Shambolic, Biodegradable, Ed Royce, GoPro, Huawei, Roll Tide
Caracal Insider Daily
January 9, 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
✔️ May’s cabinet reboot descends into chaos
✔️ Biodegradable bags cause outrage in Italy
✔️ Special Counsel weighs seeking an interview with Trump
✔️ Rep. Ed Royce announced he wouldn’t seek re-election
✔️ Roll Tide
GEOECONOMICS
Bloomberg: Theresa May’s cabinet reboot descends into chaos
PM to meet Cabinet after reshuffle plans backfire: Sky News reports, May's decision not to impose a significant change in senior Cabinet roles will be regarded by critics as a sign of weakness.
Health minister refuses to leave, education secretary quits
Shambolic day for a powerless prime minister: As members of the cabinet refused to be reshuffled, the government’s intended reboot quickly turned into a meltdown.
The Times - Rachel Sylvester
Theresa May's cabinet: Who's in and who's out?https://goo.gl/qDSQ64
Sturgeon and Scottish assertiveness: The Times reports, Nicola Sturgeon has pledged to be more assertive in Brexit discussions in the year ahead and confirmed that the option of Scottish independence remains on the table. The first minister said that Scotland would emerge this year as "an emboldened, more confident and more assertive nation". The "ongoing horror show" of Brexit demanded "a new spirit of Scottish assertiveness", she added.
No invite equals no deal: A post-Brexit US-UK trade deal could be in danger if Trump does not score an invite to the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Michael Wolff writes in his controversial new book "Fire and Fury."
Italy votes: The Times reports, half of the Italian voters aged between 35 and 44 have pledged to back the anti-establishment Five Star Movement in an unexpected surge of support that could lead to the party propping up a coalition government led by Silvio Berlusconi.
Italy will go to the polls for a national election on March 4, 2018.
Biodegradable bags cause outrage in Italy: NYT reports, Italy’s ban on plastic bags for fruit, vegetables and baked goods, which took effect on January 1, has not gone over well. The law requires that biodegradable and compostable alternatives be used instead of plastic, which takes hundreds of years to degrade. The bags can’t be given out free, so the 1- to 3-euro cent charge appears on bills.
SCMP: China has started building its third aircraft carrier, military sources say
NYT: Internet users in China expect to be tracked. Now, they want privacy. https://goo.gl/ML825n
North Korea said it would send athletes and a high-level delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea next month.
Jeff Flake says there's "no evidence" Cuban government attacked American diplomats: CBS News reports, Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake says the US has found no evidence that American diplomats in Havana were the victims of attacks with an unknown weapon.
AMERICAN POLITICS
WSJ: Special Counsel weighs seeking an interview with Trump
WP: Mueller indicates he will likely seek interview with Trump as part of Russia probe
Trump courts economic mayhem: This year we’ll find out how serious he is about protectionism. So far the signs aren’t good.
WSJ - Robert B. Zoellick
"Trump’s real aim is to dictate market outcomes. The administration wants to start with the goal of eliminating the US trade deficit with Mexico and then manipulate rules to that end."
SOTU: Trump's State of the Union address is scheduled for January 30.
US regulators reject subsidy plan for coal power plants: FT reports, FERC’s decision is a setback for Trump administration’s push to ‘bring back coal.’
Dem hopefuls flock to Iowa: The Hill reports, Democrats with White House aspirations are flocking to Iowa. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio, Rep. Tim Ryan (Ohio), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (Minn.) and Rep. Seth Moulton (Mass.) are among the Democrats who visited the Hawkeye state last year. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley dropped in four times, while former Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander has visited the state on seven occasions in recent months.
With Royce out, Ds are California dreaming: Rep. Ed Royce, a Republican representing an Orange County California district, announced he wouldn’t seek re-election. Royce is the current Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. An insider tells me Royce did not provide any advice warning and told his staff just minutes before he made the official announcement.
WP: Pence plans active role in GOP’s 2018 Campaign
Pence needs to be out on the campaign trail so he can be ready for 2020.
ENTERPRISE
Kia Motors is pledging to roll out 16 new electric or hybrid vehicles by 2025.
Bloomberg: Another retail bankruptcy wave is on the way, Credit Suisse says
"Tenants are becoming “property-type agnostic” as the retail world evolves, leaving traditional malls, outdoor shopping complexes and retail strips to compete for the same sets of store owners."
Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook is looking into how it can use cryptocurrency https://goo.gl/hjsLTS
WSJ: Facebook and Xiaomi to launch virtual-reality headset in China
Huawei, long seen as spy threat, rolled over US road bumps: WSJ reports, Chinese telecom giant has gobbled up huge global market share at the expense of Western rivals. Now, as U.S. carriers prepare a $275 billion build-out of 5G networks, Washington officials are raising alarms anew that Huawei is a front for Beijing government interests.
Bloomberg: Huawei fails to get AT&T to sell its phones in the US
The buzz is Huawei will still sell a version of its new Mate 10 Pro smartphone that is unlocked and not tied to a specific carrier.
GoPro to cut 20% of workforce, exit drone market: WSJ reports, GoPro is cutting more than one-fifth of its workforce and exiting the drone market as part of its latest attempt to turn itself around. The company also warned that revenue would be substantially lower than expected.
Samsung Electronics expects to post record operating profits of more than $14 billion in the fourth quarter.
Bloomberg: SpaceX-launched satellite for the US military may be lost, officials say
TRENDS
The looming digital meltdown
NYT - Zeynep Tufekci
"We have built the digital world too rapidly. It was constructed layer upon layer, and many of the early layers were never meant to guard so many valuable things: our personal correspondence, our finances, the very infrastructure of our lives."
How pot is cutting into MillerCoors' light beer biz: Crain's Chicago reports, For years, sales of domestic light beer—once the undisputed king of American booze—have tanked as imbibers turn to craft brews, wine and spirits. Now an even bigger threat looms the growing reality of legal, readily available and socially condoned marijuana.
Rick Maturo, co-founder of Cannabiz Consumer Group, says the beer industry stands to lose 7.1 percent of its overall sales, or more than $2 billion, as the rest of the country gets on board with marijuana legalization.
You’re most likely to do something extreme right before you turn 30... or 40, or 50, or 60
The Atlantic - Daniel Pink
"People given a hard deadline—a date and time—are more likely to sign up to be organ donors than those for whom the choice is open-ended."
Global weapon sales: The US accounted for an impressive 83 percent of global arms exports in 2017.
SPORT
Roll Tide.
@Brett_McMurphy: Next year’s @CFBPlayoff title odds via @LVSuperBook:
Bama 5/2
Clem 6/1
UGA, OhSt 8/1
Mich 10/1
PSU 12/1
OU 18/1
Aub, Miami, MichSt, Tex, Wis 25/1
LSU, Wash 30/1
FSU, ND, Stan, USC, VT, WVU 40/1
A&M 50/1
UF, Ore, TCU 60/1
AFP: Belichick 'absolutely' plans to coach Patriots next season
Chances of winning the Super Bowl according to 538:
New Egland 34%
Minnesota 18%
Philadelphia 15%
Pittsburgh 14%
Atlanta 9%
New Orleans 8%
Jacksonville 2%
Tennessee 1%
