CDC Tells States to be Ready to Distribute Vaccine by November

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has notified public health officials in all 50 states and five large cities to prepare to distribute a coronavirus vaccine to health care workers and other high-risk groups as soon as late October or early November, as the NYT reports.

U.S. Debt Is Set to Exceed Size of the Economy Next Year, a First Since World War II

U.S. debt has reached its highest level compared to the size of the economy since World War II and is projected to exceed it next year, the result of a giant fiscal response to the coronavirus pandemic. The Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday that federal debt held by the public is projected to reach or exceed 100% of U.S. gross domestic product, the broadest measure of U.S. economic output, in the fiscal year that begins on Oct. 1, as the WSJ report s.

Merkel: Putin critic Navalny was poisoned with Novichok nerve agent

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who is in intensive care in a Berlin hospital, was poisoned with a Soviet-style Novichok nerve agent in an attempt to murder him, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday, as Reuters reports.

CSIS Executive Education

Join CSIS’s Trade Guys for their next crash course on trade policy. This two-day program breaks down the fundamentals of how U.S. trade policy is formulated, the legalities of trade in an international arena, and the impact of Covid-19 on supply chains. Register here.

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

172

At least 172 countries are negotiating to join the so-called Covax program, the only worldwide effort among governments and manufacturers to approve and distribute a vaccine.

Source: NYT

Critical Quote

“There is no nation that has been, or will be, as deeply committed to delivering vaccines all around the world as the United States of America.”

— Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

iDeas Lab

The newest PreView video highlights a recent collaborative report between CSIS and the Center for New American Security on the geopolitical shifts that threaten nuclear nonproliferation efforts.

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: Stephane Lemouton/Pool/AFP via Getty Images.) French President Emmanuel Macron and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian meet with UN representatives and NGOs mobilized for the reconstruction of Beirut port, on September 1, 2020.

This Town Tomorrow

Tomorrow, at 9 a.m., the United States Institute of Peace will host an online event to discuss the upcoming 27^th ASEAN Regional Forum and how ASEAN can build peace and resilience in Southeast Asia.

Then, at 10 a.m., join the Middle East Institute to discuss where Iran and Israel stand vis-à-vis each other and consider ways the U.S. and allies can seek to address Tehran’s rejection of Israel as a fellow UN member state.

Later, at 2 p.m., the Atlantic Council partners with the Sentry for a virtual conversation on North Korea sanctions-busting in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Video

Earlier today, the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security hosted a discussion on Russia's Sputnik V vaccine and its geo-strategic implications. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

This week, Scott and I spoke to legendary concert producer Peter Shapiro, founder of Dayglo Ventures, owner of the Brooklyn Bowl, Publisher of Relix magazine, and Chairman of the non-profit, HeadCount. We talked with Peter about the unique challenges the pandemic created for live music performance, the future of streaming technology, and the creative power of music.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

Linda Ronstadt is always a smile, but when she covered the Stones it was off the charts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I7GkHy5iOA.

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 Kendal Gee.