Good Evening,
It's Thursday, February 29th. |
Conflicting Reports on Gaza Deaths
Officials in the Gaza Strip said more than 100 people were killed and hundreds more injured in Gaza City on Thursday, accusing Israeli forces of opening fire on a crowd of people waiting for humanitarian aid. Israel said an unspecified number of the casualties were caused by a stampede as residents scrambled to reach a convoy of trucks, as The Washington Post reports. |
Putin Says West Risks Nuclear Conflict
Vladimir Putin said the West faced the prospect of nuclear conflict if it intervened more directly in the war in Ukraine, using an annual speech to the nation on Thursday to escalate his threats against Europe and the United States, as the NYT reports. |
Chinese Automakers Post National Security Threat
President Biden ordered the Commerce Department to open an investigation into foreign-made software in cars, citing Chinese technology as a potential national-security risk, as the WSJ reports. |
Executive Education
Just a few more days to join the premier policy crash course in D.C. Dive deep into the policy process, discovering how different interests across the branches of government play into implementation. Join CSIS experts March 18-21, 2024, virtually or at CSIS Headquarters for "Decoding D.C.: Policy, Power, and People" to explore how interagency interactions and regulatory interpretations can shape policy after it becomes law. 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: "Food as the “Silent Weapon”: Russia’s Gains and Ukraine’s Losses" with CSIS's Caitlin Welsh. |
In That Number
3
Russian forces have seized three more villages in the past few days, suggesting a growing momentum in their advance after taking Avdiivka.
Source: The Washington Post |
Critical Quote
“All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization. Don’t they get that?”
—Vladimir Putin |
iDeas Lab
New satellite imagery of the probable ANGARA, a Russian container ship, at Najin, North Korea, on January 8, 2024 reveals the continuing transfer of large quantities of munitions between North Korea and Russia. Read the latest Beyond Parallel 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: Kremlin Press Office/Getty Images.) Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual state of the nation address in Moscow, Russia on February 29, 2024. |
Recommended Reading
“Skirting the Shores: China’s New High-Tech Research Ship
Probes the Waters around Taiwan” by CSIS's Matthew P. Funaiole, Aidan Powers-Riggs, and Brian Hart. |
This Town Upcoming
On Sunday, at 8:00 p.m., the CSIS Korea Chair hosts a forum to discuss the U.S.-ROK Alliance, as well as the developing partnership between North Korea, China, and Russia.
On Monday, at 8:00 a.m., the CSIS Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies unpacks economic trends that will impact India's economic trajectory in 2024.
Also on Monday, at 10:00 a.m., the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program discusses the European Union as a defense actor, cooperation with the United States, and more. |
Video
Today, the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development discussed Russia’s religious persecution in Ukraine and the spread of misinformation. Watch the full video here. |
Podcasts
In the latest episode, CSIS's Andreyka Natalegawa and Harrison Prétat discuss Tuvalu’s election results, diplomatic moves by New Zealand, China, and Japan, and more.
Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. |
Smiles
Los Angeles, specifically Malibu and Topanga Canyon, became Tom Petty’s home and inspiration for much of his music. When I’m in Malibu in the summer, I typically wake up to Petty’s music and listen to it throughout the day. My first glimpse of the ocean when I get up early to check out the surf looks like some of the images in this music video Petty released for the posthumous “Finding Wildflowers.” It’s a great track and the video does it justice. |
| I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz |
