Good Evening,
It's Monday, April 21st. |
World Mourns Pope Francis
Pope Francis, who died on Monday after a papacy in which he spoke out tirelessly for migrants and the marginalized, was praised by world leaders and Catholics around the globe, as the NYT reports. |
Dow and Dollar Drop
Stocks fell, with the Dow industrials dropping almost 1,000 points and on pace for their worst April since 1932, and the dollar hit fresh multiyear lows against the euro and other major currencies. Yields on longer-term Treasuries rose, and gold surged to a fresh record high. Markets are on edge about President Trump's tariff war as well as his threats to fire Fed chief Jerome Powell, as the WSJ reports. |
China Warns Countries Not to Team Up With U.S.
The Chinese government, on Monday, warned other countries against curbing trade with China in order to win a reprieve from American tariffs, promising to retaliate against countries that do so, as the NYT reports. |
Breaking Easter Truce
Russia and Ukraine on Monday each accused the other of violating Russian President Vladimir Putin’s proposed Easter ceasefire thousands of times, drilling home the immense challenges facing the White House as it plows ahead in its quest to quickly end the war, as the The Washington Post reports. |
Executive Education
Volatile trade relations are disrupting markets, shaking industry, and challenging alliances. Navigating a shifting global economy requires a strong understanding of the political and legal foundations of trade. Crash Course: Trade Policy with the Trade Guys explores the nuances of U.S. trade policy and examines the challenges and opportunities facing global trade. Register by April 30. |
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: "What Is Happening to U.S. Humanitarian Assistance? Will the United States Continue to Save Lives?" with CSIS's Michelle Strucke and Marc Cohen. |
In That Number
1.5 percent
U.S. assets tumbled on Monday amid mounting uncertainty over U.S. economic policy following President Donald Trump’s attacks on Federal Reserve chair Jay Powell. The dollar fell as much as 1.5 percent to a three-year low against a basket of its key trading partners on Monday.
Source: FT |
Critical Quote
“Seeking so-called exemptions by harming the interests of others for one’s own selfish and shortsighted gains is like negotiating with a tiger for its skin. In the end, it will only lead to a lose-lose situation.”
—Chinese Ministry of Commerce |
iDeas Lab
Peter Kenilorea, a member of the Solomon Islands Parliament, joins PPP to discuss his visit to Washington, DC, views on Solomon Islands-China relations, and why he’s reading Thomas Sowell’s Basic Economics. 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: Tiziana Fabi/AFP/Getty Images.) Pope Francis waves to the crowd from the popemobile after the Easter mass, at St. Peter's Square in the Vatican on April 20, 2025. |
Recommended Reading
"What Is Happening to U.S. Humanitarian Assistance? Will the United States Continue to Save Lives?" by CSIS's Michelle Strucke and Marc Cohen. |
This Town Tomorrow
At 9:00 a.m., the CSIS Africa Program discusses on how the Alliance for African Multilateral Financial Institutions can grow and further promote the interests of its member states and shareholders.
Later, at 3:00 p.m., the CSIS Energy Security and Climate Change Program hosts a conversation exploring the forces redefining global climate action and the difficult questions facing policymakers in an era of inward-looking politics and great power competition.
Earlier, at 9:30 a.m., Brookings discusses the state of U.S.-Europe relations, European efforts to take charge of their own security, and what to expect in the future. |
Video
Last week, the CSIS Aerospace Security Project hosted a discussion on U.S.-Republic of Korea (ROK) space cooperation. Watch the full video here. |
Podcasts
Last week, The Trade Guys examined the retaliatory export controls on critical minerals put in place by China and the current outlook for partners seeking to make a deal with the White House.
Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.
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Smiles
For several months, I have been trying to explain the excitement about the current Sturgill Simpson tour. If you like roots music, country, and rock and roll, Simpson is your guy. Here’s a clip of a recent performance at Stubbs in Austin that underscores the excitement I’ve been trying to explain. |
| I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz |
