Iran Working at Fordow

Satellite images taken in the days after the American attack on Iran’s Fordow nuclear enrichment site show a flurry of activity at the heavily fortified facility built deep inside a mountain, as the NYT reports.

Russia Masses 50,000 Troops Around Sumy

Russian forces have now poured over the border in the opposite direction toward Sumy. With 50,000 troops in the area, they outnumber the Ukrainians roughly 3-to-1, according to soldiers fighting there, as the WSJ reports.

U.S. Dollar Suffers Worst Start to Year Since 1973

The U.S. dollar is headed for its worst first half of the year since 1973, as Donald Trump’s trade and economic policies prompt global investors to rethink their exposure to the world’s dominant currency, as the FT reports.

Executive Education

Looking for the tools to navigate times of uncertainty and significant change with minimum disruption? The CSIS Global Strategy Lab combines virtual and in-person experiences to deliver the strategic insight, global perspective, and communication tools required to drive success in times of change. Register by August 29 to join a community of seasoned leaders from across the private sector, government, and nonprofits.

Audio Briefs

CSIS now offers audio versions of our latest analysis. Listen to the latest Critical Questions by CSIS's Andrew Friedman, "Can Washington Counter Beijing Without Repeating Cold War Mistakes?"

In That Number

100 million

Membership in China’s ruling Communist Party passed the 100 million mark, but the pace of growth slowed for the third straight year amid Beijing’s long-running push to rein in the party’s expansion.
Source: Bloomberg

Critical Quote

“Their main strategy [is to] wear us down with their numbers.”

—Gen. Oleksandr Syrskiy, Ukraine’s top military commander

iDeas Lab

The ongoing debate over trade deficits ignores the United States’ existing trade surplus in intellectual property (IP), which by channeling foreign revenue back to American inventors funds the next wave of innovative breakthroughs in the U.S. 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: Majid Saeedi/Getty Images.) Thousands of Iranians attend the funeral ceremony for approximately 60 people killed in Israeli strikes on Iran, including high-ranking military officials, nuclear scientists, and civilians, during a state funeral service in Enqelab Square on June 28, 2025 in Tehran, Iran.

This Town Upcoming

Tomorrow, at 9:30 a.m., the CSIS Global Health Policy Center hosts a discussion on what messages about the importance of global immunization programs best resonate with decisionmakers in the current political and funding context.

Also tomorrow at 9 :30 a.m., the CSIS Korea Chair unpacks what is happening with Iran-North Korea cooperation in the aftermath of the U.S. strikes on Iran and what it means for the Axis of Upheaval.

Later, on Wednesday at 8:45 a.m., the CSIS Defense and Security Department welcomes Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army General James Mingus for a conversation on Army force planning, readiness, and initiatives to build a modern, capable force.

Video

CSIS Beyond Parallel and Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative commercial satellite imagery and automatic identification system (AIS) data analysis provide the first comprehensive timeline of the development, deployment, and current status of the publicly known Chinese steel structures in the PMZ. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

CSIS’s Max Bergmann, director of the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, joins the podcast to discuss what really happened at the NATO summit and how defense spending will impact European economies going forward.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

This contains MUSICAL SPOILERS for “The Bear” Season 4.

I just finished binging season 4 of “The Bear,” which is easily one of my all-time favorite shows. It’s hard for me to think of any show that I’ve been more emotionally invested in short of The Sopranos or The Wire. The Bear’s soundtrack is notable in just about every scene. It plays a large role in underscoring the emotional connection to the characters and their respective storylines. I won’t go into which song played during what scene, but I will say the show does something with music which is unusual—it features entire songs, or large sections of them, as a counterpoint to the dialogue and visuals.

While I watch the series, I keep my hand on my iPhone with the Shazam app open. That way, if I don’t know a song that’s playing, I can quickly figure it out—my colleague Ava does the same thing!

And the songs, my goodness the songs. It’s an eclectic playlist that features rock hall of fame artists like The Who, Dion, Bob Dylan, Otis Redding, Van Morrison, and R.E.M., mixed with newer roots musicians like Jason Isbell, new wave bands like The English Beat, current sensations Taylor Swift, and St. Vincent, with some Emmylou Harris as well. Not to mention a bit of Beethoven for good measure.

This week, I’ll spin a few of the tunes that really spoke to me. This soaring track, “Hope the High Road" by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit from their 2017 album “The Nashville Sound,” nearly struck me down to the ground.

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.