ITK Daily | April 26

Global Street Smarts.

Happy Wednesday.

Here’s today’s ITK Daily.

To be ITK, know this:?

ITK Radio | Robert Atkinson

On this episode of ITK Radio, a conversation with Robert Atkinson.

Robert is the founder and president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), recognized as the world’s top think tank for science and technology policy.

Robert leads a prolific team of policy analysts and fellows that is successfully shaping the debate and setting the agenda on a host of critical issues at the intersection of technological innovation and public policy.

Listen or watch?here.

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CBS News: Pentagon considers sending contingent of troops to Port Sudan to help remaining American citizens amid war

AP: US helping from afar as Americans flee fighting in Sudan

Justin Trudeau reveals plan to rescue Canadians trapped in war-torn Sudan:?Toronto Star reports the prime minister made the pledge in Ottawa on Monday after 1,473 Canadians registered for help to escape the deadly fighting between a paramilitary faction and the Sudanese military.

Iran gained access to election results website in 2020, military reveals: WP reports Cyber Command cooperation with DHS prevented intruders from muddying results, a senior commander tells conference.

Turkey’s Erdogan faces biggest election challenge over economy: Support for president appears to erode in even the most conservative strongholds.?WSJ

What lessons Taiwan is learning from the Russian invasion of Ukraine?Global News

Biden to unveil new efforts to protect South Korea from nukes: AP reports President Joe Biden will use this week’s celebratory state visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to underscore that the US is ready to step up its efforts to deter a North Korean attack on South Korea, according to the White House.

Biden meets South Korean leader on eve of state visit: AFP reports US President Joe Biden and South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol will pay homage Tuesday at the Korean War Memorial in Washington ahead of a state visit cementing the countries' deep alliance.

India overtakes China to become world’s most populous country: Guardian reports the milestone marks the first time since 1950 that China has dropped to second place in global population ranks.

Germany invites Chinese premier for talks in June - source: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has invited Chinese Premier Li Qiang for talks in Berlin on June 20, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

How China’s Huawei spooked Germany into launching a probe: Politico reports the technology to regulate power consumption could also be used to take down Germany’s telecoms networks, security officials said.

Cold War with China would ‘betray’ Britain’s national interests, UK foreign secretary warns: James Cleverly tells Tory China hawks that to isolate Beijing would be an error.?Politico

+ Cleverly is expected to visit China later in 2023, but Downing Street has not floated any travel plans for Sunak to follow suit.

China is right to chuckle at Britain’s foreign policy?Stephen Daisley

US-China relations have entered a frightening new era: Economic cooperation with Beijing will be harder than recent speeches by Janet Yellen and Ursula von der Leyen suggest.?Martin Wolf

Jeremy Hunt admits UK business taxes too high as government pressed on strategy: No 10 counters Labour charm offensive but faces demands on VAT breaks and closer co-operation.?FT

Russia suffers global rebuke after invasion?Gallup

+ For the first time in Gallup’s history of tracking ratings of world leaders, the majority of the world disapproves of Russia’s leadership.

+ Disapproval of Russia’s leadership hit a record-high 57% worldwide in 2022.

+ Majorities in 81 out of 137 countries disapproved of Russia’s leadership.

+ Approval dropped to a new low of 21%.

Africa fell in love with crypto. Now, it’s complicated: Trust is fading, startups are shutting down, and Web3 workers are reconsidering their career choices.?ROW

Meet NAFTA negotiator Steve Verheul — the most important Canadian you’ve (probably) never heard of: The son of a dairy equipment dealer is expected to be Canada’s lead negotiator on the NAFTA talks with US and Mexico.?Toronto Star

Joe Biden?launched his campaign for reelection.

+ Campaign manager = Julie Chavez Rodriguez

+ Principal Deputy Campaign Manager = Quentin Fulks

5 things to know about Biden campaign manager Julie Chávez Rodríguez: Julie Chávez Rodríguez is currently the highest-ranking Latina in the White House.?Politico

Biden team plans television ads after Tuesday reelection announcement: WP reports he has selected political veterans Julie Chavez Rodriguez and Quentin Fulks to run his campaign operation.

Dems relish Trump-Biden rematch: Politico reports Democrats think a Joe Biden-Donald Trump matchup is looking more likely after Trump’s post-indictment surge in the polls. And they feel good about their party’s chances.

Biden’s genius is his hidin’ — it could get him another four years?Rich Lowry

Republicans think Biden is an ‘easy target’ to unite their party: Politico reports after months of division over abortion, Ukraine, and Trump’s legal troubles, Biden’s announcement might be the reset Republicans need.

Biden’s ‘four more years’ sounds like a prison term: Only 1 in 4 Americans want him to run for re-election in 2024. Even among Democrats, less than half do.?Gerard Baker

Biden’s toughest Republican challenger: The president’s polling is poor — but beating him will not be easy.?Politico

Trump is endorsed by a senator with sway on Republican donors: NYT reports Steve Daines of Montana, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, cited the former president’s accomplishments on issues like immigration.

+ Donald Trump is threatening to skip the Republican presidential debates, saying that nobody got his approval beforehand.

The Ron DeSantis bubble deflates: You know it's hard out there for a Florida governor.?Daniel Drezner

Hutchinson’s launch highlights Arkansas city of Bentonville: AP reports when Asa Hutchinson launches his bid for president this week, he’ll do so at a familiar location: the downtown square in the northwest Arkansas city where he was born, practiced law, and first ran for office.

Gavin Newsom isn’t supposed to be doing this: The Feinstein dilemma looms over the wannabe face of Democrats.?Gabriel Debenedetti

+ Sens. Tom Cotton (R-AR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), and Katie Britt (R-AL) will unveil a new proposal this week aimed at protecting kids on social media.

Sharp sell-off in First Republic shares causes alarm in Washington: FT reports government officials and regulators scramble to come up with a plan to stabilise ailing lender.

Bloomberg: First Republic Bank to weigh up to $100 billion in asset sales

+ Shares of the bank tumble on proposed sales, deposit slump.

+ Buyers might be offered incentives to pay above-market rates.

Tesla?is now charging less for the cheapest version of the Model Y SUV than the price a typical new vehicle sells for in the US

WP: GM to scrap Chevy Bolt, its most popular and least expensive EV

Only 10 carmakers will survive global EV battle, says Tesla rival Xpeng: FT reports the electric-vehicle group’s vice-chair calls on Chinese producers to expand beyond the domestic market.

Bloomberg: BYD overtakes Volkswagen as China’s best-selling car brand

+ The Shenzhen-based BYD sold over 440,000 vehicles in the first quarter.

+ Volkswagen had been the top brand in China for at least 15 years.

Not just a DJ, Goldman CEO also dabbles in luxury real estate: David Solomon is an adviser to and part owner of a private real estate company that Goldman Sachs has sought to do business with.?NYT

Elon Musk’s blue tick revolution is bird-brained: Causing chaos on Twitter might sound trivial, but the billionaire’s campaign has echoes of how populist politicians behave.?Hugo Rifkind

The future of AI relies on a high school teacher’s free database: With over five billion images, LAION has become central to the future of artificial intelligence — and a growing debate over how to regulate it.?Bloomberg

How Bud Light handled an uproar over a promotion with a transgender advocate: Two executives have been put on leave, and sales of the No. 1 US beer have declined in recent weeks.?WSJ

This private moon lander is kicking off a commercial lunar race: The Japanese company Ispace could be the first to safely touch down on the moon’s surface, with more spacecraft following later this year.?Wired

AFP: Radio silence suggests failure of Japan Moon landing

Japanese moon landing spacecraft's fate unknown: DW reports Japanese firm ispace has assumed that its lunar lander failed to land on the moon, a company official said after losing contact with the spacecraft. The company plans to set up a permanent lunar colony by 2040.

Carrier to buy Viessmann climate solutions unit for €12 billion: Bloomberg reports Carrier Global Corp., the US maker of air conditioners, agreed to acquire most of the German family-owned manufacturing company Viessmann for €12 billion ($13.2 billion) to bolster its heating and cooling operations.?

Dallas Fed: Texas’ cheap housing edge slipping away as resilient demand outpaces supply

Commercial real-estate woes run deeper than in past downturns: Remote work and e-commerce are reducing demand for office and retail space.?WSJ

AFP: Mattel unveils Barbie doll with Down syndrome

Netflix?will invest $2.5 billion to produce South Korean movies and TV shows, following the success of titles like “Squid Game.”

The line is blurring between remote workers and tourists: Economic development has fundamentally changed. Cities that figure out how to make visitors’ and residents’ lives easier are going to have a major competitive advantage.?Bloomberg

RIP: Harry Belafonte

The wildest seat in the NBA is the one next to Steve Ballmer: The owner of the Los Angeles Clippers goes viral for his courtside reactions—and no one’s more aware of it than his game day neighbors.?WSJ

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc?

Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal

Caracal produces ITK Daily.

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