Brigadoon Daily
Your daily dose of the emerging issues + independent thinkers shaping commerce + culture
November 11, 2021
TOP FIVE
1. Belarus border residents rattled by migrant crisis
2. Xi prepares to be anointed as emperor
3. Rivian shares surge in largest US IPO since 2014
4. Should we quit social media, too?
5. US, Mexico set for CONCACAF 'Clasico' in World Cup clash
GLOBALIZATION + STATECRAFT
Blinken 'hopeful' for 'window' to stop Ethiopia war: AFP reports US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced hope Wednesday that diplomacy would succeed in halting a deadly war in Ethiopia after major rebel advances. "I believe that all sides see the dangers of perpetuating the conflict," Blinken told reporters amid efforts by former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo as well as US envoy Jeffrey Feltman.
Reuters: Biden to host leaders of Canada, Mexico at White House on Nov. 18
+ "This will be the first time that the three leaders will meet in person since Canada hosted the last Summit in June 2016"
Erin O’Toole must push back against hard-liners, not just to protect his party but all of Canada
David Moscrop
Never mind Merkel! The EU’s not doing so badly: The recovery fund, the COVID-19 response, and joint borrowing all show that Europe is progressing.
Politico
Belarus border residents rattled by migrant crisis on their doorstep: DW reports hardly anyone used to stray into the villages on Belarus' western border. But with more Middle Eastern refugees stranded here, residents are unsettled.
EU and US accuse Belarus of 'hybrid attack' at borders: DW reports, "It is important that Lukashenko understands that [the regime's] behavior comes with a price," the EU's Ursula von der Leyen said following talks with US President Joe Biden in Washington.
Russia sends warplanes to Belarus amid fight with EU over migrants: WSJ reports the deployment of strategic bombers to Belarus’s airspace comes as tensions build between Belarus and Poland over a surge of migrants at their shared border and the positioning of several thousand Polish troops on the European Union’s eastern flank.
The Times: Russian bombers fly over Belarus as border crisis deepens
Merkel pressures Putin to act on Poland-Belarus standoff: DW reports Germany's outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged Russia's Vladimir Putin to help resolve the ongoing migrant standoff between Poland and Belarus.
Bloomberg: US vows closer ties with France on space, cyber threats
+ Vice President Harris meets French President Emmanuel Macron
+ Harris trip intended to elevate her profile, further mend ties
In wake of submarine controversy, Harris emphasizes shared future in meeting with France’s Macron
WP
19: French far-right provocateur Éric Zemmour is now polling at 19 percent in presidential polls, only four points behind incumbent Emmanuel Macron. Zemmour, who has been convicted of inciting racial hatred, continues to soar ahead of his right-wing challenger Marine Le Pen.
Harnessing the energy of the ocean to power homes, planes, and whisky distilleries
WP
Boris Johnson rides the train back to COP26 in Glasgow — and away from a mess at Westminster: The British prime minister was criticized last week for chartering a plane to London from the COP26 summit. This time he opted for the four-hour train trip.
WP
Boris Johnson will struggle to contain this sleaze row
James Forsyth
Britain’s Boris Johnson should be basking in a global moment. Instead, he is mired in ‘sleaze.’
Anthony Faiola
As distrust of China grows, Europe may inch closer to Taiwan: Talks between European lawmakers and Taiwanese officials point to Europe’s increasing willingness to strengthen relations, despite Beijing’s threats.
NYT
China launches combat drills, says trip to Taiwan by US lawmakers was ‘sneaky’: WP reports the unannounced visit by US lawmakers has become the latest focus of Beijing’s ire. It comes during escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
China slams US lawmakers' trip to Taiwan on military aircraft: Nikkei reports Beijing conducts 'combat readiness patrol' as cross-strait tensions grow.
Analysis: Xi's favorite 17th-century monk to guide China-Japan ties: Japanese ambassador makes a symbolic visit to Fujian Province's Wanfu Temple.
Nikkei
Xi to deliver party doctrine to change course of China
Bloomberg
Xi prepares to be anointed as emperor of all he surveys in China: The cult of personality surrounding the president has intensified in advance of his planned appointment to a third, potentially unlimited term.
The Times
The world is fed up with China’s belligerence: Democracies are no longer as worried as they once were about offending a fragile Beijing.
Chris Horton
China is evading US spies — and the White House is worried: Under Xi Jinping, China has become an even harder target for America’s spying operation.
Bloomberg
US, China pledge to work together to slow climate change: WSJ reports the surprise announcement by China’s special climate envoy Xie Zhenhua said the two countries would reiterate the importance of the Paris temperature goal of limiting warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, with a goal of not exceeding 1.5 degrees.
+ China vowed more aggressive steps on emissions Wednesday in a joint declaration with the U.S. — a surprise move that signals an easing of tensions evident at the COP26 climate summit here.
POLITICS + CAMPAIGNS
CNBC: US consumer prices jump 6.2% in October, the biggest inflation surge in more than 30 years
+ The consumer price index surged 6.2% from a year ago in October, the most since December 1990.
+ Core inflation, stripping out food and energy, increased 4.6%, the fastest gain since November of the same year.
+ Energy, shelter, and vehicle costs led the gains, which more than wiped out the wage increases that workers received for the month.
Bloomberg: US inflation likely to get worse, dealing challenge to Fed and Biden
Senate set to cut provisions in House Democrats’ $2 trillion spending plan: House proposals on paid leave, immigration, and state-and-local-tax caps face obstacles.
WSJ
The man who made January 6 possible: The story of Johnny McEntee—the “deputy president” who rose to power at precisely the moment when democracy was falling apart.
Jonathan D. Karl
+ Scott Fairlamb, 44, was sentenced to 41 months in prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to assaulting a police officer, a felony charge stemming from his participation in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
+ A federal judge on Tuesday denied former President Trump's claim of executive privilege in regards to a House committee's probe into the Jan. 6 insurrection.
DISRUPTION + INNOVATION
An uber-optimistic view of the future: Azeem Azhar’s new book “Exponential Age” predicts stupendous technology growth will lead to an age of abundance. The reality is more complicated.
David Rotman
COMMERCE
‘The end of the GE we knew’: Breakup turns a page in modern business history: CEO Larry Culp resisted splitting up the company that began the 21st century as the most valuable conglomerate in America.
WSJ
A chastened Alibaba tones down its Singles Day retail bonanza: The Chinese e-commerce giant is updating its blockbuster shopping holiday for a humbler, more dutiful era in the country’s internet industry.
NYT
Tencent’s profit growth slows after China tightens games rules: WSJ reports the company highlights its efforts to stay compliant with new regulations.
Even China's biggest company is looking for an exit: Tencent is finally providing clarity on the revenue of the games its receives from overseas, just as the domestic market looks decidedly treacherous.
Tim Culpan
Lost in translation: The global streaming boom is creating a severe translator shortage: ROW reports industry executives say international hit shows like Squid Game are draining a limited talent pool.
Portugal makes it illegal for your boss to text you after work: Vice reports the move is part of a wider swath of laws designed to help remote workers.
Meet the VC trying to reintroduce the Pentagon to Silicon Valley: Lux Capital’s Josh Wolfe and others believe the DoD must give up its tight embrace of traditional contractors who lack the agility to develop high-tech defenses against future threats.
Fast Company
How JPMorgan is helping Washington make sense of the pandemic economy: The JPMorgan Institute uses account data to parse consumer financial behavior. It also is trying to influence economic policy.
WSJ
Rivian rose 29% in its trading debut before giving up some of that gain, putting the electric truck maker’s market value on par with General Motors’ and topping those of Ford and EV rival Lucid.
Rivian shares surge in largest US IPO since 2014: WSJ reports shares of Rivian Automotive, whose backers include Amazon and Ford, jumped by more than a third in their market debut, the latest indication of the strong investor interest in the electric-vehicle market.
Twitter sets up crypto team to explore decentralized apps: Tess Rinearson will lead efforts to build the platform’s blockchain offerings.
FT
MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS
Should we quit social media, too?
FT
SPACE + SCIENCE
What it's like to fight a mega-fire: Wildfires have grown more extreme. So have the risks of combatting them.
New Yorker
PERFORMANCE
Always go to the funeral
Deirdre Sullivan
CULTURE
The question we’ve stopped asking about teenagers and social media
New Yorker
Was Japan’s ‘lost’ generation ahead of the virtual curve? The phenomenon of individuals withdrawing into their bedrooms may not be culturally unique.
FT
“There are paintings out there that are $100m or more, but if you think about it, it’s really just canvas with paint.” -- Paris Hilton tells The Guardian she thinks NFTs can replace much of the world of art.
From Succession to the new Sex and the City, you’ll be wearing what you saw on TV
The Times
SPORT
The pursuit of perfection: Barcelona Femení is the champion of Spain and Europe, and perhaps the most dominant club team in the world. The team’s coach and his players expect it to be better.
NYT
US, Mexico set for CONCACAF 'Clasico' in World Cup clash: AFP reports the United States will look to complete a calendar clean sweep of victories over Mexico on Friday when the arch-rivals collide in a heavyweight World Cup qualifying showdown in Cincinnati. The US head into Friday's game buoyed by back-to-back wins over Mexico in 2021 -- a thrilling 3-2 victory in the CONCACAF Nations League final in June followed by a 1-0 triumph in the Gold Cup final in August.
Eliud Kipchoge: Inside the camp, and the mind, of the greatest marathon runner of all time
Irish Examiner
Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.
-Marc
Curation and commentary by Marc A. Ross | Founder @ Brigadoon
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