Israel May Shift Focus to Hezbollah

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s comments over the weekend suggested that Israel may soon be mounting fewer offensive operations against Hamas in Gaza and will instead focus on a separate conflict with Hezbollah, as the NYT reports.

Terrorist Attack in Russia

A terrorist attack that killed at least 20 people over the weekend in Dagestan exposes some of Russia’s growing security weak spots deep in its hinterland, as the Kremlin focuses instead on pursuing its war in Ukraine and silencing its political opponents in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as the WSJ reports.

NK Resumes Balloon Trash to SK

North Korea resumed launches of balloons likely carrying trash toward South Korea on Monday night, South Korea’s military said, in the latest round of a Cold War-style campaign on the Korean Peninsula, as the AP reports.

Executive Education

The Breakthrough Leadership Program helps rising leaders navigate global issues, fine-tuning key skills for success. Designed for mid-career professionals from marginalized backgrounds, it blends virtual and in-person sessions to provide tools and knowledge for career advancement. Applications close June 28.

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: "Using Artificial Intelligence to Rethink the Unified Command Plan" with CSIS's Benjamin Jensen.

In That Number

20

A seemingly coordinated assault by gunmen in the two largest cities of the Dagestan region in Russia left at least 20 people dead.
Source: NYT

Critical Quote

“The intense phase of the war will come to an end very soon. But that does not mean that the war will be over…I am willing to make a partial deal, which will bring some of the people back to us. That is no secret. But we’re committed to continuing the war after the truce.”

—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

iDeas Lab

China is spending double its 2015 R&D expenditure and 56 times the amount it spent in 1995, the year the government proposed a development strategy prioritizing science, technology and education. 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: Raheb Homavandi/AFP/Getty Images.) Supporters attend an election campaign rally by Iranian presidential candidate and former nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili in Tehran, on June 24, 2024, ahead of the upcoming Iranian presidential election.

This Town Tomorrow

At 9:30 a.m., the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development hosts a discussion on how international organizations and development agencies can harness the potential of AI technology while ensuring robust safeguards.

Later, at 10:00 a.m., the CSIS Humanitarian Agenda discusses challenges, opportunities, and strategies to provide more aid to Haitians in need.

Earlier, at 9:00 a.m., the Stimson Center hosts a discussion on the Putin-Kim summit outcomes.

Video

Today, the CSIS Korea Chair hosted a live recording of the Impossible State podcast, examining the significance of the Putin-Kim summit, the strengthening Russia-North Korea alliance, the implications of this alliance for regional and global security, and why the Russia-North Korea alliance is a threat like no other. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

CSIS’s Victor Cha joins the podcast to discuss Vladimir Putin’s visit to Pyongyang and why he believes the “Mutual Defense Treaty” agreed to by Russia and North Korea is the greatest threat to U.S. national security since the Korean War.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

“Country music is some of the first music I ever heard.”
—Tom Petty

Last Friday, some of country music’s superstars released a stellar collection of Tom Petty songs on a tribute album called “Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty.” Produced by the Petty estate and some of Petty’s closest collaborators, this record features luminaries such as Wynonna Judd, George Strait, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Dierks Bentley, Lainey Wilson, and others. The songs themselves are carefully curated from the Petty canon and received approval from Petty’s daughter Adria and longtime producer George Drakoulias.

I’ve been digging into it, and it’s such a joy. Take this powerful cut by Wynonna and Lainey Wilson duetting on “Refugee.”

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.