Reciprocal, Russian, Republican, Retail
Caracal Insider Daily
January 31, 2018
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross
Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia
Caracal Insider = Global Business News at the Intersection of Politics + Policy + Profits
Subscribe here: https://goo.gl/bSQKwA
TOP FIVE
✔️ Trump says global trade will be fair and reciprocal
✔️ PM May is bringing 50 business leaders with her to China
✔️ Vatican accused of ‘selling out’ Catholic Church to China
✔️ VW in uproar over diesel fume tests on monkeys
✔️ Fox close to deal to air NFL’s ‘Thursday Night Football’
GEOECONOMICS
Trump says global trade will be fair and reciprocal: The Hill reports, Trump said Tuesday night that the days of unfair trade are over and the United States will improve global agreements and make way for new deals.
"America has also finally turned the page on decades of unfair trade deals that sacrificed our prosperity and shipped away our companies, our jobs and our nation's wealth,” he said during his State of the Union address on Capitol Hill. The era of economic surrender is over.”
EU ready to hit back if Trump imposes anti-EU trade measures: the European Union said that it stands ready to hit back “swiftly and appropriately” if Trump takes unfair trade measures against the 28-nation bloc. The EU’s warning comes less than 24 hours after Trump expressed his annoyance with EU trade policy, saying it “may morph into something very big.”
May accused of ‘baffling’ decision to neglect Beijing: The Times reports, PM May has been criticised for a “baffling” decision to overlook China as she prepares to leave for her first trade mission to the country, amid concern that David Cameron’s drive for closer ties with Beijing has slowed. In a sign of how priorities have changed since Mrs May entered Downing Street, the official UK prime minister account on the Chinese equivalent of Twitter, which was established with a fanfare in 2013 by her predecessor, has not posted for more than a year and still contains many of Mr Cameron’s details. Concerns over President Xi’s flagship investment project also threaten to overshadow the three-day visit.
PM May is bringing 50 business leaders with her to China as she seeks alternative sources of trade and investment after Britain leaves the European Union.
May warns China to play by global rules: FT reports, PM strikes a more skeptical note on bilateral relations than Cameron.
The Vatican accused of ‘selling out’ Catholic Church to China:FT reports, former HK cardinal says Holy See ordered two bishops to make way for Beijing’s choices.
Taiwan Strait turbulence: Bloomberg reports, two Chinese airlines canceled more than 170 extra flights to Taiwan next month as part of Lunar New Year holiday travel after failing to gain approval from Taipei officials.
Taiwan bristles as flag vanishes from US government websites: Nikkei reports, the erasure of Taiwan's flag from a number of U.S. government websites has made waves on the island, with authorities expressing deep disappointment to Washington, which claims its stance toward the Taiwanese government remains unchanged.
German ambassador: Second World War image of Britain has fed Euroscepticism: Guardian reports, Peter Ammon says some Brexiters were motivated by a sense of national identity built around UK standing alone.
Berlusconi’s model army will ditch Eurosceptics: The Times reports, Silvio Berlusconi has taken a big step in his political comeback by promising leaders in Brussels that he will put together a coalition after next month’s election to include none of the anti-EU parties that he is campaigning with.
The Times: Rise of robots puts 230,000 Scottish jobs under threat
"According to the Centre for Cities report, the paper says that Dundee is most at risk from the rise of robot labor. As the smallest Scottish city in the survey, the predicted job losses represent 25 percent of its workforce."
WSJ: Macron’s France great again? Europe growth outpaces US
Russian jets fly within five feet of Navy plane over the Black Sea: Navy Times reports, Russian fighter jets got dangerously close to a Navy aircraft Monday over the Black Sea, the second such incident in as many months.
All-time: I was inverted - Top Gun https://goo.gl/o15rM2
AMERICAN POLITICS
WSJ: Trump hails start of ‘new American moment’
"President promotes infrastructure plan, says he sees room for work on immigration"
NYT: ‘This is our new American moment’
The Hill: Trump makes case he’s stoking American dream
WP: Trump touts efforts to keep nation safe from terrorism, calls for more military spending
LAT: Trump calls for unity in hopes of altering a threatening tide
Bloomberg: Trump connects presidency with prosperity in ‘American moment’
FT: Trump lauds economic record in State of the Union
Never miss a chance to advocate: Airbnb launched a new ad timed to the SOTU entitled "Expletive-filled Interest." You can see the ad here: https://goo.gl/G8Wa86
The Hill: Dems boo, hiss at Trump immigration remarks
Today: Republican Congressional retreat begins in West Virginia
No. 51: Ellis Insight reports, the number of House open seats continues to grow. Yesterday, veteran Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), one-term chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, announced that he will not seek a 13th term later this year. The Frelinghuysen retirement brings the total House number of incumbents who will not stand for re-election to a robust 51, keeping in mind that we have passed candidate filing deadlines in only two states.
MSU: Sources tell Crain's that former Michigan Gov. John Engler will likely be named Wednesday to aid his alma mater during the deepest crisis in its 163-year history.
ENTERPRISE
Big 3 healthcare challenge: CNBC reports, Amazon.com, Berkshire Hathaway, and JPMorgan Chase announced they plan to create an independent company aimed at cutting health care costs for their US employees that would be "free from profit-making incentives," according to a joint statement.
Jamie Dimon will stay on as JPMorgan's CEO for another five years.
CNBC: Starbucks to debut credit cards, boost afternoon offerings
Blackstone is in talks to buy a huge chunk of Thomson Reuters' financial and risk business for more than $17 billion.
Bloomberg: Bitcoin heads for worst monthly slide since December 2013
Facebook bans ads that promote cryptocurrencies.
The Walmart-Amazon war’s China wildcard: L2 reports, in a a speech at Davos last week, JD.com CEO Richard Liu announced that the Chinese e-tailer was raising funds to set up logistics for its global expansion as it plans to take on Amazon in the United States. The company plans to start selling online in the second half of this year from a base in Los Angeles, focusing initially on the West Coast Chinese diaspora.
WSJ: Exxon to spend $50 billion in US over next five years
Volkswagen in an uproar over diesel fume tests on monkeys: Volkswagen's supervisory board calls for an inquiry into who commissioned tests in which monkeys were exposed to toxic diesel fumes, amid criticism from Germany's government.
WTH is going on with the German auto industry?
To save retail, Bloomingdale's turns to Migos: GQ reports, stores are trying to keep up with customers’ changing demands: exclusively launching a collection of Migos merch is an admirable attempt at just that.
TRENDS
The future of soda might be coffee: WP reports, coffee drinkers tend to savor their brew in the morning and switch to soda or water as the day goes on. But the world's largest beverage companies want to turn that morning cup of joe into an all-day staple - and an heir to the sodas that consumers have soured on. On Monday coffee giant Keurig Green Mountain acquired Dr. Pepper Snapple, the maker of 7 Up, Hawaiian Punch and other popular drinks. The reason? They're trying to reach consumers "throughout the day," according to a company news release.
CULTURE
Today: 'Super blue blood moon' visible for first time in over 150 years
SPORT
The NFL can't blame Trump anymore: It is facing a 'structural decline in viewership': Recode reports, turns out pro football is just like regular TV, after all: Ratings were down 12 percent during the regular season, and even more during the playoffs.
Bloomberg: Fox close to deal to air NFL’s ‘Thursday Night Football’