The Evening: Ukraine Milestone, DoD Funding Bill Halted, Ain’t That A Shame, and More

Newsletter - September 21, 2023

Ukrainian Milestone

Ukrainian forces have breached the main Russian defensive line in the southeast of the country with armored vehicles, a significant milestone in the 3½-month counteroffensive aimed at cutting Russia's occupying army in two, as the WSJreports.

Zelensky in Washington

President Zelensky of Ukraine visited the Pentagon on Thursday after speaking with members of Congress, his latest stop in a delicate political mission to Washington scheduled to culminate in a meeting with President Biden at the White House. Jake Sullivan, the White House national security adviser, said that President Biden will announce a new aid package for Ukraine containing "significant air defense capabilities" to coincide with the visit. Meanwhile, there is some disagreement coming from Capitol Hill, as the NYTreports.

Pentagon Funding Bill Fails to Move Forward

Speaker Kevin McCarthy suffered yet another stinging defeat Thursday, as a handful of conservatives tanked a key vote that was supposed to signal the way out of days of intraparty bickering. Instead, GOP hardliners again blockaded the floor for the second time in three days-leaving McCarthy unable to call the party's own defense spending bill to the floor, as Politicoreports.

Executive Education

Beyond the Battlefield: Global Implications of Russia's War in Ukraine breaks down how the February 2022 invasion and concomitant sanctions have been altering national and regional security in Russia, on the European continent, and the United States.

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: "Why Is Russia Blocking Ukraine's Food Exports?" with CSIS's Caitlin Welsh.

In That Number

$24 Billion

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's trip to Capitol Hill comes as Congress is debating President Biden's request to provide as much as $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
Source: AP

Critical Quote

War of attrition is not going to win this. That's what Putin wants. He wants to break the will of the American people and the Europeans.

- Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), House Foreign Affairs Chairman

iDeas Lab

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Criminal groups smuggle enormous amounts of cocaine across the Atlantic. CSIS analysis outlines how cooperation among European and Caribbean governments and the private sector can begin to effectively counter its flow.

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

Optics

Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer walk with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the U.S. Capitol Building on September 21, 2023.

Recommended Reading

"China Is Growing Old Before It Becomes Rich: Does It Matter?" by CSIS's Qin (Maya) Mei, Scott Kennedy, and Ilaria Mazzocco.

This Town Upcoming

Tomorrow, at 2:30 p.m., CSIS welcomes United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Director General of the World Trade Organization Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

On Monday, at 8:45 a.m., U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken joins CSIS for a keynote address at the 8th annual ROK-U.S. Strategic Forum.

Then, on Wednesday, at 9:00 a.m., the CSIS Americas Program discusses Latin America's start-up culture and its entrepreneurial landscape.

Video

On Tuesday, Jeffrey Mankoff and Lisa Aronsson joined CSIS's Max Bergmann to explore the major strategic issues facing the powers operating in the Black Sea region. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

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Dr. Chris Miller joins the podcast to discuss the global competition for technological leadership in the semiconductor industry and China's prospects for catching up to industry leaders.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

The late, legendary Fats Domino was one of the pioneers of rock and roll. Over his lifetime he sold as many as 100 million records and his standards like "Ain't That A Shame," "Blueberry Hill," and "I'm Walkin'" will forever be a staple on "Oldies" radio.

In his hometown of New Orleans, Antoine "Fats" Domino, Jr. was surely a legend, but he was also a real person who lived in a small pink house in the Crescent City's Lower Ninth Ward with his wife Rosemary. He loved New Orleans so much that he retired from touring in the '80s-he didn't like being on the road away from New Orleans and its cuisine.

Seeing Fats Domino perform live in New Orleans was one of the great privileges of my life. That's why I'm so excited that "Fats Domino Live at Tipitina's" is now streaming everywhere. The record captures Fats' last public performance in May 2007. It was a barnburner of a show as Fats and his band run through his standards and famous covers. One of the covers that destroyed me is "Shake, Rattle and Roll." And then there's "Ain't That a Shame."

I invite you to email me at [email protected]and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz