TRUMP <3 TIKTOK?… TIKTOK APPEALS TO SUPREME COURT AS U.S. BAN LOOMS. TikTok is making a last-ditch effort to stay in the U.S. market, appealing to the Supreme Court to block a looming ban tied to national security concerns and shifting political winds.
Deadline Approaches: TikTok and its Chinese parent ByteDance Ltd. urged the Supreme Court to block a U.S. ban set for January 19, arguing enforcement may shift under Trump’s incoming administration.
Trump Signals Shift: President-elect Trump, who previously targeted TikTok, hinted at a softer stance, saying, “I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” citing its influence on young voters.
Constitutional Fight: TikTok argues the ban violates the First Amendment, but a D.C. Circuit panel upheld the law, prioritizing national security concerns over foreign data risks.
Source: Bloomberg… USA Today… NBC News…
—> TRUMP MEETS WITH TIKTOK CEO AS BAN DEADLINE NEARS. President-elect Donald Trump met with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew at Mar-a-Lago, signaling a potential shift in the app's future as the U.S. ban looms and political negotiations intensify. Source: CNBC.
hello, future. it’s me, kev.
…and this is a dispatch from the digital frontier. Your one-stop shop for markets, tech, and the future. The day is 351. The year is 2024. The planet is Earth. My name is Kevin Cirilli —> LinkedIn.
Back to the future...
JERSEY DRONES: DETECTION TECH ILLEGAL IN U.S. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy says state-of-the-art drone-detecting tech spotted 13 drone sightings over the weekend but turned up “little to no evidence” of anything sinister—except maybe America’s drone policy being stuck in the stone age.
DRONES SOAR… STATES HANDS TIED: The detection tech can disable drones, but doing so is illegal on U.S. soil. (Murphy isn’t thrilled about that.)
BOSTON DRONE DRAMA: Two guys got caught flying drones dangerously close to Logan Airport—out of a decommissioned health facility—while a third suspect fled by boat in peak getaway style.
STATING THE OBVIOUS: “It’s extraordinary that a nation as great as ours has these deficiencies.”
mtf: don’t panic!!!!!!
DRUDGE BANNER —> DRONE CONSPIRACY THEORIES ABOUND... HUNTING RADIATION?…
ELON DOESN’T KNOW IF ALIENS EXIST—AND CAN’T SEE SPACEX’S BIGGEST SECRETS. SpaceX’s lawyers avoided seeking higher security clearance for Elon Musk over concerns about his reported drug use and foreign contacts, potentially risking his access to sensitive government programs.
Musk’s current “top-secret” clearance faced scrutiny after his public marijuana use and reports of ketamine use, raising fears of a denial—or loss—of clearance.
The issue may soon fade: President-elect Trump tapped Musk to lead the new Department of Government Efficiency, giving him potential access to classified information.
DIG DEEPER:
Musk’s “top-secret” clearance does not grant him access to SpaceX’s Starshield program, which provides satellite hardware and services to national-security agencies.
He is barred from entering most SpaceX facilities where classified work takes place or is discussed.
Musk rarely has access to details about classified cargo, including sensors and hardware attached to spy satellites launched by his rockets.
Source: WSJ.
QUOTABLE, Sen. Mitch McConnell in an op-ed for Foreign Affairs:
To build an allied coalition of cutting-edge forces that can work together seamlessly, the United States must also be willing to share more technology.
Source: Foreign Affairs.
SURVEY SAYS: CEOS ARE OPTIMISTIC—BUT TRUMP’S TARIFFS LOOM. A new survey from Teneo shows global CEOs are the most optimistic they’ve been in years, though concerns about trade policy and inflation remain.
TARIFF TROUBLES: Just 13% of large-company CEOs view Trump’s proposed tariffs positively, compared to 80% of smaller-company CEOs.
ECONOMY ON THE RISE: 77% of CEOs expect the global economy to improve in early 2025, up from 45% last year.
INFLATION PRESSURE: Nearly 80% anticipate inflation will pick up in their regions, with 60% predicting central bank rate hikes in early 2025.
M&A SURGE AHEAD: Over 80% of CEOs expect a boost in mergers and acquisitions next year as deal activity gains momentum.
Source: Teneo’s Global CEO Survey.
DRONE WARS DIVE DEEP: THE BATTLE MOVES UNDERWATER. Defense companies are developing underwater drones like Ghost Shark and Manta Ray that can dive thousands of feet and operate autonomously for days, offering a cost-effective way to gather intelligence and protect undersea infrastructure despite the challenges of deep-sea communication and harsh conditions. Source: WSJ.
WOMEN CEOS: BREAKING BARRIERS AND LEADING THE WAY. Women CEOs are making strides across the Fortune 500, Russell 3000, and sports organizations. While progress remains slow, the trailblazers at the top deserve a salute for paving the way for equity in leadership—especially women of color.
Fortune 500 & 1000: Women now represent 10.6% of Fortune 500 CEOs and 9.2% in the Fortune 1000, showing incremental but critical growth.
Russell 3000: Women lead 9% of smaller public companies in this index, up from 6.2% in 2021—a remarkable rise.
DIG DEEPER: WOMEN SPORTS OWNERSHIP.
Sheila Johnson: Vice chairman and partner of Monumental Sports & Entertainment (manages Washington Capitals, Wizards, and Mystics).
Michele Kang: First woman of color to own an NWSL team, Washington Spirit, and now owns Olympique Lyonnais Féminin and London City Lionesses.
Cynthia Marshall: CEO of the Dallas Mavericks.
Source: Edie Fraser, Women Business Collaborative founder and chair.
With gratitude,
Kev
ABOUT mtf.tv’s meet the future: mtf.tv’s meet the future is a cutting-edge platform focused on addressing key challenges at the intersection of national security, technology, and business. With a mission to embrace freedom to meet the future’s challenges and opportunities, mtf.tv offers forward-thinking media offerings and forums.
