ITK Daily | July 18

Geopolitical Business Communications

Happy Tuesday.

Here’s today’s ITK Daily.

To be ITK, know this:?

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Kyiv strike disables bridge between Crimea and Russia: WSJ reports a Ukrainian strike hit the only road link from the Crimean peninsula to Russia, while Kyiv’s ground offensive makes limited progress.

WP: Ukraine hits Crimean bridge, but railway undamaged; Russia halts grain deal

Russia seizes assets of two Western conglomerates: WSJ reports Russia's seizure of the local operations of Carlsberg and Danone, two of the world’s largest consumer-goods companies, escalates economic hostilities.

The Times: Wagner mercenaries prop up puppet leader in Central African Republic

One reason China is willing to engage again: Its troubled economy: China was on track to recover after closing itself off during the pandemic. Now the country’s growth is staggering, and Beijing is signaling it is open to talking.?NYT

Real estate and job worries slow China's economy: Nikkei reports uncertain consumers shift to saving as private-sector profits slump.

China’s floundering economy is a test for Xi Jinping: As growth falters and the country flirts with deflation, will stimulus arrive??Economist

Does Xi Jinping need a plan B for China’s economy??As growth has failed to pick up post-Covid, calls are growing louder for the president to launch a weighty stimulus package.?FT

Where is China’s foreign minister? Beijing won’t say: SMH reports after China’s leader, Xi Jinping, catapulted Qin Gang into the post of foreign minister in December, Qin set a frantic pace, meeting dozens of foreign officials as he pressed Beijing’s agenda in a divided, war-stricken world. Then Qin went silent.

How will NATO’s stress on global security play out in Asia??Patrizia Cogo Morales

US, Japan, and Australia can aid Taiwan with words, not war: A public pact to guarantee peace across the Western Pacific could deter Beijing without violating the “one China” policy.?Hal Brands

Detroit of Asia targets battery makers to stay ahead in EV race: Thailand is readying an incentive package to encourage battery makers to set up manufacturing plants.?Bloomberg

Nikkei: Japan seeks UAE investments in chips, batteries via new framework

AFP: Clean energy on agenda of Japan PM talks in UAE ahead of COP28

Nikkei: Japan and India to discuss joint chip, hydrogen development

How United Arab Emirates seeks to leverage its influence in Europe: The United Arab Emirates and Qatar are battling for influence in Europe. A data leak has revealed how Abu Dhabi has sought to discredit its rival with the help of a private intelligence company in Switzerland – an effort that extends into Germany.?Der Spiegel

Bloomberg: Sunak signs up AstraZeneca, Shell CEOs for new business council

AFP: élisabeth Borne will stay on as French PM despite fallout from pension unrest, riots

Macron keeps Borne as prime minister, will address the nation this week: A government reschuffle is expected in the coming days and the Elysée said Macron will speak before the end of the week, 100 days after the enactment of his contested pension reform.?Le Monde

Bloomberg: IMF approves $1 billion for Kenya after latest loan review

AFP: Israel recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara

Biden invites Netanyahu to US, easing tensions: NYT reports President Isaac Herzog will meet with President Biden this week and address Congress. And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he also got a presidential invitation.

Chip CEOs to meet Brainard, Sullivan over China restrictions?Bloomberg

BBC: Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali

Typo leaks millions of US military emails to Mali web operator: Common spelling error has misdirected sensitive Pentagon messages to a company running Mali’s internet domain.?FT

Can DeSantis do what Bush, Huntsman, Harris, and Lieberman couldn’t??Shaking up a presidential campaign hasn’t brought much past success, but the Florida governor is trying to buck the trend.?Philip Bump

DeSantis group attacks Trump directly for the first time in Iowa ad: Bloomberg reports the Florida governor is trying to reboot campaign amid disappointing polls.

Retrospective approval of JFK rises to 90%; Trump at 46%: John F. Kennedy remains the most highly rated former president when Gallup asks Americans whether, in retrospect, they approve or disapprove of the job each did as president. Ninety percent of US adults now approve of the job Kennedy did, 21 percentage points higher than second-place Ronald Reagan’s rating.?Gallup

How Gretchen Whitmer made Michigan a Democratic stronghold: The Governor’s strategy for revitalizing her state has two parts: to grow, Michigan needs young people; to draw young people, it needs to have the social policies they want.?The New Yorker

John Harris named top editor at Politico: NYT reports Harris, who helped found the media outlet in 2007, will succeed Matt Kaminski as the publication’s editor in the United States, with additional oversight of international editions.

US homeowners are tapping $9 trillion in real estate wealth: Higher mortgage rates have made cash-out refinancing less attractive and pushed more people to take out home equity lines of credit.?Bloomberg

WSJ: Ford cuts price of lightning electric truck by up to $10,000

How Palantir stock developed a weird, passionate, meme-crazy fan base: For Palantir’s loyal fans, PLTR is more than just a stock symbol—it’s an invitation to make memes.?FC

WSJ: AT&T’s stock closes at lowest level since 1993

Telecom stocks are shedding billions in market value. Here’s what’s happening: Shares of AT&T, Verizon, and other industry giants have taken a hit since last week, when the Wall Street Journal published a series on lead-covered cables.?FC

Ben McKenzie takes on crypto with a probing new book: The star of ‘The O.C’. and ‘Gotham’ also has an economics degree. He saw early on that crypto was largely a scam. Now he’s pulling the curtain back completely.?FC

The new workday dead zone when nothing gets done: Late afternoon, when many colleagues vanish, is why so many managers hate hybrid work.?WSJ

From Paris to Marseille, France's cities are facing creeping gentrification: Soaring property prices, proactive urban renewal policies and 'Airbnbization': Across Europe, urban areas are undergoing profound changes, risking uniformity and the exclusion of certain parts of the population.?Le Monde

How Amsterdam wants to change its image: Amsterdam has banned smoking cannabis in public and is imposing fines to get rid of party tourists.?DW

Taylor Swift now has more No. 1 albums than any woman in history: NYT reports the pop superstar’s “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” debuts at No. 1 this week as the year’s biggest new album, and three of her other titles also made the Top 10.

An action movie about scientists talking: Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer plays out across the landscapes of Los Alamos and of Cillian Murphy’s face.?Bilge Ebiri

I can’t believe how good this Tour de France is: Respectful rivals Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard trade spectacular attacks into the race’s final days.?Jason Gay

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc?

Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal

Caracal produces ITK Daily.

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