Biden Nears Deal with Pfizer and Moderna

President Biden announced today that his administration was nearing a deal with Pfizer and Moderna to secure an additional 200 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine by the end of the summer. The purchases would boost the administration’s total vaccine order by 50 percent, raising it from 400 million to 600 million doses, as the NYT reports.

Italy’s Prime Minister Conte Resigns

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned today in an escalation of the political instability that has enveloped the country as it battles both the Covid-19 pandemic and a brutal recession, as the FT’s Miles Johnson reports.

Biden Has First Call with Putin

The White House said today that President Biden held his first call as president with Russian President Vladimir Putin and raised concerns about issues such as the detaining of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the massive SolarWinds hack, and reports of Russia offering bounties on U.S. troops, as the WSJ’s Ken Thomas reports.

Executive Education

CSIS is now accepting applications for the Fall 2020 Belt and Road Executive Course. Drawing insights from leading experts and the CSIS Reconnecting Asia Project, this course reveals how China's $1 trillion foreign policy effort is impacting commercial and strategic realities on the ground.

Global Forecast 2021

“Our reputation as a global leader on food security has been tarnished. If we intend to lead on food security abroad, we must look inward as well,” writes CSIS's Caitlin Welsh in a new commentary for CSIS's Global Forecast 2021.

Coronavirus Crisis Update

The Coronavirus Crisis Update podcast brings you the latest updates and analysis from CSIS experts and the leaders directing the global response. Past guests include NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, IHME Director Dr. Chris Murray, Covid-19 Advisory Group members Dr. Luciana Borio and Dr. Celine Gounder, chef Jose Andres, and more. Listen on Apple Podcasts & Spotify.

Video Shorts

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

In That Number

100 Million

The world today surpassed a total of 100 million known coronavirus cases.

Source: NYT

Critical Quote

“Covid-19 patients at home should have the use of pulse oximetry, that’s measuring the oxygen levels, so you can identify whether somewhat at home is deteriorating and would be better off having hospital care.”

— WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris

iDeas Lab

In this episode of "High Resolution," CSIS's Richard Rossow and Joseph Bermudez draw from satellite imagery to explain the China-India standoff on the disputed Doklam Plateau.

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: Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images.) Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at his swearing-in ceremony.

This Town Tomorrow

Tomorrow, at 9:30 a.m., the CSIS-LSHTM High-Level Panel on Vaccine Confidence and Misinformation hosts a virtual discussion on what social media companies can do to limit the amplification of misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines

Later, at 2:00 p.m., CSIS's Project on Prosperity and Development hosts a panel discussion exploring the role of cultural preservation in Afghanistan, and how this, alongside the creative economy and tourism, can help promote peace in post-conflict areas.

Also, at 9:00 a.m., the Brookings Institution will host its annual Foresight Africa launch to discuss regional trends and offer recommendations to civil society actors, national governments, and the private sector on how best to chart a course for 2021.

Video

In the first edition of CSIS's High Resolution Spotlight series, Matthew Funaiole and Joseph Bermudez Jr. examine satellite imagery of China’s new Type 075 landing helicopter dock to better understand the vessel's capabilities. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

On today's episode of Coronavirus Crisis Update, CSIS's Steve Morrison and I sit down with Dr. Céline Gounder, a member of the Biden-Harrison Transition Covid-19 Advisory Board, to discuss the changes in the U.S. response to the pandemic early into the new administration.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

Some of you called out for the Pointer Sisters’ version of Allen Toussaint’s “Yes We Can Can” last week after I posted the Ivan Neville clip from Tipitina’s TV. (By the way, Ivan’s dad Aaron turned 80 yesterday, happy BD Aaron!)

But back to the Pointer Sisters, the group had 13 U.S. top 20 hits between 1973 and 1985. As far as I’m concerned, induct them into the Rock Hall for this performance alone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVxv6AFt7YM.

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.