Brigadoon Daily | Dec. 2

Brigadoon Daily

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

December 2, 2021

“They behave like a strict parent.”

TOP FIVE

1. 1 in 3 people around the world have never used the Internet

2. Crypto executives to face House lawmakers at Dec. 8 hearing

3. Oceans seen as new frontier but at what cost?

4. Japan is quietly preparing the way for humans in space

5. Do sports still need China?

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GLOBALIZATION + STATECRAFT

WP: 1 in 3 people around the world have never used the Internet, UN report says

The new geopolitical troublemakers: As America retreats, regional rogues are on the rise.
Economist

Analysis: Xi shrewdly used Biden summit to pave way for long reign: The timing of the virtual meeting followed Beijing's scenario.
Nikkei

Beijing wanted to 'break' Australia -US Indo-Pacific adviser
Reuters

SCMP: China, US set for meeting of top military officials amid Taiwan tensions

+ Telephone call in January being considered after consensus was reached during Xi-Biden summit on setting up discussions, sources say

+ Arms control predicted to be among the main topics of discussion in the proposed talks

Taiwan invasion would threaten Japan, Shinzo Abe tells China: The Times reports that the ex-PM’s warning comes as nuclear submarine makes ‘show of strength’ in Strait.

Women’s tennis tour suspends China events on concerns over Peng: Bloomberg reports the Women’s Tennis Association will suspend all of its tournaments in China, saying it was doing so as the country’s leadership has failed to quell concerns that tennis star Peng Shuai is free and safe after she publicly accused a former official of coercing her into a decade-long sexual affair.

+ “Unfortunately, the leadership in China has not addressed this very serious issue in any credible way. While we now know where Peng is, I have serious doubts that she is free, safe, and not subject to censorship, coercion, and intimidation.” -- WTA chairman and CEO Steve Simon

+ “They behave like a strict parent.” -- Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, to CNBC on how Chinese officials describe their “top-down” approach to governing.

Reuters: Pope Francis to visit Greece to boost Catholic-Orthodox ties

The rise of Éric Zemmour shows how far France has shifted to the right: The far-right media pundit is now a presidential candidate – and his toxic ideas have ever more mainstream support.
Didier Fassin

French firebrand Éric Zemmour is a danger to Britain too: British fans of the controversial presidential candidate think I want to ‘no-platform’ him but they’re wrong: I want to expose his apologist views.
David Aaronovitch

EU unveils 'Global Gateway' €300 billion global infrastructure plan: DW reports the EU has called the plan a "road map for investment" in the developing world. It is seen as an eventual alternative to China's "Belt and Road" global infrastructure strategy.

Why the fate of Ukraine lies in the hands of one man: Vladimir Putin: Most analysts suggest Russia will stop short of a military invasion, and a confrontation with NATO, but few are willing to rule out the possibility.
Marc Bennetts

Top US, Russia diplomats to meet amid Ukraine showdown: WP reports NATO officials have warned of serious consequences should Moscow invade Ukraine.

World’s first floating nuclear power plant fuels Russia’s Arctic ambitions
FT

Ethiopia: Government claims territorial gains over Tigrayan forces near capital: DW reports the Ethiopian prime minister's office announced recent territorial gains by the army. Government forces said they had recaptured the UNESCO World Heritage site Lalibela.

Reuters: Hundreds of Ugandan troops cross into Congo as offensive widens

COVID

How do you say ‘Omicron’?
NYT

UK Christmas parties canceled as firms fear spread of Omicron variant: The Times reports working from home encouraged as companies defy advice to carry on as normal.

+ The first known US case of the Omicron variant was detected in California, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Wednesday.

+ The White House is reportedly weighing stricter coronavirus testing for all travelers to the US.

+ A federal judge blocked President Biden’s vaccine mandate for health workers.

Bloomberg: It would cost $50 billion to vaccinate the world, OECD says

POLITICS + CAMPAIGNS

Bloomberg: Supreme Court justices wrestle with past in fiery hearing on abortion’s future

US Supreme Court justices appear to back Mississippi abortion law: DW reports the Supreme Court appeared set to put limits on abortion rights in the United States by upholding one state's law banning the procedure after 15 weeks. Protesters from both sides of the issue rallied at the top court.

Supreme Court seems inclined to uphold Miss. abortion law that would undercut Roe v. Wade: WP reports none of the court’s six conservative justices expressed support for keeping the precedent that states may not prohibit abortion before the point of fetal viability.

The Supreme Court seems poised to overturn Roe v. Wade: The chief justice suggested a way to restrict abortion without going that far, but the swing voters didn’t engage his potential compromise.
Noah Feldman

White House considering Richard Cordray as top fed banking regulator: WSJ reports the Ohio attorney served as Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s first confirmed director.

Crypto executives to face House lawmakers at Dec. 8 hearing: Bloomberg reports Sam Bankman-Fried, chief executive officer of the FTX derivatives exchange, and Brian Brooks, who now runs crypto miner Bitfury Group Ltd. after serving as the Trump administration’s acting comptroller of the currency, will be among the executives set to testify Dec. 8 before the House Financial Services Committee. The hearing will on the “challenges of financial innovation” in the US, the committee said in a statement on Wednesday.

WP: Oregon Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio, chairman of transportation panel, to retire at end of his term

MA-GOV: Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R), a moderate who typically ranks as one of the nation's most popular governors, and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito (R) announced Wednesday that they will not seek third terms in 2022.

Stacey Abrams says she’s running for Georgia governor: NYT reports Abrams, a Democratic voting rights activist, will aim to unseat Gov. Brian Kemp in a rematch of their contentious 2018 race for governor.

Republicans battle over ‘socialism-lite’: Luminaries like Marco Rubio are repudiating free markets and big business. Defenders like Nikki Haley are retaliating, in a clash that looks back at Trump and forward to 2024.
Michael R. Strain

Inside the Dems’ dark money machine: Neither party's functionaries admit it, but the line between philanthropy and politics has been obliterated. The upshot is that even more money is moving into the shadows.
Puck

Trump tested positive for COVID few days before Biden debate, chief of staff says in new book: Mark Meadows makes stunning admission in new memoir obtained by Guardian, saying a second test returned negative.

Why American politics is so stuck — and what new research shows about how to fix it: The more people identify with a party, the more likely they are to ascribe bad motives to the other side's policy goals.
Politico

DISRUPTION + INNOVATION

Data storage, mining, and wind: Oceans seen as new frontier but at what cost? Industries gazing out to sea for more space, more cold, clean water, and more wind offer a glimpse of the future and its risks.
Guardian

COMMERCE

Axios: UN report: Pandemic set to cost global tourism $2 trillion in 2021

Universal Studios Beijing plots expansion 3 months after opening: Nikkei reports the resort plans to double in size as the Chinese capital seeks more tourists.

Patrick & John Collison, the Irish brothers embraced by Silicon Valley: With internet sales soaring and interest rates low during the pandemic, Stripe raised $600 million in March, giving it a market value of $95 billion and making it the most valuable Silicon Valley startup of all time.
Bloomberg

Facebook says it carried out broad takedown of disinformation networks, including some tied to anti-vaccine groups, state actors
WP

Reuters: Facebook risks meta flop, metaverse developers say

Crypto.com forges deal to buy two of IG Group’s US trading assets: FT reports the digital asset exchange makes push into the highly regulated US derivatives market.

Fortune: Ether overtakes Bitcoin as the king of crypto with 530% return so far this year

Nuclear-fusion startup lands $1.8 billion as investors chase star power: No one has been able to generate net energy by combining atoms, yet Commonwealth Fusion Systems has attracted Bill Gates and George Soros.
WSJ

Exxon declares new goals for carbon emissions per barrel: FT reports the US oil supermajor seeks 20%-30% lower greenhouse gas intensity by 2030 but stops short of hard limit.

Jim Farley, Ford’s EV-focused CEO: Shares hit a 20-year high in 2021 as Farley transforms the company into a legitimate business in electric and self-driving cars.
Bloomberg

In Brazil, a favela start-up delivers parcels where others fear to tread
Reuters

SPACE + SCIENCE

Japan is quietly preparing the way for humans in space: Samples from asteroids may be instrumental to figuring out the next steps into the solar system. Japan has become the world leader at getting them.
Bloomberg

CULTURE

AFP: Baldwin denies pulling trigger in 'Rust' shooting

Reuters: Adele to return to live shows in Las Vegas next year

SPORT

AFP: Jamaican sprinter Thompson-Herah and Norwegian 400m hurdler Warholm named World Athletes of the Year

Guardian: NFL safety Kenny Vaccaro quitting football to ‘reinvent’ himself in esports

+ Free-agent safety quits NFL to launch esports organization

+ Former first-round draft pick played for Saints and Titans

Do sports still need China? Global outrage, broken contracts, and shifting politics could change the calculus for leagues and teams that once raced to do business in China.
NYT

Rory McIlroy defends players’ rights to compete in Saudi International
Guardian

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc

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

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Subscribe here.

Brigadoon Daily Email.

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

Brigadoon Daily | Dec. 1

Brigadoon Daily

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

December 1, 2021

Rihanna, Queen Elizabeth II, Xiomara Castro, Éric Zemmour, Richard Moore

TOP FIVE

1. Barbados declares Rihanna a national hero

2. The next Austin? How about Arkansas.

3. Tesla is either the future of cars or the ultimate meme stock.

4. The Guccis are really not happy about ‘House of Gucci’

5. Serie A opening a regional office in NYC

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GLOBALIZATION + STATECRAFT

Barbados declares Rihanna a national hero after ditching Queen Elizabeth II as head of state
WP

+ After 55 years, Barbados has officially severed ties with Queen Elizabeth II — and one of its first actions as the world’s newest republic was to honor global superstar Rihanna with the title of “national hero.”

A Mexican crypto startup wants to make cash remittances cheaper: Bitso says it’s helping money transfer services cut the cost of exchanging dollars for pesos.
Bloomberg

Wife of drug king 'El Chapo' sentenced to prison: DW reports Emma Coronel Aispuro, wife of the notorious Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo'' Guzman, was sentenced to three years in prison on Tuesday, on charges of drug trafficking and money laundering. The Mexican cartel leader's wife Emma Coronel Aispuro pled guilty to having participated in her husband's criminal activities. In 2015, she helped him in a dramatic escape from prison.

AFP: Brazil's Bolsonaro joins Liberal Party ahead of 2022 vote

Xiomara Castro poised to win power in Honduras: The Times reports Honduras looks poised to elect a pro-China president, potentially robbing Taiwan of one of its few remaining allies in Latin America. Xiomara Castro, 62, of the Liberty and Refoundation party, has promised to switch diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing once she is elected.

Today: The European Commission will announce its strategy to outbid China in global infrastructure projects with a plan dubbed “Global Gateway.”

Éric Zemmour announces presidential run: The Times reports Éric Zemmour, the radical right polemicist, formally entered the presidential race today, vowing to save France from destruction at the hands of Muslims, immigrants, and criminals abetted by "the elites." Zemmour, 63, who has upset the political landscape with a three-month undeclared campaign, made his announcement in an apocalyptic ten-minute video that intercut clips of riots, Muslims, and Africans with shots of France’s past glory.

AFP: Zemmour’s fall in polls signals ‘lack of presidential credibility’ amid campaign launch

WP: Far-right commentator Éric Zemmour joins race to become French president

French nationalist TV host launches presidential bid to challenge Macron: WSJ reports Éric Zemmour plans to run in next year’s election with a tough line on immigration, Islam, and the European Union.

Josephine Baker takes her place among French greats in Panthéon: The Times reports Josephine Baker, the American cabaret artiste, and wartime French Resistance agent, was inducted today into the Panthéon, the mausoleum in Paris for national heroes, as part of President Macron’s drive to commemorate more women there.

Josephine Baker is first black woman inducted into France’s Panthéon
WP

Sir Keir Starmer blindsides deputy Angela Rayner with surprise Labour reshuffle
The Times

NATO warns Russia against Ukraine 'aggression': DW reports NATO said there would be "consequences" for Russia if it launches an invasion of Ukraine. Russia, meanwhile, warned the West to steer clear of Moscow's "red lines."

Tensions with Russia loom over NATO talks: WP reports the Biden administration is trying to forge a unified response to Russia’s military buildup near the Russian border with Ukraine.

US, allies warn Russia over military buildup: WSJ reports NATO warned that its members would impose significant costs on Russia if it launched a new military incursion in Ukraine while making clear the limits of support.

Bloomberg: Putin says China isn’t a threat, but US hypersonic weapons are

A ‘Simpsons’ episode lampooned Chinese censorship. In Hong Kong, it vanished. NYT reports the episode mocked both Mao Zedong and the government’s efforts to suppress the memory of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

EU wants China to prove tennis star Peng Shuai is safe: DW reports Peng Shuai disappeared on November 2 after posting a message on social media alleging that a top Chinese official had sexually assaulted her. She reappeared two weeks later, but concerns about her safety remain.

China’s silence on Peng Shuai shows limits of Beijing’s propaganda: Officials have struggled to respond to a sexual assault allegation that hits at the heights of its buttoned-up political system.
NYT

The most powerful data broker in the world is winning the war against the US
Matt Pottinger + David Feith

Biden's China playbook: Cooperation or confrontation? 2 experts weigh in on merits and flaws of Biden-Xi summit.
Nikkei

MI6 chief warns of security threat from China ‘miscalculation’: Richard Moore also raises concerns about Beijing’s ‘harvesting’ of data via surveillance technologies.
FT

China now our biggest priority, says head of MI6 Richard Moore: The rise of China is the “single greatest priority” for MI6, with Beijing conducting large-scale espionage activities against the UK, Britain’s foreign spy chief has said. In his first public speech, Richard Moore, known as C, warned that the “tectonic plates are shifting” as Beijing’s power — and its willingness to assert it — grows.
The Times

Adapting to China's rise is 'greatest priority for MI6': UK spy chief: Taiwan issue poses 'serious challenge to global stability and peace,' Moore warns.
Nikkei

Pearl Harbor 80 years on: Lessons and legacies: Japan and US struggle to put fraught history to rest.
Nikkei

AFP: Ethiopia PM claims war gains, urges rebels to 'surrender'

AFP: French military facing growing protests in Sahel

COVID

MW: ‘This is not going to be good’: Moderna CEO on what scientists are telling him about the omicron coronavirus variant

Moderna chief predicts existing vaccines will struggle with Omicron: FT reports Stéphane Bancel foresees ‘material drop’ in current jabs’ effectiveness, sending stocks and oil prices lower.

+ Biden says fight against Omicron won't include "shutdowns or lockdowns."

Incoming chancellor Scholz wants vaccine mandate in Germany: DW reports Germany could make coronavirus vaccines mandatory as early as February or March 2022, according to chancellor-in-waiting Olaf Scholz. But he insisted that the issue would be decided in parliament.

Axios: FDA panel backs Merck's antiviral COVID pill

POLITICS + CAMPAIGNS

CNN: Meadows cooperating with January 6 investigators

The Hill: Meadows reaches initial cooperation deal with Jan. 6 committee

Biden faces US legislative logjam in run-up to Christmas: FT reports the clock is ticking for Democrats to pass a $1.75tn spending bill, avert a government shutdown and avoid default.

Ahead of 2022, the GOP advantage grows: Incumbents tend to have a good feel for political headwinds, which makes congressional retirements a reliable measure of approaching midterm elections. Incumbents are more likely to give up their seats when they expect their party to take a bath.
James Hohmann

+ In 2010, 16 House Democrats opted not to run again — and Republicans picked up 63 House seats. Currently, 18 House Democrats have announced they pass on another term.

PA-SEN: Celebrity surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz plans to run as a Republican for Pennsylvania’s open US Senate seat, sources tell AP

Axios: Chris Christie: Trump administration "didn't get a lot of stuff done"

Crypto lobbying: Coinbase added its seventh outside lobbying firm of 2021 last month.

Hill staffers are wearing sneakers now: Congress is modernizing thanks to the pandemic. But it still has a long way to go.
Elaine Godfrey

Jake Sullivan, Biden’s adviser, a figure of fascination and schadenfreude: Washington has long been captivated by fallen star narratives, which has made President Biden’s national security adviser a figure of fascination, somewhere between sympathy and schadenfreude.
NYT

The next Austin? How about Arkansas. Seriously. Home to corporate behemoth Walmart, a rising state university, and awash in philanthropy money, this Texas neighbor is home to a new crop of urban hotspots.
Conor Sen

LA’s port could have been in Santa Monica. Here’s how San Pedro won out: When you think about it, it doesn’t make much sense for 1890s LA to put its port all the way in San Pedro. This is the story of how that came to be — and not the competing alternative, Santa Monica.
LAT

DISRUPTION + INNOVATION

The Pentagon’s $82 million Super Bowl of robots: Inside a three-year competition that raises the question: How long until humans are obsolete?
WP

COMMERCE

Bloomberg: Goldman CEO warns NYC must ‘keep itself attractive’ to workers

How Christie’s is pitching its expansion from Picassos to NFTs
WSJ

New people are coming to crypto — and they may not like Bitcoin
Joe Weisenthal

Investors snap up Metaverse real estate in a virtual land boom: Transactions for properties in digital realms are jumping, guided by the same principle in the physical world: location, location, location.
NYT

Brands no longer see Metaverse-like worlds as abstract gimmicks
WSJ

The Facebook executive in charge of the company’s cryptocurrency push just quit: David Marcus’s high-profile departure comes months after the company began hitting walls in Washington when it relaunched its cryptocurrency initiative.
WP

How Tiger tore up the rules of venture capitalism: The US investment fund is betting on global macro trends rather than fussing about individual stocks
John Thornhill

Bloomberg: Salesforce names Bret Taylor as Co-CEO with Marc Benioff

AFP: Twitter bans sharing of photos without consent

How Jack Dorsey failed Twitter
James D. Walsh

+ About 49 percent of pre-pandemic moviegoers are no longer buying tickets. Some of them, roughly 8 percent, have likely been lost forever.

CNBC: AMC, Sony offering NFTs to people who purchase advance Spider-Man tickets

+ AMC is the latest legacy company to get into the NFT game.

+ The theater giant and Sony Pictures will offer 86,000 non-fungible tokens around its “Spider-Man” release.

Electric vehicles will account for about half of auto sales in the world’s major markets by 2030 as sticker prices reach parity with gasoline-fueled cars, according to a survey of automotive executives.

The trillion-dollar Tesla gamble: Tesla is either the future of cars or the ultimate meme stock. There's only one scenario where the stock's trillion-dollar valuation pans out, and it's a long shot.
Fortune

AI is making applying for jobs even more miserable: Asynchronous video interviews are bad news for both employers and would-be employees.
Sarah O’Connor

MARKETING + COMMUNICATIONS

What Jamie said: Last week at a Boston College Chief Executives Club event, JPMorgan Chase & Co. CEO Jamie Dimon relayed a "joke" he made during his recent visit to Hong Kong: "The Communist Party is celebrating its 100th year. So is JPMorgan. And I'll make you a bet we last longer." Here are the four lessons from this "joke."
Marc Ross - Caracal

SPACE + SCIENCE

Ladies who launch: Women are powering the private space industry: The billionaire flyboys of space tourism get all the attention, but women are developing some of the most promising technologies designed for the final frontier.
Fortune

The Times: NASA cancels spacewalk after Russian anti-satellite missile test leaves orbiting debris

PERFORMANCE

Why emotionally intelligent people embrace the rule of clocking out: The rule of clocking out will help you set priorities, avoid burnout, and find more time in your day.
Justin Bariso

CULTURE

Gucci’s moment: As the brand turns 100, creative director Alessandro Michele is leading the fashion industry toward a different future.
WP Mag

Gucci family, Tom Ford slam ‘House of Gucci’ as ‘insult’ to brand’s legacy: LAT reports the Gucci family has threatened legal action and says Ridley Scott’s ‘House of Gucci,’ starring Lady Gaga, portrays family members as ‘thugs.’

The Guccis are really not happy about ‘House of Gucci’: When artistic license collides with reality, which one wins?
NYT

What lies beneath: The secrets of France’s top serial killer expert: An intrepid expert with dozens of books to his name, Stéphane Bourgoin was a bestselling author, famous in France for having interviewed more than 70 notorious murderers. Then an anonymous collective began to investigate his past
Scott Sayare

Life of Pi author Yann Martel on how to write a hit book, film, and play: Life of Pi started out as a novel, became a Hollywood movie, and is now opening in the West End — its author reveals the dramatic differences in the creative process for page, screen and stage.
The Times

SPORT

Serie A is following in the footsteps of LaLiga and Bundesliga by opening a regional office in New York City in January.

How Major League Soccer plans to overtake baseball
CNBC

Disrupting golf: The Saudi-backed plan to shake up the sport: Inspired by cricket’s Indian Premier League, a company owned by the Public Investment Fund is exploring new formats for the game.
FT

Ex-NBA stars join finance giant to back Asian basketball league: Bloomberg reports the Raine Group and several former NBA stars are backing a Hong Kong startup that’s piecing together Asia’s first major basketball club competition with FIBA’s blessing. Asia League Holdings Ltd. has raised $13 million to date from investors including retired players Metta Sandiford-Artest, Baron Davis, and Shane Battier, boosting its valuation to $100 million.

Over 23 years, lessons in life and sobriety for a father and son on the Appalachian Trail
LAT

DFP: Michigan State football's Mel Tucker named Big Ten Coach of the Year

LSU poached Brian Kelly from Notre Dame with a reported 10-year, $100 million contract.

Fenway Sports, the owner of the Boston Red Sox, agreed to buy the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins.


Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc

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

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Subscribe here.

Brigadoon Daily Email.

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

Brigadoon Daily | Nov. 30

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

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Strategy + Tactics

Thursday, December 9 @ 12:00 - 2:00 pm ET
In-person or Virtual or On-demand

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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

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. 29

Brigadoon Daily

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

November 29, 2021

Michigan, Mikaela Shiffrin, Moët, Money, Metaverse

TOP FIVE

1. Japan approves extra defense spending + sets a record

2. Sweden named its first woman prime minister. Seven hours later she resigned.

3. Democrats struggle to energize their base

4. Why the metaverse is fashion's next goldmine

5. Jim Harbaugh and Michigan get their Ohio State win

BRIGADOON EVENT

Brigadoon Workshop | World 2022

7 Elections + 7 Topics

Wednesday, December 8 @ 12:00 - 2:00 pm ET
In-person or Virtual or On-demand

More @ thebrigadoon.com/events

GLOBALIZATION + STATECRAFT

Three threats to the global economic recovery: Tightening American monetary policy, slowing China, and the Omicron variant.
Economist

The US and China are already at war. But which kind? The fact that war can be fought in so many ways in the 21st century might reduce the need for actual military conflict.
FT

Inside China’s brash, new approach to state media
VOA

Jamie Dimon walks back his quip about China’s Communist Party.
NYT

More businesses will stand up to China after the Peng Shuai outcry: It’s getting harder for executives to balance supporting social causes with reaping the riches of the Chinese market.
Bloomberg

Peng Shuai’s assault allegation focuses attention on China’s elite political factions: Zhang Gaoli’s fate depends more on his powerful network than the merits of the case.
FT

In IOC’s ‘quiet diplomacy,’ critics see whitewash of China’s actions: The handling of the Peng Shuai case raised new questions about the IOC’s relationship with China. One Olympic official called its actions ‘discreet.’ Critics called it collaboration.
NYT

Does the West dare give China’s Xi Jinping an Olympic-sized snub? After the disappearance of the tennis player Peng Shuai, murmurs about a boycott of China’s winter games are growing louder. But do the politicians, sponsors and sporting authorities have too much to lose.
Oliver Shah

Taiwan hosts second US Congressional delegation in two weeks: WSJ reports the visit comes days after the White House invited Taiwan to a meeting of democracies, exacerbating tensions with Beijing.

3 bodies found amid violence in Solomon Islands: NYT reports the police were trying to determine if the charred remains found in the capital’s Chinatown district were linked to the protests, in which demonstrators set fire to buildings.

+ The decision by the Solomon Islands’ central government to switch its diplomatic relationship from Taipei to Beijing in 2019 was the driving force behind the protests, according to experts, with the move exacerbating social and political fault lines dividing the nation.

Japan approves extra defense spending and sets a record: WSJ reports with China in mind, Tokyo budget allots 1.14% of GDP for the military, erasing longstanding guideline.

US looks to NATO to deter Russian aggression as Ukraine warns of possible coup: WSJ reports the Biden administration considers options from deterrence to diplomacy and wants a NATO meeting next week to discuss common actions.

Biden wants to focus on China. Putin has another idea
Doyle McManus

Memes, merchandise, and Mars cocktails: Russia’s mania for Elon Musk has no bounds
WP

France says it is willing to discuss autonomy for Guadeloupe: Reuters reports France is willing to discuss autonomy for the French Caribbean territory of Guadeloupe if it is in the interests of the people who live there, government minister Sebastien Lecornu said. Guadeloupe and the nearby French island of Martinique have seen several days of protests against COVID-19 measures that have spilled over into violence.

How an American in Paris won the rarest of French honors
LAT

France, Italy sign pact seeking more influence in Europe: WSJ reports the Franco-Italian treaty is aimed at bolstering collaboration on areas such as foreign policy and defense, industrial policy, and the EU’s fiscal rules.

Why Italy's presidential election matters: With its poor track record of managing EU funds, Italy’s recovery plan will be a major test for the future of EU policymaking more generally. While it is widely agreed that Prime Minister Mario Draghi must remain on the scene to oversee the plan’s implementation, in what capacity would he be most useful?
Nouriel Roubini + Brunello Rosa

Sweden named its first woman prime minister. Seven hours later she resigned. A volatile political landscape and a tenuous hold on power prompted Magdalena Andersson's resignation on her first day as leader.
TNS

SCMP: German coalition seals deal for new government, new tough-talking China policy

+ The coalition agreement text contains more than a dozen references to China

+ The text says it seeks China’s cooperation ‘on the basis of human rights’ where possible

Regretful Prince Charles flies to Barbados to watch his realm become a republic: The Times reports The Queen will feel “sadness” and the Prince of Wales “a twinge of regret” as Barbados cuts ties with the monarchy this week, becoming the world’s newest republic after centuries of British rule. In an unprecedented move, Prince Charles, 73, will be the first member of the royal family to attend the transition of a realm to a republic, during a two-day visit to the island. Dame Sandra Mason, the governor-general, will be sworn in as president, replacing the Queen as head of state on the country’s 55th anniversary of independence on Tuesday.

Brazil’s President Lula is staging a comeback. Can he bring the country along? Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the former president, has beat back a flurry of corruption cases and climbed to the front of next year’s presidential race.
NYT

Petrobras doubles down on hydrocarbons as part of $68bn investment plan: FT reports Petrobras of Brazil, Latin America’s biggest oil producer, is to boost its capital expenditure to $68bn over the next five years, as the state-controlled group bets on its role as a low-cost hydrocarbon supplier in the energy transition.

A power struggle over cobalt rattles the clean energy revolution: The quest for Congo’s cobalt, which is vital for electric vehicles and the worldwide push against climate change, is caught in an international cycle of exploitation, greed, and gamesmanship.
NYT

COVID

The Omicron variant panic: WSJ opines markets fall, but the biggest danger is more government lockdowns.

+ @flacqua: New Boris Johnson Covid measures: Anyone entering the UK must take a PCR test and isolate until result. Contacts of suspected omicron cases must isolate for 10 days. Tighter rules on masks in shops & public transport.

Israel bans foreigners from entering country to stop Omicron variant: TJP reports new restrictions to go into effect on Sunday night. One case of Omicron confirmed, seven under investigation.

‘The virus is always searching for its next move’: Why science is alert to new variants: Omicron strain is latest to be detected as scientists anticipate one that could replace Delta.
FT

POLITICS + CAMPAIGNS

Biden’s challenge, gamble, and wish set the table for the 2022 elections
WP

Democrats struggle to energize their base as frustrations mount: Even as President Biden achieves some significant victories, Democrats are warning that many of their most loyal supporters see inaction and broken campaign promises.
NYT

‘Ed the Trucker’: The Trump Republican who’s riding high in New Jersey: “If anything, my election showed nobody’s untouchable,” said Edward Durr Jr., who pulled off a stunning victory to win a New Jersey State Senate seat.
NYT

+ $1.776 trillion = The economy of Texas

+ Texas is the world’s ninth-largest economy

+ Texas has a bigger economy than Canada, Russia, South Korea, Australia, Spain, Mexico, Indonesia, Turkey, and the Netherlands.

Everyone’s moving to Texas. Here’s why.
Farhad Manjoo

The newest Texans are not who you think they are: The record influx of recent arrivals from all over might be exactly what the state needs. That includes Californians. (And no, they’re not turning Texas blue.)
Texas Monthly

An American secession? It’s not that far-fetched: Texit. The new California republic. Polls in the US show strong support for splitting the nation along blue-red lines.
Max Hastings

When Federal employees telecommute, why are agencies in DC? The idea of moving offices to the heartland has been floated for years. It’s never been more relevant.
Faith Bottum

DISRUPTION + INNOVATION

Nuclear fusion: Why the race to harness the power of the sun just sped up: Advances in technology and funding have sparked optimism in an area that has promised much but delivered little in six decades.
FT

COMMERCE

Employers are hiring. Why are so many workers holding back? The US labor market is caught between a pandemic that isn’t quite over and an inflation surge that’s gathering steam.
Niall Ferguson

Video: Why the metaverse is fashion's next goldmine
BOF

The metaverse is just the latest incarnation of Las Vegas: Facebook’s reinvention aims to create a standardized virtual reality where the house always wins.
Izabella Kaminska

The truth about blockchain: It will take years to transform business, but the journey begins now.
Marco Iansiti + Karim R. Lakhani

How to get blockchains to talk to each other: If blockchains are really going to give us the internet of money, they’ll need to work together.
Mike Orcutt

Who is Bitcoin creator Satoshi Nakamoto? What we know—and don’t know: In an age in which it is hard to be anonymous, the identity of the cryptocurrency’s inventor remains a mystery.
WSJ

+ @marcaross: It's hard to believe #Bitcoin would be as successful if the founder's name was John Smith and not Satoshi Nakamoto.

TV news’ dangerous bet: Hedging on a streaming future: While touting new platforms (think: CNN+ or Fox Nation), top broadcast and cable executives are incentivized to protect the linear status quo, given that’s where the money is — even if it’s a rapidly declining business model.
THR

+ The UK lost around 3,250 pubs and bars—about 6.8% of all such businesses—between March 2020 and September this year, according to consultants AlixPartners and CGA.

SPACE + SCIENCE

He spent almost 50 years alone at 10,000 feet. His hobby helped shape climate research in the Rockies. An amateur scientist began logging snowfall to keep busy. Along the way, he became an unwitting chronicler of climate change in a region known as the water tower for the drying American West.
WP

PERFORMANCE

Is ‘innovation’ what we think it is? Narratives and conflicting tropes
Kevin Richard

CULTURE

Virgil Abloh dies of cancer at 41: WWD reports Virgil Abloh, the founder of luxury streetwear brand Off-White and artistic director of men’s wear at Louis Vuitton, has died from cancer at the age of 41. One of the most influential designers of his generation, Abloh had been privately battling the disease for several years, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton said in a statement on Sunday. The designer died in hospital in Houston, TX, on Sunday, according to sources familiar with the matter.

How Black Ivy rewrote the style book: The edgier version of America’s elite dress code is back — in a new remix.
FT

The Grand Tour presents: Carnage A Trois
Trailer

The Beatles were like aliens from the future in 1969 - and they are still as radical today: In a postwar Britain divided by class identity and economic decline, they were complex, emotional men whose music still thrills.
Jonathan Freedland

SPORT

In jolt for the program and the rivalry, Jim Harbaugh and Michigan get their Ohio State win: The Wolverines and their coach, at last, took down the Buckeyes, and did so commandingly on a day that won't be forgotten in The Big House.
SI

How did Michigan football finally beat Ohio State? They had will to go with skill
Mitch Albom

+ @latimes: Breaking: USC is expected to close its three-month search with a bombshell hire, landing Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley to turn around the Trojans program.

Shiffrin ties Stenmark record with win in women’s slalom: AP reports Mikaela Shiffrin marked the return of the women’s World Cup to North America by setting yet another record — and the two-time Olympic champion did it Sunday on home snow. Shiffrin beat Petra Vlhova — her main rival — for her 46th career win in slalom. That matched a 32-year-old record for most World Cup wins in a single discipline, set by Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark in giant slalom. While the 26-year-old Shiffrin hails from Vail, Colorado, she can almost consider Killington a hometown race as she honed her skills nearby at the Burke Mountain Academy as a teenager.

+ @sportbible: Bayern break the record of most goals in a single calendar year in the Bundesliga!! 102 goals. We're still in November.

They set out to hike three of America’s longest trails in less than a year. What could go wrong?
LAT

+ The Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide are among America’s longest trails.

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