ITK Daily | June 28

Global Street Smarts.

Happy Wednesday.

Here’s today’s ITK Daily.

To be ITK, know this:?

CNN: US gathered detailed intelligence on Wagner chief’s rebellion plans but kept it secret from most allies

Russian general knew about mercenary chief’s rebellion plans, US officials say: NYT reports Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of Wagner, may have believed he had support in Russia’s military.

You stopped a civil war, Putin tells his forces: The Times reports Puin addresses troops as Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin lands in Minsk with all treason charges dropped.

As Kremlin tries to project unity, Russians continue to confront divisions: WP reports despite attempts to reassert President Vladimir Putin’s strength after a failed mutiny, the official explanations for why Yevgeniy Prigozhin was allowed to escape without punishment looked unusually thin, highlighting new doubts about Putin’s competence in a crisis.

After the Wagner mutiny, Russia wakes up to new uncertainties: In a speech delivered on Monday evening, President Vladimir Putin sought to put an end to the crisis sparked by the weekend's rebellion. But the fate of the militia leader Yevgeny Prigozhin remains unclear, as does that of his men.?Le Monde

What Wagner’s mutiny means for its sprawling business empire: The Russian mercenary group’s commercial network in the Central African Republic is set to come under pressure.?Bloomberg

Putin, Prigozhin and the danger of disorder?Thomas L. Friedman

China fears Russia chaos after Wagner uprising: Revolt seen as wake-up call for Beijing as a weakened Putin may trigger further insurgencies.?Nikkei

US destroys last of its Cold War chemical weapons: The Times reports Russia eliminated its cache of chemical weapons in 2017.

Xi Jinping praises ‘great importance’ of China-New Zealand relations: Guardian reports amid rising global tensions, Chinese leader tells PM, Chris Hipkins, his visit to Beijing is meaningful.

Bloomberg: Xi vows to protect foreign investors, ramping up charm offensive

Bloomberg: LVMH cillionaire CEO Bernard Arnault arrives in China

US considers new curbs on AI chip exports to China: WSJ reports restrictions come amid concerns that China could use AI chips from Nvidia and others for weapon development and hacking.

Why China keeps snubbing US overtures for military dialogue: Beijing's obstinacy stems from differing views on need for 'guardrails.'?Nikkei

Nikki Haley says Trump lacked ‘moral clarity’ in dealings with China’s Xi: FT reports the Republican presidential contender also criticizes Biden administration’s relations with Beijing in speech.

China on the US presidential campaign trail: So, GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley's speech yesterday to AEI on US-China policy made sense if you are speaking to GOP primary voters at the Cafe On the Oval in Milford, NH, but no sense if you are sitting in the Oval Office in Washington, DC.

I penned this article, Tough Talk on the Campaign Trail, for China Business Review back in 2012.

The actionable insights and geopolitical reality of the article still stand today.

Check it out?here.

Solomons grapples with disinformation as China stands to gain: Nikkei analysis hints at Beijing's influence through social media.

The India-Japan-Bangladesh triangle is worth watching: New Delhi and Tokyo are jointly supporting new infrastructure to counter China.?Nikkei Oped

The Gulf States' plans to conquer space: While two Saudis are currently working aboard the ISS, at least nine countries in the Middle East have launched space programs to go to the Moon – and even colonize Mars.?Le Monde

Britain is still adrift, seven years after Brexit: Bad judgment, biases, and recklessness can unwind centuries of global dominance in the blink of an eye.?Timothy L. O'Brien

Reuters: Biden invites Italian PM Meloni to visit White House in July

Europe is shifting rapidly to the right?Gavin Mortimer

How did she win? Olivia Chow brought a message of hope and seized on Toronto's desire for change: Chow completes political comeback after finishing third in 2014 mayoral election.?CBC

Olivia Chow is Toronto’s new mayor. Now comes the hard part: Chow faces a to-do list that includes a soaring budget deficit, a housing affordability crisis, crumbling roads, and a suffering transit system.?Edward Keenan

She won. Now what can Olivia Chow do for Toronto??How the city’s next mayor could push better transit, more affordable housing and climate action.?Kunal Chaudhary

‘I’ve never seen the country in a darker, more divided mood than we find it today’: polarization, unpopular leaders present challenges for parties to break out of poll stasis, pollsters say: Greg Lyle of Innovative Research says a summer cabinet shuffle offers ‘relaunch’ for Liberals, while Nik Nanos recommends Poilievre avoid the spotlight.?Hill Times

Mexico imposed a 50% tariff on white corn imports: The measure comes amid a trade dispute between Mexico and the US, and Canada over genetically modified corn. In 2022, the US exported 13.8 million tons of yellow corn and 1.6 million tons of white corn to Mexico. This is the largest foreign market for US corn, and nearly all of it was grown from genetically engineered seeds.

WSJ: Chicago air quality plummets as Canadian wildfire smoke returns

Memo: A look ahead to the 2024 presidential election?Doug Sosnik

+ Several of the traditional indicators — including presidential job approval, national polls, and right track/wrong track numbers — no longer have the predictive power that they once did.

Tim Scott's standing on the rise among GOP voters, poll finds: A new NBC News poll found a sharp uptick in voters picking GOP Sen. Tim Scott as their second-favorite candidate in the Republican primary.

Can DeSantis break Trump’s hold on New Hampshire??Donald Trump is looking to the state as an early chance to clear a crowded field, while Ron DeSantis’s camp is banking on winnowing the Republican race to two.?NYT

WP: DeSantis proposes ‘deadly force’ to combat drug smugglers breaching border

How Vivek Ramaswamy made the fortune fueling his presidential run: Ramaswamy calls himself a scientist from the biotech industry, but his vast fortune stems from two huge paydays that speak to hope and hype in the world of finance.?NYT

‘Ego, pure delusion and fantasy’: How the 2024 GOP field got so big: The hottest club in GOP politics right now is the party’s presidential primary.?Politico

MT-SEN: Former Navy SEAL Officer Tim Sheehy (R) is running for Senate in Montana. NRSC Chair Steve Daines has already endorsed Sheehy, per the Wall Street Journal.

WP: Businessman Tim Sheehy launches GOP challenge to Sen. Tester (D) in Montana

WP: Liz Cheney on what’s wrong with politics: ‘We’re electing idiots’

Axios: Congress sets limits on staff ChatGPT use

Bloomberg: Florida sells bonds to backstop its homeowner’s insurance industry

Anthony Fauci?will teach medicine and public policy at Georgetown.

Who comments on news online??“Those who are posting or commenting about news online are often more likely to be men, higher educated, more politically partisan, and more interested in news. It’s a fairly unrepresentative but vocal minority that are actively engaging” -- Kirsten Eddy, author of Reuters' Digital News Report 2023

Sequoia made a fortune investing in the US and China. Then it had to pick one.?Scrutiny from Washington aggravated tensions within the venture-capital firm, fueling its decision to break up.?WSJ

Magic mushrooms. LSD. Ketamine. The drugs that power Silicon Valley.?Entrepreneurs, including Elon Musk and Sergey Brin, are part of a drug movement that proponents hope will expand minds, enhance lives and produce business breakthroughs.?WSJ

A landlord bets $1 billion on the work commute: WSJ reports real-estate investor Vornado is building around Penn Station in the hope that workers will travel to the transit hub if the journey is easy.

China’s $7tn energy overhaul sparks battery ‘gold rush’: FT reports companies including sesame-dessert maker pivot to lithium batteries in a rare bright spot for the Chinese economy.

Inside the gigafactory producing the greenest batteries in the world: Northvolt says that its massive factory in Sweden will soon produce enough batteries each year to power a million electric cars, with a much smaller carbon footprint than those made in China.?New Scientist

Bloomberg: Rio Tinto to build batteries in Melbourne to test green tech

Managed by Macquarie: the Australian group with a grip on global infrastructure: The investment management company was a pioneer in turning public utilities into lucrative assets, but does that model make for good policy??FT

Landmark EU digital rules face first legal challenge: German online retailer Zalando alleges it is being unfairly targeted by the Digital Services Act.?FT

WP: Ryan Seacrest to replace ‘Wheel of Fortune’ host Pat Sajak

How Fox News (yes, Fox News) managed to beat ‘The Tonight Show’: Greg Gutfeld has installed his brand of insult conservatism as the institutional voice for the next generation of Fox News viewer. And it’s catching on.?NYT

The Times: Klimt’s ￡85m last portrait is Europe’s most expensive artwork

+ Lady with a Fan is Europe’s most expensive artwork

Paris museums prepare for the Olympic Games: Le Monde reports the capital's 14 museums presented their projects for the Olympics and unveiled exhibitions for September.

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc?

Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal

Caracal produces ITK Daily.

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