Covid Relief Package

House Democrats are powering ahead with their own new coronavirus aid package—without GOP support. The House will vote Wednesday night on Democrats’ $2.2 trillion coronavirus relief package and expect to pass it with little to no Republican support. But Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) plan to keep members in town for at least 24 hours and maybe longer while the two sides continue to negotiate, as Politico reports.

India Study on Covid

A new study of 85,000 cases in India and nearly 600,000 of their contacts, published Wednesday in the journal Science, offers important insights not just for India, but for other low- and middle-income countries. Among the findings: children of all ages can become infected with the coronavirus and spread it to others—offering compelling evidence on one of the most divisive questions about the virus, as the NYT reports.

U.S. Push for Sudan to Recognize Israel Falters

Last week, U.S. officials held talks with Sudan in the hopes of adding it to a growing list of countries that have normalized relations with Israel, in what the Trump administration has billed as part of its Middle East peace process. But negotiations with Sudan have stalled, putting on hold the pre-election momentum of the administration’s earlier diplomatic successes, as the Washington Post reports.

CSIS Executive Education

CSIS's Risk and Foresight Group is hosting a new global executive education program that weaves together important issues, trends, and revolutions that government and business leaders must understand as they position themselves for the next 25 years. Register for the course 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

10,000

While China’s oppressive measures against Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang region has garnered international attention, Beijing has begun expanding its surveillance on over 10,000 Muslim Utsuls of Hainan Island.

Source: France 24

Critical Quote

“It’s safe to say we’re far apart. The thought that Senate Republicans would go up to $2.2 trillion is outlandish.”

— Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on a Covid Relief Package

iDeas Lab

The Covid-19 outbreak has revealed the growing disease burden posed by the elderly and those with NCDs in sub-Saharan Africa. A new CSIS brief outlines policy recommendations for African governments and international donors.

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: Yasser Al-Zayyat/AFP/Getty Images.) Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (2-R) salutes the crowd after being sworn in as Kuwait's new Emir at the National Assembly in Kuwait City.

This Town Tomorrow

Tomorrow, at 8:30 a.m., the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development hosts a virtual webinar on the implications of Covid-19 for USAID’s implementation of the Indo-Pacific
Strategy.

Also, at 9:00 a.m., join a discussion with U.S. Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK) to discuss vaccines, testing, and social disparities in Covid-19 caseloads in Native American, Black, and Latinx communities.

Then, at 12:00 p.m., join the CSIS Africa Program as they release a conversation with Congressman Gregory Meeks (D-NY) on Africa’s importance to U.S. interests—covering issues such as democracy and governance, trade and investment, and peace and security.

Video

CSIS Africa Program director Judd Devermont and Travis Adkins, a lecturer at Georgetown University, co-host a new series about how the #BlackLivesMatter movement in the U.S. has affected political and social conversations on the African continent. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

This week's guest was Sean O’Keefe, who served in senior positions in both Congress and the executive branch. Host Dr. John Hamre and O’Keefe discuss the tension between the legislative and executive branches, and the imperative for collaboration.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

“Mister I ain't a boy, no I'm a man
And I believe in a promised land”

There’s really no one like the Boss…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-K07mHLNb2U.

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.