Brigadoon Daily
Your daily dose of the emerging issues + independent thinkers shaping commerce + culture
November 19, 2021
2022 is only 43 days away. You ready?
TOP FIVE
1. #whereispengshuai
2. The untold story of Von Dutch
3. A new meaning to ‘working in the garden’
4. Are AirPods out?
5. It appears no one wants to be a Washington fan
BRIGADOON EVENT
Brigadoon Workshop | World 2022
7 Elections + 7 Topics
Wednesday, December 8 @ 12:00 - 2:00 pm ET
Washington, DC or Virtual
More @ thebrigadoon.com/events
GLOBALIZATION + STATECRAFT
First fires, now floods: British Columbia and Washington reeling from atmospheric river: WP reports the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia have endured a punishing siege of climate disasters since the summer, supercharged by human-caused climate change. After an unprecedented heatwave to close June and a rash of wildfires that followed, the region is now recovering from devastating floods and landslides, blamed for at least two deaths.
Tories see red after Johnson axes north’s high-speed trains: The government accused of selling the north short over rail plans.
The Times
+ "On a clear road, I crashed the car into a ditch." -- Boris Johnson speaking to the 1922 Committee about his handling of the sleaze row over the past two weeks.
Today: Priti Patel, the UK Home Secretary, addresses the Heritage Foundation on the last day of her trip to Washington.
British politics is blind to the rise of Sinn Féin: Westminster just cannot accept what happens in Ireland matters over there.
Finn McRedmond
Far-right ideas are gaining a renewed respectability in France: They have a deep and troubling history.
Economist
A French dictionary added a gender-neutral pronoun. Opponents say it’s too ‘woke.’ WP reports the decision from a major French dictionary to add “iel,” a gender-neutral pronoun that has become popular in the non-binary community in recent years, to its lexicon has drawn heavy criticism from political leaders in France, a move that highlights once again the controversy around efforts to make the Romance language more reflective of an inclusive society.
Gaffe or warning? Biden remarks on Taiwan keep the world guessing: The US leader makes an 'independence' comment and walks it back, a day after meeting with Xi.
Nikkei
Bloomberg: China must realize Taiwan isn’t Hong Kong, Tony Blair says
+ “They have to understand that Taiwan is not the same as Hong Kong. And there are very strong views on this in the West.”
SCMP: EU shelves Taiwan trade upgrade amid high-wire balancing act on China
+ Announcement of new strategic format for liaising with Taiwan on trade and economic issues is postponed, although it is likely to be revisited
+ Some EU lawmakers want the Taiwan issue to be higher on the bloc’s agenda, but there is concern that ties with Beijing could plunge further
Navy holds ‘navigation stand-down’ for submarine force after undersea collision: Navy Times reports the US Navy’s submarine community began a “navigation stand-down” this week following the submarine Connecticut’s collision with an undersea mountain last month in the South China Sea.
Japan looks to open its borders amid labor shortage: WP reports immigration was once a taboo subject, but an aging population and a disruptive pandemic have started to change that.
Japan to raise defense spending by $6.1bn this year: Nikkei reports the supplementary bill to include the largest-ever injection for security.
China poses a national security threat unlike any the US has seen before: This week's virtual summit between President Joe Biden and China's President Xi Jinping may have restored a tone of respect between the world's two largest powers, but US intelligence is telling a different story.
Consider This Podcast
Xi Jinping moves closer to reviving 'chairman' title to match Mao: Chinese leader paves the way to powerful post with historical resolution.
Nikkei
China’s communist authorities are tightening their grip on the private sector: Its growth model is at risk.
Economist
Bloomberg: Outcry grows as China breaks silence on missing tennis star
+ Chinese player not seen since alleging affair with official
+ State media says Peng sent letter saying she’s ‘resting’
AFP: Serena 'shocked, devastated' as concern mounts for Peng
+ @serenawilliams: I am devastated and shocked to hear about the news of my peer, Peng Shuai. I hope she is safe and found as soon as possible. This must be investigated and we must not stay silent. Sending love to her and her family during this incredibly difficult time. #whereispengshuai
On China, women’s tennis beats the NBA: The WTA calls for an investigation into a charge of sexual assault.
WSJ - Editorial
Bloomberg: Biden says US ‘considering’ partial boycott of Beijing Olympics
AFP: US mulls diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics
+ Beijing games open Feb. 4 as China battles Covid outbreaks
RBA warns of ‘faddish’ crypto crash: The Reserve Bank of Australia has warned users and investors in fad-fuelled cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin they risk holding speculative assets with “niche” uses that could lose most of their value.
AFR
Why Chile’s presidential vote comes at a crazy time
Bloomberg
‘Everybody’s absolutely horrified’: High society is bracing itself for Ghislaine Maxwell’s trial: What will be revealed? Who might she name? Jeffrey Epstein’s right-hand woman is going on trial for their alleged crimes — and those who used to know her can’t stop talking about it.
RS
The world is entering a new era of big government: How should classical liberals respond?
Economist
COVID
Ireland introduces new COVID-19 restrictions, including a curfew for pubs, restaurants and clubs.
+ Sweden’s public health agency is recommending that vaccine passports be brought in for indoor events with more than 100 attendees from 1 December.
Germany is experiencing a ‘dramatic’ fourth wave, Angela Merkel has said. The country recorded more than 65,000 new infections in the past 24 hours and its vaccine commission has recommended boosters for all over-18s.
About 99.7% of all active-duty sailors are at least partially vaccinated against the coronavirus less than two weeks ahead of the US Navy’s deadline, the service announced Wednesday.
Disney Cruise Line will now require all guests aged 5 or older to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Do masks really slash the risk of catching COVID?
Ross Clark
+ Wearing a mask cuts covid spread by 53%, according to a new study.
America slowly learns to live with COVID: Shots are an achievement but not a miracle, and other realities with which we’re coming to terms.
Peggy Noonan
The COVID lab leak theory just got even stronger
Matt Ridley
Alina Chan: COVID-19: What is the real truth? The origin?
The James Altucher Show
POLITICS + CAMPAIGNS
The Hill: Bill honoring 13 service members killed in Afghanistan heads to Biden's desk
It’s hard to mess up being vice president. But Kamala Harris has.
Marc A. Thiessen
Kamala Harris makes Dan Quayle look good: Biden’s No 2 is way out of her depth but has the ready-made defense that criticism is motivated by sexism and racism.
Gerard Baker
Trump pollster identifies top 7 issue groups within GOP
Axios
1. Dollars & Cents GOP
2. Core GOP Conservatives
3. Don’t Tread on Me GOP
4. Government-Friendly GOP
5. Moralists
6. Border & Order GOP
7. Neo-Cons
Six decades of regional change in House elections: The GOP edge in the South, already large, could grow in 2022.
Sabato's Crystal Ball
States investigate Instagram over how it affects children: WSJ reports a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general said it is investigating how Instagram recruits and affects young people, amping up the pressure on parent company Meta Platforms over the potential harms to its users.
+ In 2021, the SEC received 12k+ tips from whistleblowers, almost 2x the total from 2020.
Environmentalists sound alarm at US politicians’ embrace of cryptocurrency: Bitcoin and similar blockchain-based currencies require huge amounts of power, predominantly generated from fossil fuels.
Guardian
DISRUPTION + INNOVATION
Toronto is home to the world’s largest lake-powered cooling system. Here’s how it works. Deep lake water cooling (DLWC) is used to cool over 100 buildings in the city. It saves enough electricity to power a town of 25,000 — and it’s so popular the city is pursuing an expansion.
WP
Britain’s Royal Air Force has taken a landmark step towards slashing carbon emissions from its aircraft, announcing Nov. 17 that the service had completed the world’s first flight using 100 percent synthetic fuel together with commercial partner Zero Petroleum.
COMMERCE
Soho House could raise its membership fees next year due to inflation. The group’s owner also reported a 57% rise in total revenue to $180m in Q3.
The problem with Peloton bikes
Richard Taverner
So what is “the metaverse,” exactly?
Kyle Orland
Meta is building VR gloves for the metaverse: The technology is called soft robotics.
Don’t mock the metaverse: The metaverse is already here. It’s just not evenly distributed.
Economist
Bloomberg: Nike jumps into Metaverse With Virtual World on Roblox Platform
A look under the hood of the most successful streaming service on the planet: Netflix’s secret sauce is something none of us ever see.
The Verge
Inside the machine that saved Moore’s Law: The Dutch firm ASML spent $9 billion and 17 years developing a way to keep making denser computer chips.
TR
H&M’s chief technology officer is trying to make smart clothing mainstream, at a time when clothing manufacturers are struggling with complex supply chains and environmental pressure.
The untold story of Von Dutch: Behind the brand that made trucker hats hot in the early 2000s is a messy corporate origin tale, filled with sabotage, and greed.
NYT
China's Baidu to dispatch robotaxis in 100 cities by 2030: Nikkei reports the tech giant expects mass production of self-driving EVs to begin in 2023.
Monarch, which makes autonomous EV tractors, raised $61m in Series B funding.
Bloomberg: Apple accelerates work on car project, aiming for fully autonomous vehicle
Lucid Motors, which started delivering sedans in a 520-car limited edition last month and plans to make 20,000 vehicles next year. Lucid’s shares, which have more than doubled in the past month, give the company a market value of nearly $90 billion, or $10 billion more than Ford, which sold nearly 4.2 million cars last year.
+ Morgan Stanley’s lead auto analyst, Adam Jonas, said Lucid could be worth as much as $100 billion. Here’s what it would have to do to get there:
+ Sell 700,000 cars a year by 2030, or roughly as many as BMW and Mercedes sell each year in the US, combined.
+ Book an average profit of $80,000 a car, or about double what consumers currently pay for the average car in the US.
Ford, GM step into chip business: WSJ reports Ford said it had entered into a strategic agreement with US-based chip maker GlobalFoundries to develop chips; separately, GM said it was also trying to forge deeper ties with chip makers.
Deere employees end a five-week strike.
WSJ: CVS to close 900 stores over three years
Macy’s hires adviser to study separation of e-commerce business: WSJ reports an activist investor has pressed the department-store chain to follow the path of Saks Fifth Avenue in spinning off the fast-growing segment. The announcement came as Macy’s posted another quarter of strong sales growth.
Prada heads to Austin, chasing new, wealthy US markets: WSJ reports the maker of high-end shoes, handbags says it ‘underinvested’ and plans stores in places like Austin, Texas, and Baltimore-DC.
Warner Music is reportedly in advanced talks to buy David Bowie’s songwriting catalog.
MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS
The power of talk: Who gets heard and why
Deborah Tannen
SPACE + SCIENCE
Space junk is spreading, creating the risk of no-go zones for satellites
Time
PERFORMANCE
A new meaning to ‘working in the garden’: With the work-at-home lifestyle likely here to stay, people are taking things outdoors, creating spaces meant for privacy and comfort.
NYT
CULTURE
In central Italy, a dance party by the sea: Last month at La Posta Vecchia, the hotelier Marie-Louise Sciò threw a rollicking reunion for friends and family.
T Magazine
Flashback: Get to know Marie-Louise Sciò
Brigadoon Weekend
It’s the University of Austin against everyone — including itself: The discord in and around the launch of a new, free-thinking university reveals the power of intellectual “independence” — and just how hard it is to credibly claim.
Politico
+ It’s the 20th anniversary of the first Harry Potter film.
Are AirPods out? Why cool kids are wearing wired headphones: Humble ‘retro’ corded headphones are making an unexpected return, for both aesthetic and practical reasons.
WSJ
SPORT
FSO: Rays pitch new stadiums in Tampa Bay, Montreal
+ The Tampa Bay Rays are working to become MLB's first multi-city team.
+ The team is seeking new stadiums in Tampa and Montreal.
WP: Two-way pioneer Shohei Ohtani wins American League MVP; slugger Bryce Harper awarded National League trophy
Disney shows its cards in pursuit of sports betting dollars: Now that major leagues are getting on board with gambling, the family-friendly Hollywood giant is eyeing that revenue and may start with a splashy ESPN licensing deal.
THR
Empty seats and scandals: It appears no one wants to be a Washington fan: The team has the lowest attendance in the NFL, and it’s no surprise given the product on and off the field.
Guardian
What’s a soccer player worth? Italy’s regulators are asking. The authorities in Italy are investigating dozens of transfers involving top clubs. In doing so, they might pull back the curtain on accounting practices that defy easy explanation.
NYT
FOS: NBC Sports wins US Premier League rights
+ NBCUniversal and Telemundo have sold out of 2022 World Cup major sponsorship spots
Guardian: ‘One of the worst’: Lewis Hamilton criticizes Qatar over human rights
+ World champion speaks out as Qatar prepares for first F1 GP
+ Mercedes driver says of venues: ‘These places need scrutiny’
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Curation and commentary by Marc A. Ross | Founder @ Brigadoon
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