CIA Director To Help Broker Gaza Deal

President Biden plans to dispatch CIA Director William Burns in the coming days to help broker an ambitious deal between Hamas and Israel that would involve the release of all remaining hostages held in Gaza and the longest cessation of hostilities since the war began, as The Washington Post reports.

NK Tests New Cruise Missile

North Korea said Thursday it conducted its first flight test of a new cruise missile, as it expands its military capabilities in the face of deepening tensions with the United States and neighbors, as the AP reports.

U.S. Secretly Alerted Iran Ahead of ISIS Attack

The U.S. secretly warned Iran that Islamic State was preparing to carry out the terrorist attack early this month that killed more than 80 Iranians in a pair of coordinated suicide bombings, as the WSJ reports.

Executive Education

Ready to take the next step towards policy success in Washington? Join CSIS experts March 18-21, 2024, at CSIS Headquarters for "Decoding D.C.: Policy, Power, and People," to unlock the secrets to thriving in the capital's unique policy landscape. Register here by March 4.

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: "Global Forecast Audio Brief: U.S.-China Technology Competition" with CSIS's Gregory C. Allen.

In That Number

3.3 percent

The U.S. economy grew at a 3.3 percent annual rate in the fourth quarter, easily topping forecasters’ expectations and showing the resilience of the recovery from the pandemic’s economic upheaval.
Source: NYT

Critical Quote

“To have such strong growth, low unemployment and to have inflation coming down that quickly, even the optimists weren’t that optimistic.”

—Brian Rose, Senior Economist at UBS

iDeas Lab

Improving access to electric power is critical for India to meet human development and economic growth priorities. But India faces significant challenges, with a new CSIS report finding India's per capita energy consumption persistently lower than in developed countries. Read the full CSIS 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 credit: Amir Levy/Getty Images.) Israeli soldiers search a field after two drones allegedly crossed from Lebanese territory into Israel and fell near the Kibbutz in Northern Israel on January 25, 2024, in Kfar Blum, Israel.

This Town Upcoming

On Friday, at 11:15 a.m., the CSIS Project on Trade and Technology discusses the Biden administration’s trade, technology, and commercial agenda for 2024.

On Monday, at 10:00 a.m., the CSIS Americas Program unpacks 2024 elections and the future of democracy in El Salvador.

On Tuesday, at 3:00 p.m., CSIS hosts Dr. Joseph S. Nye, Jr. to discuss his newest book, A Life in the American Century.

Video

Today, the Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) hosted a live debate on U.S. nuclear targeting. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

CSIS's Daniel F. Runde is joined by former U.S. Ambassador Luigi Einaudi to reflect on his diplomatic career in Latin America, sharing his experiences at the State Department, the Organization of American States, and as Special Envoy.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

I was going to play another Dire Straits track today from their terrific new live collection, but then a few hours ago the Grateful Dead released a big smile version of “Mississippi Half Step” from ’91 featuring Bruce Hornsby. I love this too much not to share it.

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 by Lauren Adler, Ava Rose, and the External Relations team.