ITK Daily | December 6
Hamas, Ron DeSantis, Apple, Yale, Bundesliga, plus 1,000 more actionable insights.
ITK Daily is geopolitical business intelligence for communications pros.
Happy Wednesday.
Here's today’s ITK Daily.
To be ITK, know this:
*** Globalization + Statecraft ***
Did Hamas make millions trading the October 7th attacks? Researchers highlight suspicious activity in New York and Tel Aviv. Economist
CBC: Israel launches 'most intense' ground invasion so far, warns those in southern Gaza to stay inside
Israeli forces in ‘most intense’ day of ground war as it enters Hamas strongholds: FT reports aid group describes situation as ‘among the worst assaults on any civilian population in our time.’
AP: Netanyahu says Israel will retain open-ended control of security in Gaza long after war with Hamas
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas. Yet the group remains largely intact. WP reports at least 5,000 Hamas militants have been killed, according to three Israeli security officials, leaving the majority of its 30,000-strong military wing intact.
AP: Blinken sees goals largely unfulfilled in Mideast trip, even as Israel pledges to protect civilians
What is Hamas's next step? In interviews with Le Monde, leaders of the Islamist movement in Lebanon and Qatar promise to continue the fight against Israel in the absence of a political agreement. Le Monde
How the Biden team is planning for a postwar Gaza Strip: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may not like the ideas, but he also may not get a say. Politico
US officials frustrated by Biden administration’s response to attacks in Red Sea: Politico reports Jake Sullivan said the US ‘cannot assess’ a US warship was targeted.
Houthi attacks on vessels in Red Sea sound alarm for global trade: FT reports shipowners demand more military protection for maritime routes amid fears of widening Middle East conflict.
In Ukraine, a war of incremental gains as counteroffensive stalls WP
Ukrainian leaders head to the US as Kyiv prepares for winter fighting: Politico reports uncertainty over aid is looming as the country seeks to rebuild its defense industry.
Zelensky cancels session with Senators before vote on Ukraine aid: NYT reports President Volodymyr Zelensky had been scheduled to brief lawmakers, via a private video call, a day after the White House warned that aid to his country would soon run out.
Ukraine’s tensions at the top spill into the open: Politico reports the Kremlin is pouncing on rumors of a rivalry between Zelenskyy and army boss Zaluzhny. There’s a grain of truth in the propaganda.
MOT: Russia planned Islamophobic campaigns in Finland, Sweden to delay Nato membership: YLE reports the Finnish Security Intelligence Service (Supo) confirms that they were aware of the Russian intelligence service's plans to incite such demonstrations.
Bloomberg: Putin plans visit to Gulf in wake of OPEC+ deal on output cuts
Why Modi is cruising to a third term: State elections show that the Indian prime minister keeps benefiting from the failings of the opposition. Ruchir Sharma
How India views Pakistan's bid to join BRICS: To gain entry into the club, Pakistan is actively engaging with member nations, focusing in particular on winning the support of China and Russia. DW
NHK: Senior US official visits India, discusses alleged plot to kill Sikh separatist
Will US-Indian relations be hurt by India’s assassination scheme? American prosecutors have published devastating allegations about India’s attempted hit jobs. Economist
Xi Jinping is asserting tighter control of finance in China: The Communist Party’s main theoretical journal has laid out a new ideological framework for the financial system that emphasizes the primacy of China’s top leader and Marxist principles. NYT
Nikkei: China homebuyers shun presale deals on non-delivery fears
Give us our flats! The angry victims of China’s property crisis Millions of people are waiting for homes that may never be built. 1843 Magazine
+ Moody’s, a ratings agency, downgraded China’s credit outlook to negative, citing the country’s lower than expected economic growth and its property crisis
Why Xi wants Trump to win Michael Schuman
Taiwan's defining moment: Election to determine future of relations with China: Against backdrop of Ukraine and Hong Kong, voters must choose confrontation or compromise with Beijing. Nikkei
NHK: N. Korean leader Kim urges women to have more children at meeting of mothers
NHK: Australia, France to boost military cooperation
Sudan crisis: Mass displacement and death: DW reports over the past month, the conflict between two military groups in Sudan has reached what experts say is a grim turning point. The country's future is even more unclear,
Today: Boris Johnson faces the UK COVID inquiry.
James Cleverly signs new Rwanda treaty in effort to revive UK asylum plan: FT reports the UK home secretary set to introduce ‘emergency legislation’ this week to address Supreme Court’s ruling.
UK and Rwanda strike new treaty, hoping to unblock controversial asylum plan: Le Monde reports British Home Secretary James Cleverly visited Rwanda to sign a new deal, after the British Supreme Court ruled last month that the UK's policy of sending asylum-seekers to Rwanda was unlawful.
How Britain plans to cut immigration: New measures will make it harder for companies to hire workers. Economist
French parliament backs proposal to ban vapes: Guardian reports the national assembly votes unanimously for move to outlaw single-use e-cigarettes, or ‘puffs.’
After Paris attack, debate centers on psychiatric monitoring of radicalized individuals: Le Monde reports Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab, the psychologically fragile ex-prisoner who killed one person and injured two near the Eiffel Tower on Saturday, had interrupted his treatment in March 2022. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin spoke of a 'psychiatric failure.'
Does Germany need to rethink globalization? The current interconnected global economic system just isn't working, some economists say. They are calling for a recalculation of globalization and what it means to be wealthy, independent, and secure. DW
Eleven people across Italy and Spain were arrested for running an oil fraud operation, producing 260,000 liters of cheap olive oil falsely labeled high quality.
Brazil’s GDP defied expectations to contract and grew by 0.1% in the third quarter.
Guyana says will approach UN if Venezuela moves on disputed region: AFP reports Guyana said Tuesday it will approach the UN Security Council for help if Venezuela makes any moves on a disputed oil-rich region following a referendum Caracas says bolstered its claim to it.
TST: Record more than 2,000 fossil fuel lobbyists at COP28 talks
It’s Big Oil vs. science at the UN Climate Summit: As negotiators work to agree on a final text, attention has turned to a fundamental question: Will the talks call for a phaseout of fossil fuels? NYT
Recommended by LinkedIn
US unveils global strategy to commercialize fusion as source of clean energy during COP28: AP reports the United States will work with other governments to speed up efforts to make nuclear fusion a new source of carbon-free energy, US Climate Envoy John Kerry said Tuesday, the latest of many US announcements the last week aimed at combatting climate change.
*** ITK Live ***
ITK WAS | School + Salon Dinner
Executive education and global economic training to start the new year at the ITK WAS | School + Salon Dinner.
Downtown Washington, DC
January 11, 2024
Starting at 1:30 pm ET
This event will explore the interconnected global business environment, focusing on business issues at the intersection of globalization, disruption, and politics. ITK WAS will feature three 45-minute lectures and a salon dinner.
Limited to 12 sports, participants will gain improved geopolitical intelligence, communications confidence, and increased situational awareness.
For details and tickets, click here.
*** Politics + Elections ***
Today: The fourth Republican presidential primary debate. The debate will air from 8:00 - 10:00 pm ET. The debate will be shown on the CW network.
Ron DeSantis campaign in turmoil as 2024 Republican primaries loom: FT reports staff shake-up at Florida governor’s spending group comes just six weeks before Iowa caucuses.
Bloomberg: DeSantis campaign in turmoil ahead of Republican primary voting
+ Three top super PAC officials have departed in recent weeks+ Campaign staff, donors are skeptical of DeSantis’ chances
CNBC: Wall Street opens wallets wide for ‘Trump alternative’ Nikki Haley at $500K fundraiser
Top Democratic donor, Reid Hoffman, gives $250,000 to a Nikki Haley Super PAC: NYT reports Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn, has funded an array of anti-Trump candidates and causes.
Bloomberg: Biden says he might not have sought reelection if Trump weren’t running
+ "We cannot let him win," Biden says of Trump.
USA Today: Liz Cheney says she's ready to consider a third party, warns of 'grave' threat of Trump-led GOPDonald Trump poses the biggest danger to the world in 2024: What his victory in America’s election would mean. Economist
Special counsel alleges Trump ‘sent’ supporters on path to Jan. 6 violence: WP reports in a new court filing, Jack Smith accused former president Donald Trump of a long pattern of lying about elections and encouraging violence, saying he “sent” supporters to criminally block the 2020 election results.
*** Disruption + Innovation ***
Mistral, a nearly year-old French AI start-up that raised $113 million this summer, is reportedly finalizing another investment round that values it at roughly $2 billion.
Nikkei: Nvidia aims to set up R&D center in Japan, says CEO
Meta and IBM launch AI alliance: WSJ reports one year after the debut of ChatGPT, companies including AMD and ServiceNow are teaming up with academia to promote ‘open’ alternatives to OpenAI.
Bloomberg: Elon Musk’s xAI startup seeks to raise $1 billion in equity
CNBC: Apple’s market cap closes above $3 trillion
CNBC: California YouTuber sentenced to prison after intentionally crashing plane
Bitcoin tops $44,000 for the first time since April 2022 as ETF optimism grows.
Bloomberg: Japanese buyers snap up New York, London buildings in spending spree
Bloomberg: Dutch chip company ASM to build $324 million US base in Arizona
WHO calls for higher taxes on alcohol, sugary drinks: DW reports the WHO has called on governments worldwide to increase taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks in order to drastically curb the number of people dying from drinking and unhealthy diets.
Spotify’s layoff memo and the art of delivering bad news: As the streaming giant cuts about 1,500 more jobs, a letter from CEO Daniel Ek illustrates how companies’ quest for efficiency continues to play out. WSJ
*** Culture ***
8%: The proportion of babies conceived through in vitro fertilization in Japan during 2021, compared with 2% in America.
Giancarlo Giammetti: ‘We couldn’t launch Valentino today’: One half of Italian fashion’s celebrated partnership on shaping Valentino Garavani’s vision, partying with Elizabeth Taylor — and why luxury is now in a ‘different universe.’ FT
Peter Gabriel is trying to keep it together Craig Jenkins
Nearly everyone gets A’s at Yale. Does that cheapen the grade? A report found that close to 80 percent of grades were in the A range last academic year. A pandemic-era bump has stuck. NYT
*** Sport ***
Jay-Jay Okocha: Bundesliga can grow in Africa: The former Eintracht Frankfurt and Nigeria midfielder believes that the Bundesliga has opportunities to grow its imprint in the African market. However, many clubs still need to find ways to make it happen. DW
The bombshell rumor gripping professional golf: Whispers about world No. 3 Jon Rahm joining the Saudi-backed LIV Golf have become the talk of the sport—ahead of a quickly approaching deadline for a deal with the PGA Tour. WSJ
The NCAA’s radical proposal to pay Division I athletes: Amid pressure to modernize, NCAA President Charlie Baker outlines a new model where Division I schools could pay athletes through endorsements and educational trusts. WSJ
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal
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