Brigadoon Daily
Your daily dose of the emerging issues + independent thinkers shaping commerce + culture
November 30, 2021
The people’s diva
TOP FIVE
1. Twenty years on, the BRICs have disappointed
2. 18 House Democrats have announced retirement
3. MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin stake has doubled in value to $7 billion
4. Avoid burnout
5. Gatorade signs Paige Bueckers as first college athlete endorser
BRIGADOON EVENT
Brigadoon Workshop | Communications 2022
Strategy + Tactics
Thursday, December 9 @ 12:00 - 2:00 pm ET
In-person or Virtual or On-demand
More @ thebrigadoon.com/events
GLOBALIZATION + STATECRAFT
Twenty years on, the BRICs have disappointed: The challenge of how these countries achieve higher prosperity across society remains unsolved.
Jim O'Neill
+ O'Neill coined the term "BRIC" in 2001 in "The World Needs Better Economic BRICs", a paper written for Goldman Sachs's "Global Economic Paper" series, on the four emerging "BRIC" economies Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
Europe revisits nuclear power as climate deadlines loom: NYT reports while wind and solar ramp up, several countries, including France and Britain, are looking to expand their nuclear energy programs. Germany and others aren’t so enthusiastic.
Fact check: Is nuclear energy good for the climate? Supporters of nuclear energy say it can help us wean our economies off polluting fossil fuels. No surprise, it's a heated issue. But what about the facts? Can nuclear power really help save the climate?
DW
EU plans €300bn global infrastructure spend to rival China: FT reports Brussels wants Global Gateway proposals to help boost its influence worldwide.
Sweden update: Magdalena Andersson, who resigned seven hours after being chosen as Sweden’s first female prime minister last week, is back in the PM office a second time.
Magdalena Andersson becomes Sweden’s PM for second time in a week: FT reports the Social Democrat musters enough support to reclaim premiership five days after stepping down.
+ The UK holds the G7 presidency until the end of the year, with Germany taking over in January.
Germany’s Scholz plans early December visit to Macron: Politico reports the first state visit for incoming chancellor will be to France.
Marseille finger-flipping points to trouble for Eric Zemmour: Flipping the bird is the latest mishap for the French far-right presidential hopeful.
Politico
+ "The presidential campaign of far-right French TV pundit Eric Zemmour looks like it’s becoming unhinged even before it officially starts."
AFP: Far-right pundit Zemmour to announce French presidency bid: entourage
Caught between Macron and the far right, French conservatives pick 2022 candidate
AFP
MI6 will keep enemies at bay by teaming up with tech firms
The Times
Threat of Russian invasion of Ukraine tests Biden administration
WP
Meeting near Russian border, NATO weighs response to Moscow's military maneuvers: DW reports can NATO strike the right balance of force and diplomatic fortitude to make the Kremlin back off? Aboard the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, Teri Schultz tees up a key meeting of foreign ministers in Riga.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand is working with the nation’s regulators and a local cryptocurrency exchange to pave the way for the acceptance of digital tokens for travel, according to its Governor Yuthasak Supasorn. That may help the tourism-reliant nation to recoup some of the $80 billion in lost revenue through the pandemic, he said.
Solomon Islands unrest magnifies Pacific unease over China ties: Calm returns but perceptions of 'checkbook diplomacy on steroids' persist.
Nikkei
Is US-China struggle behind Solomon riots – or ‘just icing on the cake’?
SCMP
+ Some say switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing has fuelled resentment of Chinese influence. Others say the US is fomenting a color revolution
+ But violence has long dogged the islands. Grievances over corruption, exploitation of natural resources by other countries, and COVID-19 have all played a part too
Pentagon plans to improve bases in Guam and Australia to confront China: A review of US military forces and capabilities worldwide makes adjustments but includes no major reshuffling to take on Beijing.
WSJ
As China speeds up nuclear arms race, the US wants to talk: NYT reports the Pentagon thinks Beijing may build 1,000 or more weapons by 2030. But it’s the new technologies that worry strategists.
USICA: The House this week is finally going to take up the Senate version of a $250 billion China-targeted bill known as the US Innovation and Competition Act — and Beijing is already firing warning shots.
+ “A significant plurality of voters — 48 percent — think China is a ‘threat to the well-being of the US economy,’ according to a Politico/Morning Consult survey of nearly 2,000 registered voters conducted this week."
+ "Only 12 percent of respondents said they consider China to be a beneficial economic partner, while 26 percent viewed it as a competitor that neither benefits nor threatens the US”
China’s rising ultra-nationalism complicates Xi’s climate ambitions: An increasingly vocal faction of society views some green measures as bending to demands from hostile Western powers.
Bloomberg
Communist Party cancel culture targets internet celebrities: New rules restrict ads with stars, institute a blacklist, and monitor fan groups.
Economist
Why China’s elite tread a perilous path: Wealth, power, and fame are no defense against the arbitrary power of the Communist party.
Gideon Rachman
Taiwan's friends aid stealthy submarine project as China threat rises
Reuters
Brace yourself. Brazil is about to rock markets: President Jair Bolsonaro’s remarkable political reversal on welfare will be felt in soybeans, beef, chicken, and even coffee.
David Fickling
Leftist candidate set for big win in Honduras election: FT reports Xiomara Castro on course to secure presidency after vowing to fight corruption and inequality.
In Honduras presidential race, leftist candidate has big lead: WSJ reports that Xiomara Castro de Zelaya, the wife of a former leftist president deposed by the military 12 years ago, appeared headed for a comfortable victory in the presidential vote.
Nationalism is bankrupt and has no answers: The ideas of Trump and Farage are irrelevant in a world where crises will only be solved by nations working together.
William Hague
COVID
Axios: WHO says Omicron poses "very high" risk
The chair of the South African Medical Association said Omicron has so far caused ‘very mild symptoms’ in patients, with no noticeable impact on hospitals despite the country being ‘the epicenter’ of the new variant.
Japan has closed its borders, with the prime minister saying ‘we are taking measures with a strong sense of crisis.’
Australia has delayed reopening its borders due to Omicron. About 200,000 travelers set to arrive on Wednesday will not be allowed to enter until 15 December.
Portugal + Scotland newly reported cases of the variant.
Politico: Boris Johnson faces old dilemma on new coronavirus variant
The Hill: Biden says 'lockdowns' not needed to curb coronavirus variant
Health ministers of the G7 countries convened to coordinate action to contain the spread of Omicron, the new coronavirus variant of concern.
Hope for Carnival comeback amid Brazil’s COVID-19 success: DW reports after being battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, infections in Brazil are falling due to high vaccination rates. Some here are even hoping the country can hold its iconic Carnival again. But, experts urge caution.
POLITICS + CAMPAIGNS
NYT: The Biden administration, under fire for supply chain woes, says stores will be fully stocked for the holidays.
CNBC: Congress hopes to avoid a government shutdown as Friday deadline approaches
+ Washington and Wall Street were optimistic Monday that Congress can pass a bill to fund the government and avert a partial shutdown before a Friday deadline.
+ Democrats and Republicans appeared to be coalescing around a bill to fund the government through late January or early February, a person familiar with the discussions told CNBC.
Democratic midterm fears mount as policies fail to resonate with voters
WP
Joe Biden’s big squeeze: Progressive donors to the left of him, cynical centrists to the right — a theory of why his popular agenda is so unpopular.
Jonathan Chait
Election 2022:
+ Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) announced that he’ll run for governor, becoming the 18th House Democrat to announce his retirement.
+ “House Democrats’ retirement crisis has reached a five-alarm emergency, and it’s only getting worse”
+ Matthew McConaughey won't run for governor in Texas.
The Hill: Democrats anxious over Abrams silence on Georgia governor bid
No one seems to like the Lincoln Project anymore: Once the belle of the resistance ball, the group now has a growing list of detractors. They say they’re still committed to the fight.
Politico
‘They’re all begging me’: Trump’s 2024 veep tryouts get underway: The question of Trump’s prospective choice of running mate is surfacing with increasing frequency.
Politico
Trump’s 2024 veepstakes is already underway
Ed Kilgore
Welcome to the Beach Cafe, the Upper East Side’s Republican cheers
Shawn McCreesh
COMMERCE
Twitter co-founder + CEO Jack Dorsey announced that he will resign from the social media platform that has become a pillar of everyday life and a mainstay of global and political communication — and a top punching bag for policymakers.
Alibaba market cap sinks by half in a year since Ant IPO shelved: Nikkei reports China's e-commerce leader loses ground to rivals like JD.com as regulators crackdown.
Britain will reportedly demand that Meta undo a takeover: UK antitrust regulators will order Facebook’s parent company to unwind its $400 million acquisition of the online image platform Giphy, the Financial Times reports.
Lina Khan’s battle to rein in Big Tech: As monopolies and other large companies gain increasing control of our daily lives, Khan is Joe Biden’s pick to do something about it.
The New Yorker
Lululemon sued Peloton for patent infringement five days after the fitness bike company filed a preemptive suit against the clothing maker, as a dispute over a busted co-branding deal heats up in the booming home fitness space.
Bloomberg: MicroStrategy’s Bitcoin stake has doubled in value to $7 billion
Good jeans: The hunt for sustainable denim: We investigate whether your wardrobe workhorses can ever really be eco.
FT
PERFORMANCE
Going to sleep between 10 pm and 11 pm is associated with a lower risk of developing heart disease compared to earlier or later bedtimes, per a new study in the European Heart Journal — Digital Health.
How I avoid burnout: A West Point performance psychologist: Don’t fret what you can’t control, squeeze in micro-breaks whenever you can, and learn to relax on cue.
Arianne Cohen
CULTURE
In East Hampton, a potential airport closure ignites class warfare: Will the private jets of the billionaires still find safe harbor in East Hampton? Or will the concerns of the mere multimillionaires—noisy air traffic over their mega-mansions, jealousy over Gulfstream ownership—win out? And what of poor Montauk?
Vanity Fair
Bloomberg: Off-White X Air Jordan 1 sneakers are reselling for more than $8,000
Virgil Abloh, fashion designer, 1980-2021: Creative director of Louis Vuitton men’s, Abloh was considered the most powerful black man in fashion.
FT
Bette Midler: The people’s diva: ‘I don’t give myself a lot of pats on the back. I’m too busy moving on,’ says the actress-comedian-singer
WP
+ Bette Midler is one of this year's recipients of Kennedy Center Honors recognizing lifetime artistic achievement. The Kennedy Center Honors gala is on December 5.
SPORT
RIP: Sir Frank Williams
@nytimes: Breaking News: Lee Elder, who broke a racial barrier as the first Black golfer to play in the Masters tournament, has died at 87.
Ballon d'Or wins:
Messi: 7
Cristiano Ronaldo: 5
Platini: 3
Cruyff: 3
Van Basten: 3
Beckenbauer: 2
Ronaldo: 2
Rummenigge: 2
Keegan: 2
Di Stefano: 2
The Mets + Max Scherzer are finalizing a 3-year, $130 million contract.
Estimated current opening day payrolls, per @baseballpro:
Seattle Mariners: $57 million
Cleveland Guardians: $46.7 million
Max Scherzer: $43.3 million
Pittsburgh Pirates: $40.2 million
Baltimore Orioles: $37 million
Gatorade signs Paige Bueckers as first college athlete endorser: Bloomberg reports the UConn basketball star is breaking ground under the new NCAA sponsorship rules.
USC landing Lincoln Riley may be the most right coaching hire in school history: USC athletic director Mike Bohn and chief of staff Brandon Sosna pulled off a game-winning Hail Mary, luring Riley away from Oklahoma.
Bill Plaschke
+ Sources: LSU is expecting to hire Notre Dame’s Brian Kelly as the school’s next head coach.
Watch: Roots | Foundations of Freeskiing
Red Bull Snow
https://youtu.be/dfg_cLwwiZc
A climbing award that may be a winner’s last: The Piolet d’Or, or Golden Ice Axe, is alpine climbing’s biggest award. But whether it honors or encourages risk is debated in the sport.
NYT
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Curation and commentary by Marc A. Ross | Founder @ Brigadoon
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