Queen Elizabeth II, Kim Jong Un, CRISPR, Joe Biden, Guy Raz

Queen Elizabeth II, Kim Jong Un, CRISPR, Joe Biden, Guy Raz

Caracal Global Daily
April 24, 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

✔️ Trump finally gets his British state visit

✔️ Drones to deliver medicines to 12 million people in Ghana

✔️ Beer and cigarette makers join the pot lobbying parade

✔️ Beyond Meat targets $1.2 billion valuation

✔️ Tribeca Film Festival opens in New York

ROSS RANT

Brigadoon Remote 2019 - Save the Date

Think of four days where you can work remotely in a country estate, spend the day as you want, work on your book, strategize, think, read, whiteboard, check-out, go for a hike, and have evening dinners with fellow participants where the topic of conversation is business development and entrepreneurship.

November 11-15, 2019
One hour outside of Edinburgh, Scotland
Limited to 7 participants
$250.00 deposit secures your spot

Ping at marc@thebrigadoon.com if you want to attend.

-Marc

GLOBALIZATION

London Town: Trump and FLOTUS accepted the invitation of Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to visit the United Kingdom from June 3 to 5, 2019.

Trump finally gets his British state visit — but tensions that led to delay remain: WP reports, the president, deeply unpopular in Britain, will probably not be able to avoid massive demonstrations against his visit, scheduled for early June.

May approves Huawei involvement in UK 5G network: FT reports, Chinese telecoms group banned from most sensitive parts of project on security concerns.

The Times: Theresa May set to anger US with ‘limited access’ for Huawei

Today: The funeral of Lyra McKee, the Northern Irish journalist who was shot dead last week during riots, is held in Belfast.

China's Belt and Road cracks down on corruption in image revamp: Bloomberg reports, the Belt and Road Initiative is getting a makeover to tone down government rhetoric and tighten oversight, after allegations of corruption and a lack of sustainability dogged some of its highest-profile projects. Beijing is taking a range of steps to exert more control over the program, officials and participants said, including a more muted publicity drive, clearer rules for state-owned-enterprises, restricting use of the BRI brand, and building overseas auditing and anti-corruption mechanisms. It’s also stepping up efforts to get developed nations to join in to spread the risk of building projects in poorer nations and to counter allegations that BRI is just an attempt to build China’s political influence.

Beijing to defend initiative as it welcomes 37 heads of state to summit this week.

Chinese enterprises invested over $90 billion in BRI countries.

China has signed 173 cooperation documents on BRI with 125 countries and 29 international organizations as of April 18, according to state-run news agency Xinhua.

OTD: In 1970 China launched its first satellite, which orbited the Earth transmitting the patriotic tune The East is Red.

Mnuchin and Lighthizer to head to Beijing as trade talks resume: FT reports, talks to focus on stubborn hurdles of intellectual property, technology transfers.

“The subjects of next week’s discussions will cover trade issues including intellectual property, forced technology transfer, non-tariff barriers, agriculture, services, purchases, and enforcement,” the White House said.

Kim and Putin set for talks as Russia seeks influence: FT reports, Pyongyang pivots to northern neighbor as ties founder with US.

‘I have long dreamed of visiting’: Kim Jong Un arrives in Russia for talks with Putin: WP reports, the Kremlin has said no major agreements will be signed during Kim’s meeting with Vladimir Putin, which is expected to take place behind closed doors.

Russia's Putin meets North Korea's Kim: Side-show or power move in nuclear crisis? DW reports, in the wake of stalled nuclear talks with the US, Kim is seeking diplomatic assistance from the Kremlin. Russia wants stability on its far-eastern border — but President Putin may have a bigger picture in mind.

Martin Wolf: The age of the elected despot is here: People want to believe a powerful and charismatic leader is on their side in an unjust world.

DISRUPTION

A new normal: A journey through America’s complex history with cannabis. Directed by Spike Jonze. (video) http://bit.ly/2L7kPdw

University of California gets its CRISPR patent: Six years after the initial application — and after a legal dispute that sucked up tens of millions of dollars — a foundational CRISPR-Cas9 patent will be granted to the University of California. The patent, based on the work of Jennifer Doudna, Emmanuelle Charpentier, and their colleagues, covers CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in every kind of cell, in lab dishes and in living organisms. 

FT: Drones to deliver medicines to 12 million people in Ghana

Zipline project is the world’s largest drone delivery network. The drones are planned to be able to deliver to 2,000 clinics across Ghana.

POLITICS

WP: White House plans to fight House subpoena of former counsel Donald McGahn for testimony on Mueller report

OTD: In 1800 President John Adams approved the spending of $5,000 to establish a Library of Congress.

WSJ: S&P 500 and NASDAQ hit closing records

Stocks have flourished this year—the S&P 500 is up 17% while the Nasdaq has gained 22%.

Morning Consult Political Intelligence report:

- Biden remains the top overall pick among all likely Democratic primary voters and voters in early primary states.

- Buttigieg moves up to third place with 9% of the vote: More than half (64%) of likely Democratic primary voters have now heard of Buttigieg.

- Health care and the economy remain the most important issues to Democratic voters.

- Trump's approval hits record low: The President's net approval of -18 is his worst since taking office.

Trump camp descends on Pennsylvania as alarms grow over 2020: Politico reports, the president's team is set to meet with a state Republican Party riven by dissension.

Larry Hogan derides Trump as ‘dear leader’: Politico reports, Maryland Governor Hogan (R) said he's unafraid to stand up to the president but is in no rush to jump into the 2020 race.

Joe Biden: He’ll be the 21st Democrat to enter the party’s 2020 presidential field and will now announce his 2020 presidential bid on Thursday.

WP: Joe Biden to enter 2020 presidential race with Thursday video announcement

Inside Biden's battle plan: Politico reports, he is seeking to mark his entrance into the 2020 race with a rush of union support, early-state endorsements, and fundraising figures.

Rivals are scrambling to dig up dirt on Pete Buttigieg: NBC News, Buttigieg was on nobody's radar as a serious presidential contender until a few weeks ago. Now his competitors are scrambling to find vulnerabilities.

Beto O’Rourke opens his California campaign Saturday in Los Angeles: LAT reports, Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke will launch his 2020 California Democratic presidential primary campaign on Saturday with a four-day swing, stopping in Los Angeles, San Francisco, the Central Valley, and San Diego.

Trump orders administration officials not to attend White House correspondents dinner: Reuters reports, Trump, who bemoaned his treatment by the news media in a flurry of tweets on Tuesday, has barred members of his staff and administration from attending the White House Correspondents' Association dinner on Saturday, officials said.

Beer and cigarette makers join the pot lobbying parade: Politico reports, the push to legalize marijuana quickly transformed the cannabis industry into a multibillion-dollar legal business. And now Fortune 500 companies and elite K Street lobbying firms have joined the green gold rush. Altria, the tobacco giant better known for Marlboros, recently took a $1.8 billion stake in the cannabis company Cronos Group. Constellation Brands, which makes Corona beer, has spent money on cannabis lobbying after making a major investment in Canopy Growth, a Canadian marijuana company. On K Street, powerhouse firms like Holland & Knight — which has represented Comcast, Google and Dow Chemical — have taken on marijuana clients.

Pot may be illegal at the federal level but corporate giants and K Street are preparing for the push to legalize.

COMMERCE

Applied Materials halts work for red-flagged Chinese chipmaker: FT reports, US supplier pulls staff from San’an Optoelectronics following government listing.

Pepsi dispenser: PepsiCo has announced a new beverage dispenser for the food service sector, colleges, and workplaces. The "hydration platform" is aimed at encouraging people to fill up their own reusable bottles, and not with soda, but rather with flavored, carbonated water. 

Ancestry.com is preparing to take the family tree research/DNA testing company public amid increasing consumer interest in DNA tests.

Beyond Meat targets $1.2 billion valuation when it becomes the first plant-based meat company to IPO.

PayPal's Venmo closes in on a new partnership to launch a credit card.

Luminary, flush with $100 million in funding, wants to sell you a $8/month subscription to deliver exclusive podcasts. It’s planning to eventually roll out more than 40 ad-free shows, which include Guy Raz (of How I Built This fame), Lena Dunham, and Trevor Noah.

Wing Aviation, a unit of Alphabet’s Google, received the first US authorization to operate a fleet of consumer delivery drones.

SoftBank Group plans to invest about $1 billion in Wirecard, forging a partnership that allows SoftBank to take a minority stake in the German payments company.

Nikkei: Huawei closes technology gap with Apple on chip design

Chinese 4G semiconductors already 'equal to or better than' US tech giant.

CULTURE

LAT: As Coachella raged, the LA tech world made plans to live on Mars

Betaspace, billed as the place where “Burning Man and the Consumer Electronics Show collide.” 

Turkey, Tory Party, Google Assistant, Joe Biden, FC Cincinnati

Turkey, Tory Party, Google Assistant, Joe Biden, FC Cincinnati

Caracal Global Daily
April 1, 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

✔️ Erdogan set to lose control of Turkey’s two biggest cities

✔️ Will Germany become the world's largest market for medicinal cannabis?

✔️ Biden defends behavior with women

✔️ Anti-fur sentiment grows

✔️ FC Cincinnati pull in crowds

ROSS RANT

Thought leadership: Introverts wanted

Here's the big idea = Going forward, thought leadership and idea amplification is the process to shape globalization, disruption, and politics.

From my experience, most people over-index on tactics and vanity metrics and fail on strategy and organization.

From my experience, not engaging, not sharing, not playing doesn't make the difference.

If you want to start a business, win a campaign, or change a culture you can't do it from the sidelines.

Like the lottery, you got to be in it to win it.

Just this week, rising Democrat star and potential national candidate Stacey Abrams on The View told the audience, "I am an introvert. I don't like public stuff."

Imagine that.

An introvert.

A leader who has served as Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives was her party's nominee in the 2018 Georgia gubernatorial election, and in February 2019, she became the first African-American woman to deliver a response to the State of the Union address.

Imagine that.

An introvert.

Abrams went on to tell the audience she is self-aware, recognizes the fear, and take steps to "hack opportunity."

She closed powerfully by saying, "In politics, they will never elect you if they never hear from you. You can't secretly run for president, or governor, or school board."

A good reminder from even one of the most talented politicians amongst us - You got to be in it to win it.
 

GLOBALIZATION

Turkey elections loosen Erdogan’s grip on power: WSJ reports, the party of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared to have lost the mayoral race in its historical bastion, Istanbul, a stinging setback for a leader who has towered over Turkish politics for the past 16 years.

Erdogan set to lose control of Turkey’s two biggest cities: FT reports, local election results signal major setback as voters punish president in Ankara and Istanbul.

Soft Brexit will shatter Tory party, May warned: The Times reports, Theresa May’s cabinet is the “most ill-disciplined in British political history”, the Conservative chief whip has admitted. The stark declaration by Julian Smith came as the prime minister was warned she faced a split in her party if she pursues a “soft” Brexit this week.

Britain will be on track to Brexit on May 22 if the House of Commons votes tonight for a permanent customs union, a European negotiator has said. 

Jean-Claude Juncker warns EU's patience 'running out' over Brexit: DW reports, the United Kingdom has yet to agree on a path forward regarding its departure from the European Union. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker is starting to get fed up with Britain's approach to Brexit.

China purchases could undercut Trump’s larger trade goal: NYT reports, a trade deal could result in China promising to buy hundreds of billions of dollars of American products. But that could potentially make U.S. industries even more beholden to the Chinese.

Trump presses allies to confront China over Uighurs: FT reports, diplomatic mission coincides with resumption of trade talks in Washington.

China's Xi says West has long-term economic, military superiority: Reuters reports, leading party theoretical journal Qiushi, which means “Seeking Truth”, published lengthy excerpts for the first time from a speech Xi gave in early 2013 shortly after becoming party boss, warning of the dangers the party faces. Citing Marx and Engels, Xi said socialism would inevitably vanquish capitalism, but that it would be a long historical process. China practices what it calls socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Chinese officials issue stark warning about South China Sea confrontation: SMH reports, China has warned it may take “more countermeasures” against United States patrols in the South China Sea, as tensions worsen in a potential military flashpoint between the two major powers. Two senior Chinese officials intervened in an academic discussion at the Boao Forum for Asia on Friday to air China’s grievances against the United States' freedom of navigation patrols near islands claimed by China in the contested waterways.

Bloomberg: Trump’s sale of F-16 jets to Taiwan is making China nervous

The US may finally sell Taiwan the warplanes it has sought for more than a decade to defend against China. Their arrival would deal more of a political shock than a military blow to Beijing.

AFP: New Zealand PM touts 'important' China ties amid Huawei spat

Japan snubs China at dawn of new imperial era: The Times reports, Japan revealed the name of the country’s new imperial era today, with a choice that reflects the nationalist pride of its prime minister, Shinzo Abe, and its tense relations with China. Yoshihide Suga, the chief cabinet secretary, announced the name Reiwa, meaning “Auspicious Harmony”, on national television. The new name will succeed that of the current era, Heisei, or “Abounding Peace”, when Emperor Akihito abdicates in favor of his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, at the end of this month.

Reiwa: Japan reveals name of new era ahead of Emperor's abdication: Japan Times reports, the new era will be the 248th in the history of Japan, which has used the Chinese-style system for indicating the year since 645. In modern times, each era has run the length of an emperor’s reign. This is said to be the first time that the characters chosen were drawn from Japanese classical literature, with prior era names, or gengō, having used kanji from Chinese literature. The poem from which they are taken describes an ume Japanese apricot flower in full bloom in early spring after surviving a cold winter. The new era will start on May 1, when Crown Prince Naruhito ascends to the Chrysanthemum Throne following the abdication of his father, Emperor Akihito, a day earlier.

@REIWA: 70 percent of traffic to http://reiwa.com  today were from people in Japan, mistaking the real estate portal for their country’s new imperial era. #reiwa

Support for Volodymyr Zelensky surges in Ukraine poll: FT reports, TV comedian with no political experience poised to face Petro Poroshenko in run-off.

The Times: Comic Volodymyr Zelensky rides a wave of voter anger to top Ukrainian presidential poll

The first and second-placed candidates will contest a run-off vote on April 21.

Trump, Putin and a possible ‘red-line moment’ in Venezuela: NYT reports, during his presidential campaign, Donald Trump often complained about how President Obama drew red lines that he never enforced. Trump is now facing his own red-line moment, our correspondent writes in an analysis.

@AP: BREAKING: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announces 30-day plan to ration electricity as nationwide power cuts continue.

DISRUPTION

When it comes to disclosing sponsors, your Google Assistant may be mute: Reuters reports, as voice-enabled speakers become mainstream, tech companies grapple with how to deliver greater convenience while still generating the ad revenue that traditionally has funded free searches.

Will Germany become the world's largest market for medicinal cannabis? DW reports, the use of medicinal cannabis has been allowed in Germany for two years now. But because domestic cultivation hasn't gotten off the ground yet, the plant has been imported, mainly from Canada. That might change soon.

Lego helping revive memories: BBC reports, you might think it is child's play - but plastic bricks are being credited with reviving memories in elderly care home residents in Manchester. Lego therapy is helping people to rediscover communication skills and encourage them to socialize.

POLITICS

Biden defends behavior with women, says he never believed he acted inappropriately: LAT reports, after accusations of an unwelcome kiss and touching, former Vice President Joe Biden says it was “never my intention” to cause discomfort or offense.

Joe Biden’s affectionate, physical style with women comes under scrutiny: WP reports, the appropriateness of the former vice president’s physical behavior is being questioned after a Democratic politician wrote a viral Internet post describing an alleged 2014 encounter that left her offended and uncomfortable.

Pete Buttigieg, the South Bend Indiana mayor whose stock and poll numbers have risen in the last weeks following a breakout performance in a CNN town hall, will report more than $7 million raised in the first quarter for his presidential bid.

COMMERCE

Zuckerberg’s call for more tech rules fails to impress: FT reports, Facebook chief calls for updated internet regulations as political pressure mounts.

Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo samples fail Indian quality test; company rejects findings: Reuters reports, Johnson & Johnson's baby shampoo samples failed quality tests conducted by the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan, according to a public notice from the state's drugs watchdog, findings that were rejected by the US drugmaker.

PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler explore European venture: Bloomberg reports, the French carmaker and its Italian-American peer have been holding preliminary discussions to collaborate on a “super platform” -- the basic underpinning of a car model -- to reduce their investment costs in the highly competitive region, said the people who asked not to be named as the matter is private. Preliminary talks could be announced by the end of the first half, one of the people said.

CULTURE

As anti-fur sentiment grows, California’s oldest trappers are calling it quits: LAT reports, "Trapping is a dead hose in California and there isn't a dad gum thing we can do about it," the president of the California chapter of the National Trapper's Association said recently.

SPORT

FC Cincinnati pulls in crowds as MLS continues its knack for expansion: The Guardian reports, the Orange and Blue are the latest expansion team to become a success with fans. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised. While Atlanta’s rise was somewhat unexpected, Cincinnati has long been hailed as a cradle of soccer in North America. Some put that down to the city’s German heritage. Others simply point to a well-run USL outfit which harnessed the local soccer community, attracting huge crowds to Nippert Stadium, years before MLS entry. Whatever the reason, MLS in Cincinnati feels right.

Theresa May, Meatless Mondays, Beto O'Rourke, Joe Biden, Zinedine Zidane

Theresa May, Meatless Mondays, Beto O'Rourke, Joe Biden, Zinedine Zidane

Caracal Global Daily
March 12, 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

✔️ Brexit vote looming, Theresa May secures EU help

✔️ New York City school menus go meatless on Mondays

✔️ Registered Republicans like Trump but want a GOP challenger

✔️ Boeing scrambles to contain fallout

✔️ Zinedine Zidane returns to coach Real Madrid

GLOBALIZATION

FT: May agrees revised Brexit deal with Juncker

‘Now is the time to come together,’ says PM, hoping new assurances will win over critics.

Theresa May urged MPs last night to unite and back an “improved Brexit deal” after securing changes that she said ensured Britain could not be trapped in the Irish backstop. 

May secures concessions from EU on Brexit deal: WSJ reports, British Prime Minister Theresa May secured concessions from the European Union over her Brexit divorce deal, in a last-minute push to head off a large-scale defeat when the British Parliament votes on the agreement Tuesday.

Brexit vote looming, Theresa May secures EU help: NYT reports, the British prime minister flew to Strasbourg and won concessions on the “backstop” plan for the Irish border. Whether they are enough remains unclear.

The world's oldest alliance that is still in force: The alliance between England and Portugal was signed in 1373 and last activated in WWII.

Paris okays proposed French-German parliamentary assembly: DW reports, a combined German-French parliamentary assembly that will be able to propose joint but non-binding resolutions has been given the green light by France's National Assembly. Its first sitting is due on March 25 in Paris.

US warns Germany to drop Huawei or lose intel access: WSJ reports, the Trump administration has told Germany it would limit the intelligence it shares if Berlin allows Huawei to build Germany’s 5G mobile-internet infrastructure.

AFP: No date yet for Trump-Xi trade summit: White House

Nikkei: Japan to forgo inviting China's Xi asstate guest in June

Japan will likely ditch plans to invite Xi Jinping as a national guest in June out of consideration for Trump who is scheduled to visit the month before.

Fear of Trump walking on Xi haunts China as trade talks near end: Bloomberg reports, Trump and his aides have for weeks been pushing for Xi to agree to a meeting at Mar-a-Lago to finalize a deal as soon as this month to end a dispute that has cast a shadow over the global economy. Trump himself has said that it’s only when the two leaders meet that the final details can be ironed out. Chinese officials, however, have long been wary of putting Xi in a position where he might be embarrassed by an unpredictable Trump or forced into last-minute concessions.

China’s economy might be nearly a seventh smaller than reported: The Economist reports, a new paper, by Chang-Tai Hsieh of the University of Chicago and three co-authors from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, finds that industrial output and investment have been consistently embellished. As a result, they argue that China overstated real GDP growth by two percentage points on average every year from 2008 to 2016. Over time that adds up: official figures for 2016 would have exaggerated the size of the economy by 16%, or more than $1.5trn.

Mexico: President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador insisted Monday the Mexican economy is strong as he completed 100 days in office, dismissing critics who warn a climate of uncertainty could weigh on growth.

"Fortunately, our economy is on the march. It's still growing slowly, but there's not the slightest sign of a recession, as our conservative opponents wish and as their economic analysts forecast, in bad faith."

FT: Blackouts raise political heat on Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro

Washington and Juan Guaidó, opposition leader, blame power cuts on beleaguered leader.

School and work canceled for the third day in Venezuela.

Pompeo accuses Cuba and Russia of propping up Venezuelan ruler: NYT reports, Pompeo’s comments came amid a devastating power outage that has plunged many of Venezuela’s most populous areas into darkness, spoiling food in a nation where little is available.

“When there is no electricity, thank the marvels of modern Cuban-led engineering,” Pompeo said in comments laced with sarcasm. “When there’s no water, thank the excellent hydrologists from Cuba. When there’s no food, thank the Cuban communist overlords.”

India votes: The world’s largest, most complicated democratic exercise: FT reports, this year’s electorate is 900m, around 10% higher than in 2014, and as many as 130m are first-time voters

OTD: In 1930 Gandhi started a 240-mile march to the sea in protest against the British monopoly on the sale of salt.

NATO chief invited to address US Congress amid tensions: AFP reports, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Monday extended a rare invitation to the head of NATO to address a joint meeting of Congress in early April to mark the alliance's 70th anniversary.

Washington is scheduled to host a NATO ministerial meeting on April 3 and 4.

Former Vice President Cheney challenges Pence on Trump’s foreign policy: WP reports, at a closed-door retreat hosted by the American Enterprise Institute, Cheney compared the president’s instincts to those of President Barack Obama.

DISRUPTION

New York City school menus go meatless on Mondays: WSJ reports, the NYC mayor says the policy will improve the health of children and the planet; food trade group says the move will limit low-income youngsters’ access to protein.

The nation’s largest school district follows others, such as Los Angeles, in offering only vegetarian dishes on Mondays, saying the move will help the environment by cutting greenhouse gases. 

Women finally get their own World Cup soccer style: NYT reports, for decades, women’s uniforms were just derivations of men’s. Now, taking specific design cues, like ponytail-friendly necklines, comes the good stuff

Nike revealed the new home and away uniforms for 14 out of 24 competing teams, and for the first time since the brand began working with the WWC tournament in 1995, each one of them was made specifically for the women’s teams, not as derivations or extensions of kits made for men.

POLITICS

Impeachment - not for Nancy: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she doesn’t support pursuing the impeachment of Trump.

NYT: Impeaching Trump is ‘not worth it,’ Nancy Pelosi says

WP: Nancy Pelosi on impeaching Trump: ‘He’s just not worth it’

In a wide-ranging interview, the country’s most powerful Democrat says Trump is unfit to be president — “ethically,” “intellectually” and “curiosity-wise” — but impeachment would be too divisive.

Once again, a brilliant political move by Nancy Pelosi - he strategy ensures two winning tactics to remove Trump from the White House.

New York attorney general opens investigation of Trump projects: NYT reports, the New York attorney general’s office late on Monday issued subpoenas to Deutsche Bank and Investors Bank for records relating to the financing of four major Trump Organization projects and a failed effort to buy the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League in 2014, according to a person briefed on the subpoenas.

DSM Register: Registered Republicans like Trump but 40 percent want a GOP challenger

Most registered Republicans think Trump is doing a good job, but they are split over whether another GOP candidate should challenge him for their party’s nomination in 2020.

Name the last president of the modern age seeking re-election to have a primary challenger who went onto win the general election?

You can't.

It's never happened.

Now the Dems care about Wisconsin: The Democratic Party has selected Milwaukee to hold its 2020 convention.

Reuters: Beto O'Rourke heading to Iowa, fueling speculation about White House bid

A trip to Iowa on Saturday, where the first votes in the nominating contest will be cast in February, suggests his entry into the race is imminent.

William McGurn: The case for Joe Biden: The former vice president could pose a formidable challenge to Trump—if Democrats let him.

He brings a Democratic ethos that he says was forged in blue-collar Scranton, PA.

Biden’s best hope is to campaign as someone who will restore civility to the White House.

The 2016 election was unusual in that the leading two presidential candidates each had unfavorable ratings north of 50%.

Joshua Spivak: Why Joe Biden would probably win the Democratic primary: If Biden enters the race, his chances of winning the nomination are strong. Most modern presidents retain popularity after they leave office, especially within their own party, and the vice president is often able to translate this popularity into a successful run.

COMMERCE

NYT: Boeing scrambles to contain fallout from deadly Ethiopia crash

Similarities to a recent crash in Indonesia provoked concern among carriers, pilots, flight attendants and passengers.

More than a dozen airlines grounded the 737 Max 8, but the FAA said it did not have enough information to take action.

The Boeing 737 Max 8 jets typically make more than 8,500 flights per week.

The FAA has no plans to ground Boeing’s 737 MAX airliners following the deadly crash in Ethiopia. The FAA said the Boeing 737 Max 8 was airworthy but said it would mandate design changes to the aircraft from Boeing by April. Boeing confirmed the announcement and will deploy a software upgrade across the fleet “in the coming weeks.”

LAT: US airlines express confidence in Boeing’s 737 Max, despite calls for grounding

Barrick Gold, the world’s biggest gold miner, called off its nearly $18 billion offer for rival Newmont Mining after the two agreed to a Nevada joint venture.

Walmart toughens delivery demands for suppliers: WSJ reports, looking to cut inventory while meeting e-commerce demands, the retailer wants more of the goods it orders delivered on time and in full

Anta Sports Products, a minor leaguer outside of China, is buying the Finnish owner of athletic brands such as Wilson for 4.6 billion euros ($5.17 billion), looking to compete with Nike and Adidas in both home and away markets.

Apple invited media to a March 25 event at the Steve Jobs Theater on its campus in Cupertino, California, where it is expected to launch a television and video service.

CULTURE

Captain Marvel, the first Marvel superhero film with a female character in top billing, soared atop North American box offices in its debut weekend, with ticket sales of $153.4 million.

SPORT

LAT: Oakland’s Athletics need a home. They may get one — and provide 6,000 more

The Oakland Athletics have offered to build 3,000 homes near a proposed waterfront ballpark and another 3,000 on the Coliseum site for a city desperately in need of housing.

CBS: Nick Foles signs as Lululemon men’s new elite ambassador

CNN: Zinedine Zidane returns to coach Real Madrid

Champions League - Round of 16: Leg 2 of 2:

Manchester City vs Schalke 04 @ 4:00 pm ET (Aggregate: 3-2)
Juventus vs Atletico Madrid @ 4:00 pm ET (Aggregate: 0-2)

Bayern vs Liverpool - Wednesday @ 4:00 pm ET (Aggregate: 0-0)
Barcelona vs Lyon - Wednesday @ 4:00 pm ET (Aggregate: 0-0)

Champions League - Quarterfinals - Qualified teams:

Ajax
Porto
Manchester United
Tottenham Hotspur

The draw for the quarter-finals will be held on 15 March 2019.

The first legs will be played on 9 and 10 April, and the second legs will be played on 16 and 17 April 2019.