Latest news with #ChrisMiller
Forbes
26-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Can The Economy Grow When All Relationships Are Negotiating Chips?
Edward Fishman's timing is perfect. His book, Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare, was released one month into a new administration that views every economic relationship as a potential negotiating lever. Fishman's book tells the story of a gradual, and then sudden, awakening of government officials to the power associated with squeezing or cutting off key arteries of economic connection to achieve political goals. Fishman is friends with Chris Miller, who introduced us to the idea of chokepoints in his book Chip War. Miller explained that every chip that goes into the world's most advanced computers are made by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. And TSMC cannot produce these chips without a machine that only one other company, ASML of the Netherlands, can make. Those companies, and their products, are 'chokepoints' - control access to them and you wield enormous power. Fishman expands the story into a chronology of how the U.S. government learned to identify and use chokepoints. He knows many of the key actors, and was personally involved in some of the policy actions. This gives his book a 'fly on the wall feel' as the reader is placed in the room where decisions were made. Many of the stories track the increasingly detailed use of financial chokepoints. This began in 2006 with the US government going on a road show through Europe, meeting with bank CEOs and explaining how their institutions were helping channel money to Iran. Many of the CEO's were unaware and, fortunately, this forensic accounting approach convinced most to tighten enforcement of sanctions. But there was always going to a subset of banks that didn't care about maintaining good relationships with the US, and thus continued to work with Iran. This forced a pivot in the Americans' approach. Instead of trying to suffocate Iran's oil business, the US attempted to prevent Iran from bringing home the money it had earned. Iran could sell oil and receive payments in U.S. dollars. But, as the revenue was held in escrow accounts at foreign banks, the U.S. was able to restrict access. That created a tantalizing economic lever the US could pull. Look at all the money you've got - do what we want and you can have it, keep behaving badly and you can't. It feels like a pandora's box - once the lid was lifted and the US started to view the global economy from the lens of chokepoints, it got progressively more 'creative'. This creatively was unleashed in full force against Russia in 2022. One of the most striking stories in the book takes place just after Ukraine was invaded. Russian oil tankers attempting to leave the Black Sea and take their product to market became lined up in a vast traffic jam at the Bosphorus strait. Why? Because they weren't insured. And if they didn't have insurance Turkey was not going to let them pass through its territory. Why were they uninsured? Because 95% of shipping insurance is provided by firms in London who were complying with a services ban on Russian oil. London insurers were the TSMC of shipping - without their product an entire industry could not operate. Economic warfare has expanded beyond the financial realm and an important part of Fishman's story is how detailed legal maneuvering has been used against Chinese companies. One very important legal tool is a 'denial order' - an export control that bans the target company from buying all US products. In an interdependent global supply chain, getting hit with a denial order can amount to a death sentence. For example, China's second-largest telecom equipment maker ZTE was caught in a plot to buy US technology and resell it to Iran. In 2016, as part of a settlement, they were fined $1.2 billion. When they were later found to be violating those terms, the Commerce department issued a denial order against them. Because ZTE relied on American technology, the denial order was deadly and within three weeks the company issued this announcement: As a result of the denial order, the major operating activities of the company have ceased. President Xi eventually sweet talked Trump into rescinding the order, but as Fishman says, the lesson was learned - a leading foreign company could be dispatched, and then resurrected, with the stroke of a pen. What's my view on all this? It's clever to squeeze Russian oil by banning London-based insurers from dealing with them. That's a short-term win, and justifiable given the savage invasion of Ukraine. But surely that action at least partially undermines the basis of the industry in London. Why rely on insurance from a firm that can be squeezed to shut you off? The same logic applies almost everywhere pressure on a chokepoint is applied. The usual answer to this dilemma is: just don't invade a democracy and murder tens of thousands of people and you'll be fine. Fishman presents a version of this argument: That distinction has now been eviscerated by the Trump government. It doesn't matter if you are Canada - the country most aligned with the US on values, culture and economic prosperity. It doesn't matter if you are Germany - a country that used its economic leadership in Europe to shepherd democracy across the continent. Nope - the message is now clear. Your economic ties with us are just as liable to be used as chokepoints as those with China, Iran or Iraq. Germany made the mistake of relying on Russian natural gas for about 50% of its supplies. A massive chokepoint. And Russia choked them, triggering an energy crisis that threatens Germany's formidable industrial base. The US meanwhile has experienced a boom in exports of liquefied natural gas, and had ambitions to replace Russia supply, at least in part. But why would Germany build a reliance on US imports when it's obvious that will eventually be seen as a chokepoint? I've often thought of Putin as a tactical genius and a strategic incompetent. He knows how to use threats, manipulations and leverage to influence events in the short term. Meanwhile, all his maneuverings keep his focus on tactical wins, while in the long-term his country declines. It declines because of the contradiction that underlies the 'chokepoints' view of the economy. A country accumulates strength by virtue of a vibrant, competitive and growing economy. That economy is a network of connections and relationships. If all those relationships are ultimately vulnerable to government manipulation, the connections will be kept weak and shallow, because they must be expected to snap at any time. If everything becomes a point to be choked, there is no oxygen for growth. In the end you become weaker. Pre-Trump many of us imagined the world moving back into blocks based on political systems and shared values. Yes, chokepoints might exist inside a 'western' group of democracies, but that's ok because there was no need to fear they would be used as leverage. That vision is now gone. The US is now transactional, all chokepoints are fair game.
Buzz Feed
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
23 Awesome "The Lego Movie" Facts I Bet You Didn't Know
Remember The Lego Movie? The so-good-you-almost-can't-believe-it, Academy Award-nominated film that spawned a whole franchise turns 11 years old this year. Here are some cool behind-the-scenes facts about it: Mark Mothersbaugh, who was the main composer on Rugrats, wrote the score for The Lego Movie. The film racked in a whopping $468 million worldwide. Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller planned to include R2-D2 in the film, but had to scrap him after a battle over ownership rights. However, they were able to work out a deal to have Anthony Daniels reprise his famous role as C-3PO for the film. The film's success will spawned three separate Lego-themed films: The Lego Movie Sequel, a direct sequel to the original film; The Lego Ninjago Movie, which will be based off the Lego Ninjago product line; and The Lego Batman Movie, in which Will Arnett reprised his role as the Caped Crusader. After the film dominated box offices, Lego profits skyrocketed by 15%. In 2014, approximately 62 billion Lego pieces were sold, which equates to about 102 Lego pieces for every single person in the world. Whoa. All Lego pieces in the film were digitally rendered, resulting in a total of 3,863,484 pieces. However, if the producers had chosen to make the film stop-motion animation, it would have taken 15,080,330 pieces. The "Where Are My Pants?" running gag parodied How I Met Your Mother. Phil Lord and Chris Miller were writers and executive producers for the show's first season. When the idea was initially pitched, Lego executives weren't interested. Their company was already doing very well, and they didn't want to risk it. They eventually changed their minds after reading the treatment by Kevin and Dan Hageman. The corporation Lord Business runs is called "Octan," which is a fictional brand of gasoline Lego created back in 1992. Morgan Freeman, who voiced Vitruvius, assumed he'd be doing scenes with the other actors, because he thought that's how animated movies worked. Nope. He ended up doing his part alone in a room. Posters in Emmet's apartment clearly reference 21 Jump Street, which Phil Lord and Chris Miller directed in 2012. Macho and the Nerd is actually the Russian title of that film. Consequently, both Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill from 21 Jump Street have cameos in the film as Superman and Green Lantern, respectively. This ended up making Phil Lord and Chris Miller battle with Warner Bros. about letting Superman and Green Lantern have a certain storyline in the film. Both Robert Downey Jr. and Emma Stone were considered for the main roles, but Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks ended up playing the parts. In an older draft of the script, Unikitty ends up with Batman. However, in another version, she ends up with Metal Beard. The directors wanted the Lego pieces to look used and played with, so they worked with their effects team to add fingerprints, fading, and scratches. No one ever says the word "Lego" during the entire movie. Chris Miller drew some of the artwork the characters use in the film. Liam Neeson insisted on doing his Good Cop and Bad Cop characters at the same time, instead of during separate sessions like the directors wanted. According to Will Arnett, Batman was chosen as Wyldstyle's boyfriend to make Emmet feel completely out of her league. No one can compete with Batman. Will Forte, who voiced Abraham Lincoln, actually played the president years earlier in the short-lived TV series Clone High. This show was created by The Lego Movie directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Benny the spaceman's helmet is cracked in a certain spot because Lego's space-line products from the 1980s would tend to break in that exact location. Vitruvius' line, "Ah, we gotta write all that down 'cause I'm not gonna remember any of it, but here we go," wasn't originally in the script. It was only added when Morgan Freeman said it during filming because he was frustrated with all the line changes.
India Today
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Rihanna returns with new single 'Friend of Mine' for upcoming Smurfs movie
Global music superstar Rihanna is returning to the stage after a long break with a brand-new song titled 'Friend of Mine,' set for release on May track will serve as the official soundtrack for the new animated Smurfs film, in which Rihanna also stars as a voice actor and serves as a producer.A Star-Studded Smurfs Adventure Directed by Chris Miller, the film follows the beloved blue characters as they set out on a daring quest to rescue Papa Smurf from a group of cunning wizards. The movie features an all-star voice cast including John Goodman, James Corden, Nick Offerman, and Sandra reported by Hollywood Reporter, the movie is scheduled to hit theaters on July 18. A recently released trailer offers a sneak peek into the storyline, along with a preview of Rihanna's new track."Friend of Mine" is set to be Rihanna's first official single since "Lift Me Up", a ballad she recorded in 2022 for Black Panther: Wakanda song reached Number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and achieved platinum status within a year of its release. Adding to the excitement, Rihanna confirmed at the Met Gala last week that she is pregnant with her third child with rapper A$AP Rocky. Although a new album remains uncertain, fans are eager to hear fresh music from Rihanna. Her dual role as creative contributor and producer on the Smurfs film underscores her expanding influence beyond READ: Disney's 2025 Snow White remake now streaming digitally in UK and US
CBS News
14-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Colorado park damaged by Quarry Fire set for partial reopening May 15
The Deer Creek Canyon Park area has had wildfires before, but none that worried community members quite like the 2024 Quarry Fire. A fast moving blaze, it nearly jumped the crest of the hill on Grizzly Drive, where neighborhoods sit, before low winds and fire crews were able to contain the blaze. Nearly 10 months after the fire damaged roughly 35% of the park, Jefferson County Open Space is set to reopen part of it May 15. "Our natural resources team is thrilled with where we are," said Matt Robbins, who works for Jeffco Open Space. CBS While Deer Creek is flowing and the spring green lights up the hillsides, the burn scare is still highly visible. But residents like Chris Miller are fine living with it, knowing that the park he and his wife regularly bring their dogs to will be available to them again. "We've been asking anytime we see somebody working at the pen space park. We're like, 'Do you know when it's gonna open? Do you have a feel?'", Miller joked. "They would never really give us a clear answer. They would just say, 'sometime this summer.' So, yes, very happy." The park had extensive damage, especially on the upper hillside elevations. Jeffco Open Space had to work on the amount of sediment that was draining from the creeks into Chatfield Reservoir, uproot trees and move rocks that were on unstable ground after the fires and fix trails damaged by bulldozer lines used to contain the blaze. During the partial reopening, park guests will be asked to stay on available trails until further notice. "The park has had a tough -- really tough -- 10 months, and we want to let people into the park, but we want them to know that we need to help the park as well," Robbins said. But the open space team knows how important this park as well as the others in the area are to residents and have been working as quickly as possible to give them back access to the space. "They started asking almost immediately after the fire," Robbins with a laugh. "And so we're thrilled that after 10 months we're able to offer two-thirds of the park." There will be a ceremony at Deer Creek Canyon Park May 15 to commemorate the partial reopening with a full reopening of the park expected to take place August 1. For those like Miller who live in the area, the excitement is palpable. On the first night of the fire, he told CBS Colorado there was a concern that the park would even survive at all. To have it avoid catastrophe and be open just a season later is a win for everyone down near Ken Caryl. "Honestly, it was fabulous that that was the end outcome," Miller concluded.
CNBC
12-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Chris Miller: The Trump admin. believes tariff threats have led to more chip investments in the U.S.
Chris Miller, Tufts Fletcher School associate professor and 'Chip War' author, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the U.S-China trade breakthrough, impact on the chips sector, what the tariff rates for chips will be, semiconductor investments in the U.S., and more.
