The Intelligence: Donald trumps Haley in New Hampshire
Jan 24, 2024
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Idris Kaloon, Washington bureau chief for The Economist, dives into Trump's stronghold over the GOP following his New Hampshire primary win and the challenge posed by Nikki Haley. Matthew Ball discusses the Marvel franchise's declining performance at the box office, attributing it to shifting audience demands for quality over quantity. Fraser McIlwraith explains the implications of new sanctions on Russia's diamond industry and the complexities of enforcing them, hinting at emerging solutions to improve transparency in the market.
Nikki Haley's loss in the New Hampshire primary indicates a challenging path ahead for her campaign as the Republican primary voter largely favors Donald Trump.
New sanctions on Russian diamonds aim to reform an industry dominated by Alrosa, but the complexity of supply chains may redirect supplies to China and India.
Deep dives
Nikki Haley's Struggle in the Republican Primary
Nikki Haley's campaign for the Republican presidential nomination faced a significant setback as she lost the New Hampshire primary to Donald Trump, despite betting heavily on the state. Her failure to win over voters in New Hampshire, which had a more moderate demographic compared to Iowa, indicates a challenging path ahead for her campaign. With the Republican primary voter largely favoring Donald Trump, Nikki Haley's position as the only remaining challenger is increasingly precarious. Her home state of South Carolina, where she hopes to secure a win, may be the determining factor in the fate of her campaign.
Sanctions Target Russia's Diamond Industry
Russia's lucrative diamond industry is facing new sanctions as Europe and the G7 ban rough diamond imports from Russia and introduce a scheme to verify diamond origin. These measures aim to reform an industry dominated by Russia's state-controlled mining company, Alrosa. However, the complexity of the industry's supply chains poses challenges in effectively implementing and tracing the origin of diamonds. While the sanctions target Russian diamond trade, their impact may redirect supplies to growing consumer markets, such as China and India.
Marvel's cinematic universe, once a reliable cash cow, is seeing declining box office performance. Recent films, like 'The Marvels,' have underperformed, and the franchise's success rate has waned. Factors contributing to this decline include China's exclusion of Marvel films, the loss of key actors like Chadwick Boseman, and overwhelming audience demand for multiple releases each year. The franchise's rapid expansion and the necessity for viewers to consume extensive previous content have also created challenges. To regain its prior success, Marvel must focus on improving quality in storytelling and address audience fatigue.
His decisive victory demonstrates just how much of a hold he still has on the Republican party, but his last remaining competitor is not bowing out just yet. How new sanctions on Russian diamonds could disrupt the supply chain (10:20). And is the Marvel franchise losing its superpower (17:16)?
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