ITK Quick 15 | October 18

Here are today's actionable insights for better communications:

1. At least two more US Navy ships carrying thousands of Marines are heading to the Israeli coast to help in any potential US response to the fighting between Hamas and Israel.

2. Biden cancels visit to Jordan: The White House said Joe Biden will no longer travel to Jordan as part of his trip to the Middle East.

3. According to a Sky News report, UK PM Rishi Sunak is set to visit Israel, possibly as soon as Thursday.

4. Israel forces gather along borders with Gaza and Lebanon.

5. Ukraine strikes Russian forces with US-made ATACMS long-range guided missiles for the first time.

6. Russia's State Duma voted to revoke its ratification of the global nuclear test ban treaty.

7. 20,000 Britons have been approached or engaged by Chinese agents on LinkedIn, says MI5 Director General Ken McCallum.

8. Biden plans to ask Congress for $100 billion in aid for Ukraine and Israel.

9. A new NPR/PBS Newshour/Marist poll finds RFK Jr. pulls more support from Trump than Biden.

10. John Legend dropped a new social app called It's Good, which offers personalized food and travel recommendations.

11. Twitter will begin charging new users $1 a year to access key features.

12. AI hype sends funding for the sector's startups to $17.9 billion.

13. Choice Hotels launches a $10 billion hostile bid for rival Wyndham.

14. The IEA says the world must add or replace 50 million miles of transmission lines by 2040 and will require an annual investment in electric grids of more than $600 billion annually by 2030.

15. Stellantis says the ongoing UAW strike prompts it to cancel its plans for next year's CES.

16. GM is pushing back production of two all-electric pickups at the Orion Assembly plant by a full year amid slower growth.

17. The average American shopper will drop $1,652 worth of holiday cheer this year, Deloitte predicts.

18. At Boston's Wang Theatre, Jerry Seinfeld hints that a re-envisioned Seinfeld finale may be in the works 25 years after the series' end.

19. The first part of The Crown's final season will be released on November 16.

20. Michael Mann says 'Heat 2' will be his next film.

21. Is it Sphere or The Sphere?

22. According to a new survey from Piper Sandler, teenagers in the US say they watch more video on YouTube than on Netflix.

23. ESPN nears broadcast deal with Tiger Woods' golf league.

24. Disney agonized about sports betting but will launch an ESPN betting app next month.

25. The UEFA confirms that the UK and the Republic of Ireland will serve as Euro 2028 tournament hosts.

Need more?

Caracal is here to help navigate today's interconnected business environment with intelligence, strategy, engagement, and education.

-Marc

The Global Great Lakes and a Secure Supply Chain

As if you need one more reminder of the economic importance of the Global Great Lakes, the Soo Locks enable ships to travel between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes, allowing for the smooth passage of 90% of iron ore used today by automakers and manufacturers.

Situated on the St. Marys River at Sault Ste. Marie, MI, the Soo Locks allow ships to transit the 21-foot elevation change at the St. Marys Falls Canal.

Ten thousand ships pass through the Soo Locks each year to bring iron ore, grain, limestone, and other essential commodities across the Great Lakes and Canada into the Midwest and globally.

Moving bulk cargo by water through the Soo Locks saves more than $3.9 billion per year in freight costs compared to moving the same load by rail or truck and provides for the movement of more cargo.

The US Army Corps of Engineers reports that one 1,000-foot vessel can carry the equivalent of seven 100-car trains with a 10,000-ton capacity or 3,000 large trucks with a 25-ton capacity each.

"The Soo Locks are critical to Michigan's economy and to our entire country," Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) told the Detroit Free Press. "There's no question that continuing to modernize the Soo Locks is long overdue — and even a temporary shutdown of one lock would have incredibly harmful impacts on Great Lakes commerce, jobs, national supply chains, and our national security."

Most ships today use the Poe Lock, built in the 1960s to accommodate the larger size of modern ships, which has been shut down for repairs 20 times in the last ten years and closed nine times since 2019.

The new lock project is working to build a second Poe-sized lock in the place of two decommissioned locks and add resilience to this vital navigational and commercial infrastructure.

Team Biden is pouring nearly $700 million from the $1 trillion infrastructure law into building a new supersize navigation lock, almost doubling the money dedicated to the project at $1.6 billion.

As reported by the Wall Street Journal, John Walsh, the chief executive of the Michigan Manufacturers Association, said trade associations, as well as congressional delegations from the Great Lakes states, are working to keep the funding a priority. "We are going to have to keep this fire lit."

Mark Barker, the president of the ship operator Interlake Steamship Company, told the Wall Street Journal an extended problem with the Poe Lock would disrupt domestic manufacturing of automobiles, refrigerators, and countless other products.

Supporters of the new Poe-sized lock noted that 13 of 14 North American integrated steel mills depend on the Soo Locks to transport iron ore from Minnesota and Michigan. Once you have a steel mill running, it's very difficult and expensive to stop.

According to a 2015 Department of Homeland Security study, "an unanticipated closure of the Poe Lock, the only lock large enough at the Soo Locks to allow passage of the Lakers carrying iron ore, would be catastrophic for the Nation. A six-month Poe Lock closure would temporarily reduce the US gross domestic product by $1.1 trillion, resulting in the loss of 11 million jobs."

Representative Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) told the Associated Press: "The critical role that Great Lakes waterways play in sustaining and advancing America's economic vitality cannot be overstated. The revitalization of the Soo Locks will strengthen America's commercial shipping capabilities and support good-paying jobs throughout the Industrial Heartland."

Remember, Global Great Lakes... The future of the global economy is the Great Lakes.

If you need help with economic development messaging and corporate diplomacy, Caracal is here to help.

Caracal believes successful communications requires intelligence, strategy, engagement, and education.

Caracal is here to help you succeed in today's interconnected business environment.

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc

ITK Quick 15 | October 17

Here are today's actionable insights for better communications:

1. Israeli intelligence head takes responsibility for attacks.

2. So far, At least 15 journalists have been killed in the Hamas-Israel war. For context, 15 journalists were killed in Ukraine between 2022 and 2023, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

3. Western leaders visiting Israel: In the coming days, Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, and Olaf Scholz are all planning to visit.

4. Vladimir Putin is in China to meet 'dear friend' Xi Jinping.

5. Intelligence reports suggest North Korea is sending arms to Russia for the Ukraine war.

6. The FBI is hosting the respective domestic intelligence chiefs of the Five Eyes intelligence partnership in a first-ever Emerging Technology + Securing Innovation Security Summit in Palo Alto, CA.

7. Lululemon to join the S&P 500 on Wednesday.

8. Apple is rolling out a new "affordable" Apple Pencil with a USB-C port for $79.

9. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon has decided to stop his DJ side hustle.

10. Taylor Swift's 'The Eras Tour' movie nears $126 Million in US debut.

11. Lego celebrated 90 years as a company in 2022, but it only got into plastic bricks in the 1950s, having started with wooden toys.

12. Today, in 2017, Gord Downie died.

13. QOTD: "I've never seen 'The Swarm', by all accounts, it was a terrible movie. But I have seen the house that it bought, and that is beautiful." -- Michael Caine

14. Inter Miami will play two exhibition matches in China next month as part of the club's first-ever international tour.

15. Travis Kelce + Patrick Mahomes are the newest investors in the Alpine F1 Team.

Need more?

Caracal is here to help navigate today's interconnected business environment with intelligence, strategy, engagement, and education.

-Marc