U.S. and El Salvador Won’t Return Mistakenly Deported Man

Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said Monday that he does not plan to return a Maryland man whom the Trump administration mistakenly deported to his country, as The Washington Post reports.

Civilian Death Toll in Ukraine Climbs

The deadliest missile strike on Ukraine this year pushed up the civilian death toll from Russia’s invasion and widened divisions between the U.S. and Kyiv’s European allies over President Trump’s strategy for ending the war, as the WSJ reports.

China Courts Vietnam

President Xi Jinping of China kicked off a weeklong tour of Southeast Asia Monday, landing in Hanoi and trying to rally other nations to Beijing’s side as American tariffs threaten manufacturing networks and economic growth, as the NYT reports.

Executive Education

From clean energy to national security, critical minerals are at the center of global competition. Building Critical Mineral Security for a Sustainable Future provides expert insights into supply chain resilience and sustainability. Join us in person or virtually—register by April 16.

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: "Down But Not Out: The Russian Economy Under Western Sanctions" with CSIS's Nicholas Fenton.

In That Number

35

Russian ballistic missiles slammed into the heart of the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy on Sunday, killing 35 people and wounding many more in the deadliest strike on Ukraine this year, officials said.
Source: Reuters

Critical Quote

“How can I return him to the United States? I smuggle him into the United States? Of course I’m not going to do it.”

—Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele

iDeas Lab

The Trump administration’s 90-day pause on “Liberation Day” reciprocal tariffs – meant to revive declining U.S. manufacturing jobs - offers a window of opportunity for U.S. policymakers to focus on the enduring source of U.S. economic advantage: technology innovation. Read the full 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: Win McNamee/Getty Images.) U.S. President Donald Trump meets with President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador in the Oval Office of the White House on April 14, 2025, in Washington, DC.

This Town Tomorrow

At 9:00 a.m., the CSIS Trustee Chair in Chinese Business and Economics welcomes Emily Feng of NPR to discuss her book, Let Only Red Flowers Bloom: Identity and Belonging in Xi Jinping's China.

Then, at 9:30 a.m., the CSIS Aerospace Security Project discusses the bilateral relationship in civil and commercial space and highlight opportunities for enhancing cooperation between the U.S. and the Republic of Korea.

Later, at 10:30 a.m., CSIS hosts a press briefing analyzing Chinese rare earth export restrictions and the escalating U.S.-China trade conflict.

Video

Last week, Gregory C. Allen, director of the Wadhwani AI Center at CSIS, testified before the House Science, Space, & Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology. He discussed DeepSeek’s AI and how Huawei’s chip gains highlight China’s growing edge in the U.S.-China tech race. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

CSIS’s Victor Cha and Dr. Michael Green recently discussed U.S.-ROK-Japan trilateral cooperation, the Trump administration’s strategy for the Indo-Pacific, and more.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

There are no real spoilers here if you are a fan of the HBO hit series “The Last of Us,” which premiered its second season last night. I do, however, want to mention an incredible band that was featured in a stunning scene from last night’s show. They’re called “Crooked Still” and they’ve recorded one of the best versions I’ve ever heard of Bob Dylan’s classic “Little Sadie.”

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.