The Evening: Ukraine Package, IDF Resignation, Ramblin’ Man, and More

Newsletter - April 22, 2024

Next Ukraine Package to Be Larger than Normal

The Biden administration is preparing a larger-than-normal package of military aid for Ukraine that will include armored vehicles, in addition to urgently needed artillery and air defenses, as Politicoreports.

Senior Israeli Military Official Resigns

The head of intelligence for Israel's military, Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva, resigned on Monday following the intelligence failures that preceded the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, making him the most senior official to offer to step down in the wake of the assault, as the NYT reports.

UN Finds Palestinian Refugee Agency Suffers From Political Bias

The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency must do more to ensure that its employees are politically neutral and it isn't teaching biased content in its schools in Gaza, the UN said Monday, as the WSJ reports.

Executive Education

Security, sustainability, and supply chains are all key factors in the conversation around critical minerals. Join CSIS experts in Building Critical Mineral Security for a Sustainable Future to explore how we can secure access to natural resources essential to national, economic, and energy security. Register here by April 24.

Audio Briefs

CSIS experts give short, spoken-word summaries on the biggest takeaways from their latest reports, white papers, and commentaries-in their own words.

Listen here: "Newcomers Bring New Rules
Shared Leadership in a More Multipolar World" with CSIS's Jon B. Alterman.

In That Number

$60.8 billion

The U.S. House of Representatives approved $60.8 billion in aid to Ukraine, overcoming months of intense Republican opposition to fund urgently needed weapons for the country's military.
Source: The Washington Post

Critical Quote

We need a reset.

- Minouche Shafik, Columbia University President

iDeas Lab

Image

New satellite imagery from April 7 shows that two Chinese navy ships have spent over four months at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base, raising the question of a secret agreement to establish a permanent Chinese military presence at Ream. Read the latest feature from the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative here.

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.

Optics

Photo: Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis/Getty Images

For the fifth day, pro-Palestinian students occupy a central lawn on the Columbia University campus in New York City on April 21, 2024.

Recommended Reading

"After the Supplemental, Ukraine's Path Forward" by CSIS's Max Bergmann.

This Town Upcoming

Tomorrow, starting at 10:45 a.m., the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program hosts a conference on energy security and geopolitics in Europe.

On Wednesday, starting at 8:30 a.m., the CSIS International Security Program convenes leaders from the defense and national security communities for the 2024 Global Security Forum.

On Thursday, at 11:00 a.m., the World Central Kitchen holds a Celebration of Life at the Washington National Cathedral for the seven humanitarians killed in Gaza.

Video

Last week, the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development welcomed Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI) for keynote remarks on strategic competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

Photo: iLab/CSIS

CSIS's new podcast, It's More Than Grit, explores the untold stories of entrepreneurs, highlighting how their success is shaped not just by grit, but by the economic, policy, and social environments of where they live.

Listen to the trailer on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

All you really need to know about the late Dickey Betts, who passed last week at 80, is that he was a seminal force that shaped the sound of Southern rock. And that's a very big deal. I've written extensively in this space about The Allman Brothers Band, their records, and their overarching influence on the fusion and jam band scenes. "At Fillmore East," the band's 1971 live record, stands for me as the best live album ever. The record is timeless, and features Betts and Duane Allman trading guitar licks in an incomparable fashion. After Duane's untimely death in '71, it was Betts that helped carry the band forward. This clip underscores his command of the guitar, his songwriting and singing, and maybe most of all, his down-home authenticity.