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Happy Tuesday.

Here’s today’s Marc Ross Daily:

*** Globalization + Geopolitics ***

Ukrainians are weary but determined to end war on just terms: An Oval Office clash has many wondering whether they will have to fight without their most powerful ally. WSJ

US hitting brakes on flow of arms to Ukraine: WSJ reports military financing has been stopped, and officials are meeting to consider suspending another type of assistance.

Trump’s embrace of Russia rocks NATO alliance: Administration’s moves to end Moscow’s isolation cast doubt on alliance unity. WSJ

Hegseth orders Pentagon to stop offensive cyberoperations against Russia: The defense secretary’s instructions, which were given before President Trump’s blowup with the Ukrainian president, are apparently part of an effort to draw Russia into talks on the war. NYT

Trump is being played by Putin – Russia will never accept a peace deal: The invasion of Ukraine wrecked Moscow’s finances – but it’s now the Kremlin’s only source of growth. Telegraph

Putin is ready to carve up the world. Trump just handed him the knife. M. Gessen

Trump’s old world order: Does he want deals with Russia and China to carve up the planet? He should tell Americans. WSJ - Editorial

François Hollande: 'Donald Trump is no longer our ally': France's former president says that Trump's new term marks 'a profound break' in international relations, particularly with Europe. Le Monde

UK, France scramble to draft peace plan for Ukraine as US support falters: Semafor reports French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have positioned themselves as potential intermediaries between the US and Ukraine.

Keir Starmer is all talk on much-vaunted policy — it's growth pledge all over again: Keir Starmer has paused from talking but not delivering on growth to reassure the British people that he's serious about another vital area. Penny Mordaunt

Two small adversaries of Russia and China are swapping notes to survive: Taiwan and the Czech Republic work to boost each other in business and security despite superpower headwinds. WSJ

The real power struggle in Mauritius dwarfing Starmer’s Chagos deal: Suspected military build-up on two tiny islands of Agaléga is at heart of tussle for dominance in the Indian Ocean. The Times

Xi to highlight chaos in the West as he outlines annual strategy: China’s parliament convenes amid turmoil in the western alliance. Xi’s economic goals are modest, but his message to the world is far from subtle. The Times

China learned to embrace what the US forgot: The virtues of creative destruction: In Beijing, competition is in. In Washington, not so much. Tom Orlik

Oct. 7 adds to long history of spies missing the big picture: Intelligence agencies’ apparent ability to sometimes miss the forest for the trees is so common that scholars have a name for it. WSJ

Today: Egypt will host an emergency Arab summit to discuss plans to rebuild the Gaza Strip.

Triumph of Il Duce: Why Italy won’t let go of Mussolini: Despite Giorgia Meloni’s claim to have ‘handed fascism to history’, the dictator’s influence lives on, from right-wing policies and political dynasties to TV and forestry. The Times

Starmer rolls back in AI copyright row: The creative industries are ‘really important’ to Britain, the prime minister said after campaign by artists and media. The Times

US gun companies fight Mexico’s lawsuit at the Supreme Court: WP reports the lawsuit seeks to hold US firearms manufacturers accountable for gun violence in Mexico, saying the companies knowingly market to cartels.

Reuters: Canada PM Trudeau says protecting independence is his priority in talks with King Charles

Reuters: Trump trade threats compound global ocean shipping uncertainty

Ontario will cut off US electricity exports 'with a smile on my face,' Ford says: Toronto Sun reports: "They rely on our energy, they need to feel the pain," Premier Doug Ford said Monday on cutting Ontario electricity exports to US.

+ @spectatorindex: BREAKING: Bloomberg reports that Canada will impose significant energy tariffs on the US if Washington imposes tariffs on Canada

CNN: Dow tumbles 650 points as Trump confirms tariffs on Mexico and Canada will start Tuesday

Trump’s new tariffs are set to be his most extreme ever: America targets its three biggest trading partners: Canada, Mexico, and China. Economist

How tariffs could impact the US economy: The economic fallout of import tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China depends largely on how long they stay in effect. Jeremy Siegel

AP: Trump says 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian imports will start Tuesday, with ‘no room’ for delay

Canada's steel industry is bracing for tariff pain. Aluminum? Not so much: The United States is still highly dependent on Canadian aluminum production regardless of cost. CBC

‘How are we going to afford this?’ US companies face tariff reality. Business owners told The Times that President Trump’s tariffs could lead to higher costs and expressed frustration at the sudden uncertainty about policy. NYT

Reuters: Honda to produce next Civic in Indiana, not Mexico, due to US tariffs, sources say

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing intends to invest $100 billion in chip manufacturing plants in the US over the next four years under a plan expected to be announced later Monday by President Trump, according to people familiar with the matter.

In shipbuilding, the US is tiny and rusty: Trump seeks to revive production of boxships and tankers that left America long ago. WSJ

*** US Politics + Elections ***

US Government funding expires in 10 days.

+ The GOP leadership wants to pass a CR until the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. Their plan is to keep funding at current levels.

+ Will Democrats bail Republicans out?

+ More than half of senior Hill staffers say their member of Congress believes there will likely be a government shutdown this year, according to Punchbowl News' latest Canvass survey.

Trump has glossed over high prices. Republicans worry it will cost them. President talks more often about federal workers, diversity programs, and foreign policy than price of eggs. WSJ

US manufacturers report fall in orders as growth expectations tumble: FT reports data fuels fears that the economy is losing momentum as tariffs loom.

America is at risk of a Trumpian economic slowdown: Protectionist threats and erratic policies are combining to hurt growth. Economist

Angry voters keep confronting Republicans back home Nia Prater

AP: The Trump administration may exclude government spending from GDP, obscuring the impact of DOGE cuts

Today: President Donald Trump’s speaks to a joint session of Congress.

WSJ: Linda McMahon is confirmed as education secretary

RFK Jr. and his allies target Trump’s beloved soda: Within the Trump administration, the push to strip soda from state food-aid programs is getting personal. WSJ

Top HHS spokesperson quits abruptly: Politico reports Thomas Corry left after two weeks in the senior post.

America’s cultural revolution: What Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center really means. Stephen Marche

Trump’s funding cuts threaten America’s AI competitiveness: A key federal agency for artificial intelligence research has been hit by layoffs and faces looming budget cuts. Bloomberg

Texas Republican focuses on rebrand of ‘New York strip’ steak to ‘Texas strip’ amid outbreak: Guardian reports as state grapples with worst measles outbreak in decades, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick homes in on resolution to ‘better market Texas beef’

California lawmaker relaunches AI safety bill after national Big Tech pushback: State Sen. Scott Wiener had previously won support from Elon Musk but faced a fierce pushback from fellow Democrats and the AI industry over his prior attempt. Politico

Amazon loses fight to exempt data center from energy regulation: WP reports the company asked to skip permitting rules for 250 diesel generators at a proposed facility in Becker, Minnesota.

AI unleashes a weird new genre of political communication: Donald Trump’s Gaza video offers a taste of what is to come. Economist

*** Distribution + Innovation ***

AI chatbots can be tricked into misbehaving. Can scientists stop it?
Researchers are investigating safety concerns of generative AI. Science News

AI will upend a basic assumption about how companies are organized: The economy is built on the idea that expertise is scarce and expensive. AI is about to make it abundant and practically free. Bloomberg

Embracing AI: Are you a doomer, gloomer, zoomer, or bloomer? LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman recently spoke at Wharton about the four ways people relate to AI, and why everyone will need to participate in our AI-powered future. Angie Basiouny

AI is putting the magic of human artistry at stake: Jimmy Page, the musician and producer, calls for policies that protect artists, ensuring that their work isn’t siphoned off into the void of machine learning. Jimmy Page

The schools reviving shop class offer a hedge against the AI future: Hands-on skills are staging a comeback at leading-edge districts, driven by high college costs and demand for more career choices. WSJ

MIT harnesses AI to accelerate startup ambitions: Budding entrepreneurs can develop a fleshed-out business plan drawing on market research in a few days. Bloomberg

AI companies race to use ‘distillation’ to produce cheaper models: DeepSeek used technique to create smaller powerful models based on the technology of competitors such as Meta. FT

Anthropic’s valuation triples to $61.5bn in bumper AI funding round: FT reports the start-up raises $3.5bn from Silicon Valley venture firms in race against OpenAI and DeepSeek.

‘The Technological Republic’ review: Power in a silicon world: As dizzyingly complex technologies occupy the center of the global economic, political and military order, one entrepreneur thinks it’s time to talk philosophy. WSJ

Forget McDonald’s. This Chinese fast-food chain is now the world’s biggest. Mixue lures cost-conscious customers with ice cream and drinks under $1 during China’s economic slump. WSJ

Tesla sales plunged in Scandinavia and France in February from a year ago, eroding its market share, as the electric vehicle maker faced a brand loyalty test amid CEO Elon Musk's role in US President Donald Trump's administration.

Tesla for sale: Buyer’s remorse sinks in for Elon Musk’s EV-owning critics: NYT reports the backlash against the electric vehicle company has intensified as the billionaire ally of President Trump exerts his power over the federal government.

What Tesla’s tarnish tells us about America Inc: Elon Musk’s company, like the US itself, seems like a sell. Rana Foroohar

*** Culture ***

Scottish painter Jack Vettriano dies Sky News

Independent films dominate Oscars wins: Semafor reports the Academy has recently expanded to include more foreign members, many of whom are less interested in awarding Hollywood blockbuster hits.

*** Sport ***

Gulf countries race to attract motorsports fans beyond F1: Semafor reports Saudi Arabia has announced plans for a Mercedes F1 experience center to rival Abu Dhabi’s Ferrari World, built in 2010.

MLB plots a new TV model after striking out with ESPN: WSJ reports the big sports network is walking away from the national pastime, accelerating baseball’s need to cope with the demise of the TV economy that fueled its growth for decades.

The rowdy rebirth of Rick Pitino and St. John’s basketball: The peripatetic 72-year-old coach keeps reviving his reputation in the Big Apple. The NCAA tournament beckons. Jason Gay

US superstar Ilona Maher and her impact in England: ‘She wants to lift the whole sport with her’ TA

Tennis legend Serena Williams joining ownership group of WNBA’s Toronto Tempo: G+M reports Williams said in a release that women’s sports are an ‘incredible investment opportunity’ and she is looking forward to being part of the WNBA’s first Canadian team.

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc

Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal