ITK Daily | April 19

Happy Wednesday.

Here’s today’s ITK Daily.

To be ITK, know this: 

WP: Sudan cease-fire fails to hold; US convoy, aid workers attacked

US convoy fired on in Sudan, Blinken says: Politico reports during a call with Sudan’s warring leaders, Blinken called the attack “totally unacceptable.”

Behind chaos in Sudan is a broader global power struggle Ishaan Tharoor

Russia is importing Western weapons technology, bypassing sanctions: Western technology goods are winding up in Russian missiles, raising questions about the efficacy of sanctions. NYT

Russian court upholds WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich’s detention: WSJ reports the journalist to remain in pretrial detention at Moscow’s Lefortovo prison.

BBC: Ukraine war: Putin visits occupied Kherson region in Ukraine

AP: Putin, Zelenskyy rally troops with war poised for new phase

Bloomberg: Macron wants China’s help to bring Russia, Ukraine to table

+ The French president aims to begin negotiations this summer.

+ Macron has tasked Emmanuel Bonne to work with Beijing.

G7 ministers unite to condemn Chinese and Russian 'rule by force': Nikkei reports France reaffirms that it's on the same page after Macron's Taiwan remarks

Bloomberg: US urges Korea, Japan to follow through on summit deal to mend strained ties

+ South Korean leader set to hold a separate summit with Biden.

+ Biden aide lauds Korean leader for ‘courage’ over Japan summit.

Why Europe and America will always think differently on China: The stakes aren’t the same, and neither is the geography. Janan Ganesh 

Over half of British do not want to pay for coronation: poll: AFP reports more than half of British people do not want the upcoming coronation of King Charles III to be funded by taxpayers, a new poll conducted and published on Tuesday found.

The UK faces a steep climb out of a deep hole: Food shortages, moldy apartments, and a lack of medical workers: The United Kingdom is facing a perfect storm of struggle, and millions are sliding into poverty. There is little to suggest that improvement will come anytime soon. Der Spiegel

The farmers challenging the EU’s green agenda: Brussels needs a greener agricultural sector to help meet its climate goals. But farmers say they’re being asked to do too much. FT

Brazil faces backlash from west over stance on Ukraine: US accuses Lula of ‘parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda.’ FT

Bolivia is on the brink of an economic crisis: After two decades of statist policies, the country’s economic model is bust. Economist

Mexican president accuses Pentagon of spying; vows to restrict military information: Reuters reports Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Tuesday accused the Pentagon of spying on his government following leaks in US media, and said he would begin classifying information from the armed forces to protect national security.

WP: Fox News settles defamation lawsuit with Dominion for $787.5 million

How DeSantis became Florida’s most powerful governor in a generation: State lawmakers are passing the governor’s legislative agenda with a speed some find alarming. WP

DeSantis tried to bury her. Now she’s helping Trump try to bury him. Susie Wiles helped Ron DeSantis become governor of Florida, but he turned against her and banished her from his orbit. Donald Trump was all too happy to bring her in from the cold. NYT

How DeSantis could beat Biden Ruy Teixeira

Pernod Ricard ends exports of Absolut vodka to Russia: Le Monde reports the French group, owner of the brand, has been facing calls to boycott in Sweden, where the beverage is produced.

Pernod Ricard to stop Absolut vodka exports to Russia after Swedish outcry: FT reports French group faced a storm of criticism from Swedish politicians and calls for its drinks to be boycotted.

Sony World Photography Award 2023: Winner refuses award after revealing AI creation: BBC reports The winner of a major photography award has refused his prize after revealing his work was created using AI. German artist Boris Eldagsen's entry, entitled Pseudomnesia: The Electrician, won the creative open category at last week's Sony World Photography Award.

Competition authorities need to move fast and break up AI: Unless regulators act, Big Tech’s dominance over the digital economy will be cemented. Sarah Myers West 

Can Xi Jinping control AI without crushing it? Artificial intelligence will test the Chinese Communist Party’s ability to shape innovation to suit its purposes. Economist

As sea levels rise, tidal power becomes a moving target: To pull power from the waves, strong currents or a large tidal range are needed. Rising seas may change both. Undark

Nuclear power: 'The age of colossal projects is in the past': Despite the commissioning of the Olkiluoto EPR nuclear reactor in Finland on April 16, the future of the sector seems to lie in small reactors. According to Philippe Escande, economic columnist at 'Le Monde', France is in danger of missing out on this trend. Philippe Escande

America’s most prolific logger recasts itself as environmental do-gooder: Weyerhaeuser uses new climate math to court green investors, while cutting down as many trees as ever. WSJ

SpaceX postpones debut flight of Starship rocket, citing frozen valve: Reuters reports SpaceX later said on Twitter that its teams were "working towards Thursday, April 20" for a second launch attempt.

Why China could dominate the next big advance in batteries: China is far ahead of the rest of the world in the development of batteries that use sodium, which are starting to compete with ubiquitous lithium power cells. NYT

EVs on pace to make up third of China's auto sales this year: Nikkei reports Tesla sparks a price war, spurring demand from middle-income drivers.

China leads the charge in electric vehicles: Le Monde reports the upcoming Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition places the spotlight on China, which is expected to account for one-third of all electric vehicle sales by 2023 – a historic shift that is shaking up the world’s largest automotive market.

Tesla faces a tougher road ahead in China: As rivals jostle to showcase their latest EV models, Elon Musk’s company skips the country’s biggest auto show in years. WSJ

The global car industry faces massive upheaval: Everything about carmaking is changing at once. The industry must reinvent itself to keep pace. Economist

Drew Barrymore raves about sold-out Ford x Sydney Sweeney clothing line: Talk show host Drew Barrymore held up the khaki overalls with pink straps and raved. She said she loves Sydney Sweeney, an Emmy-winning actress with her own workwear clothing line in partnership with Ford Motor Co. (and Dickies), called Ford x Sydney Sweeney. DFP

The first electrified Corvette just sold for more than $1 million. DFP reports car dealer and NASCAR race team owner Rick Hendrick, 73, paid $1.1 million for the first electrified 2024 Corvette E-Ray on Saturday at the 2023 Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction

As US tries to isolate China, German companies move closer: Some are expanding in China, reluctant to leave a huge market they need to finance operations back home. NYT

Businesses urge US to seek partners for China export curbs: Cooperation with G7 and others in focus after unilateral chip controls draw ire. Nikkei

Apple opens first retail store in India as it looks to country for manufacturing: WSJ reports the tech company opened a bricks-and-mortar location in Mumbai and is planning to open a second location Thursday in New Delhi.

Apple signals iPhone push in India as Tim Cook opens first store: FT reports the US tech company has only 5% of smartphone sales but is expanding its share rapidly in the premium segment.

Michael Dell says customers are demanding less reliance on China: Tech company founder ‘intently focused’ on diversifying supply chains amid tension between Washington and Beijing. FT

Netflix is shutting down its DVD-by mail service: Le Monde reports the streaming platform announced on Tuesday that it is ending the rental service that was launched by the company 25 years ago. The service, which boasted more than 16 million US subscribers, had been steadily dwindling during the past decade.

Love is dead: Several thousand engaged couples have dropped Bed Bath & Beyond from their wedding registries over fears that the troubled retailer won’t survive.

Lululemon is said to be considering a sale of Mirror, the home fitness start-up it bought for $500 million in 2020. 

What’s happening at MillerKnoll? The MillerKnoll CEO’s tone-deaf comments come at a particularly challenging time for the furniture company, as office furniture sales continue to slump. FC

Andi Owen...

Future media training star and a member of the "let me give you an example of how not to communicate" club.

Wowsers.

Apple’s 4.15% savings account marks golden age of cash: Bloomberg reports the product is a partnership with Goldman Sachs. And while the interest rate is high, there are other places to put your money. 

T. rex skeleton fetches more than $6 million at auction: DW reports a 67-million-year-old composite Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton has been sold at a Swiss auction house. The bones come from three different T. rex specimens.

Can a global talent agency make Atlanta an art destination? Artists, dealers, and collectors are waiting to see if UTA’s new gallery space will lift Southern talents — or focus on big names outside the region. NYT

Bloomberg: NYC is world's wealthiest city, Bay Area boasts most billionaires

+ New York leads the list with 340,000 millionaires last year.

+ California’s Bay Area has the most billionaires with 63: report.

Barcelona bets on green to boost city’s mental health: Plans to expand low-traffic, green zones are targeted at reclaiming streets for residents — and lifting their spirits in the process. Bloomberg

Champions League semis - so far:

AC Milan

Real Madrid

Hamlin resumes NFL activities after heart-stopping incident: AFP reports Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, who went into cardiac arrest after making a tackle and was resuscitated on the field, rejoined the team for a workout on Tuesday as he began his NFL comeback.

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc 

Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal

Caracal produces ITK Daily.

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