Deadly Projections

U.S. officials and hospitals braced for an influx of patients as infections of the new coronavirus continued a relentless rise and projections showed the pandemic’s possible heavy toll and lengthy duration, as the WSJ reports.

The Washington Post reports that world leaders are pushing their pandemic responses to the brink, with an unprecedented state of emergency declared in Hungary, military hospital ships arriving in New York and Los Angeles, Ethiopia postponing its first truly democratic elections, and Japanese citizens being warned against travel to one-third of the world. The confirmed number of infections worldwide continues to grow, surpassing 800,000 on Tuesday. In the United States, there are more than 175,000 confirmed cases. And, CDC officials are considering recommending that Americans wear face coverings in public.

Dive Deeper: “U.S. Navy Humanitarian Assistance,” by CSIS’s Stephen Morrison.

“COVID-19 Response Update: March 16-27,” a summary of DoD actions by CSIS’s Mark Cancian and Adam Saxton.

Plan for Venezuela

The Trump administration said today it would lift tough sanctions against Venezuela if both President Nicolás Maduro and his political nemesis, opposition leader Juan Guaidó, stepped aside and agreed to a transitional government guided by both the ruling socialists and opposition lawmakers, as the Washington Post’s Anthony Faiola and Carol Morello report.

U.S. May Rethink Iran Sanctions

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held out the possibility today that the United States may consider easing sanctions on Iran and other nations to help fight the coronavirus epidemic, as Reuters reports.

On the Horizon

In "Geopolitical Scenarios for Asia after COVID-19," the second commentary in our new series, Mike Green explores how the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic shocks could impact the balance of power in Asia.

CSIS’s “On the Horizon” series offers insights into the more fundamental changes we might anticipate for our future social and economic world as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CSIS Executive Education

We invite you to apply to The Dynamics and Implications of China's Rise, a three-day course on China's domestic and elite politics, its growing international influence, and its economic development trajectory.

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

1,500

China said more than 1,500 people who were infected with the new coronavirus but haven’t shown symptoms were excluded from its national tally of confirmed cases, as questions arise about its accounting of the disease.

Source: WSJ

Critical Quote

“I’m tired of being behind this virus. We’ve been behind this virus from day one.”

— New York Governor Andrew Cuomo

iDeas Lab

China had more successful orbital space launches in 2019 than any other nation.

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: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images). Workers sanitize the Western Wall in Jerusalem today.

Video

As the world grapples with COVID-19, Russia has utilized the instability of the pandemic to sow distrust and confusion through disinformation. Last year, CSIS’s senior adviser for homeland security Suzanne Spaulding previewed how Russia’s disinformation campaign has similarly worked to undermine trust in the U.S. justice system. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

In this episode, CSIS's Victor Cha joins me to discuss how South Korea is battling COVID-19 and the innovative strategies they took to prevent a wider spread of the virus. He also gives insight into what is and isn't known on how North Korea is responding to the global pandemic, noting their recent missile tests.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, Coronavirus Crisis Update will bring you the latest updates and analysis from CSIS experts and the leaders directing the global response.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

Graham Nash’s mini set just the other day from his home in New York City on Rolling Stone magazine’s web series “In My Room” warms the heart and fills the soul: “Our House,” “4 + 20,” and “Teach Your Children.”

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.