European Union, Jim Yong Kim, Taiwan, CBD, Amazon, Clemson

Caracal Global Daily
January 8, 2019
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross

Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia 

Caracal Global Daily  = News + Analysis at the Intersection of Globalization + Disruption + Politics

TOP FIVE

✔️ Team Trump demotes European Union to an international organization

✔️ Could a Chinese-made Metro car spy on us?

✔️ Hype about CBD

✔️ What happens when live-streams become the new fireside chat?

✔️ The Sopranos debuted twenty years ago

ROSS RANT

“Happy the nation whose people have not forgotten how to rebel.” -R.H. Tawney 

GLOBALIZATION

Team Trump demotes European Union from a member state to an international organization: The Trump administration downgraded the diplomatic status of the European Union’s delegation to the United States last year without making a formal announcement or informing the bloc about the change.

World Bank meets America First: Jim Yong Kim unexpectedly resigned, setting up a potential dispute between the US and other World Bank member countries over selecting the next leader.

Greg Ip: The world is getting quietly, relentlessly better

"Poverty around the world is plummeting; half the world is now middle class; and illiteracy, disease, and deadly violence are receding."

"For most of recorded history humanity lived on the brink of starvation. As recently as 1980 nearly half the world lived in “extreme poverty,” that is, consuming less than the basic necessities."

Brexit vote: The Commons will vote on Theresa May’s deal on Tuesday, January 15 or Wednesday, January 16. May still looks likely to lose the vote next week, with many Conservative MPs firmly opposed to the backstop arrangement she has agreed.

UK, European officials discussing possible Brexit delay: British and European officials are discussing the possibility of extending the formal exit process from the European Union amid fears a Brexit deal will not be approved by March 29, The Daily Telegraph reported, citing unidentified sources.

Frankfurt real estate market booming as Brexit looms.

OTD: In 1815, Gen. Andrew Jackson led American troops to victory over the British in the last major conflict of the War of 1812.

‘We’ll see how frightened America is’ — Chinese admiral says sinking US carriers key to dominating South China Sea: Navy Times reports, another Beijing official has sounded off about the communist nation’s perceived dominance of the South China Sea region, this time coming as an alarming threat of inflicting mass casualties on the US Navy. 

Beijing ‘will keep military pressure on Taiwan after Xi Jinping’s call for unification: SCMP reports, Beijing is unlikely to reduce its military pressure on Taiwan despite Chinese President Xi Jinping’s call on Wednesday for “peaceful reunification”, analysts said. 

AFP: US, China hold more trade talks overshadowed by Kim visit

Could a Chinese-made Metro car spy on us? Many experts say yes.: WP reports, Congress, the Pentagon and others are worried about Beijing’s takeover of the US transit rail car market. The China Railway Rolling Stock Corp. has won four large US transit rail car contracts since 2014 and is expected to be a strong contender for a Metro contract.

"Much of economics is about how one part of the economy is doing compared to other parts of the economy. In 2018, the global economy did almost exactly what it was expected to do, but markets were volatile. This was because politics threatened the economics that matter to large companies, without doing much overall economic damage." -- Paul Donovan of UBS 

DISRUPTION

Neutrogena is set to introduce 3D-printed, customized face masks in Q3 2019.

CPG AI: New products developed by P&G include a toothbrush that provides personalized feedback and a tool that offers skin-care advice.

WP: Is the hype about CBD, or cannabidiol, real? 

POLITICS

Election 2020: Rep. Beto O’Rourke is asking aides to create an itinerary for a solo road trip outside Texas where he would meet voters and weigh a presidential campaign.

Derek Thompson: What happens when live-streams become the new fireside chat? As late as 1900, the typical presidential speech employed college-level complexity. By the 1930s, that complexity had fallen to high-school level, and today presidential speeches are simple enough for sixth graders. The age of smartphone politics could pave the way for a new crop of demagogues who are as adept at mimicking “intimacy at scale” as the 20th-century autocrats were at captivating crowds from a podium.

If you think politics is getting dumber, you're probably right. 

COMMERCE

Bitcoin price:

7th of January, 2017: $843

7th of January, 2018: $14,326

7th of January, 2019: $3,973

SoftBank scraps $16 billion plan to buy most of WeWork - opts for a smaller deal of about $2 billion.

Auto sales: 2018 was the worst year for the automobile sector since the financial crisis.

IBM unveils first standalone quantum computer - new system could eventually leave today’s machines in the dust.

James Crabtree: China -- the core problem: Apple’s woes not unique among multinationals as growth slows and few alternatives emerge. 

"an era in which global companies have come to rely on rapid Chinese growth may now also be drawing to a close."

Amazon surpasses Microsoft to become the largest corporation in the world by market cap ($797 billion).

What is the Ben Franklin effect? Named after Ben Franklin, this effect states the following: that if you ask someone to help you out in some way, and they indeed do, they will then be more likely to do you another favor. Note that asking for the favor is not enough: the person asked needs to willingly provide it without feeling too cajoled.

CULTURE

Suburbs and exurbs dominate mid-decade Millennial growth: America’s suburbs and exurbs continue to dominate population growth among post-college Millennials, those aged 25 to 34 in the 53 major metropolitan areas. This is indicated by data in the just-released 2013/2017 American Community Survey (ACS), which provides a mid-decade snapshot of US demography.

The Sopranos debuted twenty years ago.

PODCAST

a16z Podcast: Talent, tech trends, and culture http://bit.ly/2CXpTLq

SPORT

WSJ: Clemson routs Alabama to win national championship

NFC-AFC title games sponsor: The NFL has signed Intuit as presenting sponsor for both the NFC and AFC title games, a first for the league.