Mnangagwa, Putin, Merkel, US Navy, Detroit, Shiffrin
Caracal Business Insider | Daily
November 22, 2017
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross
Caracal Business Insider: Politics + Policy + Profits
Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia
GEOECONOMICS
NYT: Robert Mugabe resigns as Zimbabwe’s president, ending 37-year rule
Coup in Zimbabwe: A win-win for China – for now: Asia Times reports, did Beijing give the go-ahead to remove Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe? Nobody is saying. But it is suspicious that Zimbabwe’s army chief General Chiwenga visited China a few days before he moved against Mugabe. Presumably, nobody in Beijing told him ‘no.’
Zimbabwe's Mnangagwa to return to the country after Mugabe's resignation: Reuters reports, Zimbabwe's Emmerson Mnangagwa is set to return to the country on Wednesday and should be sworn in as president following the resignation of Robert Mugabe after nearly four decades in power, a senior ruling party official said.
EU and UK aim to strike divorce deal within 3 weeks: FT reports, negotiators aim for the week of December 4 as Theresa May moves to settle the bill.
@HandelsblattGE: Landing the European Banking Authority was an important victory for Paris in its rivalry with Frankfurt to become the European Union’s financial center when Britain leaves the bloc.
Germany + Westminister + Brexit: Theresa May is being urged by Tories to exploit Angela Merkel's political weakness and suspend plans to offer billions of pounds more to the European Union.
A weakened Merkel may spell trouble for all of Europe: NYT reports, the failure of Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany to form a coalition government is a blow to hopes for a strong Franco-German engine to drive European Union reform.
@voxdotcom: Angela Merkel could:
1. Run a minority government.
2. Try to cajole the parties back to the table to create a majority government.
3. Stand back and wait for the president to call for a new round of elections.
Putin to announce presidential bid December 15: The Kremlin plans to launch Vladimir Putin's campaign for a fourth term in late December so the President can avoid questions on the topic at his annual press conference on December 14.
Syria's Assad travels to Russia, meets with Putin: AP reports, Russia is about to end its military operation in Syria that tipped the scales in the devastating war in favor of government forces, said President Vladimir Putin.
Trump administration blasts Mexico, Canada on NAFTA progress: WSJ reports, USTR Robert Lighthizer issued a downbeat assessment Tuesday of efforts to rewrite Nafta, decrying ‘a lack of headway’ and criticizing Canada and Mexico for refusing to ‘seriously engage’ on controversial U.S. proposals aimed at cutting the US trade deficit.
Canada warns US that NAFTA auto changes would backfire on America: Globe and Mail reports, representatives in Mexico City say Trump administration’s NAFTA rules-of-origin proposals would be self-defeating and cost Americans jobs.
Nikkei: Xi Jinping breaks taboo and enters the Forbidden City
"Chinese leader may still be commander-in-chief in 2035 when he would be 82."
GB Times: China invests in more than 20 overseas railway projects
AMERICAN POLITICS
US Navy plane crashes into the sea near Japan: WSJ reports, a US Navy aircraft carrying 11 crew and passengers crashed into the sea south of Japan‘s main islands on Wednesday. The Navy provided no details on casualties, but Japan’s defense minister said eight people had been rescued.
8 people found after Navy plane carrying 11 crashes into the Pacific: WP reports, the C-2 aircraft, which had 11 crew and passengers on board, had been traveling to the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier, which is currently in the Philippine Sea on exercises with Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force. Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said eight people had been recovered from the C-2 aircraft, although it was not clear whether they were found alive.
Sweeping plan would overturn equal access to the Internet: NYT reports, the Federal Communications Commission plans to scrap net neutrality rules requiring broadband providers to give consumers equal access to all content on the internet.
Trump administration plans to scrap net neutrality: FT reports, a proposal to end Obama-era rules is a victory for cable and telecom companies.
Reuters: Trump says AT&T plan to buy Time Warner 'not a good deal'
Playbook reports, many outlets town are working on stories about sexual harassment by members of Congress on the Hill.
Mueller probes Jared Kushner’s contacts with foreign leaders: WSJ reports, Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators are asking questions about White House adviser Jared Kushner’s interactions with foreign leaders during the presidential transition and what role he may have played in firing ex-FBI Director James Comey.
Pence PAC steers funds to dozens of GOP candidates: WSJ reports, VP Pence will dip into his new political-action committee to help Republicans keep control of Congress and statehouses, contributing more than $200,000 to candidates in dozens of races across the country, his office said.
ENTERPRISE
SoftBank plans investments of up to $25 billion in Saudi Arabia over the next three to four years.
Scott Galloway thinks Amazon is now setting its sights on luxury department store Nordstrom.
WSJ: Uber paid hackers $100,000 to hide large 2016 breach
The data breach impacted 57 million accounts last year.
Bloomberg: Tesla’s burning through nearly half a million dollars every hour
Over the past 12 months, the electric-car maker has been burning money at a clip of about $8,000 a minute (or $480,000 an hour), Bloomberg data show.
Tesla has a market capitalization of $53 billion with Ford Motor Co. worth $48 billion.
Meg Whitman will step down as CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
State Duma threatens to ban Google ads: Deputy speaker Pyotr Tolstoy says Moscow will consider banning Google from collecting advertising revenue in Russia, in response to the company’s plans to "de-rank" RT and Sputnik in news search results.
Buy a jet or two on Taobao: two Boeing 747-400 freighters were sold on Taobao for 322m yuan ($48 million), reports Beijing Youth Daily. The planes originally belonged to a defunct cargo company, Jade Cargo International. Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court, in charge of handling the firm's bankruptcy, tried to sell them off at six separate private auctions but failed each time.
Francis Crick Institute's £700m building 'too noisy to concentrate': Guardian reports, some of the 1,250 people working at the year-old laboratory say its open plan layout, designed to produce collaboration, makes it hard to focus on work.
TRENDS
Quartz: Big banks’ blockchain specialists are flocking to cryptocurrency firms in search of freedom
How to hire a behavioral scientist https://goo.gl/VJefa1
China's box office has exceeded $7.5 billion for the first time in a calendar year, according to China's State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film, and Television (SAPPRFT).
How Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google manipulate our emotions: A TED Talk from Scott Galloway on the combined market capitalization of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google is now equivalent to the GDP of India. How did these four companies come to infiltrate our lives so completely? In a spectacular rant, Scott Galloway shares insights and eye-opening stats about their dominance and motivation -- and what happens when a society prizes shareholder value over everything else. Followed by a Q&A with TED Curator Chris Anderson. https://goo.gl/29wGTE
CULTURE
Detroit: The most exciting city in America?https://nyti.ms/2jHv7UE
Developer has big plans for Ted’s Bulletin, Kramerbooks and life in DC: WP reports, Steve Salis, 34, has a vision to create "ecosystems," all-in-one communities that combine office space, housing, shopping, and dining. https://goo.gl/vzvzjD
SOTD
Adam Ant - Goody Two Shoes https://goo.gl/Zy8ggL
SPORT
Mikaela Shiffrin, the best slalom skier in the world: New Yorker reports, she seems to be a sure bet to win gold at the next Olympics. But so much could still go wrong.
https://goo.gl/rzGL5e
The odd couple: HG reports, British soccer club Manchester United has been gaining a reputation for lucrative but sometimes bizarre commercial partnerships. The latest involves German family-owned coffee firm Melitta. https://goo.gl/uE7Fru
"As for Manchester United, this is just the latest in a string of similar new commercial partnerships. The club now has 54 of them and they include all kinds of firms willing to get into bed with soccer players, including commercial partners for paint, mattresses, wine, tires, noodles and even Japanese tractors."
How a Scottish goalkeeper ended up coaching in the Chinese Super League https://goo.gl/LsQny4
Champions League today - all matches at 2:45 pm ET
Juventus vs Barcelona
Atlético Madrid vs Roma
Anderlecht vs Bayern München
Basel vs Manchester United
PSG vs Celtic
Teams which have qualified for final 16 spots:
Bayern Munich
Beşiktaş
Manchester City
PSG
Real Madrid
Tottenham
Caracal Business Insider | November 21, 2017
Mugabe, Merkel, Merger, Mandalay Bay, Manchester City
Caracal Business Insider | Daily
November 21, 2017
Curation and commentary from Marc A. Ross
Caracal Business Insider: Politics + Policy + Profits
Reporting from Alexandria, Virginia
GEOECONOMICS
Behind Mugabe’s rapid fall - a firing, a feud, and a first lady: NYT reports, the rapid fall of Zimbabwe’s president, whose legendary guile and ruthlessness helped him outmaneuver countless adversaries over nearly four decades, probably has surprised no one more than Robert Mugabe himself.
ARA San Juan: The US Navy has joined the international search effort for an Argentine submarine and its 44 crew members missing for several days beneath the stormy southern Atlantic Ocean.
Chilean markets are tumbling: Bloomberg reports, Chilean stocks posted their worst rout in six years and the peso tumbled after surprise election results dashed expectations billionaire Sebastian Pinera would easily win next month’s presidential run-off.
North Korea sponsoring terror: FT reports, Trump has added North Korea back to a list of “state sponsors of terror” after almost a decade. Trump added that the US Treasury will impose more sanctions on Pyongyang.
Russian nuclear facility denies it is the source of high radioactivity levels: Guardian reports, Greenpeace calls for investigation after levels of ruthenium-106 in the atmosphere near Urals site found to be 986 times norm.
Putin enjoys an 82% approval rating and no serious challengers for Russia's March 2018 election.
Germany may hold new elections: Bloomberg reports, Chancellor Angela Merkel said she’d rather face a fresh vote than govern without a majority, betting that voters won’t blame her after talks on forming a coalition collapsed. “A minority government isn’t part of my plans,” she said on Monday.
“A minority government isn’t part of my plans,” Merkel said Mondayin comments to broadcaster ARD. “I’m certain that new elections are the better way.”
German turmoil threatens Europe: WSJ reports, the prospects for overhauling the European Union and its currency, the euro, have hit further trouble as Germany grapples with newfound political instability and its lead.
“At a time when the European Union is facing a host of pressing problems, from Brexit negotiations with Britain, to the rise of right-wing populism, to separatism in Spain’s Catalonia region, the possibility of political instability in a normally reliable Germany sent tremors through the Continent.”
Gerry Adams has announced he is quitting as Sinn Fein president after for 34 years.
Post-Brexit moves: FT reports, Paris and Amsterdam have been chosen as the new homes for two prized EU agencies, both currently headquartered in London and home to a combined staff of 1,000.
AMERICAN POLITICS
WSJ: US throws out playbook on China trade
"Cheered on at home, Robert Lighthizer readies a sledge-hammer of punitive measures"
China hawk Lighthizer increasingly influential in White House: Axios reports, Trump's hardline trade negotiator Robert Lighthizer is wielding extraordinary — and growing — influence inside the White House. Trump has huge respect for Lighthizer. He likes that he will take on his colleagues and doesn't back down, even in front of Trump. He's increasingly winning internal arguments over the administration's inevitable economic confrontation with China.
US rebuffs China’s charm offensive, edging closer to trade war: WSJ reports, US looks at sanctions with the goal of fundamentally challenging Chinese trade practices. https://goo.gl/ZQWbMX
WP: Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen will leave board when successor is sworn in
Somalia: The number of US military forces in Somalia has more than doubled this year to over 500 people.
Antitrust: The DOJ will sue to block AT&T Inc.'s $85.4 billion merger with Time Warner Inc.
WSJ: FCC to outline plan to roll back rules on net neutrality
The US flooded one of Houston’s richest neighborhoods to save everyone else: Bloomberg reports, the Army Corps of Engineers sent water cascading into West Houston’s Energy Corridor to avoid a catastrophic reservoir failure during Hurricane Harvey. Now a web of lawsuits could change how the government handles extreme weather.
https://goo.gl/kYWKN1
ENTERPRISE
Uber signs a non-binding deal with Volvo to purchase up to 24,000 cars equipped with autonomous technology.
Caixin: Chasing rivals, Lamborghini’s new SUV peels out in China
Tencent becomes the first China-based firm valued at more than $500 billion.
The Washington Post is a software company now: Fast Company reports, the newspaper created a platform to tackle its own challenges. Then, with Amazon-like spirit, it realized there was a business in helping other publishers do the same.
Starbucks is being criticized for its holiday cups - again. But why isn't anyone being critical of the crowded experience, sub-optimal customer service, the lame coffee, the poor food choices, etc?
Apple’s iPhone X assembled by illegal student labor: FT reports, interns say they were ‘forced’ to work at Foxconn plant in China in order to graduate.
LAT: Mandalay Bay and concert promoter sued by hundreds of Las Vegas massacre survivors
WeSoul: SoulCycle founder Julie Rice was named the chief brand officer of WeWork.
TRENDS
The downside of social media: MediaREDEF reports, Facebook, Google, Twitter and other major platforms helped us to connect, entertain and learn. The benefits have been obvious. But now, so are the dangers. Engagement and revenue over well-being? Are we addicted? Election influence. Fake news. Bullying bots. Treating users like Pavlovian dogs. Do we understand the effects? Do the platforms' founders?
https://goo.gl/iKEDTc
CULTURE
“All my big mistakes are when I try to second-guess or please an audience. My work is always stronger when I get very selfish about it.” - David Bowie
SPORT
Champions League today:
All matches at 2:45 pm ET
APOEL vs Real Madrid
Borussia Dortmund vs Tottenham Hotspur
Sevilla vs Liverpool
Napoli vs Shakhtar Donetsk
Manchester City vs Feyenoord
Caracal Business Insider | November 13, 2017
Indo-Pacific, TPP, Theresa May, General Electric, Hermès, Dunc’d On
Caracal Business Insider | Daily
November 13, 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
GEOECONOMICS
Trump’s two messages to Asian partners: DealBook reports, on the one hand: Let’s band together to stop North Korea. On the other: Find your own way on trade.
LAT: Trump crosses Asia touting a 'free and open Indo-Pacific,' a shift in rhetoric if not actual strategy
NYT: Trump's trade policy is lifting exports. Of Canadianlobster.
WSJ: Pacific-Rim countries move closer to TPP deal without US
"Ministers agree on ‘core elements’ of revised trade pact; Canada’s reservations prevent final deal at APEC summit"
WSJ: Global trade booms, but headwinds blow
"Asia’s upturn in exports may be fleeting amid political risks, demographic trends"
Iran quake: A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit along the border of Iran and Iraq, killing hundreds of people in Iran.
Independent: Up to 40 Tory MPs now ready to sign letter of no confidence in Theresa May
The Times: Tory turmoil as 40 MPs say May must go
UK government tensions rise after leak of Johnson-Gove letter to May: Guardian reports, Theresa May faces possible defeats on vital Brexit votes, ministers are ‘aghast’ at demands for hard Brexit from Michael Gove and Boris Johnson
Sterling dropped 1% overnight to $1.3064.
"Sober people, by no means sympathetic to the left, are now predicting a Jeremy Corbyn government in months." - FT's David Goodhart
Brexit’s critical five weeks and the key dateshttps://goo.gl/rHz3hQ
LAT: Warnings of a weaker, poorer Britain emerging ahead of breakup with the European Union
Rajoy’s Catalonia bet: Bloomberg reports, the Spanish prime minister caught separatists off guard when he called a snap election as well as seizing control of the Catalan administration last month. But his plans for restoring stability in the region now hinge on preventing the rebels winning another majority on Dec. 21, and polls suggest the result is on a knife-edge.
Italians continue to emigrate despite strong economic recovery: FT reports, young leave in increasing numbers frustrated by dysfunctional labor market.
OTD: On November 13, 2015 Paris came under attack by terrorists who killed 130 people across Paris.
EU signs defense pact in decades-long quest: Reuters reports, France and Germany edged toward achieving a 70-year-old ambition to integrate European defenses on Monday, signing a pact with 21 other EU governments to fund, develop and deploy armed forces after Britain’s decision to quit the bloc.
Brazil rolls out the red carpet to lure Chinese money: FT reports, is China the savior or captor of the Latin American country’s assets?
AMERICAN POLITICS
After a disciplined week in Asia, Trump unloads on critics: NYT reports, in a stream of tweets, he called those raising questions about Russia "haters and fools" and said he could call North Korea's leader "short and fat."
Tax reform: The House is set to vote on its tax plan by the end of the week.
Tomorrow: AG Sessions will face more grilling Tuesday on Capitol Hill about his knowledge of meetings with Russian officials.
Security breach and spilled secrets have shaken the NSA to its core: NYT reports, a serial leak of the agency's cyberweapons has damaged morale, slowed intelligence operations and resulted in hacking attacks on businesses and civilians worldwide.
Jerry Brown’s legacy a major question for hopefuls looking to replace him
LAT - John Myers
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
ICO warning: The European Securities Markets Authority joined the list of regulators warning investors against initial coin offering.
Bloomberg: Bitcoin crashes and then surges in wild weekend action
The cryptocurrency plunged 15% late Saturday from nearly $6,500 to a low of $5,507.
Uber has approved SoftBank Group Corp.'s offer to buy a multibillion-dollar stake in the tech company.
Alibaba's Singles' Day sale brought in a record $25.3 billion in sales from shoppers in over 225 countries and regions, exceeding analysts' expectations with a 39 percent jump in sales.
GE's new chief sets focus on three key units: WSJ reports, General Electric Co.'s new leader plans to unveil a roadmap Mondayfor the conglomerate that will focus on three of its biggest business lines, but stops short of a breakup or more radical restructuring of the 125-year-old giant.
Smartphone music studio: The lip-synching app Musical.ly is to be sold for between $800 million and $1 billion to Chinese company Jinri Toutiao.
Silicon Valley sets sights on disrupting meat industry: FT reports, Bill Gates-backed start-up secures national US distribution for its veggie burgers.
@elonmusk: Tesla Semi Truck unveil to be webcast live on Thursdayat 8pm! This will blow your mind clear out of your skull and into an alternate dimension.
TRENDS
Moncler ditches catwalk shows for the social media generation: FT reports, luxury fashion group to target millennials with ‘flash’ events and online collections.
Email could generate $20 billion this holiday season: Adobe: MediaPost reports, the busiest time of the year for email marketers is just around the corner, and email could produce as much as $20 billion in online sales this holiday season.
Where self-driving cars go to learn: Arizona’s promise to keep the driverless car industry free of regulations has attracted dozens of companies, including Uber, Waymo and Lyft. https://goo.gl/RLv6kg
The path ahead: The future of life outdoors: We are becoming the world's first indoor species. Are we too late to change course? Explore the brutal truths and beautiful possibilities.
REI Co-op Journal
CULTURE
Radhika Jones, the editorial director of the books department at The New York Times and a former top editor at Time magazine, is expected to be named the next editor of Vanity Fair.
The fascinating woman behind Hermès' window displays: As a new exhibition dedicated to her work for the French fashion house opens at the Grand Palais in Paris, Alexander Fury chronicles the life of Leïla Menchari.
AnOther
SOTD
Brian Eno - An Ending (Ascent) https://goo.gl/VWTQKE
SPORT
LaVar Ball (Kenan Thompson), the father of Los Angeles Lakers star Lonzo Ball, explains why his son will be bigger than Kobe Bryant.
SNL - Weekend Update
This very long, super nerdy NBA podcast is making money: Bloomberg reports, Dunc’d On proves there’s an audience thirsty for hours and hours of two dudes talking about pro basketball. https://goo.gl/UYSZ3x