New Restrictions

California and Pennsylvania imposed new restrictions and in 45 states, seven-day averages of new infections are higher than they were a week ago, according to an analysis by the Washington Post.

Hong Kong Arrests

The Hong Kong police moved swiftly on Wednesday to enforce China’s new national security rules with the first arrests under the law, as the city immediately felt the chilling effect of Beijing’s offensive to quash dissent in the semi-autonomous territory, as the NYT reports.

Putin Power

Russians appeared to have paved the way for Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036 by voting overwhelmingly for a package of constitutional changes, as Reuters reports.

Germany to Rebuild Special Forces after Far-Right Infiltration

Germany will disband part of its elite special-forces unit and rebuild the rest under new leadership after the commandos were infiltrated by far-right militants, as the WSJ reports.

CSIS Executive Education

It’s the final week to apply for the CSIS and Syracuse University’s joint Executive Master’s in International Relations, a first-of-its-kind degree allowing working professionals in the nation’s capital to benefit from the strengths of the #1 graduate school in public affairs and the #1 think tank in the U.S.

Video Shorts

Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “Testify,” "What's Happening," "Preview," and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!

In That Number

$117 billion

Major international financial institutions (IFIs) have approved $117 billion in Covid-19-related support since January 27.

Source: CSIS

Critical Quote

“The safest choice this holiday is to celebrate at home.”

— Oregon Health Authority

iDeas Lab

Dr. Anthony Fauci describes the “darkest years” of his career in “The Pandemic Paradox: HIV on the Edge,” a new CSIS documentary. Watch the teaser 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: Dale De La Ray/AFP/Getty Images.) Riot police clear a street as protesters gathered to rally against a new national security law in Hong Kong.

This Town Tomorrow

At 9:00 a.m., USAID and the United States Energy Association will host a webinar, the third in the series, discussing global trends in digitalization.

Later, at 12:00 p.m., the CSIS Korea Chair will host the fifth part of their Korea Chair Capital Cable series. They will discuss the latest developments on the Korean peninsula.

And, at 4:00 p.m., the CSIS International Security Program will host the second part of a discussion on “The Role of Civics in Addressing Racial Injustice.”

Video

CSIS’s Global Health Policy Center is releasing a documentary project, The Pandemic Paradox: HIV on the Edge. Watch the teaser, featuring Dr. Anthony Fauci, here.

Podcasts

I spoke with Oscar Munoz, Executive Chairman of United Airlines, about managing through the Covid-19 crisis in an industry that was first to feel the effects--and among the last to recover.

Listen on Google Play, Spotify, & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

Yes. Another one from Tom Petty, in my view one of the greatest musicians who ever lived.

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 with the External Relations team: Emma Colbran, Caleb Diamond, and Brad Honigberg.