Good Evening,
It's Wednesday, May 8th. |
Weapons Halted
The White House says it has halted a shipment of bombs to Israel and is reviewing other proposed arms deals, hoping to force Israel to rethink its military assault on Rafah, as the WSJ reports. |
China-Serbia Ties
China and Serbia on Wednesday proclaimed an “ironclad friendship” and a “shared future” during a visit to Belgrade by the Chinese president, Xi Jinping, underlining the close political and economic ties between two countries that share a wariness of the United States, as the NYT reports. |
Ukraine Power Grid Attacked
Russian forces unleashed a nighttime barrage of more than 50 cruise missiles and explosive drones at Ukraine’s power grid Wednesday, targeting a wide area in what President Volodymyr Zelensky called a “massive” attack on the day the country celebrates the defeat of Nazism in World War II, as the AP reports. |
Executive Education
Unlock intentional, impactful leadership development with the CSIS Accelerator Series, a tailored program that connects rising professionals with industry-leading coaches across 21 essential skills. Over nine months, participants will refine their professional skills and leadership style while connecting with fellow rising leaders in Washington, DC. Apply by May 10. |
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: "The Erosion of Hong Kong’s Autonomy since 2020: Implications for the United States" with CSIS's Scott Kennedy. |
In That Number
80 Percent
DTEK, Ukraine's largest power supplier, said on Wednesday that 80 percent of its "available generating capacity" has been "damaged or destroyed" from the Russian missile strikes targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
Source: The Washington Post |
Critical Quote
“We’re going to continue to do what’s necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself. But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah…We haven’t made any decisions. We did pause as we reevaluated some of the security assistance we’re providing.”
—Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense |
iDeas Lab
New satellite imagery indicates that North Korea conducted an unannounced test of a liquid propellant rocket engine from the Yunsong vertical engine test facility during in early April 2024, underscoring North Korea’s push to develop a more advanced missile and rocket launching station. 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: Ashraf Amra/Anadolu/Getty Images.) Palestinians who migrated from the neighborhoods in the east of Rafah and reached the coastal side of the city of Deir al-Balah after the Israeli army took control of the Rafah border crossing on the Gazan side on May 8, 2024. |
Recommended Reading
"The Case for U.S.-China Cooperation on Climate-Smart Agriculture" by CSIS's Caitlin Welsh, Jude Blanchette, Lily McElwee, and Brookings' Ryan Hass and Ryan McElveen. |
This Town Tomorrow
At 8:00 a.m., the CSIS Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics and the Freeman Chair in China Studies host a discussion on their latest report, The Erosion of Hong Kong’s Autonomy Since 2020: Implications for the United States.
Later, at 2:00 p.m., the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace holds a conversation with Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog to discuss the prospects for ending the Israel-Hamas war.
Also at 2:00 p.m., the Wilson Center discusses the upcoming elections in Mexico and the challenges the next administration and voters might face. |
Video
Yesterday, the CSIS Strategic Technologies Program welcomed representatives from the U.S. Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for a discussion on the NTIA's Wireless Innovation Fund grant program. Watch the full video here. |
Podcasts
Hans Grundberg, the United Nations' special envoy of the secretary-general for Yemen, joins CSIS's Jon B. Alterman to discuss the UN mediator role and what makes an effective mediator.
Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. |
Smiles
I get super excited when Little Feat releases archival material. In advance of their 50th anniversary special edition of “Feats Don’t Fail Me Now,” which hits platforms on June 14, they released an alternative version of “Rock and Roll Doctor.” Great version. |
| I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz |
