Thousands Fleeing Syrian Offensive

Hundreds of thousands of people fleeing a Russian-backed Syrian offensive are being squeezed into ever smaller areas near Turkey’s border “under horrendous conditions” in freezing temperatures that are killing babies and young children, the UN humanitarian chief said today, as the AP’s Edith Lederer reports.

Dive Deeper: “Turkey’s Options for Pressuring Russia in Idlib Are Limited,” by the Washington Institute’s Soner Cagaptay.

Ongoing Risk

The hundreds of passengers being released by Japan from the Diamond Princess posed an “ongoing risk” of spreading the coronavirus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control warned as about 500 people began disembarking from the stricken cruise ship, as the FT’s Robin Harding and Alice Woodhouse report.

And, as the NYT reports, two people have died of coronavirus in Iran.

Dive Deeper: “What's Next for COVID-19?” by former CDC director Tom Frieden for Think Global Health.

Taliban Discussions

U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday discussed a U.S. deal with Taliban militants on a weeklong reduction in violence, meeting the day after Ghani was declared a winner of a disputed presidential poll, as Reuters reports.

CSIS Executive Education

We invite you to apply for the Project on Nuclear Issues's 2020 Mid-Career Cadre, a select group comprised of nuclear professionals that have been in the field for five or more years and demonstrate particular promise for developing expertise and moving into leadership positions. Applications are due by March 31.

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

6.3%

Japan’s economy contracted at an annualized rate of 6.3 percent in the October-December quarter, worse than economists’ forecast of a 3.9 percent contraction.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Critical Quote

“Countries should be wary of authoritarian regimes and their empty promises. They breed corruption, dependency and instability, not prosperity, sovereignty and progress.”

— Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

iDeas Lab

In the latest episode of "High Resolution," Lachlan Carey, associate fellow with the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program, explains how climate change is intensifying Australia's bushfires.

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: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images). Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley and Navy veteran Ira Rigger, who participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima, bow their heads in prayer during a ceremony commemorating the battle at the World War II Memorial today in Washington.

This Town Tomorrow

At 8:30 a.m., CSIS will host a discussion on innovation in energy storage as part of its new Energy Innovation Series.

Then, at 12:00 p.m., the Atlantic Council will host an event exploring how infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia fit into intensifying strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific, featuring CSIS's Jonathan Hillman.

Later, at 3:30 p.m., the Africa Growth Initiative at Brookings and UNDP will co-host an event featuring a high-level panel of experts in inequality and African economic development to discuss the economic, governance, and security implications of the diverse and evolving inequalities across the continent.

Video

CSIS today hosted Walter Copan, under secretary of commerce for standards and technology and director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, for a discussion on the institute's privacy framework. Watch the event here.

Podcasts

In the latest episode of "Defense 2020," host Kathleen Hicks continues a discussion with Susanna Blume, Zack Cooper, and Dave Ochmanek on the major debates surrounding U.S. overseas military forces.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

“Leaving Texas
Fourth day of July
Sun so hot, clouds so low
The eagles filled the sky”

I know you all want one more from Wynonna and Bob Weir. So do I. “Jack Straw from Wichita…”

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.