Good Evening,
It's Wednesday, April 3rd. |
Zelensky Lowers Draft Age
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has signed into law three measures aimed at replenishing the ranks of his country’s exhausted and battered army, including the politically poisonous step of lowering the age when men become eligible for mobilization (25), and eliminating some medical exemptions, as the NYT reports. |
Biden Blasts Israel, Policy Unchanged
As outrage built Tuesday over an Israeli strike that killed seven workers from the José Andrés-run World Central Kitchen, President Biden issued a rare direct rebuke of Israel for creating the conditions that have made the distribution of aid inside Gaza so difficult and deadly. Yet, as The Washington Post reports, there is no indication that the Monday deaths of the workers—which included one American—will result in any significant changes to the Biden administration’s unwavering support of Israel. |
Room for Fed to Cut Rates
Stronger-than-anticipated economic activity this year hasn’t changed the Federal Reserve’s broad expectation that declining inflation will allow for interest-rate cuts this year, Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday, as the WSJ reports. |
Executive Education
Rethink innovation. Examine the opportunities and challenges facing the world of science, technology, and industry through the lens of global competition in Renewing the U.S. Innovation System, held at CSIS on April 18. Register here by April 11. |
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: "Government Use of Deepfakes: The Questions to Ask" with CSIS's Daniel Byman. |
In That Number
25
President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a new law lowering the minimum conscription age to 25—a bid to replenish Kyiv’s badly depleted troop ranks fighting Russia.
Source: The Washington Post |
Critical Quote
“In the worst conditions, after the worst terrorist attack in its history, it’s time for the best of Israel to show up.”
—José Andrés, Founder of World Central Kitchen |
iDeas Lab
In the latest episode of Pacific Policy Pulse, CSIS's Kathryn Paik is joined by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, to discuss her engagements with Pacific Island countries. Watch the full video 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: Hualien County Fire Department/Anadolu/Getty Images.) The Uranus Building at Xuanyuan Road is tilted severely after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Taiwan's eastern coast on April 3, 2024. |
Recommended Reading
“The IC’s New OSINT Strategy Gets the Basics Right” by CSIS's Emily Harding. |
This Town Tomorrow
At 9:30 a.m., the CSIS Korea Chair unpacks U.S. policy towards North Korea three years into the Biden administration.
Later, at 4:15 p.m., the CSIS Japan Chair welcomes Richard Armitage and Joseph Nye to launch their new report, The U.S.-Japan Alliance in 2024: Toward an Integrated Alliance.
Earlier, at 2:00 p.m., the Wilson Center discusses the origins of the war in Ukraine and the new age of global instability. |
Video
Today, CSIS and the American Academy of Diplomacy welcomed the Honorable Richard R. Verma, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, for a conversation on the role that diplomacy and development play as pillars of national security. Watch the full video here. |
Podcasts
In the latest episode, Elaine Bunn, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy, joins CSIS's Kathleen McInnis to discuss the complexities involved in nuclear policy and defense strategy.
Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. |
Smiles
Sometimes I can’t believe the older concert footage that is available at the touch of a few keys. How is it even possible that a raw, energized Van Morrison performance from 1974 in San Franciso exists—it does and it’s fantastic. |
| I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz |
