Caracal Business Insider | November 7, 2017

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North Korea, UK Conservative Party, Bolshevik Revolution, Virginia Governor’s Race, Cowboys and Concussions

Caracal Business Insider | Daily
November 7, 2017
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross

Caracal Business Insider: Politics + Policy + Profits

"You've got to win the politics to set the policy to ensure the profits." - Marc A. Ross, founder of Caracal Global.

Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia | Election Day 2017


GEOECONOMICS

Trump calls on North Korea to ‘make a deal’: FT reports, US president hails progress on Pyongyang threat but warns military force still an option.

LAT: In a sharp shift, Trump calls for North Korea to 'make a deal'

US allies fear Trump will pull a Nixon in China: The question for Asian governments anxious about an impulsive U.S. president looking for a foreign-policy success: Will he be tempted to strike a bargain?
WSJ - Andrew Browne

Wooing Trump, Xi seeks great power status for China: NYT reports, Xi Jinping, the most powerful Chinese leader in decades, wants the United States to share global leadership with China as equals.

G2? I don't think so.

The Times: Puigdemont accuses Europe of turning its back on the Catalan people

UK Tories prepare for by-elections in sex misconduct scandals: FT reports, Home Secretary says ‘clearing out’ would be welcome; government whip resigns.

The Conservative party failed to win a majority at the general election on June 8 and has a slim 12-seat advantage only because of a deal it struck with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionists, leaving it in a precarious position.

LAT: Britain's prime minister seeks to curb sexual misconduct in the nation's politics

Sex scandals are speeding May to an early exit: With crises mounting and a PM who has used up all of her political lives, Tory thoughts are turning to Amber Rudd.
The Times - Rachel Sylvester

Dublin calls for 5-year Brexit transition: FT reports, Coveney rails against ‘game of chicken’ as Irish concerns of collateral damage mount.

Saudis call missile from Yemen an ‘act of war’ by Iran: NYT reports, Saudi Arabia charged that Iran had committed “a blatant act of military aggression” by providing its Yemeni allies with a missile fired at the Saudi capital over the weekend.

Comrades unite: One hundred years ago today, one of the century’s most momentous uprisings hit St. Petersburg. The Russian Revolution’s eventual outcome, the Soviet Union, offered hope for some but delivered suffering for many.

A century after the Bolshevik Revolution, Russia has its tsar
WP - Ishaan Tharoor

In Soviet times, Nov. 7 was an annual national holiday. But Russian President Vladimir Putin, the longest-serving Russian leader since Stalin, is not publicly commemorating the centennial.

AP: 100 years after Russian revolution, Lenin statues abound

"The Socialist Revolutionary Party - Only in battle will you obtain your rights!"

"The Socialist Revolutionary Party - Only in battle will you obtain your rights!"

AMERICAN POLITICS

Virginia governor’s race seen as key test of Trump ahead of 2018 midterms: WP reports, the contest pits Ed Gillespie, a longtime establishment Republican who has embraced the culturally divisive aspects of Trump’s agenda, against Democrat Ralph Northam, a pediatric neurologist and the state’s sitting lieutenant governor.

Hard-fought Virginia governor's race to test Trump's clout: Reuters reports, a bitterly fought governor's race in Virginia leads a slate of state and local elections on Tuesday that offer an early test of President Donald Trump's political influence and possible strategies for both parties in next year's midterm elections.

AFP: Virginia election likely a crucial test vote for Trump

#IVoted

@csmonitor: “He’s had to run as Donald Trump … – but he’s also tried to run as Mitt Romney and George H.W. Bush.”


Trump adviser sent email describing ‘private conversation’ with Russian official: WP reports, the email by adviser Carter Page contradicts earlier statements about his July 2016 trip to Moscow. In the email, he wrote that he had been provided “incredible insights and outreach” by Russian lawmakers and “senior members” of President Vladi­mir Putin’s administration.

Tax stuffing: House Republicans are acting quickly in the hopes of bringing tax reform to the House floor by Thanksgiving.

What does Tulsi Gabbard believe? The making of a charismatic, unorthodox Democrat. An Iraq veteran and the first Hindu in Congress, Gabbard is a compelling figure. When she was elected, Rachel Maddow said, “She is on the fast track to being very famous.”
New Yorker

@PoliticsReid: Lobbyists spent a quarter of a BILLION dollars influencing the California legislature thru first 9 months of 2017

A fight over gardening? NYT reports, the altercation that left Senator Rand Paul nursing bruised lungs and broken ribs was said to have begun over a landscaping dispute with a neighbor.

@thehill: Trump Commerce chief overstated wealth by $2 billion to get on Forbes list of richest Americans: report http://hill.cm/dfcOZZu  

NEED A SPEAKER?

Marc A. Ross works with clients to develop executive education lectures, speeches, presentations, workshops, and conferences to help demystify Globalization, Disruption, and American politics. Learn more here.

ENTERPRISE

Reuters: HSBC pledges $100 billion of finance by 2025 to combat climate change

Ford is gearing up to launch a Chariot bus network in London.

Uber, rival apps join forces in Brazil to stem tide of regulation: Reuters reports, Uber has formed an unprecedented alliance in Brazil with other ride-hailing services, including its main local rival 99, to win public support to block regulation threatening the way they do business in a booming market.

Reuters: Irish PM says future of $1 billion Apple data center uncertain

Fast fashion was inspired by Europe’s inability to mimic Indian garb https://goo.gl/QQW6Qa

WSJ: Disney approached 21st Century Fox to buy entertainment assets

FT: Energy sector rallies as oil holds around $64


@CNBCTopStories: We can expect the bull market to run 8 to 10 more years, strategist Jeff Saut says http://cnb.cx/2zm0eeq 

TRENDS

These hot restaurants aren’t on maps, only in apps: A virtual restaurant model, with low overhead, is a shift away from the capital-intensive model that kills 60% of new restaurants in their first five years. https://goo.gl/WFuxuD

American retail has a coffee problem: WSJ reports, coffee shops struggle for survival as others including grocery stores, gas stations and fast-food chains sell specialty beverages.

There are now nearly 33,000 coffee shops in the US.

Surf's up for startups at Web Summit 2017: AFP reports, the next generation of Internet giants gather this week in Portugal for four days of tech-fuelled networking, nights out and -- for the first time this year -- surfing of the offline variety. Web Summit, which likes to promote itself as "the Davos for geeks" and provides a platform for startups to hook up with venture capitalists and hear about new trends from industry leaders such as Facebook, will see around 60,000 tech experts convene in Lisbon, where participants will look to catch a break either in or out of the water. "Lisbon is kind of the surf capital of Europe, so not going surfing would be a very significant missed opportunity," said Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave.

CULTURE

"What do leaders ... DO? First and foremost they assemble and then develop a topflight team of people.” - Tom Peters

SPORT

Why soccer, 'working-class ballet,' continues to thrive: Author Simon Critchley's new book, 'What We Think About When We Think About Soccer,' examines the power and myth of the world's most popular sport. https://goo.gl/8SFWBC

Kyle Martino enters race for US soccer president: NYT reports, Kyle Martino, a former United States national team midfielder now more familiar to fans for his role on NBC Sports’ Premier League broadcasts, has decided to leave his “dream job” and mount a bid to replace the longtime incumbent Sunil Gulati as president of US Soccer.

Cowboys, concussions and unholy risks: Inside the world of professional bull riding: Globe and Mail reports, when Canadian bull rider Ty Pozzobon killed himself in January 2017, he turned a spotlight on the world’s most dangerous sport. He became bull riding’s first confirmed case of CTE. The Globe spent the summer with Pozzobon’s closest colleagues on the professional bull-riding tour to explore how a way of life threatens the health and safety of the men who love to ride.

Caracal Business Insider | November 6, 2017

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Saudi Arabia | Silvio Berlusconi | Donna Brazile | Rand Paul  | Shalane Flanagan

Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross

Caracal Business Insider: Politics + Policy + Profits

"You've got to win the politics to set the policy to ensure the profits." - Marc A. Ross, founder of Caracal Global.

Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia


GEOECONOMICS

Broad crackdown reins in Saudi elite: WSJ reports, a sweeping weekend roundup of more than five dozen princes, ministers and prominent businessmen in Saudi Arabia marks a dramatic escalation in the crown prince’s effort to consolidate power and accelerate far-reaching change in the kingdom.

Saudi crown prince upends traditions in purge of rivals: NYT reports, the move appeared to be the most sweeping shift in governance the kingdom has experienced for more than eight decades.

“It is the coup de grâce of the old system,” a former US ambassador said. “Gone. All power has now been concentrated in the hands of Mohammed bin Salman.”

Trump urges Japan to buy more US military equipment: WSJ reports, Trump pushed for Japan to buy “massive” amounts of military equipment from the U.S., saying that it would help the country shoot down missiles like those nearby North Korea fired overhead in recent months.

Nikkei: Abe, Trump agree to exert 'maximum pressure' on North Korea

Bloomberg: Trump pushes Japan to buy military equipment, hits out on trade


@FoxBusiness: @POTUS to Japan: "I am committed to achieving a fair, free and reciprocal trading relationship."

Wooing Trump, Xi seeks great power status for China: NYT reports, Xi Jinping, the most powerful Chinese leader in decades, wants the United States to share global leadership with China as equals.

Trump’s two-day visit to China starts Wednesday.

Trump is about to learn that China couldn't care less about America First
LAT - David Rothkopf

A more hawkish Trump approach to China is coming soon
WP - Josh Rogin

Deposed Catalan leader released by Brussels judge: FT reports, Puigdemont told to stay in Belgium during process to decide on Spain’s extradition request.

How the Catalonia vote threatens the EU
Reuters - John Lloyd

Outside of Catalonia, independence movements exist in the UK (Scotland), France (Brittany and Corsica), Bavaria (Germany), Belgium (Flanders) and Italy (Lombardy and Veneto). 

Silvio Berlusconi’s coalition set for victory in Sicily poll: The Times reports, Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right coalition appeared to have snatched a narrow lead over the anti-establishment Five Star Movement in Sicilian regional elections, according to exit polls released last night. Matteo Renzi’s hopes of a second stint as Italian prime minister appeared to have been dealt a severe blow as his center-left party were put in a distant third. The results of the regional poll, which involves 4.6 million voters, are being closely watched for signs as to who may prevail in national elections next spring.

He's back.

No one knows what Britain is anymore
NYT - Steven Erlanger

Rather than a vote for a global Britain and economic liberalism, Mr. Tilford said, Brexit was a vote for protectionism, and its political system now “is deeply provincial and introverted at a time when Britain is supposed to be heading out into the world.”

#MustRead


FT: Globalisation marches on without Trump

A new wave of trade talks threatens to leave US isolated. 

AMERICAN POLITICS

Donna Brazile: I considered replacing Clinton with Biden as 2016 Democratic nominee
WP

VA-GOV: Virginia’s gubernatorial election is tomorrow and polls suggest the race is neck and neck and could go either way.

FT: Democrats battle to unify in Virginia election

Gillespie shuns Trump in biggest race of 2017: Politico reports, the GOP Virginia nominee never invited the president to campaign, fearing a backlash in the DC suburbs. And some conservatives aren't happy about it.

Wednesday at the DNC could be a disastrous meltdown = Donna Brazile book + Losing VA governor's race

House departures: 27 Republicans have left or are leaving the House of Representatives - not a good sign if you are looking to keep a majority.

Injuries Sen. Rand Paul sustained in attack far more severe than initially thought: WP reports, the two-term senator is recovering from five broken ribs and bruises to his lungs after being allegedly attacked by a neighbor on Friday. It is unclear when Paul (R-KY) will return to Washington, aides said Sunday.

Is Tom Cotton the future of Trumpism? 
New Yorker - Jeffrey Toobin

NBC News: Mueller has enough evidence to bring charges in Flynn investigation

The fact Flynn hasn't been arrested yet has to suggest cooperation with the Mueller investigation.

WSJ: Russian Twitter support for Trump began shortly after he started campaign—in June 2015

Bloomberg: Trump Jr. hinted at review of anti-Russia law, Moscow lawyer says


NEED A SPEAKER?

Marc A. Ross works with clients to develop executive education lectures, speeches, presentations, workshops, and conferences to help demystify Globalization, Disruption, and American politics. Learn more here.

ENTERPRISE

WSJ: Broadcom proposes to buy Qualcomm for $103 billion

The unsolicited bid would be the largest pure tech merger ever.

Bloomberg: Coca-Cola's next big bet may be spiffing up your cocktail mixers

“Mixers are seeing a resurgence in many parts of the world as part of this trend.”

Goldman Sachs Group and China Investment Corp. are partnering on a multibillion-dollar fund to help the giant Chinese fund invest in US manufacturing and other sectors.

Caixin: UnionPay reaches complete penetration at US ATMs

Bloomberg: Qatar Airways buys Cathay Pacific stake for $662 Million


CNBC: Ford and Europe's auto giants to build a long-distance electric charging network

- 20 fast-charging stations to be in operation by the end of 2017

- 400 stations aimed to be built across Europe by 2020

- Technology would have twice charging capacity of Tesla's offering


TRENDS

Early-bird special: Some families can’t wait for Thanksgiving: WSJ reports, more Americans are celebrating Turkey Day earlier than the fourth week of November, citing cheaper travel and lower stress.

Today's cheapest iPhone vs the PalmPilot: 20 years of handheld computing: As we welcome the innovative iPhone X, it's worth noting that you can buy a new iPhone for less than the original PalmPilot. Even Apple's lowest-end device is hundreds of thousands of times more powerful than handhelds from 20 years ago.
ZDNet - David Gewirtz

SPORT

NY Daily News: Shalane Flanagan becomes first US woman to win NYC Marathon since 1977

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Caracal Business Insider | Enterprise

July 12, 2017
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross

Caracal Business Insider: Politics + Policy + Profits

Caracal Business Insider is a hand-curated newsletter compiled daily to bring you the best news to demystify globalization and American politics. If you enjoy what you read here, please consider forwarding it to spread the word. Not getting CBI regularly, click here to subscribe.

The $3 toothpaste club? Startup to test the power of brands: WSJ reports, a new online retailer is betting it can get American shoppers to break up with big brands from Colgate to Heinz. Called Brandless, the San Francisco-based startup on Tuesday plans to start selling generic, health- and environmentally conscious consumer staples, such as fluoride-free toothpaste and organic agave nectar.

Reuters: Twitter lets users mute notifications from unknown accounts

How will Facebook respond to trolls, haters, and bots?

Microsoft’s rural broadband solution: TV’s “white space”: WSJ reports, it will work with telecom providers to tap unused bandwidth, while broadcasters are concerned about potential interference.

Why Adidas is going beyond fitness with its new “All Day” lifestyle app: By combining content with behavioral science, the brand hopes the new platform will help women with much more than athletic performance. https://goo.gl/qBRkow

Audi launches most advanced self-driving car: FT reports, group unveils flagship A8 saloon in an attempt to take the technological lead over rivals.

LinkedIn is testing a new feature that matches you with a mentor

WeWork is set to open 10 to 20 locations in Tokyo.

Ant Financial refiles for US approval of MoneyGram deal.

Dimon warns EU could force banks to move staff out of UK: FT reports, JPMorgan CEO joins finance chiefs at Paris event aimed at drawing business from London.

Coca-Cola to radically increase the amount of recycled plastic in its bottles.

COTD: Most cranes in America

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