The Evening: Urging Restraint, Russian Missile Attack, French Quarter Fest, and More

Newsletter - April 17, 2024

Urging Restraint

The top diplomats of Britain and Germany were in Israel on Wednesday, urging leaders there to avoid a wider regional conflict as they decide how to respond to last weekend's Iranian retaliatory attack, as The Washington Postreports.

Russian Missile Attack

At least 17 people were killed and scores more injured when three Russian missiles struck a busy downtown district of Chernihiv, north of Kyiv, just before noon on Wednesday, as the NYTreports.

IMF Warms of Profound Global Economic Impact

The U.S. and Chinese governments should take action to lower future borrowing, as a surge in their debts threatens to have "profound" effects on the global economy and the interest rates paid by other countries, the International Monetary Fund said Wednesday, as the WSJreports.

Executive Education

Security, sustainability, and supply chains are all key factors in the conversation around critical minerals. Explore the natural resources essential to national, economic, and energy security in Building Critical Mineral Security for a Sustainable Future. Register here by April 18.

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

14

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah claimed responsibility for a cross-border drone and missile attack in northern Israel on Wednesday that emergency officials said had injured at least 14 people.
Source: NYT

Critical Quote

This would not have happened if Ukraine had received enough air defense equipment and if the world's determination to counter Russian terror was also sufficient. Terrorists can destroy lives only when they first manage to intimidate those who are able to stop terror and protect life.

- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky

iDeas Lab

Image

New satellite imagery indicates no imminent launch at the Sohae Satellite Launching Station. However, movement observed at critical facilities suggests a planned launch was unexpectedly canceled. Read the latest Beyond Parallel 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: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images

Iranian soldiers march past President Ebrahim Raisi during a military parade as part of a ceremony marking the country's annual army day in Tehran on April 17, 2024.

Recommended Reading

"Space Threat Assessment 2024" by CSIS's Clayton Swope, Kari A. Bingen, Makena Young, Madeleine Chang, Stephanie Songer, and Jeremy Tammelleo.

This Town Tomorrow

At 8:00 a.m., the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development hosts the eighth CSIS Global Development Forum, which will cover economic growth, decarbonization, and key challenges and opportunities for development.

Then, at 9:00 a.m., the CSIS Korea Chair discusses South Korea's 2024 National Assembly election.

Later, at 10:00 a.m., the Wilson Center holds a discussion on repurposing Russia's frozen assets to fund Ukraine, covering legal, financial, and political aspects.

Video

Today, the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development hosted a discussion featuring Congressman Mike Waltz (R-FL) on the critical role of education in bolstering national security and enhancing the stability of nations. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

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In the latest episode of Babel, CSIS's Jon B. Alterman speaks with Hiba Husseini, a Palestinian lawyer and a legal adviser to Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations for 30 years. They discuss the state of pro-peace communities after October 7th and the war in Gaza's effect on future peacemaking efforts.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

Last weekend I attended the annual French Quarter Festival (FQF) in New Orleans-my second home. What is great about the FQF is that it's two weeks before the larger scale Jazz and Heritage Festival, yet almost all of the superb musicians from New Orleans and broader Louisiana perform to a mostly local crowd. At FQF, you can easily experience the depth of New Orleans and Louisiana music: soul, brass, funk, rock, blues, country, Mardi Gras Indian, traditional jazz, modern jazz, R & B, swamp pop, Cajun, and zydeco, to name a few genres.

New Orleanians and those who visit the Crescent City tend to define their day by answering a few key questions: What did you eat today? Drink? What music did you hear? Did you sit by the River or the Lake? At FQF the answers to those questions are really fun to answer. "Well, today I had jambalaya, an Abita Light, a cochon de lait po-boy, and a mango freeze. And I heard John Boutte, Ivan Neville, Lynn Drury, and Feufollet jam along the River."

You might not get to eat jambalaya today, but here's what the excellent Southwest Louisiana band Feufollet sounds like.

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