The Evening: Vow to Invade, South China Sea Skirmish, Petty at Jazz Fest, and More

Newsletter - April 30, 2024

Vow to Invade

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated Israel's position that its forces will launch an anticipated military operation in Rafah regardless of whether a cease-fire and hostage deal is reached with Hamas. He made the remark amid fresh optimism that new negotiations could lead to a halt in fighting, as The Washington Post reports.

Protests Rage On

Columbia University said it would expel students who had occupied a building on campus as part of a pro-Palestinian demonstration early on Tuesday morning, as clashes over the war in Gaza continued to escalate at American universities, as the NYT reports.

South China Sea Skirmish

Chinese coast guard ships fired water cannons at two Philippine patrol vessels Tuesday near a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, damaging both in the latest flare-up in an increasingly tense territorial conflict, as the AP reports.

Executive Education

Master the ins and outs of trade policy in just two days with CSIS Trade Guys Scott Miller and Bill Reinsch. Join virtually May 13-14 for Crash Course: Trade Policy with the Trade Guysto gain insights into current international trade dynamics, connect with industry professionals, and look over the horizon to see what may be next for U.S. trade policy. Register hereby May 6.

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:"Space Threat Assessment 2024" with CSIS's Clayton Swope.

In That Number

50,000

The BBC's latest estimate of the Russian death toll claims it has passed the 50,000 mark in the war with Ukraine, though it acknowledged the real figure is likely much higher and exceeds the Russian death toll of last year.
Source: The Washington Post

Critical Quote

"We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there-with or without a deal, in order to achieve the total victory."

- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

iDeas Lab

Image

CSIS polls indicate that the top reason South Korean elites do not favor nuclearization is the risk of international sanctions and reputational loss of status that would come if they went nuclear. Read the latest Korea Chair analysis 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: Alex Kent/Getty Images

Demonstrators supporting Palestinians in Gaza barricade themselves inside Hamilton Hall, an academic building at Columbia University, on April 30, 2024, in New York City.

Recommended Reading

"Innovation and Antitrust in Competition with China" by CSIS's James Andrew Lewis.

This Town Tomorrow

At 1:00 p.m., the CSIS International Security Program welcomes Admiral Christopher W. Grady, USN, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Retired Navy Rear Admiral Ray Spicer, CEO and Publisher of the U.S. Naval Institute Raymond.

Then, at 3:30 p.m., the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program hosts a presentation on the National Petroleum Council's new report, Charting the Course-Reducing GHG Emissions from the U.S. Natural Gas Supply Chain.

Later, at 4:00 p.m., the CSIS Strategic Technologies Program discusses how private sector efforts can help strengthen incident awareness and response in the IT and communications sectors.

Video

Yesterday, the CSIS International Security Program hosted the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, Admiral Linda L. Fagan, for a discussion on the current and future challenges in the Indo-Pacific. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

Photo: iLab/CSIS

In the second episode, Linda Rottenberg, co-founder and CEO of Endeavor, joins the podcast for a discussion on her journey towards starting Endeavor and highlights the qualities of a good entrepreneur, shares her advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, and more.

Listen on Spotify& Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

This mesmerizing performance by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at Jazz Fest in 2017 is as unforgettable as Petty is. The atmosphere at Jazz Fest isn't lost on some of rock and roll's greatest.

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