ITK Daily | June 6

Always Be Communicating.

Happy Tuesday.

Here’s today’s ITK Daily.

To be ITK, know this:?

Bloomberg: Russia and Ukraine report fierce battles along front lines

WSJ: Ukraine launched biggest attacks in months, Moscow says

WP: Ukrainian forces claim advances along front line

SMH: ‘Battle is under way’: Ukraine tries to pierce Russian lines in possible counteroffensive

Australia to send armored vehicles to Ukraine: SMH reports Australia is set to give Ukraine the missile-capable, four-wheel-drive armored vehicles that it has been requesting for months.

Russia 'buying back' arms parts exported to Myanmar and India: Nikkei reports reimports appear aimed at improving weapons for use in Ukraine war.

France objects to NATO plan for office in Tokyo: Emmanuel Macron has raised concerns about the transatlantic security alliance losing focus.?FT

Albanese declares Vietnam a top-tier partner?AFR

China’s war chest: How Beijing has rearranged the diplomatic pieces ahead of a potential conflict: China is shoring up international support, while attempting to isolate Taiwan on the world stage.?Guardian

India and US announce road map to strengthen defense industrial partnership: TST reports India and the United States have agreed on a road map to further strengthen their defense industrial partnership, including by fast-tracking cooperation and co-production in areas such as air combat and land mobility systems, reconnaissance, munitions, and the undersea domain.

India, US agree on 'ambitious road map' for defense industry ties: Nikkei reports Austin meets counterpart Singh in Delhi ahead of Modi trip to Washington.

Bloomberg: US and India renew push to deepen defense industry ties

WP: Iran to reopen embassy in Saudi Arabia, state media says, as enmity softens

Blinken wants Saudi Arabia and Israel to establish relations: The National reports the US pushes for the expansion of the Abraham Accords that create ties with Israel and Arab states.

An AI label to fight deepfakes: Brussels wants to prevent AI from blurring the lines between fact and fiction — and will ask companies for the first time ever to come up with a label to identify AI-generated texts and images to fight disinformation.

+ “Today it is mostly still a game, but tomorrow you could see a fake porn with a candidate.”

Brussels is the global regulator of the internet.

The Times: Two years to save the world, says Sunak’s AI adviser

+ AI systems will be powerful enough to “kill many humans” within just two years, Rishi Sunak’s adviser on artificial intelligence has warned.

What am I supposed to do with this information?

Britain and America can lead the world on AI: Sunak’s visit to the US will focus the special relationship on the greatest opportunity — and threat — of our age.?William Hague

Thursday: UK PM Sunak speaks to the Business Roundtable and visits the White House, where he and Biden are expected to hold a joint press conference

Labour and UK energy policy: Keir Starmer visited Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset, to highlight Labour’s plans to grow domestic, clean energy, including nuclear as well as renewables.

Keir Starmer says nuclear power is ‘critical part’ of UK’s energy mix: Guardian reports Labour leader pledges to get stalled projects operational to boost energy security, cut costs and create jobs.

Labour party lands new megadonor in ￡5mn boost for next UK election: FT reports former Autoglass boss Gary Lubner pledges financial help to put the party in power ‘for a long time.’

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is to travel to Paris later this month for a state visit, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed this weekend on social networks.

Mexico’s ruling party wins governorship of opposition stronghold: WSJ reports Mexico’s PRI party loses control of Mexico state for the first time in 94 years; Morena party cements dominant position in the country.

CTV News: Wildfire risk remains well above average across Canada this month

CTV News: Macron announces France is sending 100 firefighters to Quebec

Bloomberg: Wildfires are poised to scorch more land than ever in Canada this year

Canada braces for possible worst wildfire season ever: AFP reports Canada is facing a dire wildfire situation through the coming months, officials warned on Monday after vast swaths of forests and grasslands from its Pacific to Atlantic coasts have been scorched.

Trudeau is betting $9 billion on a plan to clean up the world’s dirtiest oil: Canada’s oil sands industry says carbon capture can help it cut planet-warming emissions. But can taxpayer cash be better spent??Bloomberg

China inaugurates embassy in Honduras: AFP reports China officially inaugurated its embassy in Honduras on Monday, just weeks after the Central American country switched its diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing.

WP: Robert Hanssen, spy behind what FBI called ‘possibly the worst intelligence disaster in US history,’ dies in prison

Today: Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor and 2016 presidential candidate, is making an expected presidential campaign announcement at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire.

Wednesday: Mike Pence, former Vice President, is planning a presidential campaign kickoff speech in Des Moines, Iowa.

GOP presidential primary: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is teasing a “special announcement” in Fargo this week.

Burgum for president? Voters should give him a chance to make his case: Doug Burgum is betting that he’ll be able to break through the culture wars fixation and appeal to persuadable voters by his stands on important pocketbook issues, including the economy and energy.?InForum - Editorial

I’m not running for president in 2024. Beating Trump is more important.?Chris Sununu

Bloomberg: Cornel West takes on Biden and Trump as third-party candidate in 2024

+ A new Punchbowl News survey finds 76% of lobbyists say that Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has been more effective than they initially predicted.

AM radio!?Today the House Energy and Commerce will have a hearing on AM radio.

AM radio is an essential tool for Republicans to connect with voters.

DCs in the US: GOP leaders of the House Financial Services and Agriculture Committees on Friday released a sweeping, 162-page rethink of how the US government policies digital currencies and the market that's grown up around them.

+ The bill would redefine the reach of the SEC and the CFTC in the most significant way since the 2010 Dodd-Frank law.

+ The CFTC would be the big winner, taking on exclusive jurisdiction over a new category of so-called digital commodities and related trading platforms.

+ It's a huge shift for the CFTC, which has historically regulated derivatives like futures contracts but has not had direct oversight of the commodities underlying those instruments.

Nǐ hǎo: HR 804, the "Chinese CBDC Prohibition Act": To prohibit money services businesses from engaging in any transaction that involves a central bank digital currency issued by the People’s Republic of China and for other purposes.

SEC sues crypto exchange Binance: WSJ reports the regulator alleges that the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange operated an illegal trading platform in the US and misused customer funds.

The end of crypto as we know it?Kevin T. Dugan

The next big threat hovering over the US economy: Politico reports some $1.5 trillion in mortgages will come due in the next two years, a potential time bomb as higher interest rates push down property values.

Wolverine spotted for the second time ever in California in the last 100 years: Guardian reports while wolverines are native to California, they’ve been essentially extinct from the state since the 1920s.

What chief communications officers make?Axios

France rolls out the red carpet for EV battery factories: Reuters reports interviews with 10 government officials and executives involved in the investment decisions show that France rolled out the red carpet, offering battery makers generous subsidies thanks to a relaxation of EU state aid rules for green energy projects - along with some personal lobbying by Macron.

Japan moves to make women 30% of executives at top firms: Nikkei reports the target to apply to companies on Tokyo Stock Exchange's Prime market.

Russia fly-around a source of tension for airline industry: AFP reports with travel between Asia and Europe booming, the closure of Russian airspace is hobbling Western airlines while proving a boon for those from non-aligned nations not subject to Moscow's wrath.

Apple releases Vision Pro headset, first major new product in a decade: WSJ reports am announcement at Worldwide Developers Conference is first to introduce users to ‘spatial computing,’ Chief Executive Tim Cook says.

Apple unveils Vision Pro, its $3,499 augmented-reality headset: WP reports Apple’s first major new product in nearly a decade has impressive technology, but what will you use it for?

Bloomberg: Intel to raise about $1.5 billion in sale of part of Mobileye

California moves toward the next college sports disruption: Sharing revenue with athletes: The state Assembly has passed a bill that would require schools to pay players, setting off alarm bells for college sports officials around the country.?WSJ

Postecoglou has steeliness to handle challenge of rebooting Tottenham: The transformation of a failing Celtic team should not be dismissed by supporters, and his attacking style will appeal to Spurs.?Guardian

Saudi Arabia passes four domestic football teams to sovereign fund: FT reports shifting ownership to deep-pocketed PIF puts increased financial firepower behind the sport in the country.

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc?

Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal

Caracal produces ITK Daily.

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