward march on college campuses across the United States. https://goo.gl/VFWkzg

TOI: At less than 1% of GDP, India's spend on R&D continues to be less than other emerging economies

India's oil imports rose by about 1.8 percent in 2017 to a record 4.37 million barrels per day

Australia takes Canada to WTO over 'wine discrimination': ST reports, Australia Trade Minister Steve Ciobo said the measures included extra taxes, fees and mark-ups on imported wine, separate distribution channels reserved for local wine and restricting the sale of imported wine in grocery stores to a "store within a store".

WSJ: Airbus boss takes aim at Trump’s trade stance

Italy election campaign descends into race row: AFP reports, Italy was gripped by a racism row Tuesday as parties from across the political spectrum weighed in on calls to defend the "white race", sparking anger but also drawing support. Politician Fortilio Fontana from the anti-immigrant Northern League said Italy had a stark choice to make over immigration, propelling the contentious topic to the front and center of the general election campaign.

The Wrong way to pressure China: Too many mergers are being upheld without a clear rationale.
Bloomberg - Michael Schuman

"But there's a right way and a wrong way to pressure China. And from the looks of it, Washington is choosing the wrong way."

AMERICAN POLITICS

Bannon is subpoenaed in Mueller’s Russia investigation: NYT reports, the move marked the first time Mr. Mueller is known to have used a grand jury subpoena to seek information from a member of Trump’s inner circle. 

Hicks to the Hill: White House Communications Director Hope Hicks is expected to meet with the House Intelligence Committee as soon as this week as part of the panel's Russia investigation.

WSJ: White House doctor calls Trump’s health ‘excellent’

AFP: Trump's doctor says president 'healthy,' has no cognitive issues

WP: How close will California get to an all-Democratic House delegation in 2018? https://goo.gl/hRXVJW

Dave Chappelle on bringing Chinese jobs back to Americahttps://goo.gl/EFhVdt

Chelsea Manning will run for the US Senate in Maryland. 

LAT: Cost of California bullet train jumps by $2.8 billion just in the Central Valley

The Hill: Wisconsin-Foxconn deal could cost public $4.5 billion

ENTERPRISE

GE may break itself up, chief executive says: WSJ reports, General Electric's chief executive said the company was considering breaking apart after disclosing more problems buried in one of its major units. John Flannery, who took over as CEO last summer, said the company was exploring separating its major division into individually traded units, a shift from decades of deals that once made GE the most valuable company in the U.S

Reuters: Uber to introduce mandatory rest breaks for UK drivers

Scott Galloway on Facebook’s allegiance https://goo.gl/pfssNk

Reuters: Health-conscious Nestle sells US candy to Ferrero for $2.8 billion

KFC Canada now accepts Bitcoin for buckets of chickenhttps://goo.gl/YCKAQS

TRENDS

Found on Instagram, sold on Alibaba: Even the smallest brands are now the victims of counterfeiting: LAT reports, Team Dream is a small business by most any measure. The quirky cycling apparel brand has just five employees. It produces only about 100 pieces of each garment and operates out of a converted gas station in San Marino, where a closet-sized nook doubles as both a fulfillment center and R&D lab.

Detroit’s startup scene is exploding and here are the numbers to prove it https://goo.gl/iBb7TT

"Detroit has 50% more venture-backed startups than it did three years ago."

Top 18 tech trends at CES 2018 https://goo.gl/cr7mkz

CULTURE

LAT: Hip-hop’s television takeover https://goo.gl/L6YcCU

Sammy Hagar: Content marketing /bundling / brands / pricing power: Tren Griffin writes, why am I writing about Sammy Hagar? The answer is simple: because he has been a very successful business founder in addition to being a rock and roll star. To become an effective learning machine you will benefit from acquiring knowledge from as many sources as possible, including unconventional sources. https://goo.gl/9v59Fk

Inside one of America’s last pencil factorieshttps://goo.gl/4J1oBr

SPORT

How the Olympics turned China on to skiing: Outside reports, behold the astonishing explosion of alpine sports in the People’s Republic as directed, promoted, and financed by the Communist Party in the run-up to the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

Face-down, head-first, 90 miles an hour on the ice: NPR reports, Olympic skeleton racers' chins rest an inch or two above the ice. "Obviously, you don't want your face scraping across the ice 'cause it does slow you down," says one. "But it also doesn't feel good."

Army challenges Vegas Golden Knights hockey team over its name: Army Times reports, the US Army is officially challenging the Vegas Golden Knights more than a year after the hockey team revealed its name.