Biden Annouces Afghanistan Withdrawal

President Biden formally announced Wednesday that the United States will withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, saying in a speech from the White House that more time and more troops have failed to end the conflict and that is now time to close down America’s longest war, as the Washington Post reports.

Intel Officials Discuss Threats to US

The nation’s top intelligence officials faced a congressional panel on Wednesday for the first time in two years to discuss global threats faced by the United States, fielding questions on China, Russia, Iran and more, as the NYT reports.

Vaccine Pause Causes Scramble

Vaccination sites across the country canceled thousands of appointments after U.S. health authorities paused the use of Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 shots Tuesday over reports of rare but severe blood clots, while other sites scrambled to switch to one of the two other authorized vaccines, as the WSJ reports.

Executive Education

In Economics in National Security: Tools of Coercion and Inducement, participants from the policy, business, analysis, and development communities will learn from leading experts about how U.S. policymakers deploy a wide range of economic tools to support U.S. economic and national security objectives. Register here.

Mexico Matters

The Mexico Matters podcast series highlights key developments in Mexico and their impact on the United States. Hosted by Mariana Campero, each episode brings in-depth analysis, commentary, and conversations on an array of subjects ranging from economics, trade, and energy to national security, foreign policy, and business. 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

8.5 million

Employment in February 2021 was 8.5 million less than in February 2020, a loss that could take more than three years to recoup assuming job creation proceeds at roughly the same monthly rate as it did from 2018 to 2019. But a faster recovery is possible if the job gains seen in March 2021 are sustained in the coming months.

Source: PEW Research

Critical Quote

“I've concluded it's time to end America's longest war.”

— President Joe Biden

iDeas Lab

CSIS's Judd Devermont and Emilia Columbo explain the origins of a rising insurgency in Mozambique, and whether the government’s actions can quell it or just add fuel to the fire.

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: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images.) U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to the press after laying a wreath in Arlington National cemetery to honor fallen veterans of Afghan conflict in Arlington and announcing it's "time to end" America's longest war with the unconditional withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.

This Town Tomorrow

At 9:30 a.m., the CSIS Korea Chair hosts an installment of The Capital Cable on U.S.-Japan-Korea trilateral relations and Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent trip to Korea.

Then, at 1:00 p.m., the CSIS's examines methods to protect space systems from counterspace weapons, including active and passive defenses, strategy and policy measures, and diplomatic initiatives.

And, at 2:30 p.m., CSIS experts William Alan Reinsch and Meredith Broadbent convene with U.S. Representative Kevin Brady (R-TX) to discuss the Republican Party's trade agenda.

Video

Earlier today, CSIS and the National Security Institute (NSI) at George Mason University's Antonin Scalia Law School released a conversation with Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Neil Gorsuch on the importance of civic education as a national security imperative. Watch here.

Podcasts

Stephen Morrison, Director of the CSIS Global Health Policy Center, joined me to discuss the state of the pandemic, vaccine distribution and hesitancy, and achieving herd immunity in the U.S.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

Linda Ronstadt was my first big crush. Her music and her rock and roll aesthetic were so groundbreaking that there was a period in the 70s when it seemed the West Coast culture revolved around her. Who else could cover the Rolling Stones and make one of their hits something altogether their own? 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.