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FILE PHOTO: A view of a logo during the 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland, January 19, 2024.
GZERO’s very own Tony Maciulis is in the Alps all week to report from the 55th World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
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Grüetzi! That means “hello” in Swiss German, and it’s the only word I know in that language. But there are people from 130 countries gathered in this little Alpine village right now, so a smile and a nod will generally get you through anything but the security line.
As we head into the third day of the World Economic Forum, conventional wisdom is that newly inaugurated President Donald Trump is dominating all the conversations here. That isn’t wrong. But it’s kind of a “Yes, and ...” as they teach you in improv.
A few notes from yesterday:
- China’s Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang made headlines with his address at the forum, though it read like a speech meant to counter an executive order on tariff hikes that hasn’t yet been issued. Instead, it felt like a preemptive strike as he warned, “Protectionism leads to nowhere, and there are no winners in a trade war.” He made a case for multilateralism on the most multilateral of stages, perhaps setting the stage for moves China will make to fill a leadership void if the US backs out of major global efforts like the World Health Organization.
- If China’s on offense, Europe is building defense. In two big speeches Tuesday, both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen laid out arguments for a stronger, more self-reliant Europe. Zelensky called for increased defense spending that could give the Continent a shot at going it alone if US support diminishes. “Europe has too often outsourced its security, but those days are gone,” Von der Leyen declared.
- And I overheard more than a few grumblings on the Promenade about the déjà vu of another US withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement. Trump puts America in the company of only three other countries — Yemen, Libya, and Iran. But who’s counting?
What to watch for today:
- Speaking of Iran, that nation’s Vice President for Strategic Affairs Javad Zarif is set to speak on Wednesday, as is Syria’s new Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shibani. These are two prominent moments in an agenda that has several programs focused on the Middle East.
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres will be here just days afterhe warned the world has opened “a Pandora’s box of ills” with regard to growing inequalities and protracted conflicts. (Close the box, please.)
- And our Global Stage series is set to premiere a new conversation from Davos! “The AI Economy: An Engine for Local Growth,” streams at 11 a.m. ET today. The program features Ian Bremmer, Microsoft’s Vice Chair and President Brad Smith, WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, European Investment Bank President Nadia Calviño, and G42’s CEO Peng Xiao. Watchhere.
Watch: “Nosferatu.” I am usually not one for horror films, but I make an exception for Robert Eggers. This beautifully shot remake of the archetypal vampire film recontextualizes the original German expressionist masterpiece to focus much more on Ellen’s agency, highlighting the ambiguity of her sexual relationship with the dark lord Nosferatu. As always, Eggers nails the period outfits and sets, but his real genius comes in setting the mood — a creeping sense of dread and doom. — Matt
Meet: The Monarchist. The controversial one-time blogger and intellectual Curtis Yarvin thinks democracy is a sham and that countries should be run by monarchs who act like CEOs. Hear him out, because he’s influential in right-wing and tech circles these days, and his work has been cited approvingly by none other than Vice President JD Vance. Whether you agree with him or not, his ideas and ambitions are worth understanding. This lengthy New York Times interview with him is a good place to start. – Alex
Listen: The Beaches are a queer indie all-girl band from my hometown of Toronto whose smart lyrics and cool vibe have propelled them to stardom both in Canada and around the world. This article details their rise to fame and how a catchy breakup song (uploaded to TikTok, of course) became the key to their success – and made the lead singer’s ex famous as well. Check out their latest single, “Jocelyn,” here. – TashaAn illustration shows the US flag with the TikTok logo and a dollar in Shanghai, China, on January 21, 2025.
TikTokkers may credit President Donald Trump with the app’s restoration on Sunday, which came 12 hours after a government ban shut it down, but their joy may be short-lived. On Monday, Trump signedan executive order suspending the ban for 75 days, during which his administration will “determine the appropriate course forward in an orderly way that protects national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown of a communications platform used by millions of Americans.”
Before taking office, Trump floated the idea of obliging TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, to sell half the company to an American purchaser and run it as a joint venture. Beijing has beencool to the concept, with China’s Foreign Ministry responding that the “operation and acquisition of companies” should be “decided by companies” and in line with Chinese law.
How important is TikTok to China? Both Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chewattended Trump’s inauguration, and in a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping the previous Friday, Trump said the two leaders spoke about the app. On Monday, however, Trump told reporters he could levy tariffs of 100% on Chinese goods if Beijing refuses to strike a deal – indicating that TikTok may be just another bargaining chip in Trump’s plans for containing China.Several groups led by DACA recipients gathered at La Placita Olvera in Los Angeles, California, on November 11, 2024, for a rally and march in response to policies President-elect Trump has promised to enforce against immigrants who have entered the country.
The lawsuit, led by New Jersey, California, and Massachusetts, argues that Trump can’t unilaterally rewrite the Constitution’s 14th Amendment guarantee of birthright citizenship to every baby born in the US. They point to the Supreme Court’s Wong Kim Ark decision, which set the precedent of birthright citizenship regardless of the parents’ legal status in 1873.
Trump argues that revoking birthright citizenship is critical to curbing illegal migration to the US. He is supported by a minority of legal scholars who say that Wong Kim Ark decision misinterpreted the Constitution. They argue that because unauthorized migrants are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of US law – in the sense that they can’t vote and are excluded from certain rights afforded to Americans – that the 14th Amendment does not apply to them or their children.
Will Trump succeed? Trump can’t rewrite the 14th Amendment or 100 years of legal precedent with an executive order, but he could with the help of sympathetic judges. Lower courts are likely to side with the states, but if Trump appeals, it is likely to be decided by the Supreme Court, where the Conservative majority has not shied away from overturning legal precedent in recent terms.Hard Numbers: Ski resort fire in Turkey, Bolton loses Secret Service protections, Putin and Xi hold joint meeting, Historic snow in the South
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire at a hotel in the ski resort of Kartalkaya in Bolu province, Turkey, January 21, 2025.
76: A devastating fire at Turkey’s Grand Kartal Hotel ski resort killed 76 people and injured scores of others on Tuesday. The blaze began at 3:30 a.m. on the restaurant floor of the 12-story building, quickly engulfing it and forcing desperate guests to jump from windows or attempt escapes using bed sheets.
17: President Donald Trump revoked John Bolton’s Secret Service protection hours after taking office on Monday, despite ongoing threats against Bolton from Iran. Bolton, who served as Trump’s national security advisor for 17 months and had previously lost protection after leaving the administration but had it restored by Biden, expressed disappointment but not surprise. The move comes amid documented Iranian assassination plots against Bolton and follows Trump’s revocation of Bolton’s security clearance.
95: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi JinpingcelebratedDonald Trump’s first official day in office by reaffirming their “no-limits” partnership on Tuesday in a joint televised meeting that lasted 95 minutes. Though Trump was not directly named, the timing suggests that the two world leaders may be pursuing a coordinated response to the new president, which has threatened to levy tariffs on China and end Russia’s war with Ukraine.
8: A historic polar vortex-related snowstorm is hitting the Gulf Coast, bringing record-breaking snow to Texas and Louisiana. The National Weather Service issued its first-ever blizzard warning for Lake Charles, Louisiana, while Lafayette, Louisiana, already has 8 inches. With the region ill-equipped for winter weather, travel disruptions and service outages are expected to last for days. Remarkably, New Orleans received more January snow than Anchorage, Alaska.
FILE PHOTO: Singapore MAERSK TAURUS container ship transits through Cocoli Locks in the Panama Canal, on the outskirts of Panama City, Panama, August 12, 2024.
Just hours after Donald Trump threatened again to take the Panama Canal in his inaugural address Monday, Panama opened a probe into a Hong Kong-based company that operates ports at both ends of the waterway.
The backdrop: The US built and opened the canal in 1914, and kept direct control of it until 1999, when it was given to Panama after years of protest against the US presence. Trump says that was a “mistake” and wants to retake it, claiming Panama “overcharges” US ships and has allowed China to exert too much influence.
Canal tolls have increased in recent years due to water shortages, but they apply equally to ships from all countries. Chinese companies are active in Panama, but there is no evidence so far of their meddling in the canal itself.
Panama says it won’t give up the canal, which handles 6% of global trade. But if Trump wants to force the issue, there’s little the tiny country could do. Probing a company based in Hong Kong, a nominally autonomous city-state that has fallen under stricter Chinese control in recent years, is a sign Panama wants to head off a bigger crisis.
Trump’s response to the probe will tell us a lot. If he’s using threats to secure preferential rates for US ships, then a peaceful resolution is possible. But if he thinks direct control is essential in a zero-sum global competition with China, then the probe won’t move him, and things could get frothier fast.
If so, the question in Panama – as in Greenland, which Trump also wants – will quickly become: What other global powers might Panama turn to for help?
Arauca, Colombia.- The photo shows the site of an attack with explosive devices at a military base located in Puerto Jordán in the department of Arauca, Colombia on September 17, 2024. The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, said that "a peace process" that his Government until now maintained with the guerrilla of the National Liberation Army (ELN) is closed, after the attack that left two soldiers dead and 26 wounded in Arauca.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Monday he will declare a state of emergency after guerilla attacks by the ELN in the northeast of the country killed at least 80 people and forced over 11,000 to flee. The attacks came after Petro suspended negotiations with the rebels on Friday and could prove a fatal blow to his dovish “Total Peace” policy, which aims to end armed violence in Colombia through dialogue.
Background: Colombia’s internal conflict dates back decades but reached an inflection point in 1964, when two left-wing guerilla groups, the ELN and FARC, rebelled against the government. Throughout the 1960s, neither the government nor the guerrilla groups could gain an upper hand, but instability allowed drug cartels exporting to the US to become obscenely wealthy — and well-armed — worsening the violence.
Left-wing groups splintered repeatedly, while wealthy landowners organized self-defense forces that sometimes morphed into far-right death squads. US attempts to aid its key South American ally added more guns and money to the volatile mix, which has killed at least 450,000 people.
The hard line. Petro’s emergency declaration is a callback to the days of his predecessor and political rival Álvaro Uribe, who used emergencies to raise war taxes to fight the insurrectionists and cartels. Petro — a former guerilla — heavily criticized Uribe’s tactics, but the national reconciliation process he put forward instead looks like it’s falling apart. Where the conservatives managed to sign a peace agreement with the FARC in 2016 that has largely held up, the 2023 ceasefire Petro signed with the ELN is in tatters — and he is sending troops back in.