Peaked, Slashed, Certain, Plan, New
Caracal Insider Daily
January 11, 2018
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross
Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia
Caracal Insider Daily = Global Business News at the Intersection of Politics + Policy + Profits
Subscribe here: https://goo.gl/bSQKwA
TOP FIVE
✔️ Global economic growth has peaked, says World Bank
✔️ Argentina to slash government red tape
✔️ Canada sure Trump to pull plug on NAFTA
✔️ What is your SOTU plan?
✔️ Diet Coke gets new look
GEOECONOMICS
Global economic growth has peaked, says World Bank: FT reports, aging populations, low investment and tightening monetary policy limit expansion.
Coming soon to Davos: A Trump stink bomb: Politico reports, the president will take his populist show to the annual Swiss gathering of global financial, political and media elites.
Davos in, Bannon out: Steve Bannon loses his head, while Trump goes to Switzerland.
WSJ - Editorial
"Now Bannonism is a cause without a President or even a website"
"A US President hasn’t attended Davos since Bill Clinton in 2000...What could possibly go wrong?"
BTW - Ronald Reagan spoke via video conference.
Argentina details measures to slash government red tape: Reuters reports, Argentina's government announced a series of measures on Wednesday to reduce bureaucratic tasks that business-friendly President Mauricio Macri thinks are holding back much-needed investment.
Canada takes US to WTO over anti-dumping system: FT reports, the trade protest comes days ahead of talks over Trump efforts to renegotiate NAFTA.
Canada sure Trump to pull plug on NAFTA: Reuters reports, Canada is increasingly sure that President Trump will soon announce that the United States intends to pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement, two government sources said.
AFP: Canada braces for possible US exit from NAFTA trade pact
Forecasters are predicting oil could hit $80 a barrel this year.
Brussels eyes new taxes to cover post-Brexit shortfall: FT reports, levies on travel, plastics and emissions lined up to offset loss of UK revenues.
Russian bid to influence Brexit vote detailed in new US Senate report: Guardian reports, UK political system vulnerable to anti-democratic meddling via social media and ‘possibly illicit’ campaign funding, report says.
Bloomberg: ‘Bad Brexit’ would hurt the UK economy for more than a decade
China's factories sputter amid self-inflicted gas shortage: Nikkei reports, industry feels side effects as the country tries to shake its coal addiction.
@WSJ: China accounted for nearly 80% of computer power devoted to global bitcoin mining over the past 30 days
Axios: With the US less welcoming, China attracts more foreign students
#SoftPower
Australia lashes out at China’s ‘useless’ Pacific projects: FT reports, Canberra accuses Beijing of building roads to nowhere in developing nations.
Turkey summons US charge d'affaires over Syria: Turkish sources: Reuters reports, Turkey on Wednesday summoned a top U.S. diplomat in Ankara to protest Washington's support of a Kurdish militia in Syria, sources in the Turkish Foreign Ministry said, the latest in a long-standing disagreement between the NATO allies.
AMERICAN POLITICS
NBC: Democrats to invite sex misconduct victims to Trump’s State of the Union
#SmartPolitics
What is your SOTU plan? Never miss a chance to advocate.
To date, a million copies of Michael Wolff’s book “Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House” have been sold.
Corporate America warns Trump over immigration: FT reports, the US Chamber says threatening to deport 1m workers endangers economic growth.
Bloomberg: Facebook, Apple, GM leaders urge Congress to protect Dreamers
Immigration agents target 7-Eleven stores in a move to crack down on undocumented workers: WP reports, the pre-dawn sweeps comprised about 100 stores across the United States. Nearly two dozen people were arrested on suspicion of being in the country illegally, though officials said the audits are intended to target managerial hiring practices.
LAT: Issa becomes second California Republican to retire this week as Democrats look to reclaim US House
Atlantic: The world according to H.R. McMasterhttps://goo.gl/G4vYvg
ENTERPRISE
Sony's new pet dog "Aibo" goes on sale in Japan.
Hulu has more than 17 million subscribers in the United States.
Facebook is reportedly planning to release a $499 home video chat device called Portal, which is aimed at connecting families and friends.
The Verge: Huawei’s CEO going off-script to rage at US carriers was the best speech of CES
Watch the speech here: https://goo.gl/mcDSLw
Globalization and competition are good for American consumers: Foreign automakers poised to build more cars and trucks in America than the Detroit's Big 3.
Diet Coke gets a new look, new flavors amid sinking sales: LAT reports, Coca-Cola Co. it's adding a slimmer 12-ounce Diet Coke can, updating the logo and offering the 35-year-old drink in four new flavors, including mango and ginger lime. The taste of the plain Diet Coke will stay the same, the Atlanta-based company said.
TRENDS
Watch out, airlines. High-speed rail now rivals flying on key routes: Bloomberg reports, in Asia and Europe, super-fast locomotives are comparable to air travel in price and door-to-door speed.
“I can say almost with certainty that cryptocurrencies will come to a bad end.” -- Warren Buffett
Buzzworthy word of the day = techlash
CULTURE
NYT's 52 places to go in 2018 https://goo.gl/jyYstX
SPORT
NYT: How Tua Tagovailoa stepped up, dropped back, and saved Alabama https://goo.gl/bf9ck1
“Tua can hit the keyhole.”
106-year-old French cyclist finally decides to hang up his helmet: AFP reports, Robert Marchand, a centenarian French cyclist whose exploits garnered fans worldwide is retiring, ready for more leisurely rides after racing into the record book. Last January, Marchand pedaled for 22.547 kilometers (14.01 miles) in an hour at the national velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines west of Paris. It was a new record for his age group -- though the category had to be created especially for him, and he had no competition.
Bloomberg: Big Ten schools extend esports league, scholarships through 2019