The Evening: Talks Halted, Weapons Freeze Fallout, Ship of Fools, and More

Newsletter - May 9, 2024

Talks Halted

High-level hostage negotiations in Cairo were put on hold Thursday, with one official saying that anger had flared among participants over Israel's incursion into the southern Gazan city Rafah, as the NYTreports.

Weapons Freeze Fallout

President Biden's threat to withhold some weapons deliveries raised alarms in Israel about a rupture in relations with its most important international supporter, as the WSJreports.

Report Spotlights Sudan Slaughter

In a report released today, Human Rights Watch says that after the slaughter of civilians in Darfur's El Geneina in November, El Fashir fears a similar fate, as The Washington Postreports.

Executive Education

Unlock intentional, impactful leadership development with the CSIS Accelerator Series, a tailored program that connects rising professionals with industry-leading coaches across 21 essential skills. Over nine months, participants will refine their professional skills and leadership style while connecting with fellow rising leaders in Washington, DC. Apply by May 10.

Audio Briefs

CSIS now offers full audio versions of our latest analysis. Listen to CSIS's Caitlin Welsh, Jude Blanchette, and Lily McElwee's latest commentary with Ryan Hass and Ryan McElveen, "The Case for U.S.-China Cooperation on Climate-Smart Agriculture."

In That Number

92

The Israeli government estimates that 252 hostages were taken in the cross-border Oct. 7 Hamas attack, but only 92 hostages are believed to still be alive and in captivity in the Gaza Strip.
Source: The Washington Post

Critical Quote

We have a cruel enemy here. Is this the time to put restrictions on Israel's weapons?

- Gilad Erdan, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations

iDeas Lab

Image

According to new CSIS analysis, Hong Kong and mainland China have become closely integrated in recent years. In a notable shift, companies from mainland China with regional headquarters in Hong Kong outnumbered U.S. companies in 2022 for the first time in at least 30 years.

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

Optics

Photo: Natalia Kolesnikova/AFP/Getty Images

Russian servicemen march on Red Square during the Victory Day military parade, celebrating the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II, in central Moscow, on May 9, 2024.

Recommended Reading

"Europe's Fiscal Crossroads" by CSIS's Max Bergmann and Federico Steinberg.

This Town Upcoming

Tomorrow, at 10:00 a.m., the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development welcomes Assistant Secretary for International Trade and Development Alexia Latortue for a discussion on U.S. leadership in the multilateral development system.

On Monday, at 11:00 a.m., the CSIS Korea Chair examines how additional South Korean ammunitions can potentially assist Ukraine in the face of dwindling stockpiles.

Also on Monday, at 1:00 p.m., the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program discusses challenges facing the U.S. electric power sector and solutions to expand system capacity.

Video

Today, the CSIS Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics and the CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies discussed the resilience and erosion of Hong Kong's autonomy across a range of spheres, including governance, the economy, and civil society. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

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CSIS's Jon B. Alterman joins the podcast to discuss the complex set of options that Israel and the United States are facing to secure peace in the Middle East.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

Building on yesterday's clip of newly released archival music by Little Feat, today, the Grateful Dead have a historic offering of their own. On June 21, the Dead will issue their "From the Mars Hotel (50th Anniversary Edition)." The album is notable for its upbeat standout tracks "Scarlet Begonias," "U.S. Blues," and "Unbroken Chain." It's also notable that drummer Mickey Hart is absent from the recording as he remained on a multi-year hiatus from the band.

The anniversary album includes demos and a previously unreleased live performance at University of Nevada, Reno recorded in May of 1974. Here's a sample of the show featuring the superb "Mars Hotel" closing track, "Ship of Fools."

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