Assault, Stunned, Limit, Accelerating, Signs Off, Floods
Marc Ross Daily
March 27, 2018
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross
Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia
Marc Ross Daily = Global Business News at the Intersection of Politics + Policy + Profits
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TOP FIVE
✔️ World order is under assault from the powers that built it
✔️ Synchronized expulsions leave Moscow stunned
✔️ FCC joins push to limit China’s telecom reach
✔️ Mall mergers are accelerating in the age of Amazon
✔️ Twitter cracks down on cryptocurrency ads
GEOECONOMICS
World order is under assault from the powers that built it: NYT reports, since the end of World War II, the victorious powers have promoted, trade, democracy and collective security. Now, that order is under threat. https://goo.gl/6eES4T
NYT: With a wave of expulsions, US and allies punish Russia
Bloomberg: Synchronized expulsions leave Moscow stunned
Trump ordered 60 Russian officials to leave the country, joining a coordinated campaign by two dozen countries to retaliate for the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Britain.
The expulsions on Monday included 48 officials operating under the Russian Embassy in Washington.
WSJ: US, South Korea strike trade deal; Seoul exempt from steel tariffs
China’s central bank sends yuan surging: WSJ reports, China’s central bank guided the yuan to its strongest level against the US dollar since its surprise devaluation more than 2½ years ago on Tuesday.
FCC joins push to limit China’s telecom reach: NYT reports, the Federal Communications Commission is joining the Trump administration, Congress and other government agencies that have targeted Huawei, China’s giant telecommunications equipment maker, as a national security risk. Ajit Pai, chairman of the commission, on Monday, proposed a rule to tighten restrictions on companies building internet infrastructure in the United States. Part of the rule’s impact may be to further crimp Huawei’s meager sales in America by potentially affecting some deals with small and rural carriers, analysts said. https://goo.gl/9swiKg
US tariffs look to torpedo China world leadership hopes: FT reports, the Trump administration’s ambiguous plans to impose tariffs on up to $60bn in annual imports from China have left companies in the country guessing whether their products will end up on Washington’s list. But behind the tariffs is what analysts consider to be a broader objective from the White House to disrupt a high-level Chinese strategy, called “Made in China 2025”, that aims to make a number of companies world leaders in sectors such as robotics, semiconductors, aviation, and computing.
China ‘open’ to talks with US amid spiraling tariff spat: AP reports, China’s government said Monday it is open to negotiating with Washington amid a spiraling tariff dispute following a news report American officials have submitted a list of market-opening requests. A foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, didn’t confirm the report by The Wall Street Journal but said at a regular briefing, “Our door for dialogue and discussion is always open.”
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un leaves Beijing after surprise visit: SCMP reports, security at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and Beijing railway station quickly returned to normal on Tuesday afternoon after the distinctive green train carrying North Korean leader Kim Jong-un set off on its return journey to Pyongyang.
Beijing shrouded in security, speculation over mystery North Korean guest: Reuters, with Beijing under heavy security as a mystery North Korean delegation visited the Chinese capital, internet users scrambled to stay a step ahead of censors on Tuesday as China's tightly controlled state media remained silent. Videos circulated on popular messaging app WeChat on Monday evening of a motorcade traveling around Beijing including clips of cars entering Beijing's Diaoyutai State Guest House. One car, a stretch Mercedes limousine, was believed to be transporting a senior North Korean official, possibly leader Kim Jong Un.
AMERICAN POLITICS
‘The speaker is not resigning’: WP reports, Ryan’s office dismisses GOP lawmaker’s rumor: WP reports, Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) sparked the latest round of speculation about Paul Ryan's future with a “rumor mill” remark about the speaker resigning within 60 days.
LAT: Does a rash of GOP retirements portend a Democratic wave in November? https://goo.gl/LZeuRv
Suburban voters angry with Trump threaten GOP’s grip on House: WP reports, many of the most competitive seats in this year’s midterms are in bedroom communities near Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Washington and other Democratic cities.
Stormy Daniels' interview on 60 Minutes drew 21 million viewers.
WSJ: Arizona governor suspends Uber’s self-driving cars from roads
ENTERPRISE
US, states step up pressure on Facebook: WSJ reports, US government officials ratcheted up pressure on Facebook Inc. on Monday over its handling of user data, with federal regulators saying they are investigating the social-media giant’s privacy policies and 37 state attorneys general demanding explanations of its practices.
FTC opens probe into Facebook privacy practices: FT reports, social network facing fines of $40,000 per violation per day if found in breach of 2011 pact.
The Times: Zuckerberg snubs MPs on data scandal inquiry
Apple will announce a new, low-cost iPad today, aimed at schools.
Bob Pickard: Dear CEOs in crisis: Here’s how to avoid a Zuckerberg-esque ‘PR disaster’ https://goo.gl/pCJHkY
Trump’s tariff crusade hardly matters for US automakers in China: Bloomberg reports, auto workers in the US hoping President Donald Trump’s tougher approach to China will help create jobs at home and cut the trade deficit by $100 billion may be in for a huge disappointment. Companies such as General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. are among companies that already make cars in China with domestic partners for the local buyer, not only to avoid the 25 percent import duty but also to take advantage of lower costs. GM’s partners in China include SAIC Motor Corp., while Ford has tied up with Changan Automobile Group and holds a stake in Jiangling Motors Corp.
AdAge: P.F. Chang's aims to be the American bistro of Shanghai
#Gumption
Bloomberg: Mall mergers are accelerating in the age of Amazon
NYT: Grocery wars turn small chains into battlefield casualties https://goo.gl/4Qspeh
94 stores = Number of Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo grocery stores that will be closed when its parent company files for bankruptcy.
Amazon: The making of a giant: WSJ reports, Amazon has grown into a $178 billion-a-year revenue business with online retail, a dominant cloud-services business, a grocery chain and a Hollywood studio. Here is how it happened. https://goo.gl/Gxypc6
Amazon partners with French supermarket giant Monoprix: AFP reports, shopping for high-end groceries in France may be about to get a little easier.
The Westfield Death Star destroys its rivals: Shoppers are spending less on things and making fewer purchases in bricks and mortar stores.
FT - Brooke Masters
Twitter cracks down on cryptocurrency ads: FT reports, social media sites are under pressure to protect consumers from online scams.
Bloomberg: Carlyle buys Akzo Nobel’s chemicals unit for $12.5 Billion
TRENDS
Dockless bike share floods cities, with rides and clutter: WSJ reports, Dallas has become ground zero for a nascent national bike-share war, as five startups blanket the city’s streets with at least 18,000 bikes that don’t need docks. But some residents say the resulting abandoned bikes are an aesthetic mess.
HBR: How being a workaholic differs from working long hours — and why that matters for your health https://goo.gl/e5FJDX
CULTURE
RIP: Linda Brown’s exclusion from an all-white school prompted one of the most transformative court proceedings in American history, the 1954 school desegregation case Brown v. Board of Education. She has died at 75.
CBS Sunday Morning: Don Imus signs off: The sun is setting on "Imus in the Morning." Anthony Mason interviews Don Imus, the talk radio personality who is retiring after five decades as a nationally-syndicated humorist and shock jock. https://goo.gl/nqSmpm
SPORT
All chalk: The final four teams in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament are all No. 1 seeds. Connecticut and Notre Dame advanced on Monday to join Louisville and Mississippi State.
538: Everything you need to know about the Final Fourhttps://goo.gl/GvZVdt
Ex-Giant Corey Widmer declines Montana Football Hall of Fame: AP reports, Former New York Giants linebacker and Montana State star Corey Widmer has declined his nomination to the Montana Football Hall of Fame, saying the sport "destroyed my life." Widmer said after numerous concussions he fears he suffers from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease. He has depression, memory problems, suffers from mood swings and seeks to isolate himself. Recently, he said, his thumb has started twitching.
WP - Steven Goff: Goodbye, Columbus. You didn’t deserve to be abandoned by the Crew. https://goo.gl/UyDTGa
