Brigadoon Daily | Nov. 19

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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Your daily dose of the emerging issues + independent thinkers shaping commerce + culture

2022 is only 44 days away. You ready?

Brigadoon is hosting two two-session workshops to get you ready for 2022.

World 2022 and Communications 2022.

You have the option to attend in-person or virtually, as well as attend one or both sessions for each workshop.

World 2022 | 7 Elections + 7 Topics

Brigadoon will host a two-session workshop exploring the 7 elections and 7 topics that will shape the year ahead.

This workshop will help you understand the geopolitical landscape, plan for seven critical elections worldwide, and gather insights on the seven topics that will shape commerce and culture as we advance.

Communications 2022 | Strategy + Tactics

Brigadoon will host a two-session workshop exploring the art of communications for world-class executives and dynamic entrepreneurs.

This workshop will help you sort out your communications, identify your best tactics, and help you share your know-how and expertise.

You have the option to attend in-person or virtually, as well as for both workshops, attend one or both sessions.

Be 2022 ready.

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Brigadoon Daily | Nov. 18

Brigadoon Daily

Your daily dose of the emerging issues + independent thinkers shaping commerce + culture

November 18, 2021

Barbados, Biden, British Columbia, Belarus, Blinken, Beltway

TOP FIVE

1. Blinken urges end to Ethiopian civil war on Africa trip

2. During pandemic’s first year, Americans moved at lowest rate in over 70 years

3. Investors hung their hats on Peloton and Zoom last year. What now?

4. Cleveland bank heist mystery solved after 52 years

5. Mino Raiola: From pizzeria worker to football super-agent

BRIGADOON EVENT

Brigadoon Workshop | Communications 2022

Strategy + Tactics

Thursday, December 9 @ 12:00 - 2:00 pm ET
Washington, DC or Virtual

More @ thebrigadoon.com/events

GLOBALIZATION + STATECRAFT

Barbados to become first sovereign nation with an embassy in the metaverse: CoinDesk reports the Caribbean nation is working with multiple metaverse companies to establish digital sovereign land.

Today: Biden hosts the North American Leaders’ Summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

AFP: Canada sends military to flood-ravaged Pacific coast

Reuters: British Columbia sees death toll rising from massive flood; Ottawa pledges aid

Belarus: Lukashenko agrees to EU talks on ending migrant standoff: DW reports in a phone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Belarus' president reportedly said his country is ready to negotiate with the EU on solving the crisis at the Polish border.

Clarissa Eden, British countess and political influencer, dies at 101: NYT reports the iconoclastic niece of Winston Churchill, she was married to Prime Minister Anthony Eden, who was at the helm during the Suez crisis.

They bought houses in Italy for 1 euro — and are using them to give back to the community: Meet the people turning the crumbling homes into businesses and social projects in aging towns.
WP

Nikkei: All-Turkic corridor heralds rise of new Eurasian political bloc

+ Turkey-led group has potential to disrupt Russia-China power balance

AFP: Blinken discusses violence in Sudan and Ethiopia during Kenya visit

AFP: Blinken urges preservation of democracy as he kicks off African tour

On first Africa trip, Blinken confronts questions of US leverage in deepening crises: WP reports the US secretary of state expressed concern about “escalating violence” in Ethiopia, among other issues.

Blinken urges end to Ethiopian civil war on Africa trip: WSJ reports Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that the civil war in Ethiopia was risking the stability of Africa’s second-most populous nation, and said that regional allies such as Kenya were critical to ending the conflict and other regional crises.

Mass detentions of civilians fan ‘climate of fear’ in Ethiopia: NYT reports an ethnically-motivated detention campaign largely targeting Ethiopians of Tigrayan descent threatens to further unravel Africa’s second-most populous country a year into a civil war.

Gadhafi's son returns to Libyan politics: Can he win? DW reports after years in hiding, Seif al-Islam, the son of former dictator Moammar Gadhafi, will run for president in upcoming Libyan elections. Experts believe his return complicates things even further in the unstable nation.

India closes coal-fired plants as New Delhi is smothered in toxic smog: FT reports schools have shut and construction work banned in the city and the surrounding region that are choking on pollution.

Bloomberg: Global wealth surges as China overtakes US to grab top spot

+ World’s net worth tripled in last two decades, McKinsey says

+ Housing boom is key driver, could bring unwanted side effects

Germany's Merkel warns against Europe 'decoupling' from China: German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said Europe should not cut off cooperation on research and development with China. However, protecting intellectual property remains an important challenge.
DW

Germany may have been naive on China at first, Merkel says
Reuters

Singapore PM warns of US-China ‘mishap’ over Taiwan: SCMP reports Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said heightened tensions were unlikely to lead to ‘war overnight’, but a ‘miscalculation’ over the island could still occur.

Analysis: Xi's need to overtake Deng poses big risk for Taiwan: Unification would cement his legacy. Does he have a timeline?
Nikkei

Biden’s Taiwan gaffes risk real-world consequences
Bloomberg

Biden maneuvers to avoid the unintended conflict with China
David Ignatius

Easing US-China tensions requires more dialogue: Virtual summit between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping should be the first of many.
FT - Editorial

Do we want a ‘thaw’ with China? Yes — and no.
WP - Editorial

So long, Hong Kong: Asia's business hub loses its luster: The city's rigid quarantine rules appease the mainland but risk alienating foreign bankers.
Nikkei

WTA says it is still unable to locate Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai: FT reports the player has not been seen since sexual assault allegations against government officials surfaced.

WP: North Korea’s Kim appears after month-long absence, visiting ‘utopia’ city created to cement regime’s legacy

Japan to unleash $350bn stimulus as west unwinds state spending: FT reports checks will be sent to families but economists warn it will not lift consumption and inflation.

COVID

Berlin tightens COVID-19 rules for unvaccinated: DW reports ahead of talks between caretaker Chancellor Angela Merkel and state premiers, some of Germany's 16 states have already tightened rules. In Berlin, the so-called 2G rule is off to a bumpy start.

+ Fourth wave hitting Germany with ‘full force’, Merkel warns

+ Belgium mandates working from home

White House plans major expansion of COVID vaccine production: NYT reports the Biden administration will spend billions of dollars on a new plan to combat the pandemic, investing in antiviral pills, rapid tests, and manufacturing.

During pandemic’s first year, Americans moved at the lowest rate in over 70 years, census data shows: WP reports last year's rate was the lowest since records started being kept in the 1940s, suggesting the country’s longterm downward trend was not interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

POLITICS + CAMPAIGNS

Pain at the pump drives Biden’s suffering in the polls: Politico reports consumer sentiment has plunged in recent weeks as inflation climbed to the highest levels in more than a generation.

Biden demands probe of ‘potentially illegal conduct’ in oil sector: FT reports the president singles out ExxonMobil and Chevron in a letter to FTC as US gasoline prices soar.

Reuters: US asks Japan, China, others to consider tapping oil reserves - sources

Bloomberg: Biden takes GM’s electric Hummer for test drive: ‘I’m an automobile guy’

DFP: Biden raves about Hummer, talks up infrastructure win in Detroit visit

Biden lauds electric cars in Michigan as climate agenda hits road bumps in Washington: WP reports President Biden traveled to Detroit to promote American-made electric vehicles and a new infrastructure package at a time when the rest of his climate agenda hangs in the balance back in Washington.

Politico: Psaki says Harris faces more criticism because she is a woman and woman of color

The collapse of Kamala Harris
Charles Cooke

Democrats shouldn’t panic. They should go into shock.
Thomas B. Edsall

Democrats face a 2022 superstorm
Philip Bump

'This experience broke a lot of people': Inside State amid the Afghanistan withdrawal: The chaos that came with ending America's longest war extended to Foggy Bottom, where the staff was left with psychological scars.
Politico

+ The Senate confirmed Jonathan Kanter, a critic of Big Tech, as the head of the Justice Department’s antitrust division.

Lina Khan sees turbulent start as head of Federal Trade Commission: Criticized by Republicans, Khan tells agency staffers she aims to build bridges going forward.
WSJ

GOP can't escape 'self-inflicted injuries' as they fight to reclaim House: Politico reports the drama over Rep. Paul Gosar's violent anime video and the 13 Republicans who voted for the infrastructure bill are the latest episodes in a long line of personality-driven GOP crises.

+ Media baron Rupert Murdoch told Donald Trump that he needed to leave the past behind and focus on the future to address problems the country faces.

Senate poised to advance defense bill after Schumer, Pelosi reach deal on China legislation: Politico reports the agreement comes after Senate Republicans and some House Democrats objected to Schumer’s push to unilaterally attach the China legislation to the must-pass defense bill.

Vinoda Basnayake is a Beltway whisperer for Middle Eastern royalty—and the operator of DC’s sceniest nightlife spots: He’s our town’s hookup to all kinds of big-name celebs, but also a super-wired foreign lobbyist. The two lives aren’t as different as you might think.
Washingtonian

An estimated 100,306 people in the United States died from a drug overdose in a 12-month period ending April 2021, according to new provisional data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wednesday.

DISRUPTION + INNOVATION

Designing transport for humans, not econs
Pete Dyson + Rory Sutherland

COMMERCE

The Great Resignation: How Maslow’s ‘hierarchy of needs’ could be the key to stopping employees from quitting: Workplaces may be losing employees by failing to understand their priorities, values, and need for belonging, recent research from EY says.
Fortune

‘It’s the biggest open secret out there’: The double lives of white-collar workers with two jobs: Remote working has made it easier than ever for staff to moonlight. But how do they cope with clashing meetings and two bosses? And can the rewards be worth the lies?
Guardian

Is your company secretly monitoring your work at home? Since COVID, the practice has surged
LAT

Investors hung their hats on Peloton and Zoom last year. What now? Some “stay-at-home” stocks that were pandemic-era darlings have experienced brutal sell-offs.
NYT

Peloton said that it would raise $1 billion in cash from selling stock, just weeks after it said it didn’t need more capital. The company’s stock is down more than 60 percent this year.

Zoom is down nearly 25 percent this year.

Investors are now piling into “reopen stocks”: Shares of Live Nation, for instance, are 50 percent higher than at any time before the pandemic, although sales remain less than half what they were in 2019.

In praise of . . . Enron? Twenty years have passed since the notoriously corrupt energy-trading company collapsed. Maybe it’s time to acknowledge that it wasn’t all bad for Texas.
Texas Monthly

Best books of 2021: Economics
FT

What went wrong with Zillow? A real-estate algorithm derailed its big bet: The company had staked its future growth on its digital home-flipping business, but getting the algorithm right proved difficult.
WSJ

Amazon is considering shifting its popular co-brand credit card to Mastercard amid simmering tensions with Visa, a feud that already prompted the retailer to ban the payment giant’s cards in the UK starting next year.

Amazon’s fight with Visa is bigger than Britain: This feud started small, but it ultimately threatens MasterCard, too. The power of both credit card networks is starting to crumble.
Paul J. Davies

Apple performs U-turn on right to repair iPhones and Macs: FT reports the tech group will allow customers to purchase its components to fix devices themselves.

UPS adds Waymo as second partner to test autonomous big rigs: Bloomberg reports the delivery company is expanding an existing partnership with the self-driving vehicle company to test delivery routes between Dallas and Houston.

American Airlines, travel platform Winding Tree announce blockchain partnership: Reuters reports American Airlines and Swiss travel platform Winding Tree said on Tuesday they have formed a partnership that will enable corporate buyers to access the US airline's data on flights directly, without the need for intermediaries.

How Gary Vaynerchuk became an NFT guru and lord of his own metaverse
Benjamin Wallace

+ A Canadian teenager was arrested for allegedly stealing C$46 million ($36.5 million) worth of cryptocurrency from a US victim, the biggest crypto theft reported from one person, according to police in the city of Hamilton, near Toronto.

+ The baseball star Shohei Ohtani will invest in the crypto exchange FTX.

Staples Center in Los Angeles to be renamed Crypto.com Arena: FT reports the deal worth $700m to rebrand 20,000-seat venue comes as digital coins gain wider acceptance.

The home is the future of travel: The CEO of Airbnb thinks the lines separating life, work, and vacations will keep getting blurrier.
Derek Thompson

MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS

Time to save the internet: After lurching from naive optimism to despairing dystopian, is the internet now entering a ‘third stage’ of civic-minded realism?
FT

SPACE + SCIENCE

Why scientists have spent years mapping this creature’s brain: An enormous new analysis of the wiring of the fruit fly brain is a milestone for the young field of modern connectomics, researchers say.
NYT

PERFORMANCE

Fake experts abound. Here’s how to find (and be) a real one.
Carl Richards

CULTURE

Go West young ski bum: The broken American idea of living the dream: Heather Hansman on trying to find a life in a Colorado ski town.
Literary Hub

Why Skyfall is a masterclass in cinematography
Kay Clay

The one that got away: Cleveland bank heist mystery solved after 52 years: Thomas Randele lived quietly in the suburbs. Now authorities say he was Theodore Conrad who walked away with a fortune in 1969.
Guardian

SPORT

Kevin Durant can score from anywhere. Defenses don’t know what to do. The midrange game has largely fallen out of favor in the NBA, but not when Durant is on the court.
NYT

Mino Raiola's rise from pizzeria worker to becoming a football super-agent: Mino Raiola continues to play kingmaker in some of football's biggest transfers but where did it begin for this super-agent and why does he have the trust of the biggest names? A look at his early years, with input from those who were there, helps to explain.
Sky Sports

An indigenous women’s softball team beats opponents, and machismo: A Mayan team from a small community on the Yucatán Peninsula has caused a sensation by excelling as its athletes play barefoot and wear traditional dresses, breaking barriers with every game.
NYT

Pittsburgh Penguins valued at more than $850m in Fenway Sports deal: FT reports the owner of Liverpool FC and Red Sox looks to expand into professional hockey with the purchase of the storied team.

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc

Curation and commentary by Marc A. Ross | Founder @ Brigadoon

Get Brigadoon Daily in your inbox.

Subscribe here.

Brigadoon Daily Email.

Your daily dose of the emerging issues + independent thinkers shaping commerce + culture

Brigadoon Daily | Nov. 17

Brigadoon Daily

Your daily dose of the emerging issues + independent thinkers shaping commerce + culture

November 17, 2021

Is this a Cold War?

TOP FIVE

1. Investors pivot to India after China’s tech crackdown

2. Crypto companies, on defense in Washington

3. The worst of both worlds: Zooming from the office

4. Watch: Introducing, Selma Blair

5. USA to co-host T20 cricket World Cup in 2024

BRIGADOON EVENT

Today: Brigadoon Author Talk @ 2:00 pm ET

Why nature makes us happier, healthier, and more creative

Florence Williams | Author of The Nature Fix

More @ thebrigadoon.com/events

GLOBALIZATION + STATECRAFT

Axios: Biden's meeting with Xi "substantive" but no breakthroughs

Biden and China's Xi hold 'expansive and substantive' virtual meeting: Politico reports a “respectful and open” dialogue aims for a tone shift in the bilateral relationship.

Biden urges Xi not to allow competition to ‘veer into conflict’: FT reports the leaders held a first virtual meeting as ties between the US and China fray over Taiwan.

Biden, Xi cool down hostilities in virtual meeting: WSJ reports Afghanistan, North Korea, and Iran, as well as human rights, climate change, and concerns over Taiwan, were among topics US and Chinese presidents discussed.

US and China agree to hold talks on nuclear arsenals: FT reports the breakthrough came during Monday’s virtual summit between Joe Biden and Xi Jinping.

Biden, Xi discuss dicey topics at virtual summit, reach no breakthroughs: The meeting was an acknowledgment that conflict, whether over trade or the South China Sea, can have grave repercussions around the world.
WP

+ The US and China have agreed to ease Trump-era visa restrictions for journalists on a reciprocal basis

+ If US companies don’t operate in China, “it will be difficult to maintain their global leadership when British, European and Japanese firms do.” -- Hank Paulson, former Treasury secretary + Goldman Sachs CEO

Biden-Xi summit: Can the US and China keep competition under control? Although the virtual meeting between the US and Chinese leaders did not lead to any big breakthroughs, both sides expressed willingness to cooperate on "guardrails" to prevent competition from turning into a catastrophe.
DW

A question hangs over the summit: Is this a Cold War?
NYT

Chinese threat calls for Five Eyes expansion: As Beijing eyes Taiwan and cozies up to Russia, the intelligence alliance needs the help of Japan.
Roger Boyes

Biden administration soon to announce diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics
Josh Rogin

+ Companies that do business in China — especially Olympics sponsors — are concerned Beijing will use the 2022 Winter Games as a loyalty test.

Secretive Chinese committee draws up list to replace US tech: Bloomberg reports China is accelerating plans to replace American and foreign technology, quietly empowering a secretive government-backed organization to vet and approve local suppliers in sensitive areas from cloud to semiconductors, people familiar with the matter said.

Investors pivot to India after China’s tech crackdown: Paytm’s $2.5bn listing is expected to be the country’s largest-ever IPO. But is its start-up sector already overheated?
FT

Subs taskforce mulls new Collins before nuclear boats arrive: Defence officials are weighing up whether Australia will need a new conventional submarine to avoid a capability gap while the navy waits for a fleet of nuclear-powered boats to be delivered.
AFR

The Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has said that inflation is making him feel ‘very uneasy’. However, he defended not raising interest rates because of unemployment fears.

The German energy regulator has suspended approving the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Officials said Gazprom had not set up a subsidiary under German law.

Coronavirus: Central Europe's focus on cars backfires: DW reports the COVID-19 pandemic has slashed car demand and disrupted the industry's supply chains. That's especially bad news for the likes of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, whose economies are highly dependent on the sector.

Biden tried to push Putin aside. The Russian isn’t having it. Politico reports Putin’s troop buildup near Ukraine is spurring criticism that President Biden and his team aren’t tough enough on the Kremlin.

Ethiopia: UN warns of 'disturbing' mass arrests of Tigrayans: DW reports police have previously denied that the arrests are ethnically motivated. Almost 200 young children have starved to death in Tigray.

Egypt will host COP27. Expect criticism over fossil fuels, human rights. WP reports Egypt's continued reliance on fossil fuels will probably face criticism at COP27, just as the British government's potential approval of a proposed oil field drew pushback from climate activists at COP26.

Cuba’s government deploys security forces to prevent protest: WSJ reports authorities to detain activists and militants gather at the homes of organizers to stifle pro-democracy rallies.

AFP: Biden bars Nicaragua officials, including Ortega couple, from US

How Goldman's BRICs flew then faded in two decades
Bloomberg

COVID

Parties negotiating to form the new German government have agreed to put restrictions on the unvaccinated, according to ARD. Measures would include requiring the unjabbed to show a negative test before using public transport.

AFP: Munich calls off Christmas market for second year amid COVID-19 surge

The Irish government will require COVID status certification for gyms and hairdressers, according to RTÉ.

Netherlands enters 3-week partial lockdown after COVID surge: Politico reports bars, restaurants, and non-essential shops to close early.

+ A Hong Kong-based airline is telling passengers to ‘avoid unnecessary social contact’ for 21 days before their flight.

Fortune: JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon gets the ‘Nicole Kidman’ quarantine exemption in Hong Kong—and locals aren’t happy

+ Hong Kong’s chief executive has said that JP Morgan chief Jamie Dimon was exempt from the three-week COVID quarantine because JP Morgan is a ‘very big bank’. HSBC‘s chairman has just emerged from three weeks of isolation.

AFP: New York to welcome back crowds to Times Square on New Year's Eve

Biden administration to announce purchase of 10 million courses of Pfizer anti-COVID pill: WP reports officials see the treatment, and another by Merck, as potential game-changers to help tame the pandemic.

Pfizer will allow manufacturers in lower-income countries to make its anti-COVID pill. It is the first time a US pharma company has shared the technology for a COVID product.

CNBC: COVID was the third leading cause of death among Americans in 2020, behind heart disease and cancer, CDC says

+ COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death in the US in 2020, behind heart disease and cancer, according to a new CDC study.

+ More than 3.3 million deaths were reported in the US last year, a 16% increase over 2019.

+ The deadliest weeks of 2020 were at the beginning of the pandemic in April and then in the middle of the holiday surge in late December.

POLITICS + CAMPAIGNS

FT: Biden set to announce Fed chair nominee in ‘about 4 days’

+ The choice is between Powell, who was appointed by Donald Trump and assumed the role in 2018, and Lael Brainard, a governor who has the backing of progressive members of the Democratic Party for her more stringent stance on regulatory matters.

Biden administration plans imminent booster expansion to all adults: Axios reports the Biden administration is expected to begin the process of expanding the booster authorization to all adults as early as this week, according to a source familiar with internal planning.

Today: Biden will travel to Detroit to visit a General Motors factory and deliver remarks.

Exasperation and dysfunction: Inside Kamala Harris' frustrating start as vice president
CNN

Much ado about Kamala
Matt Stieb

‘Sidelined’ Kamala Harris fears Joe Biden could choose new heir
The Times

Secretary Pete careening toward a GOP buzzsaw over infrastructure cash: Politico reports "a lot of people will be looking for problems with how this money is spent," one Democratic strategist warned.

The Hill: House Democrats planning 1,000 events to tout accomplishments

Dem candidates go all-in on Biden spending as inflation angst soars: Politico reports with voters raising concerns over soaring prices, Democrats point to Biden’s social spending agenda as the way out.

Democrats fear steep losses in 2022 midterm House races: WSJ reports Biden’s low poll numbers, a poor showing in Virginia, and historical trends all point to Democrats struggling to keep their majority, analysts say.

Democrats remain clueless on how to prepare for the midterms
Henry Olsen

WP: Americans broadly support Supreme Court upholding Roe v. Wade and oppose Texas abortion law, Post-ABC poll finds

US Republicans can still throw it all away: Short-term electoral gains are breeding overconfidence in the party.
Janan Ganesh

+ Republicans have taken the lead in the FiveThirtyEight polling average for the generic congressional ballot, 42.4% to 42.1%.

The Times: Chris Christie tempted by White House run as Republicans hold biggest poll lead in 40 years

Bumbling Biden’s caretaker presidency has cratered
Rich Lowry

Left-leaning media seek a misinformation monopoly: They peddle their own falsehoods while trying to drive opposing views out of circulation entirely.
Gerard Baker

Crypto companies, on defense in Washington, scramble to assemble a lobbying machine: The booming sector has recruited former top regulators and congressional insiders but is struggling to coordinate its approach.
WP


DISRUPTION + INNOVATION

LA’s potential as a cyclist’s paradise rests on a cultural gear shift: Cars are still king in a city that has otherwise perfect conditions for bike-riding.
Christopher Grimes

COMMERCE

Zoopla says rents are rising at the fastest pace since 2018, because people are moving back to cities.

+ The promise of a "metaverse" is being used by companies across entertainment, tech, and gaming to lure developers and excite investors.

Investors lulled into ‘dreamland’ by central banks, warns Bill Gross: Pimco founder says stimulus and low-interest rates have created a ‘dangerous’ situation.
FT

EV maker Rivian eclipses Volkswagen in value while Lucid overtakes Ford: FT reports the stock prices of electric car industry start-ups to climb past established rivals despite lack of sales.

Automotive valuations:

Tesla: $1 trillion
Toyota: $305 billion
Rivian: $153 billion
Volkswagen: $93 billion
Lucid: $91 billion
GM: $91 billion
Ford: $79 billion
NIO: $68 billion
BMW: $64 billion
Honda: $52 billion
Volvo: $48 billion
Ferrari: $47 billion
Nissan: $24 billion
Mazda: $6 billion

JPMorgan Chase sues Tesla over Elon Musk’s tweets.

BMW calls time on endless customization as electric costs bite: FT reports the German owner of Mini brand is scaling back modifications to reduce complexity.

Inside the cult of crypto: Debate? No thanks. Doubts? Not welcome. How the world of cryptocurrency diehards really works.
FT

Fortune: Crypto plunge sends Bitcoin under $60,000 after news of tighter scrutiny in US and China

Casper, the direct-to-consumer mattress company, will sell itself for less than its IPO price.

Google executives told employees the company can pursue Pentagon contracts without violating its principles prohibiting the use of AI for weapons.

Buy 12 books, get an NFT: How one author got orders for a million books: Entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk said he’d give an NFT to anyone who bought 12 copies of his new book, ‘Twelve and a Half.’
WSJ

The worst of both worlds: Zooming from the office: NYT reports work life for many is in a mushy middle ground, and what’s at stake isn’t just who is getting talked over in meetings. It’s whether flexibility is sustainable, even with all the benefits it confers.

MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS

Marcus Rashford's social media usage added to GCSE media studies curriculum: It will form part of the exam board AQA's commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion and follows the footballer's increasing profile and influence on a series of social issues during the pandemic.
Sky News

SPACE + SCIENCE

50 images of the universe from the Hubble Space Telescope
Stacker

NASA isn't likely to land astronauts back on the surface of the Moon before 2026, according to a new report.

Best books of 2021: Science
FT

PERFORMANCE

Hot streaks in your career don’t happen by accident: First explore. Then exploit.
Derek Thompson

CULTURE

Jeff Goldblum is on the brink of doing his best work: In a conversation with Carrie Brownstein, the actor opens up in his own strange way.
Vulture

Watch: Introducing, Selma Blair: Director Rachel Fleit’s deeply intimate and powerful feature of one woman’s journey of personal acceptance and resilience, Introducing, Selma Blair, follows the singular actress as she reckons with the next chapter of her life after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. The film explores complex issues ranging from dissecting deep-rooted myths about beauty, and the collective fear around disability and mortality. Complete with her trademark wit and humor, the film follows Blair as she reconciles a journey of monumental transition.
Trailer

Rise of tech spurs business schools to focus on entrepreneurship: MBAs are becoming popular for would-be founders to fill skills gaps and build their networks.
Bloomberg

+ “This is possibly the most important decision for Judaism in the 21st century.” -- David Zvi Kalman of the Shalom Hartman Institute, on whether rabbis will declare plant-based “pork” kosher.

Blue-chip art from bitter Macklowe divorce brings $676 million at Sotheby’s: NYT reports a Sotheby’s executive called the court-ordered sale on Monday night “the most valuable single-owner auction ever staged.”

Frida Kahlo self-portrait expected to break auction record: Frida Kahlo's painting "Diego and I" is a symbol of the iconic artist's passionate and painful relationship with Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. Now it's up for auction.
DW

SPORT

Bloomberg: Alfa Romeo Racing team picks first Formula 1 driver from China

+ Guanyu Zhou to race for the Italian sponsored team from 2022

+ Shanghai Grand Prix planned to resume in 2023 after the pandemic

Skiing hut-to-hut in the Maine wilderness: An effort to conserve the state’s 100 Mile Wilderness has created one of the best lodge-to-lodge cross-country ski routes in the United States.
NYT

Photos: Wrigley Field transforms from a baseball field to a football field
Chicago Tribune

Underdog no more, a deaf football team takes California by storm: The California School for the Deaf, Riverside, is steamrolling its opponents, electrifying a campus that has seen more than a few athletic defeats.
NYT

The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday announced a new framework for transgender athletes, as well as those born with intersex conditions that forego a "one-size-fits-all" approach in favor of encouraging each sport's governing body to come up with appropriate policies.

USA to co-host T20 cricket World Cup in 2024: AFP reports the United States will co-host its first major cricket tournament in 2024 when it stages part of the men's T20 World Cup, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Tuesday. The baseball-loving country, which has never appeared at either a T20 or a 50-over World Cup, will host the event along with the more established cricket nations of the West Indies.

Boston Red Sox owner in talks to buy Pittsburgh Penguins: WSJ reports Fenway Sports Group, the holding company that owns the Boston Red Sox, is in advanced talks to buy the hockey team.

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc

Curation and commentary by Marc A. Ross | Founder @ Brigadoon

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