Slaying Outside Jewish Museum Was Targeted Terrorism, FBI Says

The man accused in the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy employees in Washington late Wednesday had a history of pro-Palestinian activism, and a scheduled post condemning the war in Gaza appeared on one of his social media accounts less than an hour after the attack. And, as the NYT reports, on Thursday, federal agents in tactical gear descended on the Chicago home of the suspect. The FBI director, Kash Patel, referred to the killings as an act of terror.

Kim Jong Un’s New Warship Capsizes at Launch Due

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s dream of modernizing his country’s outdated naval fleet suffered a major setback after a much-touted warship crashed into the water after a botched exit from the dock, as the WSJ reports.

RFK Jr. MAHA Report

A much anticipated report led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says that children’s health is in crisis and that it’s likely the result of ultraprocessed food, exposure to chemicals, lack of exercise, stress, and overprescription of drugs, as Politico reports.

Executive Education

A confrontation with China could reshape the global order. Analyze China’s military rise and test U.S. response strategies in Meeting China’s Military Challenge. Join CSIS experts from June 3 to 4, 2025, for expert briefings and an interactive wargame. Register by May 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: "Improving Cooperation with Allies and Partners in Asia" with CSIS's Dan Byman.

In That Number

500,000

Negotiations between the United Arab Emirates and the Trump administration culminated in a deal last week to allow the UAE to import up to 500,000 AI chips a year, overturning Biden administration restrictions that limited access to cutting-edge AI chips to only the closest of U.S. allies.
Source: WSJ

Critical Quote

“We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against Israel.”

—Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

iDeas Lab

New satellite imagery from today, May 22, confirms the failed launch of North Korea's “newly-built 5000-tonnage destroyer,” assessed to be the second Choe Hyon-class guided missile destroyer (DDGHM). This close-up view shows the DDGHM covered in a collection of blue tarps and surrounded by a crane barge and other support vessels. View 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: Tasos Katopodis/AFP/Getty Images.) Attorney General Pam Bondi visits the site where two Israeli Embassy staff members, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were gunned down Wednesday evening outside the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum on May 22, 2025.

This Town Upcoming

On Tuesday, at 2:00 p.m., the CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department hosts the 5th meeting of the Transatlantic Dialogue on Indo-Pacific.

Then, on Wednesday, at 9:00 a.m., the CSIS Wadhwani AI Center explores the evolution of modern warfare in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Later on Wednesday, at 10:30 a.m., the CSIS Americas Program discusses the growing appeal of Guatemala as a strategic location for investment in the evolving global supply chain landscape.

Video

President Paul Alivisatos of the University of Chicago joins CSIS's Navin Girishankar on Betting on America to discuss the role of universities in the U.S. science, technology, and innovation ecosystem. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

CSIS's Mvemba Phezo Dizolele is joined by Thierno-Habib Hann, CEO of Shelter Afrique Development Bank, to examine the scale of Africa’s housing deficit, the barriers to affordability, and the emerging solutions driving sustainable urban development across the continent.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

I’m often asked: “What is the most authentic New Orleans music club?” It’s a great question, because truly local Big Easy experiences are elusive to most. This isn’t to say that your average tourist can’t find their way to a show at Tipitina’s or Preservation Hall. Those places are quintessential, and they have provided decades of magic and more to come.

But if you want to strip the Crescent City music scene down to its essence, make sure you hit Vaughan’s Lounge in the Bywater neighborhood to see Corey Henry & Treme Funktet on a Thursday night. Here’s what that looks and sounds like.

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.