Trump Meets With Venezuela Opposition Leader Guaidó at White House

President Trump met with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó at the White House on Wednesday after he vowed during Tuesday’s State of the Union to oust Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, as the WSJ’s Andrew Restuccia and Catherine Lucey report.

Media Crackdown in China on Coronavirus

The New York Times today reports that in China there is a new crackdown on the media and on the internet, and it signals an effort to control the narrative about a crisis that has become a once-in-a-generation challenge for leaders in Beijing, as the New York Times reports.

Dive Deeper: “Panicky Responses to the Coronavirus are Dangerous—Here’s Why,” by CFR’s Yanzhong Huang.

U.S. Worried About Syrian Assault in Idlib

The United States is “very, very worried” about the escalation in Syria’s northwestern province of Idlib, led by an assault by Syrian government forces and supported by Russians, and was also seeing active support of Iranian militia and Hezbollah on the ground, the top U.S. envoy for Syria said on Wednesday, as Reuters reports.

CSIS Executive Education

We invite you to apply or nominate a high-potential employee for the 2020 CSIS Accelerator Series, a training program designed to help young professionals refine their strengths in leadership, management, communication, and a range of professional skills required in today's competitive work environment.

Video Shorts

Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Testify,” "What's Happening," "Preview," and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!

In That Number

1.7%

The U.S. trade deficit in goods and services shrank 1.7% last year to $616.8 billion, the first decline in 6 years, according to Commerce Department data released today.

Source: WSJ

Critical Quote

“We believe that Palestinian armed organizations will stand and continue resistance and the Islamic Republic sees supporting Palestinian groups as its duty.”

— Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

iDeas Lab

The shortcomings of humanitarian assistance in Syria has created deeper structural consequences for overall civilian health, education, and well-being that will take decades to recover.

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

Optics

(Photo credit: Mark WilsonGetty Images). President Donald Trump welcomes Juan Guiado, interim president of Venezuela, to the White House.

This Town Tomorrow

At 8:00 a.m., CSIS will host the China Initiative Conference to discuss the Department of Justice’s efforts to confront Chinese threats to national security.

At 2:00 p.m., CSIS will host a conversation with James Mann to discuss his book "The Great Rift: Dick Cheney, Colin Powell, and the Broken Friendship that Defined an Era."

Also, at 2:00 p.m., CSIS will host the inaugural event in the Synthetic Biology: The Ongoing Technology Revolution Series where experts will introduce the science of synthetic biology and its national security and economic implications.

Video

CSIS today hosted a panel discussion on how the United States can establish a framework for sustained engagement in a transitioning Afghanistan. Watch the event here.

Podcasts

On a new episode of the Take as Directed podcast, Stephen Morrison talks with Ambassador Jimmy Kolker and CSIS's Carolyn Reynolds to discuss pandemic preparedness investments.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

So, my dive yesterday into Led Zep’s “Coda Deluxe” piqued my friend Scott’s interest. Scott isn’t just any friend either, he’s one of my closest and he knows more about music than just about anyone I know. He’s a second generation professional musician, manages world-famous recording studios and has worked with some of the biggest artists in the world—most recently Ozzy Osbourne.

Scott texted last night and said “The drums on ‘Darlene’ are insane.” I agree. “Darlene” was a track that didn’t make Zeppelin’s eight and final studio album, “In Through The Outdoor” released in 1979. Hard to believe it didn’t make the record.

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

The Evening is my daily guide to key insights CSIS brings to the events of the day. It is composed with the External Relations team: Emma Colbran, Caleb Diamond, and Brad Honigberg.