ITK Daily | March 29
Happy Wednesday.
Here’s today’s ITK Daily.
To be ITK, know this:?
ITK Radio | Ada Polla
On this episode of ITK Radio, a conversation with Ada Polla .
Ada is currently the CEO at Alchimie Forever .
In 2004, Ada set out to launch her family's Swiss-based skincare line in the US. Today, the brand boasts global visibility and distribution, thanks to her focus and determination, which have yielded double-digit annual growth and garnered her several press-worthy opportunities to communicate her family's knowledge and passion for the science of anti-aging skincare.?
Full recording?here .
Ukraine is changing the math for countries caught between the US and China: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is finally forcing the EU to get real about reliance on authoritarian states.?Politico
China-linked Russian body armor is landing on the battlefield in Ukraine: Politico reports photos on eBay and other sites show the Russian body armor, which Ukrainians say they’ve recovered from the front lines.
Pentagon prepares for space warfare as potential threats from China, Russia grow: White House’s spending request includes plans for simulators and equipment to train Space Force members for battle.?WSJ
Russia’s economy is starting to come undone: Investment is down, labor is scarce, budget is squeezed. Oligarch: ‘There will be no money next year.’?WSJ
Boycott a Russia-led UN Security Council: Russia must be prevented from occupying Ukraine, and from dismantling what’s left of the international order — starting with next month’s presidency.?Colombe Cahen-Salvador
Russia overtakes China as leading arms seller in sub-Saharan Africa: Le Monde reports South of the Sahara, a quarter of the arms purchased by African states come from Moscow, amidst the presence of the paramilitary group Wagner in the region.
Finland + NATO: Hungary’s parliament on Monday voted in favor of Finland’s NATO membership. Helsinki now only needs the Turkish parliament’s approval — expected soon — to become a NATO member.
+ The terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland has been raised by MI5. An attack is ‘highly likely’ after a rise in dissident republican activity.
King Charles will travel to Germany for first visit as monarch: NYT reports Charles is set to begin his trip on Wednesday. He had planned to start the royal tour in France, but that leg was canceled because of the country’s ongoing protests.
France protests: Police warn of ‘ultra-left’ joining marches: 13,000 officers deployed as country faces ‘very serious risk to public order.’?The Times
Citizen journalists capture the French pension reform protests up-close: Marching alongside demonstrators, journalists and ordinary citizens are filming the protests as closely as possible and documenting police brutality.?Le Monde
With judicial overhaul on hold, Israeli negotiators seek compromise: NYT reports after days of turmoil, lawmakers began tentative efforts to find common ground on a government plan to overhaul the judiciary that has divided Israelis.
How Israel’s citizen soldiers forced Netanyahu to retreat on judicial overhaul: Military reservists played a pivotal role in derailing legislation that would have changed the balance of power between government and courts.?WSJ
This is still an existential crisis for Israel?Jonah Shepp
Italy wants to ban lab-grown meat to protect culinary heritage?Bloomberg
Belgian intelligence puts Huawei on its watchlist: Politico reports senior Huawei lobbyists in Brussels are under the microscope of the country’s state security.
Reuters: Czech parliament speaker, in Taiwan, says we'll always stand with you
'We are all Chinese,' former Taiwan president says while visiting China: Reuters reports people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are ethnically Chinese and share the same ancestor, former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou said on Tuesday at the start of a historic visit to China that Taiwan's ruling party has criticized.
North Korean hackers play the ‘long con’ by targeting experts?WP
Kim Jong Un says he will expand production of nuclear material: WSJ reports North Korean leader inspects new tactical nuclear warheads, calling his weapons program defensive.
Bloomberg: New Zealand open to non-nuclear talks with AUKUS, minister says
UK to impose green tax on imports from polluting factories: Net zero plans include energy-efficient home grants for better-off families.?The Times
Britain expected to join Indo-Pacific trade pact this week: The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) deal is not yet final, but an agreement in principle is due in the coming days, three people familiar with the negotiations tell Politico.
The military’s blame game over the Chinese spy balloon spills into the open: Testimony from a top general “has revealed glaring inconsistencies” with Pentagon leaders, a top Republican said.?Politico
FT: Canada proposes tax credits to boost critical minerals production
Semiconductor sector debates Canada’s best bet to cash in on reshoring of chips?Murad Hemmadi
For chip makers, a choice between the US and China looms: Washington seeks to steer the semiconductor supply chain using ‘guardrails’ under the Chips Act.?WSJ
AP: Harris, in Africa, confronts painful past, envisions future
Harris touches on Africa’s painful past — and youthful future: The vice president visits Cape Coast Castle, once a clearinghouse for enslaved people.?WP
+ A new Gallup poll finds President Biden’s latest job approval rating is 40%, his sixth consecutive reading in the 40% to 42% range.
AP: Christie: GOP needs someone who can quickly take down Trump
Chris Christie, putting out feelers for a 2024 run, takes aim at Trump: NYT reports a speech in New Hampshire looks back on 2016 and ahead to another potential campaign — one that would have to start from square one.
Ron DeSantis?will go to Israel to celebrate the country’s 75th Independence Day, per the Jerusalem Post. He’ll deliver a keynote address to about 400 people on April 27.
Pro-DeSantis super PAC hires another former Trump aide: NYT reports Matt Wolking, who was part of the 2020 Trump campaign, will coordinate strategic communications for Never Back Down, a super PAC backing Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida.
PA-SEN: Dave McCormick (R) is poised to mount another run.
A Gen Z party chair hopes to change Democrats’ fortunes in NC?WP
AP: House GOP to subpoena Blinken over Afghanistan dissent cable
Starbucks union fight moves to Congress with labor talks stalled: WSJ reports ex-CEO Howard Schultz to testify over a battle that neither company nor labor claims as a victory.
A devastating impact’: SVB’s collapse leaves start-ups with a funding hole: Bank was a pioneer and linchpin of the venture debt market, a key alternative source of funding.?FT
‘Generative’ AI?– such as chatbots – could automate a quarter of the work done in the US and the eurozone, raise GDP by 7% over the next decade, and puts 300 million jobs at risk, according to Goldman Sachs.
AI changes everything. We need new guardrails to survive it. And soon.?Darren Walker + Hemant Taneja
How AI will make land more valuable: The rise of artificial intelligence has implications for all sorts of public policy, from zoning to energy to immigration.?Tyler Cowen
Bloomberg: Twitter’s ‘for you’ feed won’t recommend unverified accounts
Twitter takes legal action over source code leak: FT reports the social media company seeks subpoena and removal of software instructions from GitHub.
Is your social media use making you angrier??Thirty-five percent of Canadians have quit a social media site “because they found the tone too angry and toxic,” a new poll suggests.?Robert Benzie
Hollywood, music industry brace for a TikTok ban: The entertainment industry has become so reliant on TikTok that banning the app could hurt business, industry insiders say.?WP
+ Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) plans to seek unanimous consent on the floor this week to pass legislation banning TikTok from operating in the United States.
At Apple, rare dissent over a new product: Interactive Goggles: NYT reports the company is expected to unveil an augmented reality headset in a few months. Some employees wonder if the device makes sense for Apple.
FT: Apple launches ‘buy now, pay later’ service in the US
AP: US renewable electricity surpassed coal in 2022
Uber Eats?is culling the number of online-only restaurants on its platform.
Toyota's new chief Koji Sato vows to get serious about EVs: Faced with 'once in a century' industry transformation, the world's biggest carmaker may be a prisoner of past success.?Nikkei
Pepsi’s new logo is a subliminal war on sugar: Pepsi launched a new logo and brand system that uses high-contrast visuals to sell Zero Sugar products.?FC
In the age of Ozempic, what’s the point of working out??The idea that we exercise to get thin may be more dangerous than ever.?Xochitl Gonzalez
Ivy League prices are pushing $90,000 a year: The cost of tuition, room, and board keeps climbing at elite US colleges, with some economists warning about sticker shock.?Bloomberg
IOC should consider banning Russia from Paris 2024 Olympics, 34 countries urge: Politico reports with no ‘clarity and concrete detail’ on neutral athletes model, Russians and Belarusians shouldn’t be allowed in, countries say.
Olympic Committee recommends Russian athletes can compete as individuals: Le Monde reports Poland, Ukraine, and the Baltic states reiterated their call to maintain the ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes at the Olympics, saying 'not a single reason' existed to lift the restrictions.
The?National Football League?is pressing Congress for new legislation on drones, which have become a growing problem for teams nationwide. Punchbowl reports there were more than 2,500 drone incursions over stadiums during NFL games in 2022, nearly double the previous year.
Italy at odds with Brussels over using EU money for football stadium: European Commission delays Rome’s recovery funds by a month after questions over plans.?FT
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc?
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
Caracal produces ITK Daily.
Geopolitics is disrupting every business and industry.
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