ITK Daily | June 26

Global Street Smarts.

Happy Monday.

Here’s today’s ITK Daily.

To be ITK, know this:?

Putin looked into the abyss Saturday — and blinked?David Ignatius

The Wagner mutiny leaves Putin a naked emperor: The lack of popular indignation over a revolt during an enemy counteroffensive shows that Russia’s heart isn’t with Putin and his war against Ukraine.?Leonid Bershidsky

NYT: After armed uprising, Russians confront a country shrouded in uncertainty

Bloomberg: Silence cloaks the Kremlin after Russian mutiny against Putin

FT: Wagner troops withdraw as Russian uprising leaves Putin weakened

WP: Wagner rebellion shows ‘cracks’ in Putin’s leadership, Blinken says

WSJ: Wagner’s aborted mutiny leaves no winners in Russia

+ Rebellion has dealt lasting damage to the Russian state’s authority, inviting future challenges

‘Get out of our way’: How Prigozhin’s march on Moscow failed: Crackly voice in post on Telegram heralded start of first armed uprising in Russia for three decades.?FT

+ China’s foreign ministry said it supports Russia’s actions to maintain national stability, a day after Moscow defused the biggest threat to President Vladimir Putin’s rule.?

Russia’s uprising is a serious threat to China as well: Xi’s “intimate friend” Putin is proving vulnerable, which endangers the global axis of authoritarianism.?Hal Brands

China targets weakest link in Washington-Tokyo-Seoul triad: Beijing seeks to turn South Korea's political divide to its advantage.?Nikkei

Today: New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and his trade delegation are scheduled to stay in China till Friday with the aim of boosting bilateral ties.

Tuesday: Li Qiang speech at Summer Davos Forum: Chinese Premier Li Qiang will deliver a speech at the Summer Davos Forum in the city of Tianjin, an event looking to facilitate dialogue on the economy between the public and private sectors.

Saturday: China's anti-espionage law: A new anti-espionage law in China will take effect with the aim of strengthening national security.?

How India is slowly moving into the American orbit: New Delhi still fiercely defends its neutrality. But wariness of China is pushing it ever closer to Washington.?FT

Modi’s welcome in Washington wows and worries Indians back home?WP

Saudi Arabia wants tourists. It didn’t expect Christians.?In a fluid new age for the conservative Islamic kingdom, evangelicals have become some of its most enthusiastic visitors.?WP

Greece’s Kyriakos Mitsotakis is poised for a landslide victory in Sunday’s general election: The country’s second vote in just over a month — and the former prime minister will likely win enough seats in parliament to allow him to form a single-party government.?

Yousaf rejects Sturgeon’s strategy for independence: The first minister managed to keep the SNP faithful happy in a confident speech.?Kenny Farquharson

What politicians can learn from Scotland’s football team?Alex Bell

Mordaunt mauls Fleet Street’s finest?Steerpike

Vienna was once again named the world’s most livable city: According to the newly released Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index, the City of Music retained the spot it has held for eight of the last 10 semi-annual surveys, while Copenhagen also held onto its title as the runner-up.?

Why there are 102 candidates running for Toronto mayor: All it takes to run the top job in Canada’s largest city is a refundable C$200 fee and 25 signatures. This year, that means a crowded and colorful field.?Bloomberg

The super PAC frenzy redefining campaign operations: Politico reports from door-knocking to fundraising texts, super PACs take on a bigger role in GOP primary.

WP: DeSantis voters: Angry at Fauci, anxious about ‘Cinderfella,’ tiring of Trump

+A new NBC News poll finds Donald Trump has expanded his lead over Gov. Ron DeSantis since Trump’s latest indictment on federal criminal charges, 51% to 22%.

GOP lawmakers fear Biden may be preparing to allow TikTok to continue operating in US: Language in a new Commerce Department rule hints at an eventual green light for the Chinese-owned app, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) say.?WP

Arizona is running out of cheap water. Investors saw it coming: The state just moved to restrict housing construction around Phoenix as groundwater demand outstrips supply. But fast-growing towns are already buying water from elsewhere — and investors’ bets are paying off.?Bloomberg

Silicon Valley VCs rush into defense technology start-ups: War in Ukraine and geopolitical tensions lead to belief that fledgling companies will get a share of US Pentagon budget.?FT

Oil and gas majors step up efforts to diversify into lithium: Groups pin hopes on technological breakthrough to produce metal critical for electric car transition.?FT

Bloomberg: Men are returning to offices in US faster than women, new data show

Street-racing in Nissan Leaf, EV enthusiast pushes Texans to go electric: A lifelong gearhead and racing fanatic is on a lonely mission to convince her conservative community that EVs are fast and fun.?WP

The ugly shoes now worth billions of dollars: Hokas are the chunky sneakers of choice for runners. And nurses. And waiters. And teens. And grandpas. How did shoes that were huge, weird, and French conquer America’s hearts, wallets, and feet??WSJ

Daddy, are you an influencer??Fueled by the pandemic and TikTok, a market for content made by fathers has staying power. Meet the “Dadfluencers.”?NYT

TikTok turns to south-east Asia to drive new growth: FT reports the viral app’s parent ByteDance targets a large Indonesian market but faces growing regulatory scrutiny around the world.

The forgotten element of strategy: Without incorporating time into our calculations, we will always be too late.?Nadia Schadlow

When radical therapy transformed sex and family on the Upper West Side: ‘The Sullivanians,’ by Alexander Stille, is the riveting and troubling story of a psychoanalytic cult founded in 1950s New York.?WP

How The Rest Is History boys became podcast royalty: Covering everything from Watergate to the wives of Henry VIII, their chart-topping podcast has turned Dominic Sandbrook and Tom Holland into global stars. How did two middle-class, middle-aged blokes make the past so… sexy??The Times

Qatar wealth fund is in talks to buy minority stake in Washington Wizards, Capitals and Mystics: WSJ reports the move would add to the influx of money from the Gulf region reshaping professional sports across the globe.

Sportswashing isn’t what we say now. It’s what we won’t be saying later.?Candace Buckner

My first F1 race was a blur. It won’t be my last.?NASCAR couldn’t hook this Southern sportswriter. “Drive to Survive” and F1 just may.?Kent Babb

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc?

Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal

Caracal produces ITK Daily.

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