Good Evening,
It's Wednesday, December 20th.
Note: The Evening will be “gone fishin’” until Wednesday, January 3rd. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all! |
Hamas Leader Visits Cairo
Hamas’ top leader traveled to Cairo on Wednesday for talks on the war in Gaza, part of a flurry of diplomacy aimed at securing another cease-fire and hostage swap, as the AP reports. |
EU Migration Deal
European countries struck a key deal on Wednesday to overhaul their joint migration system, an agreement years in the making and aimed at allaying mounting pressure from ascendant far-right political parties across the continent, as the NYT reports. |
U.S. Prisoner Exchange with Venezuela
Venezuela turned over to the U.S. a man at the center of a Navy bribery scandal and released 10 detained Americans in a prisoner exchange in which President Biden granted clemency to a prominent moneyman for President Nicolás Maduro, as the WSJ reports. |
Executive Education
The 2024 Executive Education Catalog offers an early look at all the programming to come in the new year, for anyone looking to get smart on geopolitical issues. Join policy workshops on pressing global issues crafted by top-tier scholars or explore leadership programs to get you to the next level in a rapidly-changing world. |
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: "Hamas’s October 7 Attack: Visualizing the Data" with CSIS's Riley McCabe. |
In That Number
1
Israel has offered a one-week cease-fire in exchange for hostages still being held by Hamas, Egyptian officials said Wednesday.
Source: WSJ |
Critical Quote
“Migration is a European challenge that requires European solutions.”
—Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission |
iDeas Lab
A new CSIS publication presents 10 figures and images to illustrate different dimensions of Hamas's October 7 attack, Israel's response, and the impact for Gaza and the world.
The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.![]() ![]() ![]() |
Optics
(Photo credit: John Wessels/AFP/Getty Images.) A Congolese police officer blocks a door after voters forced their way into a voting station in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on December 20, 2023. |
Recommended Reading
“Hamas’s October 7 Attack: Visualizing the Data” by CSIS's Daniel Byman, Riley McCabe, Alexander Palmer, Catrina Doxsee, Mackenzie Holtz, and Delaney Duff. |
This Town Upcoming
On January 16, at 8:00 a.m., the CSIS Asia Program hosts the 2024 Indo-Pacific Forecast to preview economic, political, and security developments across the region.
On January 18, at 10:00 a.m., the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues welcomes Pranay Vaddi, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Arms Control, Disarmament, and Nonproliferation at the National Security Council.
On January 25, at 10:00 a.m., the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues hosts a live debate on U.S. Nuclear Targeting. |
Video
Recent changes by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government have raised concerns among some Britons and environmentalists that the country will fall short of its promises to fight climate change. Joseph Majkut and Quill Robinson of the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program discuss the implications of these changes and how the UK can still demonstrate leadership and meet its climate commitments. This is what's happening with the United Kingdom's climate policy. |
Podcasts
In the last Eurofile episode of 2023, CSIS's Max Bergmann and Donatienne Ruy recap the recent European Council meeting, where EU leaders agreed to open accession negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova but failed to agree on a $55 billion aid package.
Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. |
Smiles
My favorite rock and roll Xmas song is by the Boss, “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.” Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and New Year to all! |
| I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz |
