Shooting in Germany

A German gunman driven by racism and diffuse conspiracy theories opened fire on two bars frequented by immigrants late Wednesday, killing nine people and shocking a nation where violent crimes targeting minorities have spiked against the backdrop of a resurgent far right, as the NYT’s Jack Ewing and Melissa Eddy report.

Health Experts Warn of Mounting Cases of Coronavirus Beyond China

Authorities worldwide warned about the spread of the coronavirus beyond China on Thursday as Japan reported the first two deaths from the Diamond Princess cruise liner, South Korea reported its first fatality, and new cases in Iran sparked fears about many new cases appearing in the Middle East, as the Washington Post reports.

Dive Deeper: “Coronavirus Update: Rapid Construction of Medical Facilities,” by CSIS’s Steve Morrison and Jude Blanchette.

Flare-Up in Fighting in Northwest Syria

Turkish forces and Syrian rebels fought government troops in northwest Syria on Thursday and Russian warplanes struck back in a sharp escalation of an intense battle over the last rebel bastions, 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

75,768

There are 75,768 confirmed global cases of coronavirus and 2,130 have died as a result of the outbreak.

Source: FT

Critical Quote

“Racism is poison, hatred is poison and this poison exists in society and it is to blame for too many crimes.”

— German Chancellor Angela Merkel

iDeas Lab

Leishenshan Hospital is located on what was an approximately 43.7-acre bus station. Construction plans were announced on January 25. Although construction was ongoing, the hospital was opened on February 8. Read the latest CSIS coronavirus update.

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: Emmanuele Contini/Getty Images). People gather for a vigil at the Brandenburg Gate to commemorate the victims of the Hanau shootings today in Berlin.

This Town Tomorrow

At 10:00 a.m., CSIS will host Secretary of the Army Ryan D. McCarthy, Secretary of the Air Force Barbara M. Barrett, and Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas B. Modly to discuss the state of military services, defense strategy, and key initiatives in the FY 2021 budget and associated futures years defense program.

Also, at 11:00 a.m., the World Resources Institute will host Dittee Juul Jørgensen, Director-General for Energy of the European Commission, among other experts to discuss strategies to align financial institutions with the Paris Agreement.

Later, at 12:30 p.m., the Georgetown University Asian Studies Program will host former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar Derek Mitchell, president of the National Democratic Institute for a conversation on U.S. foreign policy in Southeast Asia.

Video

CSIS today hosted former Deputy National Security Advisor and Deputy Director of the CIA Avril Haines, Dr. Robert Jervis of Columbia University, and Dr. Peter W. Singer of New America to discuss how decision-makers think about strategic situational awareness, emerging technologies, and risk in crises between nuclear-armed states. Watch the event here.

Podcasts

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

“You know this space is gettin' hot.”

The debate rages among fans of the Grateful Dead as to which live version of any given song is the “best ever” version of said song. When it comes to the song “Althea,” I’ve always thought the best version came from a live show at Nassau Coliseum in May of 1980. And that version is the greatest one. But I recently came across another version I love, live at Hartford Civic Center, October 14, 1983.

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.