Shinzo Abe, Li Keqiang, Marshal Haftar, Emmanuel Macron, Bernie Sanders

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Shinzo Abe, Li Keqiang, Marshal Haftar, Emmanuel Macron, Bernie Sanders

Caracal Global Daily
April 8, 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

✔️ Libya crisis: Fighting near Tripoli leaves 21 dead

✔️ Merkel to host May for Brexit talks

✔️ House Democratic campaign arm nears war with liberals over primary fights

✔️ Facebook, Google in crosshairs of new UK policy 

✔️ Bernie Sanders finds himself in a new role as front-runner

GLOBALIZATION

Japan's Abe to visit US, France on pre-G20 tour: AFP reports, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced Monday plans to visit the United States, Canada and France this month before his country hosts the G20 later this year. The tour from April 22 to 29 will also include stops in Italy, Belgium and Slovakia, a foreign ministry official said.

Small US Marine presence in Taiwan could ruffle Chinese feathers: LAT reports, military personnel have staffed the de facto U.S. Embassy in Taiwan periodically since 2005, a U.S. government spokesperson said when announcing the opening date next month for a new compound.

China’s hard edge: The leader of Beijing’s Muslim crackdown gains influence: WSJ reports, Chen Quanguo, the official behind aggressive surveillance and social control in China’s restive Xinjiang region, is gaining prominence in Beijing, and his methods are spreading to other parts of the country.

China to relax residency curbs and boost infrastructure: Reuters reports, China will relax residency curbs in many of its smaller cities this year and increase infrastructure spending, the state planner said Monday, in a fresh push to boost the urban population and revive slowing economic growth. The National Development and Reform Commission said it aims to increase China’s urbanization rate by at least 1 percentage point by the end of this year.

EV subsidy cuts give Chinese automakers more reason to fret:Nikkei reports, larger-than-expected cuts to China's electric vehicle subsidies are set to hasten industry consolidation and help level the playing field for foreign competitors in the world's largest auto market.

World’s biggest inland port puts German rustbelt on China’s map: FT reports, Duisburg is the world’s largest inland port and one of Europe’s biggest transport and logistics hubs. It is also the western terminus of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s new Silk Road, the Belt and Road Initiative to finance and build infrastructure in more than 80 countries. “The Chinese see Duisburg and its port as their gateway to western Europe,” said Johannes Pflug, the city’s commissioner for China. “That has given it a whole new significance.”

China to 'further open' its doors to Europe, PM Li says ahead of summit: DW reports, China's Li Keqiang has attempted to quell European skepticism towards China's investment approach ahead of this week's EU-China summit. Some fear projects like the Belt and Road initiative aim to bind countries to China.

US companies accelerate lawsuits against China: Nikkei reports, A mounting string of allegations from the US paint a damning portrait of how China's advanced technology sector has rapidly grown due to corporate espionage.

Tesla, Apple, and GE among those who say secrets were stolen.

Clashes rage near Tripoli as UN ceasefire attempt fails: DW reports, at least 21 people have been killed since a Libyan general launched a blitzkrieg campaign to capture Tripoli. A United Nations attempt to secure a temporary cessation of hostilities came to no avail.

BBC: Libya crisis: Fighting near Tripoli leaves 21 dead

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called for an immediate halt to the fighting and called for talks.

Despite calls for restraint, Marshal Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA) is poised to seize control of Tripoli.


The Times: US military pulls out of Libya as rebels close in on Tripoli

Germany's AfD joins Italy's League innew populist coalition
: DW reports, the Alternative for Germany is forming a new alliance with Italy's League and other far-right parties after the European Parliament elections. They hope the coalition will shake up the European Union.

Salvini begins EU poll campaign with populists rally: FT reports, Italy’s League leader seeks to forge anti-migration coalition across Europe.

SNL: Theresa May (Kate McKinnon) dreams of a better life as Brexit looms on the horizon. http://bit.ly/2KhoMw3

Brexit Day is now four days away, unless or until (Michel Barnier) the EU agrees a further extension this week.

Peter Oborne: I was a strong Brexiteer. Now we must swallow our pride and think again http://bit.ly/2KeSGRl

"If we are to leave the European Union we want a sensible Brexit. There’s no chance of that just now."

"I did not foresee how one of the biggest arguments against Scottish independence – that Europe would not encourage the break-up of its member states by accepting an independent Scotland as a new member – would be lost after Brexit. I failed to understand how the EU is part of the glue which now holds us together in the United Kingdom."


Brexit-distracted Tories lose voter trust on core issues: poll: As the UK's Conservatives struggle to deliver Brexit, an exclusive poll for Politico suggests the party has lost the trust of voters on core issues. In swing seats across the country, the Tories are trailing Labour on the central issues people most care about, the new Politico-Hanbury tracker poll conducted in battleground constituencies has found. But despite the negative view of the party and its handling of Brexit, Theresa May is still seen as the stronger leader compared to her opposition counterpart Jeremy Corbyn. 

Push for Brexit deal heats up ahead of EU Summit: WSJ reports, EU leaders to weigh a request from May to further postpone Britain’s departure.

Germany's Merkel to host UK PM May for Brexit talks: DW reports, the British Prime Minister is set to ask for another extension to Brexit at an EU summit this week. Beforehand, May is scheduled to hold talks with the German chancellor before also meeting with France's Emmanuel Macron.

Emmanuel Macron ponders his de Gaulle moment with Brexit: FT reports, Britain is seeking to leave the EU at a time of its choosing, and once again finds its European destiny beholden to the calculations of a charismatic French leader — a president who sees de Gaulle as his role model. De Gaulle said No to the UK’s entry. Will French president Emmanuel Macron have a de Gaulle moment, say No to the UK leaving when it wants, and bundle the British out of the door?

France awaits results from Macron's 'Great National Debate': AFP reports, Over three months, France's "Great National Debate" has led to 10,000 local meetings, around two million online contributions and 100 hours of presidential talking. On Monday, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe begins trying to make sense of it all. The debate was launched in January by President Emmanuel Macron as a response to protests by "yellow vest" demonstrators whose nation-wide revolt over living standards created the biggest crisis of his time in office.

By inviting voters to take part, Macron had twin objectives: anger could be channeled away from the streets and into town hall meetings, while he could soften his image by showing he was open to listening. 

DISRUPTION

Amazon is positioning Alexa, its artificial-intelligence assistant, to track consumers’ prescriptions and relay personal health information. 

POLITICS

Kirstjen Nielsen resigned as homeland security secretary.

House Democratic campaign arm nears war with liberals over primary fights: NYT reports, “We reject the DCCC’s attempt to hoard power, which will only serve to keep that talent pool — and Congress itself — disproportionately white and male,” María Urbina, the national political director for Indivisible, a progressive grass-roots group, said of the campaign committee. “Incumbents who engage fully with their constituents shouldn’t fear primaries and shouldn’t rely on the national institutions like the DCCC to suppress challenges before voters ever have a say.”

The federal government now directly owns more than 31% of the total US consumer debt via student loans.

Cory Booker (D-NJ) raised more than $5 million for his presidential election campaign in February and March and has more than $6.1 million in cash on hand.

Iowa Caucus = 310 days away

AP: Bernie Sanders finds himself in a new role as front-runner

"Less than two months into his second White House bid, no other declared candidate in the crowded Democratic field currently has amassed so many advantages: a $28 million war chest, a loyal and enthusiastic voter base and a set of clearly defined policy objectives."

WP: In Iowa, Bernie Sanders and Beto O’Rourke change up their styles to win over skeptical voters

Can Kamala Harris win? The Atlantic reports, no other matchup would be as riveting—or as revealing—as Harris versus Trump. But first she has to get through the primaries.

COMMERCE

Nikkei: Huawei takes 5G fight to India and Pakistan

Region primed for $1.2 trillion tech bonanza over the next five years.

Huawei ban: The UK's GCHQ spy agency thinks Huawei's equipment should be banned from sensitive parts of the country such as Westminster in London—the nerve center of the British government and civil service. Why? The Chinese company's "shoddy" engineering practices.

Facebook is in talks to develop an underwater data cable that would encircle Africa, an effort aimed at driving down its bandwidth costs and making it easier for the social media giant to sign up more users.

Facebook, Google in crosshairs of new UK policy to control tech giants: WSJ reports, London’s proposal for new social-media regulator is one of the broadest yet in a larger movement by countries to assert control over tech giants.

UK unveils sweeping plan to penalize Facebook and Google for harmful online content: WP reports, the proposal marks a major new regulatory threat for an industry that’s long dodged responsibility for what its users say or share.

The crowd-sourced, social media swarm that is betting Tesla will crash and burn: LAT reports, Some use commercial databases to track Tesla-loaded ships from San Francisco to Europe and China. Some are experts at automotive leasing or convertible bonds. Some repost customer complaints about Tesla quality and service. One contributor, whose Twitter handle is TeslaCharts, assembles collected data to offer graphical representations of Tesla’s own reports and $TslaQ’s findings. And some do reconnaissance, posting photos and videos of Tesla storage lots, distribution centers, even the company’s Fremont assembly plant as seen from above.

Nissan Motor Co shareholders ousted Carlos Ghosn as a director on Monday, severing his last tie with the Japanese automaker he rescued from near-bankruptcy two decades ago and from which he is now accused of siphoning funds.

Jaguar Land Rover shuts its UK plants on Monday for five days over Brexit, adding to other shutdowns to leave at least half the country’s car production off-line in what could be a pivotal week for Britain’s divorce from the EU.

Grab to raise additional $2bn to accelerate Indonesia expansion: The mega funding comes as Grab rolls out an aggressive strategy to expand its bouquet of services, from transport to food delivery and payments, as it races Indonesia’s Go-Jek to become an app-for-everything in Southeast Asia, home to about 650 million people.

Japan Times: Nissan shareholders officially oust Carlos Ghosn, bringing 20-year relationship to an end

SPORT

Baylor wins NCAA Women's Basketball Championship.

NCAA Men's Basketball Championship - Line:

Texas Tech v Virginia -1.5

Virginia vs. Texas Tech: Ugliest national championship ever: WSJ reports, there will be a lot of defense. Probably more defense than you care for. And there won’t be many points—which is exactly how both Virginia and Texas Tech like it.

Julian Assange, Donald Tusk, NATO, Plastic, Alcohol, Juventus

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Julian Assange, Donald Tusk, NATO, Plastic, Alcohol, Juventus

Caracal Global Daily
April 5, 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

✔️ Has Russia infiltrated the German Parliament?

✔️ UK’s May requests further Brexit delay

✔️ Vast majority of Canadians are concerned about plastic waste

✔️ Adm. Bill Moran: It’s time to make data strategic for our Navy

✔️ Juventus poised to win eighth straight Serie A title

GLOBALIZATION

BBC: Has Russia infiltrated the German Parliament?http://bit.ly/2UrOh1y

Must watch = BBC's Newsnight on how Russia supports confusion and chaos in the West via elections.

China also employs similar entrepreneurial spycraft tactics - think the recent Mar a Lago operation.


Julian Assange to be kicked out of Ecuadorian embassy: WikiLeaks: DW reports, WikiLeaks said its founder will be expelled from Ecuador's London embassy within "hours to days." The non-profit said the INA papers scandal, which has implicated Ecuador's president, was the pretext for the expulsion.

Days to Brexit (current) deadline: 7

The EU increasingly sees a long Brexit delay as the most likely outcome of an emergency leaders’ summit next week, even though it’s neither side’s preference.

UK’s May requests further Brexit delay: WSJ reports, the British government requested an additional delay to Brexit until June 30 to buy more time to get a divorce deal through parliament, as the EU debated its own timetable for the UK’s departure.

FT: May seeks to delay Brexit until end of June

The request comes as Donald Tusk offers to postpone UK departure by up to 1 year.

On the quiet, UK prepares for 'zombie' European polls: AFP reports, the prospect of Britain holding European elections would have been unthinkable just weeks ago but with the Brexit timetable now uncertain, the country is reluctantly planning for a possible campaign. Village halls and schools across the country are being booked as polling centers, and orders placed with specialist stationers for tens of millions of ballots in case the May 23 vote goes ahead.

Britain to take part in European Parliament elections, signaling a significant delay to Brexit: WP reports, the move satisfies a key demand from the European Union, which has said Britain cannot remain in the bloc beyond May 22 if it did not hold the elections.

French benefit: France is already reaping some Brexit benefits, with the number of British investment projects on French soil rising 33 percent in 2018.

France hosts wary G7 in shadow of Trump snub, Brexit and yellow vests: Reuters reports, France offered a wary welcome to foreign ministers from the Group of Seven on Friday for a meeting overshadowed by a snub from Donald Trump’s U.S. administration, a meltdown in Britain over Brexit and months of anti-government protests at home.

Miami Herald: Feds are investigating possible Chinese spying at Mar-a-Lago and Cindy Yang, sources say

"The consulate and China’s Embassy in Washington, DC, did not respond to questions about who Zhang is and whether she works for China’s government."

Trump says US-China trade deal close, but no summit plans yet: WSJ reports, Trump says ‘this is an epic deal, historic—if it happens,’ but Trade Representative Lighthizer says major issues remain.

NYT: ‘Epic’ China trade deal near completion, Trump says, but haggling continues

EPIC = Hilarious

Bloomberg: China hails 'new consensus’ on trade as Trump talks up unfinished deal

US and China delay possible trade deal: FT reports, Trump says an agreement will be reached within 4 weeks as toughest issues resolved.

Reuters: Biotech crops among sticking points in US-China trade deal: sources

Think bioTECH.

"There seem to be two main sticking points holding up completion of the deal. One, China wants the Trump administration to immediately lift tariffs on Chinese-made products, while the Trump team wants to see China taking steps to demonstrate good faith before it relieves the pressure. Two, the two sides can't agree on a mechanism by which US officials can verify that China is keeping its new promises over time." -- Signal, GZERO Media

A victory for Trump: Companies are rethinking China: Keith Bradsher at the NYT reports, the trade war between the United States and China is nearing a possible truce. But global companies are nevertheless moving to reduce their dependence on Chinese factories to make goods.

Jenny Leonard: Don’t count on US-China trade relations warming up anytime soon: Despite positive messages from both sides, hopes are fading that they can find mutually beneficial policies.

EU-China summit preparations stumble over trade, human rights: Reuters, tensions over trade, investments and minority rights may prevent China and the EU from agreeing a joint declaration at a summit next week, four diplomats in Brussels said on Friday, sapping a European push for greater access to Chinese markets.

Peter Martin and Alan Crawford: China’s influence digs deep into Europe’s political landscape: China has an array of advocates of all political persuasions across Europe.

First it was money. Then it was food and electricity. Now, Venezuelans are struggling to find water. WP reports, for millions of people in this oil-rich nation, the breakdown of basic services has reduced life to a daily struggle to secure fundamental needs — and as shortages spread, many say, it’s getting harder.

US to Europe on NATO: Washington is more than Donald Trump: DW reports, NATO's unresolved long-term issues won't go away. But on its 70th anniversary event in the US capital, the trans-Atlantic alliance at least received the timely affirmation that broader Washington is behind it.

DISRUPTION

Wrapped in plastic is not fantastic, Canadians say: CBC reports, the vast majority of Canadians are concerned about plastic waste, believe individuals and businesses have a responsibility to reduce it and feel strongly that not enough is being done by government to address the issue, a new poll suggests

"Right now, just 11 percent of plastic used in Canada is recycled. The polling suggests that about three-quarters of Canadians accept that it's their responsibility to reduce plastic, but less than half said they knew of places they could shop for products with little plastic packaging."

Google scraps ethics council for artificial intelligence: FT reports, Google's AI ethics board has bitten the dust just one week after its formation. It was a chaotic few days, with thousands of Googlers and others decrying its inclusion of drone company chief Dyen Gibbens and Kay Coles James, head of the right-wing Heritage Foundation. One of the key AI ethics problems is to do with algorithmic bias, and James is an opponent of LGBTQ rights, so people thought she was a pretty terrible fit for the role. One board member resigned and others squirmed, and eventually, Google pulled the plug.

Bloomberg: Americans drank less alcohol in 2018 for the third straight year

1. Americans are drinking less.

2. When they do drink, it's higher-end stuff.

3. And they want to try something lower-cal (but refreshing).


Average price of brand-name drugs more than 18 times higher than generics: A new report on changes in generic drug pricing from AARP’s Public Policy Institute finds that brand-name drugs in 2017 were, on average, more than 18 times the price of their generic counterparts. The average annual cost for a generic drug taken regularly was $365, but the price for the brand-name equivalent was close to $6,800. 

POLITICS

Potentially damaging information in Mueller report starts political fight: WP reports, Attorney General William P. Barr is facing more pressure to release the full report by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III amid revelations that members of the Russia probe team are frustrated with the limited information that Barr has released so far.

Trump intends to nominate former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain to the Federal Reserve’s board.

Today: Trump goes to California to see a newly built section of the wall along the border with Mexico.

Where Rudy Giuliani’s money comes from: Bloomberg reports, while he represents the president for free, he travels the world consulting, giving speeches, and building his brand.

Adm. Bill Moran: It’s time to make data strategic for our Navy: Our military is in a high-stakes race to harness the power of data, a revolution that may make previous leaps in military technology — think radar, nuclear power, or space — seem trifling in comparison. To fully seize these opportunities before our adversaries do, we need to look less at the technologies we covet and more in the mirror about our own data structures and culture. http://bit.ly/2UwhpVp 

COMMERCE

The Blitzscaling basics: In their new book, Reid Hoffman and Chris Yeh explain why it often makes sense to prioritize growth over efficiency. http://bit.ly/2Uwq3mS

LAX expansion plans call for a new terminal east of Sepulveda Boulevard: LAT reports, the new and expanded terminals should open before Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Summer Olympic Games, Los Angeles World Airports spokesman Heath Montgomery said. More precise timing and a cost estimate will be determined during a future environmental analysis, he said.

Matthew A. Winkler: Los Angeles is having a loud economic boom: From home values to share prices, its expansion is outpacing big-city peers under a business-friendly Democratic mayor.

The US average home price hit a record high of $300K (that's thanks to a surge in houses above $750K).

AFP: Facebook to block foreign ads for Australia election

European Commission finds German automakers illegally colluded on emissions technology
: DW reports, German car giants VW, Daimler, and BMW colluded to restrict the development of technology to clean emissions from passenger cars, the European Commission said in preliminary findings from its antitrust probe.

Snap announced a new ad-supported gaming platform at its Partner Summit, following recent moves into the market by other tech companies. However, the company's business model - called Snap Games - stands in contrast to Apple's, which will be based on a subscription.

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon's annual letter to shareholders muses on cybersecurity, capitalism, and recessions.

Elon Musk visited court after ignoring an SEC order for Tesla lawyers to screen his tweets pre-tweet (the judge gave him 2 weeks to agree to a settlement with the SEC).

Lenny Rachitsky: What seven years at Airbnb taught me about building a company http://bit.ly/2UyFV8i

Amazon reportedly working on Alexa earbuds to take on Apple’s AirPods.

CULTURE

Passport control: A record 93 million US citizens traveled outside the country in 2018.

Hemp clothing is happening, and no, it won’t get you high: WSJ reports, once sullied by its associations with seedy drug culture, the irreproachable hemp plant is gaining ground in summer fabrics that rival wrinkly linen.

At Cosmopolitan Magazine, data is the new sex: NYT reports, Jessica Pels, the editor, is trying to save the magazine from the jaws of Instagram.

Robert A. Caro on the means and ends of power.https://nyti.ms/2UveFaR

SPORT

Final Four Odds:

Texas Tech v Michigan State -2.5

Auburn v Virginia -5.5


Doc's Morning Line: Move the 3-point line back in college basketball, NCAA Tournament http://bit.ly/2K6MAmd

From a loyal reader in Cincinnati, Ohio. Go Blue!

Bloomberg: Nike nabs Naomi Osaka from Adidas in surprise endorsement deal

Tottenham Hotspur scores football’s biggest profit: FT reports, Tottenham Hotspur has reported the largest annual profit of any football club in history, providing a welcome financial boost as the English Premier League side settles into a new stadium that cost more than £1bn to construct. Pre-tax profits in the year to June 30 2018, were £138.9m, up from £51.7m a year earlier and beating the previous record of £125m made by Liverpool last season. The north London team achieved £380.7m in revenues over the twelve months, a period that covers last season, up from £309.7m a year earlier.

Juventus poised to win eighth straight Serie A title in record time.

Plans to keep smaller clubs out of Champions League: It is believed that The European Club Association (ECA) will push UEFA to make 'radical' changes to the competition after 2024. ECA want to revamp the format of the competition, which is now eight groups of four teams, to four groups of eight teams. That would mean 14 group games would be played instead of six for each team, which will include a promotion and relegation system. The 24 teams who qualify from these groups would automatically qualify for the next season's competition, meaning other clubs would have to fight for the remaining eight spots. There are also fears that UEFA will bow to the demands of their biggest clubs, including staging matches on weekends.

IMF, 2025, Brexit, Carlos Ghosn, Tim Ryan, Mickey Mouse

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IMF, 2025, Brexit, Carlos Ghosn, Tim Ryan, Mickey Mouse

Caracal Global Daily
April 4, 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

✔️ IMF warns that tech giants stifle innovation and threaten stability

✔️ PM clutches at straws as Brexit deadline evaporates

✔️ Inside the race to build the burger of the future

✔️ America’s biggest economic challenge may be demographic decline

✔️ The disciplined pursuit of less

GLOBALIZATION

IMF warns that tech giants stifle innovation and threaten stability: The Guardian reports, adding its contribution to the growing public debate about the corporate power exercised by the US tech giants such as Google, Amazon, Apple, and Facebook, the IMF said it would be concerned if there was any further increase in the clout of already dominant firms. The IMF said there was a need for stronger competition policy to ensure that established firms did not block the entry of potential rivals and called for excess profits to be targeted by a tougher international tax regime.

@stevenportnoy: JUST IN: Trump says the incident at Mar-a-Lago was "just a fluke," says he's not concerned about Chinese espionage at his Florida club.

US bid to maintain tariffs snarls trade talks with China: WSJ reports, US demands that punitive tariffs remain to ensure China enacts overhauls has emerged as one of the biggest sticking points as trade negotiators opened new talks.

Bloomberg: US said to set 2025 target for China to fulfill trade pledges

Does Made in China 2025 still work for everyone?

Trump may announce plans for a summit with China’s President Xi Jinping on Thursday when he meets with the country’s vice premier.

Trump meets with the Chinese leader’s special envoy, Vice Premier Liu He, at the White House today at 4:30 pm ET.

GOP strategists believe trade deal with China—whatever the terms—will reduce uncertainty in the global economy and could give a boost to markets.

Keyword = whatever


US and China draw closer to final trade agreement: FT reports, top US and Chinese officials have resolved most of the issues standing in the way of a deal to end their long-running trade dispute but are still haggling over how to implement and enforce the agreement, people briefed on the talks have said. 

Lighthizer is insisting on Washington’s right to unilaterally impose punitive tariffs on China if there is a violation of the agreement, and a guarantee that China would not retaliate with its own tariffs or challenge the action at the World Trade Organization — difficult concessions for Beijing to accept because they are seen as undermining its sovereignty.

Xi-Trump summit in Osaka in play as China braces for longer fight: Nikkei reports, the great powers' battle for hegemony threatens to make trade deal tentative at best.

My guess = a Trump - Xi | US-China summit will be announced today and will take place in Osaka, Japan on the sidelines of the G20 meeting set for June 28-29.

Audrey Jiajia Li: Uber but for Xi Jinping: Shiny new app, same old propaganda.

Xuexi Qiangguo — “study and make the nation great” — has become ubiquitous in China, an instant messenger, news aggregator and social network all in one. Introduced by the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party in January, the first and second characters in the name, when combined — xuexi — mean “study/learn”; the same character, xi, also happens to be the character in President Xi Jinping’s last name. The app’s name, thus, can also be read as “study Xi and make the nation great.” And they are, by the tens of millions.

As of late March, Xuexi Qiangguo had been downloaded over 73 million times on Huawei’s app store. 

Nicholas Kristof: Even after a trade deal, be wary of China: When an agreement is reached, President Trump may hail it as a triumph. But other big problems need attention.

Trump and Xi will probably soon reach a trade agreement, but that won't solve the biggest problems.

In short, the Xi regime is complicated. It cheats, oppresses and brutalizes, but it also educates, enriches and saves lives.


US businesses stock up after Trump’s threat to shut border: FT reports, companies say they are increasing inventories to guard against supply-chain risks.

Forget advice toast running short, America would stop manufacturing.

US shift on Mexican border triggers trade bottleneck: WSJ reports, Mexican officials and business leaders along the U.S.-Mexico border warned that delays at ports of entry are causing tens of millions of dollars in losses for shippers and logistics companies. 

Ethiopia calls for review of Boeing 737 Max flight controls: FT reports, investigators find that pilots were not to blame for crash near Addis Ababa last month.

German factory orders post biggest slump in two years: FT reports, manufacturing orders fell 4.2% from the previous month amid drop in foreign demand.

Brexit: A bill to prevent no-deal passes Commons by one vote.

PM clutches at straws as Brexit deadline evaporates: The Times reports, Theresa May’s two-year strategy to deliver Brexit was always reliant on a single factor that is today now beyond her control: the threat of a deadline. Last night, by the narrowest of margins, MPs voted through a bill that would give the Commons the power to veto or amend any Article 50 extension request tabled by the prime minister.

@hattiesimplepol: Pretty big day in the end: 
- PM/Corbyn talks
- Juncker says no to short extension to A50
- Cooper bill (which would effectively prevent no deal) passes Commons grilling by 313-312
- Ministerial resignations
- Speaker had to step in to cast a vote rejecting more indicative votes


MPs approve bill to force May to seek Brexit delay: FT reports, measure passes by single vote as PM and Corbyn begin talks on future ties with EU.

I love the Brits - they demand to leave the EU but will only do so if they have a deal from the EU.

Theresa May’s appeal to Labour to help to implement Brexit is an admission of failure yet may be the only course to avoid no-deal.


Philip Stephens: Goodbye EU, and goodbye the United Kingdom: The invented identity of ‘Britishness’ is unravelling as English nationalism takes hold.

Rob Mudge: Brexit: What's gone wrong for the UK's Labour Party? UK Prime Minister Theresa May's final Brexit gamble is to seek help from an equally divided and dysfunctional Labour Party. It's almost like the blind leading the blind.

Brexit chaos stirs bafflement in UK ex-colonies: AFP reports, across much of Britain's former Asian colonies, many are greeting the UK's impending departure from the European Union with a mixture of bafflement, apathy, amusement -- and a touch of schadenfreude. Britain long justified imperial subjugation by arguing Rule Britannia brought order, stability and shared prosperity -- even after its retreat from colonialism birthed a host of troubled new nations still saddled with historical grievances and legacies to this day.

Dubliners cautious as Merkel jets into town amid Brexit impasse: DW reports, the German chancellor is in Dublin to meet the Irish taoiseach, with questions over the future of the Irish border central. The capital's residents hope more support will come for the Irish position.

DISRUPTION

Inside the race to build the burger of the future: Trump says Democrats and environmental wackos are waging a war on beef. But corporations, not politicians or activists, are leading the post-meat revolution. https://politi.co/2K3tgGx

The heart of a swimmer vs. the heart of a runner: Regular exercise changes the look and workings of the human heart. And researchers are discovering that different sports affect the heart differently. https://nyti.ms/2Uwmw7W

POLITICS

NYT: Some on Mueller’s team say report was more damaging than Barr revealed

Members of Robert Mueller’s team have said their findings are more troubling for Trump than Attorney General William Barr had indicated.

At stake in the dispute is who shapes the public’s initial understanding of one of the most consequential government investigations in US history.


Timothy L. O'Brien: Mueller team finally cracks over William Barr’s letters: US newspapers report that the attorney general has underplayed the obstruction findings. Given his background, maybe he should have recused himself.

House panel seeks to interview Trump inaugural organizer: WSJ reports, the House Intelligence Committee’s move indicates Congress is expanding a probe into how more than $100 million was raised and spent.

OTD: In 1818 the US Congress fixed the number of stripes in the American flag at 13, with one star to be added for each new state.

Where is Howard Schultz? Oh, he's doing a Fox News town hall tonight at 6:00 pm.

Wisconsin, ground zero for 2020 politics, looks like a tossup again: NYT reports, for Democrats, an effort to rebuild their Midwestern “blue wall” for the 2020 election is showing gains in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Tim Ryan (D-OH) is scheduled to appear on “The View” today, where he is expected to announce his presidential campaign, according to a BuzzFeed article.

Stacey Abrams (D-GA) said she wants to make a decision this month about running for a US Senate seat from her home state and thinks she could hold off on making a decision about running for president until this fall.

Update: Caracal Global = 2020 Presidential Candidates by Tierhttp://bit.ly/2UtzWl1

Up 1 (Now Tier 1)

Bernie Sanders (D)

Down 1 (Now Tier 2)

Elizabeth Warren (D)
Amy Klobuchar (D)
Howard Schultz (I)

Up 1 (Now Tier 3)

Pete Buttigieg (D)

Down 1 (Now Tier 4)

Kirsten Gillibrand (D)


America’s biggest economic challenge may be demographic decline: Slower growth in the working-age population is a problem in much of the country. Could targeted immigration policy help solve it? https://nyti.ms/2UzW4Ky

TLDR: Yes. 

COMMERCE

Andreessen Horowitz is blowing up the venture capital model (again) http://bit.ly/2K227nb

Carlos Ghosn was arrested again in Tokyo after prosecutors said they suspected the former Nissan chairman abused his position for personal gain.

Tesla reported a 31 percent drop in deliveries of vehicles in the first quarter, the company said.

Ford to launch 30 new models in China to stem plummeting sales.

German AV tests: VW joins BMW in testing self-driving cars on German city streets.

Condé Nast announced that Roger L. Lynch, most recently the head of Pandora, would be its new chief executive.

Hard Rock Hotel Las Vegas closing will happen, but not for a while: LAT reports, there’s still time to stay at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas before it closes. Plans to shut the resort next fall and turn it over to Virgin Hotels have been postponed until February. In the meantime, Hard Rock is opening a lounge and restaurant for those who want to visit the Strip resort. Virgin now expects to start renovations in February with a hotel opening in November 2020 after election day.

AFP: Singapore casino resort to get $3.3 billion expansion

How Disney grew its $3 billion Mickey Mouse business–by selling to adults: Apple, Gucci, Kate Spade, Uniqlo, L’Oréal, and Maybelline are just a few of the companies that sell Mickey-branded products for grown-ups. Here’s how Disney made adults fall in love with a cartoon character. http://bit.ly/2K9n3c2

Superdry founder faces struggle to end brand’s arid spell: FT reports, Julian Dunkerton confronts empty boardroom and falling share price on first day back.

One of my favorite docs = Cut From a Different Cloth follows Idris Elba as he teams up with Superdry founders, Julian Dunkerton, and James Holder, to launch a new fashion line. 

UniCredit waits in wings to bid for Commerzbank: FT reports, Italian lender prepares rival offer should Deutsche Bank deal falter.

LAT: HBO to relocate its West Coast home from Santa Monica to Culver City

China Tobacco looks to take on global cigarette makers
: FT reports, the combination of a slowing domestic economy and efforts by health officials to curb smoking in a country where over a quarter of the adult population are regular users, means the company is now taking aim at western rivals in global markets.

A monopoly in the world’s largest cigarette market is no longer enough for China National Tobacco.

Reuters: Elite US school MIT cuts ties with Chinese tech firms Huawei, ZTE

CULTURE

The most colorful places in the world http://bit.ly/2K5fcML

Extreme loneliness or the perfect balance? How to work from home and stay healthy: More and more people are working where they live, attracted by the promise of flexibility, efficiency, and no commute. But does this come at a cost to their wellbeing? http://bit.ly/2K3BH4J

The disciplined pursuit of less http://bit.ly/2K54SUM